by Milly Taiden
“I hope I can take a rain check on that.” He pointed to my Kiss the Cook apron, and I felt the intensity of his wicked grin warm my tummy.
“You can take as many of them as you want.” I pursed my lips. A few more seconds of staring at him and I’d start twirling my hair around my finger. “Come in, please. We’re gonna eat outside, but I need help switching the gas tanks for the grill.”
“Show me where.”
I led him past the family room, where Jonathan lay on the couch, eyes closed, listening to music.
“Ignore him. He’ll come around in his own time.” I tried to sound as convincing as possible.
Adrian lowered another wrapped gift onto the table, saying, “When he comes around, then.” His eyebrow, the one with the piercing, rose by a fraction.
“You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to. Now, where do you need me?”
Between my legs. I jumped up at my own thought. My mouth opened in surprise.
“Are you all right?” he asked, sensing my sudden pleasurable discomfort.
“Yes and no.” I lowered my voice. “I feel nervous and…”
Needy, I added in my mind.
“Hhm, I know that look.” Adrian double-checked that the kids weren’t around, leaned into my ear, and whispered, “I’ll ease that tension of yours before the night ends.”
The promise flew on his warm breath and the smell of him rushed through me, swirling in my belly before weaving down to my lady parts. My cheeks heated with lust and for the second time tonight I hoped we could be alone.
“Now, where’s that grill?” he asked, his voice more throaty than earlier. Was Adrian struggling to contain his own desires as well?
I finally breathed out, and I showed him to the back yard. The fresh air cleaned my lungs of his stimulating scent, but the insistent pulse in my panties would need much more than air to be relieved. Adrian removed the old tank off the barbecue and attached the new one. I watched his arms flex as he worked the knobs and lifted the container, setting it aside.
Within minutes the smell of grilled chicken, spices, and vegetables wafted through the backyard.
“Wine or beer?” I asked.
“What do you think?” That smile drew his lips to the side in an unbelievably gorgeous lift, and I grabbed a Corona from the fridge. Nudging the lime inside, I twisted the bottle upside down, waiting for the fruit to float upward, and then flipped it back upright. The foam rushed to the top and I sucked on the neck not to spill it.
“Some things don’t change, do they?” The lust in his eyes seeped through me, and I wiped the stray drop of beer off my lip.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Your mouth is sinful,” he whispered.
I turned toward the grill, trying to wipe that smile off my face.
Christa twirled her hula hoop on the grass, and then set it aside and started cart-wheeling across the yard.
“You’re gonna throw up if you keep that up, Christa.”
“She’s good,” Adrian said.
“She does gymnastics.”
As soon as I opened the barbecue lid, Jonathan wandered into the back yard, sniffing the food. I should have known the aroma would draw my hungry little man out of his cave. If there was anything that could lift his mood, it was food.
Adrian sat on the patio chair, leaning forward. He carefully watched my son as his attention was drawn to our guest.
“Nice tats, man.” Jonathan’s eyes flew open as he fixated on Adrian.
“Thanks.” The tension in Adrian’s shoulders eased.
“How far does it go?” Jonathan lifted his head higher.
“Across my back,” Adrian replied.
“Can I see?”
“Jonathan, that’s not polite,” I said.
“I don’t mind if you don’t, T.”
“Up to you.” I shrugged, already afraid what that meant.
Adrian lifted his shirt over his head before turning around. The short glimpse at his abs made me hold my breath. The ripped muscles twisted as he turned, and I imagined feeling their hard surface.
Adrian bent his arm conspicuously to conceal the tattoo under his heart. I didn’t think he was ready to explain the writing any more than I was.
As Jonathan admired the inked swirls that crept up Adrian’s arm and spread like waves onto his back, I got a chance to gawk at his broad shoulders and the stretch of his woven muscles. He had completely morphed from a skinny boy to a sports model. Each time I looked at his body, I couldn’t believe how much he’d changed. In those few seconds I imagined those biceps and shoulder blades shifting as he held me up in his arms, my back pressed against a wall, legs wrapped around his waist…
“Mom, your zucchini is burning.” Christa tugged at my apron.
Shit!
I grabbed the tongs and removed the veggies onto the plate. Adrian smirked at me from where he sat in the chair, apparently watching me from the corner of his eyes. Thank God I had the apron on, which hid the extent of the way he affected me. Wishing for a cold shower, I forced my mind to concentrate. Maybe if I was lucky, I’d be able to keep my panties on too while we were in the presence of my kids.
“Thank you,” I said. “You can set up the plates.”
Jonathan kept staring at Adrian and finally said, “The barbell’s cool too. I don’t think Mom would let me have one.” Jonathan drew his hand through his hair, adjusting his recent cut to the side. My son was on the brink of finding his identity, except he didn’t want to fit in. Jonathan was strong enough to keep his personality unique and set the trends for everyone else, which sometimes stirred animosity at school, but I loved that he could stand his ground.
“Not yet,” I replied, removing the chicken skewers off the grill.
“When I’m older?” Jonathan asked with hope.
Setting the food at the table I said, “When you’re old enough to make your own decisions, then yes. It will be up to you.”
“Thank you!” He jumped off his seat and slammed into me, nearly spilling the meal out of my hands.
I set the skewers and veggies on the patio table and sat beside Adrian, still keeping that uncomfortable distance between us, watching my kids with intent. When they didn’t seem to care, I moved closer to Adrian, letting go of the tension in my neck.
Jonathan grabbed a plate and began to stack the food up. My son’s healthy appetite never ceased to amaze me.
“Jonathan, mind your manners, please.” I scowled and he sat back down, waiting until everyone was ready.
He scooted closer to Adrian and asked, “Why do you call Mom ‘T’?”
“It’s short for Thumbelina. Your mom has always had a small frame, and since Thumbelina was tiny, the name stuck.”
“Do they call you Hulk, then?”
I chuckled.
“No, no one ever gave me a nickname.”
“Can I?”
“Sure. Is it gonna be Hulk?”
“Yeah.” Jonathan smiled from ear to ear before he piled up more food on his plate.
Adrian’s lip curved up slightly, and I knew he was just as pleased with the way my son had warmed up to him.
“Christa, a few more bites, please.” My daughter’s belly rub meant she was full when she’d hardly had a mouthful.
“I can’t fit anymore,” she whined.
“You barely ate anything.”
“Please?” she asked.
“You’ll need energy to play that new game, won’t you?” Adrian asked.
“What game?” She perked up.
My brows rose.
“The one on your family room table.”
Christa shot up off her seat, and I grabbed her before she dashed for the house. “Finish first and then you can see.”
For the first time in ages, she didn’t argue but began chewing like a professional eater in a contest. Once the kids finished and headed inside, I heard a loud shriek and a “Yes!” from each one. Jonathan stuck his head outside, wa
ving a new Skater game, and said, “Thanks, man!” He rushed back in before Adrian got a chance to say anything.
“She’s never been a good eater.” I slouched back against the chair. My back muscles relaxed into a comfortable curve.
“Bribes always work.” Adrian’s mouth lifted to one side, flushing my body with heat.
I pulled my legs underneath me, watching him relax. Why did it feel like his gaze was always fixed on me?
“So, did it go as well as you expected?” he asked.
“Better. I was nervous, but today was really nice.”
He regarded me from where he sat, drinking in my entire body. Sweet tingles flowed across my chest and down my belly. “Do you know how much I want to have you in my arms right now?” Adrian whispered.
“I can imagine,” I smiled.
“OK, that was a lie,” he said, moving closer with his chair. “I want way more than to have you in my arms. I need to feel the shape of your curves and the temperature of your skin under my palms.”
I pressed my knees together as his words instantly pooled wetness in my panties. “What else?” I asked in a low voice, leaning in closer. His finger drew from my knee up my thigh and along the outer rim of my silhouette until he’d reached my cleavage.
“I long to taste your nipples, feel them harden in my mouth, and smell your hair when it brushes my face between kisses. And most of all, imagining being inside you is beginning to drive me crazy.” This time when he whispered, a ribbon of delicious shivers floated out on his breath and wrapped around me. My whole body fired up in response as if begging to have all those things, all at once.
“Shit,” was all I could say. Was that out loud? Did I care? A few more of his words and I would come on the spot. We just sat there staring at each other from three feet apart when the doorbell rang and I jumped up.
“I’ll be right back,” I said wondering who it could be. It was already seven in the evening. I knew Dan had appointments tonight, so he wouldn’t be dropping by. Besides, he had the house keys and would have just come in. And for his own sake, I hoped he wasn’t interrupting on purpose.
When I opened the door, my jaw nearly dropped open.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m here to see my grandchildren.” My mother grinned.
“Grandma!” I heard from the hallway.
“You’re here to spy,” I said to her before Christa and Jonathan reached her for a hug. Didn’t she need to go sit in her car and point a hairdryer at the people driving to see if they’d slow down so that she could cross that off her bucket list?
“That’s what happens when you don’t answer my calls, and no, I’m not here to spy. I’m here to give you the night off.”
The kids went back to the family room to play their games.
“What? Mom, I—I mean, we—have company.”
“I know. And I’m sure that you and company could use some time to yourselves.” My mother dropped her purse and a larger duffle bag on the hallway bench, looked in the mirror and adjusted her hair. “Now will you please finally introduce me to the man I’ve heard about for so many years?”
It was true. While my mother knew all about Adrian, my going away on my own to visit my aunt for the summer meant that she’d never gotten to meet him when I was a teen.
“I thought you met when you told him where to find me?”
“We spoke over the phone. Come on, Mia. I’ve been looking forward to this day as much as you have.”
I really doubted that, but knowing the romantic at heart that she was, I was sure she’d imagined more than one scenario of us reuniting, especially once my divorce had been finalized. At moments like these I wished my father was here to preoccupy her. My parents had had one of those happily-ever-after marriages that ended too quickly when that drunk driver struck Dad’s car. It was also one of the reasons why my mother never got along with Dan—she’d been the first to notice when his drinking became excessive.
The moment she stepped out onto the patio, my mother gasped. “Oh, my, you are a catch, aren’t you?” Yeah, my mother wasn’t one to hide her opinion; and for her, a simple look of approval just wouldn’t be enough.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Fran.” Adrian stood up, took her hand, and kissed it like a gentleman. “I can see where Mia gets her looks.”
“Cheesy!” I coughed into my hand, laughing.
“It’s sweet,” my mother defended. “I don’t get to swoon as much as you do, Mia. I appreciate that, Adrian. Thank you.” She held onto his hand for way longer than appropriate, then grasped him underneath his arm and let him lead her into the hallway.
“And I never lie.” He winked at her.
“Well, you’re a charmer, aren’t you?” She squeezed his bicep and looked back to me. “You know, they didn’t make them this firm when I was young.”
“Mom!”
“Ah, you know I’m kidding. Adrian, I hope you’re going to take good care of my daughter tonight. She can be uptight sometimes, but I’m sure you know how to unwind that stress better than anyone.”
“Seriously? You’re going to embarrass me like that?”
“See what I mean? Relax, Mia. We’re all adults here, and we all know what happens on dates these days.”
“When and where have you been out on a date, Mom? This is not the sixties or seventies.”
“Please.” She waved her hand. “If a man looked this good, I would have sealed the deal in the first five minutes. Life is too short to waste precious moments.”
My mother had changed since Dad passed. She did cherish those moments most of us took for granted. Living from day to day, taking in the good days and the bad ones, my mother was an example I wished I could live up to. She’d been crossing items off a bucket list for the past few years, wanting to fulfill all of her wildest dreams before it was too late. I loved that free spirit about her. I mean, how many people had the balls to vacuum their front lawn just to watch people’s reactions as they drove by?
Adrian just listened to us, nodding politely as we bantered with each other. A bit more chitchat and I feared my mother would collapse into his arms and go out with Adrian instead of me.
“Now, I don’t want to take up your time, but I see I have some new games to play with my grandchildren, so please do me a favor and get out of here.” She winked.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m giving you the night off, hun. Go out, have fun, and enjoy.” She shrugged, and then leaned into me, adding, “And if you don’t pick up my call again, I will revoke any other babysitting offer that may come up in the future.”
“Thank you,” I said, hugging her. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now get out of here, and please note that I’m staying overnight… and I don’t like to be woken up in the middle of the night. I’d prefer it you came back sometime tomorrow when we’re out shopping.” She winked, as if her words weren’t enough for me to catch her meaning.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. Why did it feel like my mother was pimping me out? And just to make sure I understood what she was hinting at, she stuffed something in my pocket, adding, “I got these on the way over.”
I stuck my hand there feeling the square foil packets—all eight of them. My mouth dropped open, but I didn’t dare say anything as Adrian was now watching my expression. I quickly changed into a comfortable dress and a short sweater I could drape over my shoulders in case it cooled later in the evening, and then packed a few things in a backpack and we headed out. Just before we left, my mother handed Adrian a bag, winking at him once again.
CHAPTER 11
“Did you know she was coming over?” I asked as Adrian drove in his new yet older car.
“Possibly.”
Which meant yes. Adrian had taken charge and set tonight up. It had been a long time since a man made any kind of decision for me, and I liked it. It took the pressure off. For a while now, as a single mother, I hadn’t had the luxury of re
linquishing control over my timetable to anyone. And here Adrian had asked my mother to babysit so that we could have a night together. He’d done this for me, for us.
I had totally avoided her since the day he’d stepped back into my life, just so that I wouldn’t have to explain myself. Tonight, seeing her eyes glow with a happiness that had been gone for a long time, I knew her hope for us to make it work was greater than anyone’s, quite possibly as high as mine. And now I regretted not calling her back, feeling like the worst daughter in the world.
We turned north, driving the same way we had to his house. The sun’s rays hadn’t eased since midday, and it was already early evening. With this weather, it was difficult to believe that fall was only a week away.
“Are we fishing again? And what did my mother give you in that bag?”
“No, we’re not fishing, but we’ll be close to where I’m staying, and your mother gave me some accessories for tonight.”
“Oh, God!” I’d spoken too quickly. I couldn’t imagine she’d packed more condoms because she’d already given those to me and the bag was too big. What in the world had she packed in there? Had she spoken to Isabelle about her and Taylor’s new toys, thinking I could use some?
He looked over at my face just before I buried it in my hands, laughing at my own thoughts.
“Why are you so afraid? What do you think is in the bag?”
I twisted my hands, feeling his eyes dart from the road to me every few seconds.
“Please, Mia. Entertain me. I want to know what you’re thinking.”
I covered my face with my hands again, saying, “I’m thinking paddles and floggers and blindfolds.”
I can’t believe I just said that.
“Is that something you like?” he asked seriously, and I lowered my hands to my bare knees. I so hoped my mother hadn’t had the nerve to pack such things.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never tried it.”
Why in the world was I feeling so hot talking about this? Just the thought of being slapped on my ass made me tingle, even though I’d never done anything like that before. I squeezed my knees together, asking, “Have you?”
Instead of answering my question, Adrian pulled onto a country side road. The gravel crunched under the wheels and dust lifted around us. He shifted the car into park and turned in his seat to face me.
