One Baby Daddy (Dating by Numbers #3)(13)

“I do, it’s just . . . fascinating watching you eat. It’s like you’ve been starved for months.”

“Starved of sugar. During playoffs, mainly, we’re on a strict diet, which means no sugar.”

“Seriously?” She takes a bite and closes her eyes for a brief second, truly tasting the cake. Wegman’s makes the best sheet cakes. “How could you live without sugar?”

“It’s hard, especially since I have an addiction to caramel and cheddar popcorn.”

“Gah!” Adalyn turns toward me, completely serious. “Garrett’s popcorn!”

My eyes widen in shock. “You’ve tried it?”

“Uh yeah. Whenever I go to New York City, I always stop by their little shop and grab the biggest tin they have. It’s my favorite. My brothers think it’s too greasy, but weirdly enough, I feel a sense of pride after eating ten handfuls having cheese-and-caramel-covered fingers. It’s like I truly accomplished something.”

“Do you lick your fingers?”

“Of course. That’s the best part. It’s like experiencing the delight for a second go around.”

I hold my heart. “Holy shit, a girl after my own heart.”

Growing more intense, she shifts, takes another bite of the cake, and says, “Have you tried Wegman’s version?”

“No. Smartfood has a decent version, but it doesn’t come close to Garrett’s.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, but honestly, it’s trash compared to the real deal. You should try Wegman’s. It’s a good knockoff. Not entirely as cheesy as one would hope, but it does the job when you’re craving.”

I reach into the bag of drinks and pull out two waters, handing one to Adalyn. Her fingers graze over mine when she takes the bottle from me, and for a split second, I feel a pulse of electricity bounce between us.

“This was really nice of you and the view is amazing. Who knew cake and a sunset would wash away my worries for the day?”

“So you’re telling me I’m impressing you.”

Forking a piece of cake in her mouth, she says, “You would have truly impressed me if this cake was red velvet and that water was a cold glass of milk.”

“Milk?” I raise my eyebrows.

“Oh yeah. I love milk. And it has to be plain milk, none of this chocolate or strawberry stuff. Give me the real deal.”

Hell, I can’t stop the smile that sneaks out. “I don’t think I’ve met an adult who loves milk.”

She winks. “Does the body good, you know?” She motions up and down from her toes to her head. “You can’t tell since I’m all covered up, but milk has treated me very well over my twenty-three years. And these bones?” She knocks on her forearm with her knuckles. “Stronger than steel. There will be no osteoporosis in this body.”

Knowing what she looks like in shorts and a tight T-shirt, I say, “Milk has treated you well.”

Forks in the cake, hands posed for our next bite, we stare at each other, my deep brown eyes to her lighter whiskey-colored ones, my smirk to her grin. Orange and pink hues paint the sky as the sun sets, casting a radiant glow over us.

Adalyn is the first to break the silence when she says, “From the looks of it, it would seem you’re an average milk drinker yourself.”

“It’s the bulging biceps, isn’t it?”

With the hand that’s not holding her fork, she squeezes one of my arms. Like a total douche, I flex just in time, giving her rock-hard contact.

“Oh, those are bulging, aren’t they? Impressive, Holmes.”

“What about you, do you have any muscles under your scrubs?”

Lifting her arm, she makes a flexing motion and squints, as if she’s really trying to flex her muscles. “Give it a squeeze, but be careful, I’m very muscular.”

I pinch her cute little arm with my index finger and thumb, my giant sweatshirt adding a layer of cushion. Just to tease her some more, I pull my hand away and shake it. “Damn, Adalyn. You’re a female version of the Hulk.”

She dusts off her shoulder. “It’s all the IV bags I lift on a daily basis. Patients need their fluid, and thankfully everyone involved benefits from it.”

I chuckle. “IV bags, huh? That’s all it takes? What the hell am I doing in the gym then?”

“Who knows, come work with me for a day, you’ll get a workout.” She places a piece of cake in her mouth and slowly removes the fork, her lips smoothing across the metal tines. Full and plump, decorated in buttercream frosting. Her pink tongue peeks out, licking the tip of her lips, her eyes closed briefly before they open and make contact with mine. Stunned, she shyly smiles and turns her head back to the box of cake as I clear my throat, embarrassed I was caught staring.

“So you said you have brothers?”

She nods. “Seven of them and one sister.”

Seven?

Holy shit, that’s a lot of testosterone in one household. Her poor mother. Two daughters. Two against seven. Shit.

“Seven brothers? How was that?”

“It had its ups and downs. No one messed with me but no one wanted to date me either. I ended up going to my senior prom with my brother, Shane, which can we say was absolutely humiliating, especially when my mom was gushing to take pictures.” She sighs. “But they made it special for me. All of them pitched in, got me a beautiful gown, my hair and makeup done professionally, and they all picked out a corsage for me to wear. It was as magical as taking your brother to prom could be.”