Page 43 of Hello Tease

My eyes felt hot, and I blinked quickly. “But I can’t—”

He stepped closer, brushing his calloused hand over my arm. “I don’t expect anything in return.”

“Then why are you doing this?” I asked. It didn’t make sense to me. Seth had taught me that no one did anything unless they wanted something in return.

He looked down, blue eyes on the linoleum kitchen floor, then met my gaze. “I know you’re not ready for what I said last night. But I’m not ready to let you go.”

That’s what he thought? That I simply wasn’t ready? The truth was, Seth and I had been over for a long time before the divorce, struggling before I ever knew of his infidelity. “It’s not about me,” I said. My voice was a whisper as I admitted, “If it was only me, I never could have held back last night.”

I was playing with fire, laying my heart on the line in front of him. But I couldn’t be the only person holding back here. If he knew my reasons, he could help me maintain the distance my heart was fighting to break down.

“The kids...” he said slowly.

I nodded, looking at Jackson. He was watching us both. “They’ve lost so much already. They can’t lose the one person who’s made them happiest since we’ve moved here.” I brushed my hand over Jackson’s brown locks and then kissed his forehead.

Jackson opened his mouth, giving me a sloppy kiss on my cheek, and I couldn’t help but smile as I held him tight. “I love you too, sweetie. More than anything.”

When I met Knox’s gaze, there was an understanding there, but something else too that I couldn’t quite recognize.

Knox said, “Sit down. I’ll make you breakfast.”

“But...”

“Just once. Let someone take care of you.”

My eyes watered as I nodded and went to the small table off the kitchen.

He’d come back. And he hadn’t given me what I thought I wanted. He’d given me exactly what I needed.

Emily woke up soon after, and we were all eating the breakfast Knox made—pancakes with bacon and eggs—when I heard a knock at the door. I was about to get up to answer it, but Knox said, “I’ll answer it. You finish your breakfast.”

I smiled as I watched him retreat to the door. He had no right to have such a good heart and look so damn good in jeans and a T-shirt. And I had no right to think about him that way when I was fighting to keep my distance. But Knox Madigan was impossible to ignore.

But then he pulled the door back, and I heard a familiar voice say, “Knox, what are you doing here?”

“Seth?” I asked.

Emily screamed, “DADDY!”

23

KNOX

Seth Cappes knelton the front porch, taking his daughter into his arms like he hadn’t been ignoring her for the month since Larkin moved to town. And even though he had the most precious child in his embrace, his eyes were on me, like he was trying to send me a message. Like he was staking a claim.

I glanced back to Larkin to see how she was reacting, and her lips were parted in shock, hand holding on to a screeching Jackson. He wanted something but couldn’t communicate it. Or maybe he was upset by all the emotions flying around the room.

Readjusting her grip, Larkin walked toward me, standing beside me at the door to see Seth as he stood up, holding Emily on his hip.

“Daddy, where have you been?” she asked, a scolding tone to her voice.

Seth said, “I’ve been busy with work, Em,” his eyes still moving between Larkin and me. “I guess your mommy’s been busy too.”

My hands curled into fists at my side. This sorry excuse of a man had no business making comments like that about the woman carrying the weight of his poor decisions.

Larkin’s voice cut through the red fog of my silent outrage. “Seth, what are you doing here?” There was a shaking tone, like she was somewhere between worried and angry. Her expression pinched uncomfortably, and Jackson continued wailing.

Seth’s lips were in a smug smirk. “Are you going to let me in to see my children?”

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