Page 67 of Beautiful Mess

“Yeah, for sure.” He must see the question in my gaze because after a second, he huffs out a chuckle, and adds, “Not about you, don’t worry. I wasn’t telling him about my sex life in high school.”

“Oh,that’sthe line you won’t cross,” I tease. “Got it. But anybody after high school is fair game?”

“Come on. Don’t act like you’ve never talked to people about your sex life.”

Giggling, I blurt out, “Not mydad!”

Cole snorts. “Okay, okay, fair enough.”

It’s not until he turns on his blinker and takes the next right turn that I realize where we are.Shit.“Cole, I said we didn’t have to come here.”

My heart races and my palms sweat the closer we get. Conway’s truck comes into view in the driveway, shining under the sun like maybe he washed it earlier.

“Trust me, Grace,” Cole murmurs as he pulls in beside it. “My dad won’t care.”

My stomach is doing backflips as he turns the car off.Shit.This is the last thing I want to be doing. Spending time with the two of them in this house the first time was awkward enough.

Smacking down his hand right above my knee, he says, “Come on, it’ll be fun. Promise.”

Yeah, I seriously doubt “fun” is going to be the adjective I use to describe what’s about to transpire.

Then Cole’s gone, leaving me to follow him.

Follow my ex-boyfriend into his dad’s house… The dad I’m callingDaddyand sleeping with on a regular basis.

No big deal.

What could go wrong?

At least I’m fully clothed this time. I suppose that’s one silver lining.

The front door opens before I reach the top step, and Conway’s large form comes into view, looking from his son to me, his gaze lingering a bit longer on mine. I can’t help the way my eyes drink him in. Luckily, Cole is facing his dad and can’t see me checking him out so unabashedly. Light-wash Wranglers hug his thighs like a glove, and the black short-sleeve t-shirt he’s wearing shows off his tan, corded arms, giving proof to all the hard work he puts in on a daily basis. But it’s the black and tan trucker hat on his head with his company logo on the patch in the front that really ties the whole look together.

Conway looks like a blue-collar dream standing before us, and what I wouldn’t give to climb that man like a tree.

“Didn’t realize we were having company,” he mutters before stepping to the side and letting us pass.

Cole walks into the house first, kicking off his shoes by the entryway bench, and as I follow, I purposely—but quietly—inhale a little deeper as I brush past Conway. My head swims as I get a lungful of his heady, masculine scent. It’s slightly spicy, a little woodsy, and I know it’s more than just a body wash or cologne. It’s his natural musk mixed in with it that makes it irresistible. Obsessing over somebody’s body scent to the point of my mouthliterallysalivating is weird. I’m fully aware of that, but I can’t help it.

Stopping before we get to the kitchen, Cole wraps an arm around my shoulder, making my body tense up. “Wasn’t ready to end our date quite yet. So?—”

“Not a date,” I clarify, but it does nothing to cut through the tension in this hallway.

Cole chuckles. “Oh, whatever. Same thing. As I was saying.” His attention shifts back to his dad. “So, figured we’d come here and watch a movie or something. That cool?”

I chance a glance over at Conway, noting the tightness in his jaw and his hardened gaze as he takes in his son’s arm around my shoulder. “Sure,” he finally grits out before meeting my gaze. My body flushes hot under the weight of his stare. “I could watch a movie.”

“Right on,” Cole says excitedly as I manage to shrug off his touch. “But I’m sure you’re busy, Dad. Don’t feel like you have to hang out with us.”

“Nonsense.” Conway’s lip tips up into a smirk directed right at me. “I insist.”

My stomach bottoms out as Cole leads the three of us into the living room. Once in there, he steps to the side, gesturing for me to find a seat. I scan the area, hating my options. The way it’s arranged in here, the couch is the only piece of furniture that has a good view of the TV mounted on the wall. Well, that, and the recliner that’s currently piled high with boxes that look to be full of some sort of decorations. The idea of Conway doing something as domestic as decorating his house shouldn’t make my chest squeeze, but it does.

Oh, Jesus Christ. This is a disaster.

Not wanting to make things any more awkward than they already are, I take a seat on the couch, and I watch in horror as Cole and Conway drop down on either side of me.Are they serious?This couch is plenty big enough. Why are they sitting so close to me?

“What should we watch?” Cole asks, swiping the remote off the table in front of us.

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