Page 74 of Summer Heat
If I stopped Kinsley from moving out, Dad would know there was something between us. I didn't want to do anything that would screw things up for her. She needed this job, and I didn't want to make her life worse.
I wanted to lift her up, not tear her down.
Chapter Twenty
Shep
When I walked into the house, I smelled marinara and mozzarella cooking in the oven. I hoped it was lasagna. It was one of my favorite meals.
Kinsley rushed in from outside. "I just came in to check on the lasagna. How was work?"
I didn't see Maya anywhere, so I pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Better now that I'm home."
Kinsley wiggled away from me. "Let me check the food, and then we can talk." She opened the stove and pulled out the casserole dish. She lifted one side of the tinfoil. "All done."
My stomach rumbled. "Good because I'm starved."
She took something else out of the oven and opened the tinfoil packet, revealing homemade garlic bread. "How did your meeting go with your dad?"
"You knew about that?" I asked.
"I work in the office. There's not much I miss." She removed the tinfoil from the casserole, allowing the steam to escape, and she turned off the oven.
"He mentioned that the videos are getting views."
Kinsley turned around and leaned on the counter. "Isn't it amazing? People really seem to enjoy when you interact with Maya. You two are quite the little stars."
I chuckled without any humor. "I'm fairly sure that no one is watching me on those videos."
She raised a brow. "Have you seen the comments? Sure, some people enjoy how sweet you are with Maya, but the women are crushing on you."
My forehead creased. I didn't like the sound of that. I didn't want that kind of attention from the videos, especially if it made Kinsley uncomfortable.
"Are you thirsty?" Kinsley moved toward the fridge before I could respond. She pulled out one of my favorite beers, twisting off the top and handing it to me.
I lifted the bottle. "Thanks for this."
She ran a hand through her hair. "What were we talking about? Oh, yeah, there were a few requests that you go shirtless when you're working."
"That's ridiculous." Were Kinsley's shoulders tense, or was it just me?
"You could lift up your shirt and wipe the sweat from your brow. That will give them a nice little tease." Kinsley turned away from me, pulling plates down from the cupboard.
My voice lowered. "Do you like when I do that?"
She shot me a look "Everyone likes when you do that."
I moved toward her, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm not interested in what anyone else thinks of what I do. I care what you think."
I kissed the bare skin of her neck, and she trembled at the touch, lowering the spoon to the casserole dish. I trailed my lips up her neck to her ear, where I tugged on the lobe with my teeth.
"Mommy!" Maya exclaimed as she ran into the house.
I stepped back, hoping she hadn't seen me with my hands and my mouth on her mother. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the counter.
"What's going on?" Kinsley asked Maya, sounding a little flustered.
"I found a crab in the sand." Her hands were cupped, and when she opened them, a little crab crawled around the sand in her hands.
