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Chapter Thirty-eight
Sloan watched Alia at the window and saw her raise her hand and wipe at the corners of her eyes.What… Why?
He’d never met another woman who had so much emotion locked away behind such tough constraints. What the hell could have turned her like that? Appearing cold and standoffish and yet willing to put her life on the line for street kids in trouble, ones she’d never met before.
Or being afraid to reach out and touch her own son, and when she managed a caress, she acted like she’d taken liberties and was expecting a rejection.
He shook his head. The woman he’d held in his arms not that many hours ago had been coiled like a snake full of need and hunger. Her reaction to him had been passionate and giving, hot and ready. And… sweet.
So sweet.
He crouched over, pretending to check the grass. Roy had a keen eye and would wonder at the bulge in his pants if he didn’t get rid of it soon. After the night before, he’d been walking around with his mascot ready and willing. All it took was one look at the woman and the nuisance swelled with interest.
Especially this morning.
She’d taken him at his word and had dressed appropriately for the island. White shorts, that made a man blink and then blink again, highlighted her heart-stopping tanned legs to perfection.
She’d cut down on the make-up, but now looked even more untouchable because what she’d revealed was the real person behind the mask. And that girl was stunningly beautiful and surprisingly shy.
Her look-but-no-touchie sign glowed bright as the red on her cheeks when she’d seen the appreciation he hadn’t tried to hide. It was going to be hellish trying to keep his hands off her… at least until the kid hit the sack later and they were alone.
Suddenly, Faisal jumped off of the mower and headed across to where a car had pulled into the driveway.
“Bye, Kean. See you later.” He turned to Sloan. “If my mom says it’s okay, can I come over later and watch TV with Kean?”
Sloan pretended he’d just noticed the visitors exiting Janna’s car. “I’m not sure your mom will approve, Faisal. Looks like you have visitors.”
Being a boy, Faisal hadn’t cultivated the ability to hide his feelings well. His face dropped and confusion appeared. “They’re not visitors. Well, not really. But they intrude and we must let them stay. My Dad has spoken.”
Sloan took pity on the boy and gave his shoulders a squeeze. “If your mom says it’s okay, you are welcome here anytime, brat. You know that, right?”
Cheerful again, Faisal grinned. “Thanks, Sloan. See you later, Kean.”
Kean appeared a bit down and Roy picked up on it and stepped into the breach. “Hey, son, you wanna come to the garage with me? I have some work that needs doing and I’ll be tidying up after Les, the old slob. You could be my handyman and earn a few bucks?”
Glowing, smiling again, Kean looked toward Sloan for permission. “Can I? Please.”
“It’s okay with me, bud. But only if you help Roy put away these tools first.”
Already moving in the direction of Roy’s truck, Kean skidded to a stop and reversed direction. He quickly picked up a rake and some clippers to put into the wheelbarrow, his young-boy’s face grinning with enthusiasm.
“Then check with your mom.”
That’s when the grin faded and consternation appeared.
Sloan didn’t know why Kean reacted this way, but he headed into the house too, wanting to be present when Kean asked for permission. He didn’t quite understand the relationship between mother and son but he damn well intended to find out.
Alia came from her room, her light makeup restored, the upsweep of her hair pure perfection with every strand in place. Before he could warn her about Kean’s request, the boy barrelled into the room and stopped dead, two feet away from her.
“Mom, Roy’s asked me to go to the garage and help him with some chores. Can I go? Please, Mom. He wants me to. Please.”
“No! Oh, no.” Her reply followed his request without a second of hesitation. “I’m sure Roy doesn’t want a boy around, getting in his way. You stay here with me. We’ll do something together.”
Alia, not too stupid, picked up on Kean’s overwhelming disappointment immediately. Most likely the well of tears pouring from his eyes was an indication. So too could be the way he wailed the wordM-o-o-m-mand then ran to his room.
Sloan never said a word, just watched to see what she would do. He wasn’t disappointed either. This woman had no idea how to handle the boy’s behavior or his angst.
None whatsoever.
