Page 84 of Daddy Issues

Then his eyes got big. “And Uncle J’s and Cam’s and…”

He rattled off almost every Desert King that sat around the table with a sort of child-like awe that gave me chills. They were his heroes.

Mine too.

I parked the big truck, hopped down, opened the back door, and caught Eli as he flew from the backseat. “Whoa.”

“I can undo myself, don’t tell Dad.” His little eyes were huge, like he’d just now realized his mistake.

With a chuckle, I shut both doors and led him toward the clubhouse. Several guys from White Pines were here, so theywere having an impromptu family dinner. I could drop Eli off with his dad and ride share back to the tattoo shop. I needed to get another load of my stuff from David’s and bring it to the apartment. I was running out of clothes.

“Dad!” Eli charged into the clubhouse when I opened the door, the lights on the back of his sneakers flashing red all the way across the large room to the table where Puck sat.

I didn’t follow, instead turned to the bar, where Dylan knelt in front of a fat-looking pit bull with no neck and a tongue that lolled from her mouth. It was like she was smiling at every word Dylan said.

“Who’s this?” I knelt beside her and scratched at her ears.

The guy sitting with her wasn’t wearing a Desert Kings cut, but he had Desert King written all over him. From his dusty leather boots, up faded jeans, to the sexy as sin smile and long blond hair hanging almost to his shoulders.

“I rescued her from a shit-hole.”

His grin softened when he glanced down and scratched behind her ears.

I couldn’t help pet her as Dylan stood. “What are you going to call her?”

“She needs a pretty name. Maybe I’ll name her after you.” He poured it on thick.

“You can call hermine, Romeo.” A familiar deep voice, with the rumbling emphasis on that word, left me all tingly and my cheeks warm. I peered up to see Puck standing over me, Eli jerking at his arm.

“Can I pet your dog?” he asked Romeo.

“Absolutely.” It was his turn to kneel, no longer giving me the once over as he introduced Eli to the dog. He’d obviously taken the hint.

“Hi.” I stood, surprise arcing through me when Puck tugged me against his chest and leaned down to kiss me.

His lips were warm, the kiss itself somehow both possessive and sweet, and far too short since we weren’t alone. When he pulled away, I waited on that burn of desire, but instead was rocked with a slow warmth that seemed to expand in my chest until I couldn’t breathe. I glanced up at him, caught in those gray eyes, and tears stung at the back of mine.

All that emotion, because the things this made me crave, weren’t mine.

“Wow.” Dylan laughed. “I somehow wasn’t expecting that, but can’t say I’m mad about it.”

Puck winked, and I couldn’t do more than bury my face in his chest.

“Roxy, her name is Roxy, Dad! Like my goldfish, the one Nana flushed down the toilet after it went belly up.” Eli bounced around excitedly and pulled on the hem of my shirt.

I moved from Puck’s arms and took Eli’s enthusiastic hands in mine. “Did Romeo let you name his dog?”

“He did!” Now he was jumping up and down, and Roxy was barking and running in circles around him.

“Hey, Romeo and Roxy sound good together.” He stood and shrugged. “Sorry for flirting with your ole lady, I didn’t know.”

“That’s the only reason I didn’t lay you out.” Puck grunted when I punched him in the stomach. “You made my kid’s day.”

“I really like the name.” He strolled over to Eli and Roxy, playing tug of war with a piece of thick rope. Eli buzzed around them, laughing manically when Roxy accidentally knocked him down.

“So it’s official, then?” Dylan nudged me with her hip as the three of us watched them.

I pressed my hands to my hot cheeks and closed my eyes. “I guess so.”

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