29. Zane
29
ZANE
I did not invite Daniel over for breakfast as a buffer between me and my nanny, but when Mira walks out wearing cutoff jean shorts and Daniel’s jersey again, I think maybe that’s exactly what he should be.
Daniel whistles. “Damn, girl, you look almost as good in that jersey as I did.”
Mira laughs, tucking the front of it into the waistband of her shorts. “We can swap outfits if you want. See who looks better.”
“Four years ago, I would have had you beat.” Daniel knocks on his left leg. “Now, I’m at a bit of a handicap.”
He doesn’t wear shorts anymore. He used to, back when we’d go to the gym to lift or meet up with some of the team for a pickup game of basketball. Now, it’s always pants.
Daniel isn’t shy about telling people he has a prosthetic leg, but he never liked it when they brought it up. Or when they stared.
The familiar guilt turns my stomach and I drop my half-eaten toast on the plate.
Mira seems to notice me all at once. Her eyes shift to mine and then away just as quickly. “I’m going to call Evan and take Aiden to the park,” she announces one notch below a yell.
Before I can say anything, she disappears down the hallway.
“How much do you hate her wearing my old jersey?” Daniel asks.
“I don’t care.”
That’s what I told her last night. Why should I care? Whether she’s wearing Daniel’s jersey or the sports bra and spandex I saw her in the first morning she lived with me… or maybe something lacy, something that matches the flash of red bra I saw two nights ago… It doesn’t matter to me.
“Maybe I’ll buy her Jace’s jersey,” he muses. “She’d look great with a 36 on her back.”
“Or you can stop buying shit for my nanny,” I growl.
“I thought you didn’t care?” Daniel says, smug enough that I know I’m being transparent.
Mira comes back in with Aiden trailing behind her, rubbing at his eyes. He’s dressed for the day, but he clearly just woke up. “I’m hungry.” He pads over to me and I scoop him onto my lap.
Mira’s eyes catch on the two of us long enough that she trips over her own feet. She yelps, barely catching herself on the counter.
“You can eat breakfast on the way.” She waves his favorite raspberry granola bar in the air so she can lure him towards the door. “We want to beat the crowds so you can do the big slide.”
“Playgrounds are a lot more cutthroat than when I was a kid,” Daniel jokes. “It’s barely eight o’clock.”
“Well, the early bird gets the—” Mira’s jersey catches on one of the drawer pulls and she drops her purse. Her keys and phone scatter across the floor. “—slide.”
She sighs and drops to her knees as I hop down to help. Before I can reach it, she snatches her phone away like my hand is a bear trap. Like, if she lingers, I’ll never let her go.
When she sinks her teeth into her full lower lip, I realize she might be onto something.
“Come on, Aiden,” she blurts, blowing past me.
I wave to my son before Mira whisks him out the door to meet Evan downstairs.
Daniel is staring after her, frowning. “Mira is being weird. What’s wrong with her?”
Nothing is wrong with her.
Which is exactly what’s wrong with me.
The breathy little sound she made when I pressed her against the wall last night is going to haunt all of my dirty dreams. Even with way too many clothes on, the way her body felt against mine fueled two solo sessions last night and another this morning. I can’t think about the heat of her skin radiating through that fucking sundress without getting achingly hard.
“I don’t know,” I snap. “Ask her.”
“I would, but she couldn’t be in the same room as you for longer than thirty seconds without dropping something or blushing. So, I’ll ask again.” Daniel points a forkful of eggs at me. “What is wrong with Mira?”
“You act like I had something to do with it.”
“Because you definitely did.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not a big deal, but we almost kissed last night.”
There’s no point in lying. It’s not like anything actually happened.
Daniel pumps a fist in the air. “I knew it! So did Taylor, actually. We both knew it.”
“Why are you talking to Mira’s best friend about me?”
“Because you’re my best friend and we like to talk about how our best friends clearly want to fuck each other silly.”
My teeth clamp down hard. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“What? Why not? You already kissed. You might as well?—”
“We almost kissed. Then I came to my senses in time to stop it.”
That’s not even true. Mira is the one who pointed out that I probably shouldn’t drive my cock into my son’s nanny four feet away from his bedroom. If she hadn’t said anything, I would have. With her tight body in my hands, I couldn’t think about anything else except feeling even more of her.
That’s why, from this point on, I won’t touch her.
Daniel groans. “Can we give it a rest with the self-inflicted torture?”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that you like to punish yourself,” he says, like it’s common knowledge. “You are gearing up for one of the biggest seasons of your life, you have this super cool kid, and a hot woman who you definitely like—don’t try to deny it—is living just down the hall. Yet you torture yourself about all of it. I’m aware this is a novel concept, but have you tried enjoying your life ?”
He says it like it’s easy. Like it doesn’t lead to nights I can’t remember and nights I desperately wish I could forget.
“I did that for a long time. You know what happens when I ‘enjoy my life.’”
His face immediately twists into a scowl. “Oh, fuck off. If you’re still feeling guilty about the car crash, call Owen or go to a meeting. We did the whole Step 9, ‘making peace with the people you’ve wronged bullshit’ already. I’m doing just fine.” He jabs an accusatory finger in my direction “Unlike you, I am not going to let the beautiful woman who waltzed into my life walk out of it without getting to know me first. Taylor and I are officially going out tomorrow night.”
“Good for you, man. You deserve to be happy.”
He grabs my shoulder and gives me a violent shake. “So do you, for fuck’s sake! Stop being a martyr and kiss Mira. Do more than kiss her, actually. If Taylor’s info is good, Mira hasn’t dated anyone in a long time, either. You both need this.”
I hate that I want to know how long it’s been for her. Who was the last man she took to bed? And where does he live, so I can beat the sight of her naked body out of his head?
I shake off the thought. “I can’t. I’m trying to figure out how to be a dad. I can’t be someone’s boyfriend.”
“Don’t be her boyfriend. Just fuck her.”
“I can’t!” I bark. “I’m an addict, Daniel. Moderation isn’t one of my strengths. When I go in on something, I’m all in.”
Drugs were bad enough. I have a feeling that, once I get a taste of her, I’m not going to be able to stop.
“So go all in with Mira.” He shrugs. “The only person telling you that you can’t is you . Stop pooping on your own party and ask her to be your date.”
I frown. “My date for what?”
“For the Angels’ opening day party. Tomorrow.” He raises his brows, searching my face for any sign of recognition. “It’s where I’m taking Taylor for our first date.”
“ Shit . I forgot all about that.”
There will be photographers there snapping pictures as we come in. I wouldn’t put it past Peter Morris and his weird vendetta against me to have a Google alert on my name. It would look suspicious if I showed up to an event like that without my “girlfriend.”
“You have to take someone,” he continues. “The puck bunnies will be out in full force, pouncing on anyone without a date. It’ll be a bloodbath if Zane Whitaker shows up single.”
I snatch my phone off the counter and text Mira. Cancel whatever plans you have tomorrow night.
Daniel peeks over my shoulder and cackles maniacally. “Zane and Mira sitting in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G.”
“I’m doing this for the charade.” I drive my elbow into his stomach and he doubles over with a wheeze. “I’m doing it for Aiden.”