What kind of superhero name is Fred?”
“I don’t know,” Emmy snickered.
“At least he breathes fire,” Sketch returned.
Emmy caught sight of me. She had on princess pajamas with a matching thermal shirt and pants, and her curly hair was everywhere. Such was the curse. Curls couldn’t be slept on. It was the knowledge of all women in the club.
“Mommy!” My baby beamed up at me, but didn’t come running. This was a surprise. Apparently, she was perfectly happy to stay on the couch beside Sketch. I told myself that shouldn’t sting. I was being ridiculous.
“Hi, sunshine. How was your sleepover?”
“So-o-o amazin’! I want to sleep over with Roadrunner every day!”
Roadrunner’s voice carried in from the kitchen. “You can sleep here any time you want!”
I was starting to wonder who would be more upset when we went back home, Emmy or the guys.
“Guess what, Momma?” Emmy asked on an excited yell.
“What?”
“Sketch said he’s takin’ us to the zoo!”
Wait. What?
Sketch said what to my daughter without talking to me?
“He did?” I asked, my gaze leveled on the man in question.
He gave me an unrepentant grin in return.
“Emmy,” Roadrunner called, “your pancakes are ready.”
“Pancakes!” With her typical little-girl enthusiasm, she took off, leaving Sketch and me alone.
“So, you’re taking Emmy to the zoo?” Sketch didn’t reply, just kept grinning. “Did you think of talking to me before deciding that and telling Emmy?”
“Did you think of waking me before you snuck out of your own bed this morning?” he returned. “Or how about taking someone with you seeing as you’re here so we can protect you?”
Oops. I hadn’t really thought about the safety side of my running around this morning. Well, nothing happened. All’s well that ends well, right?
“We’re not talking about that.”
“Too bad. That conversation is far more interesting to me.”
God, he was so infuriating. How had I forgotten that?
“Well, I’m more interested in the fact that you just decided you’re taking my daughter somewhere without discussing it with me.”
Sketch got to his feet and started moving toward me. I might have been pissed, but I couldn’t deny it was a sight to behold. His tall, muscled body in battered jeans, a tight white t-shirt, and his cut. The heavily tattooed arms making him all the more intimidating. The lithe way his body moved that could make any woman think of sex, but especially me, seeing as I’d been reacquainted with his prowess the night before. It was almost enough to drive me to distraction.
Almost.
“First, I’ll say it now and I expect you’ll take it to heart. You need to have someone with you when you’re out. You definitely can’t just disappear like that. That’s not anything about the issues you and I have to sort through. That’s about your safety. You came here for the club’s protection, so I think you get it’s important. I’m also thinkin’ you had shit on your mind this morning and didn’t think of it, so I’m not going to keep pushing. Just remember next time, yeah?”
Fair enough, I thought, but didn’t say. He was right on. I hadn’t been thinking straight and I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“Second,” he went on, “I’m not taking your daughter somewhere without discussin’ it. I’m taking you and our girl to the zoo, and we’re discussin’ it right now,” he replied.
Our girl?
His words from the night before came back to me. “You’re mine, Ash. I waited five years for you to come back to me. Now, you and Emmy—you’re mine.”
“Our girl?”
Sketch came right up to me, his hand settling on my neck. “Our girl.”
Crap.
Him claiming Emmy that way shouldn’t have gotten to me. Nothing good was going to come of that. I couldn’t say it didn’t impact me, though. I’d always wanted that for her. Emmy deserved to be loved that way by a father. I just couldn’t provide that.
“I don’t know,” Emmy snickered.
“At least he breathes fire,” Sketch returned.
Emmy caught sight of me. She had on princess pajamas with a matching thermal shirt and pants, and her curly hair was everywhere. Such was the curse. Curls couldn’t be slept on. It was the knowledge of all women in the club.
“Mommy!” My baby beamed up at me, but didn’t come running. This was a surprise. Apparently, she was perfectly happy to stay on the couch beside Sketch. I told myself that shouldn’t sting. I was being ridiculous.
“Hi, sunshine. How was your sleepover?”
“So-o-o amazin’! I want to sleep over with Roadrunner every day!”
Roadrunner’s voice carried in from the kitchen. “You can sleep here any time you want!”
I was starting to wonder who would be more upset when we went back home, Emmy or the guys.
“Guess what, Momma?” Emmy asked on an excited yell.
“What?”
“Sketch said he’s takin’ us to the zoo!”
Wait. What?
Sketch said what to my daughter without talking to me?
“He did?” I asked, my gaze leveled on the man in question.
He gave me an unrepentant grin in return.
“Emmy,” Roadrunner called, “your pancakes are ready.”
“Pancakes!” With her typical little-girl enthusiasm, she took off, leaving Sketch and me alone.
“So, you’re taking Emmy to the zoo?” Sketch didn’t reply, just kept grinning. “Did you think of talking to me before deciding that and telling Emmy?”
“Did you think of waking me before you snuck out of your own bed this morning?” he returned. “Or how about taking someone with you seeing as you’re here so we can protect you?”
Oops. I hadn’t really thought about the safety side of my running around this morning. Well, nothing happened. All’s well that ends well, right?
“We’re not talking about that.”
“Too bad. That conversation is far more interesting to me.”
God, he was so infuriating. How had I forgotten that?
“Well, I’m more interested in the fact that you just decided you’re taking my daughter somewhere without discussing it with me.”
Sketch got to his feet and started moving toward me. I might have been pissed, but I couldn’t deny it was a sight to behold. His tall, muscled body in battered jeans, a tight white t-shirt, and his cut. The heavily tattooed arms making him all the more intimidating. The lithe way his body moved that could make any woman think of sex, but especially me, seeing as I’d been reacquainted with his prowess the night before. It was almost enough to drive me to distraction.
Almost.
“First, I’ll say it now and I expect you’ll take it to heart. You need to have someone with you when you’re out. You definitely can’t just disappear like that. That’s not anything about the issues you and I have to sort through. That’s about your safety. You came here for the club’s protection, so I think you get it’s important. I’m also thinkin’ you had shit on your mind this morning and didn’t think of it, so I’m not going to keep pushing. Just remember next time, yeah?”
Fair enough, I thought, but didn’t say. He was right on. I hadn’t been thinking straight and I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“Second,” he went on, “I’m not taking your daughter somewhere without discussin’ it. I’m taking you and our girl to the zoo, and we’re discussin’ it right now,” he replied.
Our girl?
His words from the night before came back to me. “You’re mine, Ash. I waited five years for you to come back to me. Now, you and Emmy—you’re mine.”
“Our girl?”
Sketch came right up to me, his hand settling on my neck. “Our girl.”
Crap.
Him claiming Emmy that way shouldn’t have gotten to me. Nothing good was going to come of that. I couldn’t say it didn’t impact me, though. I’d always wanted that for her. Emmy deserved to be loved that way by a father. I just couldn’t provide that.
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