Page 25 of Penthouse Prince
Grier stomps her chubby little feet in a rapid display of frustration. “Me wanna do it!”
“Hi. What’s the problem?” Corrigan asks, brows scrunching as she takes in the scene—me trying not to smile and Grier obviously mad.
“She just . . . uh . . .” I trail off when I actually get a look at her. Holy shit. The sight of Corrigan makes my breath catch in my throat.
Her outfit isn’t anything flashy—a pale blue striped tank top and a pair of cotton drawstring shorts—so no reason for me to be struck dumb. And yet here I am, acting dumb as hell.
I clear my throat and try not to stare so obviously at her cleavage and those long, bare legs. She’s stunning dressed in so little. And . . . I realize belatedly, she’s still waiting for me to answer. Smooth, Lex..
“She’s mad she’s too short to answer the door.”
“Oh, I see.” Corrigan smiles at Grier and bends over to talk closer, which doesn’t make it easier to stop my gaze from lowering, but I force my eyes off her tits. “I understand. It’s tough when you want to do something and you can’t, huh?”
For a second, I’m reminded of what Mom said in the ER two days ago, and it sobers me like ice water.
That is, until Grier crosses her arms over her chest and says, “Yeah. Don’t like it.”
Corrigan smiles warmly down at Grier and ruffles her hair.
I shift my weight, moving aside to let Corrigan in past the door. “She’s been really looking forward to seeing you.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet. I’m excited to hang out with her today too.”
She offers Grier her hand, and Grier latches on with her biggest, most heart-melting grin. Corrigan flashes one back, then looks to me.
“Just to go over it again real quick, you’ll be back at noon, and she’s already had her breakfast, but she’ll need a midmorning snack in an hour?”
“Exactly. And this time I remembered my phone and left the car seat, so you can go out if you like.” I grab my laptop bag, and out of the corner of my eye, I catch Corrigan giving me what seems very much like a once-over. I’m too tempted not to turn and ask, “My outfit okay?”
“What?” She jerks her gaze up, her cheeks slightly pink. “Uh. Yeah, I guess it’s fine. .”
I smirk. “Good to know.” It’s just jeans and a polo. There’s clearly something about my appearance that’s distracting, but I have no idea what it could be. “Okay, see y’all soon.” I drop a kiss onto Grier’s cheek and head out.
I drive to a coworking space in town where I’ve rented a small private office. Initially, I thought about just going to a coffee shop, but I decided to try this setup first, in the hopes that cutting distractions would let me work faster and get back to focusing on Grier sooner. After I handle the fresh crop of emails that sprang up overnight and make a few necessary phone calls to my property manager, accountant, and lawyer, I settle into reviewing financial analysis reports.
Or at least, I try to. My eyes keep glazing over and my thoughts keep drifting back to home.
What will Corrigan and Grier do today?
I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in the wrong place, that I’m missing important time. And this is more than the usual I should be there parental guilt. My restless gut—not to mention my libido—is pushing me toward Corrigan too.
I check the clock. Almost another full hour has passed, and I haven’t absorbed a damn thing, let alone started drafting my own response. I guess cutting down distractions only works when it’s not my own mind trying to betray me.
Fuck it.
I stand and begin packing up my computer and papers. I’ve checked off all the things that have to happen during business hours, so I can do the rest tonight after Grier is in bed. A little sleep deprivation won’t kill me.
When I get back home, I’m greeted with the unfairly adorable scene of Corrigan on the couch, brushing Grier’s hair, while Grier sits on the carpet between her knees, playing with Flapflap. They both turn at the sound of the door opening.
“Daddy home!” Grier looks back and forth between us, clearly torn—which I’m not totally sure how to feel about—then clambers up and runs over to hug my leg.
I shift quickly to keep her from clobbering me in the nuts, and lift her into my arms. “Hi, baby girl.”
Corrigan blinks at me, surprised. “You’re back?”
“Indeed I am.” I set Grier on the floor and ruffle her hair.
I admit, I’m a little jealous at how fast her loyalties became divided. After all, for two years it’s only been us against the world. I’m only a little jealous, though. Mostly it just takes a load off my mind to know how well she and Corrigan are getting along in such a short amount of time. And there’s that same flash of sweetness, of peace, that comes with seeing them together.
