hallway, she touched his arm. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
Billy looked down at the hand on his bicep. He flexed the muscle.
“Oh,” she gasped.
“What are you exactly sorry about?” He stepped closer, brushing his fingers along her cheek. “Being interrupted?”
“Yes, I mean, no.” Angel backed away.
But he persisted, backing her up against the closed door of her room. His fingers threaded through her long black hair. “Do you remember the first time we kissed?”
“No, I mean, yes.”
Billy captured her breathless whisper in a gentle kiss. Her lips tasted like heaven and sugar. Angel’s hands rested unsure upon his chest as if ready to ward him off, and then they slid around his body as she melted into him. His body hardened. His blood raged for more, but still he kept the kiss soft, unwilling to ruin the sweetness of the moment.
He had a choice. Play the short game for instant gratification or the long game for the win. The long game took patience and that was a game strategy Billy had never excelled at, but to win Angel, he’d learn some new moves. He pulled away. Looking into her eyes he read the emotion there and knew he made the right call. Trust.
“Goodnight, Angel.”
Walking into his bedroom he realized it was only nine. Unless he wanted to run into Angel and test his new found patience, he was in a prison of his own making. At least he had cable.
*
Billy spent a restless night tossing and turning. If he wasn’t worrying about Gabriela’s first night sleeping alone then he was thinking about Angel under the covers just one door away. The alarm sounded and he groaned. Time to get ready for another brutal day of practice. Damn, he’d be a worthless sack of shit on the field. He made his way to the kitchen passing by both rooms as quietly as a 6’5”, 250 pound man could possibly be expected to be.
Opening the fridge, he took out all the makings for a fruit smoothie. After throwing them haphazardly into the blender, he pulsed it on low, hoping he wouldn’t wake either of the ladies of the house. Needing a blast of energy, he gulped directly from the blender’s pitcher. Before finishing it, he decided to start the oatmeal. His body needed fuel for the day ahead.
“Hi.”
If the voice hadn’t been so small, Billy might have been startled since he hadn’t heard the little ninja’s footsteps. He turned around and his daughter stood right behind him. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her hair an unruly mass of curls. “Good morning, Gabriela.”
She frowned at him, her face so serious he thought she might cry. What had he done wrong? The urge to wake Angel had him eying the hallway. He stared down bigger men every day on the field, yet he was afraid to be alone with a five-year-old.
“Are you mad at me?”
Billy blinked. “No.” He hadn’t yelled or even scowled at her. “Why do you think that?”
“Mommy only calls me Gabriela when I’m in trouble.”
Amused, he asked, “Are you in trouble often?”
“Oh, no.” she shook her head vehemently, her ebony curls bouncing in all directions.
Billy laughed. Damn, she had to be the most adorable child that ever lived. She continued to stare up at him. Now what? He eyed the hallway again. Man up, Billy or rather Dad up. “Are you hungry?”
Gabriela nodded. “Can I have ice cream?”
Billy grinned. “I know I’m pretty new at this dad stuff, but even I know ice cream is not for breakfast.”
She pointed to his glass. “Then what’s that?”
He guessed his smoothie did look like a milkshake. Observant child. He better remember that in the future. “It’s a fruit smoothie. Do you want to try it?”
“Yes, please.”
Sorting through his glassware, he selected a mug she’d be able to hold with ease. He transferred a small amount of the liquid and handed her the mug. She took a tentative sip.
“Yum. It taste like a milkshake!”
Overly proud of himself for such a minor achievement, Billy smiled. “Do you
Billy looked down at the hand on his bicep. He flexed the muscle.
“Oh,” she gasped.
“What are you exactly sorry about?” He stepped closer, brushing his fingers along her cheek. “Being interrupted?”
“Yes, I mean, no.” Angel backed away.
But he persisted, backing her up against the closed door of her room. His fingers threaded through her long black hair. “Do you remember the first time we kissed?”
“No, I mean, yes.”
Billy captured her breathless whisper in a gentle kiss. Her lips tasted like heaven and sugar. Angel’s hands rested unsure upon his chest as if ready to ward him off, and then they slid around his body as she melted into him. His body hardened. His blood raged for more, but still he kept the kiss soft, unwilling to ruin the sweetness of the moment.
He had a choice. Play the short game for instant gratification or the long game for the win. The long game took patience and that was a game strategy Billy had never excelled at, but to win Angel, he’d learn some new moves. He pulled away. Looking into her eyes he read the emotion there and knew he made the right call. Trust.
“Goodnight, Angel.”
Walking into his bedroom he realized it was only nine. Unless he wanted to run into Angel and test his new found patience, he was in a prison of his own making. At least he had cable.
*
Billy spent a restless night tossing and turning. If he wasn’t worrying about Gabriela’s first night sleeping alone then he was thinking about Angel under the covers just one door away. The alarm sounded and he groaned. Time to get ready for another brutal day of practice. Damn, he’d be a worthless sack of shit on the field. He made his way to the kitchen passing by both rooms as quietly as a 6’5”, 250 pound man could possibly be expected to be.
Opening the fridge, he took out all the makings for a fruit smoothie. After throwing them haphazardly into the blender, he pulsed it on low, hoping he wouldn’t wake either of the ladies of the house. Needing a blast of energy, he gulped directly from the blender’s pitcher. Before finishing it, he decided to start the oatmeal. His body needed fuel for the day ahead.
“Hi.”
If the voice hadn’t been so small, Billy might have been startled since he hadn’t heard the little ninja’s footsteps. He turned around and his daughter stood right behind him. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her hair an unruly mass of curls. “Good morning, Gabriela.”
She frowned at him, her face so serious he thought she might cry. What had he done wrong? The urge to wake Angel had him eying the hallway. He stared down bigger men every day on the field, yet he was afraid to be alone with a five-year-old.
“Are you mad at me?”
Billy blinked. “No.” He hadn’t yelled or even scowled at her. “Why do you think that?”
“Mommy only calls me Gabriela when I’m in trouble.”
Amused, he asked, “Are you in trouble often?”
“Oh, no.” she shook her head vehemently, her ebony curls bouncing in all directions.
Billy laughed. Damn, she had to be the most adorable child that ever lived. She continued to stare up at him. Now what? He eyed the hallway again. Man up, Billy or rather Dad up. “Are you hungry?”
Gabriela nodded. “Can I have ice cream?”
Billy grinned. “I know I’m pretty new at this dad stuff, but even I know ice cream is not for breakfast.”
She pointed to his glass. “Then what’s that?”
He guessed his smoothie did look like a milkshake. Observant child. He better remember that in the future. “It’s a fruit smoothie. Do you want to try it?”
“Yes, please.”
Sorting through his glassware, he selected a mug she’d be able to hold with ease. He transferred a small amount of the liquid and handed her the mug. She took a tentative sip.
“Yum. It taste like a milkshake!”
Overly proud of himself for such a minor achievement, Billy smiled. “Do you
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