Chapter 26
Maybe means no – a truth all children know
Leia
Ugh! It’s warm. Are we in the middle of another heatwave? I throw my blanket off of me but the blanket doesn’t move. Oh wait. It’s not a blanket. It’s a man. A heavy, naked man.
“Are we wrestling, firecracker?” Fender asks.
“I’m hot.”
“I know you are.”
I roll my eyes. “Corny.”
“Horny,” he corrects and presses his hard length into my back.
He woke me up twice in the middle of the night already. “You’re insatiable.”
He kisses my neck. “Your fault, sexy firecracker.”
I roll over until we’re chest to chest and throw a leg over his thighs. He groans in response before palming my neck.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“What’s wrong with tempting you?”
“Isla will be here soon. I don’t want her to walk in on us again.”
Crap. I forgot about my daughter. I push at his shoulders. “You should go.”
Fender refuses to budge. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not letting Isla think I don’t love her.”
Love her? Did he say he loves my daughter? Before I have a chance to ask, the front door bangs open.
“Mom! I’m home.”
Fender kisses my lips. “Get dressed.”
He rolls out of bed and puts his jeans on while I remain on the bed frozen. He loves my daughter?
He slaps the mattress. “Dressed,” he orders before sauntering away.
The second the door closes on him, my mind comes back online. Shit. Isla’s here. The last time Fender spent the night was a shitshow.
I jump out of bed and race to put on some clothes. I sprint out of the bedroom and down the hall to find Fender and Isla sitting together on the sofa.
“Did you have a good time last night, Isla?” Fender asks and I about melt into the floor. He cares about my daughter. Really cares.
“It was fun but …” She trails off with a scowl.
“But what?” he coaxes.
When she doesn’t answer, he pushes. “You can tell me. You can trust me.”
“But everyone’s talking about how Cash the Sinners played at the bar last night and I wasn’t there. I want to hear you play.”
“You want to hear the band play?”
“Yes! I love your music.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it happen.”
She frowns at him and bites her bottom lip. “You’re not going to run away again the way you did last time you stayed over?”
Fender pats her thigh. “I’m not going to run away.”
“Promise?”
He holds up a hand in a Boy Scout salute. “I promise I won’t run away from you ever again.”
My chest spasms with love for this man. Whoa. Hold on. Love? I love Fender?
Fender? The man who’s gentle with my daughter. The man who’s shown me more pleasure than I thought possible. The man who actually apologized and owned up to his mistakes. Shit. It’s official. I’ve fallen for the grumpy rockstar.
Now, I really do melt into the floor. My legs go weak and I slide against the wall until my butt hits the floor. I fell for a rockstar.
This is a disaster. He’s not in Winter Falls permanently. He’ll leave and take my heart with him. I clutch my chest. It’ll be much worse than when Charles left me with a baby. I didn’t love Charles the way I love Fender.
I love Fender. I breathe deep as my heart gallops while I allow the realization to sink in.
“Can I ask you something?” Isla asks and I remember I’m not alone. I’m in the hallway eavesdropping on my daughter and the man I love.
“You can ask me anything,” Fender says.
“You won’t get mad?”
“I won’t get mad.”
“Are you Mommy’s boyfriend?”
I hold my breath as I wait for an answer. Just because I recently realized I love the man doesn’t mean he has feelings for me.
“I’m Mommy’s boyfriend,” Fender says and relief washes through me.
“Does she know you’re her boyfriend?” Isla asks.
“Nope.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“Nope.”
“Can I tell her?”
He ruffles her hair. “Sure.”
She jumps off the couch. “Let’s go make pancakes.”
I scramble to my feet. I back up a bit before ambling forward as if I’m just now walking to the living room and wasn’t eavesdropping the entire time.
“You didn’t have breakfast at Storm’s house?” Fender asks as he stands. He notices me and winks before following my daughter to the kitchen.
“Storm’s mom made us pancakes with spinach.” Isla feigns retching.
“Spinach is healthy,” I say.
“Mom!” Isla leaps into my arms.
I hug her up tight. It isn’t often my eleven-year-old offers me a hug without having an ulterior motive.
“Did you have a good time?” I ask once I’ve forced myself to let her go.
“It was fun. We played flashlight tag. Do you know what flashlight tag is?” I nod. “We should play it when it’s dark tonight.”
“Maybe,” I hedge since it doesn’t get dark until it’s nearly her bedtime and a round of tag will have her too wound up to sleep.
“Maybe means no. I’ll ask Fender.”
Fender chuckles. “You can ask me, but my answer will always be the same as your mom’s.”
“Is this because your mom’s boyfriend now?”
I freeze. What do I do? I can’t admit to eavesdropping on their conversation. Isla would never let me forget about the time I eavesdropped on her.
“Nope,” Fender says. “Your mom knows what’s best for you.”
I raise an eyebrow. Is he not going to respond to the boyfriend comment?
“But you are her boyfriend, right?” Isla pushes.
Fender grins and those damn dimples pop out. “You know it, cutie pie.”
“Guess what, Mom? Fender is your boyfriend.”
I cross my arms over my chest and pretend to be irritated. “He is, is he?”
“Yep. He said so.”
“Do I get a say in this?”
Her nose wrinkles. “You like him.”
“Isla, cutie pie, why don’t you get the ingredients ready for the pancakes while I go talk to your mom?” Fender doesn’t wait for her response before he nabs my hand and drags me down the hallway toward the bedroom.
As soon as the door is closed behind us, he pushes me up against the wall and frames my face with his hands.
“You’re my boyfriend now?”
“I am,” he grumbles. “I’ve slept in this bed with you twice now. I’ve been inside you without a condom. This is no longer casual.”
“Slept? I don’t recall much sleeping.”
He tilts his head to the side and studies me. “Are you teasing me?”
I shrug. “I may have heard a bit of your conversation with Isla.”
“Good. Then, it’s time to get some things straight.”
“Things straight? Are you going to give me your varsity jacket and ask me to prom?”
“Never lettered in a sport.”
My eyes widen. “You never lettered in a sport?”
“No.”
“Not even football?”
“Never played football.”
“Did you play any sports?”
“Nope. I’m a musician.”
“But how?” I motion toward his body, his very fit body. He smirks and I slap him. “Stop smirking. You know what I mean.”
“Playing on stage for several hours each night requires stamina.” He presses his body against mine. “And you know I have stamina.”
Oh boy, do I know. “So, you’re my boyfriend?”
“I’m not a boy,” he grumbles. “But this is serious. And we’re exclusive.”
I debate continuing to give him a hard time, but why would I? He’s the man I love and he wants a serious relationship with me.
Am I scared? No doubt about it. Worried I’ll get hurt? Hell yeah, I am. But I also realize Fender isn’t Charles. Charles never cared about Isla the way Fender does. Charles never cared whether I enjoyed sex with him the way Fender does.
You never loved Charles the way you do Fender.
This time I don’t fight with my inner voice. She’s right and I’m done fighting.
“Okay.”
His eyes sparkle and he smiles. “Okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
I get a brief glimpse of those dimples before he melds his mouth to mine. I open up for him and he dives in. He always kisses me as if he can’t get enough. As if he’s starving for me. It’s intoxicating.
I clutch his biceps and wrap a leg around his hips. He grasps my leg and lifts it higher. I circle his waist and he presses his hard length against my core. Desire pours through me. My body doesn’t care how we had sex with this man three times last night. It’s ready for another round.
“Are you guys going to come out of the bedroom?” Isla shouts through the door.
I yank my lips from Fender’s and lean against the wall as I struggle to gather my breath.
“I’m starving,” Isla continues.
Damn it. Things were just getting good. “You certain you want to date a single mother?”
He growls. “I thought I just made it clear we’re more than dating.”
“I’ll rephrase. Are you ready to be in a serious, exclusive relationship with a single mom?”
He smiles and his eyes sparkle. “I am, firecracker. I am.”
“Alrighty then. Let me down. We need to make Ms. Perfect Timing her second breakfast.”
He kisses my nose. “To be continued.”
“Promises. Promises,” I say as I sashay away.
He slaps my ass. “I always fulfill my promises.”
I hope so, Fender Hays. I hope so. Because I’m taking a big risk letting you into my life and my heart. Be gentle with me.