Page 70 of Tempted By her Daddies

“You really do,” Alexei said. “All the time. It’s what’s creating all the wrinkles.”

“I don’t have wrinkles,” Salem protested.

“Maybe just a couple,” Tamsyn said. “I think they make you look distinguished. Along with the gray hair.”

“I do not have gray hair!” He touched his head. Or did he? Had they crept in without him noticing? And wrinkles?

A pinched look?

What the fuck?

“I don’t have wrinkles, a pinched look, or gray hair. Do I?” He glanced over at Roman who gave him a panicked look.

“I. Um. I . . . well, I have some reviews here for some very good wrinkle cream if you want to try it. But I think Tamsyn is right. You look very distinguished.”

“When you don’t look like you’ve been sucking on a lemon, that is,” Alexei added.

Jesus Christ.

They all thought he was some old fart with wrinkles and gray hair and a pinched face.

Was this what he’d become? Did he not know how to have fun?

He moved her foot off his lap and then reached for his blazer and drew it off. Next, he started to undo the buttons of his shirt.

“Uh, Salem?” Tamsyn asked hesitantly. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to show you all that I can be spontaneous. I’m not the fun police.” He whipped off his shirt and Tamsyn gaped up at him.

“Right . . . well . . . I’m not complaining or anything,” she said. “Just, um, asking for . . . reasons.”

He reached for his shoe, hopping about as he tried to tug it off.

“He’s finally lost it. Figured it was only a matter of time,” Alexei said. “You can only be sexually repressed for so long.”

“I am not sexually repressed!” Salem snapped as he managed to get his second shoe off. “I am not repressed at all.”

“Uh-huh. That’s why you’re stripping in the living room in front of the housekeeper and your friends.”

Wait . . . fuck. That’s what he was doing. He was stripping in front of three people who didn’t really want or need to see him naked.

Was he losing it? Was this where he lost his mind?

With a groan, he sat on the coffee table once more and stared down at his feet.

Fuck. There was no call for what he’d just done. They were talking about Tamsyn . . . focused on her and whatever had happened to her, and he’d just started to . . . to unravel.

“Salem?” Tamsyn queried quietly.

He felt her hands over his, then her hand on his chin, just briefly. He raised his head, staring at her. Damn, she was so beautiful. And he’d just made a complete fool of himself.

He never did that.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Salem let out a soft laugh, shaking his head at her querying look. “I’m not losing my mind.”

Tamsyn gave him a small smile. “Of course you aren’t. You’re Salem. You’re a rock. The person that everyone else looks to for help, for guidance, for sanity.”

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