Always Wanting (Consumed)

“Unca Colt!” she yells.

He smiles down at her, then murmurs something against her forehead after he kisses it. When he lifts his head, his eyes land on mine and widen in surprise. I’m still pissed at his comment from the other night.

I stand from the chair when he walks toward me with Lizzy still in his arms. He responds to whatever she’s saying in his ear, but his eyes stay glued to me.

He puts Lizzy down on her tiny legs once he’s standing in front of me and squats to her level. “Lizzy, honey, why don’t you go grab your stuff while me and Miss Abby talk for a few minutes.”

“Dat’s Miss Kade, silly,” Lizzy informs him with a silly grin. I’m glad to see the sadness gone. It always amazes me how kids can bounce back so fast.

I smile, while Blue laughs. “Well, excuse me, ma’am.” Lizzy giggles. “Why don’t you go grab your stuff while me and Miss Kade talk.”

“Otay,” she says, skipping off merrily to the hooks where coats and bags hang.

Blue stands and takes a step closer to me. His woodsy and soap scent assaults my senses, making it hard to think. I’m supposed to be mad at this guy, not having my insides turn to mush. I push back the unwanted feelings.

“Everything okay?” he asks. He’s not referring to me, but Lizzy. He had to have seen her tearstained face.

“Yes.” He’s too close to me, so I take a step back from him. “Everything’s fine. She was just upset, said she missed her mom. I was comforting her.”

He nods in understanding, turning to see Mrs. Morris help Lizzy with her coat. When he faces me again, worry pulls his brows down. I ignore the feeling that look gives me.

He opens his mouth to speak, but I talk over him.

“You’re her uncle?”

“Yes. My mother was recently given custody of her. She had an appointment today, and asked me to pick her up.”

“She’s a beautiful and sweet little girl.”

He nods. “She is. Thank you.”

I shift on my feet when we both grow quiet. The room suddenly feels ten degrees hotter, and twice as small as it did before he walked in. I have no idea why this guy affects me so much, especially after his hurtful comment to me Saturday night. Just the sight of him should disgust me, but looking at him right now, in his dark-gray suit pants, navy blue tie that’s loosened around his neck, light gray dress shirt, sexy blue eyes, and light stubble gracing his face, it does just the opposite. I want to crawl up his body and do naughty things to him.

For the first time since I started working at the day care center, I feel a small twinge of pain in the pit of my stomach. The cramps normally don’t come until a couple hours after I’ve left work. I blame it on the guy in front of me.

The bastard.

I look around and see Lizzy is the last child left; all the others have been picked up. Mrs. Morris is kneeling in front of Lizzy, talking quietly with her. I bring my eyes back to Blue, to find him watching me. One corner of his mouth is tipped up into a smirk, like he caught me checking him out seconds ago.

He opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him again. I know what he’s going to say, and I don’t want to hear it. A reminder of that night is the last thing I need. He’s already gotten to me enough.

“Lizzy’s mom, is she your sister?” I ask, hoping he’ll forget whatever he was going to say.

The heated look he had before disappears immediately. He now appears somber, sad even, like the subject is a sore one. I feel a touch of guilt for making him think of something that’s obviously painful.

He stays silent for so long, I think he’s not going to answer me, but then he says quietly, “No, she’s my brother’s widow.”

“Oh.” Now I feel like shit. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be. It was years ago.”

It obviously still hurts him, though. Lizzy is only four years old, so his brother’s death couldn’t have been more than five years ago, which isn’t that long when you lose someone you love.

“Abby, I’d like—”

This time when he tries to talk, it’s not me that interrupts him.

“Unca Colt, can we get ice cweam on da way home?” Lizzy asks, running up to her uncle. I can’t help but smile at the earnest look she gives him with her big brown eyes.