Page 102 of Driven Daddy

I stood up and crossed to him, lifting on my toes to brush a kiss over his full, distracting mouth.

He grinned down at me. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Embarrassed that I’d gone right for him in front of his parents, I let him go only for him to haul me back against him and kiss me soundly.

“Now that we look very professional and kickass, shall we go?” He tucked my hair around my ear.

I reached up to rub away my lipstick.

He pulled my hand away then laced our fingers. “I don’t think I’ll be back, Ma.”

“Presumptuous.”

He grinned at me. “If you want to kick me out, I’ll live.”

Ignoring him, I smiled at JoAnn and Hank. “Thanks for the talk and the coffee.”

“Nice to see you again, Rita. I always want to talk books.”

“You were amazing. I have so many notes for Hope’s backstory, thanks to you. I’ll be sure to put you in the dedication.”

JoAnn pinked up. “Wait til my friends hear about that.” She jabbed Hank. “Did you hear that?”

“I did, Jo. Good luck at your meeting, you two.”

“Thanks, Pop.” He picked up his duffel bag with his other hand, and we headed back out to the car.

We still had an hour before the meeting, but my stomach was starting to twist, and I wished I’d skipped the coffee cake with JoAnn.

“You okay, Duchess?”

“Yeah. Just wondering if I’m being stupid cuttingDisasterfrom the calendar.”

He walked around the car to my side and opened the door. “Do you think she gave a shit about this calendar when she signed that deal behind your back?”

I bristled. “No.”

“Then don’t worry about it. I can guarantee she hasn’t given it another thought.”

I sighed. “You’re probably right. I was always the one who reached out for any charity projects.”

“Because she’s a selfish prick.” He dropped a kiss on my nose. “Now get that perfect ass in the car.”

So surprised, I couldn’t stop the laugh. Instantly, I felt better. “Perfect, huh?”

“Perfect.” He reached around and palmed my butt, dragging me in for a kiss. “I’ll show you just how perfect tonight.”

“Angling to bring that overnight bag in my house, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.” He stepped back and let me get inside before he shut the door.

The drive into town was quiet. The newspaper was on the edge of town near a candy store. At least I was pretty sure it was a candy store. The massive horror-inducing scarecrow peeking over the top of the Trick or Treat sign made me sit up. “How have I not noticed that before?”

“Not much need to come out this way. Why I was surprised the owner opened up the store out here. There was a big fire last year and they rebuilt the whole damn thing. Nolan Devereaux owns it—he was actually supposed to be one of my artists.”

I tore my gaze away from the metal work pieces. “Really?”

“Yeah, his sketches for his work are just as disturbing as what comes out of his metal and blowtorch.”

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