That answer seemed to satisfy him. For now.
I unbuckled both boys and lifted them out, one after the other. Their hands immediately found mine, and we started toward the playground. As I scanned my surroundings, my entire world suddenly shifted on its axis.
Aubrey stood near the swings, a smile lighting her face as she carefully helped a child onto the seat. Seeing her, my carefully made decision began to fracture at the edges.
Attraction surged, hitting hard enough to momentarily blur out the background noise of the playground and the laughter of children around me. I hadn’t expected this intense, overwhelming wave of desire that narrowed my attention to the woman standing just yards away.
Aubrey was captivating, her chestnut-brown hair spilling softly over her shoulders, catching hints of sunlight that turned the strands golden. The photo hadn’t even begun to capture the warmth in her expression or the gentle ease with which she smiled at the child beside her.
I felt my body respond instantly, a rush of heat tightening every muscle as my heart rate quickened. Unbidden, images began slipping through my mind—visions of her spread across my sheets, naked and glistening, her dark hair framing flushed cheeks and those clear blue eyes heavy with pleasure. I imagined her wearing one of my old shirts, nothing else beneath it, the fabric just long enough to tease and tempt me. I pictured sliding it off her shoulders, baring her soft skin to my touch, her body arching beneath my hands as she whispered my name. Lookingup at me with those beautiful eyes while I got lost in the sounds she'd make for me as I buried myself inside her again and again.
The force of that thought left me breathless, desire tightening in me so much that I had to physically remind myself to breathe again.
But it wasn’t just lust that caught me off guard. Underneath the fierce attraction, something deeper and even more powerful stirred inside me. A possessive instinct rose fiercely within me. One I’d never experienced before that said she was mine, even though logic argued otherwise. My entire being suddenly demanded to claim her, protect her, and keep her safely wrapped in my arms and far away from the ugliness of what I’d originally intended.
I swallowed hard, the guilt slamming into me a second later, almost as powerfully as the attraction. I’d already decided I couldn’t follow through with the revenge plan, but even standing here knowing I’d considered it felt wrong.
Aubrey was so damn innocent. She didn’t deserve to become collateral damage just because of my anger. I steeled my resolve to stay away from her and forced my eyes away, taking a slow breath to steady myself. The boys needed me, and they deserved my full attention.
I turned, ready to bring my focus back to the playground, just in time to see Mylo misjudge the last step coming off the climbing structure. His foot caught awkwardly, and he hit the ground hard enough to skin one knee.
The cry came instantly, the startled hurt of a little boy who’d suddenly discovered gravity wasn’t his friend.
Instinct had me moving before I even processed what was happening. In a few quick strides, I knelt and scooped him up, feeling his small body trembling as I cradled him carefully against my chest. His little arms wrapped around my neck whileI inspected the damage. The scrape wasn’t serious, a little blood and a lot of offended dignity.
“You’re okay, buddy,” I murmured. “It’s just a little scrape. Nothing to worry about.”
Mylo’s expression darkened as he stared down at the tiny drop of blood on his knee. “It’s broken.”
I bit back a smile. “Pretty sure it’s not.”
“It is,” he huffed.
“It’s definitely not.”
He considered that for a moment, then he started looking suspiciously emotional again.
“It hurts. A lot,” he informed me seriously, his tone carrying all the weight of a grave injury.
“I know it hurts. I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t have a Band-Aid with me right now.” The betrayal on his face suggested this was a major failure on my part. “I know. That’s on me. But I promise we’ll stop at the store after the park, and you can pick out any kind you want.”
He appeared momentarily appeased, his eyes brightening with interest as he considered this carefully. “Dinosaur ones?”
“Absolutely,” I agreed.
“And monster trucks?” he asked, negotiating carefully.
“You got it,” I replied, smiling slightly now. I was starting to suspect I was being extorted.
“And race cars too," he added confidently.
I was about to respond when an amused voice interrupted us gently from beside me. “I think I might have something that works even better than race cars.”
The voice sent heat spreading through me even before I looked up. Aubrey had appeared quietly at my side, kneeling with a gentle smile. She held a small package of superhero Band-Aids in one hand and a soft wet wipe in the other, her expression kind and reassuring as she turned her attention to Mylo.
Wide-eyed and clearly impressed, Mylo took in the brightly colored Band-Aid in her hand. He gasped like she'd just performed actual magic. “Superheroes, Uncle Blitz!”
“I’m Aubrey,” she told him as she carefully cleaned his scraped knee, her movements gentle yet efficient, distracting him with quiet, playful conversation.
