And those shorts.High waisted, which only accentuates the narrowness of her waist and the wide curve of her hips. The jeanmaterials' frayed edges play against those tanned, smooth, grabbable thighs.
I’m a fucking pervert. And a terrible friend and boss.
A breeze sends the blonde ends of her hair flipping around her shoulders, tendrils loosening from the little clip that’s holding half of it up at the back of her head, away from her face. Her clear rimmed glasses are shielding her eyes from me, but only barely, as she keeps looking up at me. Then blushing, looking away. Only for those eyes to come back to mine again moments later.
Like she can’t help herself from staring at me, either.
My male vanity beats at my chest all caveman like as her eyes swing to mine again. We start down the sidewalk, Penny in one arm and Bea’s car seat at my side. I peek down to make sure she’s not angled toward the sun.
Cal stares at me over the top of Scottie’s head as I walk away, raising one eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. I tip my head in acknowledgment and he chuckles lightly, crossing his arms around Scottie’s shoulders as we pass them.
He’s going to give me fucking hell when I get back, but the bastard can wait.
I spot Teddy’s white Chrysler Pacifica minivan ahead. Shit, she’d walked all this way to the coffee shop carrying Bea, a diaper bag, and probably corralling Penny, too? No wonder her skin is still sporting those angry red lines in the crook of her elbow. The woman is a goddamn superhero.
“Was there not any closer parking?” I ask, nodding toward her vehicle. She shrugs.
“No, but it’s okay. I’ve gotten pretty good at all this on my own.”
I hate that. I hate that she has to do this all on her own. Logan’s death had sent shockwaves through the area last winter. A reminder that no matter how long you’ve been in the field,how well trained you are… accidents happen that are simply beyond our control.
She stops Dalton, smiling down at him and he beams up at her as he slides the diaper bag over his head and hands it back to her. She digs into one of the smaller front pockets, clicking the fob to unlock the doors. Sliding it open, he climbs between the bucket captain’s seats in the middle row to the back bench seat, settling himself in. Teddy opens the front passenger door and sets the diaper bag in the seat, then leans forward to place her coffee in the center console.
She stretches forward, one leg kicking out slightly as she reaches in. Half bent over the seat as she stretches in, I can’t keep my eyes off the wide fullness of her ass in the cutoff jean shorts that leave the backs of her thighs bare to just below the delectable curve of that ass. My dick is half hard in my pants already. Her flip flop pops against her heel as she straightens, turning with a smile as she glances up at me.
“Who do you want first?” I ask, my voice coming out far gruffer than I expected. I clear my throat. Fuck, the chokehold this woman has on me…
“Penny,” she says, holding her hands out to the toddler. I lower her down into Teddy’s waiting arms, but my hand and arm get caught between Penny’s little body and Teddy’s front, and we linger for just a heartbeat too long for it to be accidental.
I also may or may not allow my arm toaccidentallyslide across the softness of her chest as I remove it from between her and Penny. The heavy weight of her breasts grazing the back of my forearm will haunt my every waking moment for the next week, I’m sure. As will the way her lips drop open, a soft, stuttering breath escaping those lips as I move away slightly. Goddamn she’s so fucking pretty.
She swallows hard, her eyes bouncing between mine before she spins, turning to the open slider door. Setting Penny on herfeet inside the car, she instructs her to climb into her car seat, and then Dalton is leaning forward to help her buckle.
I notice the way Teddy’s hand shakes as she turns back toward me, her fingers tucking that stray strand of hair behind her ear. I heft Bea’s infant seat up, curling my bicep—hoping she notices the way my muscles bunch as I do—and she wraps her hands around the handle, our fingers grazing.
She doesn’t hesitate this time, though, turning immediately to snap the infant seat into the stationary base secured in the seat closest to us. She clicks a couple buttons to make the handle fold backward, then she pushes the retractable baby shade down. A tiny mirror is attached to the headrest of the seat, and I assume it’s so she can see Bea while driving.
Teddy takes a few seconds to adjust everything, and it’s easy to see that the safety of her kids is a high priority. Speaking to Penny, she says, “I’ll come around and check your buckles, Pen. Dalton, seatbelt, bud.”
Before she can slide the door closed, I lean in, bracing one hand on the top of the van and the other on the edge of the door. “Thanks for your help, champ.”
Dalton grins widely, then nods. “Yeah, no problem.”
I offer him my knuckles, and he fist bumps mine lightly. I grin. The kid has got a lot on his young shoulders. Turning my attention to Penny, I say, “Miss Penny, are you going to start behaving for your mom?”
She nods, kicking her little legs in front of her. “Yes. I pwomise.”
Teddy coughs lightly behind me, as if covering a laugh. I fight my own grin. We both know this isn’t the last time that Penny is going to try to escape, but we can pretend just for this moment. The tiny terror has me wrapped around her probably crossed little fingers.
Bea is happily sucking on one of her fists, gnawing on the knuckles. Drool is dribbling down her little hand, and it’s a goodthing Teddy has a pretty, floral drool bib covering her clothed chest, because it’s soaked. I laugh, shaking my head.
“See you later, little one.” She flashes a toothless grin up at me, her big, brown eyes wide and fringed with long dark lashes. Dammit she’s cute.
I lean away and Teddy touches the button that slides the door shut automatically. She rounds the back of the van and opens the sliding door beside Penny’s seat, leaning in to double check the latches and straps of Penny’s car seat. When she’s satisfied, she closes the door. I followed her around the car, standing between her and the cars that are driving down the road just feet beyond us. It’s a downtown street, so the speed limit is slow, but this protective instinct in me is becoming harder to ignore.
She glances up at me as I lean around her and open her door. She smiles, shaking her head lightly. “You don’t have to do all this, Xander.”
“I know; but I want to. Come on, hop in,” I murmur, notching my chin toward the empty driver’s seat.
