The Billionaire Single Dad by Mandy Baxter

say to Carter was that he could easily make her fall in love with him. Hell, she felt like she was halfway there already and she hadn’t known him for much longer than a week. The last thing she’d expected when she moved to Nacogdoches was to crush on her neighbor. And a neighbor with kids at that. Tess had sowed her oats, though. She was more than ready to settle into a committed relationship with a rock-solid guy.
    And Carter was about as solid as they came.
    She turned too fast toward the paint tray and at the same time as Carter. Their rollers collided and paint splashed up onto his bare forearm. “Sorry,” she said with a laugh.
    Her gaze roamed up his arm to his face, where a large smattering of sage green dotted his forehead. Her giggles turned into earnest laughter. Carter swiped at his head, which only served to cover his forehead in paint. Her stomach ached as she laughed, and he reached out with his roller and ran it up the length of her arm.
    Tess squealed and lashed out with her own roller, as she coated Carter’s arm. He dotted her nose and cheeks with paint and snatched the roller from her hand before she could retaliate. She reached for the paint tray, determined to get him back. He took her down in a tackle and they rolled to the floor in a riot of laughter and tangled limbs.
    â€œNo fair,” she said through bouts of laughter. “I don’t tackle people for a living.”
    Carter chuckled and the sound rippled pleasantly over her skin. “Neither do I,” he replied. “I’m the quarterback.”
    They dissolved into another fit of laughter that caused Tess’s chest to ache and her stomach muscles to bunch up. It had been so long since she’d laughed like this. It felt good . Soon, she realized that she was the only one still laughing and she opened her eyes to find Carter studying her with an intensity that stole her breath.
    He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Soft and slow at first. A tease. Tess had never been kissed so decadently in her entire life, as though Carter wanted to savor every meeting of their lips. He settled himself between her thighs and Tess’s knees fell open. His body fit hers perfectly and she let out a slow sigh of contentment. Her hands found his hair and she let the silky strands slip through her fingers before scraping her nails over his scalp. He let out a low growl that sent her heart to pounding in her chest.
    â€œTess,” he murmured against her mouth.
    The emotion in his voice speared her heart. Want, sadness, indecision. Was this the first time Carter had been with anyone since—
    â€œWe don’t have to,” she said quietly. It killed her to say it. No matter what he felt, Tess was one hundred percent sure that she wanted him. “Carter, it’s okay.”
    He put his forehead to hers and let out a slow sigh. “I want you so much I can’t even form the words to explain it, Tess. I’m—shit,” he said with a disgust snort. “I’m afraid.”
    Dear god, he was gutting her. “Afraid of what?”
    â€œOf caring for anyone that I might end up losing.”
    Carter Christensen broke the mold. “Maybe this doesn’t have to be about caring about someone.” She’d be lying if she said this was only about meaningless sex. But she wanted Carter to know that whatever he needed this to be, it was okay.
    â€œJust a hookup, huh?”
    â€œPeople do it all the time. We’re consenting adults, I think it’s okay.”
    â€œTravis would have had you in bed the first night,” he said with a rueful laugh. “God, I suck at this.”
    He was much better than he gave himself credit for. “You think too much.” Tess combed her fingers through his hair as he relaxed against her. She turned her head and kissed his forearm. Her hand wandered down until it cupped the back of his neck and she urged him down so she could gently