AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“In your dreams,” I say, trying not to smile as he runs up. Cheeky kid. He reminds me of myself when I was younger. Although he has far more passion for hockey than I ever did. As Chase goes up the stairs, his eyes shoot around the house, marveling like when he first got here.
I'm about to head to Mikey's room but I hear a pleasant, tinkling laugh coming from the kitchen. Curious, I head there and meet an unexpected sight.
“Nice one Mikey,” Mia is saying to my son who’s standing on a stool at the counter, his hands meticulously placing dollops of dough on a baking sheet. “You’ve got that technique down!”
She reaches out to brush his hair and I jerk forward to stop her and remind her that Mikey doesn’t like to be touched. But then her hands touch him before I can and my son doesn’t jerk back or run up to his room. Instead, he does something unexpected.
He smiles. My son actually smiles when she touches him, and I notice his head leans into her touch just a little.
“Alright,” she continues, though she doesn’t know how monumental an occasion this is. “So, when you’re done putting all the dough on the baking sheet, we’ll need to wash everything.”
Mikey nods. I watch, stunned. This is the most positive and productive interaction he’s had with a stranger, besides his teachers. He also has a focused look on his face, taking her instructions carefully.
I watch as they work together, moving the final baking sheet to the oven and then running an assembly line at the sink, Mia running commentary the entire time. Mikey typically hates when people talk a lot but he doesn't seem to mind now. Because it's Mia? What on earth is going on?
And why is it making me feel like this?
There's a low thrum of heat spreading through my body, as I watch her interact with my son, her hands gently brushing through his hair as he works.
So loving. So motherly.
While I know Mia is a mother, I don’t think I conceptualized it until today. In some parts of my mind, she was still the snotty, gangly teenager who used to trade barbs with me, or the passionate woman whose eyes I missed when I was gone. But seeing her like this.... all grown up and caring for my son...
Fuck, I want to drag her into my arms and do the nastiest things to her. The masculine need to possess pounds through me and somehow, it's even harder to resist now.
I tear back before they can see me with that throbbing hunger in my eyes. And then I head upstairs to take a cold shower.
* * *
Dinner’s quiet,but surprisingly not awkward, just comfortable.
Most of it’s filled with Chase telling us about his hockey game, with brief inputs and questions from either me or Mia. Mikey is quiet but he's paying attention, especially when Mia talks.
But every time I look at Mia, I still have to suppress those thoughts of her. And when our eyes meet, it throbs between us.
I know she can sense it too.
After the kids head up to their respective rooms, I tell her, "You go up. I’ll clean up."
"No let me, Luke" she urges, but I shake my head.
"No, you already cooked and baked. I'll clean."
She looks like she's going to argue but then nods. "Alright, thank you. Then I'll go and check if Chase is brushing his teeth because sometimes, he forgets."
"Yeah." I turn away from her and from the hunger aching in my bones. I can hear it in the gruffness of my words.
After I go up to my room, I lean against the door and draw deep breaths. Fuck, I'm hard as hell just being around her. A pained groan rumbles through me. I don't know if I should take another shower again.
I've always known Mia was hot but why does her maternal side make me hot as hell? Why does it arouse the caveman in me?
Before I can answer the question, there's a knock on the door. I instinctively know that it’s Mia.
"Hey, can I come in?" she asks, tentatively. No. That should’ve been the answer. I’m too close to the edge and having her so close to a bed is an absolutely bad idea.
But I open the door anyway.
She smiles at me. "I just wanted to let you know that I had a lot of fun baking the cookies with Mikey, today. I think he enjoyed it. I hope you don’t mind us doing it some more. "
