“I guess.”
“I had fun tonight.”
“Me too.”
She put a hand on my cheek and brushed her thumb across it. “I just want to tell you that you’re a great dad.”
“Thanks. I try to be.”
“You are.”
“Do the kids ever say anything about Kim to you?”
She furrowed her brow in thought. “Not much. Eric and I were reading a book about a mommy alligator one day, and he told me he doesn’t have a mom anymore. That’s the only time I can remember either of them saying anything.”
“Damn. I hate that he thinks that.”
“I know. But you do everything possible to make them feel loved.”
I shook my head. “It’s not the same, though.”
“Do you wish she’d come back?”
“No.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing. The boys both seem happy and well-adjusted to me.”
“They both like you a lot.”
She smiled. “I like them, too. I think the best thing for them at this point is that I be a friend—to all of you.”
“I agree.” I rested my forehead on hers again. “It means a lot to me that you get that. That you know I can’t have a traditional relationship.”
“I’m just happy to have what I can get of you.”
She smiled and pulled away, picking up her bag from the counter.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Goodnight.”
I walked her out to her Jeep, but she got inside and put it in reverse before I could kiss her. Not that I probably would have, anyway, with the neighbors watching.
I shook my head as I walked back into the house. It was awkward as hell to have to think about this stuff at thirty-seven years old.
Meredith
The boys were wearing me down by the day. After just thirty minutes of Eric working on reading and Jordan working on writing, they’d convinced me to play cards.
“Go fish,” I said, narrowing my eyes in mock seriousness.
Jordan pulled the card he needed from the pile on the table and did a little dance to celebrate.
They’d been swimming again today while Stephanie babysat, and both of them had a golden summer glow I envied.
“Hey, Meredith, what are you doing tonight?” Jordan asked me.
“When your dad gets here, I have to run back to work, actually. Our finance guy had to leave early today, and I have to cover the end of his shift.”
“When is that over?”
“Seven.”
“My game starts at seven. Maybe you can come but just be a little late.”
His brown eyes, the same dark shade as his father’s, lit up hopefully.
I knew I shouldn’t go. It would be uncomfortable to show up there and have not just the Lockharts, but others, staring at me and wondering about my ulterior motives. Not that I had any, but the truth made for lousy gossip.
But I’d already put Jordan off a couple times, and I couldn’t do it again. I wanted to watch him play.
“I’ll be there,” I said.
“You will?”
“Absolutely.”
“Cool.”
“I’ll be there, too,” Eric said, grinning. “Maybe we can play at the park together.”
“She’ll be watching my game,” Jordan said, his brows knitted together.
“Hey, guys,” Kyle called from the kitchen.
The boys mobbed him, both wanting to tell him about their day, and I told Kyle I had to get back to work.
When I got there, Jeff Newberry was signing the paperwork for a new pickup truck. He was a farmer who lived on the outskirts of Lovely.
“Heard you’re seeing the oldest Lockhart boy,” he said as he sat down in my office to sign the paperwork for his vehicle.
“Did you?” I kept my face angled toward the papers I was signing, unwilling to confirm or deny his statement.
“He’s a lucky guy. Can’t believe you haven’t been snatched up already.”
I smiled at him. Jeff’s two daughters had gone to high school the same time I did, and he’d always been nice to me.
“Thank you,” I said, realizing it was the first time anyone had said something nice about me seeing Kyle.
“Damn fine doctor, that boy. Julie had to get a biopsy last year, and he really put our minds at rest over it. Got us in immediately and expedited the results. You don’t get that kind of service in a big city.”
“That’s for sure.”
I passed him a small stack of papers to sign. “It’s quick and easy when you’re paying cash. Just sign these, and we’ll get you on your way.”
He finished signing, and I made copies for him, putting them in an envelope and walking him out to the salesman who’d sold him the car.
I was able to duck out then, and I drove to the ball fields. Jordan had told me his game was on diamond three, and I saw the blue T-shirts his team wore in the outfield when I pulled in.
My heart raced nervously. This was the kind of thing I deliberately avoided. But it wasn’t about me, I reminded myself. This was for Jordan.
I spotted the Lockhart clan in a large group of lawn chairs near first base. That meant I was able to sneak onto the bleachers without walking past them.
This wasn’t so bad at all. I had a great view of the game, and when it was over, I’d be able to leave without encountering any of the Lockharts. From the glance I’d gotten at their group, they were all here.
My heart had resumed its normal pace when Jordan came up to bat in the bottom of the third inning. He gave me a quick wave on his way to the plate, and I waved back. I felt heads turning in my direction.
Ugh. I wanted to crawl under the bleachers. But I stayed focused on Jordan, clapping when he hit a single.
His team didn’t score, and when they were running onto the field for the start of the fourth inning, Eric slid onto the bleachers next to me.
“You want some popcorn?” he asked, holding a white paper bag out toward me.
“No, thanks.”
“They’re gettin’ creamed,” he said, shoving a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth.
A score of 4-2 was hardly that bad, but I just smiled at his assessment.
“Do you play ball, too?” I asked him.
“No, I’m on the swim team.”
“Maybe I can watch you swim sometime.”
“Yeah, you can come. I’m fast.”
“I know. You’re like a little fish I can never catch.”
He looked over at the gathering of lawn chairs. “Do you want to sit with my dad? He’s over there.”
“Um . . . no, I think I’ll sit right here.”
“Okay. I’ll sit with you.”
Eric’s company was nice. It helped distract me from my constant awareness of the Lockharts. Jordan’s team came back to take a 6-4 lead, with him scoring one of the runs. I wanted to chicken out in the ninth inning and leave before the game was over, but I made myself stay.
As soon as it was over, though, I got up from the bleachers and looked down at Eric.
“See you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Tell Jordan I said good game.”
“I will.”
He slid down from the bleachers, and as much as I didn’t want to look at the Lockharts, I wanted to make sure he got back over to Kyle. When I saw Kyle, he looked like he was having a disagreement with Grace. His jaw was set in a tense line as she talked while he folded up a chair.
I just hoped it wasn’t about me.
Putting my head down, I hustled to my Jeep, barely able to keep from breaking into a run. Seeing Grace Lockhart never failed to bring back the shame I still carried over leaving Reed standing there waiting for a bride who would never show up, nearly nine years ago.
I started my Jeep and was about to put it in drive when Kyle came running up to my driver’s side door.
“Hey,” he said, his brow furrowed with confusio
n. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It was a last-minute thing. Jordan asked me to come by after I finished at work.”
“I’m sorry if you were uncomfortable.”
I shrugged. “No, it was fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“It is what it is, Kyle.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m well aware what your mom thinks of me.”
The tight set of his lips told me I was right—their argument had been about me.
“I don’t care what she thinks.”
I smiled sadly. “I wish I didn’t.”
“I had my niece Alana sleeping in my lap when Eric told me you were here. Otherwise, I would have sat with you, too.”
“Don’t worry about it.” People were starting to walk toward their cars, and I looked nervously at the exit. “Look, I need to go.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, okay? I hate that you were uncomfortable.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He stepped back from my Jeep, and I pulled out of the parking lot, relieved to have avoided seeing Grace face-to-face.
I’d figured that with the way rumors about me and were Kyle swirling, she’d heard something was going on. But now I knew for sure. And I didn’t like the anxious feeling it gave me. I had a feeling a confrontation would happen. It was only a matter of when.
Kyle
Meredith’s brick bungalow had a shady yard full of mature trees, a swing on the front porch, and baskets of flowers on either side of the front step.
When I knocked on the front door, she answered it wearing a red dress that came to her knees, an apron covering the front of it. Her hair was pulled up, but a few strands had escaped.
“Hey, I’m ready for you,” she said with a smile.
I knew she meant the dinner she’d made, but my thoughts were already in the bedroom. I was beyond ready to be inside her and find out exactly what she liked. Meredith’s combination of sexy and sweet had my self-control hanging by a fine thread.
She’d made chicken parmesan, and it smelled amazing. I checked out her living room on the way to the kitchen. She had a dark purple sofa with a blanket folded neatly over the back and cream chairs flanking a brick fireplace mantle. Bookcases were lined with books and a few photos, and there were several houseplants.
Her place had the cozy touches mine was missing. I liked it.
“I brought white wine,” I said, setting it on the counter. “You have a corkscrew?”
She handed me one, and I opened the wine while sneaking glances at her.
“How was work?” I asked her. “You ran out of my place so fast when I got home, I didn’t get a chance to ask you.”
“I had to get home to make dinner,” she said, laughing lightly. “Work was work. What about you?”
“It was a good day. One of those days where everything felt right.”
“I like that,” she said, meeting my eyes across the kitchen island.
“Or everything might have felt right because I knew I was seeing you tonight.”
She flushed slightly. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. All week, actually.”
“Me, too. I’ve been thinking . . . maybe we should slow down on the physical stuff. Just some hand-holding and maybe a peck on the cheek at the end of the night.”
Her brows flew up in surprise. “Oh . . . yeah, if that’s what you—”
“I’m kidding, Mer. Your face just then, though . . . that was great.”
I laughed, and she tossed a slice of red pepper from the salad at me. It bounced off my chest, and I picked it up from the island and ate it.
“Peck on the cheek, my ass,” she muttered.
“You want me to peck your ass cheek? You know I’m all about that. Fuck dinner, let’s get that dress off you.”
I came around to the other side of the island, picked her up, and set her on the island counter, pushing her legs apart so I could stand between them. She drew in a sharp breath as I ran my palm up her thigh and slid a fingertip beneath her panties at the hip.
She wrapped her hands around my neck, toying with the hair at my nape. “Kyle Lockhart, you may be the worst man in town for me to feel this way about, but I can’t help myself.”
“How do you feel about me?” I ran my other hand under her cotton dress to cup one of her breasts.
“Right now?” She bit her lower lip and smiled. “Hot and achy and very wet.”
With a low groan, I pinched her nipple and bent my face to her neck. I kissed it as I slid my finger lower into her panties, unable to keep myself from finding out just how wet she was.
Fuck. Really wet.
“I want you, Mer,” I said in her ear.
“I want you, too.”
I straightened and leaned back a little to meet her eyes.
“Can I ask you something without it killing the mood?”
“Sure.” She wrapped her legs around my waist.
“What did Reed call you when the two of you were alone?”
She lowered her brows and considered. “Hmm . . . it’s been so long . . . I guess he called me ‘babe’ on occasion. He wasn’t much for that kind of thing, though.”
I worked her dress up her legs until I could see the skimpy black scrap of silky fabric covering her pussy.
“Did he ever call you ‘Mer’?”
“No.”
“That’s just mine, then.” I dipped my face back to her neck, and she put a hand on my chest to push me back.
“Kyle,” she said seriously. “There’s no part of me attached to Reed anymore. That’s in the past. Everything about this thing between us is yours and mine. No one else’s.”
“You don’t think you’ll compare the two of us in bed?”
Her eyes lit up, and she laughed. “God, no. I was a seventeen-year-old virgin when Reed and I slept together for the first time. It was always sweet and good between us, but now . . . Now I’m a twenty-nine-year-old woman who knows what she wants. I know my body inside and out. I know sex can be fun and hot and dirty. That’s what I want. I want a partner who will be daring with me. Someone who cares about me but can also fuck the shit out of me. I’ve never had both of those at the same time.”
“Me either. And I’m so fucking hard for you right now.”
She tightened her legs around my waist. “Let’s make a deal. Don’t worry about me comparing you to Reed, and I won’t worry about you comparing me to Kim. I’ll make sure I’m the only woman on your mind when we’re in bed.”
My blood was pumping hard and fast. Sex for nothing but straight-up satisfaction. I’d never had that in my life. There was no price to be paid with Meredith.
“Lean back on your hands,” I said.
As soon as she did, I eased her hips into the air and took hold of her panties, pulling them down until they were around her ankles. I bent down and put her feet on my shoulders, her panties at the back of my neck.
And then I looked at her for nothing but my own gratification. Fuck, she was the sexiest woman I’d ever seen. Her pussy was shaved bare, and moisture glistened on it as I pushed back her thighs to get a view inside her.
“You want me in there, don’t you?” I met her eyes and ran my thumb up the length of her slit to her clit, which I circled.
“Oh, shit.” She moaned and arched her back. “Yes.”
“I don’t know if I can,” I said, shaking my head.
“What?” Her mouth dropped open in disbelief.
I smiled. “It’s just too hard. There are so many places I want to come on you, and I can’t decide where to start. Should I pull my dick out when I’m done and come on your sore, well-fucked pussy? Or should I cream all over those perfect tits?”
“Oh, Jesus.” She was circling her hips now, trying to get more friction from my finger on her clit.
“Maybe I should take you from behind and pull out and come all over that luscious ass. All over the red marks I
’m going to leave when I spank you.”
“Fuck me,” she said, meeting my eyes. The desperate moan in her voice made my cock swell.
“Oh, I’m going to. But first I need to decide where to come. You see my dilemma?”
I turned my face to her leg and kissed her thigh, easing my thumb away from her clit.
“Kyle, please.” Her breathy tone filled me with certainty.
Nothing had ever felt so right. With her, I could do and say the dirty things I’d never spoken aloud to a woman. It was my wildest dream come true.
I moved one hand to her breast, squeezing it as I ran the other hand down the length of her leg. I held her foot beneath its black high heel and kissed her ankle.
“Harder,” she said, her tone nearly a whimper. “Squeeze harder.”
I jerked down her bra and squeezed her bare breast in my hand, pinching the nipple between my thumb and forefinger. The harder I pinched, the louder she moaned.
I took off her shoe and dropped it and her panties to the floor. Then I put my hands on her inner thighs and spread her legs wide open.
As I lowered my face to her thighs, Meredith took a handful of my hair and pulled hard.
“Yes,” she cried. “Do it, please. I’m so close.”
I met her eyes and smiled innocently. “You want me to suck on your clit until you come in my mouth?”
“Yes.” She was breathing hard. “I’m so close.”
“Did I ever tell you I considered becoming an OB before I decided to specialize in surgery?”
“What?” Her expression was confused and desperate.
“Yeah.” I kept my hands on her thighs. “Lovely needed an OB and a surgeon. So I was taking the OB/GYN classes thinking I’d specialize in that. And I paid very close attention.”
I lightly blew air on her spread pussy, and she shivered and moaned.
“Did you know that the longer a woman stays in an aroused state before orgasm, the harder that orgasm will be when she reaches it?” I asked.
“I . . . don’t . . . yes. Oh God, Kyle, I’m so wet right now.”
I kissed her inner thighs, seeing that she was too close to the edge for me to go near her pussy right now. I’d waited so long for this; I wasn’t about to let it end quickly.
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