“Right? I’m not sure I’ve ever been this sore. Or this happy.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“After the first time, he told me I’m the only woman he’s ever been with. And the only one he ever wants to be with.”
“You popped his cherry?”
“Do youhaveto be so crude about it?”
“Yes.” The grin returned to Emma’s face. “It’s part of my charm.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “I suppose it is. And yes, apparently I did pop his cherry. He said he’s been attracted to other people before, but nobody’s ever ‘been an itch under his skin, the burning in his veins’ like I have so he never acted on it.”
There was some satisfaction in watching Emma’s jaw literally drop. “Where the hell did youfindthis guy? And where do I get one?”
“I’m not sure they make them like him. Pretty sure they broke the freaking mold, as the saying goes.”
“At the risk of repeating myself, why the hell do you look so upset? He sounds fucking incredible.”
“Heis. He’s hot and smart as hell and funny and thoughtful and I don’t know what the hell he sees in me.”
Emma blinked, then stared. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“No. I’m his best friend’s fat, middle-aged mom. He’s a young, sexy, talented scientist working for one of the largest biotech firms in the world. He could have anyone he wants. Why the hell does he want me?”
“Umm… let’s see. You are also gorgeous and smart and funny and thoughtful, so as far as I’m concerned you’re on equal footing there. You’re also one of the best people I know and any man, regardless of age, would be lucky as fuck to have you.”
“You have to say that. You’re my friend.”
“But when have you ever known me to blow smoke up your ass?”
“Never,” Sam admitted with a sigh. “It’s just hard to see myself that way, I guess. I haven’tbeenwith anyone, not seriously since Ethan’s father and I split up. And he sure as hell didn’t see me as any of those things.”
“So you’re going to let that asshole rob you of something really great because he was too oblivious to see what was right in front of his face?”
Was that what she was doing? Letting that one bad experience—which had been admittedly really freaking awful—keep her from finding happiness with anyone else? “I hadn’t really thought of it that way before.”
“Well, maybe you should start. Or stop. Whatever way you want to look at it that ends with you embracing your inherent badassness and getting your freak on with the hot-as-fuck guy currently living in your house.”
Dylan
He’d resisted the urge to text her a hundred times while she was out with her friend. But they were closing in on two hours since she’d gotten off work and he hadn’t heard a peep from her. A little check-in wasn’t too much, right?
Dylan:
Hope you’re having fun, baby. Don’t forget to drink some water.
Not that he was overly worried about her drinking too much since she was driving home, and while she might be a brat she wasn’t reckless enough to drive under the influence. But now she’d know he was thinking about her and she’d remember who he was.
She’d remember he was her Daddy.
Which was something he was determined to remind her of as often as humanly possible, in as many small ways as he could manage. Ever since he’d had that moment of clarity in Atlantawhere he’d realized how tightly she was clinging to whatever shred of control she could, he’d made it his personal mission to pry every last vestige of it from her.
Thehowwas turning out to be a bit trickier than he’d anticipated. There were certain parts of her life he didn’t feel comfortable taking control of, such as her work situation. As much as he wanted to step in, to tell her it was a toxic environment and she needed to find something else, he also didn’t want her to feel like he was trying to control her entire life.
Even if part of him wanted to do exactly that.
He loved how independent she was. How strong and resilient she was.
