Page 114 of Challenged by the Single Dad

That made her laugh. “Yeah, but you’re a cute grump.”

Shrugging, he smirked. “I know. But once I got over the shock, and they spelled it out for me, it does make sense. It levels the playing field a bit better. The power dynamic isn’t so skewed. I’ll stilltechnicallybe your boss, since I’m still an owner, but you’ll also be my boss. I’ll just be another bartender, another employee. Another grunt.”

Her snicker made his dick twitch. “Another grunt, huh?”

“Apparently, they took a poll of all the staff and nobody else wants the position, or thinks they could do it better than you. The job is yours if you want it. And according to Wyatt, and Renée, everybody at work already knows about us anyway. So … it’s not like we need to make some big announcement about that either. Renée was just relieved we finally stopped ignoring our feelings.”

“I am too,” she said softly, her eyes burning like two teal orbs. But then her mood quickly shifted from lustful to anxious in the utter blink of her beautiful eyes. He wanted to replace her teeth with his and nibble on that plump bottom lip as she worried it back and forth in thought. “What about Hawke and the hostel?”

He shrugged. “We can figure it out. Hedoesneed to find somebody else though. And with the baby coming, the sooner the better. I wouldn’t want to be without enough staff come the spring and summer when the tourists turn into locusts and swarm.”

“So, like, I get to tell you what to do and stuff?” she asked, a shimmer of intrigue and playfulness emerging in her blue-green stare.

Picking up on her wavelength, he slid to his knees and let one hand delve beneath the bubbles. “You do. Is there something you’d like me to do for you right now?”

Pursing her lips, she spread her legs and sucked in a sharp breath as he found her center. With his thumb, he ran rough, wide circles around her clit, enjoying the way it almost instantly swelled. Once he knew she was primed, he slid one finger, then another into her tight heat, pumping gently until she relaxed a bit more.

Leaning back against the tub, she closed her eyes, her teeth once again pushing hard against her plump bottom lip until it turned white. A soft moan escaped her and his cock thickened against his zipper. Sexy little hip-lifts made the water slosh about, but it wasn’t so full that it’d flood the bathroom floor.

“Oh god,” she breathed, her hip-lifts growing more erratic.

Her beauty stole his breath away. Even just sitting there in the tub, nauseous, and frantic with worry about whether the pregnancy would even survive, she was a sight to behold. She was his. And he soaked up every moment. Memorized every contour of her face. The small, white scar through her left brow, the splash of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and even the faint apple-seed-sized birthmark on the right side of her neck just below her jaw.

Her mouth parted and she drew in another quick breath. Her clit had doubled in size beneath his thumb and her pussy squeezed his fingers.

Then, she stilled, pulled in a deep breath through her nose, held it, and let go.

Color filled her pale cheeks as her chest rose and fell with rapid succession beneath the bubbles. Her tight channel squeezed and released his fingers as her clit throbbed against his thumb pad. And he just took it all in. He watched as her eyes pinched closed tight, creating adorable little lines on either side, as her mouth opened wider to create a perfect, sexy “O” and how her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the bath with all her tiny might.

And he just kept going. Prolonging her pleasure. Giving her what he could to make her feel better. To ease the torture in her brain and body. And he would continue to do so for the next eight months and beyond.

Eventually, her climax waned and came to an end. Boneless, she slumped against the wall of the tub and slowly peeled open her eyes, blinking beautiful blue-green sparkles at him. A slow, shy smile curled her mouth as he removed his fingers and brought his hand out of the water. “Thank you,” she whispered. “That actually really helped.”

“Anytime,” he replied, reaching across her for the mug of tea. “This might help too. It’s peppermint.”

She took it from him and had a sip, humming in delight as she swallowed. “Thank you.”

“What do you plan to do on your day off?” he asked, wiping his wet hand on his jeans.

“I texted Justine and asked if we could have a chat when she gets back from yoga with the kids.”

He nodded, then her mention of the kids reminded him what he wanted to speak with her about. “So … I have to work tonight.”

She nodded.

“That means Silas will be here. And you will be here.”

Her eyes went wide as she took another sip of her tea.

“You don’t have to babysit him. That’s not what I’m asking. He can go to Clint’s, or I can have Jagger take him. Or we can see if Jagger will hang out here and maybe you two can get to know each other but without the pressure of you also being the adult that needs to make sure he doesn’t choke on his grilled cheese.” He was trying to make the topic as light as possible, but the way her eyes darkened and that playful, post-orgasm glow quickly drained from her face, he could tell she was processing how serious and complicated it all really was.

“Well … I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to get to know Silas.” Her hand fell beneath the water to her belly. “I’m carrying his brother or sister.”

Dom’s head bobbed softly. “But we don’t have to rush things. He can be slow to warm up to people too. Unlike the other kids who all jumped at the idea of having a new woman in their father’s and their lives, I’m not sure how Silas is handling all of this or where his head is. He’s shy. And he’s very sensitive.”

“And the last thing I want is for us to rush or push and make it more challenging for everyone. Or cause any setbacks.” He reached for her hand that rested on the edge of the tub and laced their fingers together. “How about we let Silas set the pace? If he wants me to stay with him, I will. But I also won’t be offended if he’s not ready.”

While he appreciated her willingness to go at his son’s speed, he was also concerned about her heart. She lost her son in the most horrific way. Was she going to be okay welcoming another little boy into her life, into her heart, so easily? “What about you?” he asked. “What about your comfort level?”

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