‘Okay, sweetheart,’ I said, attempting to sound like a calm, nurturing mother and not a woman who had just been startled mid-passion. ‘Hop in.’
And just like that, our night was over. Again.
It took another week. A week of tantrums, school runs, forgotten packed lunches, and at least one dramatic incidentinvolving Ruby and a toilet roll that somehow ended with me needing to disinfect the ceiling. But finally, the stars aligned.
We got the kids down. All three of them, by some miracle, fell asleep and stayed asleep.
I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair, trying to remember the woman I used to be before my life became a whirlwind of half-eaten sandwiches and sticky fingers. I caught Dan watching me in the reflection, his dark eyes smouldering, his jaw sharp with a hint of stubble.
I raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "You're staring."
Dan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, that smirk of his creeping in. "Can't help it. You look… dangerous."
I snorted, dragging the brush through my hair again. "Oh yeah? Real dangerous in my snot-stained leggings and baggy jumper."
He pushed off the doorframe, stepping closer, his hands sliding around my waist. His breath was warm against my neck. "We could always take those off."
I shivered as his fingers skimmed my waist "Is that so?"
"Mmm." He pressed a slow kiss just below my ear. "I've been thinking about you all day." Another kiss. "About this body." His hands squeezed my hips. "About how much I want to be inside you."
A low, desperate sound escaped me before I could stop it. "Dan," I warned, my grip tightening on the brush. "You can't just say things like that when we have approximately ninety seconds before one of our children bursts in needing a snack or to tell us something utterly irrelevant about a cartoon they watched today."
His lips curled against my skin. "That just makes me want you more. Forbidden fruit and all that." His hands slid lower, teasing, making my breath deepen.
I turned in his arms, pressing my palms to his chest. "You know if we start something now, we’re not finishing it."
My patience for nights like this had grown thin after multiple failed attempts. I wasn’t getting my hopes up.
His eyes darkened. "Oh, we will. Eventually. And when we do, I’m not letting you leave our bed for hours."
Heat curled low in my stomach. "Promise?"
He groaned, his forehead dropping to mine. "You have no idea how badly I want to take you right now."
I glanced at the clock. Ruby usually wakes around 11pm so we probably have around 10 minutes.
"We need a plan," I whispered, my lips brushing his. "Because if we don’t get some alone time soon, I might combust."
Dan let out a rough laugh. "Oh, babe, we are making it happen. Even if I have to lock us in the laundry room."
"Sexy," I teased, but honestly, at this point, I'd take anything.
"Desperate times." His hand slid under my shirt, fingers warm on my skin.
Maybe tonight would be the night. And as frustrating as it is to keep trying and failing, I can’t deny how much I want him to take me, right here right now.
Desire blooms low in my stomach. I look into his dark eyes, aware of the way his eyes stay intently locked onto mine while his hand strokes the slope of my shoulder where my jumper had slipped just slightly. It had been too long since I felt truly seen, not just as a mother, but as a woman.
‘I’ve missed you,’ I admitted, stepping towards him.
‘Come here, then.’
I did. And this time, there were no interruptions.
He kissed me in that way that made my skin tingle, slow and deep, his fingers tracing fire along my spine. A sigh slipped from my lips as I melted against him, the warmth of his body pressing into mine.
“God, I’ve missed this,” Dan murmured, his breath warm against my throat. His stubble scraped deliciously along my skin, sending shivers down my spine.
