Quit fucking calling her that. Her name is Scarlett. And we don’t need to discuss her any further because she’s a non-factor.
G-Baby:
Until daddy-dearest finds out . . .
“Dream Girl! Where are you?” I call down the hall of the cottage as I head in the direction of her office. “I’ve got tea,” I say as I swing open the wooden door.
Dakota is sitting at the writing desk, her fingers flying over the keys of her laptop. She’s wearing noise-canceling headphones similar to the ones I use for my video games.
Not wanting to interrupt her when she’s in the flow, I go to shut the door when she slips off her headphones.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” she explains.
“No need to apologize. I was just going to spill some tea I learned. It would honestly make for a cool storyline in a book,”
“Oh, I love this. Let’s hear it.” She motions with her hand for me to continue.
“Do you remember at the bachelorette weekend and the wedding how Bennett met that redhead?” I ask.
“Yeah, the girl he sang karaoke for, right?”
“Yep. Well, that same redhead just happens to be the daughter of our team’s owner.”
I watch as Dakota’s eyes widen, and her jaw falls open. “Oh my gosh. Shut up. No she isn’t.”
“She is. Her name is Scarlett Carlisle. But it gets worse, or maybe better for the storyline’s sake . . . Bennett slept with her the night of Griff and Mack’s wedding. And now that he knows who she is, he’s dead set on believing that she knew who he was all along.”
Dakota gasps. “Stop it. This issogoing in a book one day.”
“Will I ever make it in one of your books some day?” I question.
“You’re already woven into this storyline, and likely will be for all of my books. You’ve shown me what it’s like to feel intimacy and romance again.”
I can’t help the feeling of pride that swells in my chest. “Would that make me your muse?”
A shy smile lights up her face. “I suppose it would.”
“Good. I’ll let you get back to work. I don’t want to be a distracting muse. Plus, watching you type away so passionately has me dying for you to get to the spicy scenes.” I waggle my eyebrows exaggeratedly at her and she rolls her eyes in response.
I take a few strides toward her to close the distance between us and give her a kiss. It was my intention to give her a quick peck and leave her to work. But when she leaps into my arms and wraps her legs around my waist, my good intentions are put to the test.
I squeeze her ass before giving it a playful smack. Breaking the kiss, I groan as I rock my hips against hers to show her what she does to me.
“Back to work, Austen. There’s plenty of time for more of this. You looked like you were on a roll. I’ll go get you a snack and some water while you get back in the zone.”
She sighs as I set her back on the ground, mumbling an incoherent response. “What was that?” I question.
“I said, you’re too good to me. And then in my head I thought, I’m going to show him my appreciation later.”
Her words along with the devious grin she’s wearing has my cock springing to attention.
Down boy,I think to myself.
“Taking care of you is one of my love languages.” My cheeks heat as soon as the words escape, but I’m not ashamed for her to know how I’m feeling. I’ve been dying to let her know I’m head over heels for her, but I still don’t know if she’s ready to hear my love declaration.
“Alright, well, snacks,” I pivot, pointing over my shoulder as I back out of the office and shut the door behind me. Resting my forehead against the door, I sigh in relief that I didn’t blurt my feelings just now. Dakota deserves a grand declaration, and as soon as she’s ready, I’m going to shout it from the rooftops.
What she had before wasn’t love. I’m ready to do everything in my power to show her what it should be—what my love for her will always be.
