I was about to answer when Felipe piped up, "Yes. Heidi would love that."
Chapter 8
Max
"WHERE IS SHE?" MY EYES widened as I craned my neck.
"Kat said she wanted a closer look." Marco pressed his face to the railing that warded off the onlookers from the panda exhibit.
"That could mean anything," I mumbled and turned to Heidi for help.
As much as I wanted to spend some quality time with Heidi today, it's turned into a game of cat and mouse with my daughter. Every time we stopped at an exhibit, Kat would wonder off. Heidi and I would spend the next ten minutes looking for her.
"After what happened at the Elephant trails, I told her to stay where we could see her."
I should have known better. No matter where I took Kat, she managed to get herself lost. She understood every time I explained to her about not wondering off but would always become distracted by an idea or something she saw.
"Marco, do you know which direction Kat ran off to?" Heidi bent down on one knee to ask.
He pointed the entrance to the habitat.
"I'll be right back, hopefully with a kid at my side."
Heidi nodded and stood, taking Marco's hand.
It took a minute but once I entered the dark building made to look like a cave, I found her at the far end near the exit.
“Kat!"
She turned and waved as if I always knew where she'd be.
Once I got up to my daughter, I gave her a hug. "No one knew where you were." I pulled away to stare up into her sparkling hazel eyes.
"I was here." She smiled but started to remember what I had told her earlier. "I'm sorry. I saw the door to this place and wanted to know what was inside. I didn't think there'd be so much cool stuff. I forgot."
How could I be angry at her? She did try, but it wasn't easy when her brain got distracted so easily.
"I understand. But it's getting late. I think we should head back home."
Kat turned to me, "Can I invite Marco over after we leave? Maybe grandpa can give us some of his hidden popsicles. Oops. Grandpa didn't want me mentioning the popsicles."
I stood and mussed her hair with my fingers, "I think popsicles are a great idea. We've built up a sweat walking around the zoo. Now, let's go find Heid and Marco."
Spending the day with two little kids at the zoo didn't make it easy to get to know Heidi. We had a few moments of awkward conversation, usually involving my work as a plumber or how she spent a lot of time redesigning her home. But no more kisses or learning anything else about my beautiful client.
We had walked to the zoo but everyone was hot and tired by the time we left, so we all hopped on a bus for the short ride back to my home.
"That was fun," Heidi said as her body swayed to the made-up song about pandas, the composers being Kat and Marco.
"Grandpa! We had so much fun at the zoo," Kat shouted, throwing our front door open as if an Olympic judge was watching.
Both Heidi and Marco hesitated on our porch, but Kat glanced back, waving Marco forward.
"Come on in and meet my grandpa."
The kids raced inside, leaving me alone with Heidi just outside the door—the moment I dreaded and desired all day.
We stood with awkward poses on the porch. I pushed my hands into the back pockets of my jeans and stared at dead flowers in a green planter by the side of the door. Heidi also noticed the forgotten plant.
"Marco and I had a good time at the zoo."
"Yes. Kat and I enjoyed ourselves as well."
What riveting conversation. Why was I having so much trouble speaking to her like a woman I wanted to understand? For months, I had been fascinated by Heidi. Now that I was standing a few feet from her, I could barely keep her gaze, let alone hold anything but a stilted conversation.
Ever since Heidi and I kissed, worry seemed to guide my movements when it came to her.
Fear of all the regrets. Not that I had any, but that Heidi had doubts upon doubts upon doubts.
And why wouldn't she? I barely made enough to support my family. And I lied. Our whole relationship was built on a made-up number—twenty thousand one-dollar falsehoods.
"It sure is a hot one today." Heidi waved back at the street behind us.
More of our witty banter. But it was time for me to let her know how I felt.
"You're right. I am horrible."
I refused to let her put up with someone like me any longer. Gnawing on my bottom lip, I found the courage to take my eyes off that damn planter and find her innocent hazel eyes.
Heidi tilted her head. "I never said you were horrible, Max."
Sucking in the thick, warm air of a late May afternoon, I took a step toward her. I wanted her to know how much I regretted my lies as I placed my hands on her shoulders. The steady grip, that inferred seriousness weakened as the softness of her skin was too much to resist. My thumb circled her shoulder and with a bolt of awareness, I realized she still smelled of cinnamon.
"I've watched you too," Heidi said softly.
Swallowing, I wondered if I misheard her. "What?"
"You said back at my place how I was hard to miss, but if we are both being totally honest today, then you should know . . ." Heidi stared at my mouth.
"Know what?"
My blood pumped fast and zeroed in on one location, between my legs. I adjusted my feet in hopes to reposition the growth behind my shorts.
"That—" Heidi was cut off by burly sounds of a man overrun by two little tyrants.
"Max, was it all right that I gave Kat's friend a cookie? Oh, I didn't realize you were with someone."
My father appeared in the doorway, his hand gripping the edge. His smile broadened as he noticed Heidi. His eagerness to bewitch a lady on full display as he offered her his suave smile. "I'm Tom Brighton, and whom might you be?"
"My name's Heidi White, Mr. Brighton. I live right around the corner from here."
Folding my arms, I waited for his usual compliments about her charm and beauty. Then, he would cap off with the tale about how he once saved a small woodland creature from almost certain death. Being with my father at the time, he only slowed his truck so he didn't run over a squirrel.
But there was no story, no praise for Heidi. My father's blue eyes flickered to me. It seemed he was trying to explain something with his stare. I shook my head in confusion. He probably wanted me to run to the store and pick up some more hemorrhoid cream.
"It's nice to meet you, Ms. White. And you live right around the corner? What a small world." All graciousness in my father's features dissolved, replacing his cheerfulness with tight lips and clenched teeth.
I was about to ask my father if he was well when he abruptly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. "Excuse us, Ms. White. The kids are watching a show in the family room." He pointed down the hallway. "Max and I need to discuss something personal."
Heidi nodded and stepped past us. My eyes drifted to admire the perfect fit of her jean shorts as she walked toward the sound of animation. Clearing his throat, my father motioned for me to follow him upstairs. Once I arrived on the top floor, I trailed him into his bedroom.
"Do you have any idea who that is, Max?" my father whispered after he closed his door.
I stood in the middle of the small, square bedroom with one twin-sized bed and one oak end table.
"Yes, it's Heidi White. I am replacing the pipes in her home. I've told you about her."
His clasped his head as if it was about to break into pieces. "I had no idea you meant that Heidi White. Why didn't you tell me it was her?"
My father had never been one for dramatics, so this burst of theatrics was both surprising and concerning.
With my hands on my hips, I shook my head. "What is this about, Dad? Do you know her?"
Stiffening his back, my dad tilted his head. "Don't tell me you don't recognize Senator John White and Senator Sophia H. White's daughter?"
The air in my father's room seemed to eva
porate. I gulped for oxygen but the more I tried to breathe, the dizzier I felt.
A senator's daughter? It wasn't much of a surprise that she came from money but knowing Heidi had that type of family caused bile to rise in the back of my throat.
Her life revolved around the political elite who would lie to your face if you promised them money or a vote. My father spent most of his life avoiding them. Living in Washington DC, a person was always within a mile of a politician. But my dad refused any job that came from a politician because of what happened to his friends.
A few of his plumber buddies got caught up in scandals with politicians. They believed they landed a sweet government contract only to find out the politician was using them to gain favors or funnel money or any number of shady deals.
"How was I supposed to know she was a senator's daughter? Everyone in this whole town is at least six degrees from a politician."
My father held up a finger. "Heidi White is one degree away. One, Max."
I clawed at the back of my neck. "And I tried to swindle her for twenty thousand dollars."
No wonder it didn't seem to faze Heidi when I admitted I lied to get money from her. She probably thought that was normal.
My father's hand gripped my arm. "You need to end this. Pass her off to someone else. How about Jackson Plumbing? He always was an asshole. If a scandal happens to occur with that guy, no one would care. Half the guys I know are counting down the days until his retirement next year. They're going to throw a big party . . . he's just not invited."
I nodded, processing everything. Heidi's sweet, kind, and sexy and, gah, I was angry for believing I didn't deserve her. Twenty thousand dollars was probably nothing to her. She said she could only afford her home because of her inheritance from her grandfather. Maybe that was a lie. Make me believe she could relate to me by scrounging and saving.
"Listen, I'll go downstairs and invite the kids to take a walk with me to the ice cream place on Mt. Pleasant. I'll tell Heidi that you need to speak with her. When she comes up here, explain how another job that you promised a while back came up. Give her Jackson's number. Tell her you'll put in a good word and get her a discount."
"Jackson would never give her or anyone else a discount,"
My dad smiled. "She doesn't need to know that. Anyway, she'll be happy because she’ll think she's getting a discount. You don't have to deal with anyone related to a senator. It's a win-win."
After releasing a deep breath, I agreed. Slapping me on my back, my father turned and left the room.
I assessed the past week. Was there any time when I was with her that it felt like she was pretending, to come across down-to-earth instead of someone from the power-hungry, political elite? My answer came in the form of a chuckle.
The memories of Heidi's attempts at help and her immature, ridiculous jokes had me baffled. Like when she tried to loosen a bolt and ended up hitting her forehead with a wrench. She was goofy, clumsy, awkward, and utterly adorable. That woman didn't seem like a corrupt politician's daughter.
The bedroom door opened, and a slight gust of air brushed my skin. Heidi was standing there, and my cock twitched in confusion. I wanted to scream, "Why," and kiss her all at the same time.
"Your father said you needed to speak with me?"
I tried to open my mouth, I really did, but her sweet scent knocked the breath from my lungs.
"Oh, I think I know. I mentioned how I had been watching you too." Heidi's eyes dipped to the floor as her cheeks reddened.
"That's not—"
She stepped forward, taking a healthy breath of air. All thought of telling her I couldn't see her again slipped from my mind as her fingers entangled mine.
"I noticed you walk by my home on the sidewalk a few months ago. I had been painting my porch and looked up to find you strolling by on the sidewalk. You didn't see me, but I certainly saw you."
Her thumb circled over my palm. The crimson of her cheeks spread to her chest.
"Ever since, I couldn't help but stare when I saw you in the neighborhood," Heidi bit her lip lifting her eyes to mine, "especially when I peeked out my windows."
I noticed her lips. They were a deeper red and glistened as her tongue peeked out for a brief moment. That sweet cinnamon scent did things to me—it made me twitch beneath my jeans.
Maybe it wasn't Heidi's inviting smell or her rosy cheeks, but every tiny little thing she did since the moment I walked into her home that moved my hands until I held her head.
The questions about her family could wait. Making my father happy didn't need to happen right this second. And finding out if she had lied to me too, well, that wasn't urgent.
What did demand immediately attention? My cock.
My lips brushed hers. They were softer than I remembered but still inviting. Heidi's lips tasted like her cookies, so plump and delectable. I knew I needed to push this woman as far from me as possible, but my brain was short-circuiting. Somewhere between Heidi standing in the doorway, her chest heaving from climbing the steps, and when she took hold of my hand, my father's words became dust.
I lifted my head to see the mess I made and found her dark gaze lost on my mouth. She whimpered, and I knew there was no going back.
My teeth nipped at her bottom lip until she opened once again. When she did, I plundered and devastated, and my hand fell to her ass to get my fill. Her squeak dissolved into a husky moan.
No excuses. No what-ifs. No questions about her life or mine. Only me lifting Heidi until she wrapped her legs around my waist. I stumbled and felt my way out of my father's room and down the hall until I knew when I let go, she would fall back onto my bed.
When her golden hair fanned over my navy sheets and her eyes were wild with anticipation, only then did I explain why I needed her. "I'm about to get dirty with you, Heidi."
Chapter 9
Heidi
WHAT COULD I SAY?
Yes, please!
Max wanted to get dirty with me. The same man I believed was a straight-laced family guy. I had never been happier about my wrongness.
His sapphire eyes sparkled as they traced down my body. The heat and excitement and the need caused me to squirm. I felt like a trapped squirrel with a hawk swirling above, ready to pounce.
"Those shorts are tiny. They're more like . . ." He bent over me on the bed, unable to finish. But I heard it loud and clear as his fingers traced the edge of my shorts. Each digit crept closer and closer to where all my warmth and desire for him met.
In one swift movement, he pushed past my shorts and undies, and then he did this thing that was both wonderful but fleeting. He was a clit tease. I'd laugh if it wasn't diabolical.
"You're the devil." I arched my back as my squirming took on a life of its own. His wicked grin didn't help matters, either.
"Isn't that what you want?" His eyes dipped to the apex of my legs, admiring his handy work. "A little devil inside."
I nodded and then shook my head, unable to know if I wanted a sinner or a saint in bed.
But it didn't take me long to make up my mind. That quick, teasing finger slipped away, and I watched with mouth-watering fascination as he lifted it to his mouth. I could almost taste myself as he eased it past his lips, his eyes rolling back as he groaned.
I wanted more of his sinful ways.
"Max," I begged.
His eyes opened but his finger didn't move. Max's gaze slid down my body with such hunger that my fingers curled into the sheets, preparing for what was to come.
And I could barely wait for him to give it to me.
Just because he wasn't moving, didn't mean I had to stay still. I ripped my clothes off in what must have been a world record. I made a note in my head to check the Guinness Book of World Records once I was done with my filthy devil.
Max's eyes studied me—like each movement of my body was recorded in his mind as if studying for a test. And if I was his teacher, I would give him an A+ for effort, the best effort.
&nbs
p; He reached over to a plain, side table. Pulling out the single drawer, he retrieved a strip of foil wrappers, then removed a green square and lifted it to his face.
"Doing a little light reading before bed?"
Raising my elbows, I couldn't hold back the chuckle.
Tossing the condom onto the bed, he removed his T-shirt without saying a word. I almost choked on my breath. The man was chiseled. Each muscle was perfectly sculpted like some great artist took their time with his body.
Screw my question. I wanted Max to rip open that wrapper and have his way with me. Now.
It had been two years since I had sex. But after discovering the golden treasure under Max's shirt, even if it had only been an hour since I last had sex, I would still want him to pick up the pace.
His devilish senses were on high alert. He had to know I was ready to beg for his cock. I wondered if a sloth would move faster at removing his jeans.
"Nothing about now will be light, Heidi."
Max pulled down his boxer briefs and jeans at the same time like the perfect sexual showman. Shimming out of his clothes, his cock, thick and so big I feared it might burst, sprung forth to prove his point.
My eyes drifted sideways at the condom on the bed. "Will that even fit?"
A rumble of laugher burst from him and sent a shiver down my body. "We'll just have to find out."
He grabbed the wrapper and tore it open with his teeth. Has there been a sexier man in the world other than Max? Doubtful. Highly, doubtful. Max was like something from a fantasy. He started to roll on the condom but stopped after the tip. "Oh no, I think it's stuck. Heidi, you might have to lick here." He pointed to the part of his dick not covered by the condom.
I surprised Max as I swiftly moved and made sure my tongue did as it was told. Glancing up to make sure he enjoyed what I was doing, I decided the rumble in his chest and the curl of his fingers in my hair was equal to a thumbs-up.
He ripped off the condom and with gentle fingers, guided his cock past my eager lips. My eyes began to water from him pushing a little too far. Max clenched his jaw, sucking in a breath.
Dirty Secret Page 6
