Page 35 of Hello Tease

“Anything,” Knox replied. I felt the movement of boots under the table, probably Gray adjusting his legs.

I bit my lip, glancing at Gray before turning back to Knox. “Can you watch the kids tonight?”

A thousand emotions flickered over his face before he settled on a smile and dipped his head in a nod. “I’d love to.”

17

KNOX

As soon asLarkin walked her sweet self out of Woody’s Diner with a Styrofoam cup of coffee in hand, my dad gave me a look.

“What?” I asked in a hushed voice so no one sitting around us would overhear.

Agatha brought us heaping plates of food, giving Dad a smile that lasted a little longer than the one she gave me.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice rough.

She nodded then stepped back, smoothing her shirt. “You two enjoy.”

“Sure will,” Dad returned.

When she walked away from our table, I gave him a look. “I’m not hearing anything from you, sitting over there and giving Agatha moony eyes.”

“Okay, Mary Poppins,” he retorted.

I grunted and began eating my burger.

I had to prepare myself mentally to babysit for the woman I was crushing on while she went on a date with another man.

* * *

Just a few hours later,I heard a knock on my front door and opened it. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when Larkin and her children arrived, but it was not what I saw.

Her brown hair was curled, framing her face, and her beautiful blue eyes stood out with a little more makeup than she usually wore. She’d painted her lips red, the shape perfectly pouty and kissable. But her dress. Fuck, her dress.

It was dark blue, hugging her curves and showing her cleavage, and I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms, lock the door to my home, and tell Bennett to fuck off for forever and a day.

I was so caught up in admiring her that I almost didn’t notice Emily on one side and Jackson chewing on his stroller strap on the other.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out until Emily worked her way between her mom and the doorway, saying, “KNOX!”

I smiled at her. “Hello, Officer Cappes. Jackson.” I looked back up at their mom, my throat going dry. “Larkin,” I rasped. “You look nice.”

“Oh.” She seemed half surprised by the comment, looking down at her dress like she’d forgotten the tantalizing outfit she had on. “Thank you.” She tipped her head, long hair brushing across her shoulders. “And thank you so much for watching the kids. I would have had to cancel without you.”

I fought to keep from kicking myself. To be fair, it was a fight to have a coherent thought at all with her full lips moving around her words.

But I nodded and squared my shoulders. I was a man of my word. So I stepped back to let them through, Larkin’s perfume teasing me along the way.

“What are we doing tonight?” Emily asked.

“I actually had a few things I thought we could play with,” I said, picking up a cotton tote bag from my table.

“Presents?” she asked, hurrying toward the table.

I sent her a wicked smile. “Pranks.”

While Emily clapped, Larkin let out an exasperated chuckle. “You two need to have your own prank show.”

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