“You did good.” I grinned at her in approval. She was a natural athlete.
She smiled, pleased. “Thanks. I’m gonna do a quick run on the treadmill.”
I smacked her ass. “You’re gonna put a shirt on first.”
She stared at my bare chest, her brow raised in challenge. “I will if you will.”
I pulled her close, kissing her neck and squeezing her ass. “There’s only one woman I want lookin’ at me anyway. You’ve got a deal.”
We walked out into the main gym hand in hand, now both dressed in the shirts we’d discarded during training. “What’s on for the rest of the day?” I asked.
“Have to get back to work and then picking up Ri,” she replied. “Are you coming over later?”
I’d spent every night under her roof since we’d met, and still that glimmer of doubt shone in her eyes when she asked. “You know it.” I nodded, slinging my arm over her shoulders. I could be patient as long as it took for her to trust me. “I actually wanted to ask you something.”
She looked at me expectantly as I pulled her closer.
“I’d like to take you girls out tonight. I was thinking burgers and then maybe we could catch that new Disney movie. I did some research, and it seems like it would be okay for Ri.”
Her face softened as a gorgeous smile tilted her luscious mouth. “That sounds perfect.”
I grinned. “Good. I’ll head over after I’m done here, probably about six. Come get me when you’re done, and I’ll walk you to your car. Have a good run.” I gave her ass another squeeze. I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off her.
She tipped her head up, kissing me briefly before walking off toward the cardio equipment. I watched her go, practically drooling like a teenager. Damn, but the woman was fine.
“Eyes off!” I bellowed to a man whose gaze tracked Layla’s ass as she crossed the room.
Layla shot me a look over her shoulder.
I shrugged in response. That ass and those amazing tits and those kissable dimples at the small of her back were all mine. As was her larger-than-life heart that I wanted to claim more than any other part of her.
It hit me like a pile of bricks as I watched her begin a steady jog on the treadmill.
Holy shit, I loved her.
Chapter 13
LAYLA
“Baby, we’re just going for burgers,” I reminded Riley after she’d come downstairs outfitted in her pink party dress and sparkly Mary Janes. I’d told her we were going out with Cash, and she’d squealed in delight and promptly run up the stairs.
Now I knew what she’d been up to.
She put her hands on her hips. “You should put on a dress, Mama,” she chided, looking at my jeans and tee in clear dismay.
Sometimes I seriously wondered if there was a fifteen-year-old trapped in my five-year-old’s body.
“Not tonight, sweetie,” I replied as I cleaned up the kitchen while we waited for Cash.
When her big blue eyes filled with unexpected tears, I went to her, crouching to her level. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“You have to wear a party dress,” she insisted, her lips trembling with emotion.
“Honey, why is it so important to you that I wear a dress?” I prodded gently.
“Because you put on a party dress when something is important.”
In a way, her rationale made complete sense. When I thought about it, all of her major life events had involved dressing up, whether it was a birthday party or even when Nan had died.
“That’s true,” I murmured just as the doorbell rang. “Just one second, Ri.” I rose to my feet, opening the door to Cash, who carried two bouquets of flowers.
My heart melted as he handed one to me, kissing me chastely before extending the other to Riley.
Her teary eyes widened in awe as she stared at the flowers.
“What’s with the tears, darlin’?” he asked as he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Mama won’t put on a party dress,” she wailed as I set both bouquets on the counter.
Cash shot me a look of mixed amusement and confusion as he scooped her up in his arms. “Well, you look very pretty in your dress,” he assured her. “And your mama looks very pretty too.” He shot me a wink over her head.
“We were just finishing up a little talk,” I explained as he followed me over to the couch, sitting next to her. I once again crouched in front of her, wanting to get to the bottom of this. It was rare for Riley to get so upset, and I wanted to understand why. It was about more than a dress, that much was obvious.
“Baby, I hardly ever wear dresses,” I reminded her gently.
Her lips quivered. “I know, but this is important. And you wear dresses when it’s important. If you don’t wear a dress, he won’t know it’s important and maybe he won’t want to keep us,” she whispered with wide, tear-filled eyes.
I swallowed back my own emotions, unable to look at Cash as I thought desperately how to respond to her.
But in that moment, for the first time ever, I had someone there to help me navigate.
“Do you remember what you were wearing the first day I met you?” Cash surprised me by speaking first, wrapping an arm around Riley and pulling her in to his side.
She shook her head no.
“Well, I do. I remember what you and your mama were wearing. And it wasn’t dresses. And guess what? That was the very most important day of my life because I met you and your mama.”
Her eyes widened in wonder as now it became my turn to fight back tears.
“So, you can wear dresses, baby. But for the really important stuff? The stuff that can change your life? It’s about what’s in your heart, not what you’re wearing. Does that make sense?”
She burrowed into his side, nodding as I squeezed her knee. “I still think Mama looks pretty in dresses though,” she replied, clearly appeased but still pressing her point. I loved her determined spirit no matter how challenging it could be at times. “Can we get burgers now?”
“Yeah, baby. We can,” he replied, his eyes on me.
Then it struck me, like a lightning bolt to the gut that despite its ferocity, hit with a delicious burn.
Holy hell, I loved him.
Chapter 14
LAYLA
I glanced at my watch, my phone tucked to my ear as I headed to my car two weeks later. I’d wrapped a shoot outside of Reno, and despite it being a relatively easy job, I was still running behind.
The light had been perfect, the sun just beginning to dip beyond the horizon as I shot photos for a local bank’s campaign.
“Chief,” Cash greeted after the first ring. I’d debated calling him, but I knew if I didn’t, he’d be upset. And I also knew he was ready for this. We both were.
The last two weeks had been amazing. Cash came over every night and had dinner with us, spending the night with me once Riley had gone to sleep. He still snuck back down to the couch before Riley got up, but I was ready to be done with that, I just hadn’t told him yet.
Riley was becoming more and more comfortable with him and now, finally, it didn’t scare me. Instead I relished every smile she gave him, every time they sat together reading. She’d even asked for him to tuck her in the night before. The grin on his face had been one of the most gorgeous things I’d ever seen.