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“We’ll go on one date and see where it goes.” She wiggles one finger in the air to drive home her point. “But”—oh shit—“I don’t want anyone to know.” I school my expression to hide my disappointment. I don’t want to be her dirty secret, not when I want to show her off and shout to the world that I’m hers.
“All right,” I agree. “I can accept being your dirty little secret.” For now.
“Here, mousie, mousie. Come here.” Oh, please, God, do not let her be some sort of mouse whisperer and lure that thing over to me.
😂😭
“You can talk about him. I don’t mind. He’s in your past, and I fully plan on being your future.”
“Tonight is about you enjoying yourself.” Because I want you to do this with me again.
“It’s okay.” I slide a plate in front of her. “You can use me for my body.”
“Because I don’t want to have to tell our future kids that I fucked their mom on the first date.”
The moan she lets out over the first bite has me pulling in a deep breath to rein in my natural reaction. The primal, sexual sound instantly makes my jeans grow tighter. When her eyes roll back and she moans again, I realize she’s exaggerating her response now, trying to rile me up. Via might not want to admit it, but she loves sparring with me and working me up. There’s a fire beneath that quiet exterior.
“It’s easy to think that everyone but you has their shit together, but we’re all out here winging it. Even at my age.” I stare, my heart squeezing in my chest. “You’re not old, Via.” “Compared to you?” she huffs. “Yes, I am.” Maybe I’m the crazy one, because I don’t think about the age gap between us.
Reid inspires me.
Reid is a vibrant splash of color in the dull landscape that is my life. He’s red. Passion and energy. He’s blue. Friendly, a rock I can hold on to against the crash of waves. He’s green. Infallibly positive, with a generous soul. He’s yellow.
it takes a good friendship to establish a solid foundation. I don’t want to only be your lover. I want to be your person. The one you go to first. The one you think of when you wake up. The one … just the one.” He sounds vulnerable, like he didn’t mean to admit that much.
I’m your guy.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” She averts her attention, like she’s afraid that if she looks at me, I’ll see something in her expression she doesn’t want to show me. Ah. It hits me then. I smirk. “You’ve already drawn me.” It’s a statement, not a question.
She presses her lips together and averts her eyes. I narrow mine on her, working through why this is such a big issue—oh. “You think it’s you who can’t resist me?”
“It’s good enough,” I answer, releasing her. “But I don’t want to be your dirty secret forever.” “You’re not … that’s not what…”
I could fall in love with Reid Crawford. It’s what I think to myself, fighting tears once more. I could love him harder than I ever loved Chase. This man could ruin me in the best way.
“I didn’t think I liked cuddling,” she whispers so softly I’m not sure the words are meant for me. “But I like cuddling you.” I don’t like to
A sharp knock sounds, and we jolt apart. Reid looks at the door, then back at me just as there’s another knock. Softer this time. “Expecting someone?” I shake my head, pulse pounding with a mix of desire and trepidation. “I … no.” Reid shuffles to the door, holding out a hand toward me. “Just stay there.”
I’m scaredddddd no stoppppp o my goodness I can’t 😭
“Boyfriend?” Chase sputters. “You look like a kid.” I flinch like I’ve been slapped. My grip on Reid’s arm loosens, but he grasps my hand and twines our fingers together, giving mine a squeeze. Then he releases his hold so he can cross his arms over his chest. “And you look like a cheater.” Shots fired.
Damn. Ate dat ass up 🤣
Reid looks my ex-husband up and down. “You’re even more pathetic than she described.”
With that, he lowers his head and gives me a long, leisurely kiss. It’s a kiss that’s more than PG-13 but not quite R-rated. “I’ll be waiting, but take your time,” he whispers so that Chase can’t hear him. “Say what you need to.”
Yes sir mmmm, 🥵😩
“Ex-wife,” I correct. “And no, you can’t just want to see me. We’re not friends.”
He smiles then, and it’s an all-too-pleased with himself kind of smile. “Oh, it was no trouble, really. Your mother was all too happy to give me your address when I mentioned I hoped to reconcile.”
“Aren’t you listening?” She sniffles, pulling back. I won’t let her go. I won’t let her put a wall between us. “I can’t have kids. You can say whatever you want, but you’ve talked about it before. I can’t—I won’t—take that from you.” “Via.” I keep my tone calm but firm. “You are robbing me of nothing. Do you see any kids running around right now? You can’t take away something that doesn’t exist. But you?” I stroke my thumbs against the soft skin of her cheeks. “You are right here. You are tangible. If you walk away from me, I would lose you. Don’t you see that?” Lip pulled between her teeth
...more
“Anyway,” he says, smiling at me as my vision comes back into focus once again, “what do you think of that?” “Of … oh, yeah, sure,” I blurt out automatically. “Cool, I’ll pick you up tonight at seven, then.” “Seven? Why?” I draw out the question, giving my mind a chance to replay his words. His smile falters a little. “For our date.
LMAOOOO ahhhh this sick I’m dying 🤣😭
“I said yes to a date with my contractor. Who just so happens to be the father of the guy I’m kind of seeing—who’s eleven years younger than me. I’m going to hell, aren’t I? I totally am.” I throw my head back against the closed door and wince when I smack it harder than I intended. “I’m a horrible person.”
With Glenda, the question could be anything. She could ask whether Reid is allergic to peanuts or— “Have you slept with the son and the dad? I read a book like this once before and—”
My love life is being reduced to book tropes. I guess I should have expected this. I blame Ella for insisting that seeking the advice of our book club crew was a good idea.
“We’re just…” “Reverse age gap?” Cassandra supplies. “Us,” I finish with a huff. “We’re just us.”
“You kind of caught me off guard earlier. I didn’t think it through before I said yes. I’ve been seeing someone, and it wouldn’t be fair to either of you if I let you take me out.”
He looks at me fully then, and the pain in his expression forces my feet to halt a few stairs below him. “How was your date?” Fuck.
wouldn’t know,” I reply easily. “I didn’t go.” His eyes narrow. “Via.” My name is a husky growl on his lips, turning my insides to liquid. “Why were you going on a date with my dad?” I wince. “I didn’t mean to say yes. I swear. He was talking about the renovations. I zoned out, and the next thing I knew, he was asking me something, and I blurted out yes. Then, when I realized he’d asked me out, I panicked. I know it looks bad, but I called him and canceled. I explained that I’ve been seeing someone—”
He grasps me around the legs and hauls me into his body, pulling a gasp from me. “I told you before,” he growls, his lips brushing mine with each word, “that I can fuck you better than my dad. It looks like I’m going to have to remind you of that.”
“Say it,” he demands. “Say you’re mine.”
“I’m yours.” “That’s right, angel.” He nips at my ear. “You’re mine. Don’t forget it again.” He stands and carries me across the porch. “Key,” he demands.
“Take your clothes off. All of them.”
“I’m sorry for hurting you.” His eyes narrow. “I think you did it on purpose.” My heart lurches. “What? No! I—”
He tilts my head back, forcing me to meet his stare. “Subconsciously, you wanted this. Wanted me to show you how much better I can pleasure you than any other man.” He seals his lips over mine. The kiss is possessive, deep. I feel it all the way in my soul. He releases me abruptly, and I stumble. “Turn around, Via, and put your hands on the wall.”
“Such a good girl,” he croons.
“You’re never going to let something like that happen, are you?” “No.” “No what?” He trails his lips down the column of my neck. “I won’t make the same mistake again.” He hums, his body vibrating against me. “That’s right. You’re mine.”
“Fuck, Via, you were made for me.”
“Don’t lose hope. I can always be your surrogate.” My heart tumbles in my chest with so much force I have to press a hand to my breastbone. “Are you serious?” “Yeah. I’d do anything for you. If you want a biological child and need me, my womb services are open.”
She thinks I’m too young to know what I want. For other guys my age, maybe that’s true, but I know what we have is rare, and I won’t let that go because she thinks I need to experience life. I’d rather experience life with her than without her.
“What am I—Reid, why are you asking that?” “Play along, Via,” I say in that way that I know makes her go weak in the knees. “I … are we about to have phone sex?” I chuckle. God, she amuses me. She might be older than me, but in some ways, she’s so damn innocent. “Yes.”
Izzy’s glee at my discomfort has me tempted to pull over and push her out of my car.
Reid grins, his face lit in triumph. “Don’t let it go to your head,” I gripe. “She’s been rooting for you from the beginning.” “In fact,” she says, pointing at him with a tortilla chip, “you have me to thank for encouraging her to go out and bang a guy’s brains out. So you’re welcome, buddy.”
Instead, she says, “They stopped watching after I did the story time on losing my virginity.”
My chest suddenly feels tight and my palms are damp. Because I’m about to remove my clothes and let my sister paint my naked body so I can lie on canvas and give the hopefully decent result to my boyfriend. “He’s a guy. He’s going to love it.”
a wave of horror washes over me. A vision of paramedics finding me inside my car with a canvas that bears the shape of my very own ass and boob enters my mind.
Lmaoooo
“Fuck, Via,” he groans, biting his knuckles. “This is hot. Creative too.” I try to hide my pleased smile, but from the twinkle in his eyes, he doesn’t miss it.
