We’d taken Aria to the airport that morning so she could start her journey to New York. Then I’d be without my girl for the whole summer. Six weeks.
Six weeks was something I normally would have freaked out about, but this time I wasn’t. I was excited, excited to see what my life would be like as a guy who was free from parenthood for the whole summer.
The idea probably excited me more than it should have.
After the airport, I took Brooke sailing and we stayed out for the whole day then came back to my house.
My house, which she hadn’t slept in yet.
Of course with Aria around, we kept sex at Brooke’s place except for the three times I’d managed to indulge in her in my office. I’d taken one hell of a risk, but it had been one of those times when neither of us could help it. We’d both gotten lost in the call of lust. It was an animalistic call we were both helpless to.
Now we were here. It was late and I planned to indulge in her all over again.
There was just one other thing on my mind, something else besides the fact that we’d been sleeping together, fooling around for the last seven weeks, and we were still together.
That thing was something else that had been on my mind, something I’d pushed to the back of beyond because it was an eerie thought.
Brooke would be the first woman to sleep in the house since Olivia. She’d be the first I’d sleep with in my bed since, and while I knew I shouldn’t have been thinking about it that way, I was. It bothered me, because I was sure Brooke would think it was weird or completely inappropriate for me to be thinking of my dead wife and not her.
The strange thing was, Brooke had the power to empty my mind of everything, even Olivia.
“You are a million miles away.” Brooke smiled, pressing her hands against my chest.
We were in the sitting room. She liked it in there because of the view of the sea and the boardwalk. It was similar to hers, but mine was a little more scenic.
I gazed down at her beautiful face and leaned over to give her a gentle kiss.
“What are you thinking about, Ryan?” she whispered against my lips. “If it’s Aria, I know she’ll be fine.”
I appreciated the reassurance.
“I’m thinking about you.” I kissed the bridge of her nose.
At first she smiled, but then concern filled her eyes.
“This is the first time I’ll be staying over.”
It was amazing how insightful she was. Sometimes it was scary.
“Yeah.”
“Relax—I swear I’ll remember where I leave my clothes and I won’t trash the place. It will be in perfect order—orderly, definitely not disorderly.”
I chuckled. “You know I don’t give a crap about stuff like that right?”
“Of course, it’s just fun to tease you in your de-rebelled state. Plus, I can only guess what’s on your mind if you don’t tell me.” She gave me that smile of mischief. “I’m sure I’ll be no different than your other lady friends.”
“What?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “What lady friends?”
“I don’t know, you could have them. Look at you—you’re gorgeous. I’m pretty certain you have your pick.”
I didn’t know what bothered me more, the fact that she could say that with such ease or that she would assume I was seeing other women apart from her.
“I’m not seeing anybody else, Brooke. Are you? I’m still suspicious of Noah, although I know he has Vanessa. It’s a clever ruse in my book.” I was jealous as hell of Noah, but I wouldn’t share that with her.
She probably already knew that anyway.
“Don’t be suspicious of him.” She laughed.
