Yours or Mine

by Craver, D. S.

  “I can’t wait to see this house. It looks gorgeous online.” Libby took a bite of her sandwich. “This burger tastes delicious.”

  “There’s plenty so feel free to take a second one,” her mom said.

  Sydney glanced at her watch. They were meeting Karen at three o’clock to look at the house. She had time to talk to her parents. It might be smart to tell them about the business arrangement with Libby present. “When I looked at the house, there was a mistake in scheduling so another person was there at the same time. He wants to buy the house too.”

  “It’s a good thing we’re looking at it today then,” her dad said. “If you really want it, you better get your offer in soon.”

  Her mom frowned. “I don’t see how the realtor made a mistake like that. You don’t want to hurry and make a big decision because of this other person.”

  Libby cleared her throat. “His last name’s Smith so that caused the confusion at the real estate’s office. The realtor thought they were a husband and wife looking at the house.”

  “There’s something I should tell you.” Sydney put her fork down. “I probably won’t do this but Blake, he’s the other interested buyer, suggested we buy the house together.”

  Her dad raised his eyebrows. “Why would he want to buy a house with you? That’s crazy. He doesn’t even know you.”

  “We both want the house. He thought that might settle the problem,” Sydney said.

  Her mom shook her head. “No way should you buy it with him. I don’t like the sound of it.”

  “But it's a duplex. We'll be under the same roof but have different living units and separate entrances.” Should she mention the adjoining door? Probably not at this point.

  Libby said, “You better tell them about the adjoining door.”

  She wrinkled her face at Libby. “Thanks a lot for the reminder.” Turning away from Libby, she looked at her parents. “The owners put a door to join the two great rooms. It was to make it more convenient for their daughter and granddaughters. It's no big deal.”

  “I don't know,” her mom said, “it sounds like it might be too easy for him to have access to your side.”

  Drumming his fingers on the table, her dad said, “You could bring Blake here and I’ll use The Drill to get some answers.”

  She knew exactly what her dad meant. In high school, he’d enjoyed torturing her dates with tons of questions. He called it The Drill and made sure every new boy experienced it. “Dad, I’m not sixteen years old.”

  “Geez, Syd, tell them what else Blade said about the arrangement,” Libby said.

  She’d managed to shock her parents already so might as well go all the way. “He said we’d have a platonic arrangement and obviously, that will be easy with it being a duplex. I'll be on my side on the house and he'll be the other side with Carter, his son.”

  Laughter burst out of her dad. What was so funny? Did her own father think she wasn’t capable of having a nonphysical relationship with a male house companion?

  “Hush, Marty,” her mom said.

  Was her mom turning pink from the sun or actually blushing?

  He stopped laughing long enough to say to her mother, “Sally, our daughter’s twenty-eight years old, I have to tell her why I’m laughing at what she said.”

  Her mom put a lock of black hair behind her ear. “Okay, but Sydney, don’t mention it in your column.”

  Her dad was a tease but obviously something interesting had happened between her parents. “I won’t, but it must be pretty good for you to warn me to keep it out of the paper.”

  “And Libby, same goes for you.” Her mother patted Libby’s arm. “No one else needs to know. It’s probably not a big deal anymore but still it’s embarrassing to me. And it was wrong what we did.”

  Dad leaned over, giving his college sweetheart, a kiss on the lips. “We were kids in love. Nothing to be ashamed of. I had just met your lovely mom in college. It was our senior year. Sally, what was that class we were both taking?”

  Her mom, looking irritated, said, “Marty, how could you forget? I typed your papers for you. It was the American Lit class.”

  “Your mom’s apartment had fire damage,” her dad said. “Her roommates decided to move back home and commute. Luckily for me, Sally needed a place to stay close to campus.”

  “He told me I could move in with him, and he’d sleep on the couch and I could have his bedroom. He didn’t trust the other guys in the house so didn’t want me to take the sofa.” A brief smile crossed her face. “Your dad said we’d have a platonic relationship.”

  “Okay, I think there’s more to this story.” She stared at her parents. “You don’t have to give me any intimate details, but is there anything else you’d like to share?”

  Her dad winked at them. “I didn’t sleep on the couch for long.”

  That was a bombshell. Her conservative and religious parents lived together before marriage. She needed a drink and not iced tea. “So does this mean I should buy the duplex house with Blake?”

  “No.” Her mother shook her head. “It just means that saying you’ll have a platonic relationship is one thing, but what actually might happen is something else.”

  Her dad nodded. “Just be prepared for anything, if you buy the house with Blake.”

  “Well, it will be a tad different from your experience.” She glanced at her mom. “You had to move in with a houseful of horny college guys, and if I buy the house with Blake, he has a seven-year-old son to consider.”

  Libby cleared her throat. “Even single fathers get horny and children do have sleepovers. But I think that’s what has you worried.”

  “I’m not worried but wish Blake wasn’t so attractive,” Sydney said.

  “Don't let Mark's rejection influence you about Blake,” her mom said.

  She sighed. “I should've seen the breakup signs with Mark. The last couple of weeks he cancelled several dates with me, and he acted weird. I thought he was under pressure at work, but now I realize he wanted to stop seeing me.”

  Libby shrugged. “I never thought Mark was right for you. It's just as well that you and Mark only lasted six weeks.”

  “Is Blake divorced?” her mom asked.

  “His wife, Caroline, died three years ago from cancer,” Sydney said. “Other than the fact we both love the house, Blake thought it might be nice for Carter to have a woman around.”

  “You’re a smart woman. I’m sure you’ll learn as much about Blake as possible before making any decisions.” Her mother passed the bowl of potato salad, and said, “Have some, honey. I made it just the way you like it.”

  Sydney stared at her parents. Interesting, they aren’t going to tell me not to buy the house with Blake. Maybe they don’t think I will anyhow.

  Chapter Three

  What had he done? Blake exhaled a deep breath. How could he tell a stranger that they should buy a house together? He knew why and that was the problem. From the first moment he saw Sydney standing in the driveway, he’d been interested in her. Her smile alone won his heart. Okay, maybe he’d notice other things first about her. She had one sexy body with curves in the right places. While she ran on the treadmill, he’d noticed Sydney’s dark brown hair bouncing around her face. When she fell against him, heat radiated through his body. Feeling pleasure from a woman’s touch was something new for him. No woman had excited him like this since Caroline died.

  He desperately wanted the house, but realized how much he wanted to see Sydney again. It’d been obvious from the beginning that Sydney definitely wanted to buy the brick duplex. Her efforts to convince Karen the home should be hers had been fun to watch. But would Sydney want to date him if he bought it? Would she blame him for losing her dream home? Although he didn’t want to lose the house, he couldn’t forget his desire for Sydney. After they finished the tour, he thought how they could buy the duplex together. It’d be a great solution for both of them. The residence was made for two families. As crazy as he’d been to su
ggest it, he’d been pleased when Sydney accepted going to dinner with him to discuss his plan.

  Just that morning, they’d had a phone conversation to learn more about each other. Sydney mentioned how Carter might like to play on the Little League baseball team she coached with her brother. He glanced at Carter, thinking that would give his son a new interest. Did Sydney wear baseball pants while she coached the games? Probably not, but he’d enjoy seeing her cute butt in tight jeans. Sydney being athletic was going to be great. He’d like to jog with her in the morning but not sure that would be possible with Carter’s school schedule.

  Another problem might occur if he couldn’t keep his hands off her. He definitely wanted to kiss her, but what if he couldn’t stop with a simple kiss? Would that ruin their business arrangement? When he’d told Sydney that their relationship would be platonic, he’d been truthful. But now he realized that deep down, he wanted to make love to Sydney. No, he couldn’t allow his desires to get in the way. He had a young son to consider; he would just have to behave.

  “Carter, finish your sandwich. We’re going to the store to buy a baseball glove for you.”

  “Are we still going to look at that house?”

  He nodded. “And I want you to meet Sydney today.”

  Carter gave him a serious look. “Is she why you’ve been smiling a lot?”

  “I always smile a lot.”

  Shrugging his small shoulders, Carter said, “Not really. You’ve been sad for a long time, but now you act happy.”

  Crap! His son might be a little too perceptive to what was going on. He’d have to do a better job of hiding his feelings for Sydney around Carter. Rushing into anything with her would be a mistake for everyone. He would have to learn to keep his raging hormones in check.

  * * *

  Sydney met Blake and Carter at the park. Carter was an attractive boy with blond hair and a sparkle in his blue eyes. After Blake introduced Sydney to Carter, she learned he liked the house and especially liked the idea of having a big yard for Cub Scout meetings and campouts. Another Smith enamored of her house, she thought.

  She wasn’t sure buying the duplex with Blake was a good idea. Financially, it might be sensible, but it seemed ludicrous when she’d only known him for two days. Actually, she’d know him better by the time they had closing with another thirty days before occupancy. But she couldn’t look at Blake without her heart thumping hard. He looked hot in his shorts and T-shirt. How could she live on the other side of a wall when just being with him in a park gave her a high? She’d probably have a heart attack at the age of twenty-eight if she decided to share a duplex.

  Directing her attention onto Carter might calm her racing heart. “So, Carter, do you think you’d like to play on the baseball team?” She wanted Carter on the team but only if he wanted to be on the team. She didn’t want Carter to do it because Blake talked him into playing. She hated it when parents decided which sports their kids should play.

  He nodded. “Daddy took me to the store to get a glove.”

  Blake put a hand on Carter’s shoulder. “Tell Sydney how you already know someone playing on the team.”

  “We’ve only had one practice so I’m still learning the names. Who is it?” she asked.

  Carter grinned at her. “Aaron Smith.”

  She laughed. “I can’t believe it. It’s a small world. That’s great you know my nephew. Are you in the same class too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Boys, let’s play ball.” They were in an open, vacant spot and after pitching the ball to Carter several times, she stopped. “Carter, you’re a natural ball player. I’m thinking of trying you at shortstop. We need someone with good ball skills and eyes for that position.”

  “Thank you,” Carter said.

  Blake, looking pleased, said, “You’re doing great, son. Sydney, what position did you play?”

  “In high school and college I was a pitcher. I was lucky and had a scholarship.”

  “A writer and an athlete.” Blake said. “I’m impressed.”

  They continued tossing balls to each other. After several minutes of running to catch long and high ones from Blake, Sydney said in a casual tone, “My parents loved the house.”

  “Did you mention about buying it together?” Blake threw to her.

  She caught the hard ball. “Hey, that was a forceful one. I see Carter’s inherited your ball genes.” She gave Blake a smile before pitching to Carter. “Yeah, I did. My dad laughed at the platonic remark, but we can talk about that later.”

  “Daddy said that you might live in the same house with us, but on one side.” Carter gave her a serious look. “Does that mean you’ll be my mommy?”

  “No, but I’ll definitely be your friend. You can always talk to me when you need a woman’s advice. Would it be okay with you if I live close to you?”

  Carter nodded. “You make my dad happy again.”

  Why did she make Blake happy? Was it because he could share the mortgage with her or because he wanted her close by? Geez, she was feeling hot again and it wasn’t due to the warm weather. Probably not good that she had lustful thoughts about Blake.

  After the park and pizza, Sydney called her brother, Zach, and asked him if Carter could play with Aaron for a couple of hours. They chatted for several minutes at Zach’s house before Blake drove Sydney to her apartment.

  Once inside her place, Blake said, “After living in this tiny apartment, you might want to share the duplex with me and Carter. You’ll get lonely in it without us.”

  Lonely might be better than being on edge all the time. Blake did things to her body that no man had for a long time. And this was just from looking at him. Breaking my sexy mood fast might be a good idea. She laughed. “Since it’s so small, everything is convenient. I only have to take a couple of steps from my sofa to be in my kitchen.”

  He picked up a picture of her family. “I thought I was tall until I stood next to your brother. I see where he gets his height.”

  “Both dad and Zach are six-foot-five.” Opening the refrigerator, she asked, “How about a glass of wine?”

  “Sounds good.” He returned the photo back to its spot. “So tell me what your parents think of us buying a house together.”

  She handed him a drink before sitting on the sofa. “I got the impression dad didn’t think our relationship would stay platonic. Apparently, he had some experience with my mom needing a place to live during college. He told her that he’d take the couch and she could have his bed. He didn’t stay on the couch for long.”

  Blake shrugged and stared at her for a moment. “Our situation’s different. We have to behave because of Carter. Plus we won't be living together.”

  He never said that there wasn’t any attraction between them, but only mentioned his son being the difference from her parents’ romantic interlude. What she suspected deep down was true. He desired her as much as she did him. But she needed to play this very cool because her goal was to move out of the apartment. She couldn’t afford to worry Blake. If he suspected how hot and bothered she was for him, the whole sharing thing would be off. “And we’ll have our own beds so that’ll help.”

  Blake looked deep in thought so she sipped her wine. She sensed he wanted to kiss her. So much for trying to keep their feelings from bursting into flames. Oh man, kiss me and get it over with. “I don’t think we should ignore the physical chemistry between us. It’s safe here in my apartment with no Carter around to pop in on us. Maybe we should just do it and see if we even like it.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’ll like it, but I’m surprised you’d suggest we have sex.”

  She gasped. “No, I never meant we should have sex. I was referring to kissing each other. I figured you didn’t want Carter to see us kiss. But forget it now. I need to learn to keep my mouth─”

  Blake’s lips touched hers before she could finish her sentence. His mouth tasted sweet and wonderful. Probably from the red wine. She was good at picking out full-flavo
red sweet wine. Except, without alcohol on his lips, she’d still want to kiss him. As his kisses became more intense, she slid her hands up the front of Blake’s T-shirt, feeling his hard muscled chest.

  His tongue exploring her mouth thrilled her, but didn’t last. He moved to her neck, planting little kisses all the way down to the point of her V-neck shirt. When his warm lips caressed the spot between her breasts, she shivered with anticipation. While clutching him tightly, she heard a knock on her door. What the heck? Who dared to interrupt them? Desire pumped throughout her body. She didn’t want it to stop and her boobs definitely wanted some attention next.

  “Sydney,” her best friend yelled through the door, “it’s me, Libby.”

  She moaned. “I better let her in.”

  After she opened the door, Libby stared at her for a long moment. “You look weird. What have you been up to?”

  She ignored Libby’s question and introduced her to Blake.

  “Hi, Blake,” Libby said. “You must be the guy wanting a nonsexual relationship. Sydney and I are best friends. I don’t want her to get hurt so don’t take advantage of her.”

  “I would never do that,” Blake said.

  Libby arched her eyebrows. “Oh, I noticed your red face so thought something already happened between you two.”

  Sydney shrugged. “Okay, so you caught us. And kissing is still in the realm of platonic, I think.”

  “Hey, I’m not judging,” Libby sat on a green chaise. “You two should get to know each other better. And if Blake should be wanted for any crime, we’d know it. I’m sure Zach’s already been on the police internet to check.”

  “Yeah, I’m one of the good guys. Is Zach a police officer?” Blake asked.

  Sydney nodded. “He’s a detective in the homicide squad.”

  Blake asked, “Is your dad on the police force too?”

  She shook her head. “He’s a principal at the high school. He always put any boyfriend thru intense interrogations before I could leave the house. And my mom was a teacher and play director while I was in school.”