Page 81 of Sweet Distraction

Everything I’ve been trying not to think about overwhelms my thoughts—the curve of her hips, the way her mouth tastes when she bites her lip, the way she said my name that night I almost—

No.

Stop.

“Wait.” Her head startles, and she looks at the backyard while my eyes stay trained on hers. “You put in a pool fence?” she asks, her voice a mixture of surprise and gratitude.

“Yes. That’s what the guys were doing back there. For Poppy.” I grunt because fuck the pool fence. Especially when Willow’s going out tonight looking like that.

Other guys are going to see her tonight. Guys who’ll look at her and think the same sinful things I’m thinking right now. And they’ll be allowed to do something about it while I’m over here trying to fucking prove anticipation is all that. I never want to hear the word again.

“Rocket.” Her voice is soft, and tears well in her eyes. She either has no clue what I’m thinking, or she’s a damn good actress. She motions to the pool fence. “That’s the sweetest thing ever.”

I shrug and swallow. “Poppy can come out here now. Play back here without you having to worry.”

“Thank you.”

I swear to God if she steps up and gives me a kiss on the cheek to thank me, that dress will be on the floor in seconds.

Walk toward me, Willow. Pretty. Please.

“Poppy is ‘reading’ books on the couch,” she says. “Already fed and bathed. You know what to do next.”

“Yep. Get the wiggles out with music. Brush teeth then whatever it is she wants to do before bedtime. I’ve got it covered, Wills.”

I’d rather have you covered, though.

How can she seem so unfazed? So nonchalant? But the thought lasts for a split second as her own eyes drag down the length of me and no doubt see my cock straining against the seam of my jeans.

A smirk plays at the corner of her lips. She fucking knows she’s turning me inside out, and she’s amused.

“Who are you going with?” I ask it like it’s casual, like I’m not dying inside.

“My friend.”

“Friend?” If she says Bob or Steve, she’s not leaving.

“Yes. Lily.”

I breathe a little easier. “Where are you going?”

Willow chuckles. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

No, but it’s about to be. Because if I think about her out there in that dress for one more second, I’m going to handcuff her to the goddamn kitchen table.

“Where to?”

Willow shrugs. “Lily makes the plans. I just go along with them.”

Of course, Lily does. Of course, this is the one time she decides to be spontaneous and hot as fuck at the same time.

My palms sweat. My chest tightens. I want to be chill. I want to nod and let her go and act like this is no big deal, but instead, “Give me your phone.”

“Why?” She laughs the word out.

I hold my hand out. “Just . . . give it.”

She narrows her eyes but hands it over.