My cheeks flame with embarrassment. The last man who got a glimpse of my ass was Bryce, and it’s not like he was one for handing out compliments. Apart from him, there’s been no other, so I’m sorely lacking in this department.
Bull’s hand comes up, and he runs the back of his knuckles down my arm before his brows dip down in concern. “Angel, you’re fucking freezing. How long were you standing in there, convincing yourself to ask for help?”
I can’t help but grin right back at him. How is it he already knows this about me? It’s as though the man can read me. “A little while.” I turn away smiling and head down to my bedroom. What the hell is wrong with me? This man shows up at my door, and all of a sudden, I can’t control myself?
Needing to put some distance between me and the beast standing in my hallway. I can feel his heavy gaze on my back, and to be honest, I can’t quite tell if I like it or not. I step into my bedroom and close the door firmly behind me.
Next problem; what the hell am I going to wear?
I let out a deep sigh as I scan over my choices. I haven’t been on a date in years. I mean, is this formal, or is he taking me to Chuck E Cheese? Am I digging out a nice dress, or should I pull on a pair of sweats and not bother drying my hair?
I decide to go neutral and grab a pair of skinny jeans and a cami before matching them with the jacket that I’d begged my dad to buy me for my twenty-fourth birthday. I’m not usually one to give a crap about clothes, but sometimes a girl sees something in a store window, and she just has to have it. That’s exactly how I feel about this jacket.
I haven’t had a reason to do myself up in ages, and damn, I look good. We’ll see just how lucky he is by the end of the night.
Shit. No. Don’t go there, Amelia. Bad idea. The last time I let a man get lucky, I ended up pregnant. Now I forever have the bastard in my life, despite it resulting in one of the best things to have ever happened to me.
I go to find Bull, and the second I take a step out into the hallway, the nerves hit. I take a deep breath before slowly letting it out. I can do this. There’s no reason to be nervous. It’s just dinner, and then I’m sure we’ll talk, and if I’m feeling it, we can talk a little more. If not, I say goodnight. No strings attached.
What was Zoey thinking when she got me into this mess? Actually, I know exactly what she was thinking, and while she’s right, I do need a little action in the bedroom, I’m not sure I’m quite ready for it.
Making my way up the hallway, I notice him in Ryan’s bedroom. What the hell does he think he’s doing?
I step into the doorway of my little girl’s bedroom and stare at the man in wonder. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off impressive forearms, but what stuns me is the paintbrush in his hand, expertly running the pink paint along the wall with precision. I mean, this guy does not need any tape to keep in his own lane, but something tells me that he’s more than happy to get a little messy if that’s what the situation calls for.
I lean against the doorframe and watch him for a silent moment. It’s mommy porn. Watching a man doing something for one of my kids is easily the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. No wonder I haven’t been attracted to Bryce since the girls were born. He wouldn’t know a damn thing about doing something for his kids, yet here’s this man, slathering pink paint onto the wall of a little girl’s bedroom he met once.
“Are you going to keep standing there, or are you going to get that fine ass of yours in here and help?”
My mouth drops open before I snap it closed once again. I hadn’t realized my gawking was so damn obvious. “Umm … what are you doing?”
Bull turns around with a perfect smile and a dimple that has my knees going weak. “Fuck me,” he says, his eyes roaming up and down my body before he drops the paint brush and strides forward, taking me in and sending butterflies coursing through me. “Has anybody ever told you how fucking beautiful you are?”
I feel my cheeks flame as the butterflies go wild, unable to answer, too ashamed of the answer being no. The only man I’ve ever let close enough never once found it necessary to tell me I was beautiful, so hearing it now from this man has me wanting to shut down. I felt worthless for so many years, and all of a sudden, I have this perfect man painting my daughter’s room, making me feel things I haven’t felt for a very long time, if ever.