Page 75 of Letting Go at 40

“Kiss me again,” I whimper, still clutching his lapels, afraid to let him go. Afraid I’ll melt into a puddle in my front hallway.

Mason complies, with a smile on his lips as they meet mine. Then he kisses me like I’m the breeze on a summer day and the warmth of fire in the winter.

And I accept I’m about to enter a new season in my life.

Chapter 27

9 Months Ago

December

Getting Caught

[Mason]

Knowing what I wanted in my life, I’d only intended to kiss Anna when I raced three hours to the southern part of the state.

If she didn’t kiss me back, I promised myself I’d walk away. I wouldn’t continue to push in a direction where the door was partially open but ready to close.

Instead, Anna kissed me with just as much passion as I hoped from her.

I didn’t know about her sex life with Ben. He didn’t talk about those things. I didn’t need to know details, either. All I knew was a hidden fire existed in Anna. One not visible to the naked eye. One desperate to be lit. To flame. To burn.

And I wanted to be the match to start that blaze.

That night, my fingers hugged her jaw, wanting to move lower, willing to stay in place so I didn’t break the spell of kissing her. Really kissing her.

Not a moment of sorrow. Not a birthday wish.

Just kissing. And more kissing.

Later, I’d gone to the condo in town to attempt sleep which never arrived. My heart raced. My dick ached. I suffered through the euphoria.

Within two weeks, River has a beautiful baby girl with a name as pure as hers. Lake Weller is born, and we all gather again to celebrate a new life in our circle of friends.

Anna is a proud stand-in aunt, hosting gatherings as she does to bring us together. With everyone present, Anna and I keep our distance when all I want is to pull her into my arms. The need to touch her makes me twitch.

“You okay, man?” Logan claps me on the shoulder while I’m holding Lake. “Babies make you nervous?” He teases as the expectant father of another little one. Autumn and Logan are making up for lost time. Years where she crushed on him. Months to get on the same page after they connected. They were meant to be together.

“I’m a chick magnet,” I joke. “Girls love me. Right, Lake?” I press a kiss to the soft downy hair covering her sweet baby head.

Looking across the room, I catch Anna watching me, her eyes sparkling. I stand there wondering if she’d ever have other children, then kicking myself at the thought. We aren’t too old, but her kids are in the teenage stage, and she’d likely not want to go in reverse. I’m miles behind with Lynlee, and I have too much to make up to her before I could consider bringing another child into the mix. I’m okay with where Anna and I are at in our parenthood journeys.

What I’m not okay with is the current space between us. The pull to be closer is almost unbearable and I’m coming out of my skin, ready to expose myself before our friends when I feel a tug at my elbow.

“Could I see you for a second?” Anna asks. I pass Lake to Logan, who fumbles the child as if he’s forgotten how to hold a baby.

“Easy, man. Baby two is on the way. I wouldn’t think you’d have fallen out of practice.”

Logan chuckles. “Asshole. You only surprised me with the pass off.” He lifts Lake and presses a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s go find Daddy and tell him how Uncle Logan is the best.”

Logan gives Anna a wink and stalks off looking for Zack, giving Anna the go-ahead to tug at my elbow and lead me down the hallway toward the bar off the kitchen. Only, she doesn’t stop there. She pulls me down the hall to the den. The room is one-hundred percent kid-zone with gaming systems and shelves of board games. Plus, books for children and a cabinet with art supplies.

“What’s going on?” I ask as Anna closes the door.

Her fingers twist together. She wrings her hands. Sheepishly, she looks at her feet before gazing back up at me, eyes alight with that fire that seems to scorch my skin.

“Kiss me.”