Page 49 of Manny

Me

Lucky you

We need to get off this subject…

Me

Here’s your child making croissants

I send him the pics I took earlier of Eli holding the tray out. Then I crouch down and take a pic through the oven. I’ll send more when they’re cooked.

Bandit

Thanks, Manny. He really looks up to you

Fine. He may not be as much of a douchebag as I thought.

“Your dad likes the pics,” I say as Eli dries his hands. “We’ll have to make sure we save him a couple to try.”

Eli high fives me. “Are they done yet?” He peers through the glass door.

“Another ten minutes or so.” The waft fills the bakery, and it smells amazing.

I tap out another message. The fight that never was is over, life’s too short to hold grudges.

Me

Any time

“Oh, my God!” Lace covers her eyes as she spills popcorn everywhere. We’re having a midweek movie night since Shep interrupted Sunday plans. This is the second time we’ve got together on the couch in a week, and I have to say, it’s nice having her around. Even if my feelings are clouding my vision. There’s something about having Lace in my personal space that feels right. She’s tidy, just like she promised, quiet, and it appears that — at the moment — she doesn’t have any bad habits. I know she can’t be perfect, but she’s pretty close to it.

I glance at her as she snuggles closer to me. “You chose this dumb movie,” I chuckle. “You can’t blame me when I’m the rom-com queen.”

She tips her head into the crook of my arm and buries her face. “Fast forward,please!”

I shake my head, enjoying her warmth. She smells like cinnamon donuts. “Nope. You have to sit it out.”

“You’re so mean!” She playfully thumps my chest with one fist, then raises her head.

I look down at her, our bodies pressed together. I hope to God she can’t feel the wood going on between my legs right now, but I am wearing sweats. She has on this tiny tank that barely covers her tits and little sleep shorts that have me praying to the heavens above that I can keep it in my pants. I can’t fuck my roommate, or a club sister. Then again, there’s a high chance I’ve put the little mystery of her and Bandit together. I’m either really goddamn smart, or I’m clutching at straws because it’s a fantasy that I wouldn’t mind recreating.

“I just drizzled caramel over your popcorn and I made us hot chocolates with whipped cream and peppermint syrup, how is that mean?”

She pushes up, her tits press against my side and I hold in a groan. “Because you won’t let me tap out.”

I smirk. “Tap out? Really?”

Her eyes drop to my lips and my heart rate kicks up a notch.What the fuck?

I’ve watched tons of movies with the girls over the years, none of them cuddle up to me like this. Of course, the ol’ ladies wouldn’t do that anyway, but even the single women of the club sit on their side of the couch. We don’t snuggle. We hug because I’m that kinda guy, but we don’t cuddle on the couch under blankets with barely anything between us. My dick is so painfully hard, especially after thinking about her and Bandit a few days ago.

“Yes, it’s mean.” She presses a hand to her heart and my eyes drop. I can clearly see her hard nipples through the thin fabric of her tank. “You’re not a nice landlord.”

I smirk. “Really?”

“You’re fantastic,” she giggles.

“Lace?”

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