Page 32 of Artemis

“Can you tell me more real life stories about Lee?” Artemis asked.

“He’s a big dragon! He’s blue. His wings are so sosobig!” Alexander stretched his arms out to the side in an attempt to demonstrate. “He’s silly and sometimes he pretends he’s stuck in a handstand and can’t get down. He doesn’t always know how to play or how to do things that Maddie knows how to do, but Hestia teaches him the grown up things, and we teach him how to play.”

“What do you mean, he doesn’t know how to play?” Artemis asked.

“I gave him my train to play with me, and he didn’t know that the trains couldtalk. He zoomed it around the rails.” Alexander shook his head as if he were disgusted and Artemis chuckled.

“I’m sure he was happy that you showed him how to play properly.”

“He said he didn’t know how to play with them.”

“Maybe he didn’t have an awesome friend like you to show him,” Artemis said, and smiled when he puffed up at her praise.

“I like it when he lets me sit beside him and puts his arm around me,” Alexander confided. “He’s so big, even when he’s not a dragon. I feel safe.”

“I’m glad you feel safe with him,” Artemis replied. “I look forward to meeting him at your birthday party.”

“Lee’s coming to my birthday party?” Alexander asked excitedly.

“I’ve invited him.”

“Can we go down to the beach?”

“Sure.”

CHAPTER8

On Friday,Finley had to arrive at the daycare before any of the kids. He’d been helping out for a little over a week, and Maddie said she wanted to do a debrief with each of them—Augustine had done his the day before—to make sure they were getting on all right and didn’t have any questions.

He didn’t. Finley was actually surprised by how much he enjoyed his days at the daycare. Maybe it would be different if it was his job, because then he might have to stick to stricter rules, but this? This was working for him.

Even though he didn’t really like kids.

But these four?

He’d do pretty much anything to protect them.

As he rolled out of bed and headed into the bathroom, he allowed himself a brief moment to think about Artemis, the single mother he’d hooked up with at the speed dating event.

Maybe I’d like her son?

He checked out his reflection in the mirror, and then shook his head. These kids were one thing.

A potential mate’s kid?

He’d make a shit parent. It was better to cut ties this way.

He still felt guilty for running so fast. She hadn’t deserved that.

Not to mention he’d been as hard as a rock practically every minute he thought about her since. She’d been dressed prettily, not provocatively, her glasses giving her that school-teacher vibe. And then he’d undressed her—well, partially undressed her. The unexpectedness of her nipple piercings had almost made him come on the spot, like a teenager in his pants.

Her skin had been addictive; he’d wanted—no,neededto taste her. What had started out as a makeout session had quickly evolved into so much more.

Finley came back to the present to find himself leaning on the counter with one hand, the other unconsciously pulling on his cock. He rolled his eyes at himself and climbed in the shower, sighing as the hot water sluiced over his skin. He only got partway through soaping his body before his cock demanded attention again. “Fine,” he muttered at it.

He closed his eyes again and Artemis immediately blossomed to life in his fantasy. She had been a wet dream come to life; he didn’t even need to embellish in his memories.

He’d been the first person to eat her out. He couldn’t believe that whoever had fathered her child hadn’t wanted to go down on her. Her taste, the erotic sounds she’d made, the way she’d writhed against him... He’d remember them forever.

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