Page 11 of Clean Sweep
"Anyways, I lived at the workshop, stockpiled my money and had a chunk of change sitting there for when I got married and wanted to settle down." He looked down at his son. "Turns out, the cart came before the horse but I'm not complaining." He sent me a rueful grin. "Wanted to buy a fixer-upper but with these two keeping me busy, Ma talked me into a move-in-ready and next thing I knew I was buying this place."
"It's perfect," I shot him a teasing grin, "if not a little messy."
He barked out a laugh. "Yeah, well it's more work than anything else at the moment with just me. Normally Ma or my sisters help but they've been living their own lives and I'm swamped at work. It's our busy season, everyone wants to buy a boat for summer. Too bad I have to break the news that our boats take longer than a week to make."
I looked back out at the water, a contented sigh slipping free. "It may be more work now, but as they grow this is going to be a forever kind of home. Your boys will have cook outs back here, and swim in the lagoon, and build a tree house, and you'll probably get a dog at some point."
"Hush your mouth," he barked, pretending to turn away from me, covering one of Leif's ears. "Don't give them ideas."
I laughed, "you've done the right thing, Erik. Your boys will thank you for it."
He made a non-committal sound in reply.
We stood outside, the sound of the water, the rustle of a slight breeze in the leaves, the smell of salt and sea, and the gurgles of babies our accompaniment.
I tilted my head to the sun, closing my eyes enjoying the warmth of the beautiful Spring day. A deliciously selfish thought crossed my mind.
I could get used to this.
A hot man, beautiful babies and a gorgeous house. Who couldn't?
Don't even go there. Ignore the pull. You know single dads are your kryptonite. Abort! Abort!
But I couldn’t help the tiny kernel of… something that unfurled in me. It wasn't hope or lust or anything so simple. This was deep and earthy, grounding and solid. It felt complex and distinct.
"Can I take you to lunch?" Erik's question snapped me out of my revelry.
"Lunch?" I repeated, as if the word were foreign.
"Yeah, there's a bunch of great cafes' just down from here. Can I tempt you?"
"Of course," I replied, watching him grin in response. For a moment his gaze dropped, brushing across my breasts and down my body. I saw the flesh of approval in his eyes before he snapped back to attention.
"Let me just have a quick shower then we can go."
"Sure."
He walked away and I shamelessly ogled his ass. Tight and gorgeous. Zero regrets.
Oh yes, this man was very dangerous.
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Chapter Three
Erik
I lay in bed that night, replaying the days events in my head, all of which seemed to focus intensely on Laura.
Laura Sweep, a woman with curves, smiles and a wicked sense of humor. She loved kids, animals, and cleaning. She'd delighted in my house, loved our town, and jumped into helping me with the twins throughout the day.
If I had words to describe Laura, I'd say cheerfully capable. And for a single dad struggling, that was hot as fuck. The fact she was also a walking wet dream? Bonus.
God, what do I need to do to get her stay?
My cock ached. It'd been over two years since my last relationship and god knew by the time that had ended, she'd killed whatever had been left of my mojo.
Let's just say, if Dolores Umbridge had been a super-hot woman of twenty-eight, that would have been my ex.
