Love? I wasn’t going to respond to that comment. But Aaron was right. I shouldn’t have treated Shaw like a dirty secret. If nothing else, I valued Shaw’s role in my life—whatever it was—and I didn’t want it to be like this between us. I didn’t want James to come between us again.
A few moments later, I stood in front of his door—fully dressed now—and knocked. I clasped my hands, raking my bottom lip with my teeth, which was sure to leave a mark.
Nothing.
No response.
I knocked again. A little louder, a little longer, in case he was in the bathroom or bedroom.
Nothing.
I knocked again. My thoughts were racing, and my courage was equally waning.
Before I could talk myself into abandoning the mission, I banged on the door. My fist was descending when the door finally opened, and I was inches away from pounding on a naked chest. Shaw’s naked chest.
Oh. My.
I’d seen his chest before. Many, many times. And if James hadn’t come home early, I would’ve had a chance to explore that chest more thoroughly with my lips and tongue. I raked my bottom lip through my teeth and tried to tear my eyes off it and upward to a more appropriate visual field for this conversation.
That beautiful chest was at my eye level, and my eyes drifted down…to the trail of hair that disappeared under a towel around his waist all the way to his large, adorable bare feet, pausing a few breathtaking moments in between.
He shifted, leaning against his door before clearing his throat and studying me with a cocked eyebrow. When I remained unable to form a cohesive sentence, he said, “Is everything okay?”
“Um...I’m sorry.” I swallowed, trying to regain my composure. “This divorce, treading these waters…it's hard. I have heard so many horror stories about divorce and how the kids suffer, and I don’t want to do that to Aaron. I want to try to keep things amicable.”
A cold November wind blew my disheveled ponytail into my face, further loosening its bond and reminding me that, while I’d put on some clothes, I’d neglected a coat or shoes.
My lack of bra—okay, I wasn’t fully dressed—was screamingly obvious as well.
His eyes darkened as he pulled me inside. “Come in.” He stepped aside, and I brushed against him while walking through the entrance. “Does Aaron know you’re over here?”
“Yes.” I hesitantly walked to his sofa, turning to him for permission before I sat. He gestured to the corner, and I curled into it.
He sat next to me and took my hand. “Kelce, hon, you aren’t alone. That’s all I meant to do—to back you up. I’m here.”
I shook my head. “I need to deal with James alone. Even just you being there ramps up his resentment. Then he starts to throw his weight around.”
“I’m sorry, but—” He went to sit on the coffee table in front of me, only to be reminded of the towel that was already being stretched to its limits.
Not that I was about to complain, but it was more than a little distracting.
“Give me a minute,” he said, disappearing up the stairs.
Soon, he was back in gray sweatpants. Pulling a t-shirt over his head, he sat on the table in front of me, letting out a deep breath. “Listen. This is becoming more complicated…” Here it was, the gentle letdown. He was cutting off any possibility of us. “More complicated than it needs to be,” he finished. He leaned forward, taking my hands and pulling me toward him, so I had no choice but to stare into his eyes. “All I know is that you have always been one of the most important people in my life. All I want is to spend time with you and Aaron.” He caressed the backs of my hands with his thumbs, and my mind wandered to other parts of my body where those thumbs could be rubbing. Get your mind out of the bedroom, Kelcie. Jeez.
His voice dropped an octave or two as he added, “But now that I know what it is like to touch you, hold you.” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip as he stared at mine. “Taste you…”
Realizing I wasn’t breathing, I let out a breath.
“I need to kiss you some more.” He lifted a hand and kissed the underside of my wrist slowly. “And to hear you say my name in that breathy way you do.”
“Shaw.” It came out more seductive than I ever thought I was capable of.
He growled, “Yes, like that.” He kissed my wrist again.
“We have a lot to figure out, things to discuss, and maybe some boundaries to decide on, but I’m not letting you walk away from me again—and certainly not because of him,” he said. “We don’t have to figure it all out today. Let’s get comfortable with each other—with us being us. Give me a chance to woo you.”
“Woo me? Seriously?”
