She wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved down the hallway and darted into the first open door. It was a spare room, the one Maddie took a nap in when she got tired.
Once inside, he kicked the door shut and pressed her against the wall before covering her mouth in a blistering kiss. His hand moved to her thighs, and he hoisted her higher on his waist but never stopped the kiss.
With her hand wrapped around his neck, she held on as if her life depended on it.
How could a kiss taste better than a sugar cookie? Was it that his cologne mixed with his pheromones threaded inside her brain to make her senseless?
When he pulled back, and their lips parted, she felt the loss of him.
"You must have only missed me a little if you quit the kiss so soon."
She slid down his body until her feet hit the ground. "That was only a taste," he said. "It was intended to whet your appetite for later."
She was wet, all right. "I'm definitely interested in more."
He ran his hands up her sides until they rested on her shoulders. "Glad to hear that." When he kissed the top of her head, he pulled back. "Would you mind bringing Maddie with you? I'll meet you at my house at around six."
"Six sounds great."
He leaned in for another kiss; only this one was long and languid and made her knees turn to liquid.
"I have to go. We're wrapping up the album this week. The faster I get there, the quicker I'll be home to make you dinner."
"Go then."
He opened the door and offered her his hand. When she clasped it, he brought the backside to his lips. "You're way too good for me."
"You're probably right, but my mom thinks I should take a walk on the wild side."
They walked hand in hand into the kitchen, where they found Maddie drawing in Mercy's notebook.
"Hey, Mads, Daddy's got to go to work," he said. "I'll see you for dinner. Mercy is coming over to eat."
The way Maddie was clapping and squealing you would have thought he'd told her he bought a pony.
Alex kissed Maddie on the head and brushed his lips across Mercy's.
"Daddy kissed you too."
Alex shook his head. "Kids don't miss a thing." He tugged Mercy to his side. "I like to kiss both of my girls." He leaned in and whispered. "Bring an appetite."
"Speaking of an appetite, I made you lunch to avoid another day of pizza."
His eyes softened. "You made me lunch?"
"Yes, it's a grilled chicken sandwich, chips, and a couple of cookies."
She opened the refrigerator and took out the bag to hand to him.
He held it to his chest. "I don't think I've ever had a woman make me a lunch."
"Not even your mom?"
He dropped his head. "No, she could barely make it out of bed most days."
She touched his arm. "You deserved better."
"Yep, but I got what I got." He glanced at Maddie, and Mercy swore she saw determination in his expression and knew in her heart he'd do better for his daughter.
As soon as Alex left, the usually quiet Maddie talked for over an hour about the weekend trip she had with her father. She told her about every animal she remembered in the zoo and how the museum had a big dinosaur in the first room they entered.
Though Mercy missed them, she was happy they had that time to bond. For someone so against being a father, Alex was turning out to be a darn good one. Maybe it was because he didn't have a choice. A child showed up, and she was his, and it wasn't as if he could return her.
The day passed quickly between Maddie's stories, their work in the garden, and a trip to the park. As it neared six o'clock, she considered changing her clothes, but he liked the shorts, and pleasing Alex was all she wanted to do today.
She heaved a sigh. Hadn't that been her problem in the past? She was always the pleaser and rarely the pleased. Then again, that kiss spoke to his ability to more than please her. If a single smooch could curl her toes and make her insides quiver, what else was Alex capable of?
"Are you ready to go home?" she asked Maddie.
"Can I have one more cookie? I didn't eat a wion, yet."
"No more cookies, but I'll save you a lion if you continue to practice your L sounds." She demonstrated once again by placing her tongue to the edge of her upper front teeth and said la la love, la la lion.
Old habits were hard to break, and because most people thought it was cute when small children mispronounced words like wuv for love, there was no incentive to correct the habit, but if a cookie would help, Mercy was happy to bake them.
Deciding to walk, they practiced the two sounds Maddie had the most trouble with—Ls and Rs. By the time they turned onto Rose Lane, she could say them both with more clarity, but it would take time to make it a habit. That would be something to tackle another day.
Mercy scanned his fence for scraps of lingerie but found none. The door swung open, and Alex walked out holding the hand of a scantily clad brunette.
"Please let me stay," she said. "You know how good I can make you feel."
Mercy stopped and stared.
"Oh," Maddie said with a sigh. "Her again."
The words jolted Mercy back a step. "You know her?"
Maddie nodded. "She was in Daddy's bed last night."
Mercy's heart shattered because Alex was a liar. He said he missed her, but how could he when a bombshell brunette warmed his bed the night before.
Men were all the same. The whole lot of them were man whores. She wanted to turn and run, but she refused to leave Maddie on the sidewalk while the woman tried to climb Alex like a tree.
When
