At that moment, Brad popped his head in. “Shit, please not in Mary’s room. Can’t you get water somewhere else? Damn it.”
After Brad slammed the door shut, I lifted myself off of Charles, but when he scooted out from under me, he fell off the bed.
He jumped to a standing position, his erection still pushing against the edge of his shorts. Our eyes both flew to his hard-on.
“Uh, Becky.” He covered his package with both of his hands.
When his face turned all shades of pink, I started laughing.
He shook his head and turned to the door, but he swiveled around to face me again. “It’s a natural morning reaction in men. It would have happened even if I wasn’t attracted to you … um … yeah.” His eyebrows scrunched together before he walked out. “I mean … I know you already know this.” The color from his cheeks moved to his ears before he about-faced and walked out the door.
When he left, I fell back in a fit of laughter because hellooooo, uncomfortable. I’d just woken up in bed with my boss, where he’d sported a so huge that I’m afraid it won’t fit erection.
The laughter ceased when I realized one thing. In Charles’s arms last night, I hadn’t had a nightmare. It was the first time since the accident that I hadn’t had one.
Chapter 17
Charles
Walking downstairs that morning and facing Becky at breakfast was awkward, to say the least. I made the girls breakfast and ignored Brad’s snickers and straight-on smirks, as though he knew something was up, when he obviously didn’t.
I couldn’t even look her in the face, given what had happened earlier.
When I sat at the table with my morning coffee, Sarah tilted her head, assessing me. “You’re late this morning. You’re never late.”
Of course, she was the most attentive.
“Daddy probably had to poop,” Mary said, head deep into her cereal, analyzing the marshmallows. “Sometimes, his poop takes a long time.”
My gaze flickered around the table—to Brad and Sarah laughing and to Becky, whose smile widened, stare focused on her plate.
“There’s no poop talk at the table, Mary,” Brad said.
I sighed. There was no way this day could get any more embarrassing.
“But it’s true. Daddy sits on the toilet for a long time.” She giggled. “While his long vagina just sits there with him.”
Brad laughed so hard that he coughed up his coffee, and it was coming out of his nose.
“Mary,” I cautioned her. “Eat your food. Stop talking until your food is eaten.”
She giggled. “I’m just telling the truth, Daddy.”
I swallowed and downed all my coffee, taking the cup to the sink. “Mary, that’s enough. If you don’t finish your breakfast, you’ll be late to school.” My face warmed, and I didn’t dare look in Becky’s direction, not wanting to take this embarrassment to the next level.
That was what happened when you had three men raising all girls. I never kept my bedroom or the bathroom locked. When I showered, they would come in and sometimes take their Barbies in there to play. When I wasn’t working, they always wanted to be with me—understandably so.
“Charles,” Brad called out, forcing me to look at him. If he spouted out with a smart-aleck comment, I might have to hit him. “Don’t forget, I have the photo shoot for that magazine spread today. Just keep the long vagina covered.” He barked out a laugh and stood from his seat, meeting me at the sink, placing his mug in the dishwasher.
“It’s for that single and ready to mingle bachelor billionaires under thirty.” His smile was smug. “The girls and everyone should be there. It’ll be an impromptu shoot.” He shot Becky a look. “Can you make sure the girls will be ready after school? The photographers will be coming to the house.”
“Sure thing.”
My eyes swung her way. “Becky, I’ll take the girls to school today.” My gaze flickered back to the door. “Girls, meet me in the car.”
We had a good five minutes before we needed to be out the door, but with all the talks of poop and swinging long ones, I’d had enough embarrassment today. I didn’t do well with situations I wasn’t in control of, and the situation with Becky and me was out of my control. I couldn’t rein in my feelings toward her. I couldn’t control how my body reacted to her. I couldn’t control what I was going to do next around her.