Boss On A Leash: A Single Dad Billionaire Romance, Kara Hart [free ebook reader for iphone .TXT] 📗

a little because I totally forgot about that movie. “What a reference.”

“The nerd got his kiss at the end,” he says. “I always loved that.”

I squint, balancing my tongue between my front teeth. He was pretty nerdy in the picture he showed me yesterday, but it’s hard to picture him that way now. “Didn’t he pretend to drown in order to get that kiss?”

He smirks. “Not a terrible plan.”

“Does that mean you’re aching for a kiss from me?” I ask.

“Only if I can keep living to see you walk through that door today,” he says.

Another date tonight? It comes out of the blue. Of course, I was hoping he’d ask. It is Valentine’s Day, after all.

He comes up close, bringing his kissable lips to me, and I get a whiff of his cologne. Coupled with the rich aroma of food and coffee, this feels like heaven. He kisses me, and it doesn’t even feel out of place. It just feels right. So right, I can hardly believe it.

“Mm,” he moans.

“That was nice. I think I’ll keep you alive,” I joke.

I open my eyes and see his handsome face. He just shaved, and his smile is as bright as the morning sun outside the window. Not wanting to be rude, I turn back to my huge plate of food.

I take a bite of eggs, digging my fork into the heart of the yolk. The yellow liquid spreads across the plate, covering the edge of artisan toast.

Marc watches me as I take a bite of bread. It’s incredible, as always. The bacon tastes even better. “Good?” he asks.

With half of my plate already eaten, I’m trying not to inhale the rest of my food. “I’m telling you. Quit the magazine business. Become a chef,” I say, mouth full.

“I enjoy food too much. If it became my job, I’d end up hating it,” he says.

Food, money, and a great family. Fuck. This is such a dangerous combination of things.

I shrug. “Weird. I love my job,” I say.

He chuckles and moves as Sammy rudely pushes between us. “You’re a better person than I am. One kid feels like enough.”

Hm.

I don’t dwell on that statement for too long, but it makes me wonder if Sammy is the end of his fatherly journey. I’m not a terribly organized person, but I’ve got a pretty workable map of the future in my back pocket. I’ve always imagined I’d be a mother of my own child someday.

Obviously, this isn’t the right time to think about it. This is basically our first date. It’s not a good time to be thinking about a marriage proposal either, but it’s come into my head a few times.

Sammy must sense my thoughts because she interrupts the silence with another bombastic announcement. “Lords and Ladies. Gentlemen and gentlewomen. Hearie, hearie!”

Rowdy peeks his head out of the room before ducking back inside.

Marc interrupts. “Okay, we get it. On with the announcement.”

Sammy narrows her eyes and glares at her father. “I have an announcement,” she says. “Today is a special day. May your hearts be merry and full of chocolate!”

Smiling big, she looks back at her father who affectionately kisses the top of her head. She’s coping much better than yesterday, which is good. Sometimes, a good night’s sleep is all one needs. This holiday is such a menace to so many women, it’s a wonder how we’re still finding ways to get through it. But we are. And no matter what happens between Marc and I, I’ll always love Sammy.

“Are you ready to go to school with Ms. Greenwald?” Marc asks.

Sammy looks up at her father. Her excitement is starting to fade, and a noticeable worry has set in. “You’re not coming, daddy?”

Marc glances at me first before his daughter, a little bummed. He kneels to her level and exhales. “Sweetie, you know daddy would love to come to school with you. Especially today,” he says. “But they don’t let grown-ups in the building.”

“Yeah, they do. Erica’s mom came to class once,” she says.

“That was Dr. Seuss day,” Marc says. “She read Green Eggs and Ham, remember? I was there, too.”

I come in with the necessary back up. “The rules are so strict there. They only let little girls in with magical powers,” I say, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Daddies don’t have powers. But little daughters do.”

Marc’s looking at me, inquisitively. I shrug and drag my lips down, just rolling with the idea. I’m not a mom. I’ve never changed a diaper. But I do pretty well around my students.

Leave all the diaper changing for the men.

“We do?” Sammy asks.

I nod. “That’s right. But we have to learn how to control our magic before we use it to help the greater good.”

Sammy takes my hand and jumps. “Will you teach me, Ms. Greenwald? Please?”

Chuckling, I lead her toward the front door.

Marc makes sure she has her backpack on before heading out the door. Sammy pounces toward the sidewalk. But before I can run ahead with Sammy, he takes my hand and pulls me close.

“You’re amazing,” he says. “And I don’t mean that in a scare you off sort of way. It was just a nice night.”

“And morning,” I say. “And this afternoon will be fun. Got anything planned?”

He pushes his lips out, hiding a smile. “I guess you’ll find out in a few hours.”

“No fair,” I say. “The suspense is killing me.”

Rowdy pushes across my leg and sits on my feet, happy that Sammy isn’t tormenting him. “Take care of him, will you?” I ask.

Marc looks down at the old mutt and gives a look. “Can I just leave him here with Ragamuffin?”

A sharp whine resounds behind us. We both glance inside the hall. Ragamuffin is in the corner. She starts growling, showing her sharp canines. She looks like an absolute monster.

A cute monster.

“On second thought, I think I’ll bring Rowdy to the office,” he says. “The staff will love him. Farts and all.”

Marc always finds a way to make me laugh,