“First, you’re not boring. Second, you’re attractive, and we have parenting in common.” He leans forward and grabs my hand resting on the table. “And I bet there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
And that does it for me. I’m sold. Time to be bold. You only live once, right? “Want to come home with me?”
His smirk turns into a full-on, broad smile. “I’d love to.”
I hand the coffee mug to Leo after he slides his arms through his now wrinkly button-up. He plucks it from my hand and sets it down on my dresser without a sip before yanking me against him.
My hands rest on his chest as I look up at him. “I had a fantastic evening last night.” He leans down and nips my earlobe. “You were fire.”
My face heats, but I don’t hide it from him this time. “I think you may have taught me a thing or two about sex.”
His chuckle is deep and dangerous. “Oh, we’re only just starting. I can’t wait for more.” He stands straight and finally takes a sip of his coffee. “That is if you want more.”
I gnaw on my bottom lip like some stupid teen back when I was crushing on Greg McFadden, a senior and the starting quarterback in high school, while I was in the tenth grade. “I definitely want more.”
Leo wraps his fingers gently around my throat, forcing my head up to look at him. He’s demanding in bed. Dominant. I like it. He knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. It took all the guesswork out of sex last night, not that I forgot, but it’s been a long time. Then he presses a kiss to my lips.
“I look forward to it,” he says. When he pulls away, he tugs on his jeans and then fixes his hair. “Anyway, I’d better run. Colby, my son, will be over at my place in about an hour.”
“Yeah, my kids will be home soon, too.”
Once he’s ready, he drinks back the rest of his coffee and grabs me again, forcing our bodies flush against each other. “I meant what I said. I want to see you again, Seth.”
“I’d really like that.”
“Excellent! Then it’s settled. I’ll text you the time and place to meet up. Or you can text me if you have some thoughts.”
I love that he gives me the choice, too. I know he won’t leave me hanging, which is always a fear.
After we hug and kiss again, I see him off.
As I stand on the porch, watching Leo drive off, I look around the yard. It’s a wreck again. I’d forgotten to clean it up before I left for my date. With a sigh, I start picking everything up before my neighbor makes them into a totem again.
Part of me wonders if my kids do it on purpose, though I doubt it. Kids are generally absent-minded and act impulsively. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell them not to put toys in Calvin’s yard; they still do it, but it’s not like they understand property lines. I guess most parents would punish them, but I like to pick my battles, and I don’t think leaving a few toys lying around is a matter of life or death, but I do try to make them pick up their own things. For now, they aren’t home yet, so I do it.
When I’m half finished, I see a man jogging toward me. No, not any man. My hot neighbor. Of course, he’s shirtless. Good thing I’m sexually satiated, otherwise I’d have run in the house and rubbed one off. Leo is hot, but Calvin… Nope, don’t go there. Who cares that he’s rippling with muscle and that he shimmers in the sunlight, reflecting the sweat off his freckly skin?
You have Leo to look forward to, Seth. He’s hot and full of yummy muscles, too.
And of course, Calvin makes another snide comment, reminding me that you can be hot on the outside and a jerk on the inside. I ignore him and haul the toys inside with plans to talk to the kids for the hundredth time.
Chapter 7
Calvin
It’sthefollowingSaturday,and I’m out on a run. While I had no luck finding a guy last weekend, this one will be different. I can feel it. It boosts my mood, and I pick up the pace, pushing my legs and lungs for the final stretch.
I check my fitness watch to see it’s after nine in the morning. It’s time to head back home for a high-protein breakfast and my favorite chicory coffee.
I jog by Seth’s place, pleased to see him cleaning up the toys from my yard. Although getting creative with toy totems has been quite challenging and fun, even a little cathartic, I’ll never tell him that.
When I pass him, he looks up at me, and I give him a hearty wave and a bright smile. He visibly huffs, but he can’t take his eyes off my shirtless body. Or that’s what I imagine he’s doing.
“The sweat just glistens off my muscles, doesn’t it?” I yell out.
He scowls before rushing off with a handful of toys, and I swear to god he’s blushing. There’s something about bashful bottoms that soothes the soul. I still have no idea if he’s into guys, but I have a feeling he is. It’s fun to imagine. “Caught ya,” I mumble to myself.
When I rush up to my front door, I hear a car door closing behind me. I turn around to a man getting out and waving at me not to goanywhere. He’s obviously here to see me, so I yank my shirt out from the back of my shorts and put it on. I can’t do much about the sweat.
