I want everything to be done when Ari finishes. She thinks she is clever trying to avoid me, but I’m on to her. She did everything to stay out of the living room tonight, even starting her laundry, which she doesn’t do until Sundays.
Once I get him into bed, he only lasts for one book before he is sound asleep. I kiss his temple and turn off the light. Then I go on a mission.
I find Ari on the front porch with a glass of wine reading. She smiles at me lazily.
“He’s out huh?”
“Yeah.”
“You want another beer or do you have to leave?”
“I’d love a beer but do you mind getting it? My knee is killing me.”
The way she jumps up almost makes me feel guilty, but I needed her to go inside in order to put my plan in place. When she disappears into the kitchen, I settle back on the swing with one leg propped up. Then I move her wine right next to me and wait for her.
Her eyes slant slightly when she gets back and notices I took her seat. She hands me my beer and goes to get her wine when I tug her down between my legs, eventually trapping her by wrapping my other leg around her small body.
“I thought your knee hurt? This is a lot of moving around for a man in pain.”
“What can I say? It was a miraculous recovery.”
“Humpt! You did that on purpose.”
“I did. I see you putting your walls back up and I won’t tolerate it. You’ve been avoiding me all night.”
“I have not; I’ve been taking advantage of having someone to keep Davis busy.”
“Angel, don’t lie. You’re terrible at it.”
I sweep her hair over her other shoulder so I can rub circles on the skin below her ear. Her lips part slightly and her breathing hitches. Instead of relaxing, her back goes straight. I try to pull her back to me but she resists.
“Okay, you’re right. I was avoiding you. What happened in the kitchen can’t happen again. It was a mistake.”
“What exactly was a mistake? Because I recall us sharing a soul-searing kiss that was hot as fucking hell.” I move my hand over and massage the base of her scalp.
“Reed, we can’t do things like that. What if Davis would have walked in? I know he’s young but I don’t want to confuse him.”
“Why would he be confused by his mom and dad kissing?”
“How are we going to explain when he sees you with other women? Or hell, if I ever meet a man?”
Ice shoots through my veins. Any hard-on I had just touching her is now gone. The thought of her with another man makes me see red. And why in the world would she think I’d be with other women? She’s all I want.
“Arianna, I am going to ask you a question and don’t even attempt to lie to me. Have you brought men around Davis before?”
She looks shocked but then angry. I squeeze my legs in case she tries to get away from me. My voice sounded harsh but she’s lucky I can even form sentences.
“Absolutely not! He’s only been around a few men outside of Luke and most of them are related to school or my work. I would never parade a man in front of him.”
“Then why would you assume he’s going to see me with other women?”
“Because I know your lifestyle.”
“No, you know my old lifestyle. The one I left behind when I found out I had a son. Also the one I left behind when I came face to face with the woman of my dreams again.”
“Please don’t say things like that,” she barely whispers and two tears fall down her cheeks.
“Ari, I can’t change what I did in the past and I am not proud. But I can promise you my focus is different. The past three weeks with you and Davis has been amazing, and I hurt every night when I think that someone took all these years away from us. But I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”
“How can you be sure? How—”
I don’t let her even finish her sentence before I lean up and pull her to me, crashing my mouth on hers. I pour all my energy into kissing her and trying to make her forget any objections she has in her head. She resists me at first but turns around to give me easier access. I run my hands up her arms and feel the goose bumps trailing my touch. Our tongues move in sync and she moans against my mouth. My dick jumps to full attention in my shorts and strains against my zipper. I know she feels it against her hip because she stops kissing me for a brief second.