21. Daddy Wilson

I flung open the door, unsure of what she’d said or what had happened. All I’d gotten from her texts was that she was upset.

This shit should annoy me. I didn’t like drama. But at the moment, the only thing I cared about was Wren’s well-being.

She stood on my stoop, shivering and coatless in the cold night. Looking gorgeous in her red skirt and strappy black shoes. My dick jumped in my sweatpants, and I practically growled at it. My priority was Wren, so my desires would have to settle the fuck down.

After golf with her dad a couple of hours ago, the last thing I should have been doing was inviting her into my house. But I didn’t care what people thought anymore. I realized Avery and I would have to work through this, but I knew my daughter so I knew we would figure it out. Everyone else? I just didn’t care.

“Wren?”

“I’m fine. This is dumb. I overreacted tonight.” Her shoulders slumped. “The truth is, I’m here because I wanted to see you.”

More beautiful words had never been uttered.

I pushed the door all the way open and stepped back. “Come in. ”

I was thrilled that she was here. Even more than that, I was fucking ecstatic that she’d acknowledged that she’d come just to be with me.

She walked past me and through my foyer, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Between the hem of her red top and her skirt, a hint of her smooth, tan skin was exposed. I homed in on it. God, she was gorgeous. I longed to reach out and brush my fingers along her soft flesh.

“Is it okay if we talk?” Wren asked as I followed her into my open-concept first floor.

“Always.” I leaned against the back of the sofa and waited.

Moving deeper into the room, past the bookcases, she silently surveyed the space. After a moment, she spun back to me.

“I’m surprised Stonehenge isn’t in here.”

Although I had two watercolors on the wall on either side of my entertainment center and an oil painting hanging above my buffet, none of them held much value.

“Do you want to see it?”

Tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear, she gave me a once-over, taking in my white T-shirt and gray sweats. My cock jumped as her eyes landed on it. And my heart sped as she licked her lips.

“I’d love to see it.”

I wasn’t sure what we were talking about. My painting or my cock. Either way, I had to touch her. My control was shredded on the floor.

I stalked across the room, and I didn’t stop until our chests were practically touching.

Lifting her chin, she slowly ran her tongue along her bottom lip.

A groan rumbled up my throat.

“What are we doing here, Wren?” I dropped my head so my lips rested against her forehead. “I don’t want to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“All night I stressed about Avery. About what she’d say if she found out about New York. Or what she’d think if she knew that I can’t stop thinking about you.”

My heart pounded, and desire and fear swirled in my chest. Could I stand it if she pushed me away again?

She ran her hands up my sides, causing a shudder to roll down my spine. The feel of this woman’s hand on my body was like nothing else.

“I have all this guilt.” She pressed her lips to my neck, and my cock swelled against her thigh. “And yet I want to be here with you. More than I want anything.”

Cupping her cheeks, I ghosted my lips over hers. Her soft mouth molded to mine, and a whimper echoed through her.

For days I’d been dreaming of this moment. Longing for the time she’d be in my arms again. And my body burned with the need for more.

Tilting her chin, I ran my tongue along the seam of her lips, silently begging her to open for me. When she obeyed, I tangled my tongue with hers, savoring her. With one hand on her ass, I pulled her close. She moaned into my mouth, and I rocked against her.

I wasn’t sure rushing this was the answer. I wanted her body, but I needed her heart more. We needed words before this could go any further. So I couldn’t allow the pounding need rushing through me, making my cock throb, to control this moment.

Slowly I broke the kiss and held her to me. Pressed together like this, I could feel her heart pounding and hear the panting breaths as they left her lips. Giving myself a moment to enjoy the feel of her in my arms, I relaxed. Then I pressed my lips to the top of her head and stepped back.

With dark eyes full of confusion, she looked up to me.

“I want to show you my favorite spot.”

Her worried expression morphed into a smile. “I’d love to see it.”

Hand in hand, I led her through the kitchen to the basement steps. Nothing about the stairwell looked special. In fact, half the massive basement was nothing out of the norm.

“What’s that?” Nose scrunched, she studied the metal door in the middle of the wall separating the boiler room from my man cave.

“It’s my art room.” I stepped up to the keypad and hit the bottoms, then twisted the handle to unlock the fireproof door.

The heavy door swung open, and the light automatically turned on.

“Wow.” Wren stepped over the lip of the doorway into the room. “It’s temperature controlled? ”

I walked in and closed the door behind us tight.

“It has its own filtered air. Humidity control, fireproofing, and low lighting to preserve the art.”

Her head swiveled like she was unsure where to look first.

“Holy hell, that’s a Rembrandt.” She rushed to the far side of the room. “This is amazing, Tom.” She took two steps forward and then turned. Stepped the other way and spun again. “I saw the file but haven’t had time to read through all of it. I knew you had close to a hundred pieces but…” She turned again, her face bright. “This is crazy cool.”

Her reaction made my heart squeeze. I was proud of my two-thousand-square-foot gallery. The downside here, though, was that I was the only one who got to enjoy it.

“I love how you grouped them.” She moved to the wall on the left. “These five. The sky. It might be different times of the day, but with the way the sun or moon plays off the clouds, they’re beautiful together. Peaceful.”

Everything about this room was peaceful. Walls painted the lightest gray, the lush carpet, the lighting, even the armchairs throughout the space. It was meant to calm.

“Oh shit. You have Puff.” She pointed to the watercolor Chris’s sister had done of my daughter’s pet Atlantic puffin.

“I bought it when you first auctioned Gianna’s art.”

She nodded. “I forgot you got that one.”

Silently, she admired the wall, her fingers lifting to her lips, her eyes bright as she took in one piece and then the next.

“Where is…” She spun again, her attention drifting over each area until she found my newest addition. Although most of the room was visible from the door, the walls did break the areas into sections. With her sights set on Stonehenge , she moved across the space. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered as she stopped in front of it.

I stepped up behind her. Unable to keep my hands off her, I wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her against my body.

“The top lighting. It’s perfect.” The words were full of awe and barely audible .

Although I’d spent hours staring at Stonehenge this week, at this moment, I couldn’t pull my eyes from her.

The excitement on her face. The awe radiating from her. My God, she was beautiful.

She turned, looking up at me. “This is amazing.”

Although Avery and even Chris had said similar things when I’d brought them down here a few months ago, the simple words were much more meaningful coming from Wren.

“Thank you.”

“Are the chairs set up in front of your favorites?” She tipped her chin to one of the many large brown leather armchairs.

“Some.”

She nudged me back, and I let her direct me to the seat nearest to Stonehenge .

I lowered myself into the seat, and she dropped onto my lap. I let her straddle my thighs before wrapping my arms around her back, loving the way she fit against me.

She eyes tracked around the room one more time before looking up to me. “You don’t do things halfway, do you?”

I chuckled. “That has been pointed out to me before.”

Nodding, she narrowed her eyes, assessing me. Finally, though, she sighed and rested her head on my shoulder, almost like she was hiding her face from me. She pulled in a deep breath. “I really like you.” The words were a whisper, like voicing them made her nervous.

“That’s good because I’m crazy about you, baby girl.”

I felt her smile against my chest. “So if we were going to try an us?”

Palm flat against her thigh, I caressed her soft skin. “Then I’d be all-in.”

She nodded, her fingers toying with my shirt. She remained quiet for so long I was starting to get nervous.

Finally, though, the words I’d been dying to hear left her lips. “I want to give us a try.”

I tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes, framed by long black lashes, met mine, vulnerability shining in their depths.

“Nothing would make me happier.” I pulled her mouth to mine.