by Aimie Grey
Crouching down, I looked into his eyes, which may have been a mistake given the way he winced when he got an up-close and personal look at the swelling on my face. Is that why Thomas is trying to get rid of me? Because I’m not very attractive at the moment? Fuck him. Even broken and bruised I was still hotter than most women.
Pushing the negativity aside, I took Colton’s hand and said, “You don’t owe me anything. I love you and would do anything to keep you safe. What happened tonight is not your fault. Do you understand?”
Although not very convincingly, he nodded. “I love you, too.”
“I’m gonna go now.” Ruffling his hair had become a habit, but this time, I didn’t take it for granted. “See you soon?”
Before I left, Colton hugged me a little tighter than usual, and I may have hung on a little too long.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Thomas
“Is Juli mad at me?” Colton asked. The sadness radiating from him made my own heavier to carry.
Two and a half days had gone by since Juli left for the hospital. I hadn’t called or sent a text, and neither had she. I’d sent her away, and she knew it. A part of me was still disappointed she’d left so easily and hadn’t come back.
I’d never been more confused or conflicted as I’d been when I saw Juli pinning a bloody Natalie to the ground. It appeared Juli had beaten Natalie to a bloody pulp. My first thought had been to get Juli off of her before the police came; I couldn’t let the situation get any worse.
Something bad had to have gone down for Natalie to be there in the first place, but Juli beating the shit out of her, just a few feet from Colton, seemed more like jealousy than protection. Natalie’s taunts weren’t helping anything, but Juli had to have known better.
So, I found myself trying to keep Juli from going to prison for murder, while not being able to look at her.
All of that changed when Juli spoke reassuringly to Colton through the door. Catching sight of her, I realized she was the one who’d been injured. After taking a closer look at Natalie, I could tell she wasn’t hurt at all.
How could Juli and I keep going if I continued to question her motives? Didn’t she deserve someone who wouldn’t jump to the most negative conclusion possible? Had Natalie done so much damage to me that I couldn’t find a way to be even a little happy?
“No, she’s not mad at you.”
“Then why didn’t she come back? I should have been braver.” The boy was on the verge of tears as I pulled him onto my lap.
“You were very brave. You did exactly what you were told. If you hadn’t, Juli would have been even more worried for your safety and wouldn’t have been able to focus. Things would have been a lot worse.”
“Is she ever gonna come back?”
“I hope so. I just need to figure a few things out first.” Like if I was good enough for her, which was a question I never would have considered before.
“Hurry up. I need her to take me somewhere,” Colton said as his sadness blended with newfound impatience.
“Where?”
“It’s a secret.”
What kind of secret could he possibly have that would require Juli to take him somewhere? There was a more important question I needed to ask, though. “Is that the only reason you want her to come back?”
Colton had told Juli he loved her, but he’d had a traumatic evening and could have been latching on because she was injured or felt pressured to say it back. I didn’t think either was the case, but I needed to be sure before I decided what my next move would be.
With sad eyes now trained on where his fidgeting fingers sat in his lap, he whispered, “She’s the best mom I ever had.”
What started out as an awkward, unintentional encounter between Juli and Colton had turned into something more than I could have ever imagined. No matter what, I couldn’t interfere with the relationship they’d built over the past few weeks. As long as Colton was safe, which after everything I’d seen, I knew he was safer with her than with anyone else, I wouldn’t stop them from spending time together.
The status of my relationship with Juli was another story. For so many reasons, I knew my mother had been right. If anyone could undo the damage Natalie had inflicted, it was Juli. But was I really damaged, or did Natalie just open my eyes to reality?
Juli was the polar opposite of the woman who taught me the horrible truth—my truth, anyway—about love and relationships. Even if love didn’t exist, would it be such a bad thing to be with Juli?
Did I really need to be with different women all the time to keep myself safe, or could the right person fill the same role? Was there any harm in being with someone I enjoyed spending time with, and who loved my kid? Not to mention the explosive sex.
When I was young, I’d thought I loved Natalie, and she turned out to be a psychopath in disguise. Looking back, I could see the signs—signs I hadn’t seen in Juli—but my dick could be blinding me to them just like it had with Natalie.
I’d met Natalie at a drunken frat party, and my family never liked her. My brothers, along with two of the biggest names in the world, trusted Juli implicitly. And my mother, who was an excellent judge of character, also wholeheartedly approved.
Natalie wanted my money; Juli had her own and never asked me for a dime that wasn’t for charity. Yet, anyway.
But Colton loves her. After growing up with a crazy-ass mother, surely he would have some sort of gut feeling if Juli had the potential to be the same way. The fact that he wasn’t wary around her at all, when he had every reason to distrust all women, said a lot.
The thought of being with another woman wasn’t nearly as exciting as it used to be, but my dick was always over-eager and ready to go for Juli.
Right now, when I was so fucking confused, she was the person I wanted to talk to the most. She was the person who filled the empty space I hadn’t noticed was there before.
I wasn’t willing or able to define how I felt, but it was more than just lust, and whatever I was feeling certainly wasn’t familial in any way.
Fuck me.
“Why don’t you go text her?” I finally replied to my son.
Colton darted off to his room, and about twenty minutes later, my phone rang. I hadn’t expected her to call. If she agreed to take him out, I thought she’d have Colton give me the details or send me a text.
“Hey,” I answered quietly.
“Hey.” Juli sounded tired. “Colton asked if I would take him shopping. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course.”
“Is tomorrow okay? He made it sound urgent, but I think it’s an urgent want as opposed to an urgent need.”
“I don’t know what it is, but I trust your judgment,” I said, realizing I truly meant it.
“I would offer to take him today, but I just slept off some pretty strong pain medicine. I think it’s out of my system, but I don’t want to risk being even a little impaired with him in the car.”
That was my chance. “I could drive the two of you, if you want.”
“For that to happen, you’d either need to get Colton to give up his big secret or he and I would need to figure out a way to be stealthy about it.” Juli’s small chuckle did things to me it had no business doing, but I wasn’t going to fight it anymore. “I bet he’d love playing secret agent.”
“I’ll talk to him and see if he wants to go today or wait to go alone with you tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll text you and let you know.”
“Okay. I don’t have anything planned the rest of today, but I’d need a couple of hours to get ready. If he chooses tomorrow, I’ll take him after his homework is finished.”
Damn. She really was the best mom he’d ever had. “I’ll let you know soon, and thank you.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, wait,” I said, trying to catch her before she hung up.
“Yeah?”
“Natalie didn’t get bail this time. The DA is in negotiations with her attorney for a plea deal so we won’t
have to worry about a trial. She wouldn’t get off easy, though.”
“Good. I’m glad. Unless that isn’t what’s best for Colton.”
“If she takes a plea, it’ll be much easier on him now and hopefully she’ll get the help she needs, which might make it better for him later. At this point, if he never wanted to see her again, I’d be okay with it.”
An awkward silence ensued. How had we become that uncomfortable with each other after only a few days apart? But I knew it wasn’t the time away, it was how I’d behaved.
“I’m sorry,” I said, hoping she realized my apology was meant for more than her injuries. Just to be safe, I added, “For everything.”
“Let me know what he decides,” she said with a slightly brighter tone just before disconnecting the call.
“Colton!” I called down the hallway.
“Yeah, Dad?” he asked with a hopeful look on his face.
“Juli isn’t feeling up to driving today, so you have two choices. I can drive both of you today, or she can take you by herself tomorrow after you finish your homework.”
My kid was smart, so I didn’t need to lay out his sub-choices if he picked the option where I drove.
His devious planning played out on his face, just like I knew it would. “I need to go today. You can come, but you have to stay in the car. Can we go now?”
“Juli needs time to get ready. How about we leave here around three to pick her up?” Adding in the time it would take to drive to her house, she should have plenty of time.
“Fine. But you better be ready,” Colton scolded as if he were the dad.
“Yeah, yeah.” I smiled as I walked toward my bedroom, happy for the first time in days. After sending Juli a text, I took a shower and picked up the dirty clothes I’d left scattered around my room. I didn’t expect her to want to come home with us after their top-secret mission, but I hoped like hell she would.
Colton and I waited around the house for a couple of hours before putting on our shoes. “Am I going to need to take the SUV?” I asked, not knowing if his mission involved buying something large.
“Do you think I’d let you drive if I was getting something that big?” My kid rolled his eyes like a pro.
“Just checking.” My mind drifted to the other night, and I remembered how upset Colton was when he saw Juli’s battered face. “Juli’s bruises are going to be a lot bigger and darker than they were the last time she was here. Are you going to be able to handle that?”
“I figure if she can handle feeling it, I can handle looking at it.”
“Good man,” I praised as we set off on our journey.
When we arrived at Juli’s, I was floored when she answered the door. Her face was slightly puffy and was sporting a tiny bandage across the bridge of her nose, but there wasn’t a single bruise in sight.
“You look beautiful,” was all I could think to say. “Did I imagine it all?”
“I wish,” she said, opening her arms for Colton. For the first time ever, he didn’t try to tackle her. “I’m friends with one of the top makeup artists in Hollywood, remember? If he can turn this little guy into a zombie, he can make me look like I’m merely suffering from hay fever.”
Noticing Colton came up to her chin, I gestured toward her feet and asked, “Which pair of shoes do you want? I’ll go grab them for you.”
Smiling, she lifted one leg and wiggled it in the air. I’m ready to go.
“Holy sh—crap.” I’d been trying not to curse as much in front of Colton but was beginning to think it was a lost cause. “You own flats?”
“Yes, I have flats. And sneakers, too. I just don’t like to admit it and rarely ever wear them.”
“Why are you wearing them today?”
“It’s easier to be stealthy when I’m not worried about falling off my shoes.” She must have still been feeling a little off balance from the medication.
Looking into her soft green eyes, I silently asked her with my own if we were okay. When the answer came in the form of a barely noticeable nod, a stupidly big smile stretched across my face.
After locking her front door, she threaded one arm through mine and draped the other over Colton’s shoulders, and then we escorted her to the car. “Milady,” I said as I held the passenger side door open for her. Colton held her hand for support until she was settled.
“Thank you, kind sirs,” she replied with a sassy grin.
“Anything for you.” Even though it was said in jest, as I made the quick jog around the car, I realized just how much I actually meant it.
“Where to?”
Juli turned toward Colton, who was buckled into the seat behind me. After a silent conversation of their own, she asked, “Will you take us to the mall by Riverside and Woodman in Sherman Oaks, please?”
Since I was familiar with the area, I didn’t need to put the intersection into my GPS.
“What store are you going to?” I asked a few minutes later as I turned onto Santa Monica Boulevard.
“Do you think we’re dumb?” Colton asked.
“Of course not. I was just trying to figure out the best place to drop you off.”
“Sure you were,” Juli replied with a wink I just barely caught in my peripheral vision.
With as much fun as they were having with their mission, I wished I could join in. They were probably going to fill up on ice cream or something equally naughty.
Mmm. Speaking of naughty… I glanced over at Juli and took in the way her full breasts filled out her sundress, causing the seams to work hard to stay together. Just a couple of carefully placed tugs… She wasn’t showing much cleavage at all, but the little tease she gave me was enough to make me think of ways I could punish her for driving me crazy.
Lost in thoughts I shouldn’t have been having with my son in the car, I drove the rest of the way to the mall on autopilot.
“You can let us out by the shoe store on the end,” Juli said. “We might be a while, so why don’t you go find something to do.”
“Are you sure? I can stay in case you need me.”
“Go. We’ll be okay. Come back in about an hour and wait for us by Starbucks. We can find a place to eat after.” Looking at the console in the car, she said, “It’ll still be pretty early. What time did you have lunch? Maybe we could go to the movies first?” Suddenly, her smile fell, and she looked uncertain about something. “If you want to, that is.”
Looking back at Colton, she added, “Maybe you should take me home after we finish shopping so you can complete the last stage of the mission as soon as possible.” The spark in her voice when she discussed the mission had dimmed. She was able to hide it from Colton but not from me.
“Colton’s been begging me to see the new Marvel movie. It’s playing on three or four screens at just about every theater, so we shouldn’t have to wait around long no matter what time you finish.”
“Yes! Pi—err—the mission can wait until tonight.” An excited Colton jumped out of the car and waited on the sidewalk with his hand on the hood where we could see him.
Just like that, the smile returned to her face, even though it wasn’t quite as bright as it was before.
Retrieving the wallet from my back pocket, I pulled out a credit card, which she waved off as I tried to hand it to her.
“Would you like to come over later and help Colton with the last leg of the mission?”
“I don’t want you to feel obligated. You don’t need to humor me because I’m slightly injured.”
“Trust me, obligation is the last thing I’m feeling right now.” The heated look on her face told me she got my message loud and clear. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. “If you’re feeling up to it, maybe we can have a secret mission of our own tonight.”
“Depends on how well you grovel.” Closing the short remaining distance between us, I briefly pressed my lips to hers, being careful to avoid jarring her nose.
While she was distracted, I slipped the credit card into the bodi
ce of her dress.
“I’ve got it covered,” she said, waving the offending piece of plastic in my face. “If you try to shove that down my dress again, I’ll shove it somewhere you definitely won’t want it.”
I groaned, thinking about a conversation we’d had not that long ago.
After tossing the card onto the dashboard, she climbed out of the car and took Colton’s hand.
Once they were safely inside the building, I activated my GPS and typed “adult toys” in the search box. Less than thirty seconds later, my eager dick and I were on our way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Juli
In my entire life, I’d never been so happy for a nine o’clock bedtime. Thank God it wasn’t my own. Thomas had teased me with little touches throughout the movie. Even though his hands stayed in PG territory the whole evening, he knew exactly how to drive me crazy.
Earlier, Colton and I had watched through a window until Thomas pulled away and then headed back outside to go to the pet store in the neighboring building. For the rest of our outing, I walked around with a silent hamster wheel in my purse.
Being a good sport, Thomas pretended not to notice when we disappeared into Colton’s room to replace the squeaky wheel that had been making it hard for the kid to fall asleep. Once I heard it, I knew exactly why he hadn’t wanted to wait another day.
“Are you going to spend the night?” Colton yawned as I pulled the covers up to his chin.
Not wanting to make assumptions, I glanced over my shoulder at Thomas, who nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Will you come over tomorrow night?”
“I have a lot of work to catch up on, but I’ll stop by before you go to bed.”
“And the next night, too? I’m gonna need some help with my project,” he said, giving me an exaggerated wink.
“I think your dad should assist you with this one.” Colton’s “project” was cleaning the hamster’s cage. Pipsqueak couldn’t stay a secret forever, and I’d already done my part.
“But it’s our thing. If Daddy helps, it won’t be special anymore.”