Page 143 of Delinquent Daddy (Banks/Kincaid Family 2)

Ellie jerked upright. "Say what?"

Boston grinned. "I accidentally saw Olivia naked once. It's only fair to let him see you."

Frowning, Ellie covered her breasts with one arm. "I don't see how that's fair at all."

Boston's smile spread as he bent over her and kissed her bare stomach. "He never stops razzing me about seeing Livy and being jealous of what he's got. But if he were to see you right here, just like this, he'd never call me jealous again."

Ellie couldn't help but experience a spark of power, realizing Boston thought she could compete with the striking Olivia Banks. Still, she shook her head in amused disapproval.

"You two have the strangest friendship."

"Yeah," he agreed on a smile and plopped down until his head was next to hers. "When we were kids, I couldn't stand him."

"Hmm. That's what your mother told me." Ellie turned on her side to face him. "What changed?"

"Actually, it was you." He reached up to brush her hair behind her ear.

Ellie frowned in confusion. "Me?"

He laughed. "God, Ellie, walking away from you that day in the hospital hurt...a lot. I lost the love of my life and my baby all in one blow. I couldn't tell anyone about it either, because I was so ashamed of what I'd done and hadn't done. Then 327

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

suddenly, there was Cameron drunk and pathetic because his first wife had killed herself. And, I don't know, I just latched onto him. I knew exactly what kind of pain he was feeling; there was this instant bond between us."

Boston laughed suddenly as he remembered it. "Hell, he probably didn't even know it, but I was looking to him for sympathy as much as he was looking to me for it. We've been close ever since."

Ellie touched his face, charmed and saddened by his story.

"I never thought about what it would do to you, telling you Cassie was dead. I...didn't know it'd actually hurt you. God, Boston, I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"Shh." He set a finger over her lips. "Let's not relive old regrets." Taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles, he added, "As long as you let me stick around for the next baby, I forgive you completely. Besides, I don't plan on screwing things up the way I did last time either, so you shouldn't be forced into making that kind of decision."

Eyes opening in surprise, Ellie blinked and gaped at him.

"Next baby?"

His eyes twinkled as he smile. "I'll take another little girl if you don't mind."

"Another little..." Her voice died off as she started to repeat him.

"I mean, look at what a great job we did on Cass...and she was a complete accident." He looked at her with hot, wanting eyes as he curled his body closer and nuzzled his nose against her neck. "So, just think what a baby girl would be like if we actually planned her."

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"Excuse me," Ellie said, sitting up and staring down at Boston as if he were insane. "But it's hard enough to be a single parent of one...and you want me to have another?"

"Single parent?" he said in confusion. "Who said anything about being a single parent?"

Ellie arched a brow, waiting for him to say what she wanted to hear.

"Oh, come on," he said. "I'm not going to propose here.

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