Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Despite her reservations about beginning a relationship with Carson, Mila was ready for his kiss. He was right. They could talk all night about whether or not they should start up something between them, but the physical attraction had to be there.
She was certain it was.
His hands framed her face, the simple touch stirring something deep within her. As he lowered his mouth to hers, anticipation filled her.
The kiss began tenderly, full of unspoken promises.
It was gentle and moved her, tears filling her eyes.
She inhaled his clean, masculine scent, reveling in his nearness.
Then his lips, firm and yet pillowy soft, increased the pressure, sparking a thrill within her, causing desire to ripple through her.
One hand slipped to her nape, cradling it as his kiss grew more insistent.
Mila had never been one for romance novels.
That was something Piper enjoyed, but she felt as if she were now starring in her own romance story as Carson continued to kiss her, heating her blood.
This kiss was different from any she’d experienced before, and she wanted more of it.
More of him. She leaned into him, needing to be closer, and heard a low growl in his throat.
He broke the kiss, and they gazed at one another a long moment, the air crackling between them.
She felt on the precipice of something unknown to her, yet she was ready to dive in.
His mouth came down on hers hard now, one arm snaking around her waist, holding her close. He teased her mouth open, and she invited him in, his tongue sweeping against hers sensually, beginning a playful warring of their tongues.
New sensations poured through her, foreign to her. Her arms went about him, not wanting to let this man go.
They kissed for a long time, the variety of kisses changing from minute to minute. At times, he explored her leisurely, as if he wanted to memorize everything about her. Other times, his kiss grew demanding. Bold. Taking and taking—yet giving himself in return.
Finally, he ended the kiss, resting his brow against hers, both out of breath, their breathing erratic, coming in short spurts. In this moment, she knew she had never kissed—or been kissed—in such a poignant, passionate way. Carson had set the new standard for what a kiss could be.
He lifted his head from hers and gazed deeply into her eyes. Things had definitely shifted between them, and Mila no longer had any doubts about pursuing more than friendship with this man. She wanted to see where this relationship might lead them.
Carson leaned back against the couch, his arm going about her, drawing her to him.
Her cheek rested against his heart, and she felt its beat.
She flattened her palm against his chest, feeling the hard wall of muscle resting beneath her fingertips.
A possessive wave swept over her, wanting to shout to the world that this man was hers.
“I think I could stay curled up next to you forever,” she told him.
“I hear you.” The back of his fingers caressed her cheek, and he kissed the top of her head. “That was something.”
“If I were a coach rating your kissing skills, you would receive an A+ and be named team captain,” she said flirtatiously.
“I haven’t kissed anyone in a long time,” he admitted. “Angie was everything to me. We met on the first day of college and literally matured into our adult selves together.”
He cupped her cheek, the pad of his thumb sensually stroking it. “But I don’t ever want to compare you to Angie, Mila. You are your own person—and one terrific kisser yourself.”
She smiled at his compliment. “I haven’t done a lot of kissing myself for quite a while. I was so busy in college, playing on a volleyball scholarship, that I didn’t date much. I’ve only had one serious relationship I told you about, and those kisses were a long time ago.”
“What about Sam?” he asked. “He was pretty recent.”
“Sam wasn’t much into kissing. Or foreplay.
He was more of a ‘let’s get to the main event’ kind of guy.
We enjoyed doing things together, but even I knew nothing serious would ever come from us seeing one another.
I hate to say it, but I was marking time with Sam.
” Mila paused. “Maybe because I was waiting for you to come along.”
She brushed her palm back and forth against his chest. “I liked kissing you, Carson. You made me feel cherished. At the same time, I definitely felt the passion between us. I’ve never kissed anyone as long as we just did. It was pretty incredible.”
“Do you believe it’s worth it to invest ourselves in a relationship?” he asked softly.
“Before we kissed, I was walking a tightrope regarding that question. Now? I’m all in,” she assured him. “That doesn’t mean it’ll be smooth sailing for us, though. I expect a lot of rough bumps along the way. People throwing obstacles in our path.”
She lifted her head, their gazes connecting.
“You have far more at stake than I do. Not only do you have to prove yourself on the court with your team, but you also have the eyes of Driftwood Bay on you, watching as you supervise all sports in the schools. Fans here can be pretty harsh in their assessment of coaches, and that includes the athletic director responsible for all sports programs.”
“What do you suggest as our first move?”
“Something which may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
We need to tell my dad.” She hesitated. “Just because we feel something between us doesn’t mean we’ll receive the green light to pursue it.
Your job—and providing for Lily—has to be your priority.
This isn’t like when Sam and I went to HR and notified them we were dating.
We were coaches on equal footing in different sports.
” Mila shook her head. “This is way different. I report to you.”
“I think I want to run this by Jon Earl before we approach Dr. P and HR,” Carson said. “He might have greater insight into this situation than either of us. Do you want to be with me when I speak to him?”
“No, I think it should be between you two guys. It’s the smart move to loop him in, but Jon Earl is a bit old-fashioned. I think he’ll be more frank if I’m not present during your discussion when you let him know what’s brewing between us.”
“I guess this is the right time to bring up something else.” Carson took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to take things slowly.
This is the first time for me to be with a woman since Angie’s death.
I don’t want to mess things up by moving too fast. I also have Lily to consider.
I’ve already introduced you to her, and she knows you’re my friend and that we work together.
I don’t want to confuse her and let her jump to the conclusion she’s going to have an instant mommy. ”
“I get that. Slow is definitely the way to go. And no PDA in front of her.”
“I’m already aching for your taste again,” Carson admitted. “Are you up for round two?”
She broke out in a huge grin. “Where your kisses are concerned, I’m ready to roll.”
He began kissing her again, pulling her into his lap.
Mila entwined her arms about his neck and leaned into him, kissing him back with everything she had.
Their kisses ran the gamut, from sweet to scorching.
By the time they stopped again, she was hot all over, burning need pulsing within her.
She had to agree with Carson, though. They were both fragile and didn’t need to leap into anything too quickly.
Mila slid from his lap and said, “I’m keeping the kids for Michael and Cecily the next four days. They haven’t had alone time together in forever and are taking a short trip up to the Hill Country.”
“Will the kids be at Happy Hearts tomorrow? Lily will be disappointed if Bobby is among the missing.”
“I’ll drop them off at Happy Hearts in the morning and then pick them up that afternoon. Maybe we could all have dinner together tomorrow night,” she suggested.
“Lily would like that.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “I would like that.”
“Does Lily have any favorite foods?”
“She could live on mac and cheese. She’s also a fan of hamburgers and hot dogs.”
“Then we should meet at Burger Barn. It’s a kid-friendly place. I’ve decided to take the kids to the beach on Saturday morning before it gets too hot. You and Lily are welcome to join us if you’d like.”
“That’s a great idea. I’m going to try and reserve weekends this summer to be a work-free zone. A trip to the beach would be a good start to our first summer in the Bay.”
He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. The simple gesture meant a great deal to Mila.
“What do you have on your agenda this summer?” he asked.
“I run a volleyball clinic the last week of June. Mornings are for elementary-aged kids, and the afternoon sessions are for middle schoolers. I also have made a big commitment regarding my future.”
He looked at her quizzically. “About what?”
“Not that I would do anything about it anytime soon, but I’ve decided to pursue my master’s degree in administration. I love coaching—but I love having options more. The day may come when I’m ready to leave the classroom and court and challenge myself in new ways. I want to be prepared.”
“I’ve never looked into that,” he admitted. “What does it involve?”
Briefly, she outlined the online program she had registered for two days ago and how many courses she would take for the degree, as well as the tests she would need to pass for certification.
“Fortunately, I can take all my classes online, so I’m going to get started with that this coming Monday, the first day of the summer session.
Once my coursework is completed, I’ll need to do an internship.
Hopefully, George Crumby, our principal, will help facilitate that.
I’ve seen others do it, and it usually involves pawning off grunt work assistant principals don’t like bothering with.
Issuing textbooks to teachers. Assigning lockers to kids. That kind of thing.”
“How long will it take you to earn your degree and certification?”
“The university suggests two years, but once volleyball season ends, I have more free time and can devote myself to my studies. I’m hoping to finish a year from this coming Christmas.”
“That’s ambitious.” He grinned. “I find ambition very sexy.”
Carson kissed her again, a long, slow, delicious kiss that caused her toes to curl.
Breaking it, he cradled her face in his large hands. “If I don’t stop kissing you now, I’ll keep doing it all night long.”
She understood he was trying to cool the heat between them so things didn’t progress any further tonight.
Mila came to her feet, and he did the same.
“I plan to pick up the kids at five. We’ll head straight to Burger Barn from Happy Hearts.”
“I’ll do the same. Let me walk you to your car.”
Hand-in-hand, they went outside to where her Jeep stood at the curb. She knew he was as reluctant as she was to part.
“Talk to Jon Earl tomorrow,” she urged. “I don’t want this to go any further until we’ve been given permission to proceed. We have to be realistic, Carson. HR might shut this down.”
He squeezed her fingers. “While Lily is my top priority, she’s 1A and you’re 1B, Mila. I’m going to fight for us and make certain this works for us and our district.”
She climbed into the driver’s seat, and he leaned in, giving her a soft, parting kiss.
“I’m meeting with Lisa Thornbach tomorrow morning about the clinics we’re putting on, but I’ll see Jon Earl after that.”
“Thank you,” she said, starting the Jeep. “I’ll see you and Lily for dinner tomorrow night.”
Carson placed a hand on her shoulder squeezing it. “I have complete faith this’ll work out for us.”
His hand fell away, and Mila put the Jeep into gear. She waved as she pulled away from the curb and drove down the street, watching him in her rearview mirror.
Tonight, a seismic shift had occurred inside her.
She was still dealing with feelings so new and unfamiliar that it would take time to wrap her head around them.
All she knew for certain was that she needed Carson Andrews in her life and was willing to do whatever it took to give their relationship a chance to blossom.