And there was something sexy about her using that demandingvoice on me. I usually liked to be in control in the bedroom, but I wouldn’tmind giving her a turn. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?
“Ideal girl,” she said. “And go.”
“Hm.” I put my arm on the back of the couch, dangerouslyclose to touching her. “Petite. Red hair…” I stopped talking when her eyes snappedto mine.
“This is all very funny, Matt. For real though. How am I supposedto find the girl of your dreams if all you want to do is mess with me?” Shepushed her red hair behind her ear and looked back down at the app downloadingon her phone.
I wasn’t joking. She was my ideal girl. But she’d never bemine. I knew that. And yet…I was sitting here like an idiot anyway. “Youpromise this stays between us?” I asked. For some reason, I wanted this wholedating app thing to be a secret. I knew she’d already agreed. But I needed toknow for real.
“I promise. It can be our little secret. Now describe yourideal girl.”
“I don’t know. Hot. Nice.”
She laughed. “Hot and nice? Did you think I was going to setyou up with a mean uggo?”
Honestly I had no idea who she was planning on setting me upwith. Because it didn’t seem like she had any idea what she was doing.
“You know what, let’s circle back to that vague answer later.I need some of your hobbies and interests right now.” She started typing in theapp. “And by hobbies, I mean things besides sleeping with random girls withhuge boobs. Actually, now that I mention it, I do know your type.”
I laughed. “That’s not my type.”
“Then what is?”
“I already told you. Petite redheads.” I winked at her.
She grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. “You’reincorrigible.”
I easily caught the pillow before it smacked me in the face. Iliked when she was feisty. “Hobbies, huh? Well…” my voice trailed off as Ithought about it. “I like to work.”
She shook her head and typed something into her phone. “Ineed more than just what you do for work. Tell me something you do for fun. Otherthan being the best babysitter in town.”
I smiled. I was a pretty badass babysitter for her kids. Rob’stoo. But I didn’t really know what else she wanted me to say. “I like to workout.”
“Work and work out? Do you have any hobbies that don’tinvolve the word ‘work’?”
“I’m the head coach for the Empire High football team. It’s avolunteer thing, so you can’t say that’s work.”
She lifted her head and stared at me. “How did I not knowthat?”
“You never asked.”
“You sit in our living room every Sunday watching the Giants.You never thought to mention you were a volunteer football coach at your oldhigh school?”
I shrugged.
“Interesting.” She typed something into her phone. “That’sactually really good. I can work with that. Smile for me.”
“What?”
She snapped a picture of me with her phone with my mouth openin mid-question. She looked at the picture and smiled. “Perfect,” she said.
“Are you using that as my profile picture?”
“Yup, it’ll do.”
“Let me see it.” I reached out for the phone.
She laughed and pulled it away. “No, it’s fine, I swear.”
I tried to reach around her, sandwiching her between me andthe couch. “You’re sabotaging me.”
“I’m not sabotaging you!” she said with a laugh, trying tosquirm away from me. She pushed on my chest to try to shove me away.
And for just a second, I let myself relish the fact that Iwas on top of her. On the couch. Just like I’d pictured countless times in myhead. I could smell the scent of her floral shampoo. It swirled around me, drawingme closer. Her lips were only a few inches away from mine.
The front door clicked opened and I jumped off the couch. Itwas one thing to dream about kissing Penny. It was another to actually do it. Especiallyright in front of James. I could bench press more than him, but James had alwaysbeen a good fighter. I wasn’t sure I’d win that fight.
But it wasn’t James coming through the front door.
“Uncle Matt! Uncle Matt!” Scarlett darted right past hermother and jumped into my arms.
“Hey, Scar.” I kissed the top of her head. “What have youbeen up to today?”
“Ellie took me and Liam to the zoo. And I got to watch thered pandas.”
She’d become obsessed with red pandas recently. I was prettysure she liked that their fur was the same color as her hair.
“That sounds like fun. Did you get to feed any?”
Her jaw actually dropped. “I can feed them? I didn’t knowthat was allowed! Ellie, can I feed them next time?”
I glanced into the foyer to see Ellen lifting baby Liam outof the stroller. She was the most patient person I’d ever met. She didn’t evencare that Scarlett called her Ellie instead of Ellen. She walked into theliving room with Liam in her arms. And she shook her head at me, giving me apointed glare. “Only Uncle Matt is allowed to feed them. Next time you go withhim, he’ll let you.”
Oh shit. Ellen could dish it out too.
“Really?” Scarlett looked up at me with her big doe eyes.
“Sure.” I’d figure it out. Anything for her. I looked over atPenny. Anything for her too.
“You’re ridiculous,” Penny mouthed silently as she took Liamfrom Ellen.
Scarlett gave me a big hug and then turned to her mother. Shestood up on the couch and looked down at her baby brother. “He was a good boytoday. He didn’t cry and scare the animals like last time.”
“Is that so?” Penny tickled Scarlett’s side.
“Scarlett,” said Ellen. ”Let’s go
