Page 76 of Sweet Thing

ChapterTwenty

Lars

Adeline wasn’t allthat impressed with me right now.

I wasn’t all that impressed with myself. So there was bad blood between me and MacFarlane, and tonight it came to a head. Knowing he hurt Adeline—maybe even used her to get at me—pissed me off in the extreme.

Or maybe I just didn’t like knowing she’d gone on a date with that asshole. Or that I might have driven her into his arms because I was so afraid of these feelings I had for her. I was trying to separate them out from lust and gratitude. From jealousy and fear.

I was afraid of both hurting her and of losing her dad as my friend. Taking this to the next level, bedding Adeline, would have such dire consequences for my life. I’d found my place here with a good team, people I cared about, and now Mabel was in the mix, and I wanted to make that work. I wanted her to grow up feeling safe and secure, which meant crafting a life that put those wants and needs at the center of it.

Fucking the nanny was not it.

But that didn’t mean I’d made the wrong call tonight. I didn’t regret strapping Mabel in and riding out to Adeline’s rescue. And I certainly didn’t regret curling my hand into a fist and introducing it to MacFarlane’s stupid face. The expression on that same stupid face, priceless, as he realized what was happening, would fuel me to the end of my days.

“You still pissed at me?” I slid a look to a brooding Adeline in the passenger seat.

“I can’t believe you stuck your dick in like that.”

I blinked, surprised at her turn of phrase.

“I didn’t like what I saw. And it turns out I was right, wasn’t I?”

“That doesn’t make it your business, Lars.” More aggressive whispering, though Mabel was tuckered out. She wouldn’t be waking anytime soon.

“You needed a ride, no matter what.”

“That’s what taxis are for. Or I could have called Rosie. A couple of minutes before you rode in on your white charger, I was having a fine time on the dance floor.”

I was sorry to have missed that. Taking a deep breath, I banked my frustration. “Adeline, I didn’t intend to embarrass you.”

“That’s not it, Lars. And you know it.”

I did. She was mad because I was acting like a jealous cock-blocker when I had no right to interfere, not after I’d told her we could never happen.

“The other ni?—”

“Can we not talk about it? I’d like to forget this entire night ever happened. Both of them.”

I nodded dumbly, and we continued the drive in silence.

If I hadany doubt that Adeline wasn’t an amazing person, it was immediately dispelled when we pulled into the driveway. Her first thought was to unstrap Mabel from the car seat and bring her inside.

“No diaper bag?” she asked over her shoulder.

“I was in a hurry.”

“Oh, father of the year right here.”

Disgusted, she went ahead into the house while I locked the car and took a breath. Remorse was creeping in, slowly doing a number on me. This was supposed to be her night off and I’d ruined it with my caveman antics. Not Rowan MacFarlane. Me.

All I could do was apologize.

I found her putting Mabel down in my room. Once done, she brushed by me, setting every nerve ending on fire.

Okay, enough. “Adeline.”

She ignored me.

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