Page 42 of The Single Dad Dilemma

Darcy marks the first woman I’ve actually wanted to date in a traditional sense. Her role as Lou’s nanny doesn’t have to changeright now. There can be a bit of separation between that and what’s developing here.

It’s like I said before when she was riding my face. I’m a patient man.

NINETEEN

DARCY

The past two weeks I’ve learned that time can pass quickly but also quite slowly at the same time. The days, for example, fly by. I see Ridge in the morning, spend all day having a blast with Lou, and the next thing I know, Ridge is home and it’s time for me to go.

The nights, however, have been rough. Because we aren’t sharing whatever is developing with us with Lou, we’ve had to steal away tiny moments. At best, we get two or three uninterrupted minutes while she’s changing her clothes or distracted in her room. We get in a hug, some kisses, and then we separate.

So those goodbyes in the evenings when I’m going home are rough. We’ve taken to texting pretty constantly until one of us falls asleep. And that person is always me. We spend days sending selfies and pics of random stuff or memes. We spend our evenings sending things a bit more suggestive.

Maybe that’s why they feel so long. Because of all the lust. Lust will do wild things to you. Make you batshit crazy sometimes. That man is messing with my chemicals, making me all goofy.

That’s not a complaint, per se. Despite the fact that it feels like I’ve been edged since the hotel, I consider it worth it. And also kind of hot. There’s a certain thrill in the waiting.

But that all ends tonight. In two hours, Ridge will be home and Lou’s grandparents will be here to pick her up, and I’ve stashed an overnight bag in my trunk. We’re spending our first night together since the hotel. Not having condoms sucked at the time, but I don’t think I would change it. We would have been on the clock with Lou returning from the movie, and I have zero interest in making sex with Ridge quick.

I keep Lou busy cutting shapes to make a collage. Using only basic shapes, she has to create a landscape scene. She seemed very excited about the idea when I presented it, and it’s a low effort way to bring the day to an end, so I was pretty stoked about it too.

Time passes and I only check the clock four times before Lou and I both lift our heads to the familiar click of the door.

“I’m home!” Ridge shouts as he enters.

Lou scrambles to her feet from where we’re sitting on the floor in her room. She has a desk but ultimately decided she wanted us both to spread out on her floor. I hear the two of them talking as I hastily clean up the art supplies and place her nearly finished piece on the table to dry.

Earlier today, I helped Lou pack her bag for her grandparents’ so Ridge didn’t have to rush to do it like he did last time. So I grab that and head to the living room.

“Hi,” he says when he sees me.

“Hello.” My smile widens when we make eye contact, just like it has every day since things shifted between us. And I don’t know what that means exactly, but I like that it’s happening.

There’s a small voice deep down that whispers to me every once in a while that this may be a disaster. She reminds me that summer is flying by, and soon I’ll need to go back to school. Thelittle bitch tells me I’ll be way too busy for a serious relationship, let alone one with a kid involved. And she’s probably right.

So where does that leave this whole thing? Is it a summer fling? Because if so, Lou should never find out. Also, the idea of something so fleeting with a man like Ridge makes me want to cry. I have no evidence, of course, but he strikes me as the type of man who will ruin all other men for me.

“Lou and I got her bag ready earlier today,” I say, presenting the bag.

“We didn’t want you to have to rush and do it when you got home,” Lou adds.

“Wow,” he says. “Thank you so much, ladies.” He leans down and gives Lou a squeeze, then gives me a little wink, which I take to mean I’ll get my squeeze later.

A half hour passes before Alma and George show up to get Lou. While they’re here, I try to play it as cool as possible and say very little that isn’t directly related to Lou. I imagine just like Lou, he doesn’t want them to know anything just yet. Not that I blame him, or mind.

Plus, for some reason, I fear their reaction more than most. Vanessa was their daughter, this is their grandchild, and I would be a person stepping into that sphere. Jesus, I’m getting ahead of myself. My mind is toggling between the two realities, and I can’t make sense of what I’m feeling.

No sooner than the door shuts and Ridge and I are alone is he looking at me with a hunger that wasn’t there two minutes ago.

“Come here,” he says, reaching his hand out toward me.

I step forward and take it, my small hand sliding into his larger one as his other arm wraps around my middle. He tucks me against his chest, inhaling against the shell of my ear. His whole body slumps as he exhales, letting out a long sigh. This is nothing like the quick hugs we’ve stolen in the moments Lou is distracted.

This is an embrace with no end in sight. It’s not to be rushed. There’s no ticking clock, no pending interruptions. There’s just us.

“I’ve wanted to do this all week,” he whispers.

“Me too.” My arms are wrapped around him tightly as I inhale the intoxicating scent that’s only his. It’s clean and warm, like a hint of vanilla mixed with linens and spices.

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