Sweet on You

by Katana Collins

  “I should help her,” Lex said, starting to reach for her.

  “Give it a minute,” I said, gently tugging him back.

  “She looks like she’s going to cry.”

  “And if she does, then you’re right here to comfort her. But wait and see first.”

  It didn’t take long for one of the other little toddlers in the sandbox to scoot over to Olivia and offer her another toy to share. Olivia smiled at her new friend and went immediately back to playing.

  “See? It’s all good. And she even made a new friend.”

  He seemed to relax beside me, even if it was only slightly, leaning his shoulder into mine. “Is it totally inappropriate for me to kiss you here in front of my daughter?”

  I glanced out of the corner of my eye to where Olivia was immersed in the sandbox, playing with her new friends. With a sly smirk, I shrugged coquettishly, not something I was known for, but still fun to try now and then. “If you do it quick, she won’t even see.”

  He leaned in and brushed his lips gently across mine. It was brief, but electricity sparked from my lips down to my core. As he pulled back, his forehead rested briefly on mine, and he sighed against me before blinking and looking back to Olivia.

  “What’s that man doing?” A mother said on the bench to our right.

  “I think he’s taking pictures. Is he taking pictures of our kids?”

  Her voice grew more shrill as another parent, a father this time, stood to his feet, shouting, “Hey! Hey, you!”

  But before anyone could confront him, the man slipped out of the park, a dark camera clutched in his hands.

  “I’ve never seen him before,” the mother said and rushed over to where her son was climbing on a tire swing. “But one of the moms at Mommy and Me mentioned that there’s been a strange man in a few neighboring towns giving candy and stickers out to kids at the parks, and he’s been seen taking photos of them with his cell phone. Do you think he’s made his way to Maple Grove?”

  Lex crouched beside Olivia, who was still completely oblivious to the drama unfolding around her, and placed a palm to her back, hovering protectively over her in a way that was so sweet, it made my heart hurt.

  From where he was tied to the bench, Penny barked—just once, airing his grievances about not being close enough to us.

  “Should we call the police?” Lex asked.

  The father had his cell phone in hand and was typing something. “I have a friend who’s an officer for Maple Grove PD. I’m texting him now.”

  “You said in the other towns he was luring kids over with candy and snapping cell pictures, right?” I asked.

  The mother nodded, drawing her toddler closer.

  “This seems different. It was a professional looking camera. And these kids are too young to accept candy like that, probably.”

  One of the other parent’s chimed in. “I think the kids from the other town were school age—first grade or so.”

  Good. It was different then. I breathed a little easier, knowing that. “This guy was probably an amateur photographer stupidly not realizing it wasn’t okay to take pictures at a playground. And when you yelled, he got scared and ran.”

  The father nodded. “You’re probably right.”

  “But text your friend at MGPD anyway,” Lex said. “I’d rather be cautious.

  Several of the moms mumbled in agreement. Even though I had been the voice of reason, something still wasn’t sitting quite right with me. Even the most amateur photographer should know that it’s in bad taste to photograph other people’s kids—toddlers—at a playground.

  Lex stood, lifting Olivia into his arms. “What do you think, Olivia? Ready to go home?”

  “No!” she cried and dropped her face into his shoulder.

  Lex glanced at his phone. “Why don’t Ronnie and I push you on the swings for five more minutes? Then we go home.”

  Her face brightened and she smiled, clapping her hands. “Swings! Swing, swing, swing!”

  “So, it’s a deal?” Lex held out his hand as though this was a business deal to shake on. Olivia stared at it, utterly confused until Lex physically took her hand in his and gave it a gentle shake saying, “Deal.”

  Olivia squealed with delight and repeated, “Deal!”

  Later that night, I silently washed the dishes, careful to keep the volume of my music low as Lex put Olivia down in her pack and play in his bedroom. I hummed quietly along, cleaning out the bottles and scrubbing various bowls and spoons we had dirtied in only a few short hours.

  I remembered, from when Maddie was this age, how quickly things dirtied and the stockpile of toys and dishes and diapers. But wow. It was easy to forget when you haven’t been around a baby in over a decade. We were all so young when Cam and Hannah got pregnant. I was only just barely out of high school when I became an aunt. Callie and Noah were still just babies themselves, it seemed.

  I smiled, remembering being in the hospital, Hannah resting sleepily in her hospital bed after giving birth. Cam went to grab them some food of the non-hospital variety and I sat there with a swaddled, sleeping Maddie in my arms, humming softly to her. Watching her chest rise and fall. Watching the subtle twitch of her mouth suckling at nothing as she slept.

  “She’s finally asleep,” Lex whispered, pulling me back to the present. Behind me, I heard a door click quietly shut as Lex exited his bedroom, baby monitor in hand. His hair was a mess, and the dark circles beneath his eyes suggested days of no sleep… not one afternoon with a toddler. He looked frighteningly exhausted. But I remembered those same bloodshot eyes on Cam when Maddie was born. And again after Hannah had passed. “It takes time,” I reiterated, not for the first time today, and brushed my thumb beneath his weary-looking eyes.

  He leaned into my palm, grabbed my hand and brought the inside of my wrist to his mouth, kissing me so tenderly that it sent goosebumps racing up my arm to my heart. “Thank you for today,” he whispered. “I don’t know if I would have made it without you.”

  I nodded. “Yes, you would have.”

  He shook his head as moisture filled his eyes, and he looked away shamefully. “Honestly, I don’t think I would have. I think I would have called for the Murphys to come pick her up. Your idea to Facetime them before bed to calm her down was genius.”

  “And I bet they didn’t think you were any weaker because of it.”

  He gave me an exhausted smile. “They didn’t. They told me that they thought it was a great idea, too.”

  The oven beeped and I opened it, checking on the casserole that was almost done. Lex blinked, looking from me to the oven, then back to me. “How in the hell did you find the time, let alone the energy, to cook something?”

  I shrugged. “It’s just a casserole. They’re easy and I was able to use the random things in your fridge.”

  He walked to the fridge and opened it, staring first inside, then blankly back at me. “I didn’t know I had enough in here to make a sandwich, and you made a casserole?”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Maybe you are more helpless than I thought. I call it a kitchen sink casserole. It’s basically just a mishmash of whatever’s in your fridge. You had a head of cauliflower, some leftover chicken, bacon, cream cheese and ranch. I just sort of threw it all together and baked it.”

  He stepped into me, backing me into the counter. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, his palm lifting, cupping my jaw.

  I arched my brow. “Because of a casserole?” I laughed, slipping my arms around his shoulders. “You’re an easy man to please.”

  “With you, apparently.” He brushed a rough thumb over my bottom lip before kissing me hard. His tongue traced my mouth and I opened to him, gasping as his cock pressed against my belly and he deepened the kiss.

  His hand slid up under my shirt, skimming the bare flesh of my abs until he reached my breast, squeezing against the sheer lace of the bra. I gasped, breaking the kiss and throwing my head back. He used the moment to lick down my neck, nibbling
at my collarbone. “How long do we have until that casserole is ready?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”

  He groaned, then scooped me into his arms and carried me to the couch with an ease that caught me off guard. “I can make that work,” he said, setting me down carefully.

  Curling his fingers into my yoga pants, he tugged them down past my knees and I swallowed another moan. “What about Olivia?” I whispered.

  “She’s asleep in her travel crib and she can’t get out of it. Plus, the monitor is on. I’ll hear if she needs me.”

  That was good enough for me… I wasn’t about to argue. Lex pressed my knees open and pushed my panties to the side, sliding a finger deep inside of me without hesitation. I gasped, the small of my back arching off the couch as his thumb found my clit, circling in rapid, soft movements.

  A moan stuck to the back of my throat, and I bit my lip to stifle the sound. I watched him between my legs, an entirely new sensation gripping me—he was an absolutely beautiful man. The toned muscles in his arms rippled as he worked his magic on my clit. He made my knees tremble, and I ached to run my fingernails across those heavily defined lines of his biceps.

  He removed his mouth from me and slid up my body as I tore the t-shirt from his torso, discarding it onto the floor. He kissed me again and I could taste remnants of myself on his lips. It was the sort of kiss that went deep, and left me breathless, craving more. We were nothing but a tangle of hands and tongues, teeth and lips as I fumbled with the button of his jeans and shoved them down to his thighs, palming his thick, heavy cock. A groan tore from his throat and he dove his face into my neck as I stroked him from root to tip.

  Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and clumsily found a condom inside. He tore it open with his teeth and I grabbed it from him, sliding it down the length of his dick. “Fuck, Ronnie,” he whispered into my neck. “I want you.” His voice was rougher than gravel. “I’ve wanted you from the moment we first met on your doorstep two years ago.”

  My core was throbbing as he wedged his hips between my spread legs, his cock harder and thicker than before, and he plunged inside of me. His mouth covered mine as I cried out, his kiss swallowing my moans. Each hurried thrust made the world around me fade more and more. All I could see was his hooded gaze and molten blue eyes, staring at me with an intensity that deepened my rapture.

  He buried himself inside of me. While the other night was tender and full of long, thoughtful moments, this was raw, unbridled passion. Like a hurricane of fury, he slammed into me with increasing speed and intensity, and I met each one of his thrusts by pulling my hips harder down onto his cock.

  Each kiss was bruising and deep, taking what he wanted, what he needed—which happened to be just what I needed and wanted, too.

  I had completely forgotten how amazing a night like this could be. The frenzy; the carnal lust and intoxicating high of being so desired by someone that they needed your body and soul right there and then.

  I was so close to coming, I could feel my legs quivering beneath his body. With trembling muscles, Lex pushed higher onto his arms and reached between us to stroke my clit, and that was all it took to kick me over the edge.

  My lungs were on fire as I gasped for breath, and pinpricks floated in my vision as my body shattered into orgasm. His furious thrusts lost their rhythmic balance and descended into sporadic, uneven motions as he grunted, jerking inside me. As he came, he gripped the back of my neck and pulled my mouth to his in a final, intense kiss.

  We laid there on the couch for a couple of minutes, our clothes not entirely on or off, our hair disheveled, panting as silently as we could and staring into each other’s eyes as I threaded my fingers through his hair.

  His thumbnail brushed over my bottom lip as a smiled tugged his mouth higher toward his exhausted eyes. “Thank you for coming tonight. You’re right that I probably would have figured something out eventually, but it made it so much easier and… more fun with you by my side.”

  Pushing onto my elbows, I stretched forward and pressed my lips to his, gliding my tongue along the seam of his mouth. “It was fun. She’s an amazing little girl. She’s smart and sweet and beautiful and friendly. Not many fifteen-month-olds can run up to a bunch of new kids in a playground and make friends immediately.”

  He chuckled, burying his nose briefly in my neck once more. “Oh, you have to say that.”

  I shook my head. “I really don’t. I’ve never been a good bullshitter. And if I was searching for something nice to say, I would have kept it simple… like, just that she’s beautiful. Which is true… but there’s so much more to her little personality.”

  He sighed, but was still smiling as he pushed up to a seated position, tugging his shirt back on over his head. “She really opened up with the other kids at the playground. But she’s guarded with adults. Not even just me… she seems wary of almost everyone but her grandmother and grandfather.”

  I sat up, too, straightening my shirt and reaching for my yoga pants, pulling them back on. “That might not be such a bad thing, you know?”

  “True.” He reached over and tugged on my hair playfully. “I know someone else who’s guarded, too, and she turned out just fine.”

  I rolled my eyes, laughing. “Exactly. Maybe it’s not the worst thing having some walls up.”

  He nodded, not taking his eyes off me. “As long as she knows to eventually lower a drawbridge for some people.”

  I’m falling for you, too. The thought rang in my mind… but I still couldn’t bring myself to say it to him. Even if it was the truth. I swallowed, but it was thick and went down like molasses. Clearing my throat, I dropped my gaze to my hands and stood. “And it could be a very good thing—she could be more aware of stranger danger than any other kids because of it.”

  Lex sighed, the moment between us vaporizing. “True,” he said. “Especially after that weird man in the park, it’s comforting to know she’s not the type to go up to strangers. Not that I have a huge reference for this sort of thing. But even still… at the park, the other kids would smile at us and wave if they walked by with their parents. And she… didn’t. She held our hands. Glanced around, but huddled closer to us as she passed other adults.”

  I didn’t want to push… but I was curious. “What’s her relationship like with her mother? Does she have a relationship with her?”

  He winced at the mention of his ex. “Honestly, I don’t know. I only met Olivia after Sarah was indicted. But if I had to guess, Sarah was probably in and out of her life. It seems like her grandparents have raised her so far, and that her mum’s been on and off the wagon several times.”

  The knot in my stomach twisted, widening. I wanted to know more about Sarah. But I hated that she was going to be part of Lex’s life from now on. And by proxy, my life… if Lex and I stayed together. “Well, then, that would make sense as to why Olivia was so guarded. If she never felt her mother was a consistent presence, maybe that’s seeping in somehow?”

  “She never calls out for her mother,” he added quietly with a sigh. “I think it’s going to be a long road getting her to understand I’m her daddy.”

  “Maybe. But maybe not. She knows the concept of what a father is. With all her books, many of the characters have mommies and daddies. She’s a smart kid… she’ll get it.”

  “I hope so. I don’t want her thinking I abandoned her for the first year of her life.”

  Concern etched lines into his face and I brushed my fingers across his knitted brow. “She’s still a baby. She’s not going to blame you for that. Besides, you have years to find ways of screwing her up and get her to blame you for other things. Just you wait. When I was fourteen, I flunked a test and blamed my mom because she got home from her nursing shift late and we didn’t have dinner ‘til nine o’clock.”

  “You blamed your mum for that?”

  I rolled my eyes in spite of myself. “See? We’re all little shits growing up. You and Olivia will be perfectl
y fine. Not without bumps in the road, but nothing you two can’t overcome.”

  Another sigh. “I hope you’re right. My parents and I didn’t have that kind of relationship. I couldn’t talk to them about anything.”

  My chest ached with his admission. “Well, that’s on them. Not you. And you won’t make that same mistake with Olivia… ever.”

  He smiled, though it was tired. “Well, that’s true.”

  “Now, what do you say we sneak into some of those sugar cookies I brought?”

  He quirked a brow at me. “Didn’t you bring those for Olivia?”

  “She’s not even a year and a half old! How many cookies can a kid have?”

  He laughed and stood, straightening his t-shirt. “You are literally stealing cookies from a baby,” he said, shaking his head.

  I wiggled my brows as I took a bite. “Is it really stealing if I brought them? Besides, they’re paleo cookies.”

  “Did you make them?” He asked, leaning over me to grab one from the container.

  “Maybe.”

  “Well, then I better taste one of these. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted a Ronnie Tripp original.” He leaned over and took a bite of the cookie I held in my hand, his face immediately dropping. “And now I can see why.”

  My jaw dropped and I smacked his arm. “You jerk!” I cried, keeping my voice a harsh whisper so as not to wake the baby. “For healthy cookies, they’re not bad.”

  His cocky smirk spread wider. “Not bad isn’t the same as good,” he said with a wink.

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, man. I knew there was a reason I shouldn’t date a man who can bake.”

  He took another bite, swirling the cookie in his mouth and swallowing. He looked deep in thought before he snapped his fingers. “Too much coconut flour,” he said. “And I think you’d do better with maple as your sweetener, not honey.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, folding my arms. “And what exactly do you know about paleo baking?”

  He bent down and brushed his mouth across mine gently. “I’ve been doing my research,” he whispered with a wink.