“Was he a boyfriend?” Owen asks, apparently not hearing her.
She gives him a dry look. “No, just a casual f-word.”
I would have laughed at her censor, but then D’Artagnan pipes up, “Listen, Jay, I can be that casual f-word—anytime of the day.”
“D…” I warn, and he snaps his mouth shut. Jaylin thinks it’s hilarious by the way she is laughing. Owen and Evan snicker, but I hold D’Artagnan’s eyes in a heated glance, advising him to watch it.
“My bad, bro.”
I shake my head as I turn my gaze to Jaylin, but she’s grinning at D’Artagnan. With how upset it’s making me that Jaylin is smiling, mighty hard, at D’Artagnan, one would think Jaylin is my girl.
It’s me.
I’m the one thinking so.
Wanting so.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this is hard. I shouldn’t care that she hasn’t smiled at me like that since we sat down. My sweet girl Celeste always smiles at her daddy with all the love in the world, and that is a miracle in itself. I should be satisfied, but I want more. I want Jaylin. I want her to be mine. The thing is, I work hard to be a good dad. Really, I work hard at anything I want to be successful at. I wanted to be in the NHL—boom! Done. I wanted to be a damn good parent and be Celeste’s world—boom! Done. I want Jaylin to smile at me with those dark-brown eyes that promise all kinds of naughty things.
Huh? Boom! Done. Isn’t happening because I’m a pussy.
Wait, no. I’m not. I’m Kirby Litman. I am a badass dad, a phenomenal hockey player—ignore the fact that I’ve been a part of a team that has lost a Cup twice in two years. This is something that needs to be overlooked. We’ll figure it out. Or the Assassins will be hit by a meteor and vanish so they can’t torment us anymore. One of the two—and one good-looking dude. Females love me. I’m a catch. I’m a hot dad, if you will. A DILF.
Jesus, what is wrong with me?
She’s what’s wrong with me. I want to be the DILF she wants.
Jaylin moves her tight curls off her shoulders and then leans on her hands as D’Artagnan tells one hell of a story. He’s so animated, funny, and damn it, he’s also a good-looking dude. If he had a kid, he’d be a DILF. I’m man enough to admit that, and honestly, if he doesn’t slow down, same with Owen, they’re going to be joining my club pretty quickly.
Not with Jaylin, though. I’ll kill him.
He’s busy…some would say messy. He loves the women, and the women love him. He’s huge, really muscular, and one hell of a hockey player. He’s just not fast enough yet. That’s why I’m pretty sure Evan will make the roster before D’Artagnan. Evan is fast and he’s got the hands, but a part of me feels like he isn’t in it to win it like his brother is. I know Evan likes hockey, enjoys it, but I don’t know if it’s a live-it, breathe-it kind of thing for him.
Owen, on the other hand, is all that and then more. He is his famous, hockey-playing dad made over. He’ll make it no matter what, so it’s a toss-up between Evan and D’Artagnan. Both good players, both talented, both lacking in an area. One thing is for sure, though. If D’Artagnan keeps looking at Jaylin like she’s a snack, I’m going to make sure it’s Evan.
I’ve said it before, but Jaylin isn’t his snack. She’s my whole meal.
If I could grow some balls and make something happen here. I went and implied something I shouldn’t before the mess happened with the douchefuck. I wanted her to know that I want her to be mine, but I’m also terrified. Even with the fear of rejection, I threw myself between her and that jackass to protect her. She doesn’t need protecting—I know this, she knows this, hell, the whole restaurant knows this. But I want to protect her.
Problem is, I’m unsure if she is really feeling me. While I know I’m a bomb-ass dad, and she’s said it herself, I also feel like that’s not something she wants. She wants a good time, e.g., D’Artagnan. He’s a good time with a 6’4” body and a quick smile. I don’t like that he’s making me feel inadequate. I’m a damn good time. A hoot, honestly. I even come with a more awesome time that shits and eats a lot. Oh, she cries, too.
I must have summoned her inner crybaby because Celeste lets out a wail that makes even me cringe. It cuts off D’Artagnan’s story as all eyes fall on Celeste. “Oh, sweet baby,” I murmur as I lean in, just as Jaylin cups Celeste by the back of the head. It surprises me to see her motherly instincts come out. My eyes widen a bit, but my heart soars.
Jaylin must read my face wrong because she quickly takes her hand off Celeste. “Oh, my bad. Sorry!”
I shake my head quickly. “No, you’re fine. You’re good. It just surprised me.” She looks away as I try to soothe Celeste, and I instantly feel bad. “Honestly, Jay. I was just surprised you wanted to help.”
I can tell I hurt her feelings, but she doesn’t look at me. “I mean, it isn’t my place.”
“It’s not that. I just didn’t think you liked kids like that.”
Wow. Foot. Meet mouth.
Fucking hell.
“I just mean you jumped into action, and it surprised me.”
I’ve pissed her off. “Yeah, I’m not motherly, I guess.”
Before I can even argue that, D’Artagnan’s loud, booming voice says, “Sure you are. You’d be a hot mom.”
“So hot,” Owen says, and my annoyance meter grows. “You’d be like my mom. All my friends wanted to bang her. It was rather disgusting.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I interject, and she meets my gaze. Heat moves through me, and I know she feels it. Hell, I feel it everywhere. Deep in my soul, my gut, everywhere. Man, I want to kiss her.
Before I can even come up with something to say, Evan snorts. “Whatever. You loved it ’cause our house was the hot spot. Plus, everyone wanted to bang our oldest sister.”
That draws her attention away, and I know she wants to change the subject. Damn it. “You have an older sister?” Jaylin asks, but I don’t want to hear about the Adler family history. I want to fix what damage I may have just caused.
Evan nods. “We’re two of five.”
“Five!” Jaylin gasps. “Wow, I can’t imagine.”
Owen laughs. “Yeah, it was never dull in our house. We have two older sisters and a younger brother.”
Evan smiles widely. “Posey is pregnant with our first niece or nephew, and Shelli is having an over-the-top, insane circus of a wedding that we have to be at by the end of the month.”
Owen leans in toward Jaylin. “Wanna be my date?” he asks in a very deliberate Southern drawl. I get that he’s from Tennessee, but I’m pretty sure that accent is exaggerated. “I’ll show you a real good time.”
When she grins brightly, I have the urge to cry like Celeste just did.
“Now, Owen, I already told you, I’m way out of your age group.”
He shrugs. “Just means my mom would love you.”
Evan snorts. “Or she’d freak and think you have some older-lady fetish that she caused because she didn’t love you right. You know how she is.”
Their mom sounds like a hoot.