Page 27 of Knocked Up By the Playboy

Kace erupted into laughter.

“I’ve been talking about him all week,” I said.

Maddy cracked up, shrugging. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Kace. Do you like blondies?”

“I’ve had a lot more brownies in my life than blondies, but I’m willing to try,” he said. “You guys did the pink blondies trend, right?”

“Yeah. It’s basically regular ones with a couple drops of pink or red food coloring. But they’re, like,reallygood.”

Noodle came and rubbed up against Kace’s ankle. He made his way into the kitchen, and I tensed up as he walked into it, suddenly so aware of all of the old cabinets, the basic fridge, and the imperfections everywhere. Our house was a cobbled-together family den, certainly not “styled” in any sort of way.

It was a far cry from his sleek, modern mansion. A far, far cry. Kace made it look smaller just by being inside it, with his muscled build.

“Holy fuck, that’s the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth,” Kace exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Fuck, I shouldn’t swear around your kid.Shit, I just swore again. Oh my God, that is such a good blondie.”

Maddy was giggling as she had another blondie. “My dad is a good cook, I will say that.”

“Kace, what can I get you to drink?” I asked, my manners finally catching up with me. “Are you doing all right? It sounded like you had a doozy of an evening.”

He let out a breath. “A beer would be great, if you have one,” he said. “And I’ll be okay. I’m going to get better security, and something like this won’t be able to happen again. And if it does, I’m posting the guy’s face online on social media and sending amobto his house. Kidding, kidding. I would never do that.”

I grabbed a bottled craft beer that I had in the fridge from Jade Brewery and handed it to him.

“I’m going to go to bed,” Maddy said. “It’s nice to meet you, Kace. Have as many blondies as you want, by the way.”

She flashed him a smile and headed down the hall to her room, closing the door behind her.

I said good night to Maddy and led Kace to the living room, which also felt way smaller with Kace inside it. The blue fabric of the sectional couch had been nice five years ago, but now was starting to show wear and tear. Bookshelves lined the wall with stacks of unorganized books, paperwork, and knick-knacks. Around the TV console I’d hung up every piece of art Maddy had made over the years—from her two-year-old scribblings to the amazing drawings she’d done last year in art class.

“She’s such an early sleeper these days,” I told Kace. “Sorry she didn’t stay and chat more.”

“Well,” Kace said, getting comfortable on the couch and turning to me. “She’s fifteen, right? So you know ‘going to bed’ means she’s actually on her phone for like, three hours in bed.”

I blinked at Kace. “Oh my God, I’m such an idiot.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “You really didn’t know?”

“I thought she’d taken to going to bed at nine or ten in the last few years because she wassleepy. But you’re right. She’s on her phone, no question.”

Kace winked at me. “Take it from me. I was recently a teenager.”

Hearing Kace say it like that made something inside me shift on its axis. He had been a teenager, technically just four years ago. Regardless of his ultra-fame and physical skill, I felt like I had no business feeling like I was his equal.

And yet in some ways, Kace was so much more experienced than me.

Certainly when it came to hookups.Certainlywhen it came to anything involving a cock.

“And here I am feeling like I’ve been an adult for centuries,” I told him. “I had Maddyrightbefore I turned twenty-one.”

“Shit,” Kace said. “Younger than me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “A world away. She was unplanned, but I knew the moment I had her that I’d die happy as long as I was a good dad to her.”

Kace looked down, clicking his tongue. “If my dad was anything like you, my childhood would have been a lot nicer.”

“Did you have a bad experience?”

He puffed out a sad laugh. “No experience at all,” Kace said. “My dad was never there. Which was okay, I thought, because my mom wasalwaysthere, until she wasn’t.”

---