Page 79 of Risky Game

I smiled, knowing I did that to him.

He smirked, then brushed his lips over my wet cheek. “You’re bringing Amelia to the game tomorrow?”

I rolled my eyes. We’d been over this all week. “Yes, I’m bringing her to the game. We’ll be there early so she can spend time on the field with you if she wants and if you have the time. We’ll sit in the seats you have for us, and we’ll cheer super loud. And if you’re a really good boy, we’ll come down and see you after.”

He scowled. Stepped out of the shower and dried himself off with a towel.

“I hope you know I’m going to spend the night in the hotel, alone, my hand on this dick you made hard again, and think of all the ways to make you sorry for that sass.”

I grinned. I couldn’t wait. “Yes, sir.”

He cursed, said something I couldn’t hear in a low grumble, and tossed my towel to the floor before he dressed. “Sweet dreams, Ruby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Can I ask you something?” Amelia and I had ordered pizza for dinner and were happily eating beneath the large blanket fort I made in the living room. Complete with air mattresses and all the pillows I gathered from every bed in the house except for Logan’s. We were enclosed in a dark cocoon, only able to see the TV mounted on the wall.

“Of course. You can ask me anything.”

She peeled off a pepperoni and plopped it into her mouth. “You like my daddy?”

I liked everything about her daddy. I liked him so much I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he left, counting down the hours until he was back in his home and Amelia was sleeping tomorrow night.

I didn’t think that was what she was asking. “Sure, I like your dad. He’s a nice man.”

“And you’re friends, right?”

“We are…”

She tilted her head. The French braids I put in her hair after I gave her a bath after Logan left draped down in front of her shoulders. I pushed one back before the tips could land in her pizza. She picked every topping on her pizza before she ate the crust and sauce last.

“Like Mommy and Renaldo are friends?”

I hid a smile as she said Renaldo, making the L in his name more like a W. I hadn’t seen him yet, but I imagined him as very Italian. When Amelia said his name, it made me think of the old picture books, Where’s Waldo?

Oh. She meant that type of friend.

“Ummm… I think your dad and I are a different type of friend.” In the way we had to hide all the sex we were having and act strictly professional when we were around each other. At least, until the sunset, when he let his dark side out.

“Like how? Because I like my mom and Renaldo. He makes her laugh, and he takes her places. Daddy makes you laugh, right? And he brought you with us to the park, so he takes you places, too.”

Bless her four-year-old little heart.

“Well, then I suppose in that way our friendships are similar, but your mommy and Renaldo go on dates and hold hands and spend time alone. So that makes their friendship different.”

She was quiet and pushed her lips out. She didn’t look at me when she said, “They were married and now they’re not.”

It was the first time she’d so much as broached that topic since they had their family call over a week ago. Logan had ordered her an iPad that weekend and she now talked to Vanessa twice a day through it.

“No, they’re not. But there are lots of mommies and daddies who aren’t married, and we go on to have friendships with other people. That’s okay. They still love you bunches.”

This was probably not the conversation I should have been having with her. If there was a way to distract her, I would have. The last time I tried to explain anything to her, Logan flipped out.

I hoped that wouldn’t happen now, but there had to be a way to get out of it.

“Why are you asking, sweetie?”

She shrugged, peeling off the last chunk of cheese. “Mommy looks happy, and Daddy doesn’t all the time. I thought if you were friends with him like Renaldo, he’ll be happier.”

Oh. Oh. I set down my paper plate and scooted closer. I gave her little knee a quick pat to get her attention and once I had it, I brushed my finger along her temple, brushing away wisps or short baby hairs. “I think your daddy is happy because he has you with him and that makes him smile and laugh lots. But his job is hard, and so he’s worried sometimes. I think once his team wins, then he’ll be very happy. Do you know how we can help him do that?”

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