We stayed like that a long time, just kissing and kissing.
I wasn’t a single mom, and he wasn’t the man who ran away from me. We were Jules Smith and King Drew again. He was my hot coach, my savior, and I was his student and lover.
His tongue abandoned my mouth and traveled down my neck, his teeth nipping at my skin, tingling and teasing along my collarbone. His hand slid over my shoulder, moving the strap out of the way for his mouth as he bent his head and caressed my skin with his lips. I couldn’t do anything but lean my head into the headrest and sigh.
It had been too many years since I’d been touched. I hadn’t even considered finding a replacement for the man who held my heart in his calloused hands. And now he was kissing me, touching me, holding me, almost bringing me to the brink with light foreplay.
With his head still bent, he stopped over my heart and laid his forehead over the stammering muscle. “Jules, I needed you, craved you all these years. I’m so glad I found you.”
When I breathed out his name, he released my seatbelt and scooped me over into his lap. His erection dug into my jeans, making me want to shed the heavy layer and feel him. Really feel him. Slide him into me. Orgasm with him inside me. My mind was on a crash course, going a hundred miles an hour, not caring what obstacles might or might not lie around me.
“Babe, you feel so good like this. Just like this. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you. I want it all, every piece of you, every stray hair, every inch of skin, every fiber of your being.”
My heart jerked and jostled inside my chest when my phone buzzed, spoiling the moment.
I jolted up. “I have to get that. It can only be one person.” Without looking at the caller ID, I said, “Hello, Molly? Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Claire. Sorry to bug you. God, I feel so stupid. This is the first time you go out for some fun, and I’m calling you.”
“Please, Molly, is Darla okay?”
Drew’s face turned furious in the pale light of the car, storm clouds brewing in his eyes.
“Yeah, I think so. It’s just she’s burning up, and I’ve been trying to comfort her for about an hour, but I can’t seem to keep her cool or calm her down.”
“I’m on my way. Did you take her temperature? There’s a digital thermometer in the medicine cabinet. One second.” I cupped my hand over the phone. “We have to go. Right now,” I said to Drew, who had already turning the ignition and was backing out of the driveway.
“I’m back,” I said to Molly, and heard Darla whimpering in the background.
“I’ll take her temperature,” Molly said. “I’ve been putting cool cloths on her forehead, and I have her stripped down to an undershirt and underpants. She’s also taking small sips of water, and I found a popsicle in the freezer that she’s been sucking on. I’m sorry, Claire. I really thought I could hold her off, but she’s crying for you, and I can tell you’re the kind of mom who wouldn’t want that—”
I stopped her rambling, “It’s okay, Molly. I’m glad you called. Please, just go take care of Darla. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay.”
I swiped theEND CALLbutton and closed my eyes. After a deep exhale, I said, “Well, this is my life. I don’t kiss boys by the moonlight anymore.”
A tear escaped my eye and trickled down my cheek. I cried for how happy I’d been in that moment with Drew kissing me. Then I wept for how idiotic and selfish I was, crying over a man when my daughter was sick.
Drew didn’t say a word. He let me cry, but he didn’t even try to comfort me.
“This is why this isn’t going to work,” I told him. “Whatever you want. Dates and tasting menus. The beach and kissing my shoulder. That’s not my life. Darla is my life.”
“Our life,” he finally said. “Our life, Jules. Not yours. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. You’re not going to. If I wasn’t so anxious to get back to your place, I’d pull over and shake the stubbornness out of you.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.
Drew
Abeaten-down man, I collapsed on my couch.
Christ.I slammed my hand into the pillow and let my head fall back. I was such a stupid, selfish man. My daughter was sick, and I was out romancing her mother like she didn’t have a care in the world.
The sad part was that Jules felt guilty about it all. I should be the one to feel guilty. Instead, I was pissed as fuck.
Jules refused to allow me in to help her. She was so frazzled over Darla being sick and her being out and having fun, so I let her go.
I shouldn’t have.
