Page 9 of The Single Dads Club
As I look over toward the Pack ’n Play, though, I know that Ella is warm and fed. And that’s enough to give me pause, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to say the same thing in a couple of days.
Chapter Three
Alexei
I wake to the unfamiliar sounds of someone cooking in my kitchen—the sizzle of bacon in a pan, dishes clinking together. It’s an unusual but not unwelcome sound. I’ve lived alone for the past eight years, ever since I graduated from college and went pro. Smiling, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand.
The morning erection tenting my boxers will need to be dealt with, but now isn’t the time. Instead, I head into the bathroom and brush my teeth while I wait for it to deflate. Then I throw on some athletic shorts and a white T-shirt, and make my way into the kitchen.
Ryleigh’s hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Without the makeup she wore last night, she looks even younger. She’s barefoot in my kitchen, singing the lyrics to some pop song that’s constantly on the radio. She finishes cooking a skillet filled with scrambled eggs and turns off the gas burner.
“Morning,” I say, my voice still raspy from sleep.
“Hi. Good morning,” she chirps.
“You made breakfast?”
“There’s bacon and coffee, and toast too. I figured being an athlete, you have a healthy appetite. And then I saw all the ingredients in your fridge. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. This is great.”
I help myself to a mug and fill it with coffee. I usually don’t bother making coffee at home, opting to pick some up on the way out instead. It’s a rare treat to enjoy a morning like this at home.
“Where’s Ella?” I ask.
“She woke up early, just before six. She’s already napping again.”
I nod, seeing that it’s already eight. “I need to be at practice in an hour.”
“I have to work later too. Will you drop us off on your way?”
“Uh ... yeah, of course.”
I don’t like the thought of them going back to her apartment, especially since it doesn’t have heat, but I hope to have that fixed shortly. I emailed my manager last night, gave him Ryleigh’s address, and asked him to pay whatever she owed to the electric company so the heat could be turned back on.
I help myself to a plate piled with perfectly crisp bacon, eggs, and toast, then take a seat at the breakfast bar. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Ryleigh nods and takes a plate for herself. “Thank you. For everything. I mean, you could have just kept walking last night.”
“I know, but that’s not me.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Why didn’t you?”
Isn’t that the million-dollar question. “The truth?” I say after swallowing a bite of bacon.
She nods, and brings a forkful of eggs to her lips.
“It’s probably going to sound cheesy, but it seemed like you needed help. That guy seemed like a real fucking creep. Excuse my language, and my mom raised me better than to just walk by a woman in need.”
A smile tugs up one side of her mouth. “You’re quite the gentleman.”
“Something like that.” I don’t want her to get the wrong idea about me. On the outside, I’m as gentlemanly as they come. But on the inside, I’m pretty much like every other red-blooded male. I like casual sex—a lot of it, most definitely watch too much porn, and I curse like a sailor when I’m with my boys. Minor details that will stay under lock and key while I keep up the guise of my gentlemanly status.
“These are perfect, by the way.” I take another bite of eggs. I swear they’re the best eggs I’ve had in ages.
Ryleigh smiles as she watches me eat. “Glad you’re enjoying them.”
I want to hold her blue eyes captive, but don’t want to unsettle her.
