“Yes?” the reply rushes from my mouth so fast as if I needed an excuse to stay a little longer. Right when I turn back, he captures my face in his hands, and my lids flutter closed as his lips press to mine. My head swims in the connection, my body leaning into him, my hands grapple to grab onto his shirt as I hold him like my life depends on it.
Our lips part, and our tongues meet in a tangling twist of rules and breaking them, professionalism, and my personal desires. I toss it all aside and kiss with the desire of a thousand fires burning inside for him.
And when we part, my breath pants from my chest, my eyes opening slowly to find him admiring me with his heart on his sleeve. He whispers, “I just wanted to tell you that.”
I hold him as close as I can while this magic lasts. “I’m glad you did.” Unfurling my fingers from his shirt, I take a step back and say, “Maybe you can tell me more about it later?”
A sly grin works its way onto his face. “I can’t wait.”
I start walking backward, smiling like a loon who just scored a fish from the cove. “Me either. I’ll see you later.” I turn and practically skip off the deck onto the ground.
“See you later, Summer.”
I hurry down the road and then just flat-out sprint, filled with the adrenaline from kissing him and the offer to helpbuy the cottage in play. My thoughts are swirling on the rights and wrongs and the pros and cons when it hits me. I’m halfway back when I come to an abrupt halt.
Out of breath, I look back. I’ve gone too far to still see the cottage and not far enough to see the house. It doesn’t matter. I had a problem, and he stepped in to help. I can do the same for him.
CHAPTER 14
DANIEL
“Why can’t I sleep in here?” Roman’s legs dangle off the side of the bed as he watches me drop my duffel bag by the dresser.
“We don’t know how long it will take to get the pipes fixed, buddy. I’ll camp out on this couch, and you can have a bed all to yourself.” I’m thinking I should feel guilty for lying to him, but am I? Is it really a lie? Hewillbe more comfortable in the guest room, and I’ll be more comfortable in Summer?—
“I like sharing with you.”
I sit next to him on Summer’s bed. “I like sharing with you too, but I took more hits last night from your tossing and turning than I did on the ice the entire last season.”
The little smirk on his face makes me think he’s not all that upset about taking out his old dad. I tickle his ribs, sending him backward on the mattress into a fit of giggles. “I should,” he says, laughing through his words, “have played hockey.”
We don’t talk about him playing hockey anymore. He never made it to squirt level in the youth league when hewas younger. He was a smaller guy on the team at the time, and the hits were brutal to witness. Mia put her foot down, but I didn’t disagree. He didn’t care about hockey, and it showed when he was out there. Although it’s not too late to try again, I’d prefer him to chart his own course instead of trying to mold into mine. “I’m thinking soccer or football might be better for a kid with your skill set. You got a hell of a kick.”
“Really?”
I pull him up and then stand, bringing him with me. “You can do whatever you want, Roman. Just finish what you start and don’t?—”
“Compromise your values. Yeah, yeah.” You’d think this kid has been working a hard day and doesn’t want the lecture at the end of it with that ho-hum tone. I’ll take being the boring dad anytime over what I had growing up.
A knock on the door draws our attention to Summer. She’s dressed in the same top and cutoff shorts; her hair is still up, but more strands have escaped the confines of the elastic at the back of her head. There’s a shine to her lips that draws my attention to them, making me remember how good it felt to kiss her. With her shoulder against the doorframe, a smile on her face, and looking so damn sexy, she makes it hard to look away. “Am I interrupting?” she asks, her fingers tucked into her front pockets like she’s been there a while.
Roman is already shaking his head. “I want to sleep in here with you guys.”
Summer saunters in like she’s got a few things on her mind that don’t include anyone else sleeping in this room with us. Kneeling before him, she takes his hands, and says, “You’re going to have a great time in that room. You get the whole place to yourself and all those pillows. Also . . .” sheleans in and whispers, “It’s been rumored that cookies appear right before bed for good little kids.”
“I’m always good. My mom says I make her life easy,” he says with pride.
He’s old enough not to fall for these shenanigans, but like how Santa doesn’t visit if he doesn’t believe, sounds like these cookies won’t show up either. When he glances up at me, I say, “It’s true. You’re the best, buddy.”
He looks back at Summer, and says, “Do you get cookies in here?”
With a grimace shaping her face, she sighs so sadly that I’m tempted to fall for her tricks. “Unfortunately, no.”
“You could if you’re good,” he says matter-of-factly. This kid is too much, causing me to chuckle under my breath.
“Very true, Roman.” She stands still, holding his hand like they’re old friends, and taps his nose. “What do you think about you and your dad coming to watch the sunset with me and the others?” To a kid, I’m sure that’s not an inviting offer, but I’m not going to push into it. She adds, “Have I shown you the swing out back?”
That seals it. He’s already headed to the door. “I want to see.”
