Page 32 of The Perfect Distraction

His warm hand was still on her upper thigh, and even though he’d stopped moving, her nerves were still prickly from the heat of it. Her entire body was thrumming with desire, and she was certain he could tell. Her nipples were so hard they could poke his eyes out, and if he inched his hand up any further, he’d feel the dampness between her legs.

“Yes and no?”

He chuckled. “Are you asking me?”

“No. Oh God. I don’t know. Everything feels so good…”

“But?”

She sighed. “I guess I’m just not ready yet.” After she said it, he instantly removed his hand from beneath her dress, and she almost retracted her statement.

Her arms were entwined around his neck, and he tugged on her head to pull it down to his chest. They sat there catching their breath, his heart beating in her ear and his arms locked around her waist.

“I feel like such a fool,” she said, surprising herself again.

“What are you talking about? You’re not a fool,” he said adamantly.

But she kept on anyway. “This is ridiculous. I’m an adult. It’s not like I haven’t done this before.”

Colton stiffened, or maybe she just imagined it. But she’d been engaged, and he’d been married, so it wasn’t like they were virgins.

“Maybe it’s me,” he said.

Pushing against his chest, she sat upright and gaped at him. “What? Absolutely not!”

“I should go,” he said, and then he lifted her off him and stood.

“Colton. No. Don’t go.” She stood too, thinking how tall he seemed without her heels. It also struck her how gorgeous he was with his rumpled hair and untucked shirt—evidence that they’d just been making out on the couch. The thought of it made her smile.

“I have to. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise, what?”

He looked down at the front of his pants, and her eyes followed.

“Oh!” she said, seeing the reason for his discomfort.

Somehow, her reaction made him laugh, and she was glad to hear it. Laughter made the moment slightly less awkward.

Colton tucked in his shirt and threaded his fingers through his hair to smooth it back down. “Walk me out?”

She nodded and followed him to the kitchen door, but he didn’t immediately open it. Instead, he leaned against it and pulled her forward so their bodies were flush. His arousal was still evident, and while she was flattered, she also felt guilty for getting him all revved up and then sending him home.

“Are you okay?” he asked beseechingly.

“I’m okay if you’re okay,” she replied.

“I’ll probably have to take a cold shower, but other than that, I’m okay,” he said, his lips curling up in a smile.

Those lips. Giving his shirt a tug, she coaxed him down for another kiss, and this time, they immediately melted into it. The kiss went on for a long time before he reluctantly pulled away.

“So, getting back to your earlier question about what I’m doing this weekend…”

“Yes?” She tilted her head inquisitively.

“Are you free?”

“Absolutely,” she said.

She was smiling when she crawled into bed, wondering if he’d really gone home and taken a cold shower. But then thinking about him naked in the shower got her all riled up, and she knew she’d have a difficult time falling asleep. She tried to distract her mind with other things, but everything came back to him and Joey.

What would Joey think if he knew his dad had kissed her? Sure, Joey liked her now, but would he feel the same if he thought she and his dad were getting involved? Which brought her back around to her original worry. Why should she get attached to them when she was leaving in two months? It probably wouldn’t be good for any of them, least of all Joey, who was still vulnerable from the divorce.

The smart thing to do would be to cancel her weekend plans with Colton and go back to licking her wounds in private. And then she thought about what Becca would say to that. She’d probably tell her that she was being ridiculous and that she was a grown woman who could have a summer fling and walk away unharmed. And Joey wouldn’t even have to know about it. She could just sail through the next eight weeks tutoring him and spending time with Colton whenever possible. No harm, no foul.

But Beth knew better. She’d learned that there were always ramifications to one’s actions and that it was easy to hurt people, even the people you professed to love. And now she was thinking about Christopher again, which she absolutely did not want to do! Christopher had no right to infringe on her burgeoning relationship with Colton, and she refused to let him.

Sighing, she glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. Was Colton already asleep, or was he lying there thinking like she was? Now that she’d kissed him and felt his body pressed against hers, it was easy to imagine him lying in bed with his large, warm hands clasped behind his head. After his shower, had he fallen into bed nude, or had he worn pajamas? For some reason, she expected him to sleep in his underwear, which brought up the burning question: boxers or briefs?

She recalled what it had felt like to thread her hands through his soft sandy-brown hair. Was he hairy everywhere else? She hadn’t noticed any chest hair sticking out from his polo shirt, so maybe he had just a smattering of hair down the middle, tapering off in a trail down to his…

“UGH!” she shouted and threw off the comforter. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who needed a cold shower!

Okay. So, it was obvious that she was going to spend the weekend with him; however, she could keep herself in check and not allow things to go too far. Simple, right?