Definitely not the warm welcome I was hoping for.
Chapter
Eight
Hayes
* * *
“Can we play catch?” Lincoln tosses the ball toward me, but Leighton intercepts before I can catch it.
“We could’ve used you tonight.” I’m hoping my joke will lighten the mood, but instead Leighton stares at Lincoln, no smile on her face.
“I said no more ball tonight.” She keeps the ball, then grabs each side of her shirt, covering her tits that sit snug in her white tank top.
My hands clench into fists.
“Come on,” Lincoln whines and looks at me as if I can save him, but I have no say here. And frankly, Mommy Leighton is a little scary. But also kinda sexy.
I hold up both hands. “Boss’s rules.”
A door slams upstairs, and Leighton’s eyes close briefly as she draws in a breath through her nose.
“It’s an inside ball, and it doesn’t leave marks on the wall. Dad used to let me.” Lincoln keeps pushing.
Leighton’s chest rises and falls, which I notice, because apparently, I’m incapable of slacking my lust for this woman, even when children are present. Did I time travel back to thirteen? She’s parenting here, on her last thread of patience, and I’m thinking about sliding my dick between her tits.
Clearly, I’m not meant for family life.
“Finish your math, and then we’ll talk.” Leighton nods toward the kitchen, her ponytail swaying back and forth. “And Monroe, the delivery guy will ring the doorbell when he arrives. Get in this house.”
Monroe huffs but stomps inside, sliding by my legs as if I’m the bad guy in this situation. I step in to follow, but Leighton moves forward, stopping me outside the door.
“Tell Callie I’m fine.”
She grabs the doorknob, her shirt coming open, and my gaze snaps right to her cleavage. God, why can’t she be mine? All I can think about is what it would be like if there were no kids in this house and her lips were on mine.
I remember how soft and tentative our kiss started all those years ago. Then as I slid my tongue against her lips, she opened for me instantly, as if she’d been waiting to kiss me just as long as I had been. Just when it was getting good though, she ran. And that’s probably the part I should remember most.
She clears her throat, and my gaze snaps up to hers. Under any other circumstance, I’d smack on my cocky grin and pretend I’m not embarrassed, but this isn’t the time for ogling her as if I’m only interested in her body.
“Thanks for coming, Hayes, but I’m good.”
She shuts the door a little, but I put my hand on it before she can entirely shut me out.
“Listen, Callie feels bad that she can’t be here. She’d kill me if I left. Think of me here. I understand that you don’t much like to be around me, but you’ll feel bad when Callie twists my nuts off for not helping you.”
She shakes her head, and a tiny smile forms on her mouth. I take her silence to mean that I might have a shot.
“You just finished a game. You have to be tired.”
“He had a great game. That hit in the ninth!” Lincoln jumps in the air. “Leighton let me watch it, but I couldn’t hear over Lake’s yelling and Monroe’s whining.” The little boy rolls his eyes.
I’m starting to get a sense of what was going on before I arrived. Although Monroe and the bubble tea are still a mystery.
Monroe gives Lincoln a dirty look, then Leighton turns to me.
“I already ordered pizza. It’s gonna be here in half an hour.” I hold out my hands.
