Chapter 10 #2
Every shift of her body sent a wave of need through me. If I ever got this woman in my bed, she might kill me, but it would be a damn good way to go.
“Josh,” she whispered against my lips.
“What do you need?”
“Don’t stop. Close.”
I twisted her nipples as she rocked over me, matching her pace and using the peaked nubs to guide her hips. She answered with her body, lowering her hips onto me with each new stroke, then tightening her grip on me as she came with a quiet cry.
I swallowed her cries, wishing I was able to watch her lose control. She trembled in my arms, holding on to me as her body returned to normal.
“Dear God, that was amazing,” she said, sounding shocked.
“Yes, it was,” I said.
She shook her head and eased her grip on me. “Did you come?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t amazing.”
“What can I do? You’re the one who walked out here with a third party, and I just used you to have the best orgasm of my life.”
“Best of your life? Well, I’ll happily take that mantle and raise it up higher when I can strip you naked and get my hands on you.”
She smiled the smile of a truly satisfied woman. “I think I need a nap now.”
I snorted a laugh. “I’m happy to be of service. Although Ashlyn will wonder what’s wrong with you if you’re in bed when she gets up.”
Reegan threw her head back and laughed, exposing the thick column of her neck.
Unable to resist her, I leaned forward and nibbled on her skin.
She moaned and shivered. “You are dangerous to my well-being.”
“I am?” I pulled back.
She looked like she regretted the words. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just meant you’re making me want things I wasn’t prepared to want.”
“Like what?”
“You.” She laughed softly. “I came here to be with Ash, not to have a summer fling.”
“Is that what this is?”
She shrugged. “I’m leaving at the end of summer, so I think it has to be.”
I nodded. We’d known each other for a month. I was not going to ask her for more, even though I already knew one more month wouldn’t be enough.
“I didn’t mean to sound like I don’t want something else. But I…”
I kissed her to stop the argument. “I get it. I really do. I’m not going to argue with you or ask for anything more than the summer. It’s all good.” I hugged her to me to calm my racing thoughts.
Before either of us said anything else, my phone buzzed with my second alarm of the day.
“What’s that?” Reegan asked.
“That’s life intruding. I need to get Evie up so she can get to work. I’m sorry.”
Reegan extracted herself from my lap and shook her head. “You never have to apologize for being a great father. She’s a really sweet kid.”
“Thanks. She is.”
Reegan stayed on her feet as I stood. Her smile was shy.
“Will I see you tomorrow morning?”
She nodded.
“Good. And check out a Stewart’s Shops for batteries. If you still need them.”
She laughed. “I think I’m good for right now. Maybe later, though.”
I nodded and accepted her empty coffee cup. I kissed her, unable to touch her with both my hands full, then walked back to my house before I could ask her to have dinner with us again later. Evie and I already had a father-daughter date planned.
The house was quiet, so I took a minute to put the mugs in the dishwasher and calm my raging erection before I went to wake Evie up. I started breakfast while she got moving.
Evie sat at the island and stared at her phone like something confused her. “Mom wants to go with us tonight.”
“What?”
“Mom texted me last night after I went to sleep. Well, earlier, she asked how my day was, and I told her how tired I was, then I told her we had dinner with Ashlyn and Reegan. She said she would have joined us if we told her we were doing something. She asked what we were doing tonight, and I told her we planned to go to The Dragon, then play mini-golf. She said it sounds like fun, and she’ll be in touch today to find out when.
” Evie lifted worried eyes to mine. “I’m sorry, Dad.
I know this was supposed to be a father-daughter thing.
I didn’t tell Mom that because I never thought she’d want to go. She hates mini-golf.”
“But she loves you, Evie,” I forced out. Hannah was only coming for one reason. She wanted to fuck me over in some way.
“What should I say?”
“That is up to you, but I’m not going to tell you she can’t come. If you want her to come, I’m okay with it.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want her to feel like we’re leaving her out.”
“It’s totally fine, Eves. I promise.”
Her face morphed into a bright grin. If I did nothing else right with raising her, at least I kept her from hating her mother. Whatever happened between me and Hannah was not for Evie to get involved in. I never wanted her to feel like she had to pick sides.
Evie tapped out a text to her mother while I finished breakfast for us. When Evie’s phone rang, I knew our plans were going to change before Evie was able to start eating.
“Hi, Mom!”
I turned and smiled at her as I set her breakfast sandwich in front of her.
“Yeah, Dad’s okay with you coming.” She took a bite. A small one. “Oh, um, yeah. We can do that instead.”
“Change of plans?” I whispered.
Evie nodded. “Hold on, Mom.” Evie muted the phone and lifted regretful eyes to mine. “She wants to go to Alfredo’s instead. Is that okay?”
I forced a smile for my kid. “Of course.”
“I’m sorry. It’s not what we talked about.”
I shook my head. “It’s all good. We have plenty of time to go to The Dragon.”
“You’re the best, Dad.”
I chuckled as she unmuted her phone and told her mother the change was fine. They talked a few more minutes while I swallowed another cup of coffee wishing I could add something a lot stronger to it.
Or better yet, wishing I could get out of dinner with my ex-wife.
When Evie finished her call with Hannah, she ate her breakfast, then hurried to get to work on time. I was right behind her out the door, wondering what other changes Hannah was going to spring on me at dinner.
I knew Hannah was sly, but I underestimated her skills.
All through dinner, I waited for the other shoe to drop.
It was a nice dinner. The kind of dinner I imagined we would have shared if Hannah and I had stayed together.
There was no fighting, no underhanded comments. Just attention focused on Evie.
As dessert arrived, Hannah asked Evie about a movie that came out that day. Evie had been talking about it for weeks, excited for the release. I didn’t think anything of the conversation until Hannah said, “I was going to watch it tonight. Why don’t you come over and watch with me?”
Evie smiled brightly before she slid a look at me. “We were going to play mini-golf.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot all about it,” Hannah said, pretending it was the truth.
“Can we watch it this weekend?” Evie asked.
Hannah waved her hand. “I’m sure you’ll have seen it by then. Everyone will be talking about it online. Your friends will want to watch it. Go have fun with your father tonight. You don’t have to come to my house.”
I could have written the script for that load of bullshit. I almost let out a sigh, but I swallowed it back, playing my part in the play of my life. “We can play mini-golf any time, Evie. Why don’t you go to your mother’s tonight and watch the movie?”
“Really?” she asked, her eyes wide and bright. “Are you sure, Dad?”
I smiled at the one person who owned all of me and nodded. “Of course. Your mom’s right. Everyone will be talking about the movie. If you don’t watch it tonight, you’ll feel like you’re missing out.”
“Thanks, Dad. Tomorrow, mini-golf.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
She hugged me tightly. When I looked past her to my ex-wife, I saw the triumphant smile of a woman who won.
And I was the sucker who always let her.