But they had a chaperone.
Not now. Not tonight.
He didn’t have a bag with him though, so was he not spending the night?
Did he worry he’d have to explain it to his parents? He’d told her he was letting them in on the two of them dating.
“Your brain is processing something. Are you going to share? Or even let me in the door?”
“Oh my God,” she said, stepping back. “I’m so sorry. Come in.”
He grinned, his eyes lighting up with something more than humor. There was desire there mixed in with patience. Exactly what she needed.
Though he leaned down and touched his lips to hers for the briefest of moments.
Was he as nervous as her over this?
Nah, he couldn’t be. Men didn’t get this worked up, she was positive.
“Archer get to his friend’s okay?”
“Yes, he was really excited. I’m sure he’ll be fine for the night.”
Maybe that was why Jayce didn’t have an overnight bag with him. What if Archer wanted to come home and Jayce was here?
Then Jayce would just leave. She was overthinking everything. It wasn’t as if her son was going to walk home alone in the middle of the night and unlock the front door to let himself in.
“He will be. There are six kids. Bless his parents for that, but I know my time will come. Archer is liable to ask me to do it next. I’m going to hold that off for as long as I can. At least that many kids.”
“I had a few sleepovers as a kid. I think my biggest was my thirteenth birthday. Thirteen kids.”
“I don’t know that I had thirteen friends I’d want to spend the night when I was that age.”
But Jayce had always been popular.
“The following week, Jocelyn got to have her party and she only had six. She could barely handle the night when I had mine and said she was cutting hers back. It was a bit too much, looking back.”
“I don’t mind a big party, but not that many kids under my roof all night long. Nope,” she said, shaking her head.
“You’re nervous,” he said, reaching for her, tugging her into his arms and just holding her. Soft, comforting, welcoming. Her body relaxed a smidge.
“It’s hard not to be.”
His lips grazed her neck. “We can go at your pace. And if you don’t want to do more than watch TV, I’m good with that too.”
“I want to do more,” she said. “It’s just... the first time. I don’t want to disappoint you.”
He leaned back, his fingers trailing down the side of her cheek. “Never. You couldn’t.”
She knew that, but it was hard to get out of her own way at times.
Past comments from her ex lingered in her mind.
Actions too.
Did he cheat because of their sex life? Tucker had said that. She wasn’t exciting enough for him anymore after having a child.
She was tired. Just was sick of being taken advantage of. And maybe she wanted a little bit of attention or romance from her husband who’d dismissed her after she’d birthed him a son.
