Building the Perfect Daddy

by Brenda Harlen

  “My point is that you should have faith that the real Prince Charming is somewhere in your future. Or maybe even—” he slung an arm across her shoulders “—in your present.”

  She tipped her head back to look at him. “I always thought Prince Charming would wear a crown.”

  “That’s only in the storybooks—in real life, he sometimes wears a tool belt.”

  * * *

  When they had headed out at six thirty, Kylie had skipped down the driveway with an empty trick-or-treat bag and a heart full of excitement and enthusiasm. It wasn’t even seven thirty when Kylie opened her bag to show her mother the contents. “Look, Mama, it’s almost fulled up.”

  “Already? That’s great.”

  “You’re only saying that because you want to go home,” Ryder guessed, speaking in a low tone so that only Lauryn could hear.

  “I would like to get Zachary into bed at his usual time,” she acknowledged.

  “I can stay out with Kylie if you want to take him home,” Ryder offered.

  “That’s not necessary,” she said, watching as Kylie made her way up the flagstone walk of the next house. “Her energy will fade before much longer.”

  “That’s something I have yet to see,” he noted.

  Lauryn smiled. “You will tonight. She’ll go full speed ahead right up to the moment that she crashes.”

  Which was exactly what she did a short while later. They were three blocks from home when Kylie suddenly seemed to droop at her mother’s feet, her bag of candy falling to the sidewalk. “I tired, Mama. You ca-wy me?”

  Lauryn had no objections to carrying her daughter from the living room to her bed when she fell asleep downstairs—or even from the van into the house—but three blocks was another matter.

  “Why don’t you stand on the back of Zachary’s stroller?” she suggested as an alternative.

  Kylie shook her head. “My feets hurt.”

  “This sounds like a job for Ryder to the Rescue,” he interjected, swooping down and lifting her high in the air to settle her on his shoulders.

  The little girl screeched with terrified glee and grabbed hold of his hair so that it stood up in little tufts where her fingers grasped it. The scream had given Lauryn’s heart a jolt—her daughter’s precarious position jolted it again. She opened her mouth to demand that Ryder put Kylie down, then she saw the breathless smile on Kylie’s face and the words stuck in her throat.

  Lauryn couldn’t begin to count the number of times she’d been carried like that on her father’s shoulders when she was a child. It had been the perfect vantage point to watch the Fourth of July parade on Main Street or to look at the newly hatched baby birds in a nest in their backyard, and it was her favorite way to be carried when her own legs had been too tired to walk any farther.

  The memories flooded back to her as she watched Ryder with her daughter, and something deep inside of her opened up, like a flower blooming in response to the warmth of the sun.

  And that was before Kylie rested her chin on top of Ryder’s head and said, “This was the bestest Halloween ever.”

  * * *

  Ryder had just poured the wine when Kylie came back downstairs after her bath. Her costume was gone, but she was wearing a princess nightgown with fuzzy slippers on her feet.

  “She wanted to say good-night,” Lauryn explained.

  “Of course,” he said. Then to Kylie, he said, “Good night, princess.”

  She smiled shyly. “Kiss?”

  He kissed her puckered lips.

  “Will you come twick-or-tweatin’ wif me again next year?” she asked softly.

  Over the years, he’d been invited to countless events by numerous women, but he was certain he’d never received a more beguiling invitation. He nodded without hesitation. “It’s a date.”

  She smiled again. “Night night, Wyder.”

  Lauryn took her hand and led her daughter up to bed. When she came back a few minutes later, it was with a worried expression on her face.

  “I wish you hadn’t done that,” she said to him.

  “What did I do?”

  “You told Kylie that you’d go trick-or-treating with her next year.”

  “I don’t see the problem,” he admitted.

  She folded her arms across her chest. “She might only be three and a half, but she’s already had enough experience with disappointment in her life.”

  “I have no intention of disappointing your daughter,” he assured her.

  “Next Halloween is a whole year away,” she pointed out. “You probably don’t even know where you’ll be next October.”

  He nodded his head in acknowledgment of the fact. “That’s true.”

  “And when you’re not here, Kylie will be left wondering what she did wrong.”

  “Wherever I might be, I’m sure I can come back to take her trick-or-treating,” he said reasonably. “And if I can’t, I’ll at least talk to her and let her know why.”

  “Assuming that, twelve months from now, you remember an offhand promise that you made to a little girl.”

  He unfolded her arms and linked their hands together. “I’ll remember, Lauryn.”

  But the furrow in her brow remained.

  “Are you really worried that I’m going to disappoint Kylie?” he wondered aloud. “Or are you worried that I’ll disappoint you?”

  Her eyes flashed with something that might have been anger—or guilt. “I don’t worry about being disappointed anymore. I expect it.”

  “Is that why you’re trying to piss me off?” he asked quietly. “So that I’ll get mad and leave, and your disappointment will be justified?”

  “I’m not trying to do any such thing,” she denied, then she sighed wearily. “Or maybe I am. I don’t know—this whole situation is outside my realm of experience.”

  He dropped a brief but firm kiss on her lips before he released her hands. “The only place I’m going right now is to fire up the grill to cook the steaks, because man—and woman—cannot live on gummy bears alone.”

  “We also have fun-sized chocolate bars and marshmallow ghosts,” she reminded him.

  “Those will be for dessert.”

  * * *

  So they ate steaks and baked potatoes, washing both down with the excellent merlot he’d brought over. Sitting across from Ryder, Lauryn found herself replaying their earlier conversation and wondering why she was continuing to deny what she wanted. Did she expect him to disappoint her? Or was she more worried that she might disappoint him?

  She’d only had one lover in the past eight years, and only one lover prior to that. And in each of those situations, she’d been in love with the man before she’d made love with him. She’d never had a fling.

  She wasn’t in love with Ryder, but she was definitely in lust. She wanted him with an intensity that bordered on desperation—and that was definitely something she hadn’t experienced before. But she still didn’t know if she had the courage to follow her sisters’ advice and “go for it.”

  “I think Kylie was right,” Lauryn said, setting her fork and knife on her empty plate. “This was a really good Halloween.”

  “Actually, she said it was the bestest,” he reminded her.

  “Well, at three and a half, she hasn’t experienced many Halloweens.” She nudged a bowl of candy toward him. “Gummy bear?”

  He peered inside. “You ate all of the red ones.”

  “And left all of the green ones for you.”

  “I’m in the mood for something sweeter,” he said, edging his chair closer to hers.

  He captured her mouth slowly, but it was indeed a capture. She had no hope of evading—and no desire to even try. She savored his kiss—the warmth, the texture, the flavor. She’d never known a kiss could be
so much and make her want so much more.

  As his mouth moved over hers, patiently, seductively, her mind clouded and her body yearned. Yes, what she was feeling was definitely lust. And maybe just a little bit more.

  “I’ll load up these dishes and take them downstairs for you,” he said when he ended the kiss.

  It frustrated her that he could switch gears so effortlessly while her body continued to battle with her brain.

  “Why do you do that?” she asked when he came back, the frustration in her voice mirroring that of her body.

  “Do what?” he asked, a little warily.

  “Get me all stirred up and then walk away.”

  “You said you needed some time,” he reminded her, sliding his chair back into place at the table. “I’m trying to give it to you.”

  She should be grateful for that, but right now she was feeling too turned-on to appreciate his restraint. “I haven’t had sex in a year and a half,” she admitted. “That’s probably enough time.”

  His fingers tightened on the chair. “Are you saying that if I were to make a move, you wouldn’t object?”

  She shook her head and moved closer to him, sliding her hands up his chest to link behind his head. “I’m tired of waiting for you to make a move.”

  And then she kissed him.

  * * *

  Ryder thought he was pretty good at reading her, but Lauryn definitely surprised him when she moved forward to press her lips to his. Her mouth was soft and cool and just a little bit uncertain—as if she wasn’t quite sure how he would respond.

  He responded by sliding his arms around her and drawing her closer. Her body swayed into his, her soft womanly curves pressing against him and causing all of the blood in his head to quickly migrate south. But he held his own desire in check, letting her set the tone and the pace of the kiss.

  One hand slid off his shoulder to trail down his arm until her hand caught his. She linked their fingers together as she eased her lips from his, then turned and led him toward the stairs.

  He followed her willingly. Happily. Eagerly.

  She paused at the door of her bedroom. “I should—”

  “Check on the kids,” he guessed.

  She nodded.

  “I’ll wait right here,” he promised, because he understood that she was, first and foremost, a mother. And surprisingly, he didn’t find that aspect of her life off-putting at all.

  She didn’t make him wait long, but he could tell by the uncertainty in her eyes when she returned that those few moments she was away had been sufficient to create doubts about the next step. He was confident that he could erase all of those doubts in thirty seconds if he put his hands on her, but it needed to be her decision, so he held his ground.

  “They’re both sleeping,” she told him.

  “They had a lot of excitement today.”

  “It was a great day,” she said, “but I’m still not convinced it was the bestest Halloween ever.”

  He recognized a challenge when it was issued. “I bet I could convince you.”

  “I’m willing to let you give it your best shot,” she said.

  It was all the invitation he needed.

  He lifted her off her feet and carried her across the threshold into her bedroom.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lauryn’s breath whooshed out of her lungs; her heart fluttered wildly inside her chest. She’d watched many movie heroes carry their lovers off into the sunset, but she’d never imagined that it would happen to her. The fact that the sun had set hours earlier didn’t detract at all from the sheer romance of the moment when Ryder swept her into his arms.

  A thin sliver of moonlight slanted into the room, guiding him toward the bed, where he set her back on her feet and kissed her again.

  Nerves jumped in her belly, twisted into knots. Now that they were here, she expected a race toward the finish line. And that was okay—her body was more than ready for the intimate connection they both craved. But she was apprehensive, too. Eighteen months was a long time and she wanted this—wanted him—so much she was a little worried that the anticipation might supersede the main event.

  Then his hands moved over her as he deepened the kiss, and she stopped worrying. He found the buttons at the front of her shirt, his fingers adeptly unfastening them. It was only when he parted the fabric and she felt a rush of cool air against her skin that she remembered she had a plan for this eventuality.

  “Wait.”

  He paused with his hands at the button of her jeans. “What am I waiting for?”

  “I need a minute to change into something...”

  “More comfortable?” he guessed.

  “More seductive,” she admitted.

  “You are seductive enough,” he told her.

  “I can do better,” she promised.

  “Naked would be better.”

  She pressed a brief kiss to his lips. “I just need one minute.”

  “One minute,” he agreed.

  She opened her top drawer and pulled out the black silk slip with lace inserts that she’d recently bought in anticipation of showing it to Ryder, even before she was sure that she would ever do so. She ducked into the bathroom and quickly stripped away her clothes, spritzed some of her favorite but rarely used fragrance on her skin, then slipped into the silk. The fabric was cool against her body, making her nipples tighten, and the hem flirted with the tops of her thighs. Drawing in a long, deep breath for courage, she opened the door.

  Ryder had turned on the lamp beside the bed and was lounging on top of the covers, staring at his watch, when she stepped back into the bedroom. Though she didn’t say anything, he immediately looked up, as if he somehow sensed her presence. Then he rose from the bed, his eyes skimming over her from her head to her toes with obvious appreciation. “Wow.”

  She smiled, the single word successfully untangling most of the knots in her belly. “I told you I’d only be a minute.”

  “You were actually behind that closed door for almost a minute and a half.”

  “You were keeping track?”

  “It felt like the longest eighty-five seconds of my life—but you are definitely worth the wait.” He took her hands to draw her closer and felt her fingers tremble. “Are you nervous?”

  “A little,” she admitted. “It’s been a long time for me.”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he promised.

  “Should we talk first?”

  “If you wanted to talk, you should have said so before you came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but...that.”

  “I just wanted to reassure you that I have no expectations beyond tonight,” she said.

  “I might not be the forever-after type, but I don’t do one-night stands anymore, either,” he told her. “So why don’t we agree to simply enjoy being together for so long as we do?”

  “One day at a time?”

  “Something like that,” he agreed.

  “That works for me,” she said.

  “Good. Are we done talking now?”

  He didn’t give her a chance to answer before he covered her lips in a slow, deep kiss that had all of her worries fading away like a bad dream. He had a way of kissing her that made her feel not just wanted but adored, not just desired but cherished.

  She tugged his T-shirt out of his jeans so that her hands could explore beneath it. Her palms slid over the warm, taut skin of his stomach, slowly tracing each rippling contour. He took his hands off her only long enough to lift his shirt over his head and toss it aside, allowing her to continue her exploration of his glorious muscles unimpeded.

  And his muscles were indeed glorious. As tantalizing as he’d appeared in all those close-ups on TV, the images didn’t do justice to him. She pressed h
er mouth to the warm skin, just above his heart that was beating as rapidly as her own.

  He took a minute to shed most of his clothes, with the exception of a pair of very sexy black boxer-style briefs, then he laid her down on top of the bed and straddled her thighs. His fingers caught the edge of her slip and began to slide it upward over her skin.

  She grabbed his wrists. “What are you doing?”

  “As fabulous as this looks on you, I want it off—I want to see you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do,” he insisted.

  She shook her head. “Ryder, I’ve given birth to two children—”

  “Two beautiful children,” he agreed. “Why would you think that carrying them would somehow make you any less beautiful?”

  How was it that he always seemed to know exactly what to say? It was unnerving...and incredibly appealing. But she’d lived with her own doubts and insecurities too long to give them up easily now. “I thought guys your age were only interested in perfect bodies.”

  “And I thought women your age were more comfortable in their own skin,” he countered, his hands continuing to explore her body in a way that assured her even more than his words that he wasn’t finding any flaws.

  “Touché,” she said. “But you still don’t know how old I am.”

  “Thirty-three,” he guessed.

  She frowned. “Where did you come up with that number?”

  “I figured you did four years of college to get your business degree, then another two for your master’s. If you started college at eighteen, then you would have been twenty-four when you finished, and Tristyn mentioned that you worked at Garrett Furniture for four years after you graduated and before you got married, and you were married for five and a half years.” He looked at her. “Am I close?”

  “Actually, I turned thirty-four on my last birthday.” She eyed him warily. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m six years older than you?”

  “No,” he said. “I just wish it didn’t bother you that I’m six years younger than you.”

  “I’m trying not to think about it.”

  “Let me help you not think,” he suggested, lowering his head to kiss her again.