Always Have: A Bad Boy Romance(10)

“Is she seeing anyone?” he asks.

I shrug, keeping my face casual. I wish she would just tell her dad what’s going on. I hate having to talk to him about her love life. “Not that I know of.”

He’s silent for a long moment, staring into space. “I hope she settles down soon.”

I look over at him in surprise, not sure what to say.

“Having a daughter is a scary thing,” he says, his voice quiet. “At first, you’re worried about them meeting the wrong guy. Then they get a little older, and you start to worry about them meeting the right guy.” He meets my eyes. “Now, I have to face the fact that I won’t be able to walk my little girl down the aisle. Hell, I don’t know if I’ll be around to roll her down the aisle either.”

Fucking shit. I blow out a breath to get rid of the tightness in my chest. “You will be.”

“I’m sorry, Braxton,” he says with a shake of his head. “What about you? Any closer to settling down?”

“Not really.” The thing with Jessica went on a little longer than I planned. We saw each other for a few weeks, although the sex wasn’t that great. It’s never really what I’m hoping for. The fling didn’t amount to anything, and for once, it wasn’t me who broke it off. It was a relief when she told me—saved me the trouble of having to be the * again. At least that’s one girl who came in and out of my life who doesn’t hate me.

“I hope you find the right woman someday,” he says. “I’d like to see you happy.”

I laugh to hide the way my throat catches. I’ve never admitted the truth about my feelings for Kylie to anyone, but especially not to him.

“I’d like to see all three of you happy,” he continues. “You and Selene are my family, just as much as Kylie. I want you to know that.”

“I know.”

“I feel like maybe I should have done more for you and your sister,” he says. “I could have been around more.”

“I’m not sure where all this is coming from,” I say, “but you don’t have anything to feel bad about. Selene and I got dealt a shitty hand, but we survived. We’re both reasonably healthy adults. We had Aunt Cindy to take care of us, and you were there a hell of a lot more than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

He lets out a heavy sigh. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Is something wrong?” I ask. Fuck, if he’s dying or something…

“No, no,” he says. “Birthdays just bring out the worst in me as I get older. I start thinking about regrets.”

“Mr. Winters, you’re a good man. The best I know. You were a good father to Kylie, and you did more for me and my sister than you ever needed to.”

He meets my eyes and nods. I hold out a hand and he grasps mine with his bent and misshapen one. I clasp it carefully so I don’t hurt him.

“Thank you, Braxton,” he says.

I nod, but I’m suddenly choked up and can’t quite say anything.

He clears his throat. “Enough bullshit from this old man. Just do me a favor, will you?”

“Anything.”

“Keep an eye on my little girl,” he says. “I know you do already, but I need to ask you anyway.”

“I will, Mr. Winters,” I say. “I will.”





New Year’s resolutions are meant to be abandoned, right? It’s not just me?

I take a deep breath and smooth out my hair, trying to get my shit together. I resolved to stop partying so much, and going after the wrong guys so much. But tonight, I’m pretty much tossing it all out the window and doing both.

Hey, I made it into March. That’s something. Most people quit going to their new gym by the end of January.

Music from the party blares through the bathroom door. I’ve had at least two too many drinks at this point, and I’m debating whether I should call it a night and stumble up to Selene’s place, or pound another shot and see if I can rally. That guy … what’s his name, Dylan? He’s been fun, and he was totally checking me out when I got up to use the bathroom. Plus he’s mega hot. Maybe I should stick around and see if I can get lucky.

I really, really want to get lucky.

Why the f*ck I’m so horny, I have no idea. I’m probably mid-cycle or something. Slow down, ovaries. You’re on vacation right now, you sneaky little minxes. But chemically suppressed fertility or no, I haven’t been well and truly f*cked in months, and I’m looking to get laid tonight.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the copious amount of gin I’ve had.

Squaring my shoulders, I adjust my blue beaded necklace and pull my shirt down a little more so my boobs look better. You have to use the assets you have, and I do have fantastic boobs. I’ll let Dylan put his face in them all night long, if he has a nice big cock and knows how to use it.

Wedge heels were probably not the best choice for tonight, but I manage to get back to the table without falling over. Selene is at another table, laughing with some of our other friends. Braxton was here, but I haven’t seen him in a while. He probably took some dumb girl home with him already.

Wait, no, I see him near the bar, talking to a group of guys. Probably talking sports. All Braxton has to do is name-drop a few of his clients, and dudes go nuts. I almost angle myself toward him and keep walking to the bar. He’s like a magnet. But Dylan catches my eye and smiles, beckoning me closer.