Page 29 of Jack Frosting

“We’re just two adults, standing close together, about to kiss.”

“Were we now?” He raised his eyebrows. “Go on. Kiss me then.”

I hesitated, but Jack took the leap for me.

His lips were soft. Fuck, they were so soft. His beard too. I had never kissed a man with a beard. They weren’t that popular when I was having fun in college.

When his tongue pushed my lips apart, I let him. His hand grabbed the back of my head and held me in place. I surrendered completely.

“Fuck, you taste good,” Jack said, pulling back, a smile on his face.

“You kiss good,” I replied.

“Just good? I love the scruff, by the way.” He ran a finger along my jawline. “You not shaving for Movember too?”

“Movember?”

I’d have to wait for an answer. We both heard the footsteps and had enough time to move apart. Jack turned back to the stove and his neglected pancakes. We had apparently been too distracted; we missed the burning smell. I took a seat at the table, a solid attempt to hide my arousal.

“Morning, Dad,” Henry said, shuffling into the kitchen. “Hey, Jack. How’d the date go last night?”

“Meh. It was alright.” I watched Jack shrug, his threadbare shirt clung to his back. “You guys want chocolate chips in your pancakes?”

“Yes, please,” Henry answered, grabbing the orange juice from the fridge before taking a seat next to me. “You should follow Jack’s lead, Dad, start putting yourself out there.”

Oh really?

Jack started coughing and didn’t stop.

“Jeez, Jack. Get some water.”

Jack grabbed a glass, filled it from the door and took a sip. “I’m okay, Henry,” he said. “I might slow it down for a bit.”

“What makes you think I should start dating?” I asked my son.

“Why not? Mom’s gone. You mope around here all day and stare at Jack.”

“I do not stare! There’s”–I was scrambling for words–“just nothing else to look at.”

Jack glanced over his shoulder and mouthed ‘Wow, thank you,’ but Henry didn’t notice since he was on his phone.

“Whatever, Dad,” he continued, typing away. “I’m just looking out for you.”

“That’s sweet of you, but not your job.” I needed to change the subject. “Any plans today?”

Henry shrugged. Jack walked over with a plate of what-I-assumed were piping hot chocolate chip pancakes and sausage.

“Breakfast is served, and as far as plans for today, how about we just lounge around all day in our jammies and watch football?”

“Jammies?” Henry asked, looking up at his phone to eye the pancakes and Jack.

Jack ignored him and continued. “I can go out and grab some snack food or Doordash it.”

“That way you can stay in your jammies,” I said.

“Oh, I’ll go out in my jammies. I don’t care.” Jack set the plate down and took a seat.

“You’ll freeze your ass off outside if those are your jammies.”