“What’s wrong?”
“What was that?”
“What was what?” His eyebrows draw in. It’s clear he’s confused so I explain.
“The kiss, on the cheek, I thought it was a one-time thing last night?”
Silas lets out a laugh. “Relax, sweetheart. I remember the terms of our one-night-stand. No commitment, no getting to know each other, just sex.”
“So, why the kiss?” I ask, still confused if he knows what last night was.
He shrugs his shoulders, “Why not? I didn’t really think about it, I just did it. Maybe it was just a natural response on my body’s part.”
I don’t press it any further and we eat in silence. It’s not an uncomfortable one though, which makes me realize I’m in a little over my head.
We check out of our hotel room and take a cab to the airport. I’m grateful for his company as he talks with me as if nothing happened. I try not to dwell on the kiss that has been in the back of my mind and enjoy the last few minutes I have with him. I’m a little nervous as we approach the airport. I don’t want to have that awkward goodbye, and it would have been pointless to take two cabs when we are going to the same place. Once we arrive at my gate, he hands me my luggage.
“Thank you for last night.” My face reddens, totally embarrassed that I just thanked him for a one-night-stand. God, what is wrong with me?
“You’re welcome, I guess this is where we part ways. Have a safe flight, Lilly.” He leans in to give me a hug.
“You, too.” My voice breaks as I watch the best sex I’ve ever had walk out of my life.
Chapter 1
Lilly
3 Years Later
“Ezra, can you come here please,” I yell at my rambunctious son, across our home. Trying to get ready for work with a toddler underfoot is no easy task. Packing a bag for him is something I normally do the night before, but I got sucked into the chapter I was writing last night. Which left me blowing off my normal routine, running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off. With Ezra nowhere in sight, I’m left with no option but to stop packing his lunch and go find him.
Crossing the dining room to the hallway, I reach his bedroom first. Nope, not in here. Hearing a noise come from his toy room, I head there next. Opening the door, I sigh and shake my head at the sight in front of me. Ezra has stripped off all of his clothes and his toys are scattered everywhere as he plays with his cars.
“Ezra, honey, why did you get undressed? Mommy needs to go to work and I need to drop you off at Miss Megan’s.” Ezra ignores my question as I’m sorting through the mess of toys, looking for his clothes. After finding them, I walk over to Ezra, who is lost in the world of cars. Deciding to make a game of it, I pretend to try and put his shirt on myself. “Oh boy, this just won’t do. Hey, buddy, can you help me get this shirt on?” This usually helps speed along the getting dressed process.
“Mommy, you’re silly! Those are my clothes.” Falling right into my trap, he takes his pants from me. Score one for mom. I get him dressed, grab his bag, and am finally able to leave the house for work.
Every day it’s the same routine: get Ezra ready, drop him off at my best friend, Megan’s, and then off to work at the ad agency. After two years of being there, I decided to stay. At first, I was a little disappointed that my job had nothing to do with creative writing, but after having Ezra, it ended up being perfect for me. I’m an assistant to my brother-in-law, Joe, who owns the company, and the hours are convenient. He even cut back on my traveling since I had my son, and I must say, I’m more than grateful for that. Waiting for my computer to turn on, I take the phones off the answering service and look at the schedule for the day. I’m both relieved and ecstatic that our day isn’t booked. After my chaotic morning, I could use some downtime and that means free time to write. I’ve been trying to stick to a deadline for my recent story and have fallen far too behind for my liking.
“Morning, Lilly.” Joe places a kiss on my cheek, handing me a cup of coffee. He does this every morning. At first, when I started working here, he would bust my balls and say I should be bringing him coffee. But every time I offered, he would politely decline and tell me to repay him by bringing Ezra by for the weekend. Joe and my sister, Laura, have tried for years to get pregnant, unsuccessfully at that, and so they spend as much time with Ezra as they can. Although it’s nice having a quiet house to write in, I still miss him when he is gone.
Closing my eyes and breathing in the coffee, I take a sip, welcoming the warm liquid down my throat. “Morning, Joe. How did the meeting go last night? Were you able to close the account?” I take another sip of my coffee.
“Yeah, I almost said, ‘fuck it,’ at one point though. The guy had no idea what he wanted and it was hard for me to give him what he wanted when I have nothing to go off of. After hours of running ideas left and right at him, he finally said he liked something. Then it was easy sailing from there. I didn’t end up getting home until eleven.”
“I wish I could have stayed and helped, but Megan had some things she needed to get done and couldn’t watch Ezra.”
“Don’t worry about it. Besides, now that that’s out of the way, I will have more time to spend with my favorite nephew this weekend. You still need us to watch him, right?”
“Yes, but only if it’s not too much of a hassle,” I say to Joe.
He waves his hand, dismissing my answer. “So what’s on the schedule for today?”
“Not much. In fact, there isn’t much on it for the next two days. Looks like you will be able to catch up on some other projects in the meantime.”
“And you can get in some writing time,” he says, pointing to my computer.
“Have I ever told you how awesome of a boss you are? I really lucked out with you.” I shoot him a wink.
“Yes, but you have to say that. I’m your brother-in-law. Besides, your writing really is amazing and I am the lucky one to have you still employed with me. You could have up and quit your job and just continued to write, but you’re still here.”
“It’s the free coffee,” I joke, holding up my almost empty cup in the air.
Joe heads off into his office, and I start my day by making sure I get all the appointments confirmed and other office obligations done; the less distractions, the better. If someone told me years ago I was going to be a mother and a bestselling author, I would have laughed in their face. I couldn’t even get a job in creative writing after I graduated. Now, I have three best sellers in a series and am working on the fourth. As for the mom part, I’ve always wanted kids, there was no question about that. I just envisioned myself married first and children later. Life doesn’t always work out the way you expect it to, and I am grateful for that. Ever since having Ezra, I couldn’t even begin to imagine a world without him in it.
Work goes by slowly, which doesn’t bother me at all. I’m catching up on a lot and feel better about the timeline that I set for myself. I always find myself in this position, but I like to be prepared. No one’s work is ever perfect, and I like to leave adequate time to make the necessary changes that my editor suggests. Looking at the clock, I see it’s time to go pick up Ezra from Megan’s. I shut down my computer, yell a goodbye to Joe, and tell him I’ll see him tomorrow.
After picking up Ezra, I make us dinner and give him his bath. Bath time is his favorite part of the day. He makes that well known with the splashing of the water and the bubble beards he makes on his face. He also is the only kid I know his age that loves to brush his teeth and I won’t argue with him on that one. Tucking him in, I read him his favorite bedtime story and place his blanket over him. Being a single parent can be hard at times, but I will never regret the decision I made. It’s not like I didn’t try to find Silas -- I did, but had no luck. I will never regret the one and only one-night-stand in my life, because it allowed me to be in this moment right here and now.
“Love you, Mommy,” he says, puckering his lips for a kiss.
The
se are the moments that melt my heart. “I love you, too, baby.” Leaning down, I give him a kiss. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Mommy.”
I give him one last glance, as I do every night, before turning off the light and shutting the door. I find myself doing this every night since bringing him home. Even though I know he’s tucked safely in his bed, I always double-check to make sure his eyes are closed and he’s on his way to a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 2
Silas
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak with me?”
“Screw you.”
“I will take that as a no.” With more force than necessary, I push the asshole’s head down into the back of my cruiser. Shutting the door, I walk over to my partner, who is taking statements from the surrounding witnesses. He flips his notepad closed, and I’m hoping he’s wrapping things up here.
“All set here, Biondo?” I ask my partner, ready to get back to the station. There is going to be a ton of paperwork following this arrest. It happens with each arrest. The more you do it, the more tedious it is.
“Yeah, let’s get going,” he says, leading the short walk back to the cruiser.
When we get back to the station, I take the man who thought it was a brilliant idea to sell narcotics right in front of a police officer, to be booked. Handing him off, he says, “Fucking pigs.” I laugh, shaking my head at his stupidity.
“You aren’t that fucking bright, are you? I have had smarter men shooting at me in Afghanistan.” The bastard has the guts to spit at me. “First, you sell drugs right in front of my partner, never mind the outstanding warrants for your arrest. Then, you’re in a police station full of cops where you’re about to spend a couple hours in a cell. You’re half-assed remark won’t get you far, especially in this precinct. I suggest you get comfortable; I have a feeling you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.” I turn my back to him and go to my desk to help with the paperwork.
“I can’t believe that idiot. He must be as high as his buyer to not notice me standing right across from him.” Lucas is laughing as he’s typing away on his computer.
“Or, how about the fact that he is dense enough to risk anything with all those outstanding warrants. The look on his face was priceless when you made yourself known.” I sit down, ready to get this paperwork over with.
“I laughed my ass off when he fell over the street cart, serves him right for running. I’m still thankful I have you as a partner. If there is one thing I fucking hate, it’s running.”
“Well, trust me, I’d rather be running than get dragged to a book store. I can’t believe I’m rushing through paperwork so I can go home, grab Kristin, and go to a book signing.” I shake my head.
“Yeah, man, you couldn’t pay me enough to stand in line and wait for a book to be signed. I’ll be at the bar kicking back a few beers. If she loosens your leash, maybe you can join me after your book club,” Lucas says sarcastically.
I’ve known Lucas Biondo for two years now. We both went to the Academy together and couldn’t stand each other. He was always trying to be the best in the class and was an arrogant, cocky son-of-a-bitch. After graduating, we were paired as partners, forced to work together. After about two months of being around each other nonstop, he grew on me. Now I see him like the arrogant, cocky brother that I never had.
“You know it’s not like that, man. I love Kristin. She doesn’t ask much of me and my time, so when she does, she deserves a yes with no arguments. Besides, aren’t you the one with the curfew?”
Lucas stops typing and directs his eyes from his screen to me. “I don’t have a curfew. Being home at eight to say goodnight to your kids is totally different,” he says. Now that the shoe’s on the other foot, he’s defensive.
I hold my hands up while laughing. “Say what you want man, but it’s a curfew. Don’t worry, if I meet you for drinks later, we can make it for after eight so there’s no rush to get home.”
“Joke all you want. You’ll see one day, when you have kids of your own.”
I shake my head and finish my report. It’s not that I don’t want kids, I just don’t think now is the time for them. Even though I love Kristin, I’m just not sure if I’m ready to marry her yet. I don’t rush small things, so I sure as hell am not going to rush something huge like marriage.
“Alright man, I’m out of here. I gotta get home, change, and pick up Kristin. I’ll call you later to meet up for some beers.”
“Sounds good. Have fun at your book club,” Lucas yells at me as I’m walking out the building.
The arrest we made causes me to leave work later than I was going to. I just finished showering and getting dressed, so I call Kristin to tell her I am going to be a little late. As usual, she is understanding and tells me not to rush. That is just one of the many things I love about her. When I first saw her at the police benefit with her friends, she definitely caught my eye. She has legs that go on for days, long wavy brown hair, and soft blue eyes. When I approached her, you could definitely tell she was used to being picked up. Which is normally a turn off for me, but I put my judgment aside and spent the evening getting to know her. We ended up having more in common than I would have thought, and have been together for two years now.
Arriving at Kristin’s house, I see she is waiting outside. She gets in, leans over to give me a kiss and we head to Barnes & Noble. I can’t believe the sight in front of me as we enter the store. The line goes straight down and even wraps around a corner. I apologize again for making her late to this event as I see we are going to have a wait ahead of us.
***
The line is moving quicker than I expected as Kristin tells me about her day at school. She’s a kindergarten teacher, which fits her perfectly. She is amazing with kids and has the patience of a saint. We rarely have the same days off since my schedule changes every month and hers is set. I will have week days off while she always has the weekends off. We still manage to make time for each other, which is why I’m here, standing in line holding her books. As we are getting closer to the line, I look down at the cover of one of the books. There is a half naked man on the cover and this peaks my curiosity.
“So, what kind of books are these anyway?”
“They’re contemporary romance novels. Why do you ask?”
“Well, there’s a half naked man on all of them. Are you reading porn?” Kristin’s face immediately turns beat red.
Seeing that we’re next in line, Kristin grabs the books from my hands, laughing and whispers, “No they aren’t smutty books. Geez, Silas, get your head out of the gutter,” playfully smacking me on the forehead.
Putting my hands on her waist, I pull her into me. “If you want smutty sex, all you have to do is ask.” My voice is full of seduction, and I bring my lips to her neck and nuzzle on it. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can get laid when we get home.
A throat clears, causing Kristin to jump and me pulling away laughing. I hear a voice say, “Did you want those signed?” For some odd reason, the voice I hear sounds familiar, which is strange. I turn my head to the author waiting to sign Kristin’s books and immediately stop laughing. My stomach drops and I can feel my eyes grow wide as I can’t believe the sight before me. I swear my heart just stopped beating for a minute. Taking in the body I’ve memorized before me, I can feel my cock start to instantly react at the sight before me. I'd remember those curves anywhere, those hips, the way my hands dug into them, the soft skin of her stomach as my lips laid kisses along her body. My chest tightens, feeling like all the air has left my body that is, until my eyes lock onto hers. I see the eyes that pierced my soul, making recurring appearances in my dreams. I gasp as the realization hits me. It feels like a breath of fresh air hits me.
L
illy.
Chapter 3
Lilly
It’s been a long day of taking pictures and signing books for my readers, and even though I’m tired, I love this part of my life and wouldn’t change it for the world. Megan is my assistant and is usually here helping me, but she had some family issues to attend to, so it’s just me today. I thank the young girl for coming out to meet me and am ready to greet my next reader. Standing up to stretch out my legs, I smile at the sight of the couple obviously in love, and clear my throat to get their attention.
“Did you want those signed?” I try to hide my amused smile at their public display of affection. It really is cute and makes me wish I had that in my life. As the couple breaks apart, I can feel my smile fall from its place as my eyes lock on to the man standing in front of me. Closing my eyes for a moment, I tell myself that it can’t be him and my mind is playing tricks on me. It’s been a long day and seeing this couple must have brought me back to that night, leaving me to imagine things. Besides, it can’t be him, he should be off in a different country or something along the lines of that. I open my eyes, and staring back at me are the same emerald green eyes I see every day at home in my son, our son. He is scanning my body and that all too familiar feeling of tingling in my fingers returns as I resist the urge to reach out and touch him. Fear and anxiety set in as I realize it’s him, in the flesh, at my book signing, with another woman. My heart sinks at the realization that not only is the best sex I’ve ever had standing in front of me, but his arms are wrapped around one of my readers. This fills me with a fit of jealousy and I want to rip his arms off her. If she only knew the book she was holding was our story, I bet she wouldn’t be here right now. I always fantasized about what it would be like to run into him again, and this doesn’t even come close to measuring up to it. I decide that now would NOT be the best time to have a freak-out, I smile and greet them both.
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