Her shoulder rises and falls with her steady breathing.
I brush my lips across the back of her neck, the tiny hairs there, and wait for the rush of judgment saying this was a mistake.
It doesn’t come.
My phone rings from somewhere far away.
The temptation to stay is overwhelming. My fingers itch to stroke her hair and pull her against me.
I could do it.
Except…
I’m a father, and that comes first.
I shift out of bed, as subtly as possible to avoid disturbing her, and pad naked toward the living room.
“Daniel. Everything all right?” Mary asks when I answer on the fourth ring.
“Great.”
I rub a hand through my hair and stare out the back window toward the porch, the birds beyond.
“Shall we drop Andy off?” The bird stares at me through the window. “We’re leaving in an hour. It’s easy for us to stop by on our way.”
“No.” My eyes close. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
There’s nothing to bring you back to reality like your kid giving you a play-by-play of his entire sleepover.
“And then we played hockey!” Andy shouts from the back seat.
“Sounds like you had a good time.”
“I did my dance recital for them. Grandma counted ten pirouettes. And Grandpa wants me to come over again.”
The street is starting to wake up. I wave to Sawyer and Liv, who are getting into their own car across the road.
“Did Grandma and Grandpa feed you this morning?”
“Breakfast. But it’s almost lunchtime.”
Ten o’clock. Debatable.
“Can we have pancakes?”
We head inside and Andy takes his bag up to his room. I follow him there, not for an excuse to casually glance in Kat’s door on the way.
It’s open a crack and the bed is made.
I pull up, one hand on the doorframe.
Maybe she’s in the bathroom.
But that door’s open too, the light off.
Where is she?
My hands fist at my sides. I take the stairs two at a time.
I hope to hell she didn’t wake up alone and decide she regretted last night. If she wishes she’d never let me in her bed, I’m going to—
“There you are,” Kat calls from the kitchen.
The knot in my chest loosens as I find her freshly showered and wearing denim shorts and a black T-shirt tucked in. Her hair is piled into a loose ball on her head and her lips are swollen from my kisses.
She cocks her head.
“You bailed. That’s usually my move.”
“I had to pick Andy up.” I cut a look back toward my son’s room. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Much appreciated. Coffee?” She smiles as she holds out a mug with both hands.
This morning, she’s even more stunning than last night. Probably because I’ve touched most of those curves, felt them pressed to my body. I know the taste of her sweat, how she sounds when she comes.
Three times.
I’ve felt her shatter for me three times, and each time was utterly satisfying.
How many more ways are there to experience?
“Let’s go out for breakfast.”
Her brows lift, mock offended. “Because you don’t trust my cooking?”
The lights dances across her lips, her bare collarbone exposed by the T-shirt.
“Because if we stay here, I’m going to be thinking about fucking you against the dishwasher.”
Her expression is pure mischief.
“That sounds fun. On the counter, or just off the side?”
“Why?”
“This way I can think about it too.”
Jesus.
Sneaking a look over my shoulder to ensure we’re still alone, I close the distance between us.
“Come on. We need to get out of here.” I murmur it against her lips.
She kisses me lightly, tugging at my hair.
“You’re cute when you beg.”
Ten minutes later, I’m holding the door for the three of us at the café.
I order original and Andy gets chocolate chip pancakes.
The waitress looks between Kat and Andy with delight.
“Your son is adorable.”
I choke on air, but Kat rolls with it.
“He is adorable, but he’s not my son. We’re good friends.”
“We’re coming for pancakes,” Andy points out, laughing, when Kat orders French toast.
“Sometimes you get an opportunity you don’t expect. You have to take advantage.”
She licks syrup off her fork and my dick twitches.
I sure as hell took advantage.
She’s my nanny and living in my house. She’s way too young.
But there’s a connection between us I can’t ignore.
It’s in my nature to question and second-guess. This morning, I decide instead to trust that what happened was perfect.
It feels good.
“Happiness is being okay with how things are and not trying to change them. Loving people the way they are. Giving yourself compassion.”
Kat fits in as if she was always here. It’s crazy what a natural she is.
At the end of our meal, I grab the bill.
We take our time strolling down the street to the truck.
Kat pauses next to the animal shelter partway down the block. “Andy, this is where animals live that need homes.”
“Can we go in?”
“You want to visit the animals? Just for a few minutes.”
“Yes!”
The woman shows us to the back where several bunnies are in their pens.
Kat drops to her knees, petting a small black rabbit. “Angel! Were you waiting for me?”
He doesn’t move, clearly enjoying the attention.
I don’t blame him.
“Look at this guy. I can’t believe he’s still here. I wanted to adopt him back in September.”
The woman chimes in. “He went to a home on trial, but he never warmed up to them. I suppose it wasn’t meant to be.”
Andy’s eyes widen on the rabbit.
Oh, no.
“Can we have him, Dad?” My kid’s voice lifts hopefully.
“Andy, a pet is a lot of work.”
“I’ll take care of him!”
“He’s not for us.”
“Just pet him,” Kat says.
I reluctantly stretch out a hand. My stress melts away.
“See?” she prompts, as if she knows exactly what’s going through me.
Which is impossible, because I barely have a handle on it.
I love the feel of her in bed, but I also like her this way. Fully clothed and curious and showing me there’s a better way to live.
When I pry my kid away, we head for the door, thanking the woman who accommodated us.
“This is all your fault,” I murmur to Kat.
“You can punish me for it later.”
Her wink has me forgetting all about the shelter.
24
KAT
French toast is the perfect food.
It’s warm and sweet and comforting, but it’s not fake. Because under the syrup and powdered sugar it’s eggs and bread. You know. Real shit.
This entire morning was fun, in fact. I didn’t think about anything except being with Daniel and Andy.