Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

“Okay, Mama,” she says and then looks at the phone. “Auntie CanCan, can you come here?”

“Oh, I wish, baby girl,” I say. “But I can’t come just now.”

“It’s not fair,” she says, then looks at Evan. “Can we go there?”

“Soon,” he says, and she gets off his lap. I walk over to the couch placing Ari in my lap as she looks at the phone. “So why are you helping him?”

“Leave your sister alone,” Zara says. I want to thank her, but Evan just looks over at her.

“Why do I have to leave my sister alone?” he asks her, and then he must get to something because he turns and looks back at the screen. “Do you work for him?”

“I do,” I say, hoping he remembers my rule never to get involved with anyone I work for.

“See, she works for him, so she won’t get involved with him,” he says almost like a kid when they stick their tongue out at their sibling.

“Sure,” Zara says. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. She’s a grown-ass woman, and she doesn’t need anyone’s permission to date anyone.”

“Can I know why you guys called me?” I ask them when Ari is over their conversation and arches her back and tries to turn around.

“Zoey wanted to chat,” Zara says, looking at the camera, and when she’s about to say something else, the front door opens, and I look at Zara, widening my eyes.

“Okay, got to go, bye,” she says, disconnecting, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I am not ready for the questions that my brother is going to ask me. Fuck, I’m not ready for the questions Zara is going to have for me when she calls me back. This is followed up by a text that comes to my phone as soon as I hear Ralph speak.

Zara: You owe me a fuck ton of answers.

“There you are,” he says. I look over at him and see he’s dressed almost the same way as when he left, and when he comes closer, I can smell the hockey on him, and it’s not a pleasant smell.

“Eww,” I say when he gets close enough, but Ari lights up and reaches for him. “Don’t you dare. You need a shower. Why would you come home without showering?”

He kisses Ari, who taps his chest and doesn’t care that he smells like an old bag of cheesy chips. “I missed you guys.” He avoids my eyes and looks down.

“You’re lying.” I laugh, pointing at him. “You didn’t think I would be okay.” I get up, shaking my head.

“It’s not that,” he says quickly. “It’s just I didn’t want you to have an extra burden.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” I say, throwing my hand up in the air. “I was fine. We were going to go for a walk,” I say. “But I couldn’t find her stroller.”

“It’s in my car,” he says, and I look at him almost like he has two heads. “I didn’t think you would need it.”

“Well, I was going to go for a walk with her,” I say, not wanting to overstay my welcome. I mean, I’ve never been in this position before. “But now that you’re home, I guess I’ll head out.”

“Why?” he asks, and I shrug.

“I’m sure she is more comfortable here, but . . .” I say the truth, shrugging. “It’s . . .”

“Why don’t I go hop in the shower, and then we can go and get a stroller,” he says, not bothered by what he just said. “Then we can get some lunch and take her for a walk.”

“Are you sure?” I ask. He just looks at me, and the look in his eyes is something different.

There is a lightness that wasn’t there before. “Never been more sure of anything.” He comes to me and bends down to kiss my lips. Forgetting about the way he smells, I just put one hand on his head, and I let him kiss me.Chapter 22RalphI run toward the shower, and then I turn back around. “You know,” I say, and she looks at me. “If she was sleeping—”

She shakes her head. “I’m not even going to let you finish that sentence,” she says, turning around and walking to the kitchen. “You better go and shower, or I’m going to take Ari, and we are going to go out for lunch without you.”

“I was just going to say that you could have washed my back.” I hold up my hands now. “But whatever.”

“I’m giving you three minutes,” she says, and I look at her. “And that tentage is not okay.”

I look down, and my cock is ready to come out and play. “I’m going to need more than three minutes,” I say. “I mean, unless you want to—”

“If you say another word, Ralph.” She shakes her head, and I can see she is just as affected by me as I am by her. “So help me God.”