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David dashed to one of the rooms, and she ushered Cole downstairs in silence until they strolled into the kitchen.
She glanced around them, folding her arms over her chest before whispering, “What are you doing here? I thought you were in a hurry to leave.”
I was. Heat ran over his cheeks, and he jammed his hands in his pockets, embarrassed and still not sure he’d made the right choice by returning—though sure he didn’t have any other option. “I missed you.” He stepped toward her, but she lifted an arm in disagreement and shook her head.
“You know there’s no sex with my kids around, right?”
He cleared his throat, feeling a knot pulse there. “Yes. I missed you. Not just having sex with you.”
A small smile curled at the corners of her lips. Silence cast over them for a beat or two, the tension in the air thickening. Their arrangement entailed sex while he was in town and nothing more. What if she sent him away? He wouldn’t blame her—not after what he’d revealed about himself already. He was a complicated man, with enough emotional baggage to fill a dump truck. He sucked in a breath, unable to tear his gaze from hers. Who would want a man like him around their kids? A guy who had no idea about children and who’d neglected his own brother?
“All right,” she said, breaking the silence, and that simple word unknotted the lump in his throat, sending a wave of relief over him.
The boys came down, lively and excited. They all ate dinner together, with the kids often interrupting each other’s stories about kindergarten, and Nikki explaining to him a thing or two he had no idea about.
After dinner, they returned to the play area, and this time, invited Cole to play along. He did some puzzles with them, then checked out their car remotes and participated in a little race. A sense of contentment, of belonging pierced through him.
“Mom, can I stay up late?” Henry asked. Cole now knew Henry was the one with both front teeth missing. Otherwise, it’d be hard to tell them apart.
“No, honey, it’s time. You two, bed,” she said, pointing to their bedroom. “You have soccer tomorrow.”
“Yes. Soccer is important. I used to be good at it,” he said. Probably still was, but damn it, modern life made exercising at a gym much easier than joining a sport club of any kind. Though after losing Keith, he dove deep into sports because the more extra curricular activities he tackled, the longer he’d be out of the house and away from his father’s accusatory eyes.
“Let me guess. Attack?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
She nudged his elbow. “I had a hunch.”
David pulled his shirt, demanding he look down at him. “Hey, maybe he can come see us play sometime,” David said. “Or play with us.”
“Sure.”
“We’re free tomorrow. Since Dad is sick,” Henry said.
“Tomorrow it is,” he said, making himself a mental note to call his assistant and change his schedule around. Poor Brian had his work cut out for him due to the short notice, but the excitement in the kids’ eyes convinced him he made the right call.
She summoned the kids to go to bed, and ushered him away from the play area. Playing with the pendant in her necklace, she said in a nervous voice, “Cole, you don’t have to—”
He lifted his hand in protest. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. He half expected her to deter him from spending time with her kids. Why would she let him? It’d just complicate things further. Granted, tonight, he wasn’t making the best decisions. Still, his heart skipped a beat, shoulders stiffening. “I’ll walk you out,” she said.
She closed the door behind them. “Thanks for staying. And seriously, if you don’t wanna do the soccer thing, it’s easier to tell me now and I can tell the boys. Not a big deal.”
He glanced down at her. “I’ll be there.”
A lovely shade of pink spread across her cheeks. “Sorry my weekend got highjacked.”
“Not your fault.”
She kissed his cheek, then dragged her lips to his until their mouths collided and the kiss turned into a hot clash of tongues. He pulled her to him, and the softness of her sweatpants and shirt made her body adjust to his, and he caressed her with his hands in a frantic attempt for some kind of contact to extinguish the fire brewing inside.
The sound of throat clearing prompted him to stop the kiss and reluctantly disengage from her. A woman in her sixties, with pixie blonde hair with some white streaks at the temples stared at them. She held a sparkly leash, and her fluffy dog smelled the grass. “Nikki.”
Nikki tucked her hair behind her ear. “Mrs. Farrow. What a surprise.”
Mrs. Farrow gave him an unapologetic once-over. “Same for me. I was going on my evening walk with Bridget and couldn’t help but notice you have company.”
