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“I can’t believe you let him get so messy at the dinner table,” Frank roars, lashing out to slap me upside the head. I take the hit, as always, flinching at the sting that pulls against my skull. “My parents invite us over for a lovely meal and you embarrass me like the stupid, useless bitch you are.”
“I’m sorry. My mistake. There was a lot of sauce,” I apologize, trying to explain that saucy pasta is a messy meal for children. His anger is irrational and nothing but taking it out on me will calm the storm. And I’m okay with it as long as Theo doesn’t see. I usher Theo to the staircase. “Why don’t you go on up? I’ll be right there to give you a bath.”
The smile on my face is forced, and his all-knowing blue eyes fill with tears that rip my heart to shreds.
Take the hit. Document it. Get out. The mantra plays in my head over and over again as I turn to take my punishment.
Out of the quiet night, Blue appears, pushing his blocky head under my hand and letting out a whine. His fur is soft beneath my fingers as I stroke, back and forth, back and forth, until my nerves quiet.
“It’s okay if you’re not ready yet,” Jeremy’s voice whispers behind me, and I whip around to stare at his handsome face. He has a little grin, but his eyes are serious–seeing all the cracked bits I hide from the world. “But my Mom made fried chicken and Pecan Pie. It’s amazing. I can go make you both plates and bring them up to your cabin–no pressure.”
He means it; the sincerity of his tone rings true. And for a moment, I consider it. Hiding in my house is so much easier than doing the things that scare me. But this is a healing journey, and logically I know that no one in that house will hit me. Plus, the bad things never happen at the actual family gatherings. Only after.
I can do this. Take this back, too.
“All good. Sounds delicious,” I say, moving out of the way so he can go in first, but once again, he holds the door for us. Ushering us into a beautiful entryway. The entire house is stunning. Exposed beams, cathedral ceilings, and family pictures hang on every available wall space. The warmth in the house is undeniable as I turn to help Theo with his sweatshirt and hang it on an empty hook.
An older woman appears with a cheerful grin in place. “Oh, you must be Arden and Theo. I’ve heard so much about you both already,” she gushes in greeting. Her presence is so much like my Mom’s–open and guileless–that my throat clogs with emotion. Mrs. Lyons pulls me in for a hug, and it takes everything in me not to break down and cry.
Releasing me from her tight embrace, she turns to Theo, “Dylan is already devouring some pre-dinner munchies right through that doorway there if you want to come with me.”
My sweet son looks back, double-checking with me before racing off to find his buddy. He yells boisterously, making me cringe, but Mrs. Lyons just smiles happily–completely unphased by the volume.
“I miss when my boys were that young,” she says wistfully, patting Jeremy’s cheek and making my heart ache. “I’ll give you two a moment. The rest of the family is just through there.”
The second she’s out of earshot, Jeremy pulls me to him, surrounding me with his masculine scent, and I melt into his chest. How did he become such a source of comfort in such a short amount of time?
“You alright, Sugar?” he rumbles in my ear. Taking mental stock, surprise fills me when I realize I am. Raising my chin, his minty breath fans my face, and the urge to kiss him rises within me. But this time, I don’t need to make the first move because his warm hand comes up to cup my face. His thumb caresses my face tenderly, and he bends forward, kissing me with abandon. Hardness pokes my belly, twitching against me and stoking the flames of my desire. But we can’t. Not here.
“We should go in,” I say, pulling back but remaining molded against him. “But maybe you could stop by my cabin. Later. After Theo falls asleep.”
The words register, and his eyes widen before a wicked grin twists up the corners of his lips. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
What the hell are you doing? But damn it. I deserve this. Deserve to be a woman with needs and desires. Even if this doesn’t last–can’t last–we can have this moment.
There is an ornate silver mirror in the hallway, and my reflection stares back at me. Lust shimmers in my eyes, but I make sure to set any other evidence of our kiss right. Finger combing my long blonde hair, it smooths back into place easily, and thankfully, my lips aren’t too red. Taking a deep breath, hand in hand, we walk in to greet the rest of the Lyons family.
What the hell was I thinking?
Theo passed out almost immediately after his shower—so exhausted that he bumped into the wall on his way to bed. Goofy kid.
Pacing back and forth in the cozy den, a dust bunny on the mantle catches my eye, so I quickly grab a rag, lifting the decorative features, and wiping it down. Definitely what I should be doing instead of texting Jeremy to come over. And like he can sense my nerves, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.
Jeremy
You don’t need to clean up on my account. My favorite things are dirty.
The words make me choke on air, and something between a wheeze and a laugh comes tumbling out. This man. I just freaking can’t. Walking over to the door, I take a second to run my fingers through my hair, wincing when they catch on a snarl. Shit. No time to fix it.
The door swings open on silent hinges, revealing Jeremy and Blue on my porch. In a pose that could be pulled from the glossy pages of a magazine, the man leans against the railing. He’s relaxed and freshly showered, his hair still damp, wearing some comfy sweatpants slung low on his hips. His white t-shirt stretches around his arms and hugs his body like a second skin. Not that I didn’t already know—but the man is built. My fingers twitch, wanting to touch every inch of him. Butterflies flutter in my belly as the tension builds between us.
“How long have you been waiting out here?” I squeak, my voice high and unnatural.
“Not long,” he answers, shifting off the rail and sauntering toward me. “Just long enough for me to think about how much I want a taste.” When he reaches me, his big body takes complete control, cupping my ass and lifting me into his powerful arms until our noses touch. Wasting no time, I bend forward, giving him exactly what he wants. Our tongues twine and his intoxicating flavor bewitches my senses, causing a lusty moan to escape from my lips.
“Should we take this inside, Sugar?” he asks; his drawl rakes down my back and sends wisps of desire through me. Swallowing hard, I nod my head, and he whisks us into the house with Blue following quickly behind.
The dog immediately takes off toward Theo’s room, and Jeremy kicks the door closed with his heel before carrying me over to the couch and falling backward onto it, settling me right over his thick erection.
