Page 22 of Broken Daddy

Only this time, the consequences are very real.

And even when I was eighteen and captain of the baseball team, I never had a shot at landing a woman as delectable as Gen.

“Yes. Just…keep it quiet, alright?”

“How serious is it?”

My heart twists in my chest. A sliver of guilt surfaces. I’ve been trying to hide from it, trying not to think about what I’ve been getting up to in the house my wife and I were once happy in.

“It’s not serious. We’re just blowing off steam.”

Chris’s brows raise. “And Russ…?”

“Obviously doesn’t know about it, you idiot.” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “If I’m being honest, it wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s a long story. I actually met her out on the town—”

Conveniently, I don’t mention that I propositioned Gen at her restaurant.

“—and we hooked up. Just once. I didn’t know who she was then. A few weeks later, I promised Russ I’d hire his little sister as my personal chef. Lo and behold.”

“You’re kidding. I didn’t even know Russ Walker had a sister.”

“Well, you had joined the math club by then, so.”

We deteriorate to taking cheap jabs at one another and making faces, but soon a smile sneaks onto my face. I can’t help it; out of everyone in my life, only Eva and Chris have ever been able to disperse the cloud over my head.

“So what’re you going to do about it?”

My mind goes blank at his question.

Gen has only been here a few weeks, and honestly, the hookups have been cathartic.

“I don’t know. I have a lot going on at work right now. I’m pretty stressed.”

He sees the flash of guilt across my features. “And you’re using this as a way to ‘blow off steam,’ hmm?”

Is it wrong when it feels so right?

I keep that thought to myself, remaining tight-lipped. Instead, I say what should’ve been my immediate response, “I’ll just have to end it. Professionally.”

“Yeah…and in a way that’ll make sure it doesn’t get back to Russ. You guys have always been good friends, but I doubt he’d thank you for banging his sister.”

Rolling my eyes at Chris’s immaturity, I can’t help thinking that I really,reallydon’t want whatever this is with Gen to end.

Sure, as a rule, I never bring the same woman around twice. That’s how you get attached. And while I want stability in our lives for Eva’s sake, I’m not shopping around for a mom for her.

It’ll take some getting used to, but maybe cutting ties—at least sexually—with Gen is the best way to go. No one gets hurt and I don’t have to risk a friendship over it.

Plus, I should really get my head back in the game. Ironside is looking more and more like a slowly sinking ship.

And now there’s this news to process—I have a half brother, thanks to my dad’s infidelity and complete disregard for the family he had right here in New York City.

Chapter11

Genevieve

I stare at the email from Saucer, in shock, elated, and terrified all at once.

Thank you for your application. We were impressed by your CV…

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