Page 126 of Mr. Infuriating

I’d always considered myself drama-free, but maybe I secretly got off on it.

Whatever it was, one thing was for certain. Gabe Mitchell had turned me into a hot mess.

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Gabe

Brayden looked over at me from the passenger seat of my truck.

“So, Mrs. Wainwright is staying at our house.”

“It’s Ms. Kelly, and yes. I mean, I did break her water valve, so it seems only fair. Is that all right?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I just hope no one at school finds out; that would be weird, having a teacher staying with my dad but they’re not dating.”

Brittany piped up from the back. “I like her. And her little boy.”

“They’re nice,” I concurred.

“And she’s pretty, don’t you think, Dad?”

She’s fucking gorgeous.

I glanced at Britt through the rear-view mirror and lied to my child’s face.

“I hadn’t noticed.”

Brayden whipped his head around to glare at me.

“You said she was pretty.”

“When did I say that?”

“When you texted me last month and asked me who my English teacher was because you’d met Ms. Wainwright. And I told you Britt and I would be okay if you asked her out.”

Shit, I remember that.

Brittany eagerly agreed. “You should ask her out, Dad.”

“She has a little boy!” I protested.

“So? You have us. Lots of families are blended these days,” Brayden said, sounding way too mature for my liking.

Brittany put in her two cents.

“You’d be a good dad for Jake, too.”

Because I hated the idea of my kids ever having a stepdad who thought he could replace me, I wanted to point out that Jake already had a dad. But that wasn’t necessarily true.

Biologically, yes. But what kind of man willingly gives up his parental rights?

The fucking asshole kind.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be jealous of anyone who could take up my time?”

They were quiet as they mulled over my question. Brayden spoke first.

“Maybe if they were our age. But Jake’s so much younger, it’s not the same. Plus, he’s pretty cute.”

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