Easton’s laugh tinkled out of her. “Not at all. I had a lovely evening, too.”
“Oh, good.” Bella swallowed, and in her mind, she was trying to come up with the best way to make a move here.
She didn’t have to worry.
Easton’s mouth pressed to hers before she had time to prepare, and that was probably a good thing. The kiss was tentative. Gentle. Warm. Bella raised her hand, laid her palm against Easton’s face, and deepened the kiss just a bit, Easton’s words about not rushing anything popping into her head. She didn’t want to get carried away—which she knew by the way her instantly heated blood seemed to rush faster through her system and her heart rate kicked up a notch or twelve that she absolutely could. That getting carried away with—by—Easton Evans was suddenly a frighteningly real possibility.
Forcing herself to focus, Bella slowly ended the kiss but stayed close enough that they were breathing the same air. A million things went through her head to say, but instead, she simply stroked her fingers down Easton’s cheek and whispered, “Good night.”
She turned and got in her car. When she glanced out the window, Easton was walking slowly backward, a sexy smile on her face. She finally turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Bella sucked in a huge breath, then let it out little by little and tried her best to concentrate on driving home rather than the incredible evening she’d just had. The indescribably delicious kiss she’d just experienced. My God…
It was a wonder she made it home in one piece.
Chapter Eleven
Easton pulled her car into an empty spot and glanced at the clock on the dash. She was early. Like, way early, which was her default when she was nervous. Job interviews. Meetings with Emma’s teachers. Doctors’ appointments. While it was lovely to be known as a person who was never late to anything, the drawback, of course, was that she then had tons of time to sit and get even more nervous as she waited. Tons of time to think, in intricate detail, how she could possibly screw up the very thing she was early for.
Like now.
It was a surprisingly warm morning for May, which tended to start off cool. Easton had put on a pair of tight black workout pants, a white T-shirt, and a lightweight pink jacket, which she suspected would end up tied around her waist at some point. The park was busy with a different crowd than she usually saw when there with Emma on some afternoons. Then it was moms and babysitters and lots of kids in a range of ages. This early, it was dog walkers and joggers and bikers. Fitness folks, who served as reminders to Easton that she hadn’t been to the gym in over a month.
Reaching for her phone to punch in a note to try to find time next week, it dinged before she grabbed it. A text from Shondra.
You’re already there, aren’t you?
Easton grinned. Her BFF knew her so well. Guilty.
You’re almost half an hour early!
Easton nodded as she typed. I know. It’s a sickness.
Well, get out and walk around or something. Otherwise, you’ll get so nerved up you’ll explode. And that’s a nice car. Nobody wants to have to clean up your exploded organs.
This time, Easton chuckled out loud. Eww.
Exactly.
Getting out now.
Good. Text me later. And breathe!
Easton grimaced. Trying!
It had been a bit of a rough night for Easton. Sleep had been elusive, which was unusual on nights when she didn’t have Emma. Those were usually her best nights’ sleep because she didn’t have to listen for or worry about her child waking in the night. Last night, though, her body was on fire. That was the only way to describe it. Bella had set her aflame. Easton tried to remember the last time she’d been kissed like that. Tenderly but sensually. Seemingly with such knowledge of exactly what would turn her on. And she realized the answer was never. Easton had never been kissed like that. Even with Olivia, despite a newfound, unfamiliar passion, it had never been like that. When she and Olivia had kissed, it was more…desperate. Hurried. With Bella, it was slow, easy, erotic, like they had all the time in the world. It was intoxicating. Easton had literally felt the tiniest bit drunk as she strolled to her car afterward.
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and images, most of them sexual in nature, but she made it home without issue. The same thought kept rolling through her mind: if her first kiss with Bella—which had been sensually gentle—had completely liquified her insides, what would happen if they went further the next time? What would it be like if they actually had sex? That simple kiss had woken up Easton’s entire body. What on earth would more do to her?
Looking for things to occupy her mind, she’d done some dishes, cleaned up some toys Emma had left around the living room, and then took a bubble bath before bed, hoping to relax and rid herself of all the nervous energy. Instead, it somehow turned her on more and she ended up taking care of herself right there in the water, biting her bottom lip hard as her orgasm tore through her submerged body with unexpected intensity.
It was a good thing, because she flopped into bed with rubbery limbs and dropped immediately off to sleep…
…where she had a sex dream about Olivia. Olivia, who was still as beautiful as ever. Olivia, who professed her love to Easton in gentle whispers. Olivia, who, as she was moving rhythmically above Easton, sliding her fingers in and out, suddenly morphed into Bella. The shape of her face shifted, her eyes darkened from green to hazel, her expression melted from intense concentration to an easy, sexy smile. Easton didn’t have time to be surprised by the change because Bella then picked up speed, brought her mouth down on Easton’s, and Easton came barely three seconds later. Orgasmed in her sleep, which had only happened to her a few other times in her life, and which left her body shaking as she woke up to the dark of her room and the emptiness of her bed.
She lay awake for a long time after that.
Now she pushed herself out of her car because Shondra was right. Her nervous energy had returned and was firing on all cylinders, and she felt a bit jumpy. Some fresh air and a brisk walk should help calm her down before she met up with Bella.
The park was massive, one of the largest in the city, with a huge field broken into several areas for playing with dogs, Frisbees, balls of any kind. Space for picnics. A paved trail for jogging or biking that ran all the way around the field. A sign posted at the edge of the parking lot said the loop was 2.7 miles total. Through texts, she and Bella had agreed to meet on the west side of the park, away from the playgrounds and the kids, near an enormous open space so Ethel could run. Easton decided she had enough time to walk the path before their scheduled meet if she kept a brisk enough pace, so she headed on her way. Burning off nervous energy was the name of the game here.
Walking had always been something Easton enjoyed, especially through a park or along some kind of water. Being in nature was best for her head. She could run on the treadmill at the gym or swim in the pool or take a spin class. But nothing allowed her the same type of thinking time, of head-clearing self-discovery, as walking outside. There was something about being among the trees, the birds, the earth. It centered her, did something to her brain so she began to breathe in slow, even breaths like a normal person again. Her muscles slowly relaxed, let go of their tension. Her shoulders dropped a bit. Her back and her jaw softened in a way she could actually feel. And it happened now. She’d started off at a brisk walk, but then her pace had slowed. She inhaled deeply, let it out, listened to the birdsong in the trees, took in the sights and sounds of other folks in the park that morning, and her body relaxed. Her mind relaxed.
Easton was about two-thirds of the way around the loop when she looked up to see a big, square-headed dog tearing through the grass, eyes on a tennis ball sailing overhead. She recognized the dog instantly and scanned the field until she saw Bella, who waved. A second dog sat at her feet. Easton waved back, fully expecting her body to dump all the recent calm and go right back into nervous and jerky, but she was pleasantly surprised because the exact opposite happened
. The calm stayed. Settled in further. She felt warm and there was definite happiness, but she felt…like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Easton couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so content.
It was weird. Not gonna lie, this is a little freaky.
She stuffed the thought away as she walked toward Bella, who was strolling in her direction. The second dog lumbered along, obviously in no hurry. Ethel had the tennis ball in her mouth and was running in circles around Bella.
“I think she wants you to throw that,” Easton said, pointing at Ethel.
“Really? I don’t know where you got that silly idea.” Bella’s smile was even more beautiful in the sunlight than it had been in the restaurant last night. She wore light-colored jeans with a hole in the knee, a soft-looking gray T-shirt with the word Nashville across the front in faded blue letters, and bright blue Nikes on her feet. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her face was devoid of pretty much all makeup. Easton thought she was just as attractive now as she’d been last night, all dressed up. Maybe even more so.
“Hi,” Bella said as she reached Easton, holding out a hand.
Easton grasped it, pulled her into a quick hug. “Hey there.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were here yet, so thought I’d just get the girls out and ready to go, and then I saw you walking.”
“I was a little early.” Easton wrinkled her nose. “It’s a sickness I have.”
Bella’s answering giggle was very cute on a Saturday morning, as she picked up the tennis ball and heaved it for Ethel. “I’d much rather be early than late.”
“Right?” Easton squatted so she was eye level with the other dog. “So, I assume this is Lucy?”
“It is. Lucy, Queen of All Things, Our Lady of Perpetual Laziness.”
Easton feigned a gasp, then whispered to Lucy as she held a hand to her nose. “Don’t worry. I’m not listening to your mean mommy. I don’t believe a word she says. You’re beautiful.”
Lucy responded by giving Easton’s hand a lick. Easton took that to mean permission to pet had been granted. The dog’s fur was short, her coat velvety, light brown with hints of red. She turned her head slightly, as if showing Easton exactly where to scratch.
When Easton glanced up, Bella’s gaze was fixed on her, something…deep and hard to identify in her eyes.
Ethel returned, dropped the ball, and waited impatiently, pink tongue lolling to one side, big brown eyes riveted on Bella, tiny whines emanating from her doggie throat.
“She obviously hates this game,” Easton commented.
“It’s torture for her. I don’t know how she stands it.” Bella threw the ball again, and Easton found her eyes glued to Bella’s body, the stretching of her limbs, the subtle flexing of muscle in her bare arm, demonstrating both strength and femininity at the same time.
“Did you play any sports in school?” Easton asked. Bella could throw a ball, that was for sure.
Bella shook her head, kept her eyes on Ethel as the dog sprinted for the ball. “No. I play a little rec softball here and there.”
“You have a team?”
“My friends play. I’ll sub on occasion.” Ethel trotted back and dropped the ball at Bella’s feet. Lucy sighed heavily and walked her front paws out in front of her until she was lying down in the grass. Easton laughed as Bella looked down at them and said, “Her life is hard.”
Easton stood. “Why only a sub?”
“I’m not that good,” Bella said with a wistful smile and a shake of her head. “Honestly, I’d rather watch.” She turned to Easton, those hazel eyes fixed on her. “What about you?”
“Don’t laugh,” Easton warned, holding up a finger.
Bella crossed her heart.
“I was a cheerleader.”
With a nod, Bella turned and threw the ball. “Of course you were.”
There was a slight tinge of…something in Bella’s tone, and Easton squinted a bit as she felt the subtle sting. Keeping her voice light, she asked, “What does that mean?”
Bella turned to her, and Easton was sure she saw a darkness cloud her eyes for a split second before it evaporated. Then she smiled, shrugged, and said, “Look at you.”
Easton scoffed as Ethel returned with the ball. “I’ll have you know, cheerleading takes a lot of athletic prowess.” She picked up the ball before Bella could. “Which I happen to have.” She threw the ball as hard as she could, and it flew much farther than when Bella threw it. “Seriously, have you never watched Bring it On?” She raised her eyebrows in lighthearted question.
Looking suitably chagrined, Bella wrinkled her nose. “You’re right. I apologize for buying into the stereotype. Nice throw, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Easton pushed at her playfully, and while it felt better, it had still been an odd exchange. She wasn’t really sure what it was, couldn’t put her finger on it, so she chalked it up to the same bad rap everybody else gave to the high school cheerleader, especially if she was blond. There was a slight disappointment that Bella would feel the same way, and she decided to maybe revisit it later.
They took turns throwing the ball for Ethel and watched in amusement as she got slower and slower. Finally, she brought it back, dropped it, and flopped down next to it. Then she stretched her back legs out so her pink dog belly was flat on the cool grass.
“That is known as the flying frog,” Bella said as she pointed to her dog.
“I see why.” Easton had been petting Lucy on and off the whole time, so she now sat between the two dogs, a hand on each head. Both looked blissful, eyes half closed, tongues hanging out, the warmth of the spring sun shining down on them. When she glanced up at Bella, that hazel gaze was aimed down at her with barely disguised desire—preferable to the other odd expression she’d had—and it made Easton’s heart pound. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Hey.” Bella sat down, too, and they looked at each other for a long moment before Bella spoke again. “I see you’ve won over my dogs with your charm.”
“Wasn’t hard. The bacon-scented body wash I use helps, too.”
They sat in comfortable silence for several moments. Easton could see the playground in the distance, could hear the squealing children playing on the slide, the swings, the merry-go-round, and it made her think of Emma.
As if reading her mind, Bella asked, “Do you miss Emma on days that your ex has her?”
“Every second,” Easton said truthfully. “I always tell myself to enjoy the break. Take some time and do some things for me. She goes with Connor on Wednesdays after school, so when I kiss her goodbye on Wednesday morning, I try to think about all the blissful free time spread out in front of me and all the things I could do with it. And then by lunchtime on Wednesday, I get a little sad because I remember that I won’t see her again for three more days. By Saturday, I’m usually a little stir-crazy waiting to get her back.”
Bella waved her arm to encompass the two of them, the two dogs, and the park itself. “Is this helping a little?” Her voice was soft, like it was something she hesitated to ask, and her dark brows rose up a bit.
Easton gave her the warmest smile she could, which wasn’t hard because it was what she felt. “This is helping a lot.”
Bella didn’t hide her relief well, which was super cute. “Well, good. I’m glad. I love the park.”
“Yeah?”
Bella leaned back so she reclined in the grass, her focus aimed at the blue sky. Easton followed suit, but on her stomach, propped on her forearms so she could look down on Bella’s gorgeous face as she spoke.
“I find it rejuvenating,” Bella explained. “The green of the grass. The trees. Especially a day like this when the sun is out and the sky is blue. I could lie here like this in the grass for hours, just quietly with my thoughts.”
They lay in silence then, just enjoying the feel of the grass, the sun, the presence of each other, and Easton was kind of amazed at how easy it was to simply exist quietly
with Bella. There was more she wanted to know, and she’d get around to asking eventually, but this? Lying in the grass on a lovely Saturday morning in the park? Dogs pooped out next to them, kids laughing in the distance, joggers passing by, the sun warming their bodies? It was undeniably blissful, and Easton couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this at ease with somebody. A long time ago with Connor, sure. But many, many years ago. With Olivia? Never. She was never relaxed with Olivia because she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Olivia kept her feeling like she was on a tightrope and could misstep at any moment, bringing everything to a crushing end. Which had happened anyway. No, she’d never been contented with Olivia, not for a second.
But with Bella? It was easy. Terrifyingly easy. Was it too easy? Was that even a thing?
“Hungry?” Bella asked before Easton’s thoughts could carry her away to the Land of Confusion, where Easton owned property and could probably be elected mayor without a problem.
“I am. You?”
Bella nodded. “Starving. Ever been to Hedges?”
“I love that place.”
“Me too. How about you head there, and I’ll take these girls home and meet you?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Twenty minutes later, menu in hand, Easton was sipping excellent coffee at a black metal outdoor table for two she’d been surprised to snag. Hedges was very busy—not unusual for a sunny Saturday morning—but she hadn’t even gone inside. When given the choice between inside and out, she chose out without really even thinking about it. The waitress had left a plate of the restaurant’s famous shortbread cookies, and Easton nibbled one. She was scanning her breakfast options when Bella touched her lightly on the shoulder.
“Hey,” Easton said. “I feel like I just saw you a few minutes ago.”
“That’s weird,” Bella said, and pretended to be puzzled as she took a seat. “It’s almost impossible to get a table outside here. How’d you manage?”
“I have skills.”
“Yeah? I didn’t know that about you.”
The Do-Over Page 12