I’m so high on Alden, the entire drive home feels like a blur. I can still feel the way he moved inside me, and while tonight was amazing, my body already craves more. More of him, more of his touch, more of the pleasure only he can give me.

In my parking lot, I sit in the car for a few moments, pulling down the visor and flipping open the mirror to make sure I’m presentable. Other than some seriously messy sex hair, I’m good to go. I finger comb it back into place the best I can and exit my vehicle.

Inside, the house is quiet and dark. Jenny is on the couch watching television, the volume barely audible, and Tatum fast asleep in her lap.

“Hey,” I whisper, bending to scoop up my girl.

“She fell asleep on our second round of Trolls. I was too scared to move her.”

My shoulders shake with silent laughter. “How long?” I ask, walking back to Tatum’s room.

“Long. At least three hours. I can’t feel my left arm or my ass.”

Jenny waits in the hall as I tuck Tatum in. I pull her door to behind me, leaving it partially open. “Three hours? You poor thing! Good thing about Tatum is, once she’s out, she’s out.”

“Now you tell me!” Jenny rolls her eyes.

I roll mine right back, adding a valley-girl-worthy scoff.

“Speaking of telling, why don’t you tell me about tonight, Miss Sex Hair?”

Gah! I guess I did a lousy job of smoothing it down. “It was amazing.” I delve into our date, sparing her the dirty details—they’re only for Alden and me—much to Jenny’s disappointment.

“Well, I’m glad y’all are figuring this out. You two deserve it.”

As the weeks pass, and fall rolls in, Alden and I seem to find our dating stride while he and Tatum continue to grow their bond. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing the two of them together. Their connection is magical—the kind of relationship every girl wants with her daddy. The kind I had up until I became a teen mom.

To say I miss my parents would be an understatement. And more importantly, Tatum misses them. I get that I let them down and that this is hard for them, but my God, if Alden can forgive me, so can they.

But, they’re both as stubborn as the day is long. So, it’s going to be up to me to extend an olive branch.

I’m in the middle of a shift when the idea strikes. I quickly check on my tables before dashing off in search of Alden. I find him in the kitchen chatting with Darren about some menu changes.

Like he can sense me, he turns and looks at me. His stare is heated as it drags over my body, lingering in all the right places. We’ve gotten down and dirty a few times since our second first time, but I still want him. Bad. I’m talking if that man doesn’t sex me up soon, I might die bad.

When his eyes finally meet mine, I mouth, “Need to talk to you.” He holds up his index finger and nods.

I know he’ll find me when he finishes up in here, so I head back out to tend to my tables. One table is ready to order, one table is fine and dandy, and two are ready for their bill.

Cashing out is a breeze since Alden upgraded us to an all-electronic system. Gone are the days of handwritten tickets and adding totals on a calculator. Hallelujah, because unless I’m halving a recipe, math is not my thing. Like, at all. So much so that I foresee Alden being the one to help Tatum with her homework when the time comes.

Butterflies erupt in my belly at the thought of Alden being in our lives that far down the road, but I know he will be, and if I’m a really lucky lady, he and I will still be together—maybe even married. Jesus, girl. Slow your jets, my logical brain shouts at my overactive imagination. A few weeks of dating and a whole lot of sex does not a marriage make, or something like that.

As I walk the dining room again, I see that all of my tables are content and not in need of me. Which is a good thing, because two strong hands are gripping my elbows and pulling me back into the office. The door shuts behind us, and I turn, melting into Alden.

He slides his lips against mine in a kiss so sensual my knees feel weak. I’m slightly dazed when he pulls away—so much so that it takes me a minute to realize he’s speaking to me.

Naturally, Alden finds this to be hilarious. “You with me, Small Fry?”

“Ha ha, funny. I can’t help it if your touch makes my brain all fuzzy.”

“Does it now?” He tilts his head to the side, a look of faux seriousness painted across his face. “Tell me more.”

His antics make me laugh—I love this playful side of him.

“Seriously though, you said you wanted to talk to me. I’m all ears.”

I nibble my lower lip, nerves zinging through me. “I…I was thinking—no, hoping—we could do a cookout this weekend. And invite my parents.”

He groans and kisses me again, nibbling softly on my lower lip before pulling back just enough to speak. “If that’s what you want, you know I’ll support it. And I think it’s the right thing to do for Tatum.”

“Really? You’re cool with it?”

“Of course I am. They’re your family. They’re Tatum’s family.”

“You’re so good to me. I don’t…I don’t deserve you.”

“If you’re gonna say shit like that, then I’m gonna put your lips to better use.”

He kisses me again, licking, sucking, and biting until I’m a writhing mess. It kills me to do it, but I pull away. “I need to check on my tables,” I pant, far too turned on to be at work.

Alden presses his hardness into me, and I moan. “Yeah, you better. But, damn, I wish you didn’t have to.”

I smile at him and step back. “But, I do.”

He gestures for me to go ahead without him, which is probably for the best since he’s sporting some major wood.