Mark eyed my empty wrapper and smiled, lines crinkling around his eyes. “We should take the girls there one day.”
“We should, they’d love it,” I agreed. Mark had made them all types of food in the last two weeks, and for fussy eaters, they hadn’t hesitated when he put together something for them. As far as Liv and I were concerned, that was a miracle.
Mark took another bite of his sandwich and a bit of coleslaw gathered at the corner of his mouth. I swiped my thumb over it and licked it off my finger. His eyes widened and his cheeks deepened to a blush again, and he stole a look at Max, who made a production of scribbling on a piece of paper. “Cam.”
“Mark.” I winked at him, and he laughed. The beautiful thing was how the amusement reached his eyes, and it wasn’t half-assed. I’d seen that change over the last few weeks, too. He’d grown more comfortable with me. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Mm-hmm.” He gave me a look that said he didn’t believe me and nudged me with his elbow. I laughed, and he joined in.
We spent the next half hour chatting about work until someone came in to the office and Max needed Mark’s help. I said goodbye to him without a kiss because I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of someone who wasn’t his coworkers, and I left the way I’d come in.
The receptionist on the first floor waved at me as I left, and I winked at her before I exited the building. I walked back the way I’d come because I left my truck in a parking lot near the sandwich joint. Men and women in business attire passed me, walking as though on a mission, but that wasn’t uncommon in the city around lunchtime, just like I wasn’t too out of place as a construction worker. A lot of buildings were being updated or built, especially over the last ten years. New Gothenburg was growing at an exceptionally fast rate.
I was halfway to the truck when something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I stopped abruptly and a woman nearly ran into my back. She glared as she swept past me, and I sent her an apologetic smile before I focused on the little ears in the window. It was a lingerie shop, a cute boutique with lacy underwear for women and men that would have caught any man’s eye. But the thing I noticed the most was the bunny ears on the mannequin’s head—a cute, fluffy pair with white on the outside and pink for the inner ear.
I moved so quickly I thought I might have nearly pulled the door off the hinges. The women behind the counter darted their stares at me and trailed their eyes up my body. One saleslady with a pinned blonde bun and vibrant pink lipstick nearly ran to me, smiling widely.
“Good afternoon, sir. What can I help you with today? A lingerie set for a lucky someone?” She touched my arm and fluttered her eyelashes at me.
I glanced toward the mannequin that had the ears, and to my surprise and delight it had a bunny tail attached to its ass, too. I pointed at them. “Those ears and tail. Are they for sale?”
The woman glanced at them and hesitated. “Well, they’re mainly for display, sir. We’re promoting our Bunny lingerie—”
“I’d like to buy them,” I interrupted, excitement surging inside me. “How much? I’ll pay it.”
“Ah….” She glanced at another lady behind the counter, who nodded eagerly. My saleswoman smiled again. “Of course. Let me take them off the mannequin, and I’ll meet you at the register.”
I nearly skipped my way there. Mark was going to kill me, but I was willing to take the risk.
* * *
By the time I got home it was seven at night and I was starving. As soon as I opened the door, I was met with the smell of pasta and moaned in delight. I’d discovered Mark’s talent of making the most delicious food, and spaghetti, which should have been boring, was one of his most amazing dishes.
“Do I smell what I think I smell?” I called out, and the twin screams of excitement from the girls made me laugh. They came roaring down the hallway, and I dropped my workbag to hold my arms out to them. They crashed into me, and I dotted kisses across their faces. It was Friday night, and since they’d grown to like Mark a lot, Liv found it an excuse to drop them off to my house more often; although, today Mark had picked them up. “Have you been good for Mark?”
Addy was the first to step back and place her hands on her hips, pouting as she tapped her foot. She was still dressed in her camp clothes, which consisted of a blue T-shirt with Captain America on the front and a pair of cargo shorts. “That’s a silly question, Daddy. We love Mark. We’d never be naughty for him.”
Ellie nodded in agreement and copied her sister’s stance. “What she said.”
I laughed and stood, patting them on their heads. “Go shower, both of you. Addy, help your sister.”
Addy pouted harder, but she didn’t argue. She grabbed Ellie’s hand and dragged her up the stairs. Once I knew they were gone, I snuck my way into the kitchen. Mark was cleaning up the last of the dishes, but the oven’s light was still on, with a dish of pasta sitting in there for me, keeping warm. My gut twisted in a feeling I didn’t want to begin to analyze. No one had ever done that for me before, not even Liv when we were married.
“How was work?” Mark threw a smile over his shoulder, and I went up behind him, kissing his cheek.
“Same as always.” I buried my nose against his neck and inhaled. “Mm. You smell nice. Have you showered yet?”
“No.” He laughed and turned in my arms. Tugging on my dirty plaid shirt, he continued, “I knew you’d just make me filthy again.”
“In more ways than one.” I kissed along his throat, and he threw his head back, moaning. Planting my hands on his hips, I dipped my fingers under his shirt and tickled his smooth skin. My cock throbbed already, and as guilty as I felt about it, I was disappointed the girls were here tonight because I wanted nothing more than to throw him over the couch and fuck his tight hole. Maybe when they went to bed. “I got you something.”
He leaned back, frowning. “What is it?”
I chuckled and slid my fingers into his, leading him down the hallway. He came willingly, and when I reached my workbag, I opened it and pulled out the wrapped present. The suspicion he sent my way had me laughing, but he took the package and began to pull at the ribbon.
He stopped for a moment, though, and eyed me. “Is this kid-friendly or should I be careful?”
“You can open it now. It’s fine.” I waggled my eyebrows, and he glared. When he finally had his gift open and saw the ears and tail, his eyes widened.
