Page 35 of Broken Daddy

He says it loud enough that I shush him and check the door again. Gen should be calling us for dinner any minute now, and I can hear my daughter’s chatty voice downstairs, too. It hits a new level of excitement—she must’ve found Chris’s gift.

“Yeah. Just the other night.” Wincing at the confession and Chris’s surprised-slash-ecstatic reaction, I try to get him to quiet down again. “It’s…it just happened. It’s complicated, we’ll have to discuss it some other time. But Gen’s staying in the house now. In the upstairs bedroom.”

I admit the last part like a guilty teen, and Chris guffaws.

“Well, then. I can see why it’sstill happening.Close quarters, huh? But I can’t blame you. Like I said, she’s not my type, but I can see the attraction. She’s definitelyyours.”

Not sure how to feel about that comment, I frown. Gen is…my type?

Before I can ask what exactly he means by that, she calls out that dinner will be ready in ten. And that there’s a glass of wine waiting if we’re interested.

“I’m definitely interested.” Chris starts for the door, then notices the look on my face. He holds up his hands placatingly. “Hey, seriously, Nate—she’s all yours. I’m sorry. I wanted to see if I could catch you out.”

His mischievous smirk appears again, quieting my unease. I believe him. It was a jerk move, but I don’t think my brother would do that to me.

“I had a feeling you were having a hard time admitting it to yourself, so...thought I’d give you a nudge.”

“Admitting what?” I ask, following him out to the hallway.

But Eva runs toward us, pieces of the science kit in her hands, and from the kitchen, Gen watches with a gentle smile on her face.

Our eyes meet and all that jealousy and worry just drains right out of me.

Maybe Chris is right and I should stop fighting so hard. Even if I don’t knowwhatit is I’m fighting.

Maybe for once, it’s more important to slow down and appreciate what I have right in front of me.

Chapter15

Genevieve

In the car, I can’t help twisting my hands nervously in my lap.

The move keeps bunching my skirt, and Nate glances over, making me very aware of my nervousness.

I smooth the skirt back down over my knees.

Then I start chewing my lip.

It makes me remember his thumb running along it. My lips parting, tongue coming out to lick and suck until I had him groaning.

No, no, no.Now isnotthe time to think about sex.

Eva kicks the back of the seat and immediately says, “Sorry!”

She’s excited. We’re popping into the city on a Saturday. Hanging out around the pool this morning, Eva explained her dad doesn’t like to come into the city unless he absolutely has to, since he’s here all week.

But Eva’s still young enough that she sees New York as a city of excitement. Today she has her eye on a bookstore she likes, and I catch a glimpse of her scrunched up face in the rearview mirror. It makes me smile.

“Are you alright?” Nate grumbles.

My breathing picks up automatically. It’s like a reaction now, one I need to learn to get a hold of. I can’t be turned on by every single word this man utters.

What’s up with me lately? My libido has been through the roof.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little…”

I shrug, not sure how to explain. Or rather, not wanting to sayI’m nervous to be spending actual time out on the town with you. Nervous to get to know you, and your daughter, better. Nervous to realize there are little things I like about you.

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