But was how close they were getting to Gemma smart?
“Let’s go, daddy,” Peyton said, tugging on my hand. “All the kids are going to be there and I bet Gemma is waiting for us.”
At the door, I squatted down and tapped each of my cheeks with a finger. “Pay the princess toll.”
The girls giggled, then leaned in close and kissed one of my cheeks. “Now can we go, please,” they begged together.
I locked up and the three of us headed out to my vehicle. Once the kids were buckled in and I was driving, my mind wandered to Gemma as it often did.
In the two weeks that had gone by since our trip to the zoo, things had been radio-silent from the asshole Brett and whoever else had been harassing her with the letter and tire slashing.
At least I hoped we were only dealing with two people, not more. I’d prefer it to be nobody trying to harm or scare the sweet, sassy, beautiful woman that I had been getting to know.
Our little field trip wasn’t the last time I’d found myself with Gemma and the more time I spent in her presence, the harder I found it not to initiate the kiss I’d been craving. But then I also found myself wondering what the hell was I thinking.
Not only shouldn’t I do that to Gemma because she didn’t need an old fart like me with two kids complicating her life, but a part of me, even as crazy as it sounded, thought I was being unfaithful to my deceased wife.
AndI was out of practice.
I hadn’t kissed anyone since I lost my wife. In fact, I’d never kissed another woman other than my wife, unless you counted the silly smooch when I’d been five with the neighbor girl next door. And she’d technically kissed me. I had wanted nothing to do with it. There was such intimacy in two people kissing and it was an act I’d only cared to perform with Isabelle.
Until Gemma.
It started the first time I saw her, but back then, I’d been better at pushing away the thoughts. However, at the zoo when she leaned in and pulled the bite of the elephant ear from my fingertips with her mouth, that was the moment that fighting the inexplicable pull she had on me became harder to ignore.
Then there was the following day after the zoo when the girls convinced her to go to Capri’s again with us and I watched her devour a freshly baked cinnamon roll. The moans, licking of her lips, and pleasure on her face were nothing short of torture. The next weekend my kids begged her to go to pizza and then ice cream. Watching her play games with the girls was adorable. But it was the way she ate the double scoop cone and how her tongue swirled around the creamy treat that about did me in.
Yet, nothing prepared me for when I walked into Gyth and Summer’s home and all the ladies stood there in their costumes. When I’d asked Gemma if she wanted a ride over to the gathering, she’d declined, saying she and the women were getting ready together. That along with wearing the same costumes was a tradition they had started a few years ago. They were quite the sight. Every lady was in a different superhero costume.
My eyes immediately zeroed in on Gemma in her tight-fitted Batgirl uniform and I about swallowed my tongue.
Damn she was sexy.
But I couldn’t forget how innocent she was or the fact that we were not meant to be anything but friends.
When she threw her head back and laughed at something Alley had just said, my pulse beat faster. Gemma was not making it easy on me and yet she had no clue the pull she had, which made her even more alluring.
I needed to remember I was here to celebrate Halloween with my kids or it could be a really long night. As if on cue to help me out, they both jumped up and down asking when it was time to go trick-or-treating.
Embry yelled out to them and they took off without another word. Standing there alone, still in the doorway, I looked back over toward the ladies.
And when my eyes met Gemma’s and she smiled at me, the wall I’d put around my heart after the death of Isabelle crumbled a bit more.
The woman staring at me had been breaking it down little by little since I’d met her.
* * *
There was candy everywhere.
The adults were going through their children’s haul to take out what they could and couldn’t eat, as well as to inspect it. The load of sweets they’d received was crazy.
“I think I should check your bag again,” I heard Gemma say to Embry.
Dramatic as usual, Embry slapped both hands down on her hips and gave Gemma a mock glare. “You, Auntie Gemma, always steal the candy.”
Gemma placed her hand on her chest and fake-gasped as though she was outraged, but it was easy to see they were playing. These two were close since Gemma had known Embry’s mother Jurnee from the time they were both little girls in foster care together.
“Bullshit.” Gemma’s nose crinkled in the cutest way and she tried to save herself. “I mean, bullpucky… I don’t take kid’s candy.” I knew the second it happened she wasn’t getting away with what she’d said.
