Page 22 of After Care

“Those abs are—”

“Enough,” Petty squealed like a girl. He shriveled up, curling into himself by raising his arms and lifting a leg as if to shield himself from the sight of me touching Tommy. It was all in jest, but there may have been some reality to his covered eyes, like a child witnessing his parents kissing.

Something flamed in Tommy’s eyes as he watched me describe him, caress him in front of these boys he mentored.

“What about his lips?” Gage teased.

“No!” Jared shouted, like a squeamish child, covering his eyes with the heel of each hand.

“Words of wisdom said to a bunch of punk-ass boys,” I stated, emphasizing the last three words. Tommy’s mouth twisted, and he bit the corner, holding in the laughter ready to escape. I wanted him to laugh. I wanted to hear that hearty sound again.

Leaning forward, I cupped his cheek and pulled him toward me. He met me halfway, and I kissed him. Sweet, slow, tender, my lips nipped at his. The moment we touched, a pulse shot up my middle so quickly, my whole body tensed, but I relished the feeling, desiring it to happen again and again. Still, I kept my mouth soft on his, pulling lightly at his lip and opening mine to gather more of him. My thumb grew aware of the thick scruff under its touch. I might have purred.

“Holy fuck,” someone muttered.

“No shit,” another male voice stammered.

“I knew it!” Ivy squeaked.

“Mom?”

I pulled back abruptly, dazed from the kiss, muddled by the boldness of defending Tommy’s sex appeal. My brain slowly processed that I had just been caught kissing a man by my daughter.

“I…I…” I brushed back my too-short hair, unable to fully face Masie, who stood next to West at the side of the couch where I sat. “I was trying to prove a point,” I muttered, my face reddening in humiliation that I’d just kissed Tommy in front of all of them.

“I think Tommy has the point now,” Petty snickered, and Tommy reached over to smack him on the side of the head. He changed his mind mid-swing and stood as he grabbed another beer from the collection Ivy set on the low table between the comfy couches. He walked over to the balcony railing and stood with his back to it, watching over the collection of people within the circle. Mortified, I excused myself, after Masie explained she was finished reading and West asked my permission to let her hang out a bit. While I hoped that Tommy might offer to walk me to my room, or even ask me to stay, I’d decided I must have embarrassed him more than defended him. Ivy walked to me the door of the penthouse instead.

“I don’t know what came over me,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry if I humiliated him in front of the boys.”

Ivy’s sweet smile curled to full wattage. “It takes a lot to embarrass Tommy. It takes even more to truly upset him. He’s fine.” She looked back in the direction of the men and Masie. Tommy remained like a statue against the balcony railing.

“I’m so embarrassed myself,” I said, my voice lowering. “I’ve never acted that way before.” I brushed a hand over my head, cursing that I didn’t have hair to pull in my frustration.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay? Have a beer?” Ivy asked, peering back at her uncle before looking at me.

“I think I’ve done enough damage tonight,” I offered, sweeping a hand down her arm.

“Thank you for not hating Gage,” she said, looking down at her feet. I tipped up her chin with my fingers.

“Honey, I don’t think there’s much that could upset me, either,” I lied. In regards to Gage and Ivy, they were like children to me, still young, still grabbing the world with raised fists, hoping to conquer everything. At my age, I knew better. There was always something bigger to be upset over.

+ + +

I’d fallen into a deep sleep, so I hadn’t heard Masie return, or Caleb enter even later, but I couldn’t miss the pounding at the door. Caleb actually answered it after peering through the peep hole. The pounding continued as he turned the deadbolt and unlatched the chain.

Tommy stood in the hallway, his eyes a little wild, his hands braced on either side of the frame. He looked drunk.

“I want to sleep with your mom,” he blurted, and Caleb’s head swung to me. He stood in only sleep shorts, Masie behind him, while I stared in disbelief at the unabashed statement. “Just sleep with her, kid. Sleep,” he muttered, his voice lowering.

“Do you know what time it is?” Caleb accused him, always my protector.

“No,” Tommy said, eyes trained on me.

“Are you drunk?” Caleb questioned, knowing the answer.

“Maybe,” Tommy admitted.

“I don’t think so, pal,” Caleb said, starting to shut the door, but Tommy stopped it with a thick hand.