Page 87 of Take The Risk

​Swallowing hard, I tried to keep my train of thought. God, did he smell good…

​Words, Phoebe. Say the words.

​ I tilted my head back and had to flex my muscles to keep from trying to kiss him. Did his lips have to be right there? “Actually,” I forced myself to speak so I didn’t get distracted anymore. “I was hoping you had a coaching plan for a woman who wanted to tell her friend that she’s been dating her son and she’s crazy about him?”

​Ty stilled. “What?”

​I love you and I want to be with you. Er…not something I could say in a parking lot, so I went with, “I don’t want us to hide our relationship anymore. From anyone.”

​Ty stood so still he didn’t seem to be breathing.

​Oh, I felt myself deflate. Maybe I—what if I was wrong? I’d thought the entire time it was me wanting this, us, to be a secret. What if it was Ty? After all, wasn’t that a part of the thrill? The secrecy? The sneaking around? My heart started to pound, and a wave of dizziness hit, old Phoebe busting out of the mental box I’d tried to keep her in, bringing her BFFs anxiety and self-doubt to the party.

​“Or-or m-maybe it’s a bad idea.” I tried to step away from him.

​Ty hauled me back so fast I didn’t have time to blink. His mouth crashed down on mine and I was engulfed in his arms. He kissed me fiercely, hungrily. He didn’t let me go until I was leaning into him for more.

​“You’re crazy if you think I don’t want everyone to know that you are mine,” he growled against my mouth, nipping my lower lip. “I’m going to paddle your ass for thinking those thoughts I saw swirling in your head, scribbler.”

​My ass twitched in interest. He’d threatened to spank me a few times now, and it really wanted to know what that would feel like.

​“So you’re okay with us telling your mom?” I needed the reassurance of hearing it.

​His hands slid down my back, cupping my butt. He pulled me hard against him, just in case I missed his erection that throbbed between us. “Does that answer your question? Yes, baby. I’m more than okay with it. I’ve been losing my mind waiting.”

​Oh...

​“Hey, none of that.” He rubbed a hand up my back. “You have no guilt here. I made my own choice to be with you however I could. I would have waited forever if I had to. There is nothing that matters more to me than having you be mine, however I had to make that happen.”

​That was sweet, and what I needed to hear. Hope bloomed in my chest that maybe he loved me as much as I loved him.

​Melting into him, I inhaled his familiar scent, letting it wash over me. I love you. I love you. It was on the tip of my tongue, and then the sound of car wheels crunching pavement echoed and I knew I couldn’t. Not here.

​“I know we planned for you to come over tonight, but I need to talk to Lock.” I couldn’t do anything until Lock knew. I owed it to him. He deserved the chance to share his feelings whether they were good or bad. After the secrets that Jeremy kept, it’d bothered me to keep secrets, too. It didn’t matter that I was doing it to protect him.

​“Do you want me to be there? I want him to know he will always be your first priority and mine. No matter what, he will always be my buddy.” His sincerity and understanding made my heart happy.

​Lock would need to talk to Ty. They had their own relationship, and I needed to respect that and give them some time. “I think I should talk to him on my own first. When I left Jeremy and we moved here, I’d told him this was the start of our new adventure. Team him and me. Given he’s happier to see you than he is to see me these days…”

Ty chuckled with a rueful shake of his head.

“I don’t think he’ll have an issue adding you to the team. But I need to give him the space to say if he does. He needs to know, unlike with his father, if anything happens between you and me, Lock will always have me in his corner.”

​“And me,” Ty added. “You’re an amazing mom, scribbler. Lock has never and will never doubt your love for him. But before we do this, I do want to come to an understanding between you and me first.”

​“Okay…” Apprehension skittered along my nerves.

​“You’re Lock’s mom and I’ll always respect that.” His voice was so serious, the look on his face one that could cut stone. “But I love him, too. He’s Scarlette’s best friend. I’m his coach. I can promise you right now I’ll never do anything to disrespect your wishes as his mom. Ever. I just want it understood that if something happens between us, which it won’t”—my breath caught at the vehemence in his statement— “I won’t just walk away from him. I’ll do it however you want. All I ask is that you don’t make me do that. It would kill me to be a part of his pain.”

​I pressed my lips together, my eyes watering until I couldn’t see him clearly.

​“Don’t cry, baby.” His thumb wiped a tear that had escaped. “I—”

​I put a finger over his lips. “You are—I wouldn’t ask you to do that. You will never understand how much what you just said means to me.” And I believed every word. I couldn’t declare nothing would ever go wrong between Ty and me, but I could give him this. “No matter what happens, we’ll figure out a way. I wouldn’t do that to Lock or to you. You were his friend long before you kissed me the first time. I couldn’t take that from you. Either of you.”

​Ty breathed a sigh of relief, resting his forehead against mine, giving me a swift kiss. “You need to get back, or someone is going to come looking for you soon.” He reluctantly let me go, and I steadied myself with the knowledge that soon this wouldn’t be necessary. “Talk to Lock tonight, and then I’ll come in the morning like always and talk to him too.”

​I nodded. I liked the idea. Keeping things normal was the best way.