Chapter 2
I fry up the fresh asparagus I got from the farmers’ market today in salt and olive oil. Years ago, I learned Liliana loves asparagus prepared like this. Based on her expression before I left her and Nathan upstairs, he’s been putting her through the ringer. Again. The least I can do is make one of her favorite snacks.
I tried to raise Nathan right, but there’s only so much you can do when you get your kid for two days every week. His mother and I got divorced not even a year after he was born, and the custody battle wasn’t pretty. She got married quickly after our separation finalized, so she had a supportive, financially stable home to raise him in.
My ex isn’t a bad mother. Far from it. But our parenting styles clash, and if I’m being honest, Nathan’s stepdad is a sleazeball. As far as I can tell, he’s not abusive, but there’s a lot to be desired when it comes to his treatment of others. Unfortunately, that got passed down to Nathan.
I just hope whatever is going on between him and Liliana is fixable. She’s the best thing that’s happened to Nathan in a long time. He doesn’t deserve her, but I can hope he’ll grow into a man who’ll treat her right, can’t I?
Just as I’m transferring the asparagus to a couple plates, Liliana appears in the kitchen. She’s thrown her brown hair up in a messy bun, so the little star tattoo right behind her ear is visible. The dark ink pops against her pale skin, and I wonder if Nate ever kisses her there. If her skin is as soft as it looks. If—
She’s your son’s girlfriend, Marcus. Knock it off.
I have to turn away and focus on the asparagus to calm my thoughts. Seeing that tattoo always sets me off. It’s been a source of lust and guilt for years. Craving to touch her there, then remembering who she is to me. And, more importantly, who she’ll never be to me.
“Everything okay?” I ask as I slide a plate in front of her.
“Perfect.” Her smile lacks its usual brilliance, although I’m sure it’d fool someone who doesn’t know her as well as I do.
We eat in silence. I only made enough for the two of us since Nathan hates asparagus, but I cut up an apple for him, and his favorite caramel dip is sitting out on the counter.
Only once we’re finished and I’m washing the dishes do I speak. “I finally finished the library. You should check it out sometime this week.”
“Oh, sweet.” Finally, there’s a little enthusiasm in her voice. “I was wondering about that. Got any plans for your next project?”
“Couple ideas, actually. Maybe you can help me choose.” I place the last dish on the drying rack, unsure if I should turn around. No matter how much I try to tamp down my attraction to Liliana, my eyes always end up on her when we’re in the same room.
It’s grossly inappropriate and wholly wrong. She’s my son’s girlfriend, for fuck’s sake, and they’ve been together for almost five years. But in that time, my desire for her has only grown.
Fuck.I need Nathan to get his ass down here so I have someone else to focus on.
“Marcus? You okay?”
“Am I—what?”
“I asked what projects you’re thinking on,” she prods gently.
“Oh. Right.” Begrudgingly, I turn around and lean against the counter. “I was thinking a guest house could be nice, but I’m not sure if that’s overkill when I have a perfectly large house already. It’d be a lot of work, too. Much more than my other projects.”
“Jesus, a whole house? Where’d you even put it?”
“I was thinking the far corner of the yard, over by that clump of trees. Where Nathan’s treehouse used to be?”
“Oh.” Her gaze lifts to the ceiling thoughtfully. “That could be nice. You think it’d get used enough?”
“Not sure. I was mostly thinking it could be nice for you guys. And if you ever have…” Don’t say it. “I don’t know. Like I said, it’s probably overkill.”
“What are your other ideas?” With one of her elbows on the counter, she rests her chin in her hand and arches a brow. It’s one of the things I’ve always appreciated about her. When she’s talking to you, you have her full attention. “Smaller projects, I hope?”
“The first is an in-ground hot tub out back. The second is a screened porch off the living room. There’s that sliding door in there that leads to the side yard, and I thought it’d be a nice place to spend evenings without having to deal with bugs. There’d be a decent view of the sunsets for most of the year.”
She taps her chin. “Both of those sound nice.”
“That’s why I’m having a hard time choosing. Tried to ask my friends, and I got a fifty-fifty split. They all laughed when I mentioned the guest house.”
Liliana tries to hide her smile by looking down. “It’s a pretty large project.”
“I like projects.”
She snorts. “You think I don’t know that? You redid your entire house, Marcus. And then it was the pool area. And then it was adding an outdoor bar and kitchen. And then you decided to convert the downstairs office into a library. I’ve never known you to not be working on something.”
“Keeps me busy, and it’s good for my health.” I gesture toward my body. “Gotta stay in shape somehow.”
Her eyes flick down to my abs, and I’m not sure if I imagine the slight tint of pink on her cheeks. But then she shakes her head and returns her gaze to mine. “I’ll think on the projects. Not sure which one sounds better yet.”
“Fair. How’s work been?” It’s such a boring question to ask, but I truly want to know. Work isn’t just work for her—it’s a dream come true.
Finally, Liliana’s face lights up, and passion sparks in her eyes. “It’s been going really well, actually. I hired a full-time assistant, so I’ve been able to take on a couple more clients.”
“And maybe a day off here and there?”
She rolls her eyes, but her expression remains playful. “I’ve actually started taking weekends off almost completely. All weekends, not just the ones when Nate is home.”
I blow out a sigh of relief. I was afraid Nate’s teasing earlier was too much, but she doesn’t seem bitter about it. “I’m sure that’s been nice. Nate is making time for you when he’s home?”
“Oh. Um… yeah.”
“Speak of the devil.” I grin as Nathan walks into the kitchen.
“Oh, perfect.” He makes a beeline for the apple and caramel dip before plopping onto the stool next to Liliana. “What were you guys talking about?”
“Work,” Liliana says. “And how we’re spending more time together on Saturdays.”
“Oh, yeah. We’ve been doing lots of shit. Going to the movies, hanging out with friends, all that.”
“Good,” I say with a forced smile. “I’m glad things are going well for the both of you.”
Liliana presses her lips together, and Nathan clenches his jaw. That confirms it—something is going on between them. I’d bet good money that my son did something stupid again.
After an awkward beat, Liliana turns to Nathan. “Wanna go for a swim?”
He groans. “Babe, it’s so late. I was gonna eat and then get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow?”
She shrugs. “Fine. Marcus? You wanna join me? The pool looks so inviting. I can’t resist.” Her smile is intoxicating, and I can’t look away as she slides off her stool.
Fuck me.How can she make such an innocent move look so seductive? There’s no way I can get in that pool with her—not without Nathan there as a buffer. “Sorry, Liliana. I’m all tuckered out. Getting too old for late-night swims.”
At that, she rolls her eyes. “Old? You’re only forty-five.”
Inwardly, I groan. I don’t need a reminder of my age. Not when I can’t help comparing it to hers. Twenty goddamn years. That alone should be enough to stop my thoughts in their tracks. Add on that she’s my son’s girlfriend…
“C’mon, Marcus. Pleeease?” Liliana bats her eyes at me and clasps her hands together. “You’re already in swim trunks, even.”
I jumped in the pool earlier to cool off and then got distracted by yard work, and by the time I was finished, my trunks were dry, so I never bothered to change. Didn’t think it’d be a problem. Now look where it’s gotten me.
“Not tonight,” I say. “But we’ve got all week. Why don’t you enjoy some time relaxing by yourself?”
Disappointment flashes in her eyes, but she shrugs it off quickly. “Yeah, that could be nice.” She kisses Nathan on the cheek. “I’ll see you in bed.”
“See you.” He slaps her ass before she walks off, and my hands ball into fists at the way it makes her shoulders tighten. They had a fight about that the last time they were here. She doesn’t like it when he does that in front of other people.
Once she’s upstairs, Nate eyes me. “You good? You’re acting weird.”
“Just had a long day.” With a tight smile, I grab his empty plate and turn toward the sink. “You sure you don’t want to swim with Liliana? I think she wants you to.”
“Ugh, she’ll be fine, Dad.”
I sigh. “Listen, I know I’m no expert on relationships, but—”
“You’re right,” he says shortly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been with Lily for longer than you were with Mom.”
I place the plate in the dish drainer and raise my hands in defeat. “Message heard loud and clear.”
“We’re fine,” he says, but the agitation in his voice—and all over Liliana’s face since they got here—leads me to believe otherwise.
“All right. Sorry for overstepping.”
Nate doesn’t say anything else—just gets to his feet and heads upstairs. It’s what I should expect. We were closer when he was younger, but over the past five years or so, we’ve sort of drifted apart. Some of it was him moving out of town, but I think most of it has been that he’s needed space to become his own person. And… well, sometimes it’s hard for me to step back and let him learn from his mistakes.
With a sigh, I turn to face the sink. These counters aren’t going to clean themselves, and I should probably give the kitchen a sweep, too. I didn’t remodel this place into exactly what I want just to let it stay messy.
When I redid the house, I made sure to keep the common areas down here as open as possible. The stairs leading to the second floor are in the living room, which bleeds right into the dining room and kitchen. The high ceilings and large windows help with creativity—at least that’s what I read in some article years ago—and the second-floor balcony overlooks it all.
It’s a beautiful piece of architecture in my humble opinion.
Just as I grab the broom, a door shuts upstairs. I turn just in time to see Liliana peeking down here from the balcony railing. When I catch her eye, she gives me what I think is supposed to be a smile but looks more like a grimace.
That, however, is about the last thing on my mind as she makes her way to the first floor. I lose sight of her for a few seconds, but once she’s on the stairs, I have a perfect view. And goddammit, the sight of her dressed in that tiny white bikini has my mouth going dry.
Liliana is all long legs, a toned stomach, and breasts that look like they’d fit perfectly in my hands. Her hair is still tied up, but a few strands have fallen loose and frame her face.
She looks…
Off limits, you stupid fuck.
“You sure you’re not up for a swim?” Liliana asks, and I can’t help but notice the forced cheerfulness in her tone.
“Not tonight,” I say, looking anywhere but her. My grip on the broom tightens. If I get in that pool with her, and we end up close enough to touch, I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself from sliding a hand down her body. And if I did that, then I’d probably keep going until I did something I couldn’t take back.
“Okay,” Liliana says, and I realize she’s made it all the way to the door to the pool area. “You going to bed, then?”
“Uh. Probably.”
She nods. “’Night.”
Before I can respond, she turns, and my gaze lands on her ass. Even if she gave me time to answer, I wouldn’t be able to, so it’s probably for the best that the door is already shut behind her when I come to.
Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. What the hell is wrong with you, Marcus?
I go back to sweeping, but my strokes are so aggressive that crumbs and dirt end up flying halfway across the tile. If I didn’t have morals, I’d already be in the pool with her hoisted onto the ledge and my head buried between her thighs. I’d make her scream loud enough for my son to hear so he can get a good reminder of what he’s squandering.
“Fucking idiot,” I mutter.
I’m not sure if I’m talking about my son or myself.
When I risk a glance outside, Liliana is standing in the shallow end of the pool. Her shoulders are slightly drooped, and her head is hanging as she watches the water ripple around her. But then she looks up toward the sky, and I catch a glimpse of her expression.
What I see there is something I’ve felt a million times before—more so in recent years. It’s a loneliness so deep that it feels like it’s embedded in your bones. It leaves you lost and wondering if you’ll ever feel the type of connection you had at one point in your life.
I freeze, broom still in hand, while I stare at Liliana. My son’s girlfriend. A strong, kind, determined woman who shouldn’t be feeling that kind of loneliness. Not when the man who loves her is right upstairs.
Yet there she is. Her chest heaves with a long sigh, and something tugs at my heart. Something wrong. Something dangerous.
I should ignore it.
I should go to bed.
Gritting my teeth, I place the broom back in its closet and step into the living room. But I never make it to the stairs.