Page 9 of Rufus

They walked down a hallway with a gold-colored carpet and walls that were all a complementary cream marble.

Nothing at all like the bare hallways of the hospital where Molly had her tonsils removed when she was twelve.

“That was very quick thinking,” Rufus praised softly as the two of them walked toward Mia’s room.

She beamed. “Thank you.”

“Although I’m not sure I particularly like the idea of anyone thinking I’m your father.” Rufus frowned. “Or hearing you call me Daddy,” he added huskily.

No, that was a little…disturbing considering how attracted Molly was to him. Unless you were into that kink, of course, and then it was perfectly fine.

Molly wasn’t, and she knew from Rufus’s frown that he wasn’t either. “I bet you would have liked it even less if I’d said I was your girlfriend!” she teased to cover the awkwardness of the moment.

* * *

Would he?

Admittedly, Rufus thought it would be a little awkward initially to introduce this much younger woman as his girlfriend, but he couldn’t claim to be completely averse to the idea when his attraction toward her had only grown deeper as he spent the morning working alongside her.

Not if it also meant he got to make love to that “girlfriend” in his bed every night. Or naked across his desk. Or in the back, or front, of his SUV. Even up against the nearest wall sounded pretty good right about now.

Being shut in the confines of his vehicle with her for the past half an hour had only made him more aware of the heady allure of Molly’s perfume, a mix of earthy woman and the lighter scent of vanilla.

Hell, his first visit to see his new grandchild was decidedly not the time to have a fully erect cock inside his boxers at the thought of having Molly spread out before him like a buffet he intended gorging on for hours!

Besides, didn’t her teasing comment mean that she found the idea laughable?

Of course it did.

“You’re right,” he acknowledged abruptly, releasing her arm to knock on the door and then enter Mia’s room after being invited to do so.

His actual daughter looked tired but also glowing, a huge smile on her face. She was holding her newborn daughter in her arms, wrapped in a soft pink blanket.

Darius was seated beside them on the bed, his love and pride for his wife and his daughter shining in his usually serious eyes.

When Rufus looked closer, he could see his son-in-law also had lines of strain beside his nose and mouth, no doubt from having to watch his beloved wife in pain before and during giving birth to Elizabeth.

Reminding him that Darius was sixteen years older than Mia, and their relationship worked?—

Forget it, Rufus told himself sternly.

He needed to concentrate on the here and now. Most especially his granddaughter.

He had to admit to being a little thrown earlier when Darius told him they had decided to name their daughter Elizabeth Anoushah.

The Anoushah part he knew was because of a child Darius had befriended, but who had died during his years serving in the army in Afghanistan.

Elizabeth was to honor the mother Mia had never known.

Rufus’s deceased wife.

He knew he hadn’t been completely honest with Molly earlier regarding his feelings for Beth. But what could he have said differently? Beth was my wife, the mother of my daughter, but we only had an affection for each other because of Mia rather than a grand and passionate love.

Yeah, that didn’t sound too good in reference to a woman who had been his wife and died twenty-two years ago.

Better to keep his silence on the subject.

“I left flowers with the receptionist. She said she would have someone bring them in once they’re in water,” he told Mia after kissing her warmly on the cheek. “Yellow roses, your favorite.”

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