Unexpected Packages Read online

  “What do you do with this boyfriend?” I asked her, suddenly feeling very old. How could my daughter be old enough to date?

  “Nothing really, but we went to the movies with a bunch of other kids, and sometimes he comes over to watch movies or play games at my house.”

  “Not alone, I hope.”

  “Oh, no, Mom or Patrick is home.”

  I nodded. “Okay, because you are way too young to be home with a boy alone. I don’t care what you think.”

  I didn’t have to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes. “Come on, Dad.”

  “Hey, I’m not trying to lecture you here, but I know what’s on the minds of boys at that age.”

  “Dad,” she muttered, “I know all about sex, and I do know I’m too young for that.”

  My brows went sky high. “What do you think you know about sex?”

  “Come on, Dad. Everyone my age knows about sex. How can we not with everything we see on social media and television? Not to mention the books you can get these days. Have you heard of Fifty Sha—”

  “Yes!” I held my hand up, stopping her from even saying the name of that book out loud. Did my daughter read that book? I needed to have a little talk with Annie about what she was allowing our daughter to read. I pursed my lips, considering what I should say. “Yeah, well, I’m glad that you know you are too young for that kind of activity.”

  “I know. I have to be in love with someone before I do that. Mom and I have talked about it.”

  “You should also be much older, not just in love.”

  “Okay, Dad.” She grinned my way as if to pacify me as we pulled into the parking lot.

  Once I’d parked, I turned to her. “And do me another favor, will you?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Stop growing up so fast.”

  She giggled, and I tussled her hair before we got out and carried her stuff into the building. I was happily surprised to see Lexi there, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from her. Jesus, this woman captivated me, and I was glad that Nica was talking because all I could manage to do was stare at her. I watched Lexi start up the stairs, the swing of her hips tantalizing me.

  “I thought you said you didn’t have a girlfriend?” Nica said.

  “What?” I turned to her. “She’s not my girlfriend, Nica. She’s just a neighbor.”

  “Yeah, okay, Dad. If she’s not your girlfriend, you want her to be. Is she married?”

  “No, she’s single.” I led Nica down the hallway toward my apartment.

  “Have you asked her out? I bet she would say yes; she was totally into you.”

  I stopped with my key in the door, turning to look at her. “What do you even know about someone being into you?”

  She rolled her eyes at me again. “Dad, I already told you I had a boyfriend.”

  “I can’t believe my thirteen-year-old daughter is trying to give me dating advice.” I pushed the door open and let her pass through.

  “You should ask her to come with us to the aquarium.”

  “What?” I set my keys and phone down on the counter.

  “Ask her to come with us.”

  “Don’t you want it to just be you and me?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t mind if you bring a friend.” She grinned. “I thought she was nice, and she’s really pretty. You should ask her to come.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Do it now,” she said as she picked up my phone. “Give her a call.”

  “I don’t have her number.”

  She went wide-eyed. “How do you not have her number? How do you talk to her if you can’t text her?”

  I chuckled. “Us old people like to have conversations face-to-face; besides, I just met her this week. I haven’t had a chance to ask her for it.”

  “Well, then what apartment does she live in?” She strode toward the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to ask her to come with us.”

  “No, you’re not,” I said quickly, and she turned to me, her brow quirked high momentarily.

  “Then you go ask her.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Dad, it was so obvious that you liked her, and she likes you. Go ask her to come with us.”

  Would Lexi be interested in doing that? I’d never told her I had a daughter, and although she seemed a bit surprised, she didn’t seem upset that I hadn’t mentioned it. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather it just be the two of us?”

  “I think it would be nice to have her come along.” She turned back to the door. “What apartment is she in?”

  “Wait,” I called out. “I’ll go ask her.”

  She grinned at me as she realized she’d won. “Okay, but you better ask her. Don’t chicken out.”

  I chuckled. “I won’t chicken out.” I walked past her as she happily gloated. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. While I’m gone, figure out what you want for dinner. The menus are in the drawer next to the sink. I’ll order when I get back.”

  “And I’ll find a movie for us to watch.”

  “Sounds good.”

  As I walked up the steps, I wondered if I should just wait a couple minutes and then go back and tell her that Lexi was busy. I was on the second landing when suddenly, I realized that I did want to ask her to come. Was that strange that I wanted the first date with Lexi to be while I was entertaining my daughter? Maybe, but then again, perhaps not. I had no idea if Lexi even liked kids or wanted any of her own. It might give me a chance to find out.

  I knocked on her door, and a moment later she answered, a surprised look on her face. “Hi.”

  “Hey, can I come in for a moment?”

  She stepped back and held the door for me. “Did you need something? A cup of sugar, maybe a carrot?”

  The minute I was inside her apartment, and the door was closed, my mind returned to the last time I was here, and I couldn’t help myself. I was right in front of her without even really thinking of doing it. “Carrots are not what I need.”

  “What do you need then?” she asked breathlessly.

  “I need to do this.” I touched our lips together, and our bodies quickly followed. It wasn’t a soul-scorching kiss like it had been the other night, but every part of my body that touched hers took notice. Her arms came around my neck as she raised herself up on her toes to get closer, and I loved the way she fit against me.

  The kiss lasted a few moments, and the temptation to lift her in my arms and carry her to her room flitted through my mind a half dozen times. Finally, I began to pull back and stared into her bright-brown eyes. “Sorry.”

  “Sorry? For what?”

  “I couldn’t help myself.” I gave her a lopsided smile. “That’s not really why I came up here.” I shifted to put a bit more space between us so I could think straight.

  “Yeah, and why did you?” Her arms rested on my biceps.

  “Well, Nica wanted to know if you’d like to come to the aquarium with us tomorrow.”

  She looked confused. “Your daughter wants me to come with you?”

  “Yes, and before you ask, I was not the one to suggest it, she did. In fact, she pretty much insisted I ask you.”

  She stepped back a few inches. “And did you want me to come with you?”

  The whole ‘come with you’ phrase swirled through my mind for a different reason, and I cleared my throat, suddenly a little nervous. “Yes, I would like you to join us.”

  “You would?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  I chuckled. “Well, if you didn’t notice, I happen to like you. I’d like to get to know you better, Alexandra Miller.”

  “You would?”

  I nodded and held my breath for her reply.

  “Okay, well then, I’d enjoy going with you, as long as it’s alright with your daughter. I don’t want to get in the way of your time with her.”

  “I told you, she’s the one that suggested it and was ready to come up here and invite you hers
elf.”

  Lexi chuckled. “Then I’d be happy to join you, Alexander Miller.”

  I grinned at her. “Good, then we are going to leave around eight-thirty, is that okay?”

  “Perfect. I’ll meet you both downstairs around eight-thirty.”

  I stepped back, and then thought better of it and moved toward her again. Her back was almost to the door, and it took only a little nudge of my body against hers to put it there as my hands went to her hips.

  She watched me expectantly, her gaze flipping between my lips and my eyes. “Do you want me to kiss you again?”

  “What if I say no?”

  “I’ll do it anyway because I know it will be a lie.”

  The corner of her mouth raised slowly. “Oh, you think so, huh?”

  I leaned forward, her chin tipped up to meet my lips. “I know so, baby.”

  She was right there with me as the kiss deepened, and a soft whimper came from her lips as I brushed kisses over her jaw to her neck. God, I wanted this woman. I wanted to hear every moan and sigh I could get out of her while I ravished her body, but I had Nica waiting for me downstairs.

  I slowly ended the kisses and stepped back, cupping her face in my hands. “We will take that back up later.”

  She didn’t say anything, but I saw the answer in her eyes. She wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Lexi.”

  “Have a good evening with your daughter and tell her thank you for the invite.”

  “I will.” I put a few feet between us so she could open her door, and then I stepped around her, wanting to kiss her again, but keeping myself in check as I winked and stepped out.

  I was practically skipping as I went down the stairs and had to work to wipe the smile off my face before I went back inside my apartment. Nica was on the couch, all the take-out menus spread out in front of her, and her head popped up quickly.

  “What did she say?”

  “She said thanks for the invite, but.” I started and paused when her face fell. I began to chuckle as I continued. “She’d love to join us.”

  “Really?” Her features perked up instantly. “That’s great.”

  I went to sit on the other side of the couch. “Did you decide what you want to eat?”

  “I’ll tell you if you tell me something.”

  “What?”

  She grinned. “Did you kiss her?”

  I picked up a menu and swatted her with it. “I’m not going to discuss my relationship with Lexi with you.”

  “So, it’s a relationship now, huh?” She giggled loudly.

  “Nica,” I laughed, “I don’t know what it is, but I will tell you that you were right, and I do like her, and I think she likes me.”

  She squealed. “Then you have a girlfriend!”

  Well, I wasn’t sure about that, but the idea of having Lexi as one wasn’t a bad idea to have.

  Chapter Nine

  Lexi

  I woke up Saturday more excited than I should have been. I’d been to the aquarium at least a dozen times, so it wasn’t like it was something new. I found myself there whenever I needed to chill, and I loved watching the aquatic animals. I always felt so relaxed while walking from exhibit to exhibit. I knew that the anticipation that I felt today wasn’t for the scenery, but for the company I’d be in.

  After Alex left last night, I’d found myself smiling on and off all evening. When I climbed in bed, I lay on my side, staring at the empty side of the bed. Would he one day lie there? I could imagine us sleeping together, could picture my body up against his as he drifted off to sleep. A yearning began to build deep within me, and I rolled to my other side and willed myself to sleep.

  Now it was almost eight-thirty Saturday morning, and I grabbed my coat and purse and locked my door behind me. As I came down the stairs, I heard Nica’s excited voice echoing through the corridor below. Perfect timing.

  “Morning,” I said as they rounded the corner, and Nica’s happy face turned to me, her gray eyes bright with pleasure.

  “Morning, Lexi! I’m so glad you’re coming with us.”

  I smiled as I took the last step down. “Well, I really appreciate you asking.”

  My gaze shifted to Alex, and I instantly got lost in his matching gray eyes. “Morning, Lexi.”

  “Hello, Alex.”

  The two of us continued to stare at one another, and Nica spoke, breaking the connection. “Oh, my god, would you two just kiss each other already so we can go.”

  I felt my cheeks begin to warm as Alex stared at his daughter. “Hey, mind your manners, young lady.”

  “What? It’s obvious that you want to kiss each other.” Her voice was overly dramatic.

  He sighed. “Come on, let’s go.” He turned her toward the door and mouthed the word sorry to me over his shoulder.

  I chuckled softly as I followed them out and down the stairs to the parking lot. I was surprised when he stopped next to a black Suburban and paused by the passenger door to open it for me.

  I stepped around him, glancing up at him as I did. “Thank you.”

  Nica climbed in the back as he closed my door and went around to the driver’s seat. I let my gaze drift around the caramel-colored interior and found myself inhaling the subtle scent of his cologne. We glanced at one another as he started the vehicle, and I wondered if he was just a tiny bit nervous like I was.

  “Glad you could make it today,” he said.

  “Me too. I love visiting the aquarium.”

  “Have you been to this one before?” Nica asked from the back seat.

  I turned to speak to her over my shoulder. “Oh, yes, I go as often as I can.”

  “Have you seen the new shark tunnel?”

  “I have. It’s fantastic. The last time I was there, I think I stood in it for a good thirty minutes, just watching. I was mesmerized.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.” As we got on the road, Nica shared tales of her adventures at the aquarium, and I told her a few of mine. Alex remained mostly quiet, although he chuckled occasionally and glanced at me quite a few times.

  We had just arrived at the aquarium when Nica mentioned the last time she had been here was with her cheerleading squad. I twisted around in my seat. “You’re a cheerleader?”

  “Yeah,” she said excitedly.

  “School sports or competition?”

  “Competition.” She looked surprised that I would know that. “Were you a cheerleader?”

  “Actually, I was, but my best friend’s niece is a competitive cheerleader. I’ve gone to a few of her competitions. They are quite intense. Are you a base?”

  Alex looked at me in surprise as Nica replied, “In the one routine we do, I base twice, but because I’m pretty tall, I’m better at back-spotting. I only base once in our other routine.”

  Alex parked, and we all climbed out of the vehicle. When we were heading toward the entrance, I turned to Nica. “You will have to tell me if you are competing anywhere around here. I’d love to come watch. It fascinates and scares me too, all the things that you all do.”

  “Really? You’d want to come?”

  “I’d love to see you,” I said, and my eyes shifted to Alex who looked a little in awe of our conversation.

  “Wow, that would be great. We are actually going to be doing a competition on Valentine’s Day in town here. Maybe you and Dad can come watch us.”

  Alex spoke up for the first time in a while. “Sounds like a great idea.”

  While Alex bought our tickets, Nica shared more about her cheerleading. We were barely in the door when Nica took off for one of the closer exhibits, and Alex put his hand on my lower back, leaning down close to my ear. “I’m kind of amazed at you.”

  I glanced up at him. “Why is that?”

  “Because you know about cheerleading, and you offered to go watch her. I know that was just words, but you really made her feel good.”

  I stopped walking and touched his arm. “Alex, I was
serious. I’d really like to watch her,” I paused, “unless you’d rather me not.”

  He cupped the side of my face. “Are you kidding? I’d love for you to go so you can explain to me what the hell is going on.”

  I laughed. “It’s a lot more than you think; that’s for sure.”

  “Well, then you need to come with me so you can teach me these things.”

  I smiled at him as my heart filled. “I’d love to.”

  We were staring at each other again, and I shifted forward, needing to feel his lips on mine. The kiss was tender and only lasted a moment, but it was enough—for now.

  “Come on, let’s catch up to Nica.” He took my hand in his, and we joined his daughter.

  She noticed our hands right away and grinned at her dad. “I told you—girlfriend.”

  The two of us chuckled, and I wasn’t sure that I was his girlfriend, but I was warming up to the idea. Maybe this would work for us. I was very attracted to him, and his daughter was amazing. He wasn’t in the military anymore, so I didn’t have to worry about that. His numeric column was very quickly moving into the plus section, and I had a feeling it was only going to continue to climb.

  We spent hours walking around the aquarium, and when we arrived at the shark tunnel, Nica was wide-eyed as she stared at everything above her. Alex took out his phone and snapped a picture of her, and I smiled at him. I could see the love that he felt for her radiating off him.

  The three of us stood there for a long time, pointing out different things that we saw. I could stand there for hours and watch the beautiful life below the water surface. Nica moved a little farther down the tunnel, and I felt Alex step in close behind me, his hands going to my hips as he brushed his lips against the side of my head. I shifted back into his embrace a little more.

  “This is pretty cool,” he said.

  “It is. Thank you again for asking me to come.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you did. Nica really likes you.”

  I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder. “Your daughter is amazing, Alex.”

  He grinned. “She is.” For a moment, he was quiet, and then his brow lined. “Do you want kids?”

  “I do.”