Her throat worked on an emotional swallow, then she nodded fast, as if thrilled by something. “Yes, I’m okay with that. I’d love for you to go along.” Her smile held absolute joy. “And then we’ll race back here and I’ll have you all to myself for two whole hours.”
It wasn’t a lot of time, not for what he wanted, which was basically a lifetime. But it was a start and parts of his anatomy were already heating in preparation. “How can I help you get ready?”
She went on tiptoes to kiss him. “Keep an eye on Ryder while I shower?”
“I can even help him get dressed.”
They stepped into the kitchen to see that Ryder was busy creating another masterpiece. A colorful array of crayons were out of the box, scattered all around him. “Don’t look!” He leaned over the artwork, nearly knocking his mostly empty cereal bowl to the floor.
Together, he and Joey turned their backs, but Hendrix was the only one to snicker. “Watch the bowl, bud. There’s still some milk in it.”
“Okay, but don’t look.”
“We wouldn’t dare.”
Joey said, “Would you like to go to Duke’s Christmas party?” She quickly gave him the details. “Other kids will be there.”
The picture was instantly forgotten. “A party? For real?” He raced around to face them, the epitome of excitement. “Yes!”
Joey knelt down. “How about you put up your artwork, then Hendrix will keep an eye on you while you wash your face and brush your teeth so I can shower? We’ll need to stop at the store so you have a gift to exchange.”
“A gift.” Smile dimming, he paused for a moment. “I want to go, Mom. I really, really do.” His gaze shifted to Hendrix. “But we were gonna walk on the beach, remember?”
Instantly, Hendrix understood the problem. “I figured we’d go tonight, after dinner.”
He eyed his mom. “Just us, huh? So we can talk ‘bout moremen stuff?”
Joey gave Hendrix a questioning look.
He winked at her, and then confirmed to Ryder, “Just us.” Making it sound secretive, he lowered his voice to a hush. “Your mom already said she’d fix dinner.”
Since Joey hadn’t said any such thing, he appreciated how quickly she caught on. “That’s right. I’ll need you two out of the way. Say...for an hour?”
“Maybe a little longer,” Hendrix said.
“Yes, that would be good. So I have plenty of time.”
Ryder grinned guilelessly. “Okay.” With that worry out of the way, he raced off.
In one way or another, each interaction with Joey and Ryder became his current favorite. If he had his way, adding up those favorites would never end.
Joey couldn’t stop smiling. Talk about a stellar day, and it was still early afternoon. After dropping Ryder off, they drove back to the campground in near silence. It wasn’t awkward at all, just charged with a lot of sexual sparks going off. It was a cool, damp day with a storm brewing, yet the interior of the car felt steamy.
A few minutes later, with his broad palm opened on the small of her back, Hendrix guided her into the house.
That’s as far as she made it before she turned into him and kissed him with all the want and need she’d accumulated since first meeting him.
Locking her in close with one arm, he managed to close and secure the door one-handed. As soon as he did, he gave her his full attention, his mouth hungry, his hands sliding over her shoulders, down her back to her hips, then her backside so he could hold her against him.
The contact was incredible. “I gave birth,” Joey said against his mouth, making him pause in confusion. Yeah, that came out of nowhere. She wasn’t overly insecure about her body, except... “Ted always noticed, so–”
“Fuck Ted. We know he was an idiot.” Holding her gaze, he slowly pulled her lightweight jacket from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. “It isn’t just your body that keeps me awake at night.” He caught the hem to her long-sleeve thermal shirt and began edging it up. “It’s you, Joey. All of you. Every smile.” The shirt came up and over her breasts, making his breathing deeper. “The way you care, and how you show it.”
Trusting him, she raised her arms, and he tugged the shirt over her head.
“Your determination is sexy.” Jaw flexing, his concentrated stare took in her body in low jeans and a lacy beige bra. His gaze lingered at her breasts until, with one finger, he traced the soft flesh above the edge of the lace. “Your nature is sweet,” he rasped, as his open hands cupped her. “But you’re brave enough to face the challenges.”
“You’ve made it so much easier.”
