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She had to admit the flattery boosted her ego. And the worshipping way he regarded her made her feel exceptional in a way she never had before.
“So, only the straight-up truth from now on?”
“Yes. The straight-up truth,” he repeated, capturing her pinky with his as he leaned close to seal their bargain with a kiss. Someone stirred in the kitchen, sounds traveling through the tall rooms, halting further smooches.
“Show me more.” Ava spoke about the game, though another kiss would have been nice.
Wesley launched into an in-depth explanation. During this time, Jack came by to say goodnight, Jorge said goodbye until he returned first thing in the morning, and the team strolled down from their rooms, heading out to see a movie. As the hours grew late and a thunderstorm rolled in, she heard Jack cry out from all the way down in the Seashell room.
Wesley heard something, too, and stood, listening further. “Is that Jack?”
“Yeah.” Ava nodded, rushing from the room. “He’s having a bad dream. Thunderstorm must have woken him.”
They climbed the stairs, side by side. Ava thought she should tell Wesley to back off, that she could take care of this, but having the support and seeing Wesley’s concern kept her quiet. Besides, she’d already yelled at him this morning about parenting, and how he had no idea how hard it was.Did that truly matter?He stood by her at the very least, trying to include and look out for her son.
Reaching Jack’s bedside, she rubbed his back, a trick she’d picked up from her mother. Connie had talked about Jack’s irrational thunderstorm fears, and how they often paired with nightmares.
“It’s okay. I’m here,” Ava cooed. “You’re safe.” Hearing about how Jack called out for Ava in these nightmares while away serving her country, she knew how much he’d missed her, needed her. She hadn’t truly appreciated how much until she’d experienced a nighttime episode a few months back when they still lived in Brooklyn. Guilt had her gut twisting, still did now, seeing him moaning in fear. “I’m here,” she repeated.
“Mom?”
“Yeah, I’m here with Wesley.”
Jack rubbed his eye with his fist and then focused on Wesley.
“Hey, buddy, it’s just a little rainstorm. It’ll be over soon.”
“Okay,” he said groggily, rolled over, and fell right back to sleep.
They sat in silence in a room lit by Goliath’s terrarium lamp, glancing at each other over the deep, steady breaths of her son. Ava allowed a few more minutes to pass before she again caught Wesley’s eye, this time tipping her head toward the door.
“Poor kid. Does that happen often?” Wesley asked when they reached the hallway.
She waved him into her room, not wanting their voices to carry. He followed her inside and she shut the door, switching on the lamp.
“Not too often. He’s not a fan of thunderstorms.”
“Well, you seemed to have the magic touch. You soothed him quickly.”
“Plus, you were there. He really likes you, Wes.”
“He’s a great kid. I’m very fond of him too.” He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I’m very fond of you as well.”
She nodded, gratified with his answer, and focused on his tantalizing lips. He bent, brushing his lips against hers, urging her to take the lead. She flattened her palms against his chest, riding them up his chiseled torso over his shoulders. Clutching him to her, she released her passion-filled kiss with enthusiasm.
Totally aware that her bed stood feet away, her heart began to beat faster with anticipation. They’d shared stolen moments up until now, but she needed more. As his hands roamed her body, her desire grew, though at the same time she wanted to savor this moment. He’d become more to her than any guy ever had. For the first time, she could trust someone enough to let them in, to allow this relationship to become something more…something she’d never had before.
“Hey.” He kissed along her jaw, giving her the sense that he, too, wanted to slow this down. “How about I take you to a nice dinner tomorrow night? Just the two of us.”
“Oh? You want to take me on a date?” She grinned, unable to help her teasing. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
He chuckled against her hair.
“What’s to think about?”
“Well, for one thing, what would the guys say? Just us, sneaking off to dinner. We’re trying to keep this relationship on the down-low.”
“We could come up with an excuse.”
