Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(71)

"Oh." Her shoulders dragged. Shoot. "Ah..."

"I'm only about ten miles outside Lawerence. But there's no way I'm going to get there by six."

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"Umm, okay." Damn. "Uh..." She wondered briefly what he wanted her to do about it. "So...do you know when you'll make it?"

"No, sorry." His apology sounded genuine. "Traffic was starting to move a few minutes ago, but now it's come to a complete stop again."

"Oh, well...all right then. I'll see you...whenever."

"You'll tell Cassie what's going on?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. See you in a bit."

After he hung up, Ellie continued to hold the phone in her hand. Biting her lip, she stared sightlessly at the wall.

Thinking this was probably the best time to prepare for her date, she hopped into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Cassie was camped out in front of the mini television in her room, playing Mario Brothers with Keller, so Ellie took her time putting on makeup and doing her hair. She'd just slipped on her going-out heels when the doorbell rang.

Ellie glanced at the clock and let out a relived sigh. Yes!

Great timing. There were still twenty minutes before Ted was supposed to arrive. That gave her the perfect window of opportunity to get Cassie and Boston out the door before her date showed.

Boston started apologizing as soon as she opened the entrance. "I am so sorry about this, El. I left plenty early. If it wasn't for—" He stopped midsentence and took in her painted face, styled hair, and knee-length sexy black dress. "You're going out." He stated it as a comment, but the underlying question behind his words remained thick in the air.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"That's right," Ellie answered. "I—" Stepping aside to let him in, she turned and yelled, "Cassie! Your father's here."

"Just one more minute," the girl hollered back. "I'm almost through this level."

Boston frowned at Ellie in confusion, and she rolled her eyes. "She and Keller are on the Xbox."

"Ah," he said; all the while his gaze moved down her dress and back up to her face. "So...is this, like...a date?"

Ellie eyes narrowed. "It's, like...none of your business."

"Then it's a date," he said.

"I didn't say that."

He looked amused when he answered, "If it was anything else, you'd tell me."

"No, I would—"

"It's not going to work this time, Ellie," he murmured, stepping closer. "I refuse to fight with you anymore. So, whatever you say in an attempt to upset me is just going to bounce off me unnoticed."

"I'm not trying to—"

"Though, I have to admit," he went on, conversationally, stepping in a circle around her to check out her backside, "going out with someone else to make me jealous is working.

Very well."

"Arggg." She spun away from him and yelled, "Cassidy!"

"Just a minute," the girl roared back.

Determined to ignore her daughter's father, Ellie picked up a pair of earrings she'd left sitting on the coffee table. She turned to look in a mirror and became engrossed with trying to put them on.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"You know I'm not doing this because of you," she grumbled to her reflection as she spoke to Boston. "In fact, if you hadn't been so late, I would've waited until after you were gone before I even started getting ready for tonight."

More in control of herself, she sighed in relief when the earring finally slid on. Then she whirled to face him. "So, there's no reason for you to think I'm trying to make you jealous, because I never intended for you to find out about it in the first place."

"Well, I'm jealous anyway," he said quietly.

The admission threw her off guard. This is what she hated most about Boston Kincaid. He never played fair. He always knew exactly what to say to draw her in.

Glancing away, she folded her arms over her chest, refusing to let his pretty words sway her. "That's not my problem."

"And if I make it your problem?" he countered, stepping closer.

She turned her face aside. "Boston—"

"I want to be with you, Ellie," he whispered, stopping her rejection short. "And I know you want it too. All I have to do it look into your eyes to see that you want—"

"Sex," she finished for him, turning to stare him directly in the eye.

Surprised by her cold, lifeless tone, he fell a step back.

"Excuse me?"

"We want sex," she said on an unconcerned shrug. "And why wouldn't we? It was always good between us. But that 266

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

was never the problem. There's more to a relationship than just—"

"I'm well aware of that," he cut in. "And if you'd give me half a chance, I'll show you I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it right this time."

"No," she said.