Page 7 of Her Fiance’s Father

My skin is blazing. I’m hot all over. It’s been about twenty minutes since Robert led me in here and left me to myself, but I still can’t stop thinking about him.

I guess I expected him to be more like my father, but Robert is in fantastic shape—no beer belly like my father has. He also clearly has an eye for fashion, but at the same time is rugged like a man who just got back from war or at least a few rounds in the ring.

His business is something involved in international shipping from what I remember, but that’s all I know. Robert looks like he could run the world without breaking a sweat.

I should probably just go to bed. But between Kyle blowing up my phone and Robert being just a few feet away on the other side of a wall, I doubt I could get a wink of sleep. So I make up an excuse.

I just needed a glass of water. That’s what I’ll tell him.

The hinges don’t even squeak as I open the door into the hall. Neither does the wood floor as I make my way to the kitchen. I’m just starting to calm down when my heart leaps as I round the corner and bump straight into Robert, who is pouring himself a coffee. It spills everywhere.

“Oh God! I’m so sorry!” I blurt out, scrambling for paper towels. “I just…I needed a glass of water.”

Bumping into him was like bumping into a wall of muscle. How can a man who spends so much time running a company find time to build up such an incredible physique? I can’t imagine how the girls would react if we studied his body in anatomy class.

“Don’t worry about it. Mistakes happen.” Even his voice is charming. Captivating, like steel ropes wrapping around me. I’m so embarrassed, but at the same time, he makes me want to hurl myself into his arms.

My whole body buzzes as I look up at him. He towers over me like a giant. My thighs are hot and tingling. I’ve never felt lust like this before. I’ve always been shy. Restrained. The opposite of Deena, who has no problem being the center of attention—she actually loves it. But right now, an urge is sweeping through me that’s more foreign than an alien language. I want to wriggle out of my shorts, toss my shirt aside, and show every inch of my body to this marvelous man.

What is happening to me?

Gasping, I grab a bunch of paper towels and lean down to mop up the mess I made. As I bend over, I get that sensation that all girls get when we know someone is checking us out. I can feel Robert’s eyes on me, tracing the lines of my body, pausing on my ass, maybe even looking up my shirt as it pulls away from me.

And you know what? I don’t even care.

In fact, I like it. I like it a lot. So much so that I take an extra long time cleaning up. So long in fact, that Robert offers to help.

“Let me get that for you—”

“No, it’s fine,” I say quickly, finally standing. “Just wanted to make sure I got it all.”

I’m a bad liar, and it shows in my face. He sees it but keeps his mouth shut like the gentleman he is.

Although I have a feeling he knows how to not be a gentleman. He’s just restraining himself. And there’s something extremely sexy about that.

His eyes are fixed on me, and if he looks at me like that any longer, I’m gonna melt like butter under a heat lamp. Thankfully, he turns and grabs a glass from the cabinet.

“Let’s get you that water, dear.”

Dear? Did he just call me dear?

It’s overly familiar but also chivalrous at the same time. I can barely even react as he hands it to me.

Speechless, I take a huge drink and swallow hard. Think of something to say, you idiot! “You know your son has been texting me like crazy.”

Wrong. That was the wrong thing to say.

Robert lets out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. For whatever he’s said.”

My eyes move on their own, tracing the lines of his bulging pecs. His shirt looks like if he were to flex, even the tiniest amount, it would tear at the seams.

I feel wetness against my inner thigh. Oh my God, really? My cheeks go hot, and I take another sip of water, letting my hair fall over my face.

This can’t be happening. Robert is Kyle’s father. Not only that, he’s twenty years older than I am. What would people think? What would they say?

“He did say some really mean things,” I reply. “But then he…”

My voice trails off. Robert stretches a hand out and brushes some of my hair aside. A rush of heat sweeps through me, causing me to gasp for air. I pretend to choke on my water just so he won’t pick up on what’s happening.