Easton

Easton looked at her.

“I’d like the chance to get to know him. I know I fucked up with you, and I can’t change what we did in the past.”

“I know. It’s fine. Honestly. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. It was wrong of me. Stupid. Selfish. I didn’t expect to see you there.”

“How come you weren’t at the party?” Easton asked. “I didn’t see you there.”

“I had other matters to attend to.” Liam smiled.

Scarlett sipped at her drink. This wasn’t awkward at all.

Silence fell in the room. Liam looked comfortable like he always did, relaxed, as if nothing could bother him.

She felt sick to her stomach.

“So, how have you been?” she asked. “I heard the Four Kings have merged with another company.”

“We have. He’s a friend. I can’t talk about the specifics.”

“I don’t need to worry. I know Paul Motts. He’s a good guy. His software is outstanding,” Liam said.

“How are you okay with this?” Easton asked.

“Okay with that?”

“I have a kid with your wife.”

Liam placed his hand on her thigh. Her nipples tightened, and she felt a flood of warmth between her thighs.

She hadn’t been in a relationship in a very long time. Not since her last abusive boyfriend.

“I know where Scarlett’s heart lies. I don’t think that we all have to be monsters to get what we want. I’m an agreeable guy. I like to think of myself as a gentleman. We’re civilized, and all we want is the best for Junior, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes,” Easton said. “That’s all I want. A chance to get to know him, maybe?”

Liam didn’t let go of her leg. He started to stroke behind her knee. She licked her suddenly dry lips as Easton watched her.

This had never happened to her before.

“I better go and call him,” she said.

Pulling away from Liam, she rushed out of the room, needing to clear her head again. This was a huge mistake, the biggest one she’d ever made.

“Easton, sweetie, come down, we’d like you to meet someone.”

Her son got to the stairs. His sneakers were undone, and his shirt was untucked.

“Have you been climbing that tree again?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t need to keep on doing that, baby,” she said.

“I want to. I told you. Falling out of it won’t stop me.”

“You will if I cut off all the branches.” She wrapped her arms around him and started to tickle him.

“Mom, Mom, I’m, like, eleven now. I’ve got to be cool.”

“No, you don’t have to be cool,” she said. “You’ll always be my baby.”

“I need a brother or sister so I can be cool.”

Easton said that as they entered the library. Two sets of smoldering eyes looked her way, one sharpest blue and the other deepest brown. Both of them hit her hard, and she wanted to sink to her knees and worship both of them.

Tonight, in the shower, she was going to have to fix her overactive imagination. There’s no way she’d be able to sleep with Liam tonight without her doing something stupid, like dry humping him, or begging for more. This wasn’t like her, not even a little bit. Sex had been enjoyable in the past, but it hadn’t been something that made her act like this.

“Hello,” Junior said. “You’re the guy at my party.”

Easton sat forward. “Hey, Easton,” he said.

“Your name is Easton as well,” her son said.

“Yeah, it is.” He looked toward her.

“Sweetie, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s, erm, this man here, he’s your father.”

Her son’s eyes went wide. “My dad? He’s my father?”

“Yes.”

Junior glanced behind Liam, who had sat forward.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked.

“Where have you been?” Junior asked, looking at Easton.

“He didn’t know about you. I never told him,” Scarlett said. She wasn’t going to let Easton take the fall for this. No matter how much she hurt, she’d been the one to make this decision. She didn’t know what Easton would have actually done, but there was no going back. She’d made this decision all on her own. What was shared between the two of them, happened eleven years ago, and it wasn’t her son’s fault. This was between her and Easton.

“You know about me now?” Junior asked.

“Of course. It’s why I’m here. I’d like to get to know you.” He pulled the present in front of him. “I got this for you. I don’t know what you’re into, but at your age, I loved cars.”

Junior took the gift, and Scarlett sat on the arm of the chair, watching.

This scared her.

What if her son wanted to be with Easton more than with her? Was she ever going to be able to share her son with Easton?

Easton moved to the floor as Junior unwrapped the car.

“You okay?” Liam asked, whispering the words.

“Yeah, no. I don’t know. I think I’m going to go and get dinner ready.”

She got up and ruffled Junior’s hair, needing that connection more than anything. He didn’t push her away but called her name in that annoyed voice he did.