Burn For You (Boys of the South) by Marquita Valentine Read Free Book Online Page B

I would head to my room and read, watch a movie, or if things got too loud, I’d go hang out with a friend.
    Beau walks to his dad and takes the baby from him. She perks all up, even happier than before, and makes babbling noises at him. A soft smile replaces the sexy one he had for me, and I swear I get all melty on the inside. There’s something about a man holding a baby with confidence that makes a woman weak, and I’m no exception.
    “And this little beauty right here is Mia Montgomery, my daughter .” He holds up a hand and waves at me. “Say hi, Mia.”
    My mouth drops open and a cold wave of embarrassment washes over me. This is Mia ? The baby opens and closes her tiny little hand two times, and my heart flips. I can’t help it. I love babies.
    “Oh, you are so smart,” I coo and smile. “And pretty, too. Can you wave at me again?”
    Mia throws out her arms and grunts. Beau’s smile falls a little. “She wants you to hold her.”
    “That’s fine with me,” I say, already reaching to take her. She goes into my arms easily, and I hold her close, kissing her head. I sway from side to side as I hold her, gently bouncing her and humming a little under my breath.  “How old is she? Mrs. Farnsworth didn’t give me any details because she wants the interview to be preconceived-notions free.” Though that didn’t stop me from thinking Beau was married.
    He nods, giving me this look like he knows what I’m thinking, and it’s all he can do to not say something about my assumptions. “She’s seven months old, almost eight.”
    “What about her mother?” I can help but ask.
    “We have joint custody,” he says calmly, but a flash of annoyance in his eyes makes me wonder if he’s happy with the arrangement.
    My curiosity is peaked, but I don’t want to be rude and ask more questions about their relationship. “Will she be here soon, too?” I make a face at Mia, and she just grins. “Are you crawling or walking, sweet pea? Or just taking everything in?”
    “She’s an observer. I’m working with her on the crawling,” Beau says. “And no, Paisley won’t be joining us.”
    “All my kids were late crawlers and early walkers,” Remington says, and this time, Beau’s jaw turns hard. “Then it was straight to fast cars, women, and—”
    “Don’t you need to be going?” Beau asks.
    Remington smirks. “Just making conversation, son.”
    Beau gaze turns as hard as his jaw. “Ms. Basnight and I have things to discuss in private.”
    “In private,” Remington repeats, his smirk growing bigger. “Boy, you don’t have to pretend with me. I don’t care who you f—”
    Beau grabs his dad by the arm. “Move it, old man, before I throw you the hell out.”
    “Mia won’t like that,” Remington says with a laugh, but I notice he starts moving toward the door.
    “Mia’s too young to know what she likes,” Beau snaps, releasing his dad’s arm. He waits for the door to open and then shut before he turns to Mia and me. His expression softens. “Sorry about that. Remington and I don’t have the best relationship.”
    “Some men make better grandfathers than dads.”
    Beau shrugs casually, but his gray eyes are piercing, like he’s measuring the sincerity of my words. “I guess. Anyway, let’s get this interview over with.”
    I sit, wishing I’d worn jeans instead of this too-tight skirt, but I thought it looked professional. Only, none of that matters now, because based on what Beau just said, I’m not going to get the job.

Chapter Six
Beau
    “I s it okay for Mia to sit with me, or do you want her back in her swing?” Landry asks.
    Mia grabs Landry’s shirt and tugs, making a couple of the buttons on it pop open. The shirt gaps, and I can see the upper swells of her breasts.
    I close my eyes, feeling like a complete asshole for ogling the woman holding my daughter.
    “Whoops,” Landry laughs, and my eyes open in time to watch her fix her shirt—one handed, I might add.