Which rarely happens.
If Gabriel were here, that fucker would behowling.
I lean in and press a soft kiss to the corner of Alex’s mouth. “Let me take you to dinner tonight.”
He shifts in his seat. “Oh. Well… but… I mean…”
“Dinner, Alex. It’s just dinner.”
I touch his face, getting momentarily lost in those shimmery eyes.
“Elijah,” he breathes, barely a whisper. “God, this is all new to me. I’ve never been with a man before.”
I hush him with a finger to his lips. “Mmm… pretty sure you were with one Friday night. And again Saturday morning. And?—”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” He groans, pulling my hand away, chin dropping to his chest.
I gently tilt it back up. “Hey. I’m not asking you to have sex with me. Just dinner. You eat, don’t you?”
He exhales deeply and starts counting under his breath.
What the hell?
But then?—
“I can do dinner,” he says finally, crashing into my spirit and bringing the biggest smile to my face.
11
ALEX
“Daddy,what are you doing home so late?”
Emilee plops herself down on my bed, resting her head on the pillow next to mine. Rolling over, I stretch out my tired limbs and give her a lazy smile.
She looks so much younger than her thirteen years, face scrubbed free of makeup, dark wavy hair brushed out and grazing just past her shoulders. She reminds me so much of her mother. My old oversized T-shirt hangs loosely below her knees, wrinkled from being cradled in her sheets. Curiosity is laced across her jade-green eyes. Again, so much like her mother.
“Dinner, baby. I was at dinner, and it went a little later than expected.”
“With G?” she quizzes, curling up on her side, knees bent, hands folded underneath her flushed cheek.
I blow out an exasperated breath. “Elijah, sweetheart. And he’sMr. Garciato you.”
“Ahh… so itwaswith G,” she says, grinning like she just cracked a case.
Oh, for heaven’s sake. “Yes, sweetheart. I had dinner with Elijah.”
And as if someone’s ears were ringing, my phone vibrates with an incoming text. Emilee makes a quick grab for it before I can react.
Alex, I want to—flashes across the screen.
I snatch it back and hold it against my chest like I’m guarding a national secret. My daughter lifts one perfectly judgmental eyebrow.
“Time for bed,” I say. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Whatever, Dad. But Ana suspects her dad mightlikeyou. Just thought you’d want to know.”
“Emilee?” I reach for her as she swings her legs over the side of the mattress. “How would you feel if I were to date Elijah?”
