His head moves, and I chase his lips with mine. I’m acting on pure instinct now, needing more of this drug he’s allowed me to sample.

  I’m already addicted.

  But his hand loosens on the side of my head. He slides his thumb down my cheek, and his kisses go from deep and consuming to light and withdrawing.

  I almost cry out, No… as he steps back, bracing me against the bookcase.

  Blinking slowly, I look up into his eyes, and he quirks a grin. “You okay?”

  Nodding, it takes me a minute to find my voice. “Yeah…”

  “Good.” He turns, sweeping his jacket off the chair and pulling it over his still-unbuttoned shirt. “We can’t act like we’ve never done that before if we’re engaged.”

  I look down, giving my head a little shake to get my brain going again. I need a fresh pair of underwear. I need a moment alone to finish what he’s started.

  “Ready to head back to the party?” He’s so casual.

  Is he seriously unaffected by what just happened? I’ve never been kissed like that in my life, and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t imagining the possession in his embrace. I definitely didn’t imagine that growl or the curl of his fingers against my scalp.

  He straightens his collar and reaches for my hand, pulling it into the crook of his arm. Then he opens the door, and we’re walking down the narrow hall, past the enormous wooden barrels of whiskey, to the event space where the sounds of the “Cha-Cha Slide” echo.

  “Not sorry we missed that one.” He exhales a laugh, nodding at the bartender serving a pair of guests leaning against the tasting bar.

  “Hey, where have you been?” I recognize Piper’s voice and realize the couple at the bar is Piper and Adam.

  Alex straightens beside me. “What are you two doing out here?”

  “We had to get out of there.” Piper waves her hands towards the event space. “If I’m forced to do the Cha Cha Slide one more time… It’s bad enough they do it at every single school function.”

  “I asked Sam to open the tasting bar for us.” Adam motions to the stocky guy behind the bar, who gives Alex a nod.

  “Can I pour you something, Mr. Stone?”

  “Sure, give us two?” He glances at me, and I nod. “Two special reserves.”

  He’s so confident, like the earth didn’t completely move just now in his office.

  By contrast, I can’t meet his eyes without blushing—and it’s the last thing I need Piper and her inquiring mind to see. She’ll be on us like a duck on a june bug.

  “What’s the Charlie Brown anyway?” Piper’s still fussing about the music.

  “It’s a little back and forth donkey move.” I show her, and she snorts a laugh.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Preschool dance classes.”

  The song starts to fade, and the “Cupid Shuffle” kicks off, mixing into the beat.

  “Somebody needs to unplug that DJ,” Piper groans. “Excuse me, Miss Wedding Planner, did you know he was going to play these songs?”

  “Britt asked for them! She said the kids will love it, and they’re easy for the older people who don’t know how to dance that well.”

  “I do not call following orders dancing.”

  “When are they cutting the cake?” Alex touches my arm. “I can’t wait to taste it.”

  The rumble in his voice sends my mind to the very naughty place I described to Drake. I’d be happy for Alex to taste my cake by the ocean, but I distract myself before my face bursts into flames.

  I nod at the antique clock above the glass double doors of the main entrance to the brewery. “It should be getting close. It’s after eight.”

  “Shit! We’d better get back there before Britt comes looking for us.” Piper puts her glass down and loops her hand in Adam’s arm. “Ready to move to the right, to the right, and kick three times?”

  “I’m a pro when it comes to the ‘Cupid Shuffle.’” Adam smiles at her like he wants to do a little cake-eating of his own.

  Piper doesn’t seem to notice.

  “Maybe they’ll do the ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ next,” Alex taunts.

  “Don’t even say it. That song makes me stabby.”

  “It reminds me of a video game,” I laugh, and Piper’s green-hazel eyes zoom in on my hand gripping Alex’s arm.

  “You never told me where you two were just now.”

  She’s a bloodhound, but Alex is prepared. “Cass has officially agreed to be Penelope’s new nanny. We were working out the details.”

  “Oh, that’s fun.” Piper loops her arm in mine, leaning forward to meet Alex’s eyes. “She is great with kids.”

  “So I’ve heard. I’m looking forward to having her at our house.” He’s so easy and complimentary, and it’s doing funny things to my insides.

  It’s like he’s staked a claim on me with that kiss, and I’m strangely drawn to his side.

  Which is ridiculous, because I’m not engaged to him. I’m working for him. It’s a completely normal arrangement—not the harebrained scheme I dragged him into for tonight.

  “Good work, bro.” Adam nods at him over our heads. “Does that mean I’m off the hook for Monday?”

  “Yeah… I think?” Alex looks at me.

  “Yes! Definitely. I can move my stuff in tomorrow, and you can show me the ropes.”

  “I’m so glad.” Piper gives me a squeeze. “Now I don’t have to save space on the front page for when you murder your aunt.”

  Alex gives me a nudge. “You can use it to write up this reception at Stone Cold distillery’s newest event space. Executed by the brilliant Cassidy Dixon.”

  Another stomach flip at him calling me brilliant. My fingers tighten on his sleeve, and I want to kiss his scruffy cheek.

  Britt waves frantically as we enter the venue, and we make our way to where she’s standing with Aiden by the cake. “Where have you guys been? I thought we were going to have to play ‘The Hustle’ next!”

  Piper tilts her head to the side. “Now, that one, I actually like.”

  The music fades out quickly, since it’s time to cut the cake. A long, ribboned knife is on the table, and we all gather behind the newlyweds as they hold it in both their hands for the first slice. Phone flashes and camera shutters go off all around us, and Aiden holds up the piece for Britt to bite. She does the same for him, letting out a squeal when it hits her tongue.

  “Do we have to share it?” she asks me, covering her mouth with her hand.

  I shrug. “It’s your wedding reception.”

  Waving me away, she passes the knife to her mother, who starts slicing, and I grab two plates, catching Alex’s arm and pulling him to where Pinky is bouncing on her toes at the edge of the dance floor.

  I motion for her to join us, and her bright blue eyes light when she sees cake.

  “Miss Cass!” She runs, sliding to a stop in front of me. “Can I have a piece of cake, too?”

  “You can have this piece of cake. I got it just for you.”

  Alex pulls out two chairs, and we sit beside a small, white table. Pinky puts her hands on my knees, watching as I cut a bite for her to eat. Her strawberry-blonde curls are in perfect ringlets around her ears, and they’re held back with small, ribbon barrettes.

  She has little rosebud lips and a dimple in her chin, and she reminds me of a baby Disney princess in her floor-length tulle dress. A tan, satin ribbon is tied in a bow around her waist, and she’s the cutest thing.

  I hold out the fork with the cake on it, and she rises onto her tiptoes to take a bite. At the same time, she and her dad burst into noises of approval.

  Pinky waves her hands over her head and bounces around in a circle in front of me singing, “I love this cake! I love this cake!”

  I start to laugh, and Alex slides his hand over my forearm. The affectionate gesture warms my insides.

  “It’s delicious.” His voice is butter.

  “Well, thank you both. I’m so glad you like it.”

  “You made this cake?” Pinky’s blue eyes are wide.

  “I sure did, and your dad helped me.”

  “Daddy says he only makes adult beverages and reheats the food Gram brings us.”

  My eyebrow arches, and I glance at him.

  He grins. “I might have oversold the meals-included part of the job. You’re welcome to use the kitchen, though.”

  “In the hopes I might make enough for three?”

  Tilting his head to the side, he starts a comeback when another voice interrupts us.

  “This is a cozy group.” Drake stands beside Pinky holding a plate of cake and a flute of champagne. “Ready-made family, Cass?”

  “Ahh…” I’m completely startled.

  “Something like that.” Alex smiles confidently.

  Pinky holds my knees, bouncing on her toes with her mouth open like a little bird.

  “Here you go.” My voice is quiet as I feed her another piece, and she breaks into another round of circle-hopping and chanting.

  I imagine she’ll crash hard after this day.

  Or she’ll be up all night.

  In two days, I’ll be living with them, and I’ll know. My chest squeezes at the thought, and I sneak a glance at Alex. His square jaw is set, and his protective side is so sexy. I want to curl my fingers in his hair and rest my head on his shoulder like he really is my future husband.

  “I’d like to run something past you, Stone.” He glances at me feeding cake to Alex’s energetic little girl. “I wonder if you might have some time to meet on Monday?”

  I freeze, flashing worried eyes to Alex. He gives me a little wink, and while I’m sure it’s all part of the fake engagement act, I feel it all the way to my toes.

  Tearing my eyes from his, I glance up at our unwelcome visitor. “Britt said you were only in town for the weekend.”

  Drake’s eyes narrow, and it’s so obvious he’s sizing us up. “I decided to stick around a few days to pursue some of my personal interests.”

  “What might those be?” Alex leans back, draping his arm across the back of my chair.

  “I’ll discuss it with you on Monday. I don’t want to spoil this festive occasion with business talk.”

  He strides away into the crowd, and I turn worried eyes on Alex. “What do we do?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He traces his fingers lightly on my back, satisfaction in his gaze. “You’ll move your things into my place tomorrow, and I’ll meet with him on Monday.”

  He smiles, and my eyes catch on his full lips, remembering our kiss.

  Alex Stone has succeeded at everything he’s ever set out to do. I’m sure he can handle this little mess I created. He asked me if I trusted him, but the real question is do I trust myself?

  CHAPTER 9

  ALEX

  “That one’s too big.” Pinky’s voice is quietly serious as she points her little finger at the small pancake I’ve just dropped onto the hot frying pan. “It can be yours.”

  “Thanks,” I laugh, dipping another, smaller scoop and dropping it in.

  She lifts her chin. “That one’s better. Do more like that one.”

  It’s possible my little perfectionist apple didn’t fall too far from the tree… if that’s how the saying goes.

  We’re observing our Sunday morning tradition—penny cakes with butter, powdered sugar, and real maple syrup. Penny cakes are the one thing I can cook, according to her, only now that she’s old enough to supervise, she likes her penny cakes no bigger than a quarter and not too brown.

  After shutting down the reception last night, I carried this sleeping nugget out to my car with Cass following us, holding my hand because Drake Redford stayed until the very end. I got the feeling he was watching us the entire time, hoping to catch us lying.

  Joke’s on him. I actually enjoyed holding Cass’s hand and spending the evening with her and my daughter. I like watching them getting to know each other.

  I’ve always had the lingering fear I’m letting Pinky down somehow. I’m a single dad who grew up with two brothers. I don’t know the first thing about what a little girl needs.

  Mom’s been a great help, and she reassures me all the time I’m doing a good job. Still, Cass seems to have that girly vibe on lock. I’m looking forward to her taking the reins and answering all of Pinky’s questions.

  “Did Gram tell you she’s going to Italy with her sisters?” I flip the tiny pancakes as Pinky watches me for any sign of error.

  Her curly head nods, her small voice focused. “She’s going to stay in a house on Lake Coco, and they’re going to drink lemon cellos because it’s Aunt Pearl’s favorite.”

  “It’s Lake Como, and they’ll drink limoncello.”

  Her tiny brow furrows, and she looks up at me. “That’s what I said, Daddy.”

  “Anyway, she’s going to be gone until school starts, so I asked someone to come and stay with us to keep you company.”

  Pinky’s lips press together, and a flash of worry crosses her face. “You’re not going to stay with me?”

  That’s a punch of guilt straight to the gut.

  “I have to work, Baby, but remember Miss Cass from last night?” She nods slowly. “I asked her to come and stay with us. Is that okay?”

  Her little eyes widen, and she sits up straight on the bar across from me. “Miss Cass, my dance teacher? Will she make us a delicious cake?”

  I exhale a sigh of relief and scoop the final penny cakes onto a small plate. “Maybe. If we ask nicely.”

  “I can ask really, really nice. Gram taught me. Want to hear?”

  “Sure. Sit in the stool.”

  She climbs into the barstool, and I put the plate in front of her with a ramekin of maple syrup.

  She squares her little shoulders, puts her hands in her lap, and blinks up at me with round eyes. “Daddy, would you please pass me the powdered sugar?”

  Her expression is so serious, I can’t help a laugh, which makes her frown immediately.

  “Why are you laughing? I asked real nice like Gram said.”

  Biting back my grin, I nod. “Sorry, Sweet P, you asked very nicely. That was very good.” Grabbing the glass bottle of powdered sugar, I hand it to her. “Not too much, now.”

  She turns it over, giving the bottle a hard shake, and I take the stool beside her with my cup of coffee. For a moment, I watch her dancing in her chair side to side as she swirls her tiny pancakes in the syrup and eats them.

  I managed to get her hair back in one of those little scrunchies so she doesn’t get it all sticky. I’m always amazed how my mom can just walk up and with one hand, whip it out of her face in two seconds flat. It takes me two minutes, two hands, and much whining from my daughter.

  Today’s ponytail isn’t straight or neat, but it’s doing its job.

  “When Miss Cass gets here, I need you to be a good helper for her. Can you do that?”

  She finishes her bite, nodding vigorously as she continues rocking side to side in her chair. “Miss Murphy said I’m the best helper. She let me move my monkey all the way to the finish line for helping.”

  I’m not sure what any of that means, but I’ll go with it. “That’s very good. Miss Cass won’t know where we keep all our stuff or what you do every day. I’ll tell her, but will you help her remember if she forgets?”

  Her eyes widen, and she nods. “I’ll tell her everything.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  She spears another penny cake, looking up at me. “But it’s summertime now. Gram says in summertime, we do whatever we want.”

  “That’s true, but we still have things we do everyday.”

  Rocking back and forth in her chair, she nods. “Like bath time.”

  “Right. Like bath time and meals and whatever else you do.”

  “In the summer we swim in Gram’s pool.”

  “There you go.”

  Nodding, she shoves her last penny cake into her little mouth. “I can do that.”

  “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Reaching out with a napkin, I wipe the syrup off her chin as she wiggles. “Finish your milk and brush your teeth.”

  “Ew! Daddy, that’s gross.” Her nose wrinkles, and she hops off the stool, carrying her plate to the sink.

  At least she’s mastered cleaning up her place. I’m not a total failure. Unless Mom taught her that. Still, brushing teeth is something I can control.

  “It’s not as gross as cavities and bad breath.” I stab three penny cakes at a time, and shove them in my mouth before carrying my plate to the sink.

  “Gram lets me wait until after Nemo to brush my teeth. That way it doesn’t taste yucky.”

  Hesitating at the cooktop, I watch as she pulls up the animated movie on the streaming service.

  “Okay.” I set the timer on my phone. “When this dings, that means pause the movie and brush your teeth.”

  The orchestral music begins, and I quickly load the dishwasher and head back to my master suite on the first floor.

  All the other bedrooms, including my daughter’s, are on the second floor with connecting bathrooms. I would offer to let Cass take one of them, but she might prefer having more personal space.

  And after that kiss last night, it might be a good idea to give us some boundaries. When she pressed her body to mine, her soft curves melting into my arms, I almost lost control. I almost yanked her skirt up and drove my cock home.

  The fantasy has a semi rising in my pants.

  Fuck, she’s so sexy. Keeping her in the garage apartment is the right idea. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d make it through the month without testing her willingness to push some boundaries.

  That settles it. The day kindergarten starts, she is no longer my employee. It’s the day I can bring what I’ve been thinking about into the realm of possibility. Until then…

  A banging noise comes from the garage, and my stomach tightens. She’s here.

  My pulse ticks faster, and I give the house a quick survey. The pine floors are warm and inviting, and the vaulted, exposed pine ceilings make the living room appear larger than it is. Harriet came on Friday, so the rugs are vacuumed and the furniture is dusted.