* * *

As I looked in the mirror, Lucy and Anna watching me from the bed, I twirled to the right and then to the left to see myself from every angle.

The two of them had helped me get ready, curling my hair, weighing in on the colors of makeup I should use. Lucy had even picked out my shoes and clutch. I wanted her to be involved as much as possible. The last thing Jack and I needed right now was for her to feel left out.

Since she’d learned Jack was her father, she’d seen him almost every other day. He’d come over for dinner or taken the both of us out. Last weekend, we’d returned to the park and gone to the beach. We’d even taken a late-night swim in the rooftop pool upstairs.

During all that time, Jack and I hadn’t really been alone much. I was being too cautious, I knew that, but having him in my apartment after Lucy went to sleep made me extremely nervous. I feared she’d wake up to look for me and find us in my bed—naked.

I couldn’t let that happen.

The time our daughter spent with Jack had to be about her, not me.

But, after rescheduling several times, his friends were finally all in town along with their significant others, and Jack wanted me to meet them.

This would be our first date since he’d found out about Lucy.

I couldn’t help but wonder if things would feel different now that all of our time had been spent with her. His texts were always flirtatious. Our phone calls, when we weren’t discussing our daughter, were a little steamy. But that could change the second we were alone. He could look at me now as just Lucy’s mother and not the desirable woman he once had.

“Samantha, you look smoking,” Anna said from the bed. I glanced at her in the mirror, watching as she said to Lucy, “How do you think Mommy looks?”

“Sooo pretty,” Lucy replied, cuddling into Anna’s side.

In the last few weeks, since Jack had come into her life, I’d noticed a huge change in her. She smiled whenever I mentioned him; she got so excited whenever she knew she was going to see him.

She was as smitten as I was.

And I knew her love for him would only grow.

As would mine, and that thought made me a little nervous, too.

There were so many things I still needed to tackle, like telling my family the truth about Jack. But I was getting there even if I was just taking baby steps.

The sound of the doorbell chimed, and Lucy jumped up from the bed. “Is that Jack?”

“Sure is, baby,” I said.

“Can I go get the door, Mommy?”

“Of course.”

I heard her feet pounding on the hardwood floor as she raced to the door.

“Hi, Jack!” she squealed loud enough that Anna and I could hear.

Anna stood from the bed and came over to me. “She loves him.”

“He loves her. Wait until you see them together now. He’s so enamored; he won’t say no to anything she asks, and he just beams when he looks at her.”

“Oh God. I didn’t think that man could get any hotter. Apparently, I was wrong.”

Anna had been working so much lately, her shifts sometimes going late into the morning, so she’d only had a chance to meet Jack once.

She grabbed my clutch off the dresser and handed it to me. “You need to hurry up in here, or I’m going to go out there and steal your man.”

I took the purse from her and did another turn.

“You’re looking at yourself like you’re doubting what you have on. It can’t be the dress. You seriously look stunning. So, what’s going on?”

“I’m just a little nervous; that’s all.”

“Nervous? Why?”

I played with the ends of my hair, twisting them into one large curl and resting it over my shoulder. “This is our first solo date since he found out about Lucy. Plus, I’m meeting all of his friends tonight, and two of them are my clients.”

“Call me slow, but I don’t see why any of that would stress you out. With the way you look, I’d be surprised if Jack doesn’t try to get you naked in the car on the way there. And, Samantha, everyone adores you; you’ve never had a problem with getting along with people, so why would tonight be any different?”

I kept my voice low and said, “They all know I lied about Lucy.”

“Oh.”

“Exactly my point.”

She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me toward her. “Listen to me, Jack has gotten past it, and he’s the one who really matters. I don’t think he would put you in a situation where people were going to be tough on you or judge you.” She held me tighter to reinforce her words. “You’re going to go out, have some much-needed cocktails, and dance your little ass off. So, stop worrying, or I’m going to spank you.”

I put one of my hands on top of hers. “I love you.”

“I know.”

“Brunch tomorrow? Just us? I’ve missed you.”

“Where’s Lucy going to be?”

I lifted her hand off me but linked my fingers through hers and walked her to my bedroom door. “You’ll see.”

We stood in the doorway, watching Jack and Lucy on the couch. She was sitting on one of his legs, leaning back into his chest while she showed him something on my tablet. He had his arm around her, his chin resting on top of her head, and he was laughing at whatever she was pointing at.

“I think I just came,” Anna whispered. I gently hit her arm and glanced at her. “What? Don’t even tell me you didn’t because I know you’d be lying.”

I didn’t come, but my heart certainly melted. The way he looked at her, the way her attention never left him, the similarities in their features—it was beautiful.

And seeing Jack as a father was the biggest turn-on.

“Girl,” Anna whispered close to my ear, “you’d better have some of the freakiest fucking stories to tell me about over brunch. I need details of you and that man together. I’m talking sweat, sounds, places his tongue touched your body—I want all of it. So, do me a favor, and make me proud tonight.”

I laughed a little too loud, causing Lucy and Jack to gaze in my direction.

“You have my promise,” I whispered back, and then I stepped into the living room, watching Jack take me in.

“Wow,” he said, his eyes glued to my body. “Lucy, your mommy looks gorgeous.”

“She does,” Lucy said from his lap. She tilted her head, so she could glance up at him. “I wish you were taking me, too, Jack.”

My heart.

This time, it melted for an entirely different reason.

Jack gently lifted her, turning her whole body to the side so that her neck wasn’t strained, and he smiled at her. “I have an idea,” he said. “How about, tomorrow morning, you and I go for pancakes?”

“Pancakes? I love pancakes. They’re my favorite. But Mommy never lets me get the chocolate chip ones.”

He smiled harder. “You know what that means, don’t you?” he asked her. “I think, tomorrow morning, both of us need to order the chocolate chip pancakes, and we can take pictures and send them to your mommy.”

“I just came again,” Anna whispered from behind me.

“Yay!” Lucy shouted, her eyes immediately shifting over to me. “Mommy, I can go, right?”

She was still processing that Jack was her father. At some point, I was sure she’d stop asking me permission to do things with him. And, eventually, for day-to-day decisions, she’d ask the both of us. It would just take time.

“Of course you can, baby,” I told her. “Jack and I will be back in the morning, and that’s when he’ll take you. Anna will be here to help you get dressed.”

“Yippee!” Her arms went around Jack’s neck, and she gave him the biggest hug.

He kissed her on the cheek and said, “Have fun with Anna tonight.”

“Thanks, Jack,” she said, releasing him.

I held out my arms, and she pushed off his lap and rushed to me, holding me so tightly. “Baby, be good for Anna tonight. Jack and I will see you in the morning.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

I kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

As Lucy started to move away from me, Anna said, “We have pizza to order and cookie sandwiches to make. Who’s ready?”

“I am!” Lucy sang.

I gave Jack a signal that told him it was time to go, and he stood from the couch and made his way over to me. As Anna brought Lucy into the kitchen, we waved good-bye to them and slipped out the door.

“That little girl has me wrapped right around her finger,” he said, his hand on my lower back, the other one making sure the handle was locked.

“Yes, she does, but it’s adorable.”

We weren’t more than a few steps down the hall when he grabbed me by the waist, turned me toward him, and pushed my back against the wall.

“I’ve been waiting too long to do this.” His lips crashed against mine, and I was filled with his scent.

God, I’d missed it.

And his lips.

And his touch.

And the way my body responded every time his hands were on me.

I moaned as his fingers moved up my sides and around my back.

“You feel so good; I don’t know if we’re going to make it to the bar. I might just take you back to my place instead.”

He still wanted me. Nothing had changed.

I closed my eyes and felt that bit of worry begin to leave my body.

Still, I knew we couldn’t go straight to his place, so I gently poked his chest and said, “Getting all of your friends together has kind of been a nightmare. We cannot reschedule on them.”

He ducked his face into my neck and kissed down to my collarbone. “They’ll understand.”

My head pushed back, and I sighed from the wetness that was already starting to pool between my legs. “Jack, we’re going.”

“Fine, but only for a little while,” he murmured. “And then…” He squeezed my ass so hard. When he lightened his grip, I expected him to move to a different part of my body. But he didn’t. He slapped the spot he had just clutched, and he growled, “This is mine tonight.”