Chapter 44

It had been a long week. I was so glad it was Friday. Sloane was finally speaking to me again. That had been a close call. It taught me a good lesson. I wasn't going to step on her toes with the little things, but if she was ever in real trouble, I was just going to have to risk her being pissed at me.

I had to be more careful with my words and actions around her. She was growing up, becoming her own person with thoughts and feelings that didn't always align with mine. She had every right to be upset with me. I never meant to come off as overbearing or threatening, but my protective instincts seemed to override my better judgment when it came to her. I should have known better than to confront Todd like that.

I thought about Isadora's father and how I could now relate to his protective instincts. I recognized the similarities between us, but only as far as we both loved our daughters. I knew deep down that it wasn't right to interfere in Sloane's life. After all, she was her own person, capable of making her own decisions. I would never do anything like Clive had done to me.

That was a lesson Clive had not learned, yet. He was still trying to run Isadora's life. He still hated me and was trying to push me away from her. He knew Sloane was my kid and he was still trying to get me to walk away. I didn't get it. Why in the hell wouldn't he want my daughter to have a father?

Because it was me. He saw me as a dirty, no-good, unworthy man. Actually, I didn't think he even saw me as a man. He saw me as that boy he ran off fifteen years ago.

I reached for my phone to text Sloane. She hadn't been super talkative, but she did respond. I wanted to keep reaching out, to let her know that even though we had our first tough moment, it didn't change how I felt about her. I texted her, asking how her day was. She replied with "good" and nothing else.

I chuckled and shook my head. Isadora assured me part of this was just normal teenager surliness. I wasn't going to get too worked up about it.

My initial reaction was to push, to break through the barriers she had erected and offer her the support she needed. But once again, Isadora pointed out the wisdom of allowing her to come to me when she was ready.

I glanced at the clock and got an idea. I was feeling a little randy. I needed Isadora. The little touches here and there and the stolen kisses that barely involved tongue were foreplay. Too much foreplay. I had not personally inspected my balls, but I was pretty sure they were blue. They felt blue. I needed to get laid.

I picked up the office phone and pushed the button for Isadora's extension. "Yes?" she answered.

"Can you come to my office?" I asked, keeping my tone serious. "I need to talk to you about something important."

"I'll be there in a minute," she replied.

I hung up the phone and smiled. If I told her I wanted her to come in because I wanted to see her, she would make me wait. She would have other things to take care of. The week had been busy at work, but for Isadora, it was just as busy at home.

She walked into my office with a concerned look on her face. She closed the door before sitting down.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

I shook my head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "It isn't."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is it a client?"

I grinned. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me tonight," I replied. "I know you've been busy all week with her, and I don't want to push it."

"You scared me for a moment there." She laughed. "Don't do that to me!"

I grinned. "Sorry, I'm feeling a little feisty."

"I know what you mean," she murmured. "But yes, I'd love to go to dinner with you."

"What about Sloane?" I asked.

"She texted me an hour ago and asked if she could stay at her friend's house tonight." She smiled. "I was going to let you know when I got a minute."

"Does that mean you might be able to spend the night with a friend too?" I asked, my voice low with suggestion.

"Maybe," she replied coyly, her smile tantalizingly teasing. "But only if the dessert is worth it."

I couldn't help but feel a surge of desire coursing through me. "I'll make sure it is," I whispered. "Lots and lots of dessert. I haven't had dessert in a long time and I'm really, really craving dessert. I can practically taste it right now."

Isadora's eyes sparkled with mischief as she stood up from her chair and sauntered over to where I was sitting. Leaning in close, she placed a soft kiss on my lips, sending a wave of anticipation through me. "Then I guess I'll have to make sure to save some room for dessert," she purred, her fingers trailing lightly down my chest.

"You're killing me," I groaned. "My balls hurt. I think if you touched me right now, I would make a very big mess."

"Then I better not touch you," she whispered. "Save all of that for after dinner. I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes, unless you need me for something else."

"Oh, I definitely need you for something else," I said.

"Stop it."

"I'll see you tonight," I told her as she walked away.

I checked the time, relieved I could finally make the last call of the day. The client was located halfway across the world. With the time difference, it was a balancing act to call at exactly the right time. Not too early for them or too late for me.

I called the client and got right to business. We delved into the discussion about the project at hand. My mind kept wandering back to Isadora and the plans we had made for the evening. I could practically feel her skin sliding against mine. The client was in the middle of explaining a crucial point and I felt my mind drifting. I had to stay focused, no matter how much I wanted her.

When the call was over, I quickly made notes so I wouldn't forget any of the pertinent details. By the time I finally emerged from my office, the place was deserted.

"Shit, people aren't playing when it comes to their Friday."

"No kidding," Spencer said from behind me.

I jumped a little. I had thought I was alone. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Client," he said. "You?"

"Call with Japan. Doing anything tonight?"

He didn't immediately answer. "I have a date."

"Oh yeah, who?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know who you are going on a date with?" I asked.

"It's a blind date," he said. "Dude in accounting insisted I go."

"A blind date, huh?" I mused, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Sounds exciting."

"Yeah, we'll see how it goes," he replied. "I'm keeping my expectations low. I hate blind dates."

"It could be good."

Spencer sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just hope she's not completely nuts or anything. I've heard horror stories about blind dates, you know?"

I chuckled. "Well, you never know, she might turn out to be the love of your life."

"Or a total disaster," he retorted with a wry grin. "What about you? What are you doing tonight?"

"Taking Isadora to dinner," I said.

"Where's Sloane?"

"She's going to be staying the night at a friend's house," I said with a grin. "Finally."

"Does Sloane know about the two of you, yet?"

"Nope," I answered with a hint of disgust. "Isadora doesn't want her to know. I understood it at first, but now I'm not sure what the problem is."

"Do you think Sloane isn't going to want the two of you together?" he asked.

"Isadora is concerned things might not work out between us. She doesn't want Sloane to get hurt. She doesn't want Sloane to feel like she has to take sides."

Spencer nodded. "Makes sense. But it's not like she's a little kid."

"I know but I feel like I have to do what Isadora says because she knows Sloane better than I do. She's been a mom a lot longer than I've been a dad."

"How long are you guys going to keep it a secret?" he asked.

"I have no idea." I shrugged.

"So, if Sloane can't know about you and Isadora, how are you guys spending time together?"

I shot him a dirty look. "That's just it," I growled. "We're not. We're not getting any quality time together and it's making me nuts."

He laughed. "Ah, someone's horny."

I rolled my eyes at Spencer's comment but couldn't help but chuckle along with him. "You could say that," I admitted with a sheepish grin. "But it's more than just that. I miss her, you know? It's hard to keep up this charade of sneaking around to see each other. We can't do much in the office. I'm trying to keep up the professional side of things. I spend eight hours a day with her, and I can't touch her."

Spencer nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, must be tough. But hey, at least you have tonight to look forward to. Dinner with Isadora sounds like a good time."

"It does," I agreed. "But I'm not sure I can do this once a week or once every two weeks."

"Does she know how you feel?"

I shook my head. "I know I sound like a dick. I'm not going to tell her I'm feeling a little deprived. She's doing what she needs to."

"Don't let it fester," he warned.

"I've got to give her some time," I said. "I just need to learn some patience."

"Seems like you're wasting time here when you could be there," he said.

I thought about it for a second. "You know what, you're right. Why am I talking to your ugly mug when I could be kissing Isadora right now?"

We stepped out of the elevator, and I wasted no more time hanging out with Spencer. I had my car take me to my place. "I'll be back down in fifteen minutes," I told my driver.

I rushed upstairs, stripped out of my suit, and changed into jeans and a hoodie. I had no intention of going out to dinner. I was planning on skipping right to dessert. After all, alone time with Isadora was rare. I needed to take advantage of every minute.