He nodded. “Yeah. Little Fliss is going to be one. I can’t believe it. Should be a rager.”
“I’m sure. Everyone said the same about my first birthday.”
His muscles flexed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Really?”
I jerked my fascinated stare away from his lickable skin. “What? No.” I shook my head. “Seriously?”
“What? I’m known for being gullible. Ask my brothers.” A frown marred his previously smooth forehead.
“Speaking of your brothers, I, uh, invited Hope to bring Felicity and your brother over one night for dinner.”
Dylan’s loud clap made me flinch. “I KNEW IT!” And then his arms came around me as he pulled me in for a hug.
My arms instinctively went around his naked torso, and I had to close my eyes. He even smelled good. Spicy. Orange-y. Manly.
God.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and my breath left me in shaky gasps. I just knew he could feel the way my nipples were straining against my thin t-shirt.
He had to know I was attracted to him.
Right?
But he just patted my shoulder and gave me a calm smile as he stepped away, breaking our hug.
Lesigh. Right.
“I, um, I’m just going to take a shower,” I mumbled, jerking my thumb over my shoulder like he didn’t know where the bathroom was in his own condo.
“Sure. There should be some hot water left.”
I bolted from the kitchen so I couldn’t tease myself with the visual that was all of him.
Like it wasn’t already imprinted permanently on my brain.
Like I wouldn’t be thinking about it in the shower in a few minutes.
And later tonight, when I was alone in bed.
Chapter 14
Dylan
“Hey Dylan, do you have a minute?”
I looked up from the cart where I’d been carefully taping off sections of the cans for a realtor company’s bike build and found Hope hovering in the doorway of the paint shed with her almost one-year-old daughter in her arms.
I grinned. “A minute for my two favorite women? Always.” I crossed the shop just in time to catch Fliss as she flung herself out of her mother’s arms at me. “Whoa, easy there, daredevil.”
“Dee. Dee. Dee.” Fliss slapped my cheek with her chubby and suspiciously moist hand.
Hope huffed—in annoyance or relief, I couldn’t tell—and shook her head. “That kid is going to be the death of me, I swear.”
“You want to leave her with me while you talk to Ryan? I can keep her occupied.”
Hope’s eyes widened. “I can only imagine what I’d come back to.” She laughed. “Thanks, but I’m actually here to talk to you.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, come on in.” I gestured grandly to my dirty end of the shop. “I think I can find a chair or something for you that isn’t covered in paint. Maybe.”
