Staring out of the window, I try to figure things out, work out this life crisis I’m in. I can go anywhere in the world, do everything I’ve ever wanted to do now that I’m not raising my sister’s son, but what is my purpose? I loved my time being Jake’s guardian. His mother. I’m not the same twenty-five-year-old woman who left Chicago seven years ago, but there’s a longing that’s returned since I’ve found myself in this city. Realizing I don’t have a purpose in life or something I’m fulfilling in life is saddening.
The door opens, and Jake slides in. He seems lighter and happier now and I strive for the normality I get talking to him. “Well, you’re in a better mood,” I point out as he plops himself down on the couch.
“I went over to Lily’s new place. She was there with Lincoln and Jessica and moving everything in today.” He sends a smirk my way then pauses a moment and looks up. “They invited us to dinner before we head out.”
“Sure, sounds fun.” I bite the inside of my lip. The thought of spending time with Lincoln before I leave makes nerves flutter in my belly. I didn’t think I’d see him again and now there’s another chance. “You said we’d come over, right?”
Jake chuckles and then nods. He’s lounged out in his torn designer jeans and tee with a relaxed expression—looking like the classic rocker he is. “Of course. So I know we planned on a weekend hanging out together, but I figured you wouldn’t care about my change in plans.”
“No, I don’t, but what made you say it with that look?” I narrow my gaze with the gleam I see in his eyes. He pushes his hair off his forehead then leans forward.
“Lincoln will be there.” He says it casually. I roll my eyes and try to act like I’m not excited about seeing Lincoln. I am because I can’t help myself anymore. I’m still crushing on the man.
“When is it?” I cross my arms and I can’t help fidgeting from foot to foot. Jake catches on to my unease with a laser focus.
“Tonight. And if you don’t come back to the hotel after, I get it.” He does that stupid brow-wiggle thing he does.
“Shut up.” I walk into my side of the suite with a smile on my lips and a red blush on my cheeks, if the heat is any indication. I slip into my room to prepare to see Lincoln again, and this time I won’t be sneaking away—unless he’s sneaking away with me.
“ARE YOU READY YET?” Jake calls from the other room. Shit, certain things never change. Like my inability to get ready at a decent time. I try to do the curl thing with my hair I watched my stylist do, and it takes way longer when you do it yourself. “We’ll be late if you don’t speed up,” Jake adds.
I burn my hand with the flat iron and jerk away, cursing. Adulting shit is frustrating at most times, but this right here is torture. I twist the flat iron in my blonde curls again, and I’m not about to give up. I want Lincoln’s gaze to be on me all night.
“Almost. Shit.” I curse again as Jake steps into my room. I glance in the mirror and see him leaning against the door with a smirk on his lips, and his arms crossed. He’s dressed in his usual black jeans and a black t-shirt, his long brown hair pressed back off his forehead. He’s nailed the rocker appearance, but he also has this approachable aura that’s a hit with his fans. His tattoo on his right bicep peeks out from the edge of his sleeve and it’s my favorite thing about his new look. The tattoo on my ribs, like Lukas’s on his chest, is identical. The symbol that the three of us can weather any storm tossed our way.
“I guess I shouldn’t worry they know I’m showing up with you. Late as usual,” he adds, and the smirk stretches further, enough that his teeth flash.
“You know you’ve turned into a real smartass,” I note about his behavior then focus back on my task. Why do we do this to ourselves? We could go natural and call it good.
“That blame would fall to you, right?” he asks, and the laughter is dancing in his voice. “I mean, you were the one raising me at my most impressionable years.”
I drop the iron on the bathroom counter and fluff out the beach waves I gave myself. “No, I blame your smartassness on Lukas. It didn’t come from Julie or me.”
Over the years, we’ve spoken of Julie, and it hurts less every time we do it. “Didn’t come from Dad either,” Jake adds and walks into the bathroom to stand at my side. His expression turns serious. “You’re beautiful, Aunt Kate. Why are you so nervous?”
I hadn’t realized I was until Jake mentioned it. Reaching into my makeup bag, I grab the silver-topped lip gloss and apply a light layer of pink over my lips then press them together. With a slight shrug, I place the gloss back in my makeup bag. “I’m not sure.”
My nerves are frayed because I saw the way Lincoln looked at me at the wedding. It was like he hadn’t forgotten about me or what we shared, and that causes a wave of nerves to flutter deep in my stomach. I never cared much about these things before, but tonight, I want to. The thought of catching the guy and keeping him is the most alluring thing I could ask for.
“You like him. It’s okay to put yourself out there this time. Give it a real shot.”
Go live your life again. Jake seems to yell those words at me and I hear them loud and clear.
He’s right. Now I hope Lincoln has the same thoughts.
Chapter Thirty
Lincoln
“Kate and Jake should have been here thirty minutes ago,” Jessica notes from where she paces nearby as I work on finishing up our dinner.
“Jess, didn’t you notice Dad planned dinner thirty minutes late?” Lily says from where she looks up from setting the table. Jessica glances my way with a weird look.
“Yeah,” she says, causing me and Lily to laugh. Certain things never change, and Lily and I both prepared ourselves for Jake and Kate to be running behind. We hadn’t planned it, but it was something we hadn’t forgotten about the duo even all these years later. Well, there wasn’t much I’d forgotten about Kate.
“Kate is always late,” Lily assures Jessica, and she relaxes and returns to help Lily set the table. I focus my attention on dinner and the things I remember about my time with Kate. I’m looking forward to this dinner, but knowing this may be the last time I see her has me worried. I decided I won’t miss another chance to let her know how much I’ve thought of her since she left.
We were starting something before she moved away, and now I want to know where that something could go even if she isn’t in Chicago. I had mixed feelings about whether she found a new guy when she moved to Georgia because I want her to be happy, but then again, I wanted her to myself. The few dates I went on in the last seven years didn’t amount to any connection. I often wondered if Kate and our time together stopped things from progressing. I knew who I wanted, and I was willing to wait for her. Kate came into my life like a wave that turned my world upside down. She brought me light and happiness when things were dark and lonely. Even when Kate left, things never were as bleak as before. Even after she moved, it was as if she left a piece of herself—that lightness—behind with me. I kept it, held on to it, and remembered. It came flooding back when I laid eyes on her at Lily’s wedding.
A knock at the door draws my attention and has me focusing on the task at hand. The mumbling of conversation flows into the kitchen from into the other room. “Sorry we’re late,” Kate’s sweet voice says from the entryway. Then she makes her way into the kitchen and stands next to me with her hip resting on the counter. The subtle smell of her shampoo wafts over and I can’t help the smile that touches my lips. Some things don’t change. Like shampoos. Or her smiles. Or the way she gets me worked up just being in the same room she’s in.
“It’s okay. Dinner’s thirty minutes behind.” When I glance away from the skillet, I meet her blushed cheeks. When her green gaze connects with mine, I give a wink and try to focus on the food with some difficulty now.
She laughs, a sound I’ve missed. “You expected as much. Some things never change.” She hangs out with me while the others converse around the dining room table. It’s like Kate wants to be a
s close to me as possible. That gives me a spark of hope that she’s as interested as I am at picking up where we left off all those years ago. “So what are you making?”
“Steaks. Figured I couldn’t go wrong with that, right?”
“Definitely not. It smells amazing. Good thing we aren’t hosting. You’ll never get dinner out of me.” She slides in close and looks over my arm. “What else are you making?”
She’s so close I can sense her body heat and the only thing I can think of is how good it would be to kiss her. Fuck, I’ve wanted to kiss this girl for the last seven years. That desire was only muted with distance but it’s coming back full force with her soft body pressed so close to mine.
“Kate,” I warn.
She glances up with those warm eyes, and they darken with desire the longer she stares. My hand comes up, I slide my fingers along her jaw, and I lower my head to capture her soft lips. I waited as long as I could without stealing from this woman the one thing I’ve wanted most. I keep it gentle at first, tasting the sweetness of her lips. Her hands land on my arms, and she moves in closer to deepen the kiss. The little action kicks my heart rate up, and I turn to lose myself in kissing her. I press her closer and grab her waist, cinching the fabric of her sundress in my hand. I know she isn’t going anywhere, but I want to feel her everywhere. My hand loosens then slides along her curves and the smooth material of her dress. Kate lets out a soft groan of appreciation. I want to lose myself in her, drown myself in those sounds forever.
Shuffling noises come from behind us, and Kate snaps away. I peek around her in time to catch the three of our other guests watching us. They smirk and then slip away. Who would have thought our twenty-year-old kids would interrupt us?
Kate lets out an awkward laugh and licks her lips. The little action makes me want to capture her lips again but somewhere with six fewer eyes watching.
I slide my hand from her hair and brush my thumb across her lower lip. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now, but it seems like we have an audience this time.”
“Can’t say I’m opposed to doing it again,” she says with a shy expression on her face. I can’t help swooping down one more time and stealing another kiss but stop before it goes too far.
“Same. I better finish up dinner.” I turn to the stove. “I hope you guys don’t mind well-done steaks.” Might have gotten a bit too distracted with having Kate in my arms again.
Chapter Thirty-One
Kate
The tingling in my lips stays even as I walk into the dining room. Six eyes turn my way as I sit at the table, each watching me at various stages of intense interest. I can’t help the blush that comes over my cheeks at getting caught making out with Lincoln in the kitchen.
“So, the dinner looks great in there. Thanks for inviting us to have dinner with you. Your home is beautiful.” I snap my mouth shut and grab my glass of wine in hopes to stop my rambling. Lincoln’s lingering kiss has me off-kilter. There’s subtle music playing, and the atmosphere is perfect, so I try to relax and enjoy the company of those around me.
“Thank you,” Jessica says and glances over my shoulder as Lincoln walks in and places dinner on the table for us. “This smells wonderful. It’s good you guys don’t expect me to cook when Lily plans these get-togethers.” Her sweet voice hints at embarrassment.
Jake chuckles and I’m sure it’s making Jessica feel better. “You won’t find Kate or me cooking or hosting this kind of dinner either. I’m certain she fed me on pizza most of the time.”
“Whatever. I didn’t hear you complaining back then. And besides, I fed you other stuff.” I mean I tried, but I can’t cook, so Mom handled those things, or as he mentioned, pizza was a regular in our house.
I take a bite of the food Lincoln prepared and hum my approval. Damn, the man can cook, and I love a well-done steak. The others at the table note that Lincoln got sidetracked in the kitchen though.
“Dad, what did you do to this steak? You over-cooked them,” Lily points out with a fake whine. She still has that playful gleam in her eye I remember her having as a teenager.
Lincoln clears his throat and slips a bite of his baked potato into his mouth, so he doesn’t have to answer her. I can’t help looking his way and catching the slight redness that creeps up on his neck. He’s embarrassed, and I look down, hoping someone changes the dinner conversation. Like him, I’d prefer to not discuss this with our kids.
Jake jumps in and distracts Lily. “So you’ve been traveling a lot since high school. Where have you guys been?” He moves the focus on them, so I return to my dinner.
I guess if Lincoln ever cooks steak for me again, I’ll distract him because I think the food is perfect. I could come up with a few ways to keep his attention while he works. He seems to enjoy kissing me. The memory of his hands, firm and sure as they explored my skin, flows through my mind. It causes a heady sensation to wash over. The way his lips feel when they taste mine comes next. Gentle at first, giving me the opportunity to step away. As if I would even consider that an option.
Without thought, I glance over at him. A flutter rises in my belly. Lincoln isn’t paying his food much attention either, but instead, he’s watching me.
“Aunt Kate?” Jake’s voice grabs my attention, and I turn his way, breaking away from Lincoln’s heated gaze. “Did you hear about the new place they opened downtown?”
I shake my head and realize I wasn’t paying attention to the group and what the dinner conversation held.
“Lily said we should head over. Sounds like it should be fun.” Jake has an excited look and an eagerness to get out and have fun, so I hate the words I say next, but they are necessary.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” I ask, and I see the moment he realizes why I hesitated.
Jake’s face falls. “You’re right. I’ll stay in tonight. Thanks for offering, guys.” He looks down at his plate in annoyance. Things will calm down one day, and he can go out without worrying about the fans bothering him. Broken Revenge is hot right now. It’s part of the fame. It takes away from the simple everyday things—he can’t even go shopping without someone recognizing him.
“They bother you all the time?”
Jake nods in response to Jessica’s question.
“Well, why don’t we hang out here tonight watching a movie? You two are welcome.” Jessica’s icy blue eyes connect with mine, reassuring me they wouldn’t mind us sticking around. It’s nice, but not what my plans for the evening would be. “I’ll head out after dinner. Thanks for offering though.”
“I can drive you back,” Lincoln throws out. “I’m assuming you didn’t drive up and would need to take a cab back, right?”
I find it’s the first time he’s joined the dinner conversation. He offers a better option than calling a cab. Since I don’t want my time to end with him, I agree. “Thanks, I would call a cab, but if you really don’t mind, I’ll help clean up.” I sound urgent and impatient now, but there’s no taking it back.
Lily laughs and waves us away. “I’ve got it. You and Dad head out. We can catch up again with breakfast in the morning before we leave for the honeymoon, if that works for you.” She gets up, and I’m already standing.
I’m in a rush now, but I nod in agreement to what she says. “Thanks for having me over. It was nice seeing you.”
She takes me in a quick embrace and steps back. Jake stands, so I give him a hug before he helps Jessica gather dishes. Jessica tries to tell him to relax, but Julie and I taught him better than that. He’s always the perfect gentleman.
Lincoln walks toward the front door and grabs my purse, saying nothing more. He hands it over and opens the door for me. He’s as done with the family dinner stuff as I am. I follow him out and allow the door to click shut behind me, so it’s us alone in the hallway.
Finally.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lincoln
I take Kate’s hand in mine and lead her out toward the warm summer night. I don’t have
a plan yet, but I need to think of something quick because I don’t want to take her back to her hotel yet. If I only have tonight with her, I’m not wasting a moment of our time together.
“Do you want to go somewhere or are you ready to head back to your hotel?” I still offer because I hope I’m reading the signals right and she wants to spend the rest of her time here with me too. Her hand squeezes mine as she pulls me to a stop. Kate’s palm is warm and soft in mine. My gaze can’t help traveling across the tight summer dress she’s wearing. The sun is setting, but there’s still enough light I can see the way the top hugs her body.
“I’m not ready to end tonight, if that’s okay with you.” I need a date idea and quick. Not that I’ve dated much after years of being married and then my few attempts since, but the usual date isn’t Kate’s thing anyway.
Then it clicks, and I have an idea. “Do you mind getting a little sweaty?”
Her eyes widen in surprise and even darken as she must contemplate what I’ve said. Kate’s mouth opens then closes, causing her lips to mash together. She’s at a loss for words for a minute. “Are you wanting to ruin my dress?”
“It could get dirty for what I’ve got planned. You still in?”
“Yeah. I’m in.” She agrees, so I lead her toward my car. The sultry look she gives me promises she won’t be the least bit worried about any plans I have for us tonight. It’s just us tonight, enjoying the company of the other in whatever way we please. Dating Kate will be the most natural thing I’ve done. We settle in the car, and I look over my shoulder to pull out and make my way through the downtown traffic with ease.
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