Page 75 of My One and Only

Chapter 24

The next morning, Cam was in the kitchen before Jo, cooking bacon that sizzled and crackled, folding omelets in a second pan. The salty scent of the bacon and the sweetness of the omelets filled the room. Fiona came into the room, dressed for school, and sniffed. “Bacon, Daddy? On a school day?”

“Why not, baby?”he said, grinning at her like a fool. “Is there a law against bacon for breakfast on a school day?”

Fiona frowned. “You always say we don’t have time for bacon. We have to get out the door in time so I’m not late.”

“You’re right,” Cam said, flipping a piece of bacon in the crackling fat. “That’s exactly what I say. But I got up early.” Because he couldn’t wait to see Jo. “So I decided to make bacon.” He touched his daughter’s hair. “But if it doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to eat any of it.”

“No, Daddy,” she squealed, jumping up and down. “I want bacon for breakfast.” She stared at him with hopeful eyes. “Are you making eggs to go with the bacon?”

“Of course I am,” Cam said, biting his lip to hold back his smile. “Gotta have eggs with bacon.”

Fiona hurried to the table, where Cam had set out three glasses of orange juice. Then she frowned. “Where’s Jo?”

“I’m sure she’s coming,” he said, swallowing hard at the unintended innuendo. “In fact, I think I just heard her bedroom door open.”

Fiona immediately slid off her chair and ran down the hall. “Ms.Jo! Ms.Jo! Daddy’s making bacon and eggs for breakfast.”

Cam couldn’t hear Jo’s reply, but she appeared in the kitchen a few moments later, holding Fiona’s hand. “Good morning, Cam,” she said, and her voice didn’t sound any different from any other morning. “Fiona tells me we’re having a feast for breakfast.”

“I woke up early,” he said easily. “So I thought we’d get the day off to a good start.”

As Fiona scampered back to the table, Jo moved closer to Cam. “I’d say it’s already off to a good start,” she murmured, quietly enough that Fiona wouldn’t hear her.

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyelids at half-mast. “Careful, Jo. We have an audience.”

“I can control myself,” she said in an equally low voice. “Can you?”

“Barely,” he said. He jerked his head toward the table. “You better sit down with Fiona. My control is hanging by a thread.”

They ate their breakfast, then Cam sent Fiona off to wash her hands and brush her teeth. As soon as he heard the water running in her bathroom, he yanked Jo against him and covered her mouth with his.

As their tongues tangled and their hands roamed, Jo shuddered in his arms. Way too soon, she eased away from him. “You’re playing with fire,” she said, nodding toward the back of the house. “Here comes Fiona.”

By the time Fiona reached the kitchen, Jo was three feet away from him. He wanted to tug her back, but knew she was right. Until they had a chance to talk to Fiona, they needed to keep their distance from one another.

And maybe Jo wouldn’twantto explain to Fiona. It’s not like she would be a constant presence in their lives. She’d be leaving when they caught whoever was behind all the incidents that had happened.

No point in getting Fiona’s hopes up.

Or his.

His gut twisted, and he turned back to the sink. Wiped down the stove, trying not to think about life without Jo. In less than a week, she’d managed to turn him inside out.

Managed to make him crave things he’d sworn he’d never want again.

As Fiona stepped into the kitchen, dragging her huge purple backpack on the floor, he turned to the sink to wipe down the cast iron pan. “I’m ready to go, Daddy,” Fiona chirped.

“Great,” he managed to say. He nodded at the refrigerator. “Your lunch is in its usual place,” he said. “Stow it in your backpack while I get ready to go.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Fiona said happily, crouching on the floor to unzip the bag. As Cam hurried down the hall, he heard Fiona open the fridge and stuff her lunch box into her backpack. Zip it up again.

Just as he reached his bedroom door, Jo stepped out of the hall bathroom. She touched his arm. “While you’re getting Fiona out the door, I need to scan the truck. Whoever is targeting you didn’t succeed the other night. Your house or your truck might be the next target.” She tightened her fingers around his arm. His cock leapt to attention.

“Give me five minutes or so to examine the truck. Think you can stall Fiona that long?”

He huffed out a laugh. “The trick will be getting her out of the house in less than ten minutes,” he said.

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