He was the man she was dating.
“You okay?” Connor gazed at her quizzically and she nodded vigorously, causing him to frown. “You’re sure? And use your words this time, because I’m worried your head might fall off if you keep nodding like that.”
“Areyouokay?”
“Uh-huh.” He scratched the back of his neck, and her eyes flew to where his T-shirt lifted, following the sexy arrow of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxers.
Her lower belly performed a slow, languid flip. Yep, it also didn’t help that she was sexually frustrated, her core guitar string tight. Sure, they’d fooled around on his sofa last Sunday and had phone sex twice this week, but it was like eating fast food when she’d had a taste of haute cuisine.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he told her roughly.
“Like what?”
“Youknow.” He slid his hand into his jeans and unobtrusively adjusted himself. “I love having those hot eyes on me, but not when I can’t do anything about it.”
“Then stop raising your damn arm.”
He gave her a bemused look and raised his arm again.
“There.” She gestured toward the mouthwatering slice of male stomach. “You need to buy longer shirts.”
He chuckled. “Nah, I like watching you watch me.” With a groan he pulled his jacket farther down. “Just maybe don’t do it when I’m about to meet your family.”
Nick opened the door to them, greeted Connor with a handshake, Ellie with a sweet high five, and Olivia with a hug.
“The gang are in the family room.” He smiled at Ellie. “Mia is excited to see you again.”
As soon as they’d stepped into the hall, Jessica and Ashley dashed over to meet them and hugged Connor like he was already part of the family. The two girls were shy at first, but the ice was quickly broken when Ellie opened her backpack and handed Mia a parcel wrapped in pink paper dotted with unicorns. “You didn’t need to get her a present,” Olivia whispered to Connor, touched.
“What, come to a kid’s birthday party empty-handed?” Connor looked at her like she was mad. It took a few seconds before she realized that this was hardly the first child’s party he’d attended.
The gift. a toy horse complete with fully bendable parts, proved a great hit, and the two girls began to talk like old friends.
“I like your hair.” Mia pointed to Ellie’s neat plaits.
“Dad did it. He can do it for you if you want.” She turned to Connor. “Can’t you, Dad?”
The utter adoration in her eyes made it abundantly clear that while Connor beat himself up about not being an organized dad or a rich dad, he was actually the best dad of all—a dad who was loved.
“Sure, if Mia would like that.”
Mia nodded and Connor dropped to his haunches, aware of how intimidating his towering six-foot-three frame was to a child. “Have you got a brush and some hair ties?”
Jessica darted into the bathroom and came out with a rainbow-colored brush and some matching bands. “I’m a useless mum because I can’t do fancy French plaits.”
Connor winked. “Just takes nimble fingers.”
He strolled over to the sofa, sat down, and carefully shifted Mia so she was standing in front of him, facing away. Then he began to slowly sweep the brush down her hair.
Jessica let out a soft groan. “I think my ovaries just melted.”
“I...” Olivia watched as Connor, face etched with concentration, wove half of Mia’s hair into a neat plait like Ellie’s. “I wondered what the mushy feeling was.”
Jessica turned to her. “You’re starting to fall for him, aren’t you?” Her mouth curved in a knowing smile. “It was never just about sex. Youlikehim.”
“I do.” Olivia swallowed to clear the lump from her throat. “I like him a lot.”
“Good,” Ashley remarked, appearing on her other side. “Because we like him too. He’s exactly what you need.”
