Page 45 of Under My Skin

So, I’m going to be selfish for once. While she’ll have me, she’ll be only mine. I just have to remember to not let things go too far. No feelings. Just sex. Or she’ll crush me.

That’s my mantra when it comes to Lizzie Montgomery. It has to be.

* * *

“Okay,on the count of three, let’s climb on the bed and jump all over him.”

“And tickle him too, right?”

“Yes. Lots and lots of tickles. We don’t stop tickling until he says yes to donuts!”

I hear the whispered voices of my daughters beside my bed, but I’m so groggy and half asleep still that I have no time to prepare myself for their onslaught. Before I know it, all I feel are little feet and pointy knees digging into my back and sides and their repetitive chanting of, “Donuts! Donuts!”

“Alright, alright,” I yell, hoping they hear me over their screaming and that the abuse will finally stop.

“Yes! It worked, Kenzie,” Addy yells far too loudly for this early in the morning.

“I knew it would. It always does!” Mackenzie says with the confidence of a true mastermind. Which she is, by the way. At six years old, this girl knows how to get her way.

“Alright girls, I’m up.” I groan, summoning every ounce of energy I have to try to take on the day. “Go get dressed so we can go. Mackenzie, help your sister and make sure to brush your hair. You girls look like you survived a tornado.”

Mentioning their crazy hair only excites them more, and the next thing I know, I’m being steamrolled and jumped on again by two self-appointedtornadoes.

After wrestling Addy and Mackenzie to their room to get ready, I head back to mine to get dressed and brush my teeth. One look in the mirror confirms that I also have bed head, or the remnants from Lizzie’s hands in my hair, but I’m too tired to fix it, so I throw on a hat instead and call it a day.

We make it all the way to Francine’s with relatively little chaos, and once the girls eye the donuts in the display case, they get sucked into picking which ones they want. I notice Ellie behind the counter, and we exchange hellos. After the guys and I asked Liam at Ava’s birthday party how things went between the two of them and he gave us basically nothing, I took it that it didn’t go well.

We take a box to go, and the girls start eating as soon as they get back in the car. Not long after, they are talking between bites of sweet dough and sugary frosting.

“I can’t wait to hang out with the cousins tonight,” Mackenzie says.

“Ava said she got new markers! Can you believe it, Daddy? Brand new markers!” Addy’s excitement makes me laugh. It’s the little things that will really make the day of a four-year-old, I guess.

“But you girls need to be on your best behavior for the babysitter, okay? No ganging up on her with your cousins.”

“We know, we know,” the girls say in unison.

“Are you excited for your party, Daddy?” Mackenzie asks, her mouth full of chocolate.

“Yeah.” I keep it short and simple so I don’t give away how I truly feel. Of course I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and hanging out, but I really don’t want all the attention on me. I don’t want to field condolences and looks of pity every time someone brings up my dad’s death or my divorce, or even my football injury. It’s not like it’s new, but people still like to bring it up like it is.

“Are you taking Miss Lizzie with you?” Addy asks.

I instantly think of last night, and before I know it, my mind is flooded with images and sounds of my sexy neighbor. I have to stop this line of questioning immediately, even though I know Addy’s question is innocent enough.

“No, I’m not,” I answer.

“You should, Daddy. She’s pretty,” Addy replies.

“And nice. She’s really nice,” Mackenzie adds.

“And she smells good. Like flowers,” Addy chimes in.

“Okay, okay. I’ll think about it,” I interrupt before they can squeeze in any more compliments. I’m trying not to think about Lizzie, and it’s really hard when your daughters keep pointing out all the good stuff about her.

Maybe I should invite Lizzie tonight. I mean, I want to. She is my neighbor after all, and I consider her a friend. Why shouldn’t she come? I can keep things totally platonic in front of everyone, and no one will be able to tell that we’re involved. Maybe Reid because he always seems to be two steps ahead of me when it comes to my relationship with Lizzie, but I know he’ll keep everything to himself so he can give me a hard time about it on his own. Asshole.

I also don’t know where the night will lead. Addy and Mackenzie are staying overnight at Nikki’s, so I know I’ll have some privacy from the kids.

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