One Night with Sole Regret 03 Take Me Read Free Page B

slim eyebrows crinkl ed in confusion . S he held up five fingers , and he added one of his own. She gave him a horrified look. “That is too many sleeps, Daddy.”
    “Is that thing real?” Tina sputtered, plucking the tiara off Julie’s head and gaping at it.
    “Of course, it’s real. I’m not going to give her junk.”
    “She can’t wear this.”
    “Give it to me,” Julie insisted, making a grab for it.
    “Just great, Jacob. You come here, disrupt everything, give her something she can’t possibly keep , and now I have to be the bad guy and take it away from her.”
    “Why do you have to take it away from her? It’s not yours. It’s hers.”
    “What if she loses it? Or if the stones fall out? Or someone takes it? Or if she’s kidnapped because of it? Jesus, Shade, this thing must’ve cost you ten grand.”
    If she knew what he’d spent on it, he had no doubt that she’d hock it and buy herself another hundred pairs of shoes she never wore.
    “Just let her wear it around the house,” Shade said. “It’s insured if it gets damaged or lost. She’ll be fine.”
    “Give it to me,” Julie wailed. “I’m a princess. A really real princess. My daddy said so.”
    “Now you’ve got her crying again,” Tina grumbled and jerked Julie out of his arms.
    “Me?”
    “Why do you have to be so stupid, Shade? It’s as if you were born without a brain.”
    “Don’t frickin’ call me stupid in front of Julie, Tina.”
    “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
    “Daddy!” Julie screamed as Tina carted her into the house and slammed the door in Shade’s face. “I want my princess crown. I want it!” He could hear Julie’s tantrum through the door.
    He hadn’t meant for his gift to be a problem. He’d just thought Julie would like it. The cost hadn’t been a consideration. Maybe he should have bought her some rhinestone piece of junk instead. Julie would have never known the difference. She was three. Four, he reminded himself. Fuck. He really was stupid.
    Cursing at himself under his breath, he picked up the empty box, stuffed it into the pink bag with the crumpled tissue paper and hung it on the doorknob. Julie was farther from the door now, so he couldn’t hear what she was screaming, but there was no doubt she was still upset. Maybe he should do everyone a favor and get lost permanently.
    Shade snatched his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them back on. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get home. He supposed he could call a cab. He turned to start down the driveway ; h e’d figure it out once he was far enough away that he couldn’t hear Julie’s crying. Because God, that sound was like a knife stabbing and twisting into his chest , and he knew Tina wouldn’t let him do anything about it. He felt so fucking powerless.
    The door behind him opened.
    “Jacob?” a gentle voice said from behind him.
    He paused and turned slowly. He probably should ’ ve expected her to be here, but he was in no way prepared for his body’s reaction to her. His heart leapt, gut clenched, balls tightened. Her shoulder-length brown hair swayed gently in a warm breeze. Her hazel green eyes brightened as her lovely face broke into a genuine smile. Time stood still as he allowed his gaze to travel down her lean body. Those long tan ned legs just might be the death of him. It had been a long time since he’d seen her.
    “Amanda.”
     
     

Chapter 2
    Amanda probably shouldn’t have watched Jacob ’s private moments with his daughter through the window, but she couldn’t help it. She had wanted to open the window and listen to his gorgeous voice, but Tina had been pacing the room , calling him every lewd name she could think of , and he didn’t need to hear that. Amanda understood why Tina hated Jacob . He’d hurt her by cheating on her with another woman. Well, several other women. Amanda didn’t expect Tina to forgive him, but trying to keep him away from his daughter? That wasn’t right. Especially when