by Karen Ferry
It dawns on me that despite him opening up to me yesterday, I still don’t know much about Kristian. The fact that, despite us having slept together, we’re practically strangers, makes me resolved to grill him a little bit. I can’t start a relationship with a man I hardly know, especially when there’s not just me to consider.
Ailith—she’s what matters to me. I can’t introduce a new man as my boyfriend without having some more information about him first. That would make me a bad mother—an irresponsible one—and I’ve vowed never to let her down again.
I’m not about to start now.
Kristian
As I open the back door to the kitchen, there’s a lightness in my heart that I haven’t felt in so long, but there’s a smidgen of nerves as well. I do my best to tamp them down, focussing on the only thing that matters—that I get to see Laura again so soon.
While I doubt that she’s made up her mind about my wish to date her, I have to admit that I’ve missed her ever since she left me an hour ago.
I couldn’t even fall asleep again, and that’s a first.
“Morning,” I rumble as I close the door and remove my boots. I doubt Wenn will look kindly on my dirty footwear if I don’t, and I know it’s important to get on good terms with her.
She stands up and nods in satisfaction, confirming my hunch.
“Good morning. Please, sit down, have some coffee. I’ll make some more toast.”
I nod in thanks and walk slowly towards Laura and Ailith. Both of them look at me from their seat at the long, wooden bench, and I wink at Laura as she nibbles on her lips.
Fuck. She looks just as gorgeous as she did when she left me.
I glance quickly at Wenn at the kitchen counter, her back to us, and trail a finger down Laura’s slender neck as I walk past her to sit next to Ailith. I’m aching to touch her, but I don’t want to come across too strong. And I don’t want Ailith to become suspicious of our relationship.
The shiver that runs through her makes me smile, but I suppress the need to tease her anymore.
“Good morning, Ailith,” I smile at her as I sit down. “What are you reading now?”
She beams at me and shows me the front of her book, making my smile widen when I read the title.
“I love Harry Potter,” I tell her as I place my arms on the table. The guarded expression in Laura’s eyes doesn’t make me too happy, but I guess it’s only natural.
“You do?”
Ailith’s excited voice draws my attention back to her.
“Yep. He kicks ar..um, I mean, butt.”
Shit. Best watch my mouth from now on.
The amused smile along with the small headshake Laura sends my way makes a thrill run through me.
“He so does!”
I look back at Ailith and wink at her.
“Here you go,” Wenn says as she places a plate, with a mountain of toast on, in front of me.
“Thank you.”
How the hell am I going to get through all of this?
“I hope you’re still happy with the flat?” she proceeds to ask as she sits down in front of me.
“Oh, yes, it’s great,” I smile and butter the first piece of toast.
“And the bed doesn’t squeak, does it?” she prompts.
I shake my head, unable to stop myself from grinning.
“Nope, definitely not.” I turn back to Ailith. “So, you’re still on your holiday, aren’t you? When are you going back to school?”
She sits up straighter in her seat, her book forgotten for now.
“I think it’s in three weeks, isn’t it, Mummy?”
I glance at Laura as she nods.
“Yes.”
I bite down on my toast and shuffle in my seat so I can give Ailith my full attention. The need to show Laura that I know Ailith comes first, that they’re a package deal, is at the forefront of my mind—it has been since she left me earlier. Despite my lack of experience when it comes to dating single mothers, I’m not a fool, and spending the best part of my youth with my mum taught me a thing or two.
Showing Laura that I realise getting to know her means that I need to make an effort with her daughter as well is paramount. And from what I have seen of Ailith so far, it will be easy—so bloody easy—to find myself caring for her just as much as I care for her mother.
“Do you like school?”
As Ailith starts to tell me about her favourite classes—English and Music—and her best friends, Maria and Cate, I do my best not to stare at Laura too often.
She makes it pretty bloody difficult, though, and she doesn’t even know it. Whenever she moves in her seat, my eyes are drawn to her. I watch as the tension in her body seeps away while she settles in to listen to her daughter telling me about her life. I have to concentrate on Ailith’s chatter when Laura licks off a crumb from her lips, her pink tongue tempting me to kiss her senseless as blood rushes down to settle in my lap.
I can’t wait to kiss her again.
Once there is a lull in the conversation, I look at Wenn.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t eat any more,” I apologise.
She waves a hand at me.
“Oh, that’s okay. I always make too much when we have guests.”
I wipe my hands and mouth on a napkin, relieved she doesn’t seem offended.
Ailith smiles at me and finishes off her breakfast. I turn my eyes to Laura when she stands up and leaves her seat.
“So, Laura, what are your plans today?”
She purses her lips.
“Well, Ailith and I are off to feed the horses, and then I have a mountain of paperwork to sort through.” She runs a hand through Ailith’s curls as she smiles down at her. “And then I’m driving you to Cat’s house later, remember? Tonight’s your sleepover.”
I look at Ailith when she squeals in excitement. I can’t help but grin—it’s infectious—but when Laura lets out a carefree laugh, my head snaps in her direction, mesmerised. Fuck. Me. Now that I know that Laura will be relieved of her mummy duties tonight, anticipation soars through me.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“And I have some errands to run before your aunt arrives later.” I wrench my eyes away from Laura and blink at Wenn. The secretive smile on her face makes me swallow. I need to distract her, and quick, and then an idea forms in my mind.
Turning in my seat, I give her a disarming smile.
“Actually, I need to head to town and pick up my new car. I had planned to wait around for Lise, but would you mind giving me a lift this morning? Then I can head to the tattoo shop early and get some things done. It would be a great help.”
And the sooner I get back, the sooner I’ll see Laura again.
Fuck, I sound like a lovesick fool already.
She shakes her head.
“Not at all. I’d like the company, actually.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll see you later, Kristian.” Ailith beams at me as she closes her book and throws her leg over the bench. When her arms flail, I spring forward, catching her before she falls flat on her arse.
“Phew! That was close,” she mutters, scrunching up her nose just like Laura does. It’s adorable. “Thanks for not letting me fall, Kristian.”
“You’re welcome, girlie. Enjoy your day.”
“I’ll just fetch my handbag, and then we can go,” Wenn says and leaves the kitchen. Slowly, I stand and take the few steps that separate me from Laura. She glances warily at me, but remains quiet as she loads the dishwasher. I look over my shoulder at Ailith, who’s sitting next to Sally at the other end of the kitchen, well out of reach. The sight of her cooing at the animal makes me smile, and confident that she won’t pay attention to us, I take another step closer to Laura.
I grin playfully at her as I bend down to whisper in her ear. Her body locks in place as I breathe in her scent.
“I can still taste you,” I murmur. “I can’t wait to see you again later. To feel your perfect, pink lips around m
y cock.”
“Kristian,” she shushes me, making me grin as I lean away to catch her eyes. Her one hand is fisted at her side while the other is gripped tightly on the counter, her knuckles turning whiter by the second. I blink innocently at her.
“What?”
“You can’t say stuff like that to me,” she whispers.
“Oh, okay.” As if lost in thought, I tuck a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and then purse my lips at her. “Actually, why not?”
The alarm in her eyes makes my smile widen. It’s kind of fun to tease her.
“It’s all just too much. My bloody hormones can’t take it—if you keep it up, I think my ovaries will explode.”
I bark out a laugh and trail my fingers down her arm until I reach her fingers, linking our hands together. She tries to pull free, but I won’t let her.
“So. Fucking. Cute,” I whisper before I lift our linked hands and place a light kiss on her knuckles while I keep my eyes locked on hers. The longer we stare at each other, the more her pupils start to darken, stirring the need I have for her. I know she feels the same way. I can feel it—if only she weren’t so bloody stubborn.
Though, I have to admit, her stubbornness is part of her charm.
Vaguely, I hear hurried steps coming from the hall, and this time when Laura tugs her hand, I release it.
“Text me later?” I murmur and take a step back.
No sooner have the words left my lips than our small bubble of privacy is burst. Trying to keep my thoughts hidden, I school my lips into a friendly smile at Wenn when she re-enters the kitchen. Ailith jumps up from her place next to Sally and runs to her grandmother to take her hand.
“Right, let’s get going, shall we?” Wenn says and raises her eyebrows expectantly at me.
I take a step to the side, gesturing with my arm that she should go first, before I nod once at Laura. I try to mask my disappointment that she hasn’t answered me yet, but it’s not easy.
“I will.”
Her whisper is so low, for a second I thought I imagined hearing it, but when her eyes warm, I can’t stop the happy smile from forming on my lips.
I wish I was free to kiss her goodbye, but I know that it’ll be a long time before she’s comfortable with that kind of PDA. It doesn’t make my desire for her disappear, though.
In fact, I’m sure I’ll be walking around all day sporting a semi, thinking about the pleasure that is to come.
Shit.
20
Kristian
“So, Kristian, you’re in love with my daughter, aren’t you?”
Well, shit.
We haven’t even been on the road for ten minutes, and already Wenn is proving to be a very perceptive woman. And a nosy one.
Trying to prevent the panic I feel in my gut bubbling to the surface, I choose my words carefully.
“I care about her, yes.”
Her snort takes me by surprise, and I raise my eyes in question.
On a shake of her head, she looks back to the road.
“Okay, I’m not going to give you the third degree, lad, but let me give you some advice about my daughter.”
Squirming in my seat, I glance at her profile, waiting for her to continue. I have a really bad feeling about this.
“Don’t bullshit her.”
I wait, but when she doesn’t elaborate, I can’t hold my tongue.
“Okay, I’ll bite. What, exactly, do you mean by that?”
Her lips twitch with amusement, and I narrow my eyes at her. She’s enjoying this way too much.
“Only that I want you to be honest with her, Kristian. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t fluff around, making promises you don’t intend to keep. Her heart was shattered and it hasn’t quite healed yet.”
I grit my teeth but tamp down my irritation.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Satisfied, she nods once.
“Good. That’s all I wanted to hear. Now we can enjoy the rest of the drive, and you can start by telling me all about yourself.”
I breathe softly as I groan on the inside.
Then I do as she says, telling her about my past life—full disclosure seems to be the way to go with this woman. My instincts tell me that even though I don’t know Wenn, I know she won’t betray my trust. When I’m done rehashing much of my life, without going into too many details, she turns a wide stare my way.
“Whoa. You’ve got as much baggage as my daughter has, haven’t you? I wish you good luck. You’re going to need it if you’re to break down that stubborn girl of mine.”
I smirk and shake my head as she stops in front of Alex’s home that he shares with his dad.
Something tells me that she’s right. But I also know that I’m the right man for the task.
Laura
“Trish, please tell me what to do,” I beg as I drive home. The moment I told — goodbye at her friend, Cat’s house—and made sure that her Mum had my mobile number—I knew I needed to talk with my best friend about everything that’s happened.
“Babe,” she chuckles gleefully, “you already know what to do. You don’t need me to tell you that.”
I frown as I turn on the indicator.
“What do you mean?”
“Shag the fuck out of him!”
The excited squeal in my ear makes me cringe in fright.
“Are you out of your freaking mind?” I shout. “I’m in my car right now, almost home, but I’m pretty sure your girly screech could be heard all the way to Glasgow.”
“Well, excuse me for being excited for you, Laura.”
“Please be serious for once, Trish?”
She huffs and remains quiet for a couple of seconds before she starts to talk again.
“Okay, here’s what you’re going to do. Are you listening to me, Laura?”
“Hang on,” I mutter and slow down the car until I’ve stopped completely and put the handbrake on. “Yes, I’m listening.”
“Good. You’re going to stop thinking for once, and you’re going to enjoy yourself as much as you can, as often as possible, and you’re going to show that delicious piece of man meat what a fantastic woman you are.”
“But –” I start.
“And then you’re going to tell him about James, and all those secrets you hold so close to your heart, Laura.”
My heart jumps in my chest.
“I don’t think I can,” I whisper.
“Oh, but yes, you bloody well can.” Her voice has turned so serious that I hardly recognise her. “Because if he can’t take that—if he can’t take all the ugly parts of your past, and shoulder that burden for you—then he’s not the right guy for you. And then you’ll know.”
“Know what?”
“That at least you’re strong enough to take a chance again—and, sweetie, that’s the greatest gift you can give yourself.” She stops talking, but then chuckles, taking me by surprise. “Plus, you’ll know that your woman parts still function—always a plus.”
“Trish!” I roll my eyes at her. “Honestly, you’re a nut.”
“I know,” she trills in my ear, making my lips twitch.
“So?” she asks me.
“So, what?”
“Oh, God, woman!” she huffs. “Are you going to do as I say?”
“Maybe,” I mutter and release the handbrake before I put the car into first gear and ease up on the clutch. “Well, I’ll think about it.”
“No, no, no! Stop right there. No thinking—just shagging, remember?”
I snort and shake my head at her crudeness.
“Right, right,” I mutter as I pull up the car in front of my home. A car I don’t recognise is parked next to the stable, and I frown as I turn off the ignition and step out.
“Are you still there?” Trish raises her voice a little, and I blink.
“I have to go,” I murmur to her as I watch Mum open the front door, an overnight bag in her hand.
“Okay, but please ring me tomorrow? I n
eed more details, and I actually have something I need to talk with you about as well.”
That piques my curiosity.
“Oh? Is it good or bad news?”
“Umm…not sure. But it calls for some major girl-talk time, and you’re the only one who I can speak with about this, Laura. So, carve out some time for me, and ring me. Promise?”
“Okay, I promise.” I look down at my feet as Mum comes to stand before me, trying to focus on my best friend again.
“You’re kind of freaking me out now, honey. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I promise. Now, go. We’ll talk tomorrow. Bye!”
And then the line goes dead. That’s typical of Trish—she never gives you a chance to say goodbye when you’re on the phone with her. It’s always been that way.
“Everything okay?” Mum asks me, a puzzled look in her eyes.
I tap my phone on my chin, lost in thought.
“I hope so, but you know Trish.” I give her a crooked smile and raise my eyes at her when she nods.
“I do.”
“Anyway, what’s with the bag?” I point at her feet.
Mum winks at me and picks it up.
“I realised that I hadn’t met up with Anna for a while so, seeing as Ailith has a sleepover, I rang her, and I’m going to stay with her tonight. Have a catch-up.”
My mouth pops open, and I think my eyes are bulging.
“You’re what?”
She laughs as she snatches the keys to my Beetle.
“You heard me, lass. Now, there’s plenty of food in the fridge, and you have my mobile if you need me.”
Struck mute, I watch as she walks to the boot and hefts her bag into it.
“But I doubt you will,” she says as the shuts it. “Not when Kristian is here.”
I grit my teeth.
“What, pray tell, is that supposed to mean, Mum?”
She shakes her head a little and then walks towards me, wrapping her arms around my waist for a hug.
“There’s condoms in your bedside table,” she whispers in my ear.
I groan with mortification.
