Reaching for both bouquets, I kissed Steed on the cheek and then Chloe. “They are beautiful! I love peonies!”
“See, Daddy? I told you the flowers were a good plan.”
Steed laughed. “You sure did, pumpkin.”
Chloe was for sure her father’s daughter. Gesturing for them to come in, Steed put Chloe down, and she bounced into the house. When he walked in, he stopped and pulled me in for a kiss on the lips. It was quick, but it left me dizzy all the same.
“Paxton, do you have any animals?” Chloe asked.
I laughed. “No. I’ve been thinking about getting a cat, though.”
Chloe shrieked in excitement as Steed groaned. I reached for a vase and looked at him. “I take it Chloe wants a cat, and you don’t.”
“No cats.”
“Aw, but Daddy!” Chloe said, a small pout forming on her face.
“Pout all you want, Chloe. No cat. Granddaddy and Grammy have five cats.”
“But they all live outside. I want one to snuggle with.”
“My mommy and daddy have a cat. I’ll take you over there some time to meet him. His name is Milo.”
Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Milo! I love that name!”
After filling up the vase with water, I put the flowers in and set it in the middle of my kitchen island. “There. They look beautiful.”
Chloe climbed up onto one of the stools and admired the flowers. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up into pigtails with a small yellow bow on each side. I couldn’t help but wonder if Steed had done her hair or if Amelia or Melanie had.
“I like these flowers,” Chloe stated.
My eyes met Steed’s and I could feel the crackle of desire in the air. “I do too,” I softly replied.
I was positive if we were to have a repeat of the other night, I would not be telling Steed to go slow. The ache in my lower stomach grew more and more, and my own hand wasn’t going to make it stop.
It was like Steed knew where my thoughts were taking me. He walked around the island and stopped in front of me, his hand lacing into my hair. “You’re so beautiful, Paxton.”
The heat on my cheeks told me I was blushing. He didn’t seem to mind saying that in front of Chloe so I didn’t mind hearing it.
“May I kiss you?”
My eyes darted over to Chloe who was watching our every move, her smile wide. She nodded as if giving me permission, or at the very least, urging me to let her father kiss me.
Focusing my attention back on Steed, I replied, “Yes.”
He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine. Then he pulled my body up against his. My hands landed on his chest, making sure we kept a safe distance from each other for the sake of Chloe.
Leaning his forehead against mine, he let out a contented breath. As if that simple kiss and me in his arms had just solved all his worries.
“I love you, Paxton,” he whispered. I was stunned he would say that in front of his daughter. She was going to get confused.
Drawing back, he saw my confusion. With a wink and a crooked grin that nearly had my legs going out from under me, he said, “I talked to Chloe this afternoon. I told her how you and I used to date and how we both still love each other, but that something bad happened, and we were separated from each other.”
My heart ached. I peeked back at Chloe, who was sitting with her chin resting on her hands, almost like it was story time, totally entranced by the prince and princess who found love again.
“I told her we were going to start dating again.”
I nodded and looked at Chloe. “Chloe, are you okay with your Daddy and I dating each other?”
She grinned. “Oh yes! Daddy’s been so sad and lonely. But he said he isn’t sad anymore and his eyes aren’t sad either. Your kisses make him happy. So kiss him again, Paxton!”
Steed and I both laughed. When we caught each other’s gaze, Steed leaned in and pressed his lips against my ear and spoke so only I could hear him. “And me buried inside of you will make me even happier. So let’s plan that…soon.”
My stomach dropped at the delicious thought. All I could do was whisper back a needy, “Yes.”
I was going fucking insane. Sighing, I shut the books I was looking through and leaned back in my chair.
Fuck. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Last night I thought for sure I was going to rip her goddamn panties off and fuck her in my truck. The need to be inside her was growing by the minute. I wanted to respect her wish to take things slow. To date her, slowly bringing her into Chloe’s and my world, but this was insane.
The last few weeks had been amazing though, if you didn’t take into account my constantly hard dick and the never-ending times I had to jack off in the shower. Paxton and I spent an equal amount of time with each other as we did with Chloe. Paxton’s fear was that Chloe would grow to resent her for taking my time away, but the opposite had happened. Grinning, I thought back to this morning with Chloe.