Chapter 16
Landon
I was going to embarrass myself when I stood up. Sitting next to Casey as she licked her ice cream cone was doing things to me that should not be happening when I was sitting at a table with two teenagers and other parents. But fuck me, Casey was making me want to be that ice cream cone.
She had no idea I wanted her as much as I did. But hearing she felt even a little bit of the same thing had me grinning like an idiot and unable to stop staring at her.
Mikayla and her friend were sitting at the end of the table and talking about their musical.
Casey was holding down a conversation with the girl’s mom.
The dad was watching over his girls like if he looked away something bad would happen.
He had a hand on his wife’s knee, and a smile that said she was his entire world.
I wanted that. A woman I could touch in public and not think twice about what anyone else thought. I was pretty sure Casey would not handle it well if I put my hand on her thigh. Although she was going to have to be okay with it at the wedding.
Which meant I needed to find a way to control my reaction to her. Because sporting a hard-on for the entire wedding was not a good look.
“You own the flower shop, right?” the dad asked me as we were finishing up our ice cream. I couldn’t remember his name.
“I do. Blossom & Grow.”
“I was trying to place you. I always get her flowers from you.” He nodded his head toward his wife.
“And they’re beautiful,” she said with a broad grin.
I smiled. “I’m happy to hear you enjoy them.”
“The only thing I don’t enjoy is that he usually brings me flowers when he screws up somehow. Can you fix that?” the wife asked.
I chuckled with them. “I don’t think I have that ability, but clearly the flowers help you to forgive him.”
She looked at her husband adoringly. “Yeah, they help.”
“Mom, I have homework to finish,” Carrie said, drawing the attention of the adults.
“So do I,” Mikayla said.
“If everyone is done, we can go,” Casey said, checking with the other mom.
“We’re good,” Carrie’s mom said. “It was so good to see you guys.”
The two moms shared a hug, and the dad shook my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” I told him. “Hopefully I won’t see you too soon.”
He laughed. “Doubtful.”
“Maybe you’ll see him because he’s being nice,” the mom said, sliding her arm around her husband’s waist.
He looped his arm over her shoulders. “I think I need to do that. Surprise her.”
“It would be a surprise.”
I laughed and told the dad to call me. The three of them headed in the opposite direction to their car, and I followed Mikayla and Casey to Casey’s. “That was fun.”
“Yeah. You should come to dinner with us every night,” Mikayla said.
Casey’s laugh was strained. “Landon has his own life, honey. I don’t think that’s going to be an option.”
“Maybe we can do something every week, though,” I suggested, not caring that it might get me in trouble with Casey. I wanted to spend more time with her, and if that meant Mikayla hanging around us, I wasn’t opposed to it.
“I’m not sure we can work that out. Between work and the musical, we’re pretty busy,” Casey said.
“But you have to eat. Maybe I can pick up a pizza and come over sometimes. It would be nice to see more of both of you.”
Casey slid me a look that suggested I stop talking.
“Yeah, Mom, we should do that,” Mikayla said.
Casey forced a smile for her daughter. “We’ll see.”
Mikayla’s shoulders sank, which told me that meant no in Casey language.
“Get in, honey,” Casey told her, standing next to the car.
I stayed with Casey, knowing I was about to get a lecture. She waited until Mikayla was in the car before she turned to me.
“I can’t afford to take her out every week, and I can’t ask you to pay for us all the time.”
“We don’t have to go out. I can cook for you. Or you can cook for me.”
She chuckled.
“You said you wanted to spend more time with me. Did you change your mind, or are you worried about Mikayla?”
She drew a breath and glanced at the car. “Kyle is not a great dad. He’s not there for her. He hasn’t really ever been. She can’t handle another man walking away from her.”
I moved closer to her. “What about you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, stiffening her shoulders and standing up straighter, as if to prove to herself she could stand on her own two feet.
“I know you are. But you don’t have to be so strong all the time. You could let me in. Lean on me a little.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Not when I know you could disappear at any minute.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m not a good bet, Landon. I know that. I’m a divorced single mom with money problems and nothing to offer you.”
“You have everything I want right now, Casey. All I want is you.”
She shook her head, the fading sunlight catching tears on her lashes. “I don’t know how much of myself I can offer. Between work and my daughter… I have to be there for Mikayla. I’m all she has. That’s why I’m not looking for a relationship. We want different things.”
“We don’t need to make any decisions right now. We agreed to get to know each other. We’re going to the wedding together. Don’t end this now, Casey.”
“I’m not. I don’t want to. But I can’t have you around Mikayla.”
“You were the one who came to my store today. Who introduced us.”
“I know. And I shouldn’t have.”
“I’m glad you did.”
She smiled up at me. “She really likes you.”
“The feeling is mutual. She’s a great kid. Funny and a little sassy and smart.”
Casey laughed softly. “She was never like that with Kyle.”
“Like what?”
“Sassy. He would snap if she was like that.”
“That’s not fair. A kid should be allowed to express themselves at home. Especially at home.”
She nodded. “I think the same thing.”
“So where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know.”
“I want to see you again. With or without Mikayla. Both would be my choice.”
“You’re not like anyone else I know.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
She looked me in the eye and said, “So do I.”
Casey dropped me off at home, then waved as she drove away. Mikayla waved, too, and I wondered when I’d see her again. Casey had to do what was right for her daughter, but I hated that Mikayla was not a priority for her father. It wasn’t fair to the kid.
I waited about thirty minutes, then sent Casey a text asking when we could get together to finish our conversation from earlier.
I work all day tomorrow.
What about the next day?
I have the meeting with Adam in the morning.
After that?
I need to start writing my article.
Come here to write.
To your shop?
Yeah. You can sit in the back where we met with Omar and Natalie. If it’s too busy, you can go up to my apartment. We can have lunch together.
Okay.
I open at ten, but come earlier if you want. Park behind the shop so your car isn’t on the street and let yourself in the back door.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Okay. I’ll see you then.
Looking forward to it.
I smiled at my phone. Casey in my space. In my home and in my shop. It was a step. A big one from what I could tell about Casey.
I spent the rest of the evening cleaning up my apartment and making sure she wouldn’t run screaming. My boots were all downstairs in the shop since they were dirty, but with my job, it was inevitable I would track dirt upstairs.
When I finally went to bed, I dreamed about Casey there with me and woke up with my hand around my dick. I groaned and hurried to the shower to alleviate the pressure, moaning her name as I came hard.
The woman was driving me crazy. It had been more than a year since I had sex, and until I met Casey, I didn’t miss it. I was fine in my celibacy. But with her around, I was finding it difficult to keep her out of my bedroom, even if it was only in my head.
Knowing she’d be there in a day had me distracted and horny all day. I went through the motions, handling everything, but I was happy to see the day end and a new one begin. One that would give me more time with Casey.
I was up at eight and got ready for my day. I didn’t know what time her meeting with Adam was, so I wanted to make sure I was ready no matter when she showed up. At nine, I was finishing my coffee in the shop when there was a knock on the backdoor followed by someone trying to open the door.
My pulse kicked up as I hurried to it, hopeful it was Casey.
“Sorry. It’s early. I should have waited until later,” she said when I opened the door.
“I told you to come.”
“I know, but you said you open at ten.”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside so I could close the door behind her. I crowded her against it and inhaled her scent.
She sucked in a breath. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I ducked my head, getting closer to her with every breath. Her lips turned up before my lips met hers.
Her bag hit the floor next to our feet, then her hands were in my hair.
Desire pumped through my blood, my cock hard in seconds. I pressed against her, letting her feel what she did to me, and cupped her ass, dragging her against my erection.
She whimpered against my lips, and I withdrew, only to have her chase my kiss.
I chuckled and sealed my lips over hers again, prying her mouth open with my tongue.
She scratched her nails over my scalp, and I groaned.
“Casey.”
“Don’t stop,” she begged.
I slid my hands to her thighs and lifted her off her feet, slamming her back against the door and holding her in place with my body against her front.
“Holy shit,” she breathed.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t even know. How can you hold me up?”
I grinned at her. “Beautiful, I carry around bags of dirt for a living. I’ll carry you to my bed if you let me.”
“You will?”
“When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. Let’s go.”
I pulled back and looked closely at her. “Are you sure about that?”
“I wanted you the night of the bachelorette party. I wanted you when you took us for dinner and ice cream. I wanted you the day I was in here and knocked down your display. Trust me when I say I want you, Landon.”