I started nodding before he even finished the sentence. “I know the place. Right between Sweet Stuff and Brewhaha.”
I knew that store because it was exactly where I wanted to open mine. The location was perfect for foot traffic. It was the right size. The right place. I could see why the owners had been in business for years.
“Gwen and Isaac Tarrington are clients of mine and they’re ready to retire, but their landlord wouldn’t let them break their lease…unless they had someone ready to take immediate occupancy.” Jack cocked his head and time stopped as the true weight of his implication landed.
I was ready to take immediate occupancy. Or rather, I could be ready in a heartbeat.
My dream was coalescing into reality right in front of me. All my careful planning was about to come to fruition. I blinked as I waited for Jack to tell me he was joking. “Are you for real right now?”
“I’m so for real right now, you have no idea. Gwen handed me that card today specifically to give to you. She said you can call or text her any time to talk specifics.”
I leapt to my feet. “For real?”
The wattage in Jack’s smile increased. “Now you see why I was so excited when I first got home. That thing’s been burning a hole in my pocket all day.”
I pulled him off the couch and into my arms, then pressed a kiss to his lips until my excitement made its way to my feet and I started running in place.
Laughing, he released me. “One thing at a time, babe. Kissing or sprinting, but not both.”
“Oh, Jack! I thought this was the worst day I’d had in a while, but this?” I stared at the card, still fighting disbelief.
“Feels like we’re ending it on the right note?”
Nodding, I grabbed his belt buckle and drew him close. “There’s only one thing that could make this day better.” I leaned in and nibbled on his earlobe. “You.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jack
Amelia’s grip on my belt buckle had my dick instantly interested, but with the kids in their rooms just a few feet away, my brain frantically held up a stop sign. We’d had sex in my bed with them around before, but after everything that’d been happening recently, caution seemed imperative.
As if sensing my reticence, Amelia stepped back. “We can just make out on the couch, if that’s better.”
I drew her closer to whisper, “I want to fuck you until your knees give out. I want you to feel exactly how much you mean to me, how much I’d do for you, and I want you to come harder than you ever have in your life.”
She shivered as I took her earlobe between my teeth. A hitch in her breath shut down my brain and lust won out over common sense.
“Come with me.” I threaded my fingers with hers and led her down the hallway, through my bedroom, and into the master bathroom, where I locked the door and turned on the shower. There wasn’t a place in the house further from the kids, and if they could hear what I was about to do to her over the rush and hiss of the water, well then, I was screwed.
Amelia undressed slowly and I took a moment to appreciate the woman in front of me. The swoop of her breasts, the curve of her waist, the swell of her hips.
“You’re a fucking goddess.” My voice rasped in my throat, low and rough with desire. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
A slow smile lifted her lips as I undid the buttons at my wrist. When we first met, I’d been so focused on keeping things normal for my kids, I’d almost let Amelia slip through my fingers.
What a fucking fool.
Letting her into my life had resurrected me, reminding me there was more to existence than meetings, extracurriculars, and cheap dinners. There was pleasure. Ecstasy. Joy. Love.
Amelia had returned those things to me. She’d reanimated my smile. My sense of self. I’d do anything to return the favor.
Once we were both free of clothing, I slid open the shower door and ushered her inside. Water pelted her back and she tilted her head to wet her hair, then stepped toward me as I joined her in the tight space. Her soft hands enveloped my cock, stroking, sliding, her thumb working magic on the crown. I groaned, desire igniting, but shook my head.
“I want to savor you.” I twirled my finger in a slow circle. “Turn around.”
She did as instructed and I squirted bath soap into my palm, then reached around and lathered her breasts, kneading them as my dick pressed against her ass. Bubbles slipped across her skin as I kissed her neck and shoulders, my hands exploring, gentle yet insistent as I soaped her belly, her hips, her inner thighs.
She quivered with need, putty in my hands, turning her head to claim my lips. “Jack…”
I fucking loved my name coming from that mouth. I could hear it every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.
“I love you, Amelia.” I slipped my hand between her legs, seeking out that tight bud of nerves to send pleasure rippling through her body.
She gasped, pressing her hips into my hands and my dick pulsed against her ass.
Amelia writhed, her body responding to my touch. Every slip of my finger brought her closer to release, closer to being mine. She moaned, reaching back to stroke my cock.
Quietly, tenderly, we made love under the pounding water in my shower, urging each other forward with every moan.
Every heated glance.
Every scrape of fingers across skin.
And then, when we finished, instead of curling up in bed and basking in that post-sex glow, Amelia dried her hair, got dressed, and crept out of the house like a thief. I watched her drive away, tension settling back into my neck and shoulders.
I’d have to do something about the kids, I just didn’t know what.
Because this?
Sneaking alone time because my children were acting like jerks? This couldn’t last.
Now slow down, asshole, said the voice of reason. Maybe the kids need more time to adjust.
Just how much time are you gonna give them? asked the selfish part of me.
“As much time as they need,” I whispered, closing my eyes with a sigh.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Amelia
A week passed and things between me and the kids settled down.
Well, hold on now…
‘Settled down’ was the version of the story with positivity smeared all over it.
Reality hit a little different. Not bad…
…but not great, either.
Jack and I decided to give the kids time to adjust to our relationship. When they were around, we backed off on the public displays of affection—like way off—and returned to acting like I was just the babysitter. Instead of staying for dinner with the family in the evenings, I left the Cooper house and ate in my living room, pouring over products, finances, and other store related details. We asked Izzy to watch the kids Saturday evenings so Jack and I could have alone time to catch up on all the public displays of affection we missed during the week.
It was…fine.
Again, ‘fine’ was me adding my positive spin. I missed Jack and I missed the kids. Putting things on hold just when something real started to happen? Not a fan.
But…
I needed to focus on bringing my dream into reality, and I couldn’t do that while dedicating the majority of my time to the Coopers. The kids needed space to get used to me being Jack’s…what? Girlfriend? We hadn’t really talked about what we were, but they needed time to adjust to whatever that was.