Fool Me Once

“I’ve never been addicted to anything, but I imagine this is what it would feel like. To have something you crave and desire and need, and then be forced to give it up cold turkey.” He trails his lips downward, landing on my collarbone. He bites hard, and when I let out a groan, he licks the spot. “Now that I have you back, I just want to devour you. I can’t get enough. One kiss, one touch was all it took, and I’m addicted all over again. Only this time is better.” He lifts his head to look me in the eyes. “This time there’s no end. Neither of us has to leave. I get to indulge in my addiction for the rest of my life.”

“Keegan,” I whisper breathlessly. “You can’t say things like that.” I shake my head. “We just found each other again. You can decide a week or a month from now I’m not what you want.”

“Shh…” he says, kissing me again. “Stop being such a damn pessimist. You are who I want. You want me, too, right?”

I nod.

“Then just let it happen, Jailbird.”

His arms cage me in on either side, and his tongue delves between my parted lips. And I do exactly what he’s asked of me. I let it happen.

I’m lying on the couch, watching a rerun of That ’70s Show when Sierra comes through the door. “Hey, what are you still doing up?” she asks, lifting my feet and plopping down on the other end of the couch.

“Waiting for you.” I pause the show and roll over onto my back so I can look at her. “Keegan and I talked today.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We’re going to give us a try.”

Sierra stares are me for a long moment before she barks out a laugh. “You totally hooked up with him!” She smacks my thigh, and I wince in pain.

“I did not!”

“You did!”

“We only made out!” I argue.

“About time you got some action.” She waggles her eyebrows. “Was he as good of a kisser as you remembered?”

Slowly, I nod up and down several times. “Better.”

Sierra throws her head back with a laugh. “Good for you, B.” She winks.

“He’s picking us up tomorrow morning to go meet his parents. You’re invited.”

“I can do that,” she says. “I don’t work until tomorrow night.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. This is my nephew’s family, which means it’s yours, and what’s yours is mine.”

I sit up and pull my sister into a hug. “Thank you. In case I don’t say it enough. I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Yes, you could,” she says. “But I’m glad to be the one by your side all these years.”

Blakely

“They’re going to think I’m a hussy, aren’t they?” I ask on our way to Keegan’s parents’ house. Kolton laughs, and I turn around and glare at him.

“Jailbird—” Keegan starts, but I cut him off.

“Don’t call me that. They’re going to ask why, and then you’ll have to tell them I was arrested before and they’ll think I’m an unfit parent.”

This time it’s Sierra who laughs.

“Who invited them?” I ask, partially joking, but partially not.

“Umm… you.” Keegan chuckles nervously. “Calm down, babe.” He places his hand on my thigh, and it momentarily calms me down, until it hits me that he called me babe.

“Don’t call me babe. It’s too soon. They’re going to think it’s too soon. You just found out you’re Zane’s dad. They’re going to think I’m trying to trap you.” This time all three of them laugh.

“You guys are all assholes,” I hiss.

“Who’s an asshole, Mommy?” Zane asks, and I gasp.

“Omigod!” I turn around as far as I can in the front seat of Keegan’s truck. The cab is so big, it might as well be a damn SUV. “Zane, we don’t use words like that. Mommy shouldn’t have said that word.”

I lock eyes with Keegan, who’s still shaking with silent laughter. “He’s going to use that word now. He’s going to call someone an a-hole and your parents are going to call child services on me. Turn around. Now.”

“Blakely,” Keegan says slowly. “Nobody is going to think you’re trapping me. There are no rules or a speed limit sign telling us how fast we should go. We’re both adults. We can go as fast or slow as we want. Okay?” His gaze leaves the road for a split second to make eye contact with me.

“Okay.” I nod emphatically, rubbing my palms up and down the tops of my jean-clad thighs.

“Nobody is going to care that you were arrested when you were younger or that our son said a curse word. Trust me when I tell you that my brothers and I were far from perfect. My parents raised three boys. They’ve seen and heard it all.”

“Ain’t that the damn truth,” Kolton adds in agreement.

“Mom will be so happy to have Zane there, she won’t care about anyone else,” Keegan says.