Page 9 of Silver Fox's Surprise Baby

I don’t know what it is about her that makes me feel this way, but I need to get myself under control fast before I do something that I’ll regret.

Sighing, I look out the window, wishing that I was already home. The stars are hanging high in the sky and the further I get from the city, the brighter the stars shine.

Being able to see the sky at night, especially over the lake, is one of the reasons I bought my house. I enjoy being far away from the city, even though the commute is long.

I would rather the isolation than to have to surround myself with vultures who just want my money.

As the car turns up the driveway, the driver slowing it down, I start to think of the hot tub out back waiting for me. It faces the lake with more of the mountains in the distance. The view combined with the hot water working over my sore muscles is going to be bliss.

I don’t waste time inside, changing into swim trunks quickly before grabbing a beer from the fridge and heading to the backyard.

When I get closer to the hot tub, I stop dead in my tracks. Kendall is already there, a glass of wine in one hand and a book of case studies in the other. Her blonde hair is piled on top of her head and thin bikini strings fall down her back.

All it would take is one pull of those strings to have her exposed to me.

I pop the top off the beer and take a long drink. She hears the noise as the bottle cap comes off and turns slightly to look at me.

My gaze dips to the scraps of fabric that barely cover her breasts. Even through the bubbles, I can see the stiff peaks of her nipples straining through the fabric.

“You’re home early. I can get out if you want to relax alone,” she says, setting her glass of wine to the side.

“No. You stay. I’ll head back inside. I have some work I need to start looking over anyway.”

She reaches for the remote and turns on the lights that are strung above the hot tub. “Don’t be a baby. There’s more than enough room in the hot tub for both of us and it’s a beautiful night.”

Even though my mind screams that this is a bad idea, none of my blood is in my head right now. I walk toward her, my beer clenched tight in my grasp as I get in and sit across from her.

Her gaze travels down my body. She stares at the tattoos that make their way up my arms and across my torso. I have more on my back, but she hasn’t seen them yet.

I don’t miss the interested spark in her eyes as she looks back up at me. Right now, I’m trying to remind myself of all the reasons why I can’t cross that line with her, but when she looks at me like that I have a hard time remembering them.

“Studying?” I ask, my voice strained as I nod to her book.

Kendall nods. “I have a couple papers coming up on the case studies. We have to compare the potential trial strategies in them.”

“Is that something you like doing?”

Because you couldn’t sound more awkward asking that. You’re a grown man. Get yourself under control.

“I like it well enough. Honestly, one day I want to get to the district attorney’s office which is going to take a hell of a lot of shit like this.”

“You’re still young. You’re sure that’s what you want to do?”

“Twenty-four isn’t that young. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want to do with my life. There’s a lot of injustice in the world.”

“Seventeen years younger than I am. When you put it into perspective like that, you are still young.”

She rolls her eyes. “I thought we were talking about my aspirations and not my age?”

“We are. Why do the injustices matter to you? The system is always going to be broken.”

She scoffs. “What would you know about the broken system? From what I can see, you’re sitting up here at your stunning house, living a life that most people don’t even bother to dream of because it’s so far out of their reach.”

“You’re right. I may not know about a lot of what’s happening or have experienced it, but I try my best to be educated.”

Kendall’s pretty green eyes fix on me and I can recognize the fire in them. She wants to say something but she’s weighing the consequences. I don’t blame her for that, although I wish she would just say what’s on her mind instead of holding back.

I want to see that fire in her come to life. I’m drawn to it even though I shouldn’t be. She is the daughter of my dead best friend. She has no clue who I am.

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