Page 78 of Passed Ball

It's hot out and she's in a cute little tennis skirt and a cropped tank top that stretches over her curves. The zipper at her neck opens to give me a peak of cleavage, pushing me toward dangerously turned on.

Not the best timing for that considering we're in a park surrounded by other families, but fuck, this woman does it for me.

Get it together, Xavier.Just because this situationship is the healthiest, most mature relationship you've ever had, doesn't mean you should lose all sense.

This is still temporary--a ray of sunshine in my busy life.

My pep talk doesn't stop me from taking the coffees from her, stowing them in the stroller's cup holders and pulling her against me when she reaches us. I bend to meet her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Have I told you how much I appreciate that you're always wearing skirts?"

"Is there a reason for this appreciation?" Her lashes flirt with the tops of her cheekbones when she pulls back to look up at me. She's in tennis shoes, instead of her normal heels, making our height difference more pronounced than normal.

Despite our boundaries and being in public, I have to stop myself from dragging her back against me. "Can't I just like the way they look?"

"You can . . . but in case there's more to the story, you should know this one has built-in shorts." She lifts the edge of her skirt giving me a glimpse of tight spandex encasing her thigh.

"Such a shame."

"Did you want me flashing the rest of the park while I played with your daughter today?"

Warmth spreads through me at how she casually admits she's not only here for me, but also for my daughter. I'm walking a risky line, teetering between knowing how we started and living in a delusional alternate reality where we can be more.

I'm almost certain that's what I want now--more of her.

She stretches, reaching out and rubbing her thumb over my forehead. "Such a serious face for a day at the park. Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing to spoil our day over," I tell her, forcing a smile that's not all fake, even if it's a little dimmer than it was a minute ago. A lot has changed between Vivienne and I since the hallway. She might have agreed to spend the day with us but she's still a step behind me.

"See, we're not going to do that. The rules clearly state that we're friends." She rolls her teeth over her plump bottom lip, which I notice is bare. No makeup and she still takes my fucking breath away.

"Friends, hmmm." I step in close again, because I can't help myself. "You show up in all your friend's showers and get down on your knees for them, sweetheart?"

"I can confidently say that was a first."

"Fuck, you're going to get me arrested for indecent behavior in the park and I'm a single dad, so that would be very, very bad."

"It would be very hard to explain that bat in your pants to the police so you should probably tell me what's on your mind."

And that makes my cock soften immediately. Because the mention of the police makes me think about the upcoming hearing. So I tell her half the truth and give her the other thing that's on my mind.

"The custody hearing is coming up. I'm still not sure Kristy is going to show which will drag this whole thing out."

Vivi bends, letting my daughter grab her finger. "Who'd walk away from this little girl?" She looks up at me and I want her to say more--to addmeto that statement. She doesn't verbalize it, but I swear it's there in her eyes as they sweep over me.

"Not everyone wants to be a parent, and not everyone should," I say, shrugging. It's a concept I'm all too familiar with. "I'm sad for Holland, but Kristy has to choose this life. It's the uncertainty that kills me."

She nods, like that makes sense. "I guess I can understand that. It's been years and I still have lingering resentment towards my parents and brothers for forcing me to become a parental figure before I was ready. "

I take my hat off, running my hand over my hair. "My dad never wanted to be a parent, let alone a single dad, and when my mom died, he shut down. I basically raised myself. I don't want my daughter to experience the kind of childhood I had."

"And she won't." This time she's the one stepping into me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Because she's got you."

I'm weak as hell for this girl, so I stand there, letting her comfort me for a minute before I break the hold and grab the coffees she got for us from the cup holder.

The iced coffee is labeled "The Boss" and the other, a cold brew, is labeled "Ginger Daddy" in Lilah's handwriting.

I groan. "Your niece is a menace."

She tilts her head side to side, slowly considering it. "Ahh, but she saved your ass."

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