“So what you’re saying is by making it to the final round, it’ll mean there’s less chance of seeing Moira. Got it.”
He snorted. “She’s not that bad.”
My brows shot high. “If ‘not that bad’ means completely fucking terrifying and downright intimidating, yeah, sure.” There was only a little exaggeration in my description. I’d only met the woman once. Usually I prided myself on the ability to win people over, if not by my first smile, then certainly by our first conversation. Moira, though, hadn’t been won over when I’d spent fifteen minutes talking to her about my CK deal.
In retrospect, it wasn’t the greatest topics of conversation, but by that point three years ago, I’d already been having untimely hard-ons for her ex and had been nervous as hell.
And this time, she’d end up knowing about me and Eddie, right? Sweat broke out on the back of my neck. What if she hated me and didn’t think I was good enough to help bring up Lottie? Sure, I was getting way ahead of myself with the whole stepdad thing, but that was absolutely the direction I hoped we’d end up. I wanted it all with Eddie, and Lottie was part of that deal.
“Question,” I said, while Eddie the ass still laughed about my description of his ex.
He wiped his mouth on a napkin and focused on me, brows lifted in expectation.
While I hated to think of the man, let alone say the dickhead’s name… “Wayne,” I started, not quite keeping my sneer at bay. “What did she think of Wankface?”
Eddie stilled his movements and examined me closely. He knew me well enough to not ask me why. “I once let slip your colorful name for him.”
“Wankface Wayne?”
His lips twitched. “That’s the one. She may have adopted it for herself and mentioned that you were maybe more astute than she originally thought.”
I opened and closed my mouth, letting his words sink in. A quick smile broke out shortly after. “Hell yes, I’m astute. She’s going to totally love me. She’s not going to know what’s hit her next time we meet.”
Frowning, Eddie shook his head. “Pearce, you don’t need to make Moira feel any way for you, and honestly, your tone is freaking me out a little.”
“But she has a say in who brings Lottie up.”
His gaze softened, and he reached over and held my hand. “I get that you feel like you need to prove yourself or something, but you don’t. Honestly. Our friendship, my feelings for you… heck, how Lottie feels about you is enough.”
My heart fluttered in my chest at his sweet words and the reassurance in them. I hadn’t realized how anxious I was about making sure I was what Lottie needed as well. “Your feelings, huh?” My mouth curved upward.
“Yep.” He leaned close and kissed me, soft and slow. While they weren’t the words clinging to my heart, ones I was desperate to hear and say, his tender kiss was enough. When he pulled away, he raised a brow at me. “And for the love of all that is rational, please do not plan anything to win Moira over. Just be yourself.”
“So I don’t need to organize a Wankface hate club so we can spend time bitching about him? ’Cause you know, that could be a bonding experience right there.”
Closing his eyes and dropping his head back, Eddie huffed out a defeated breath. “I shouldn’t have told you he texted me last week.”
I jammed my fingers in his side. “Like fuck you shouldn’t have.”
An amused smirk was thrown my way when he returned his focus to me. “Huh.”
“Huh what?”
“That tone right there…” Heat pulsed between us as he spoke, and he placed his dish on the table before us.
“What about it?” There was no holding back the husk in my voice, not when he looked at me like he wanted to put his mouth on all my favorite places.
“Never thought I’d have a thing for possessive men.”
I shook my head. “Not possessive men. Just me. I can be possessive as fuck if you want me to be.”
Discarding my plate, I clambered onto his lap, not an easy feat since the couch wasn’t built for two basketball players to fool around on. Not that I cared. I needed my mouth back on Eddie.
“I kinda think I want you to be.”
I grinned as I nipped at his ear before pulling back and peering down at him. “All the time?”
Clamping his palms on my ass, he chuckled. “Maybe just in private.”
