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I nodded my head the tiniest bit to confirm he could kiss me.
What was I doing?
I’d lost my mind.
But as Oliver cupped the side of my face and leaned in, I didn’t stop him. No, I let my eyes flutter shut and accepted the soft press of his lips against mine.
And, more than anything, I wished I could say I didn’t feel anything.
Except I did.
And it wasn’t just something.
It was everything.
Tinging nerves in my toes. Hair standing on the back of my neck. Butterflies in my stomach. Goosebumps on my arms.
The intense thumping of my heart.
He pulled back after a kiss that was far too short, and I opened my eyes to see his green-blue ones staring at me.
Then I kissed him.
I couldn’t help it. It was purely instinctual to wrap my arms around his neck and press myself against him, soaking in more of his touch, of the way his lips felt as they moved against mine.
This was completely reckless of me, yet I didn’t care.
Wild abandon overtook me, and I went from not wanting to go out with Ollie to wanting to climb on top of him right now and dry hump him into next week.
“Momma?” The sleepy voice came from inside the kitchen, breaking whatever spell that man had put me under for a moment.
“Oh, shoot!” I disentangled myself from Ollie and ran into the kitchen. “Leo, what’s wrong?”
He rubbed his eye. “I shouted and you didn’t come.”
“I’m sorry, baby, I was outside and didn’t hear you. What’s wrong?”
“I’m thirsty and can’t find my cup.”
“Oh, here, let me get that for you.” My heart was still going one million miles a minute as I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and filled one of Leo’s cups up. “Can you carry it, or do you want me to take you up?”
“I can do it,” he said sleepily, stopping at the end to yawn. He smiled at me with bleary eyes. “Thanks, Momma.”
“Oh, gosh.” I laughed lightly. “Come here. Let me carry you up.”
“I can take him,” Ollie said quietly. “If you’re okay with it.”
“Um.”
“I’ve carted enough kids to First Aid to know he’s a dead weight right now.”
Leo yawned in response. “Oh. You’re still here.”
“I did the dishes,” Ollie replied, winking at me.
I couldn’t lie. The idea of picking up my lanky little boy was not my idea of a good time, so I motioned for him to go ahead.
“C’mere.” Ollie swept Leo up with ease, and I followed them up the stairs, clutching onto Leo’s cup.
“To the right,” I said softly.
Ollie turned in that direction and walked into the room I indicted with a nod. He carried Leo over to his bed where he gently set him down and pulled the covers over him, then stepped back so I could see to him.
“Here.” I handed Leo his water, waited for him to take a few mouthfuls, then took the cup and set it on the nightstand, making sure to move his book in case he knocked it over in the night. “Better?”
“Yes.” Leo yawned partway through the word so it was more of a ‘ye-ehhhhh-esssss’ kind of sound.
“Okay, go back to sleep. I’ll be inside now if you need me.” Brushing his hair from his forehead, I kissed him.
He was asleep before I’d shut the door behind me.
Ollie led the way down the stairs and stopped in front of the front door. “I should probably go.”
“Um, yeah. Probably.” I smiled at him. “Thank you. For spending more time with Leo. And, um. Me.”
A smile stretched across his face. “Thank you for letting me. And for not letting me splat pizza dough on your ceiling.”
“You would have been cleaning it if you did.”
“I’m sure I would.” His lopsided grin was annoyingly charming. “Does this mean I can take you out on Saturday night after the tournament?”
I pulled my sweater tighter around me. “On one condition.”
“Which is?”
“I can ask Leo. If he’s fine with it, I’ll go out with you.”
“That’s more than fair.” He opened the door and looked back at me. “Will I see you at practice?”
“Yeah, his dad’s getting him at the end, but I’ll wait just in case his flight is delayed or something.”
“Okay.” Ollie smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN – LONDON
RULE ELEVEN: IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK, TALKS LIKE A DUCK, AND LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, IT’S PROBABLY YOUR EX.
OOPS, AUTOCORRECT…
“He said you have a date tonight.”
I side-eyed Christopher. “Is this really the time and place to be having this conversation? Also, is it any of your business?”
“Yes, it’s my business. That’s my son.”
“It’s one date. That’s it. Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t know the guy. I asked him if it was fine, and he said yes.” I stirred my cup of takeout coffee. “Forgive me for saying so, but his opinion is the only one that matters.”
