Page 5 of Dating the Daddy

I laugh softly. How is it possible for him to sound cranky over text? He isn’t getting his way, and he’s grumpy about it. That shouldn’t be nearly as hot as it is. And yet…

“Nope,” I mutter to myself, shoving my phone back into my desk drawer. “No freaking way.” This is getting way too close to dangerous territory. I can not soften toward this man. If I do, he’ll own me, and then he’ll destroy me. I am not going to let that happen.

My phone buzzes with another text, and then another, but I ignore them this time, forcing myself to focus on finishing up my column and responding to comments on the site where I publish everything. By the end of the day, I’ve almost managed to forget about Aidan and his ridiculous attempt to unmask me.

Right up until I pull my phone out of my desk and see his final two texts.

Aidan

Since you refuse to ask who I’m so desperate to meet, I’m just going to tell you, Fairy. It’s you.

Please have dinner with me.

“Holy shi…”

The man has completely lost his mind!

And I’ve never wanted to go to dinner more.

This is so freaking bad.

“Not happening,” I mumble to myself. “This is so not happening.”

But I don’t tell him that. In fact, I don’t answer him at all. At least, not immediately. I need to take this bra off and drink a glass of wine before I dive any deeper into this madness.

CHAPTER 2

AIDAN

I’m sitting herein my cluttered excuse of an office, glaring at my phone as if it's responsible for my life being a colossal joke.No, asshole, you’re doing it to yourself.

Taking on the mysterious Silver Spoon Falls matchmaker head-on might’ve been my dumbest idea. Ever. The local cupid-in-disguise has made it her damned mission to find eternalhappiness for all the lonely souls around here. And after playing matchmaker for my brother and sister, I’ve got a target on my back. So, I hatched a devious plan—to smoke her out.

I want to rip away the veil of secrecy she’s draped herself in and show the world she’s no fairy godmother. I figured pretending to be another love-struck fool needing her services would be the perfect way to get close to her, so I sent an appropriately desperate-sounding text. Not surprisingly, she took the bait.

For the record, I’m not into this candy-coated horseshit. But business is business. I keep texting her, each message a small battle in my war to breach her defenses. But here’s where the bitchy universe decides to turn the tables. As our conversation turns into a thread of witticisms and banter, her elusiveness and sass actually start to intrigue me. The back-and-forth was supposed to be a means to an end, not a goddamn intrigue.

Before I know it, my curiosity is bubbling over, and I can’t help myself. I need to hear her voice. Just to see if the picture in my mind matches reality. Maybe then I’ll be reminded I’m doing this to expose her and all her twinkly-ass BS. With a hard-set jaw, I press ‘call’.Big mistake, Steele. Big. Fucking. Mistake.

“Hello?” Her voice is like dark chocolate laced with chili, all smoky and warm with a kick I wasn’t prepared for. It sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. Dammit. I’m gripping the phone like it's a rope inclined to haul me out of my self-made pit.

“Yeah, uh, hey. This is Aidan. Steele.” I hardly recognize my own voice, gravelly and a bit too eager. With a goddamn stutter. What the hell? A voice in the back of my mind tells me to hang up before things get out of control, but I’m too fucking dumb to listen. “Since you didn’t answer my text, I thought I’d call and ask you.”

There’s a pause on the line, and then she chuckles softly. “Maybe I didn’t answer your text because I was trying to figure out how to let you down easy. You know, without too much damage to your ego.”

Ouch. That shouldn’t have hurt, but it sent a definite zing right through the center of my chest. “I figured you were too busy naming our first son to reply.” I’m a goddamn idiot, but the words wouldn’t stay behind my teeth.

“You wish,” she snorts, but I can hear the change in the tone of her voice. “How do you manage to squeeze your ego through standard-size doors?”

Ah, she’s got balls. Direct and unflinching. It’s a rare find. “My ego isn’t what I have trouble fitting places.” There goes my goddamn mouth blabbering on without waiting for my brain to catch up.

“Have you been hitting the donuts a little hard?” she replies smoothly, the hint of amusement lining her voice like a siren’s call. “I know the perfect gym to help you get rid of the holiday paunch.”

I can’t help but snort as an unexpected warmth spreads through me, clawing its way into the fortress I’ve had around my heart for as long as I can remember. Her sass sends all the blood in my body straight for my cock, turning it to steel. Fucking hell. That just doesn’t happen. Ever.

“Why don’t you come work out with me?” I throw out there, doing my best to shake the effect she has on me and get back to my original mission. “I bet we’d have fun getting all hot and sweaty.”

She laughs again, and I’m not prepared for the way it stirs something in me. “I’m sorry. I’m not that kind of girl. I have strict dating requirements that have to be met before I would consider getting hot and sweaty with anyone.”

---