Page 23 of Driven Daddy

When I straightened, Murphy was giving me another look.

“What? She’s cute. I’m not an ogre.”

“Didn’t say you were.” Murphy laughed as he settled Theo on the couch with a blanket.

“Should I take her jacket off? She looks hot.”

“She’s fine.”

Then I remembered the other man that had been in the window when I had pulled in. I’d forgotten with the kids.

“Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting.”

“It’s fine.” Murphy crossed to me. “I’ve got a camera feed in the office. Let’s let them sleep.”

Of course, my brother had cameras in the house. His wife called him Fortress for a host of reasons. Some I didn’t want to think about too hard.

“I can get out of your way.”

“Nah. You probably would like Dom. C’mon in.”

I followed him down the hall. There was a door on the right and at the end of the hall was a huge atrium room with all sorts of windows. It was a playroom and a hang room when the kids weren’t around—which wasn’t too often.

Murphy and Vee’s lives happily revolved around their four kids.

I stepped in and the dude seemed even bigger than I had originally thought when I pulled in. He was an inch or two taller than Murphy and wore the same uniform my brother had adopted—flannel and denim.

“Dominic Lockwood, my brother Penn.”

The man stuffed his phone into his pocket and held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you. Big fan.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

“Dominic and I are working on a new project together. Just working out the bugs.”

“You never rest.” I dropped into the huge chair near the window and sat forward when something squeaked behind my back.

It was a siren song for the two Morkies who dashed into the open door and launched themself into my lap. Used to the crazy, I sat back and let them burrow on either side of my thighs.

“I could say the same about you.” Murphy leaned on his huge console desk. It had four monitors and an array of keyboards and tools I couldn’t name. When I had no answer, he folded his arms. “Dominic is looking for people to beta his new app. You interested?”

I glanced at Dominic, and then back to Murph. “Dare I ask what it’s for?”

“Dating app.”

“God, no.” I lifted CC, the smaller Morkie, to cuddle into my chest. He liked to climb up to my neck to hide in my hair. “I’m definitely not looking for love.”

“This one’s a little different. Not just love.Thelove. The happily ever after some people are looking for instead of a hookup.” Dominic’s voice was deep.

I craned my neck to look closer at Murphy’s friend. “Looking for love, man? Just walk into the center of the Cove, and you’ll have a ton of women throwing themselves at you.”

“No.” Dominic’s voice brooked no argument. “But I know there are plenty of people—women, specifically—who are looking for this.”

“Ahh, so you are just in it for the money.” I hooked my ankle over my knee, and Latte crawled under to settle himself between my legs. I gave his head a little scratch. “There are tons of women who are tired of the game, man.”

“I’m simply filling a hole in the market.”

Murphy tossed his phone at me. “Dom is what we call an angel investor. He finds good people who need a leg up.”

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