The Billionaire Single Dad Read Online Free

motion. Wow . “I was an ass yesterday. I’m Carter by the way. Carter Christensen.”
    â€œUm…” Tess couldn’t form a coherent thought to save her life. She dragged her eyes from the curve of his bicep and met his intense hazel gaze. “You were worried about your kids and I didn’t help anything by acting like a know-it-all. You’re entitled to be a little grumpy.”
    â€œAn ass,” Carter corrected. A reluctant smile tugged at his lips, and Tess’s stomach did a backflip. “No need to sugarcoat it.”
    â€œOkay, you’re entitled to be an ass.” Tess laughed and added the caveat, “When you’re worried about your kids.”
    â€œI’ll make sure they stay off your property from now on.”
    Carter turned to leave, and it was the last thing Tess wanted. “You don’t have to do that!” she blurted. Ugh. Way to play it smooth . “I was just worried that the barn wasn’t structurally sound, that’s all. I don’t mind them playing over here if you don’t mind. I was going to ask my dad to fly down and check out the barn, but maybe you could check it out? I was debating whether or not I should have it torn down for safety reasons. Or if you wanted to check out the fort the girls made you could do that, too. I mean, if you want to. Or not. Whatever. You totally don’t have to.”
    Carter turned. His brows gathered as he watched her with an intensity that sent Tess’s blood rushing through her veins. She always talked too much when she was nervous, and Carter made her want to launch into a two-hour recitation of her entire life history so she wouldn’t have to acknowledge how awkward he made her feel. Awkward and shaky and sweaty and lightheaded. Holy crap . If she didn’t take a breath she was going to pass out.
    â€œThat’s probably a good idea,” Carter said. “Knowing those rug rats, they won’t stay away even if I tell them to.”
    Tess pulled on her boots, regretting for the millionth time that she was wearing her yoga pants and not a cute pair of jeans or something that made her look like a marginally more productive member of society. She glanced down at Carter’s feet and swallowed down a groan as she got a glimpse at his pristine herringbone patterned Chuck Taylors. Seriously. Good looks and phenomenal taste in shoes?
    â€œYou probably don’t want to trudge across the swamp in those.” She nudged her chin toward his feet. “The ground hasn’t dried out yet.”
    Carter laughed, and the sound traveled through Tess’s body in a pleasant ripple that softened her bones. “You did know there’s a flood irrigation system for the lawn, right? You can turn it off and get rid of the swamp.”
    â€œYeah…” Tess knew so little about her own house and property it was embarrassing. “I had no idea.”
    Carter smiled. “Let’s take care of the irrigation first. Then the barn.”
    â€œYour shoes?”
    He shrugged. “They’re just shoes. That’s what washers are for, right?”
    Jared would have freaked out at the prospect of getting his shoes dirty. Once when they’d gotten caught in a rainstorm, he’d insisted they duck into a restaurant and wait it out rather than allow his new leather loafers to suffer any water damage. It hadn’t mattered that they’d missed her cousin’s graduation in the process. The little, inconsequential things had always mattered most to Jared and not the important things like, say, fidelity .
    As she followed Carter around to the west side of the house, Tess’s curiosity about him only intensified. “How do you know so much about this house?”
    Carter didn’t turn to face her. “Steph’s grandparents owned the property that our house is on now. We used to come here all the time when we were in high school. Millie coerced me into