by Stacey Lewis
“Great,” Stacey says with a big smile. “I’ll call you tomorrow to figure out a time to bring her back.”
Tabitha’s attention is already on her phone, so she just nods before turning to walk away. She doesn’t even say goodbye to Evie, not that Evie notices. She and Sophie are still jumping up and down with glee over their sleepover.
“Thank you.” The two words aren’t enough to adequately convey my gratitude, but Stacey gets it.
“No problem. I’m just glad she gets to stay and celebrate.” She turns back to look at their family, then turns back to Hailey and I. “We’re all going to Isaac’s parents for a barbecue they’re throwing to celebrate the success of the recital… and also because none of us want to cook after this and no restaurant will have enough room and privacy so we can eat without gawkers. We’d love for you to join us.”
I look down at Hailey. “What do you think?”
She smiles. “Why not? It will give you a little time with Evie too.”
Her voice reveals her presence to Evie and Sophie, and they both run over to hug her when they see her. Small voices talk over each other as they both try to get her attention, so she crouches down to be on their level and gets them to take turns telling her all about the recital and ask what she thought. Hailey’s in her element with the kids, and the longer they talk, the more kids come over to join.
Not all of them are in Hailey’s class, but it’s clear she makes it a point to talk to every child she encounters at the school because she knows a lot of them by name. Watching her with these kids makes me fall a little harder for her. She’s everything I could ever want in a mother for my kids. Granted, they already have one, but they would definitely benefit from having Hailey and her warmth in their lives on a more full-time basis.
The thoughts going through my head have me off-balance. I swore when my relationship with Tabitha turned to shit that I would never do the marriage thing again, but here I am thinking about Hailey in that context. It’s crazy how much she’s come to mean to me in such a short time. I just hope she feels the same.
Chapter 26
Hailey
After a quick phone call to my mom to make sure she’s okay with keeping Connor longer that ends with her agreeing to keep him until tomorrow, I ride with Mitchell over to the Montgomery’s. I could ride with Riley since she’s invited too, but I want to be with him.
We’re the last ones to get to the house, and when we walk through to the backyard it’s full of people standing together in groups. Some are holding the smallest children, while there are others holding margarita glasses or bottles of beer.
Isaac is the first to see us. He comes over to greet us and thank us for coming, then leads us over to two older couples standing close to the grill.
“Dad, this is Sophie’s teacher, Hailey. Hailey, my dad, Steven.”
The man turns away from where he’s flipping burger patties on the grill to hold out his hand for me to shake. “Ah. I’ve heard a lot about you. Sophie loves having you as a teacher. She’s especially fond of the reading nook you have set up in your classroom.”
Beaming at him, I lean forward to confide, “It’s my favorite spot too. And, I love having her in my class. Sophie’s such a sweet girl.”
He grins back at me, then turns to greet Mitchell. It’s obvious they’ve met before, but since Sophie and Evie are good friends, that’s not surprising at all. Isaac introduces me to his mom next, and her response is much the same as his dad’s. “Hi, Hailey. I’m glad you,” she lifts her head to smile at Mitchell too, “and Mitch could make it. Sophie has told us so much about you and your class.”
Mitchell joins us before I can say anything, placing his hand possessively on the small of my back and leaning forward to kiss her cheek. “Hey Gail, thanks for having us.”
He’s making it clear that we’re here together, but I can’t help but wonder if he was ever here with his ex-wife. I’m sure he was and start to worry about what everyone here is thinking. The parents especially. Are they wondering why he’s here with me and not her? Do they all know the relationship ended?
What am I thinking? Mitchell and Tabitha split more than a year ago. Surely, they knew before today. They’d have to. I need to stop obsessing.
“Hailey?” Mitchell’s voice brings me out of my head, and I look up to see him staring down at me, brows furrowed as he studies my face. “Everything okay?”
My face heats, but I manage to nod. “Yeah, sorry. Long day.” I try to shrug it off, but I don’t think he believes me. Since we’re around all these other people, he lets it go, at least for now.
The introductions continue, and next, I’m introduced to parents of one of the girl’s husbands. I’m not sure which because all the names kind of run together for me, but all too soon Mitchell and I are split up. He goes over to hang out with Isaac and the rest of the men while I head over to where the women are all sitting and chatting.
As I take a seat beside Riley, she hands over a glass of what looks to be a frozen margarita. I take a long drink of the icy concoction, hoping the injection of alcohol will help me relax. I know a few of these women from brunch, but they aren’t all familiar.
The conversation between them all flows, and I’m happy to sit here and just listen. My glass is quickly empty, and when I sit back from refilling it, a man is standing behind the woman sitting directly across from me, grabbing the baby out of her arms.
Holy…
I’m speechless. In fact, I don’t think my brain will ever work again. I made a fool out of myself when I met Will, but this guy is on a whole different level.
They both notice me staring dumbly, and the woman starts to snicker, covering her mouth with a hand now that her arms are free. “I think you have a fan, Luke.”
“Hey there,” he says, one side of his mouth tipping up into a smile, but it looks forced.
I bet he’s always fending off fan attention… and probably wasn’t expecting to have to do it here. As hard as it is, I attempt to stop my fangirling and act like a normal human. “Uh, hi.” My voice comes out all breathy, and I want to crawl under the chair I’m sitting on and hide. He probably thinks I’m an idiot.
Riley leans over, putting her arm around my shoulders and trying not to laugh at my giant faux pas. “I guess you forgot that conversation we had at brunch, huh?”
Turning to her, I try to glare, but my eyes are pretty much bugging out of my head still. “Ya think?”
“Sorry?” She doesn’t look like it at all. None of them look sorry at my reaction.
Jules, one of the girls I met at brunch, pats him on the hand. “It’s okay, Luke. We won’t let her take your picture.”
This is clearly an inside joke because she and Natalie burst into giggles, their heads tilting together as they try to hold each other upright. Luke huffs out a breath, rolling his eyes skyward and saying, “Why me?” No one answers, and he leaves, taking the bundle in his arms with him.
Once Jules and her friend calm down, they look over at me. “I’m sorry, we really should have warned you he was here, but we don’t think about it much anymore. It’s hard to think of him as Movie Star Luke when he’s been Covered in vomit Luke more than once at this point.”
“Oddly enough,” I tell her, “that visual helps a lot for me too.” I’m still a little awestruck because I mean, he’s Luke Williams! My inner teenager squeals in delight, but I shut her down quickly. “Are there any other famous people I should know about before I make a fool of myself again?”
Jules taps a finger against her lips, thinking. “No, don’t think so. Not anyone who’s here at any rate. You already know Meredith used to work with Starla, and Will, well, no one cares about him besides Meg. I think you’re good.”
That’s a relief. I quickly suck back my fresh margarita, needing the liquid courage to get through the rest of this party. As much as I want to, I don’t gulp down the next one, because if I do, I’m going to be drunk and that won’t end well for me. I’ll
probably wind up telling Luke’s wife all about my crush on her husband and how I had so many pictures of him on my wall when I was younger. That would be too embarrassing to come back from, I think.
I’m saved from the danger of making a bigger fool of myself because Gail calls us over for dinner. Mitchell’s waiting at the edge of the yard for me to meet him, and when I do, he looks down at the glass in my hand then into my eyes. “How many of those have you had?”
“A couple?” I don’t want to admit to him that this is my third.
He moves in so he can speak directly into my ear. “Don’t drink anymore, okay?” I start to lean back to ask why, but he continues, his words making my legs tremble along with other, more private parts of my body. “I have plans for you later since we’re both kidless for the night.”
Oh boy. “Can we leave now?” I ask, my lips brushing his ear.
His hand grips my hip hard enough to leave marks. “I wish,” he mutters before tugging my lobe with his teeth. “C’mon, let’s go eat. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out of here.”
We take our seats at the table and I can’t even tell you what I eat. My thoughts are so focused on what Mitchell’s plans are for tonight I’m unable to concentrate on anything else. I’m sure I respond to words that are said to me, but I couldn’t tell you who said it or what was said.
It feels like it’s hours later when Mitchell finally pushes his chair back from the table. “Thanks for inviting us, but we need to get going.”
Riley and Meg, the two women sitting across from me both give me knowing looks and I can feel my blush reaching all the way to the roots of my hair. Trying to play it off, I smile at them both and give a little shrug.
“Talk to you later?” Riley lifts an eyebrow when she asks the question, then she looks between Mitchell and I like she’s trying to make sure I’m sober enough to make this decision. The food helped soak up a lot of the alcohol in my system, so now I’m just excited and nervous for whatever is going to happen when we get back to the apartments.
“I’ll text you in the morning,” I assure her.
She still doesn’t look totally convinced, but she nods. “You better.”
We say goodbye to the rest of the group and the ride back seems to take half as long as it should. Mitchell pulls into a parking spot, then turns to face me.
“I want you.” The words are matter of fact. Maybe even blunt. There’s no way to take them other than how he means.
It’s hard for me to say them, but I manage, my voice breaking when I say, “I want you too.” I do. I want to be with him in every way I can be. My only concern is that my body doesn’t look the way it did when I first met Seth. I’ve carried a baby, given birth, and my stomach isn’t completely flat anymore. I have stretch marks and a little pooch.
Mitchell helps me out of his truck, and I wonder which apartment we’re going to. Will it be mine? Or his? I could save myself the question and just ask, but he starts practically dragging me across the parking lot, so the answer is pretty obvious.
His apartment is much quieter than it was the last time I was here. It’s cleaner too. You can tell the kids haven’t been here because there aren’t any sneakers or schoolbooks laying around.
I don’t get to admire the living room very long because he continues walking quickly until we’re in his room. The moment the door shuts, he’s on me, crowding me back against it until I can’t move.
Mitchell’s arms land on either side of my head and I’m trapped in every way. All I can smell is his cologne mixed with the faint scent of oil and car parts that never seems to go away completely. His body surrounds me, and the margaritas I drank earlier have nothing on how he makes me feel.
His mouth drops to mine and our night really begins.
Chapter 27
Mitchell
A small whimper leaves her mouth when my tongue demands entrance. Hailey tastes so damn good. I want to kiss her forever, explore every nook and cranny of her mouth with my tongue, but I also want inside her more than I want my next breath.
Her hands come up to grip my waist, clutching my shirt and pulling it taut. My body is pressed against her, so close I can feel the tight buds of her nipples against my chest and the way her legs shift restlessly. She wants me as much as I want her. The knowledge makes me feel like a fucking king.
As much as I don’t want to release her lips, I need her to be naked… now. Leaning back, I reach down and grip the hem of her shirt in my hands, doing my best not to just rip it off her body in my haste to finally see her.
“Lift your hands.” The command leaves my lips and she hurries to obey, releasing my shirt to put her arms up over her head. The shirt clears her head and I suck in a breath. The sight of her tits has me almost coming in my jeans, and that’s before her bra comes off.
Her chest is heaving, breaths coming fast, and almost a pant. She looks like a goddamn goddess and she’s all fucking mine. It’s hard to bring my eyes up from her chest, but I want to make sure she’s still with me.
Hailey’s eyes are glazed with passion, but when I meet her gaze, she nods, knowing what I’m looking for. Her tongue comes out to swipe along her lower lip and I accept the invitation. She brings her arms down to wrap them around my neck and presses close, bringing her back away from the door which is perfect for what I want to do next.
Her tongue sweeps my mouth as I unhook her bra, letting it fall to the floor between us. Another of those noises fills my mouth, and as much as I love having her here at my mercy, I’m dying to see her spread out on my bed. I want to see what her hair looks like fanning across my pillow and what her pale body looks like against my dark sheets.
My mouth doesn’t leave hers as I maneuver us across the room, using my body to follow hers down onto the bed before I finally release her. She looks up at me, dazed, then lifts up on her elbows, realizing where we are now.
“You’re pretty good at that.” She grins, and I have to laugh. I love that she’s teasing me, even when the moment is as heavy as this one is.
As much as I don’t want to get up, I move so she can push herself up the bed until her head is on the pillows, I wanted them to be on only a few seconds ago. The sight is as amazing as I thought it would be.
“Take off your pants.” Hailey moves quickly, unsnapping the button before lowering her zipper, but it’s not fast enough. I’m faster, pulling off her shoes and then taking her pants by the hem and yanking them off too, leaving her in nothing but a pair of lavender panties.
I run one hand down my face before looking back at her. The sight of her almost naked in my bed is the best thing I’ve seen in a long-ass time.
“Your turn.” Her voice is sultry, begging me to do dirty things to her.
My eyes stay on hers as I pull off my shirt, loving the way she bites down on her lip when she sees my bare chest. I work hard at the gym to keep in shape and I can tell she appreciates it. My hands lower to my jeans next, unbuttoning my fly slowly while she watches.
Hailey gasps when I shove them down my hips along with my underwear and I watch her eyes widen when my cock bobs free. I take myself in hand and stroke while she watches. Every movement of my hand has her eyes switching between my shaft and the way the muscles on my arm move.
I’m turned on, even more when she trails her hand between her breasts, down her stomach and under the band of her panties. Her hips jolt when her fingertips touch her clit and I wish the silk wasn’t blocking me from being able to see exactly what she’s doing.
The fabric moves with her hand and she starts to make those whimpering noises almost nonstop. I can only take a few minutes of watching before I pounce, crawling up between her spread legs from the bottom of the mattress and pressing my mouth against the inside of her thighs.
They quiver against my lips, the movement of her hand stopping as she watches me, waiting to see where I’m going to touch next. As much as I want to go right for her pussy, her tits are bouncing with the movement of her body and
I want to give them all the attention I wasn’t able to last time.
I put a hand on either side of her waist and dip down to take her left nipple between my lips. The hand not in her panties lands on the back of my head, her fingers tangling in my hair and I look up, brushing the hard knot with my beard.
“Please,” she begs, trying to force my mouth back down against her flesh.
I don’t think she even knows what she’s asking for, but she’s begging so prettily I can’t resist. My eyes stay on hers as I run my tongue around her nipple before biting down on it lightly.
Her hips raise off the bid and a strangled moan comes out of her mouth, but I can tell she likes the hint of roughness in my touch. Using my fingers, I pluck her other nipple with my fingers while sucking the left one back into my mouth. The dual sensations have her tossing her head back and forth on the pillow, her eyes squeezed shut. I switch my mouth to the other, switching so I’m plumping the breast I just had in my mouth with my hand. I wouldn’t want her to feel neglected after all.
Hailey’s hand is yanking my hair, her other hand fisting and loosening at her side. Her thighs squeeze together like she’s trying to relieve the pressure, but if anyone is going to do that, it’s going to be me.
Letting her nipple leave my mouth with a pop, I move down so I’m kneeling beside her legs and slowly pull her panties down her thighs and over her ankles before dropping them carelessly off the side of the bed. I can’t take my eyes off what I’ve just revealed.
She’s completely bare, her pink flesh glistening with her arousal. I want to dive in and devour her, but I don’t want to go too fast. I spread her legs, making room for me between them, and run my hands up her taut thighs. Her muscles are tense, quivering with anticipation, so I gently spread her lips with my thumbs, baring her pussy to my hungry gaze.
When I glance up, she’s looking down at herself, her lip back between her teeth like she’s trying to keep from making a sound.
