Page 43 of Protector Daddy

“Sure, sure, rub it in.” Mickey cocked her head. “How did it happen? For real. You didn’t have any feelings for him before the interview, did you?”

Slowly, I shook my head. I didn’t quite understand what had happened either. I was just so glad it had. “I’ve never had a night like that before.” I tugged at a loose thread on one of the cushions. “He’s not like the guys we know, Mick. They’re all boys. Christian’s a full grown man.”

“So what are we talking? Ten inches here?”

I giggled. “I don’t mean like that. He’s a gentleman. He opens doors. He made me tea. Bandaged my sore foot. Then he gave me multiple orgasms and put me to bed in his bed.” I sighed. “He’s the kind of man it’s far too easy to fall in love with.”

“Okay, must be eleven.” Giggling, she ducked as I heaved the cushion at her head. “Twelve? I was sure that was a myth but the size of that dude…anything’s possible. Just his hands are enormous.”

“I will not confirm or deny. Just that he approved of me saying he’s built like a Mack truck.”

“If I didn’t love you, I’d hate you.”

I thought it over for a minute. “You know, I’ve never thought this before but if I wasn’t me, I’d be jealous of me too. Not because I’m so awesome. Just you know how if you go to an indie bookstore and you’re digging on a shelf and you find a first edition of your favorite book, even if you’ve never read it yet?”

She clutched my cushion to her chest. “I so do. Somehow. I think I spend too much time with you because that makes total sense to me. And no one else noticed the book was there except you?”

“Yeah. Like he’s so perfect. Not without flaws,” I added hurriedly. “Just perfect for me and my flaws. And somehow no one noticed him, just because he was a little further back on a shelf. So he sat there, waiting.”

“So you grabbed him up and now you’re going to ride the hell out of him.”

“Well, I already started on that score, but yeah.” I dropped back as she tossed my cushion at me.

“Figured as much since the whole town is jealous as hell. We all want that, you know? We want an ordinary Monday to somehow just become amazing and unexpected and life-changing. And that actually happened to you.”

“It did.” I bit my lip on a grin. “I considered trying to be sensible and just putting him back on the shelf. Because responsible Honey wouldn’t let herself be swept away.”

“Gag responsible Honey and tie her up in the broom closet.”

“I just might. You know, I thought I wanted to keep the details to myself but everything is more fun when I can share with you.”

“Damn straight.” She leaned forward and braced her chin on her hand. “So how many multiples are we talking here? Be specific.”

I just laughed.

NINE

I hadto cancel our date. I absolutely did not want to, but I had no choice.

Gina was in labor, so the Chief was out for the night. Mav was still on his honeymoon—and now out of state, since he and Van had gone down to the Jersey shore for the weekend. Plus, the new guy needed training.

But I stopped by the bakery to break the news in person since I was working on not giving a shit who said what. It was better they say it to my face instead of behind my back.

Honey met me at the door, already pulling on her suede jacket. “Hi,” she said breathlessly, casting a look over her shoulder as she tugged her hair out from under the collar of her pink coat.

Instead of responding in kind, I slipped my hand around the back of her neck, palmed her head in my hand and kissed her as if we were all alone. I tilted her mouth to mine and simply devoured her as if I hadn’t touched her in weeks instead of just a few interminably long days.

My tongue tangled with hers as I swallowed her sound of acquiescence, then I tugged her up against me so that she had no choice but to link her arms around my neck. She rose in her soft-soled shoes onto her tiptoes, pressing her breasts against my chest while my cock shot to brutal awareness and unerringly sought the heat already blossoming between her thighs.

If I’d wanted to quiet down the chatter, that was not the way to go.

When I finally drew back from her, she didn’t move, just kept her eyes closed and her lips curved as if she’d frozen in place. She was so fucking beautiful with that flush in her cheeks.

Arousal I’d put on her face.

“Honey,” I murmured.

“Yes, darling?”

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