Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(69)

Spine straightening, Ellie pushed from the door and stood erect. "Fine," she said, gathering her pride around her like a 255

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

cloak. "You're right. But I think...I suggest we just...ignore it.

For Cassie's sake."

He snorted. "Sorry, that's not working for me."

"And I'm sorry, but that's not my problem. It's working just fine for me."

She turned and reached for the door handle, but a large hand slapped the surface closed just as she started to open it.

Crowding her against the door, he moved up behind her, intimidating her as much as he was enticing her with his hard, powerful body.

"The day you cut down my tree you said you'd wouldn't maul me anymore," she reminded him, biting her lip as soon as she said the words.

He went still for a good thirty seconds. She braced herself, expecting him to lose his temper. But he threw her completely off balance when instead he leaned in and smelled her hair. Too startled to even breathe, she stood there passively as he nuzzled his face against the back of her shoulder.

"I won't ever hurt you again, Ellie. I've spent all these years wishing I'd done things differently. If I could take it back, I would. When I started pursuing you, I already foresaw an end. And that's the worst thing a person can do in a relationship. But this time, you're the one anticipating an end.

And this time, you're the one who's wrong. You hurt me too, you know. You purposely kept Cassie from me.

"Just think about that, Elora. I'm willing to work past this, and I've been wronged a lot more recently than you have.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Why aren't you so willing? And don't tell me it's because you're not interested."

When she didn't answer inside five seconds, his warmth at her back disappeared. Ellie whirled around and was shocked to see his stiff spine as he strode off the porch toward his car.

Half tempted to call him back, she hurried to the top of the steps, listening to him slam his car door and start the engine.

She hugged herself as his Infiniti backed out of her drive and took off down the street.

Mind spinning, she wondered if he'd meant what he'd just said. Did he think it would be forever this time? His words sounded too good to be true...which meant they probably were. Or was she the one causing the problem?

Confused, hurt, and a little mad, she felt tears fill her eyes and quickly lifted both hands to her face to wipe them away.

Boston wasn't being fair. He shouldn't have heaped all this on her. She couldn't work through her hang-ups as quickly as he could. She hadn't been raised in a big, close-knit, loving family like his. She hadn't had all the luxuries in life he'd had.

All she'd ever really had was herself to rely on. It wasn't so easy for her to put her faith in someone who'd already hurt her.

Damn him for expecting something she couldn't give.

Damn her for making him hope.

Boston simmered all the way home. It was a quiet drive, giving him too much time to think and stew.

She'd lied to him.

Again.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

It was more than obvious she'd wanted him just as much as he'd wanted her. So why in the hell had she pulled back and put a stop to it?

In the years since his time with her, he had sometimes let himself wonder at night what he'd be doing with his life if Ellie hadn't lost that baby. Would he have asked her to marry him?

He kind of thought so. After missing her the way he did, he thought he would've gone back and begged until she accepted his ring.

Missing her had hurt, and festered, and bugged the hell out of him. He never wanted to experience that again, so he'd stayed away from relationships. Besides, no one had ever sparked something inside him the way Ellie had.

But now that she was back in his life, stirring up old feelings, he knew he couldn't let her get away this time.

Grinding his teeth and flexing his fingers around the steering wheel, he wondered how the hell he was ever going to break through her trust issues.

He wondered if he even could. A helpless surge of panic raced up the back of his neck just as his phone rang. Though he didn't feel like talking to anyone, he still checked the ID to see who was trying to get a hold of him. When Ellie's number flashed across the screen, his heart nearly beat out of his chest.

"Hello?" he said, and clenched his teeth because even he could hear how hopeful he sounded.

"How about every other week?" Ellie's tremulous voice came out.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

For a moment he was utterly confused. "What?" Then it struck him what she was saying. "You mean for custody."

She didn't answer. He blew out a breath, still shocked she was suddenly willing to compromise. "Um...okay. I accept every other week. Definitely."

"Fine." Her words were brisk, abrupt. "You can start next weekend. Bring a revised contract with you for me to sign."

"Okay. I can do that. Ellie—"

She hung up on him before he could say anything else.

Quietly he set his phone down, not sure what to make of this new development.

Either Ellie suddenly trusted him...or she couldn't stomach the idea of him coming to her place and spending any more time there to be with his daughter.