The Reluctant Papa

"It works for me," Craig said, helping himself to more of the soup. "This is the dog's bollocks," he said to Adelia, then looked at his father while adding, "I'm out of your face ... and Adelia moves in."

Daniel winced and said, "Do you have to be so crude?"

Craig grinned in response. "Well, there you go. If I'm not here, you don't have to listen to me, do you."

"But what about the other girls?" Daniel's eyebrows were twin arches as he went on. "Don't you have to see if they don't mind a male in the house?"

"We'll talk to them," Sofi put in, neglecting to mention she and Craig would be sharing with Anna. "They're quite easy going. It shouldn't be too much of an issue. It's the rent that's important..."

"It's a bit soon to be thinking about Adelia moving in here," was Daniel's next argument. "I mean," he added, expression more than a little sheepish, his cheeks actually beginning to glow "One night? And there's years between us. What if we don't get on. Next week it might be completely different."

"But I would love to be here with you."

Daniel's eyes went to the girl when she said it, his throat swelling with emotion when he looked at her face, a slide of desire dribbling in that clandestine place that's neither guts nor gonad, the place where lust simmers.

"You've been telling me about risk," said Craig, his motivation to argue purely selfish. Inside his head, he was already in the house with Sofi and Anna. He wanted it so badly he could grind his teeth with frustration at his father's persistent dragging of feet. "Why not take a risk?" Craig shrugged and appeared a lot calmer than he actually felt, excitement making his blood thrum in his veins.

"I was talking about investments and the markets; algorithms and a nose for the deal..."

Daniel looked at his son and blew out his cheeks, then glanced at Adelia again. He sighed and said, "Oh Jesus, I must be mad..."

"Yes!" Daniel said, punching the air while Adelia rose to her feet, went to Daniel and then kissed his cheek.

"You've still got to talk to the girls," finished Daniel.

"Thank you, papa," the girl murmured into his ear.