Page 10 of Duty Became Desire

“Hey Skylar. Come on in.”

She lifted a brow and slowly entered, her eyes taking in everything.

“This is your place?”

“Yup. Well, I have a mortgage payment, but it’s mine.”

“It’s a big spot for just a solo man.”

“Nieces and nephews.”

“Excuse me?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the question, knowing that it probably threw her. So, I gently took her arm and led her into the hallway and pointed to a few pictures down the wall.

“I have three sisters, all older, all who have given my parents grandchildren, and all those kids adore their Tio Alec. So, I need to make sure I have room for when their parents need a break, and they stay over.”

She scanned the photos, all of various degrees of the kids growing up then slowly turned to look at me.

“I didn’t peg you as a man who loves spending time with kids?”

“Really? You don’t know my job then.”

She opened her mouth to give some retort and then shut it, only to follow it up with a shake of her head.

“I’m a middle school teacher,” I told her, knowing that would get another reaction.

“What? How did I not know that?”

“I have no clue. Jamie, the oldest granddaughter,” I said, pointing to the picture, “is in my class. I teach eighth graders and it’s a gate social studies class.”

“This confuses me,” she confesses, turning back to look at the pictures. “You have quite the big family. And it seems you all are close.”

“Yeah, we are.” I stick my hands in my pockets, looking at the pictures. “We look out for each other. I’m sorry, where are my manners? Would you like anything to drink?”

“Isn’t that what got us in this mess?”

I laughed as I nodded. “Touche. However, water, soda?”

“Water is fine, thank you.” She followed me into the kitchen, taking in everything that she could. “You really have a nice house, Alec. I just, I was expecting more of a bachelor pad or something.”

“Not surprising,” I told her, handing her a cold bottle. “It’s not like we talk and share a lot. How could you know about this, or about me for that matter?”

I rested my arms on the countertop as she picked at the label on the bottle.

“I guess,” she muttered, still looking downward. “This doesn’t change anything, though.”

“Change anything how?”

“You’re still a dick, you know.”

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh at that.

“Look, I really am sorry about that night. I’m not a pig, or at least, most of the time. It was just, I don’t know, you were lonely, looked like you needed company, and you blew me off. Something snapped in me and the comments flew out. I will own it and say it was a horrible night for me, and I am deeply sorry.”

“Thank you. And sorry, you know, for the after part of that.”

I couldn’t help but tease her a little because she was clearly uncomfortable about it. “You mean kneeing me in my poor dick?”

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