Page 50 of Single Dad Dilemma
Sex that allowed anger to hold the reins. Attraction that pissed both of us off, because I was quite sure neither of us wanted to be attracted tothe other, but it was there, had been there from the moment I slammed the door in his face, and we both fucking knew it.
This was something I could leave behind, too, a different sort of legacy, comprised of dirty words and greedy hands and Barrett’s undoing in a way that felt like another win.
Even thinking it caused a rapid-fire deterioration of my verbal filter, which had been firmly in place after the regrettabledaddycomment. There were no kids watching now, and yes, there was a teensy little devil on my shoulder—wearing a Santa hat and looking a little bit like one of the elves from the movie—and that little sucker was begging to be heard. To see if Barrett felt even an iota of the leashed energy I had coursing through my veins.
Proximity to him, it seemed, was the impetus for all my worst impulses to come out to play.
“Lily—” He paused, seemingly searching for words. Then he looked up. “Oh.”
“What?” Then I looked up, too, my heart lodging itself right in my fucking throat. “Oh.”
Hanging directly above us, in an inconspicuous little bundle of bad decisions and inevitable regret, was mistletoe. My lips curled in a pleased smile.
Perfect.
Chapter Twelve
Barrett
“This is interesting.”
She was still staring up at the mistletoe when she said it, a casual tilt to her head that sent her long hair spilling over her shoulders. Only during the cookie-baking process had it been tied back, but as soon as they were done, she let it down again.
The sight of it gave me the most irrational reaction. Chiefly, a skin-tingling curiosity that needed a mute button because I patently refused to give it any headway.
Was it soft? It looked soft.
My hands curled up in helpless fists, and I sucked in a breath. “Is it?”
Her eyes—that dark-navy color—flicked to mine. “You’re saying you didn’t put it there?”
My head reared back. “No. Why would I?”
“God, Barrett, if you wanted to kiss me, you could just say so.” Lily bit down on her bottom lip, casually surveying my facial expression. “Not what I expected for a Christmas present, but I suppose I can consider this part of the truce.”
“I did not put that there to try and kiss you, Lily,” I said evenly. Fucking miracle, that, because my pulse was entering dangerous territory—thready and fast and roaring in my ears. Panic made melightheaded, and I tried to back up, but there was a wall directly behind me, and when my back hit said wall with an audible thud, Lily’s eyes lit up.
“No tongue, then?”
“Lily,” I practically growled.
“So you don’t want to kiss me,” she said seriously, taking another step closer. “I feel like ... like I might be a little bit offended.”
My throat was bone dry as I tried to swallow, and fucking hell, I was hard as a rock behind my jeans. “Please, I couldn’t offend you even if I tried. You’d have to care what I thought first.”
Her lips pursed into an amused little pout. “True. But what ifyou’remy type?”
I blinked. “What?”
Slowly, she licked her lips, her teeth biting down on the shiny, wet bottom lip before she took another step closer. “What if, after a day without bickering and snarling at each other, I find myself attracted to someone who’s a little bit quiet?” she whispered.
Her hand reached out, one finger winding into the material of my sweatshirt, raising goose bumps along my arms. Thank God she couldn’t see them.
“Very serious. Kinda growly.Sucksat Scrabble.” Her lashes fluttered, a shaky inhale through open lips. I was transfixed. “Maybe I want someone who’s a little mean to me,” she whispered. Then she lifted her eyes. “What then?”
Every muscle in my body screamed to do something. To snatch her behind the neck and slant my mouth over hers, lick against her tongue and see how her ass felt underneath my hands.
It was all I could do to keep breathing, to not let her see how unmoored I felt by her unexpected proximity. There was no control to be found here, no discipline, unless I wrenched it up to the surface with bloodied nails.
