Page 55 of Sexy Bad Daddy

“Well, haven’t you told her yet?” The asshole beams at me.

“Told her what?” I drain her glass too and exchange it for a full one off a tray that circulates under my nose. I have a sneaking suspicion he’s going to tell me I should have told her how I felt about her long before now.

“Never mind.” He shakes his head. “Drink up. Fiona Davenport’s got you locked in her crosshairs.”

“Fuck.” I glower into the crystal as Callum beats a hasty exit. “Not again.”

First, I need to do something about Fiona before she makes any more obvious digs at Erin. Striding across the room, I pass her and pop my now empty glass down on a table before ducking out a side door that leads to a terrace overlooking the eighteenth and a pond surrounded by weeping willows. Their branches create ripples in the water as they trail over the surface under the gentle breeze.

Once upon a time I would have dealt with Fiona Davenport by taking her to bed and then ignoring her. Now I have no idea how I’m supposed to get the bitch to leave Erin and I alone.

“What’s going on, G-man?” Danny jogs up the stairs in front of me. He’s actually dressed for the part. Of course not as wait staff, which might actually make sense, but in a tuxedo.

“Is that my suit?”

“Yeah.” He grins, flicking imaginary lint off his shoulder. “Looks better on me than it does you, don’t you think?”

“No,” I growl as I advance on him. I know he’s Erin’s best friend, but he’s been nothing but a pain in my ass since he showed up in my apartment the first time. “Can you stop taking my stuff? What are you doing here anyway?”

“What do you mean what am I doing here?” Danny finally drags his attention away from his own reflection in the tall glass behind me. “Erin sent me an SOS thirty minutes ago. I guess you guys aren’t that close after all, not like best friends close, huh?”

“What’s the SOS?” I ask.

“What do you mean, they aren’t close?” Fiona steps onto the terrace to join us.

“Don’t answer that,” I snarl at Danny. If he can manage to keep his mouth shut for once in the time I’ve known him, it’ll be a miracle.

“And you are?” He shoves his hands in his pockets and wanders past me.

“Fiona Davenport.” The journalist flutters her eyelashes at the kid. Clearly, women can’t see past his face, because I have no idea what they can possibly find interesting about a guy who has nothing going for him.

“Uh-huh.” Danny takes her hand and bows over it. “You’re Freaky Foot Job Fiona.”

“What?” She pales and tries to pull her hand away. “No. How dare you—”

“Sure you are.” If Danny smirks any harder, I’m concerned he’s going to crack his face and then Erin will probably kill me. He points a thumb over his shoulder in my direction. “You’re the Fiona who gave Garrett here a foot job under the table a few months back. Hence the nickname. Have to say, that was one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not true. That isn’t what happened.” She glares at him. “Now if you could kindly get out of my way, I’d like to ask Mr. Frost a few more questions before dinner.”

Can I admit I’m enjoying this exchange? Just once Danny might be worth the pain of putting up with him.

“You aren’t the desperate journo who sneak assaults men’s dicks with your toes?” He raises an eyebrow. “I’m sure I have a photo of that on my cell, actually.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and fidgets with it. “Let me think, you were wearing a red dress, and some fine-ass Victoria Secret panties.”

“Oh my God.” Fiona’s eyes bug out of her wan face.

“Oh come on, Danny, now you’re getting creepy,” I tell him, staring out over the lawn. I’m not exactly interested in stopping him, just toeing the line of decency.

“She’s my best friend. I do what I have to. Even where you’re involved.” He finally stops scrolling and holds his phone up to Fiona. “This you?”

“Absolutely not.” She pushes his arm away, tries to get past him.

“You’re really not a good liar, Freaky Fiona.” Danny chuckles. “Look, you have the same tattoo on the inside of your left thigh that I’ve seen on the Internet, and the same webbed toes. I’m guessing if you don’t stop hounding the G-man and his family, he’s going to use these photos to ruin your credibility.” Then he shrugs and puts his phone away. “I, on the other hand, could work around the webbed toes if you wanted a bit of a quickie in my car. Well, my housemate’s car.”

Crack.

I flinch at the sound of her hand lancing across his jaw before she spins on her heel and marches back inside.

“That fucking hurt.” Danny rubs at his jaw as he approaches the edge of the stairs. “She might be hot, but that woman is crazy.”

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