Page 50 of Off Limits Daddy

"That's nice of you to say. Thank you." He looked down into his drink for a moment and then back up at me. "Do you ever get tired of seeing the worst in people all the time?"

I wondered about the switch in conversation, but I was glad it was about work and not my personal life. "I don't know that I get tired of it. I suppose I run the risk of becoming jaded." I let out a soft laugh. "You probably think my job is why I am the way I am."

He shrugged.

"I've always been driven. Focused. What I focus on may change, but not me personally."

He nodded. "I suppose those traits are what make you a good agent. I'm glad that Aiden has you looking out for him. You're a strong woman, making your way on your own. I admire that."

I nodded, glad that he could see that in me.

“I look strong.” He held up his arm, flexing his bicep.

I laughed. “You do.”

“You may not have noticed, but inside, I’m a cream puff. That’s what Lindsay says.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No man wants to be seen as soft.” He sipped his drink.

“Maybe she means sweet. And there’s nothing wrong with soft, at least the gentle, kind type.”

He studied me. “When it comes to what it is mine, though, I can be a beast. I won’t let Aiden go without a fight.”

I didn’t doubt it. “I hope it won’t come to that.”

I studied the fierceness in his eyes. I wondered what it would be like to have someone in my life like Duncan. Someone strong and yet caring. I didn't need a man, or anybody, but there were times when it would be nice to have somebody to take up the mantle in life just for a moment. I imagined being in Duncan's arms would feel safe. Even better, he struck me as the type of man who could offer support when needed, but then would let go and let me stand on my own. Yes, that would be nice.

But that wasn’t what was going on here. I had a job to do. A child to keep safe. A bad man to put away. When I was done, I’d move on to the next case, and Duncan would continue to raise Aiden. Maybe he’d find the woman he and Aiden needed. I hoped she was as good to him as I knew he’d be to her, even as I hated the idea of him with another woman.

14

Duncan

Ireally wanted to kiss Veronica. I mean, like really badly. But I wouldn't. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that. That and it was clear that while there was an attraction between us, Veronica didn't want any entanglements. Not even one that was just sex. Perhaps that was just as well, for as prickly as Veronica could be, I found myself intrigued by her. It was one thing to have white-hot attraction but another to feel an emotional pull of intrigue.

The woman was so full of surprises. I had fully expected her to decline the invitation to join Aiden and me at our New Year's Eve party. That was until I remembered that she was here to get close to him and learn what he might know about Wally Creighton. To her credit, she didn't ask Aiden anything that hinted at the case. Even more striking was that for someone who seemed so distant from interpersonal relationships, she knew exactly how to be around Aiden.

And then there was the dancing. Holy hell, could she move. My dick twitched in my pants, and it was all I could do to think of accounting spreadsheets to stop it from going full-tilt.

Once I got Aiden in bed, I expected her to disappear into her room or office, but when I peeked into the living room, she was cleaning up. Deciding there was still time left before midnight that we could enjoy, I quickly got a bottle of champagne and two flutes. Even then, I thought she’d pass, but in another surprise, she agreed.

So now, as the minutes ticked toward a brand-new year, I found myself drawn to her in a whole new way. I was meeting the woman underneath the hard exterior. Maybe not the woman deep down, but something more than she’d allowed me to see before.

"Are you the type of person who makes New Year's resolutions?"

She shook her head. "No. I mean, I have goals, but I don't set resolutions for the new year. Do you?"

"I don't either. Owning a gym, I can't tell you how many people walk in the first week of January resolved to finally get fit and lose weight. About three weeks into their gym membership, they stop coming."

She laughed. "It must be a disappointment when they all cancel their memberships."

"You'd be surprised at how many people keep it. I suspect that they hope they'll get back to it. Usually, by April or May, they’ve given in to the fact that they're not going to come. That is, until January of next year and the next resolution.”

“It must make for interesting financials.”

“I anticipate the influx and the exodus, so it's never a problem."

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