Page 29 of Teasing

Maybe I was better off alone.

Maverick

Iturn and watch Emmie walk across my yard and into my house, pretty damn sure I’m as turned-on as I am pissed off, which only annoys me more.

“You make it a habit of talking to my sister like that, Beneventi?”

What the fuck?

“You make it a habit of talking to other people’s kids, Monroe?” He might not have been doing anything wrong, but I don’t take well to strangers talking to my kid. Especially the first day I leave her alone with the new nanny. The fiery new nanny. The one who’s apparently his sister.

What kind of fucking dumbass am I that I didn’t put it together before now?

“When my kid sister is holding your kid, I guess I’m gonna talk to her. Jesus, man. I just introduced myself. Relax,” he grunts and adjusts the strap of his gym bag as he looks from me to Jamie and back.

His kid sister.

Emmie Monroe.

Of course her brother is on my team.

So why the hell am I standing here wondering if she’d have that same fiery attitude bent over my bed that she had standing in front of me, putting me in my place without ever raising her voice?

“You got plans for dinner tonight, Monroe?” Jamie asks him, and I grind my teeth.

Always the fucking cruise director.

We’re gonna have to talk about Jamie’s need to constantly have people over.

That wasn’t part of the deal when he moved in. Not that it surprises me. I was always the quiet one. Jamie was the guy who never shut up.

“Nah. I just got in yesterday. I haven’t had much of a chance to get settled,” Camden admits, and I feel like a dick.

“We’re grilling chicken, if you want to come over,” Jamie offers and lifts his chin my way. “We were gonna invite Emmie. We’ve got plenty of food.”

Camden looks over my shoulder at the house, like he’s thinking about it, then shakes his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve still got a ton of shit to do.”

“I hear ya. Another night.” Jamie smacks my shoulder. “Come on, man. I’m starving.”

“Yeah...” I lift my chin toward Monroe, relieved to have dodged that bullet. I take a few steps before I shove Jamie.“What the hell, man? Do you always have to invite everyone over? Seriously. Knock that shit off. I just want to chill the hell out. Not have a damn party.”

“You’re a real dick when you wanna be, Mav. He’s new to the team, and his sister works for you. It wouldn’t kill you to be nice.” He pushes through the front doors and heads upstairs, and I might as well be standing in the foyer with my dick in my hands for as stupid as I feel.Fuck.

Rosie’s giggle catches my attention and pulls me toward the kitchen, where she and Emmie are wearing matching white aprons decorated with brightly colored painted butterflies as they stand side by side at the counter, looking at a piping-hot pie that’s resting on the stove.

She turns to see me, beaming. “We made a pie, Daddy.”

“You did?” I ask her as I move closer.

“Uh-huh. We made it with coconut flour and cherries and sugar. Lotsa sugar.” She tilts her head, enamored with Emmie.

“Right, sweet girl,” Emmie agrees and lifts the apron over Rosie’s head. “No eggs. No butter. No nuts and no wheat. Totally Rosie safe.”

“Yup. We followed all the rules, Daddy. And we cleaned up too. And tomorrow, Emmie is going to start teaching me ballet.”

My head snaps toward Emmie. I didn’t agree to lessons.

“In the backyard, Cujo. Relax.”

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