Chapter 2 #2
“I can’t talk now.” She glanced down at her dress and smoothed the material out again. “I have a dinner thing tonight.”
He stilled. A dinner thing.
A date.
His gaze slid over her again, and it hit him. The dress. Makeup. The perfect hair. They way she’d looked flustered when he’d first arrived. It wasn’t for him.
It was for someone else.
A hot, unwelcome lump of jealousy settled deep in his gut.
“Oh.” His voice sounded flat, even to his ears.
She tilted her head to the side and studied him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, slightly amused.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“Why would you think I wasn’t?” she asked.
He opened his mouth at first then closed it promptly. He combed his fingers through his hair and sighed.
“Because Kian usually tells me everything,” he admitted.
She stared at him then burst out laughing. His face heated at the notion that he gossiped with his four-year-old.
“Vic! You cannot rely on information you get from an almost five-year-old about my dating life,” she said.
“He told me you were in love with some guy name Henry,” he muttered. He slid his hands in the pockets of his slacks. Was that why she was dressed up? Was this Henry about to pick her up? He wondered if he should stay so he could check out the man taking his son’s mother out to dinner.
“What woman with a pulse isn’t in love with Henry Cavill? Kian had me watching Superman with him.” She snorted. She smiled and rested a hand on her hip. “Were you jealous?”
“No,” he lied.
And she knew it. Her eyes glimmered with something like amusement. Or something else more dangerous.
“But you’re sure I can come over on Sunday?” She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Sydney won’t mind me coming over?”
His chest tightened. He remembered he hadn’t shared the news with her about him and his ex.
Sydney and Tachina had a strained relationship.
When he’d first started dating Sydney, he had been up front with her about his son and the arrangement he and Tachina had.
His son was top priority for him, and he’d ensured she was cool with that before they’d gone any further.
“Actually, Sydney and I broke up.”
“Oh, Vic. I’m sorry.” Her face softened into genuine sympathy.
Kian came barreling back into the room with one shoe on, the other in his hand and his bag hanging off his shoulder.
“Mom, I told you she moved out!” Kian said.
Tachina blinked.
Busted.
“I…he told me? I thought he meant something else. You never know with kids,” she tried to cover up.
Vic smirked. Here she was, lecturing him about listening to their child when she did the same damn thing.
“Are you okay?” she asked, empathy in her eyes.
“Yeah. I guess it was time.” He sighed.
Three years with Sydney, and he still couldn’t articulate what was missing. He’d tried. He’d dated her, lived with her, and tried to picture a future with her. But it had never clicked the way everyone assumed it would.
Sydney wanted a ring and a version of Vic he hadn’t been ready to become. She’d packed up and stormed out of his life.
Maybe it should have hurt more than it did, but it didn’t.
“Mommy? Where’s Mr. Blankie?” Kian asked, looking around the room.
“I’ll go grab it.” She ruffled Kian’s curly light-brown hair then headed out of the room.
“I need help,” Kian mumbled and dropped his things onto the floor.
“You sure do.” Vic crouched in front of him to help straighten up his clothes and put his shoes fully on. “Want to go get burgers from Johnny’s for dinner?”
“Yes!” Kian jumped up and down. “Can I get a milkshake?”
“Of course, big man.” Vic pushed up and stood.
He took Kian’s bag and opened it to make sure there were actual items in there and not Kian just throwing toys in it, but he should have known better.
Tachina had packed it. Not that Kian needed much.
He had clothes and everything he needed at Vic’s house.
“Then we can watch the game tonight. The Browns are playing.”
“Yes!” Kian ran over to the window.
Vic loved being able to share things he loved with his son. He had grown up with a father who’d treated parenting like jury duty. An obligation to be fulfilled, not enjoyed. Vic had always promised himself he would be different.
“And we’ll get to have movie night tomorrow?”
“Yep.” He had plans for them. Father-and-son stuff. Things that he thrived on. They were going to have an amazing weekend together.
“Here it is.” Tachina returned with the blue blanket in her hand. She folded it neatly and handed it to Vic.
He took it, his fingertips brushing her skin. His breath caught in his throat. Hers caught, too.
Electricity.
Every single time.
She ushered them toward the door. That nervousness was back in her demeanor. She offered a small smile and stood in the doorway. “Sunday?”
“Sunday, “ he echoed. “Lunch. I’ll light up the grill.”
Kian stepped out the door and paused on the porch, dragging his bag behind him.
“Um, excuse me, sir. Where is my hug and kiss?” she asked.
She followed behind Kian and rested her hands on her hips. Vic chuckled and left the door slightly ajar as he joined them. Kian’s giggles filled the air, and he went into his mother’s waiting arms. She rained kisses on his face that sent their son into a fit of laughter.
“Mom!” Kian gasped, but she continued.
“I love you, baby,” She finally released him with one more kiss on his forehead.
“Love you, too, Mommy.”
“Now you two go and have fun this weekend.” She stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Mommy? Why don’t you never hug and kiss Daddy?” Kian asked.
Silence fell around them.
Tachina froze and glanced over at him. He didn’t know what to say to answer their son’s question. Kian glanced between the both of them.
“Jeremy says his parents always kiss when they say goodbye. Why don’t you?”
Vic cleared his throat, but nothing came out. It had never dawned on him that his son would start realizing that his life was a little different than his friends. Their arrangement was a good one, and not many had what they had.
“I don’t know,” Tachina said, finally breaking the silence.
She slowly stepped toward Vic with a mortified, apologetic look. He didn’t move. Hell, he couldn’t. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a brief, gentle hug.
It wasn’t long. It wasn’t dramatic. But it wasn’t nothing. His arms finally began to work. He wrapped one around her and hugged her back before he could stop himself. Her curvy frame felt so damn good against his.
And then, because their son was watching, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.
A lingering press of the lips onto his skin. Barely anything. Except his body reacted as if she’d dragged her lips down his throat.
Her perfume wrapped around him. It was sweet and warm like honey with a hint of flowers. It was soft, and he recognized it as one of her favorites.
She pulled back shyly, their eyes meeting.
“Yay!” Kian clapped and jumped in place.
Vic forced himself to breathe. He snagged Kian’s hand and the overnight bag and tossed the strap over his shoulder.
“We’ll see you Sunday,” he rasped.
“Sunday,” she said. “Have a great weekend.”
He walked Kian to his vehicle, because if he didn’t leave right now, at this second, there was no telling what he would do.
And as he buckled Kian into his seat, his heart raced. One thought still played in his head.
What the hell did she want to talk about?