Page 22 of Passed Ball

"Are you hearing this? And I'm supposed to walk out the door and trust her with my daughter after that?"

Vivi looks between us, holding back her laughter as if she's trying not to encourage us while we lob snarky remarks back and forth. It's the most like myself I've felt in months.

"You might be mid on a good day, Big Red, but your daughter is perfect everyday. Me and my new bestie will be just fine here tonight while you two kids get up to whatever it is you do at these stuffy galas." Tenley waves us off, her focus remaining on my daughter the whole time.

"We really should get going before we're late to the stuffy gala," Vivienne says, all business again.

I cross the room and scoop Holland up, pressing a kiss to her head. "Love you, Áine." Looking from my daughter to Tenley, I hesitate. "You've got your phone, right?"

She waves it between us. "Your number is programmed in there, and I can call Vi."

"She's got a fresh diaper on and I fed her right before you got here. She'll need another bottle before we get home. I left everything out where it's easy to find. The bottles and formula are on the counter and there's a fire extinguisher under the sink . . ."

Tenley rolls her lips together and I stop, realizing I'm spiraling.

"Breathe, we've got this." She models taking a deep calming breath and, without thinking, I mimic her.

This is hard, harder than leaving her with the girls, but Tenley stares me down, waiting patiently until I hand my baby back and rejoin Vivi. "Shall we?"

When I reach the edge of the living room, I glance back to check if she's following. She's still standing in the middle of the room, not paying me any attention, mouthing"mid"to my nanny with a raised eyebrow.

Tenley catches me but doesn't give me away. Instead, she smirks at her aunt and shrugs.

Yeah, Tenley and I are going to get along fine. It's her aunt that has me thoroughly perplexed.

Chapter 10

Vivienne

I've come to the realization that red-headed men are a terribly underappreciated demographic. Not that I think this particular man has ever been lacking female attention, but the way he looks in his tux, hair styled and a hint less messy than I'm used to, is something to be appreciated.

He walks around to the passenger side of a flashy sports car that looks like it costs more than I make in a year.

Our arms brush when he opens the door and I have to suppress a shiver. "I hope you don't mind if we take this." His rich, masculine scent wraps around me. It's deep and timeless, like well-worn leather, and I want to know if it's cologne or him, but it's so subtle that it's gone before I can place it.

I look over my shoulder. "Oh no, please don't make me ride in your fancy sports car."

An endearing blush creeps up his cheeks, almost like he's embarrassed to have something so nice.

"Holland's car seat is in the other car, so I want to leave it here for Tenley." He's talking about the very nice, albeit less flashy, Cadillac SUV parked next to the Audi.

"Really, this is fine," I assure him.

Xavier's hand lands on the back of my neck, gently helping to guide me so I don't wreck my hair by bumping it on the low door frame. If he wasn't flustered, it might come off overbearing. Instead, it's painfully sweet.

Looking at my lap, I busy myself, getting situated against the soft leather. Xavier leans in, more brazen, like the man I first met, making a breath catch in my chest. "Say the word and I'll drop you off and circle the block before I park and get out so that you aren't photographed with a seven."

The velvety warmth of his words wash over me, and it's my turn to blush. I might have hated it the first time he hit on me, but I can't help but find his self-deprecating sense of humor tonight endearing.

Perhaps that's why I give into my impulse to tease him back. "She was wrong, you know. You're at least an eight in that tux." Flirting with him feels good, so I add, "It's very flattering."

With that, he smirks, shutting the door and jogging around to the other side.

He joins me in the car and stretches his arm behind my seat, turning to put the car in reverse without using the camera, making him somehow hotter.

Competency kink unlocked.

It takes me a minute to get a hold of myself as we make the mostly quiet drive to the hotel. The air between us is still and heavy.

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