Willing at the Library

by Liz Fox

  If I’m lucky, that day will be soon. Hope has a gravity about her that’s slowly but surely pulling Finley and me into her orbit. I might get burned in the atmosphere, but I’m starting to suspect it will be worth it.

  Chapter 3

  Hope

  The next week, I’m still feeling the effects of a lovely time with Ryan and Finley. I’m not usually one to get dreamy over a guy, but there’s something about a single dad trying to do his best with his daughter. It’s both heartwarming and incredibly sexy. Especially when the dad is tall, smart, and looks like he should be modeling business wear.

  My coworkers notice my distraction. We’re reshelving books when Violet starts in on me. “So, who is he?”

  I look at her, confused. “Who’s who?”

  She shoots me a mischievous smile. “Who’s the guy? You’ve been distracted all day.”

  “There’s no guy.” It’s an automatic response.

  Sara takes the opportunity to jump into the conversation. “It’s okay. You can tell us.”

  “Do you remember that little girl with the glasses?”

  Sara and Violet nod, eyes widening. “The hot dad?” Violet asks.

  “His name is Ryan. His daughter is Finley. We went to the comicon this weekend. It was fun.” I’m not going into detail here at the library, especially because there’s really nothing salacious to report. “It might be something. It might be nothing. Now, let’s get back to work.”

  Some time later, I’m in the deserted part of the library—the reference section—when Violet comes around the end of the aisle, leading Ryan and Finley behind her.

  “Look who I found,” she says in a singsong voice.

  Finley sees me and hurries forward to give me a hug.

  Leaning down, I envelop her in my arms. “What are you two doing here today?”

  “Daddy brought me to get some more books.” Finley’s sweet little voice is muffled by my shoulder.

  Violet pipes up, giving me a speaking look. I swear, my coworkers are worse than professional matchmakers, and about as subtle. “We got some new books in today. Would you like to see if there’s something you like?”

  “Yes, please.” We disengage from the hug and Finley follows Violet to the front of the library.

  Standing, I finally let myself turn to Ryan. “Hi.” Good grief. I’ve never been so flummoxed by a man. To be fair, he is looking quite appealing today in a deep blue button up shirt and gray slacks. I wouldn’t call him overly buff, but he’s got a lean, muscular build that makes me want to do things I’ve never done before. “I thought you were working today.”

  “Ah, well I had a meeting get cancelled, and Finley wanted to check out some books.” He takes a few steps closer. “Plus, I wanted to see you.”

  “Oh?” It isn’t until my back hits the bookshelf that I realize I’ve been stepping back for each of his forward steps.

  “Finley isn’t the only one who had a good time this weekend.”

  “I, uh, I had a good time too,” I stutter. Normally, I’m a bit more composed around men, but I didn’t expect Ryan to show up at my workplace. And I certainly didn’t expect this blatant pursual. Not that I mind it. It’s just a little unexpected.

  “She isn’t the only one who wants to see you more often.” Ryan’s voice drops to a sexy rumble. He leans forward and tucks a bit of my hair behind my ears. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you since the moment I saw you.”

  My breath quickens as I watch his lips move unerringly toward mine. Part of me wants to push him away. This is my workplace. My boss, my coworkers, patrons, and heck, his daughter could interrupt us at any moment.

  But the larger part of me has been hoping for something like this my entire life. An attractive man ravishing me in the library stacks. Not only is he sexy as hell, we have similar interests, enjoy each others’ company, and our chemistry is out of this world.

  When Ryan’s lips finally meet mine, tingles erupt over my body. He commands the kiss, his hand on the back of my neck, angling me for deeper penetration. I’m happy to comply.

  My hands grip his shoulders, pressing into his firm muscles. He swallows my moan of pleasure.

  “Shhh,” he whispers against my lips. I try, really I do. But I lose it when he grabs my ass, pulling me against his thick, throbbing length. With one last deliberate thrust, he ratchets up the tension. “You feel so good. I only meant to kiss you.” He peppers kisses along my jawline. “You wear at my control.”

  He holds me while we let our breathing settle. Don’t want anyone to guess we were making out in the library like horny teenagers.

  We step back from each other just in time. Finley walks around the bookshelf with a stack of books in her arms.

  “What are you doing back here?” she asks with complete innocence.

  I let her dad answer, as he’s the parent. His voice comes out a little gravely when he says, “I was just confirming our dinner date with Hope.”

  “Yes.” I jump on his excuse. “”Does Wednesday work for you?”

  Finley tilts her head to the side. “Does that work for us, Daddy?”

  “Yes. We should have no trouble making that date.” Ryan’s eyes gleam with intent. “We’ll see you there.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” That’s certainly an understatement. After a kiss like that, I’m looking forward to a lot more than just dinner. In fact, next time, I’m hoping for some adult-only time.

  Chapter 4

  Ryan

  After a long day consulting with the Hawthorne Group team on Wednesday, I’m ready for a nice evening with my girls. Unfortunately, my mind is still back in the office. I walk through my front door, pay the babysitter, and head upstairs, loosening my tie as I go.

  “Finley, where are you?”

  “I’m in my bedroom. I need your help,” she calls back.

  I hang up my jacket before making my way to Finley’s room. She’s sitting at her dresser with a brush and a hair tie in her hands.

  “Hey, captain. What do you need help with?”

  “I need you to do my hair.”

  I gape at her, pleased that she trusts me enough to do her hair, but terrified that she trusts me enough to do her hair. Her tablet sits upright on the dresser with some kind of video tutorial of a fancy braid.

  “Um, you know ponytails are more my thing, right?” I manage to stutter out.

  She smiles at me. “Don’t worry, Daddy, I found a video tutorial.”

  “I’ll do my best, captain.”

  “I’m sure you will, number one.”

  She sits patiently between my legs as I try to recreate the braid from the video. Things aren’t going too well. Fortunately, my daughter has a very kind and forgiving heart. When I declare her hair complete, it looks nothing like the hair in the video. That’s what happens when half my attention is composing a presentation for later this week.

  Finley doesn’t care. “Thanks, Daddy. I love it.” She wraps her little arms around my neck and I gently squeeze her back. These are the moments I live for.

  We’ve got a little time before we have to leave for dinner with Hope. This seems like a good time for a sensitive conversation. I settle Finley sideways on my lap. I want to be able to see her face.

  “What do you think about Hope?” I ask.

  “I like her.”

  “What do you like about her?”

  She thinks about it for a minute. “I like it when she hugs me. She’s really good at storytime. Plus, she likes Star Trek just like me.” Her little face turns to me, blue eyes wide behind her glasses. “Do you like Hope, Daddy?”

  It’s my turn to think about it for a minute. “Yeah, captain. I like her, too.”

  “Do you likety like her?” she asks, a mischievous grin on her face.

  I laugh. “Yes, I likety like her.”

  She begins to sing “Daddy and Hope, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

  “Alright, that’s it. Come here!” I hold her in place as I t
ickle her.

  After a minute or so of tickle torture, I finally let her go so she can catch her breath. She slips off my lap, and I stand up.

  “You ready to go visit Hope, captain?”

  “I just got to put my shoes on.”

  “Okay. Meet me downstairs in five minutes. I’m going to change my shirt.”

  As we hop in the car, part of me is thinking about how nice it is to spend this time with Finley. Doing her hair. Talking. Getting ready to have a home-cooked meal with a woman we both like.

  But the other part of me is still at work. Replying to emails, planning meetings, and making sure the transition goes smoothly. There are a lot of people counting on me to get this right. The pressure is intense. Fortunately, I like the pressure. I love the feeling of getting something done on a short deadline. Pulling a creative solution out of thin air and then making it happen. People are counting on me, and it’s my responsibility to make sure they all have jobs when this is all over.

  These last few months, I’ve been so busy at work. It seems like every time things are about to slow down, another emergency pops up and it’s my responsibility to fix it. The only reason we’ve had this success is because of my willingness to put the hours in and work my ass off.

  We pull up and park in front of Hope’s house. Finley jumps out of the car and races to the front door. “Hurry up, dad.”

  “I’m coming. I’m coming.” Smiling at her enthusiasm, I gesture for her to press the doorbell button.

  Within seconds, Hope opens the door. She looks like a fallen angel in a fitted red sweater and black leggings.

  “Come on in.” She steps back so we can enter. Lamps decorate the home, giving it a cozy golden glow.

  “Thanks for having us. Something smells delicious.”

  “I’m glad you’re both here. I hope you like lasagna.” Hope winks at Finley.

  “I love lasagna,” Finley says.

  Just then, my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and glance at the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

  “That’s fine. Finley can help me finish setting the table.”

  I turn away, answering the call. “Ryan here.”

  It’s Gabriel from my team. “I’m glad I caught you. There’s a bug in one of our programs. It’s affecting a few of the customers and no one else is answering their phone.”

  Sighing, I know what I have to do. “Give me twenty minutes. I’ll be there.” I hang up, sighing with frustration.

  “Hope?” I call out as I join her and Finley in the dining room. “I’m sorry. Something came up. I need to go back to work.”

  Before she can respond, I crouch down in front of my daughter. “Hey captain, how do you feel about spending the evening with Hope, just the two of you?”

  Finley just looks at me with sad, knowing eyes, disappointment evident in the slump of her shoulders.

  “You can stay here with Hope and I’ll be back in a few hours, okay? Daddy’s got important work to do.”

  I check for messages as I walk to the door. “Thanks for doing this, Hope.”

  As I drive away, I notice Hope standing in her doorway, her curvy figure a framed silhouette. She doesn’t make any kind of motion to me. Just watches me with blazing brown eyes.

  Uncertainty fills me and I wonder if all this work is worth it, or did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

  Chapter 5

  Hope

  I pull the lasagna out of the oven and set it on the stove top. Glancing around the kitchen, I make sure everything is ready. Salad, check. Garlic bread, check. Chocolate pudding pie, check. I can’t believe Ryan ditched me to take care of some kind of work thing. Disappointment flows through me, followed quickly by anger. Of all the disrespectful, jackass things to do.

  Screw it. Screw him. I’m not going to let him ruin my evening. In fact, I’m the lucky one. I get an evening with a smart young woman. We’re going to have good food and good fun. And, I decide right then, he’s not getting any leftovers.

  “Let’s finish setting the table.” I squeeze Finley’s shoulder. “It looks like we’ve got more than enough food. Hey, I have an idea. Would you mind if we invite a couple of my friends to eat with us?”

  “Yeah, that’s okay.” She seems a little subdued, and she’s already a quiet girl. She’s obviously not surprised by her father’s behavior, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t disappointed. I can’t imagine how many times he has pulled the same stunt. Father fail.

  Setting Finley on a stool in the kitchen, I make a call to Sara, my coworker from the library.

  “Hey girl, do you have any plans tonight?”

  “Nah. Me and Zach are just hanging out. We were about to order some pizza.”

  “Well, I made a full meal and don’t want it to go to waste. You want to come over? Zach is welcome to join.”

  “That sounds great.”

  Ten minutes later, the four of us are sitting around the table. It turns out Finley isn’t a picky eater. In fact, she loads her plate with all the food it can carry. I’ll be surprised if she manages to finish even half of it.

  After we sit, I introduce Finley.

  “Hey Finley, this is Sara. I’m sure you remember her from the library. And this is her friend, Zach. Guys, this is Finley.”

  With the introductions complete, we dig into our food. Zach looks like he hasn’t eaten real food in days, devouring a slice of garlic bread in just two bites. Sara, Finley, and I watch in amazement. Our amazement turns to giggles as Zach looks up, his cheeks stuffed like a hamster.

  “What?”

  Finley’s tinkling laughter is the cutest. Once we finish eating, we leave the table and head to the living room. On the way there, Zach gets down on her level and starts getting to know her a little better. I catch Sara staring at him dreamily and laugh to myself, getting her attention.

  I raise my eyebrows and look back and forth between the two, as if saying, “So, is there something going on here?’

  She gives me a look that says, “No. We’ll talk about it later!”

  I simply smile, nod my head, and bring the chocolate cream pie to the family room.

  “Does anyone want pie while we watch a show?”

  They reply with a chorus of, “Yes.”

  While I slice the pie and put it on the plates, I ask, “What do we want to watch?”

  Everyone looks at Finley, waiting for her to pick. Of course, that’s the moment she gets shy.

  Zach saves her. “How about Star Trek?”

  Finley nods, a small, excited smile on her face. With a plate of pie on every lap, we sit back and enjoy a couple episodes of our favorite crew facing temporal anomalies and curious aliens.

  Eventually, Zach and Sara leave, leaving me alone with Finley for a little bit. She tucks herself under my arm as we relax on the couch, waiting for her dad. Her eyes drift close as I run my hand over her fine hair.

  It looks like her dad at least made an attempt at something—I’m sure she didn’t make this mess by herself. A bittersweet sigh escapes me. Ryan is obviously trying to be a good dad. It’s got to be hard, being a single parent with a full-time job. But when you’re a parent, you have to do better than good. You have to do your best.

  My parents failed at that with me. It’s why I left home at seventeen and never looked back. Poor Finley isn’t in a position to demand he do better, but I am. She deserves someone who is going to put her first, no matter what work emergencies might come up.

  And so do I. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t let myself come in second place with the people who were supposed to love and support me. That decision has served me well, and I don’t plan on changing it now.

  About half an hour later, Ryan swings by to pick her up.

  “Your dad is here, sweetie.”

  “Oh, okay,” Finley mumbles, sleepily. She barely keeps her eyes open as she stumbles to the front door.

  “Thank you for watching her.” Ryan stands just inside my home, look
ing like sex on a stick. Too bad for him, I’m done with guys disrespecting me.

  I keep my voice civil, not wanting to upset Finley. Though she’d hardly notice, considering how tired she is. “You’re welcome. She’s a lovely girl.”

  Closing the door behind them, I slouch against it, blinking to keep my tears contained. I had such hope for Ryan. Ha. Hope.

  I sigh with resignation. Hopefully, I’ll see Finley at the library because that’s the last time I’m inviting her father to my house.

  Chapter 6

  Ryan

  “Do you have somewhere else to be?” Maximillian Hawthorne’s arrogant voice interrupts my thoughts.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’re in a strategy meeting with a number of very busy people, myself included. Yet, that’s the third time you’ve checked your phone in the last hour.” Maxmillian glares at me over the top of his steepled hands. “Therefore, I’m asking if you have somewhere else you’d prefer to be.”

  “No, sir. Sorry.” I quickly put my phone back in my pocket. Maxmillian Hawthorne is not the kind of guy you want to piss off. He has more money than God, he has a finger in every industry in the state, and he’s the man who bought and now owns my company.

  I do my best to focus on the meeting, but I can’t stop worrying about Hope. She hasn’t returned any of my calls or texts in the last couple days. I’m starting to think I might have really screwed up.

  An hour later, the meeting ends. My contributions were negligible, especially in my distracted state. As everyone leaves the conference room, Maximillian pulls me aside.

  “Since I acquired your company three months ago, we’ve been in several meetings together.” He saunters around the conference table with his hands casually resting in his pockets. “In that time, you have never exhibited the level of unprofessionalism that I observed today.”

  Shit. He noticed. I open my mouth to make some excuse, but before I can say anything he cuts me off.

  “I don’t normally give second chances, but I find myself curious. What could distract my most committed colleague from participating in a critical strategy meeting?”