Seasoned

by Delaney Diamond

She reached into the cabinet and pulled down dishes. When she turned around, Hector’s gaze quickly flicked up to meet hers, and her breath caught. Had she caught him looking at her ass? She couldn’t be sure, but she was almost certain that’s what he’d been doing.

  “Need some help?” he asked.

  “Um, no, I have it.”

  “How about we do this. Dinner first, then we get down to business?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  They ate in the dining room. Initially, conversation was a bit awkward, but then they both gradually relaxed.

  Hector told her his aunt, the one he’d lived with when he moved to the United States as a teenager, was going back to Michoacán. Adelaide made a mental note to call her. They hadn’t talked in a while, but she wanted to visit and wish her well before she left. Now that her kids and grandkids were scattered around the country, Adelaide understood why she wanted to return home.

  She told Hector the latest news in her family—weddings, deaths, and caught him up on news about mutual friends. She had always been better at keeping up with the happenings among their friends, reminding him about birthdays and other special events.

  The conversation was friendly and they laughed a few times from shared memories. It was nice having someone to talk to in the house.

  After the meal, they took the dishes to the kitchen and then settled in the living room where Hector placed his laptop on the coffee table and opened an Excel file. “I worked on a budget and a checklist for Danny and Jamie. It’s just the beginning, but I wanted to get them thinking about what their responsibilities would be regarding this baby.”

  Seated on the other end of the sofa, Adelaide angled her body toward the screen. “What do you have?”

  Hector moved closer and Adelaide tensed. She caught the scent of him. A musky odor. Not a bad smell, but one that came from working all day. Unique to Hector. No one else smelled like him, and she became a little breathless at the memory of how his scent would be painted into her skin after they made love.

  He scrolled through the spreadsheet and Adelaide stared at it with raised eyebrows. He’d listed everything that could possibly be listed, from before birth to when their grandchild started kindergarten. The costs included food, a car seat, strollers, diapers, clothing, health insurance, and even the hospital stay when Jamie delivered.

  “Jamie needs prenatal and postnatal care,” Hector said, pointing to cells highlighted in yellow. “They’ll also need to start a college fund and Danny needs life insurance, because if anything happens to him—”

  Adelaide placed a hand on his forearm and they both froze. Heat filled her palm and his muscles tightened. They stared at each other, and she forgot why she’d touched him in the first place. When her memory came back, she calmly eased away her hand.

  Clearing her throat, she said, “If you’re trying to scare them, you’ve done a great job.”

  “Not scare them. I want them to understand the gravity of becoming parents.”

  “I’m sure they understand.”

  “This will bring it home. They need to take this pregnancy seriously.”

  Adelaide opened her mouth and then closed it again, wondering about the best way to tactfully let him down easy. He’d done a lot of work. “I don’t think we should overwhelm them like this,” she said gently.

  Silence filled the air between them.

  Hector closed the laptop and rested his elbows on his knees. “This isn’t what I wanted for him. He was supposed to finish college and get a job or start his own business. Eventually he’d get married and have a couple of kids.”

  “I know. But the current situation is not the end of the world. We’re both here and able to help him and Jamie, which is better than the situation you and I were in. I believe they’ll take this seriously. This is all good information, but the baby isn’t here yet, and it’s…a lot.”

  “Too much?”

  “Too much,” Adelaide confirmed with a nod.

  “Yeah, maybe I went too far with the college fund information.”

  Trying to fight a laugh, Adelaide ended up snorting and Hector glanced at her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, covering her mouth. “But I’d forgotten how much you liked to be prepared.”

  A smile broke out on his face, then he laughed, too. Falling back against the sofa, he ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. “Shit. What am I doing?”

  Adelaide spoke quietly to him. “What you always do. Take care of a problem. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the kids will be fine.”

  She ached to run a hand over his head the way she used to, to reassure him when he was worried about work or starting the business, or whatever else plagued his mind. But she kept her hands to herself, her palm still burning from when she’d touched him moments before.

  “You always could rein me in when I got out of control.” He touched her finger and their eyes met in the ensuing silence.

  “We balance each other.”

  The next move she half-expected. His eyes became hooded and she knew that look, so when he leaned toward her, she leaned toward him, too.

  6

  The second Adelaide leaned toward him, Hector was on her. Quick and harsh, his mouth covered hers, his libido breaking through what little restraint he’d managed to keep in place while talking to her. Laughing with her. Fantasizing about taking her against the counter when she bent to put the dishes away.

  The taste of her was like the top shelf whiskey that he couldn’t get enough of. He was drowning in the sensation of the kiss. His dick thickened and his blood pulsed hot as he pushed her back against the arm of the sofa. She tasted like heaven, and when her tongue touched the edge of his mouth, he groaned and sucked that pink tease between his lips.

  Her fingers weaved into his hair, as if she’d simply been waiting for an excuse to grab it. And he kissed her throat, tasting her sweet skin and filling his nostrils with the heady scent of her perfume.

  One hand cupped her breast and squeezed, while the other smoothed up her throat and closed. He held her in place as her nails scraped at his back, and the urge to claim tightened his neck muscles as he devoured her lips. She moved under him, legs opening, hips tilting up to his and grinding in a frantic show of wanton need.

  He wanted to fuck her so bad he couldn’t think straight. He pushed the T-shirt higher, anxious for a glimpse of rosy brown nipples. When his lips covered one breast through the sheer lace, she gasped and bowed her back, pushing harder against him.

  “Hector,” she whispered.

  “I know. I know.”

  His voice was hoarse against her breasts, his need untenable as he sucked the thin material and her nipple transformed into a tighter bead in his mouth. Her bra became soaked as he continued to feast and his hand held her arched throat so she couldn’t move from under his control.

  Kissing his way down her belly, Hector marveled at how her skin was so damn soft, and she smelled so good.

  With a rough tug he unsnapped her jeans and—

  The front door slammed. Everything came to a halt.

  He lifted his head and met Adelaide’s wide-eyed stare.

  Hector swore and they moved at the same time, scrambling apart like guilty teenagers, their breathing shallow like marathon runners.

  “Mom!” Daniel called.

  Adelaide tugged down her shirt and fastened her jeans with trembling fingers. “I’m—” She cleared her throat and jumped up from the sofa. “I’m in here. W-with your father.”

  She took several steps away and shot a glance at Hector before turning toward the open doorway.

  Elbows to knees, Hector felt his erection die a slow death. Pressing his face into his hands, he fought back his body’s demand to drag Adelaide into the bedroom and finish what they’d started.

  Daniel entered the room. “Hey, what are you guys up to?” he asked.

  Hector dropped his hands and looked at his son.

  “We were talking about you and J
amie,” Adelaide answered.

  Hector still couldn’t speak. His gaze dragged over his ex-wife’s bottom and he bit back a groan at the way her nipples had felt in his mouth. Hard and downright delicious as he sucked them through the sheer material of her bra. He wished he’d taken her bare flesh into his mouth and had the full pleasure of that tight peak against his tongue.

  This damn boy…

  “I’m sorry.” Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know you guys are worried about us, and I feel awful about it, but I don’t want you to worry.”

  Hector forced himself to concentrate on his son’s crestfallen face.

  “I went looking for a job today, but then I had a thought.” He glanced at Hector. “Dad, I was wondering if you and I could talk?”

  His request surprised Hector and he frowned in confusion. “Sure,” he said, standing.

  “Outside. No offense, Mom. This is a man-to-man conversation.”

  “Oh.” Adelaide looked between them. “Go ahead.”

  “I’ll, uh…call you later about what we were talking about,” Hector said to Adelaide.

  She nodded vigorously and didn’t quite look at him. “Of course. Sounds good.”

  Hector picked up the computer and she stepped aside, giving much more room than he needed. He followed his son out to the driveway and put the computer in the car. Then he leaned back against the driver door and folded his arms. “What’s going on?”

  Daniel inhaled and released a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about all my responsibilities now that I’m going to be a father. I definitely need a job, and I was wondering…if I could come to work with you.”

  “With me?”

  “Yeah. I mean, I need a job.” Daniel bit into his bottom lip.

  Hector had always wanted his kids to show an interest in his business, but none of them had. The two oldest chose artistic pursuits that had taken them away from the family. But Daniel, the one he thought would be the least likely to work with him, unexpectedly expressed an interest.

  “You understand that if you work with me, I expect you to work?”

  “I know.”

  “And other than mowing lawns, you’ve never had a job before.”

  Daniel stood up straighter. “I know, but I’m ready to work. I want to. I want to…work with you.”

  “Work with me?” The conversation had gone in an unexpected direction.

  “I’ve kind of always wanted to, but I didn’t think you would want me to.”

  Hector unfolded his arms. “What makes you say that?”

  Daniel scuffed his tennis shoes against the driveway. “I know what you think about me, Dad. You think I’m lazy and I screw up all the time.”

  “Danny…”

  “No, you’re right. I have been kinda lazy, and I have screwed up. I disappointed you and Mom, and I feel bad about that. But the truth is, I was always kinda interested in Solar Beams, but I didn’t know how to tell you. And honestly, I figured you would say no if I asked to come work with you.”

  “I had no idea you were interested in working in the business with me.”

  “I kind of hinted at it, but you didn’t pick up on my interest,” he said, looking a little embarrassed.

  Hector laughed a little. “Son, I’m not good with hints. You have to come right out and tell me something if you want me to get it. A lot of times, I’m in my own world because I’m so busy.”

  Daniel nodded. “True.”

  The way he said that one word gave Hector pause. “What does that mean?”

  Daniel hesitated at first, then replied, “Well, I was thinking about you and Mom. How things were before you split, you know? She was lonely, but I could tell you didn’t notice. I don’t know if she always was, but I noticed it the past couple of years for sure.”

  “What do you mean your mother was lonely? She had you at the house, and I was home every night.”

  “Come on, Dad, you didn’t know she wanted to spend more time with you?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “It was obvious to me, but not to you, I guess. She said certain things that made me realize how she felt. Like, if you came home late and she’d cooked a nice dinner, she’d say something to me like, ‘Well, at least I get to see you appreciate this meal.’ Or if I ended up playing checkers with her, ‘Your father and I used to play checkers, and he absolutely hated to lose.’ I felt kind of bad leaving her alone when I went off to school—with the two of you getting separated last summer and that whole empty-nest thing. Then you got divorced, and I knew it would be really hard on her.”

  Had he really been that obtuse? Did her withdrawal happen because he ignored her? This was definitely news to him. He worked a lot, yes, but that was to provide for his family. Besides, he and Adelaide had been married long enough that she knew to be direct with him. If she wanted something, she told him outright. Not only did he not like hints, he didn’t have time to play games.

  “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” Hector said. His eyes trailed back to the house where he’d spent several glorious minutes kissing and humping his ex-wife.

  “So, about the job?” Daniel looked expectantly at him.

  “Listen, if you’re going to work with me, I need to discuss this with Martin first. We’re equal partners. If he says it’s a go, we’ll start you small. Working on the sales floor and maybe shadowing the guys when they go out on installs.”

  “Cool.” Daniel’s eyes brightened.

  “How long have you wanted to work at Solar Beams?”

  Daniel shrugged. “A while.”

  Silence fell between them for several seconds.

  “Danny, I want you to work with me. But I need you to take this seriously.”

  Daniel straightened like a soldier in front of a commanding officer. “I will. I promise, I won’t let you down.”

  “Okay. No special treatment.”

  “I don’t expect any.”

  It dawned on Hector that he’d never seen him so ready to tackle a task in a long time. If his son really had wanted to work with him for a while, he regretted not noticing sooner. He was a firm believer that his kids should go to college, and he wasn’t completely on board with Daniel choosing to leave school. But working at Solar Beams might not be so bad. Major changes were coming to the company. They were opening another store and Hector was planning to buy out his partner Martin’s share of the business so Martin and his wife could move to Jamaica to look after his mother-in-law.

  Hector squeezed his shoulder. “All right. I’ll call you tomorrow with our decision.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Daniel grinned.

  “By the way, do me a favor and help out your mother around the house, all right?”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Good. I’ll see you later.”

  Hector waved goodbye as he backed out the driveway, his head fixed on thoughts of his son…and his ex-wife.

  7

  “What are you doing?”

  Adelaide loved the sound of his voice, and after their make-out session earlier today, that enticing bass brought a smile to her face. He’d made her feel alive again. Got her blood pumping. The short time they spent together had been unexpectedly thrilling, and her body still throbbed with the memory of that kiss. The heat between them was still very much alive.

  “I just finished rubbing lotion on my feet and hands,” she answered.

  “Vanilla-lemon lotion?” Hector asked.

  “Yes.” Adelaide slid under the covers and rested against the pillows.

  “My favorite. I can smell it now.”

  She smiled. “What are you doing?”

  “Thinking about you and our kiss earlier. How far would you have let me go if your knucklehead son hadn’t shown up?”

  She let out a laugh and stretched her legs. “He’s your son, too, you know.”

  “I know, but that tendency for knuckleheadedness comes from your side of the family.”

  A
delaide scoffed. “Nice try. I remember the stories Papi Flores told me about your behavior growing up, and you were a headache. That’s why he sent you to live with your aunt, to keep you out of trouble.”

  “Keep me out of trouble, yes, but I never interrupted him and my mother getting busy, I can tell you that. After all these years, Danny’s still cock-blocking. He’s the reason I had to pay my cousin and his wife to keep the kids the weekend of our sixth anniversary. Just to get away from his constant interruptions.”

  “You paid your cousin to keep the kids that weekend?”

  “Of course. You know Manny never does anything out of the goodness of his heart. He’s always got to find a way to hustle money out of someone.”

  Adelaide laughed because that was the perfect description of Manny. “It was an expensive weekend, then. You paid Manny, and you paid for our getaway to Vegas.”

  “Worth every dime,” Hector said in a soft voice.

  Adelaide smiled at the fond memories of their escape to Vegas. “That was a really nice weekend. No kids, just the two of us. It was a good idea and a nice break.”

  Hector had splurged on a suite with a private pool. They gambled, ordered room service, swam naked in the pool, and made love whenever and however they wanted with no interruptions.

  “So, back to my original question…how far would you have let me go if Danny hadn’t interrupted us? Would I have been able to take off your bra?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  Hector groaned. “Damn, Danny.”

  Adelaide cracked up at the pain in his voice.

  “Maybe we can try again,” he suggested.

  “I don’t hate that idea.”

  “No?” He sounded surprised that she’d actually agreed.

  Adelaide smoothed her hand over the geometric pattern of the quilt on the bed. “I’m open to revisiting that moment if you are,” she said quietly.

  “I’m definitely open to that. I want to see you again, but not because we have to work on getting Danny and Jamie ready to be parents.”

  Adelaide could hardly breathe. Her feelings didn’t die simply because their marriage did, and clearly Hector felt the same way.