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In response she slams the door. I stand there for a minute and the only thing I can think of is that I haven’t smiled in months and I really wish Hope would come back out.
I shake off that thought and go back to the pool. That’s insanity talking.
Maybe I should leave in the morning…
fifteen
hope
“Did you know the railing by the pool is loose?” Aden asks, walking through the front door. I’m sitting behind the counter in the reception room of the motel. I have Jack in his highchair behind me eating and there’s a portable DVD player sitting on the counter I have Moana playing on. Jack loves it and out of all of his favorite cartoons this one has the Rock in it—hence it’s my favorite.
I yawn and look at the man who has somehow invaded my dreams. I’d like to call them nightmares, but they haven’t been about what an ass he is. The dreams have been about sex. Pure sex. Maybe Daria is right and I’ve just gone too long without sex. I look at Aden, who unfortunately has the kind of body that would melt any woman, has slumbery-sexy dark eyes that are definitely the kind to make ovaries everywhere explode, a slight beard that is a mix of salt and pepper and just unkempt enough to make you wonder what it would feel like between your thighs. He’s the perfect fantasy and then he opens his mouth and all I can think…
“Time to buy more batteries,” I mumble to myself, definitely thinking my vibrator is a better choice of the two.
“Excuse me?” he asks, his face marked with confusion.
“Nothing,” I yawn again. I’ve had exactly two hours of sleep. Jack was fussy all night. He’s eating breakfast fine this morning, but he complained of a stomach ache all night last night. I’ve got my elbow propped on the counter, my hand holding the side of my face. Coffee is sitting in front of me and I’m letting the steam and the smell slowly bring me around, my hair hasn’t been brushed, it’s pulled back and secured with a scrunchie, but that’s it. I have on flannel pajama bottoms which are cute and a mix of lime green, peach and gray squares, but probably not what I should be wearing at the motel—though I could point out that despite Aden’s annoying presence we are not open, so I don’t really care. The top is a gray long sleeved shirt that says, “Bed hair, don’t care!”—which seems appropriate. The last thing I need is for Aden to walk in looking sexy—especially after the dreams I’ve had.
“What about the pool railing?” he asks. “It needs fixed. Someone could fall and get hurt.”
“It’s on my list,” I sigh, getting annoyed because he’s supposed to be gone this morning and he’s bitching about stuff that is not ready because technically I don’t open for a week and he knew that! And maybe I’m also annoyed because he shouldn’t look sexy this early in the morning and he shouldn’t be invading what little sleep I’ve managed to get.
“You’ll get sued if someone falls,” he warns and that makes my eyes pop open, actually it wakes my whole body and I tighten with stress.
“Meaning you’ll sue me?”
“Well, I know it’s there, I was warning you it could happen. I would think as the owner of a business this would be a major concern of yours. I was therefore trying to be helpful.”
“It doesn’t sound helpful, it sounds like you’re being an ass and planning on suing me,” I tell him bluntly and being a bitch—because like I said, he’s annoying me.
“Are you always so grumpy in the mornings?” he asks, his face cocked to the side.
“Only around people I just really like,” I say sarcastically. My barb delivers a hit though. I can tell by the way his face tightens and his body straightens up.
“Good,” I think quietly to myself, while trying to tap down my guilt. He’s been a prick so he doesn’t get to have me feel sorry for him now.
He stands there looking at me. I get the feeling he’s studying me, as if he wants to say something important to me. Then he just shakes his head.
“See to it that it’s fixed,” he growls, before turning on a heel and stomping off. He mutters under his breath, but I can’t make out what he’s saying—which is probably for the best.
“Mommy pway?” Jack asks and I give him a smile.
I need to forget about Aden Smith. It’s time to color with my son and that’s infinitely more important.
sixteen
aden
“I should have my head examined,” I growl under my breath, stomping away and slamming the door for good measure. “The woman is just infuriating. I was only trying to help her by pointing out something she needs to get fixed. Just like every other woman on the planet she had to overreact. This is why I quit fooling with them. They make such a fucking drama out of everything. I’ve never had to deal with women much. It’s been easy… more like business than anything else. They have something I want and I have something they want. Hell, Hope is the first woman who manages to get under my skin. She actually fights with me. Still, maybe that’s her angle. I keep forgetting she crawled into my bed, she’s playing a game just like all the other women in my life—she just has a different playbook. That’s all it is.
