He didn’t look too happy with me as I left, but there was nothing I could do about that. Office hookups weren’t unusual in bigger firms. I understood the appeal. The hours were long and the pressure was always high. It was a way of relieving tension. But in a smaller firm like this one, it was too risky, too messy.

The truth was, the number of singles or divorcees in the industry was alarming. The long hours were not exactly family- or relationship-friendly. And Zachary didn’t have anything to complain about. He hooked up often and wasn’t even discreet about it.

I dated plenty, but I hadn’t had a real relationship in some time. I wasn’t averse to them, but after the girls moved in with me, things changed. Some women pulled back when they found out I was a package deal or drifted away after I introduced them to the girls. After trying and failing a few times, I stopped trying. It was the best for the girls, and for me.

The girls and I ended up watching movies late into the night and sleeping most of Saturday. On Sunday I treated us all to ice cream and asked them about their week, trying to gauge if they liked the new school and were settling in well. As always, the weekend went by too fast.

On Monday morning, I headed out earlier than usual because I wanted to stop by the coffee shop first. That coffee was damn good, and so were the sandwiches. And who knew? I might even run into Valentina. She’s taken, I reminded myself, but then another voice at the back of my mind assuaged my guilt. We could just enjoy each other’s company or be friends.

Yeah... except every time I thought about her, the images flashing in my mind weren’t of the friendly variety. I wanted to taste her. Not just her lips. All of her.

I swept my gaze once around the coffee shop when I entered and found Val at one of the corner tables. After receiving my order, I went straight to her. She didn’t see me until I was right in front of her.

“I see you’re on your way to becoming a fan of Walter’s,” she said.

“It’s a nice place to start off your morning.”

“I know, right?”

“Mind if I keep you company?” I pointed to the chair next to her.

“Please.”

Being this close to her made it impossible to keep my thoughts in line. I didn’t just want to kiss her, I wanted to wrap my hand in her thick, luscious hair, draw the tip of my nose up and down her neck, then follow the same trail with my mouth.

“You have something in your hair. I think it’s a... plastic flower?” Val asked, amused.