AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve been fighting it for weeks, trying to convince myself that this feeling with him is just in my mind. But this—this moment—it’s confirming every single thing I think I already knew…
I’m falling for Anthony Treadway, in a big way.
“You know why.” I finally get the strength to speak.
“It’s in the past,” he whispers against my mouth, his bottom lip grazing mine as he speaks.
My lower belly erupts in a need so intense I’m fairly certain I’ve never felt anything like it before.
“She’s my friend.”
“It’s in the past,” he repeats.
“Ant.” I try to hold my composure, but can feel it slipping more and more with each second that passes.
“I’m gonna kiss you now, Bree.”
He doesn’t give me time to object before his lips are pressed firmly against mine, and the instant they do my body shoots apart in so many directions I’m not entirely sure I know which way is up or down anymore.
I part my lips in an effort to speak, but instead of words coming out, our tongues collide and the kiss intensifies a million times over. My hands are in his hair, tangling in his dark locks as I pull him impossibly close.
Nothing else matters right now. Not one damn thing holds any significance outside of this. His mouth working against mine, his hands holding me in place, refusing to let me turn away from everything he knows I want.
And God do I want it. I want him—every single inch, every ounce, every part of him. And I want it all to myself.
“Mama.” I hear his little voice like he’s screaming directly into my ear.
Ant and I instantly break apart, both flying to opposite ends of the couch, both breathless and neither seeming entirely sure of what the hell just happened. I’m still straightening my shirt when Jackson appears where the hallway meets the living room.
“Mama,” he repeats, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.
“I’m right here, buddy.” I quickly climb to my feet, completely avoiding looking in Ant’s direction. “What are you doing up?” I hoist him up into my arms.
“The dinosaurs are back,” he says sleepily.
“Did Papaw let you watch the dinosaur movie again?” I ask, knowing every time he goes over to my grandparents he asks to watch Jurassic World, and every time they let him he ends up having nightmares about dinosaurs for a week straight.
He nods and buries his face into the side of my neck.
“Remind me to throw that movie away the next time we’re over there,” I say more to myself than to him. “Come on, Mama will lay with you until you fall back asleep.”
I can feel Ant’s eyes on my back as I cross the room and disappear down the hall where the bedrooms are located.
It only takes me five minutes to get Jack settled but, for obvious reasons, I can’t seem to force myself to go back out into the living room and face him after what just happened between us.
It was only a kiss.
I try to reason with myself, but it doesn’t do me any good when I know exactly where that kiss would have led had Jack not woken up.
What the hell was I even thinking? Letting him kiss me like that. Never mind the fact that he’s Courtney’s ex-boyfriend; what if Jackson would have walked in on that? Seconds later and he would have, and then what?
I shake my head, cursing myself for letting things go as far as they did.
I’m used to flirty Ant at this point. I learned a long time ago that’s just how he is. But it was stupid and careless of me to let my guard down because I believed I was safe with him. I am anything but safe with the likes of Anthony Treadway. I think tonight drove this fact home.
I’m not sure how much times passes, me hiding out in Jackson’s room, Ant in the living room probably just as confused as I am. But by the time I finally emerge it feels like an eternity has passed.
Ant is still sitting in the same spot that I left him in, his light eyes finding mine the moment I enter the room.
