Chapter 9 - Laura
I stare at myself in the mirror, nervous. I took another deep breath in, staring at my outfit. I was wearing a tight red dress that looked good with my hair, which I had let fall in loose curls.
I grabbed my hoop earrings and started sliding them on. "Michael, did you finish your homework? Do you have anything you need me to sign before I leave?"
I could hear his feet on the stairs as he ran down. He paused as he saw me in the mirror we had hanging in the entryway. His mouth opened slightly, and he looked stunned.
"What?" I said, looking down at my outfit, wondering if it might not look good. "What’s wrong? Does this look bad?"
"I've never seen you wear that," he said, scratching his head. "Or look like this."
"Well…I bought some new work clothes and got myself a few outfits." I placed my hands together. "Do you not like this? Should I change?"
I suddenly felt I'd worn the wrong thing. But Michael quickly shook his head. "You look nice. But you said you were going to dinner."
"I am," I said, grabbing my other earring and putting it on. I'm going to dinner with someone from work." I didn't say the date. If I said it was a date, I knew my stomach would tense up, so I told myself Miles was taking me to dinner as a coworker.
I reached over, ruffling his hair. "I'll be home just a little after you've gone to bed."
As nervous as I was, I could tell he was as well. I'd never not put him to bed. I was always home when it was bedtime, so this was different.
"Lucas is going to watch you until I get home. He said he was going to bring a movie and that you guys could have some popcorn. Does that sound fun?"
He nodded.
"Good, now go shower quickly. And remember to scrub your scalp really well."
As Michael hurried upstairs, I heard footsteps coming up the sidewalk. I went and opened the door, finding Lucas and Miles coming up.
"Nice house," Lucas said. "It's cute."
"Thank you."
Miles looked at me, and his eyes widened slightly. I could see he wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut. His eyes, however, tracked my outfit. I had done the same taking in a nice pair of jeans and a pressed white button down. His buzz cut looked fresh and he looked mature in his outfit.
"So, where's Michael?" They both asked.
"Showering," I said, letting them step inside. "He had baseball today, so I made him shower. He's looking forward to a movie."
"Well, I brought a couple," he said, waving them.
"Kid-friendly, I hope." I grabbed my purse and slid my shoes on.
Lucas snorted. "I'm not Miles."
"Hey," Miles made a face.
Lucas moved, slipping his shoes off, and I turned to Miles. He once more scanned me with his eyes. "You look lovely," he said.
I blushed, feeling my heart skip a beat at the compliment. "Thank you."
"Can you two leave now?" Lucas grumbled.
I smirked as Miles nodded, opening the door.
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up at a small restaurant. It was a beautiful building with large glass windows. You could see it was fancy, and my stomach twisted up. This was a date—like a date-date.
Miles opened my door and offered me a hand. He opened the door inside, where the smell of rainwater and plants hit you.
"Table for two, I have a reservation," Miles said.
I looked at him, shocked. "You made a reservation?"
He nodded. "Yeah, why does that surprise you."
Maybe it was because he hadn't done that before, but then again, we hadn't gone out on many dates before. We spent a lot of time indoors and in the sheets.
We were seated in the back by the water fountain. The lights were dim, and despite being busy, it wasn’t loud. To my surprise, it was rather relaxing.
"You nervous?"
I looked at him, a little embarrassed, as I nodded. "A little… it's been a long time since I've been out on a date."
"Really? You haven't dated since having Michael?"
I shook my head. "No, not really. He required a lot of attention, and I didn't have a lot of help with him. A lot of guys don't understand the importance of having a kid when you're in a relationship."
I could see the hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that." He sat up a little straighter. "Let's treat tonight like we don't know each other."
I smiled, liking the idea.
"I'm Miles. I'm a firefighter and a have a little addiction to farmers markets."
I laughed, unable to hold it in. Miles smiled at me, and I felt my shoulders relax, wondering if maybe this would be okay.
We talked about life after college and its highs and lows. Miles told me about working with the guys and figuring out his life. I found myself leaning forward, wanting to hear more. I told him about Michael and everything he was. We talked about sports and school events. I found we both were just spilling everything to each other.
"Did you end up buying him a pet?" Miles asked, leaning on the table. We were finished eating, but we still had much to discuss.
I made a face. "He wanted a damn snake, fuck no."
Miles placed his hand down, his fingers brushing mine. A shiver ran down my arm, but I didn't pull it away. It felt nice and reminded me of how comfortable he had made me feel at one point.
Mile’s fingers curled around mine, and I swallowed, looking at him. He was wearing a soft expression, his lips curled up slightly.
"This was nice," I said. "Thank you for asking me."
"Is that your way of ending the date?" he asked, a smirk pulling at his lips.
I snorted. "I do have a child at home. Unlike before, I can't stay out until the sun comes up."
He squeezed my hand before he let go. "I know. It's not like before." He offered me a hand up, placing his hand on the small of my back as we moved. I smelled his cologne, and my stomach twisted up once more.
We moved outside, heading toward his car. He opened the door, and I turned to him. I didn't realize how close he was as he looked at me. I watched his eyes flick down at my lips, and I suddenly felt like my breath was taken away.
"You're staring," I whispered.
"Maybe you have sauce on your face," he said, pulling a hand up, his thumb brushing my lower lip.
I took a slow breath in. "Do I?"
He smirked, leaning closer. "No."
His lips brushed against mine, and for one second, my mind froze. This was a bad idea. We still had to figure out a lot at stake and so many things. Plus, I hadn't told him about Michael.
But his lips. God, I forgot how soft they were. I forgot how long it had been since I had last been kissed. How long had it been since I could let my guard down like this?
We fumbled against the car, his arms caging me in. He leaned back, but I found myself leaning forward, kissing him back. I didn't want this moment to end just yet.
His arms grabbed me, his fingers tight as they held me while his lips crashed against mine in a more violent kiss.
I parted my lips, feeling his tongue slide over mine, invading my mouth. His hand pulled up, his fingers wrapping around my chin just enough to hold me there. I felt dizzy, my fingers tightening on his shirt, and I wanted so much more. I could feel my nails digging into the fabric and possibly his skin.
"Fuck," he growled, his lips pressing on my neck, and I panted. "You make me insane, Laura. Do you have any idea what this dress is doing to me?"
I didn't know what to say. His lips crashed against mine before I had to say anything. I moaned as he grabbed my leg, hoisting it up. I held tightly, wanting his body pressed against mine.
I tugged at his hair, and Miles leaned forward. His hand moved from my chin to my neck. I'd be lying if I said he didn't remember my love for a little pressure on my throat. I thought I'd outgrown it, but I hadn't. I felt wetness form as his fingers wrapped around my neck just slightly, and I moaned.
And I felt it. Miles was hard, pressing against my leg.
I suddenly realized my dress was hiked up, and his cock could easily be rubbing against me. It was exactly what I wanted. It was what I needed.
But suddenly, I remembered this wasn't who I was anymore. I was a mother, and fucking outside a restaurant was not something I could do.
"Stop," I said, my entire body tensing up. Miles froze, looking down at me. His hand let go of my throat, and he looked worried.
"What's wrong? Shit, did I press too hard?"
I shook my head, realizing this was just like the past. I was so quick to want him that I forgot this was a bad idea.
"I need to get home to Michael," I said, chewing on my cheek, flustered.
Miles leaned back, looking confused.
"Are you mad?" I asked, knowing we would have gone further if I hadn't stopped us.
Miles frowned. "Why would I be mad?"
I glanced down at his pants, where you would see his pants bulging. And I knew what was underneath.
"Because I'm ending it like this when you could so easily get it with someone else."
Miles hooked my chin, giving me a soft smile. "I don't want anyone else, Laura. So, if you want things to go slow, they go slow."
"Even if you end up with blue balls?"
He snorted. "Even then. Now, let's get you home."