Page 44 of Puck Princess

“The only mood I’m setting is one where I don’t pee my pants.”

What does it say about me that I love when she plays hard to get? Probably that I can’t resist a challenge.

“So, I was thinking, Thai food sounds so—” Callie opens the bathroom door, and before she can finish the sentence, I grab her hand and yank her down the hall.

She shrieks in surprise. “What do you think you are doing?”

“You nearly jumped me in your office,” I say, kissing my way down her throat. “Then you rubbed all ofthisagainst all ofthis.” I gesture at her and then myself. “And then you made every excuse in the book for not letting me fuck you into next week. Well, guess what, sweetheart? The book is out the window, and I want to hear you say my name.”

I pick her up and toss her onto the bed—gently, of course—before crawling on top of her.

I kiss her the way I wanted to in her office, parting her lips with my tongue until she moans and wraps her legs around me. My hand wanders under her shirt to spread across her warm skin, and I smile into the kiss.

It’s go time…

“Hello?” We are aggressively ripped out of the moment when a third voice that should not be in my house echoes down the hall. “Anyone home?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I groan under my breath.

My hand is on Callie’s breast and my sister is ten feet away. Not how I saw tonight going.

“You didn’t lock the door?” Callie whispers.

“She has a key.”

I hear footsteps in the hallway, so I hop up and change my tone from completely irritated to something close to inviting. “Hey, sis! Just a sec.”

I turn back to Callie. She’s propped up on her elbows, looking as delicious as ever (because fuck my life). I jab a warning finger at her. “This isn’t over yet.”

I walk into the kitchen and find Summer slipping out of her shoes, holding Nicky on her hip.

“What are you doing here?”

And how quickly can I convince you to leave?

“Oh, I was just getting lonely. Infants aren’t great company. Plus, with the way you all are America’s least sports-focused hockey team of all time, I thought maybe there would be some reality television-level drama you could fill me in on. Almost kill any of your teammates this week?”

“Nice to see you too, Summer.”

Callie appears from the hallway, looking only a little disheveled. It’s a painful reminder of what I should be doing right now.

“Hey Summer! How are you?”

“In need of a drink.”

“Nicky looks so cute in his yellow duck onesie,” Callie coos.

“You think so? That’s his fourth outfit today. With the way he spits up, the kid should try out for the newExorcistmovie, I swear to God.”

With that, she hands Nicky to Callie, the diaper bag to me, and heads to the kitchen to scavenge for alcohol.

I shake my head, silently apologizing to Callie. But she’s unfazed. In fact, she’s all smiles as she bounces and sways with a drooling, gurgling Nicky in her arms.

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as all get out.

I never thought I wanted to be a dad. Mostly because I never assumed I’d be a good one. But between watching Callie with my nephew—a baby I love more fiercely than I ever knew I could—and watching her body swell with ourchild, well… my perspective has changed.

Summer sips on a hastily-made vodka and Sprint. “So, what are you guys up to tonight?”

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