Page 3 of Rolling with the Single Daddies

He scrubs his hands over his face. The thought of me having sex with someone else has to be a shock to him. I seize the moment, fling the door open, toss the diapers inside, and jump in.

“This isn’t over!” he yells as I close the door with one hand and turn the key in the ignition with the other.

I peel out of the parking lot, my hands shaking on the steering wheel. It’s only when I’m several blocks away that I allow myself to breathe. That evil asshole can’t have any place in my daughter’s life, even if heisthe father.

Arriving at the cigar shop, I do my best to hide my frazzled nerves. Once inside, all I have to do is follow the laughter to find my friends.

Nikki keeps her voice quiet, but bubbles with excitement. “Avery! You’re not gonna believe what we found.” She’s opening the display case, pointing at a row of thick cigars. “Check out thesebig boys.”

Belova tries not to laugh. “Don’t get us in trouble again.”

I’m not sure what trouble they got into, but I’ve never seen cigars this big. They’ll serve perfectly for comic relief. I grab the thickest one, wrapping my fingers around it.

Beatrix playfully says, “I might have to take one of these home and see if the guys have inferiority complexes.”

“TMI,” I blurt out. I can’t deal with the thought of my brothers having any kind of reaction to the size of these cigars.

Mila tries to stifle her laughter, but ends up crying, she’s laughing so hard.

“I thought I made myself clear.” A deep voice rolls past me.

Whoever the voice belongs to must be staring at me. I wince and slowly turn.

He reaches for my hand and wraps his fingers around mine and the cigar. I think he’s upset with me, but I’m on the verge of melting. Is it the heat of his hand, the sparks of electricity zipping through me, or the crazy attraction I feel for him? I haven’t experienced anything like this in a long time.

“You like that size?” His voice softens.

I don’t know what’s happening, but I funnel all of the anger and anxiety from my encounter with my ex into having fun with this sexy, muscular, man-bun wearing god. This is my big outing without the baby. I’m going to enjoy every second of it.

“I’ve had bigger,” I tease.

His lips quirk. “If you like big things in your mouth, I’d be happy to help you find a perfect fit.”

I’m in a store,surrounded by my closest friends. It’s so good to feel sexy and desired and to have fun. I run with the banter. “How big ya’ got?”

He lifts my hand. “If you’re impressed by this, maybe I shouldn’t show you.”

Beatrix says, “Let’s give them some space.” She and the rest of my group run out. So much for being surrounded by my friends.

I can’t believe I’m flirting with this gorgeous stranger. His eyes sparkle with mischief, drawing me in.

I bite my lip. “Shouldn’t show me… Sounds like you’re just a tease.”

He removes the cigar from my hand and returns it to the shelf. The world transforms into slow motion as I long for his strong touch.

Taking my hand, he leans in closer, his breath warm on my ear. “I’d love to tease you.”

I struggle to maintain my composure and make the mistake of pushing on his deliciously firm chest to create space. “Do you make that offer to everyone who walks in here?”

“It’s a special offer, just for you.” He winks. “I’m Diego.”

“Avery,” I reply, unsure if swapping names makes this too real.

“Good to meet you, Avery. What do you do when you’re not admiring large-ring-gauge cigars?”

I tense up. Why make this serious by getting personal? I don’t want to see his face if I tell him I have a baby. “Not much.”

Diego raises an eyebrow. “Are youtryingto tease me? You must do something. You know I work in a cigar shop. What do you do?”

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