“Why? It’s still snowing, and we didn’t even have breakfast yet.” My pleading sounded foreign to my own ears, but I didn’t want him to go yet.
He shook his head and snaked his arms around my waist. “You should have Christmas alone with her—with them. Get used to the new dynamic without the layer of anger.” I jabbed him in the side as he snickered. “How about lunch tomorrow, and my cousin’s party on New Year’s Eve? They have some kids Victoria’s age. Think about it.” His lips found my forehead and lingered for a long kiss.
“I don’t have to think about it. Yes, we’d love to.” He replied with a wide smile. I agreed to more than just lunch and a New Year’s party, and the gleam in Drew’s eyes confirmed he knew what I meant. No more denying and no more stalling. I wanted Drew enough to push the what ifs and insecurities aside and try. “Victoria is going to be mad you gave her the slip.”
“I’ll wave goodbye. She’ll be knee-deep in presents, so I’m sure she won’t notice.” Drew’s hand cupped my neck before he pulled me in for a quick but savage kiss. Drew was always gentle, but his kisses were rough. He had me panting and wet from just his mouth on mine. I shivered imagining what else he could do to me when he had more time.
“Merry Christmas, Drew,” I breathed as he pulled away, nipping my bottom lip before stepping back.
“Merry Christmas, Sara. And I take back what I said last week.” His hand feathered down my cheek. “You . . . like this . . .thisis my best Christmas gift.”
I fought the twitch of a smile and rolled my eyes. “You’re relentless.”
He pulled me flush to his body and shook his head. “Baby, you haven’t seenanythingyet. When I get you alone . . .” His voice dipped low as he backed away. “Then you’ll know what relentless is.”
Sara
“I GET TOstay up past midnight? You never let me stay up that late.” Victoria’s lips twisted in confusion as she took a seat next to me in the kitchen. I held in a laugh at her skeptical gaze as I frosted the cake Drew asked me to bring. I’d spent the past half hour eyeballing it for icing gaps.
I was rigid with her bedtime, as if we didn’t stay on a routine I was screwed in getting to work and school and wherever else I had to drop her in between. On New Year’s Eve, I’d let her see the ball drop and usher her into bed before the TV started playing “Auld Lang Syne.”
“Consider it a special case.” I smiled when her eyes met mine. We’d spent two days with Drew since Christmas Day, and it unnerved me how natural it was. We ate lunch the day after Christmas and saw a kids’ movie the day after that. Keeping our lips off each other was proving to be tough, but we managed. Or managed so far. I’d gotten a bit too brazen on Christmas with our desperate kisses in the hallway and kitchen, and I didn’t want to confuse my daughter or get her hopes up. Drew and I were close, but I had no clue how this would play out. Right now, I loved his company and stopped pretending to only like him as a friend. What the future held, I wasn’t sure, but I was hopeful. Of course, I was also terrified—but hopeful all the same.
“Your first New Year’s Eve party, huh?” Josh threw us a smirk as he strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Yeah. Drew said he had boy cousins my age.”
Josh stilled as he chugged the bottle.
“Remember what I told you if a boy tries to kiss you. Where I told you to kick.” He jerked his knee up and then pointed at Victoria.
“Ugh . . . Josh, she just turned nine,” Brianna sighed as she leaned against the refrigerator.
“You forget, Cupcake. I was a nine-year-old boy once, too. Trust me, I know how they all think when they see a pretty girl.”
She crossed her arms as her eyes narrowed at Josh. “So, if there are boys like you at the party, if they like her, they’ll let her know they like her when they’re . . . oh, around twenty-eight or so.”
Josh huffed out a laugh as he looped his arm around her shoulder.
“Why don’t you go change, Victoria? Drew is picking us up in twenty minutes.” I motioned to the hallway.
“Okay, can I wear my new DC shirt? Drew hasn’t seen it yet!”
I smiled at her saucer-wide eyes. “Sure.” I didn’t even get the whole syllable out before she raced out of the kitchen.
“So, things with you and Drew are going well?” Brianna took a seat next to me, but I didn’t turn around, as I was still focused on the cake.
I nodded, trying my best to look noncommittal. “He’s a nice guy. A good friend.”
“When I came back into the living room to give him some sheets, you looked prettynot friendlyto me.”
My head shot up to Brianna’s devious smile. “You saw?”Shit.It was one thing to have a private indiscretion you could will yourself to forget, quite another to have people see and confirm it as true. I threw down the icing covered spatula and dropped my head into my hands.
“Well, I walked back into the kitchen on Christmas Day and . . .” I cringed at what Josh was about to say next. His nose crinkled as he leaned his elbows onto the kitchen island counter.
“Seriously? Oh my God.” My head fell back into my hands as I groaned.
“Sara, I’d never begrudge you . . . friends, and Drew seems like a decent guy. But Vic may start asking questions if she sees. I don’t know how far into it you guys are. I mean, feel free to tell me to mind my own fucking business, but I just don’t want either of you hurt.”
