“Leave it,” he insisted, and I gave him a dirty look. “My housekeeper will get it.”
“What’s that? A housekeeper?” Evidence of the huge discrepancy between the way we lived and the way he lived came rolling out of Darla’s mouth, leaving Drew without a response.
“No answer?” I said, taunting him.
Drew shoved a hand through his hair, obviously at a loss for words. “Um, Darla ...”
“Honey, a housekeeper helps someone take care of their house when they’re super busy at work. Like Drew.”
“You’re busy at work, Mom. Super busy.” Darla took another long sip of her drink, eyeing me the whole time.
“Well, it’s their job. Being a housekeeper is a job, so they get paid to do it. I don’t make enough money to pay someone a good salary to do that.”
“Oh.” Darla’s shoulders sagged while Drew’s gaze flicked between the two of us. “I have to pee,” she said, quickly changing subjects like only a six-year-old can.
“There’s a bathroom right back there.” Drew pointed toward the left of the mirror, and Darla hopped toward it and shut the door behind her.
“Still want to be a dad?” My tone was angry and ruthless, and I immediately regretted it.
“I have a lot of learning to do, I guess, but yes, I want every single second. Even the ones where I sound like an ass.”
He moved closer and took my coffee, setting it aside. He smelled like sweat and strawberries ... he must have had a smoothie. I wanted to lick him everywhere. Forget the coffee and my daughter in the adjoining bathroom.
“Let me take you for bagels and then keep Darla tonight,” he mumbled along my cheek, sending goose bumps running down my arm and up my spine.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. It’s too much, too soon.”
“Just bagels?” He kissed my earlobe, his breath tickling my neck.
“My breath.” I turned my face away from his, covering my mouth.
“Just bagels, or I’m going to kiss you.”
“No, no way. No kissing.” I shoved him back.
“So, bagels it is.”
Darla took that moment to pop out of the bathroom and catch us still sitting a bit too close, occupying each other’s personal space.
“Are you okay, Mommy?”
“Yep, I’m good, but I need to go home and change. Then we can go for bagels.”
“And I’m going too,” Drew added.
I hoped he planned on changing too. There was no way I could keep my heart in check with him looking like that, dying to catch more glimpses of the scorpion.
Drew
Jules stood there awkward as shit in my guest room. I knew she wanted to flee, and it was my job to make sure she didn’t leave. Even with my stupid blunder over what the hell a housekeeper was, I wanted to hold on tight as hell to both of them.
I didn’t try to stop her from going home and changing. But I did insist on picking them up and taking them for bagels.
The windows were down on my SUV as I pulled up outside their building, and I heard a knocking above me. Sure enough, I saw Darla pounding on the window above and waving. She came running down ahead of her mother, her hair flying around her face.
“Hey, Drew, do you know the bagel place with the huge bagel on top? It has a bite taken out of it?” She’d thrown open the door and was climbing in the backseat, Jules coming up behind her.
I thought for a second. “Yeah, I do. It’s called Albert’s. Is that where you want to go?”
