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I stepped back and pushed my hands back into my pockets to keep them from doing something I’d later regret, and after taking a good look at her body, I looked back into her eyes.

“You doing okay, Valley?” I asked.

“Everything’s perfect. Dad told me you retired,” she said, and I gave her a quick nod as the catering guy came back with my whiskey.

“I did. Not sure if it was the right decision at fifty-six,” I told her, mentioning my age just to make sure she knew I was more than triple her age.

But she was very well aware of that, smiling at me as I said those two numbers. “You worked hard all your life. You deserve a break,” she told me, now smiling without any bad intentions behind it.

“Guess I do. Think it’s time for your father to do the same. Don’t want him to suffer from a heart attack if he keeps working hard like that.”

Andrew and Della laughed as I kept my eyes on Valley.

I couldn’t tear my eyes off her, no matter how hard I tried.

There was something intriguing and playful lingering in her gaze, and although I thought at first that she was only teasing to get a rise out of me, she was doing it because she wanted something.

Wanted me.

Shit.

A young girl like her shouldn’t go after men my age, but who the fuck was I to stop her?

I took a sip of my whiskey while my eyes stayed on hers, but when someone called out her name, we both turned our heads to look at her friend walking toward us.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Bentley,” the girl said, smiling at them and losing it quickly as she stared up at me.

“Holy mother…” she whispered, quickly looking away and turning her attention to Valley.

“Hello, Kennedy. Didn’t know Valley invited you,” Andrew said.

“I forgot to tell you,” Val said, smiling at her father apologetically. “You don’t mind her being here, right?”

“Of course not. How are your parents, Kennedy?” Andrew asked.

“Oh, they’re great. Happy birthday, by the way. Fifty-five looks good on you, Mr. Bentley,” Kennedy said.

Unlike Valley, Kennedy was able to make that compliment without a flirtatious undertone.

“Thank you,” he replied, making me wonder if he thought the same about girls his daughter’s age as I did.

I wasn’t a creep, but I liked my women young.

Maybe in their early thirties, or even late twenties, but something about Valley and how she teased the shit outta me intrigued me.

I wanted more.

Wanted to taste the forbidden, but I couldn’t.

“Would you girls like to help me in the kitchen really quick? I have a little surprise for the birthday boy,” Della said, winking at Andrew.

“Of course,” Valley said, reaching for her friend’s hand and shooting me one last look and letting her eyes wander down my body.

Yeah, she definitely wasn’t just flirting for fun.

She wanted so much more.

“Nice seeing you again, Riggs,” she then said, making my dick twitch as if I was a fucking teenage boy not able to control my damn body.

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