by Kendall Ryan
“I’ve got it. I can get a little bossy in the kitchen, so it’s probably for the best that you don’t witness that.”
Mostly, I just needed to get him out of here so I could focus on cooking dinner instead of thinking about spit-roasting his sausage with my tongue.
“Why does that not surprise me?” He chuckled.
I’m also bossy in the bedroom, but you already know that, I thought, but I bit my tongue. There would be plenty of time for dirty talk later. That is, if everything went the way I hoped it would.
I tried not to think about it as I cut the potatoes and fried the chicken. Luckily, I got so in the zone when I cooked that I was able to subdue my overactive libido. I was surprisingly comfortable in Hunter’s kitchen, and it was nice to cook for someone else for a change. I loved trying a new recipe, but it was less exciting when there was no one to share it with. Cooking for one was just plain boring, so a lot of nights, I skipped it altogether.
An hour later, I’d prepared a full meal that I hoped would be kid-friendly enough for my little frenemy, at least. My version of chicken tenders seasoned with honey and garlic, roasted potato salad, and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert.
Hunter had insisted that I stay and eat with them, and I hadn’t refused.
“This is amazing,” he said after swallowing a bite of chicken. “This is gluten-free?”
“It is. I’ve been making it for years. And thanks.” I smiled at him, our eyes meeting. My pulse jumped like I’d missed a step.
I quickly looked away, hoping Maddie hadn’t noticed. I was hoping she and I could move our relationship in the right direction, and her witnessing me drooling over her dad wasn’t going to help. Luckily, she was busy eyeing her plate suspiciously. I watched as she dug her fork in and took a small bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed, and she took another bite.
“How is it, Maddie?” I asked. She clearly didn’t realize I’d been watching her, because she immediately stopped chewing and shrugged.
“It’s pretty good,” she said in a noncommittal tone.
I had to hold back a laugh. Maybe I could eventually win her over if I kept feeding her.
“So, Maddie, how’s preschool?” I asked.
“Tell her about your science-fair project,” Hunter said.
Maddie’s eyes lit up in a way I’d never seen before as she described how they were learning about fossilized footprints of dinosaurs.
“We made our own fossils by putting our hands in clay, and next week we’re going to the museum to see real dinosaur bones,” she said excitedly, and her enthusiasm was infectious.
I grinned. “That’s amazing.”
She continued to describe dinosaur fossils with more passion than I’d ever seen. She even knew the proper names for dinosaurs that I’d never heard of.
After we’d eaten, Maddie ran outside to continue playing. I watched her through the window for a minute and couldn’t help but smile. She was practicing somersaults, and the look of sheer determination on her face was adorable. She might not trust me yet, but I patted myself on the back for starting to get through to her.
And spending time with them was more fun than I’d expected, which only made me more attracted to Hunter. I wasn’t usually into the whole dad thing, but it definitely looked good on him. His daughter was well-behaved, and he was affectionate with her, yet firm. He was a real man. One with responsibilities, a home and a child, and something about him having his shit together was extremely hot to me. It was some type of single-dad aphrodisiac I’d never experienced before.
I turned from the window so I was facing Hunter, only a handful of inches separating us.
“Maddie’s too stubborn to say it, but she loved the food. She never finishes her plate like that when I cook. Then again, I barely know how to make frozen chicken nuggets.”
I grinned, more touched than I would have expected to hear that Maddie liked it. “Hopefully this makes up for the trauma I’ve put her through.”
Hunter laughed. “I’d say she’s forgiven you. But seriously, thanks for this. You’re a lifesaver.”
There was a beat of silence. It was now or never, and I just had to hope he’d be on board. If he wasn’t, at least I’d know I’d been honest. I sucked in a breath.
“So, listen. Maybe I’m reading too much into this situation, but in case I’m not . . .” I looked him in the eye, my pulse spiking. I tried to think of a tactful way to phrase it, then decided to just blurt it out. “We clearly have an attraction . . .”
God, why is my stomach suddenly in knots? It was like being a tenth-grader all over again, wondering if a boy liked me.
Pushing forward, I said, “Maybe it’s a little unconventional, but I think we’re both mature enough to handle something physical between us without letting it get too messy.” Plus, it’s getting harder and harder not to jump on top of you every time I see you.
My heart fluttering, I waited, unable to read his reaction. I told myself it would be fine if he wasn’t interested. There were plenty of other men out there, right?
But his face remained impassive as he watched me, and I grew more and more worried.
There might be a lot of other men, but none of them were like Hunter.
Chapter Eight
Hunter
Well, fuck me. The combination of the words Kate had just spoken and the fire smoldering in her eyes made all kinds of filthy thoughts race through my mind.
After how quickly she’d run out the other night in the middle of our smoking-hot make-out session, I’d figured that the door was closed on anything physical between us. I loved having her here, loved watching her cook tonight, and I’d spent the entire evening telling myself I was fine with things being strictly platonic.
But seeing as she just told me in no uncertain terms that she wanted to start having casual sex, clearly I was wrong. And just as clearly, I was totally and wholeheartedly on fucking board with sex of any kind with this woman. Casual, committed, tantric—I didn’t care. The hard-on I’d been sporting pretty much nonstop around her was ready to take the plunge, literally.
I groaned and pushed my hands roughly through my hair. “You’re killing me here. You know that, right?”
“Will you tell me what you’re thinking?” Kate rested her elbows across from me on the counter, leaning forward enough to give me the perfect view of her cleavage, causing a stirring behind my zipper.
“I’m thinking that the last thing I want to do right now is play dad and put my kid to bed,” I replied, my voice low and gravelly.
“Glad you’re on board,” she murmured, her gaze wandering lazily over my body.
“Come over after nine tonight?” If I could have pressed her up against the wall right then and there, I would have, but the last thing we needed was Maddie catching us a second time.
“Why don’t you come to my place, where we know there won’t be any . . . unexpected visitors,” she said, moving next to me at the counter so I could feel the heat of her skin next to mine.
I groaned again and rubbed the back of my neck. “I like to be in the house while Maddie’s asleep. But my bedroom door has a lock, so we won’t get interrupted again. I promise,” I added, turning and looking deep into her eyes.
Kate sighed and shifted her stance. I could practically see the gears working in her mind. Please don’t let my daughter be the one thing that holds you back.
“All right,” she said, smiling softly. “See you at nine.”
Shortly after Kate left, I called Maddie inside to begin her nighttime routine. Thankfully, having Kate over making dinner plus an extra half hour of playtime outside had sufficiently worn Maddie out, so she was as sweet and docile as ever all through bath time and brushing her teeth.
Tucking Maddie into her bed, I pushed her still damp hair off her forehead and gave her a kiss. “’Night, sweetie. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
“I won’t, Daddy.” She yawned, rolling over onto her side. “Night-night.”
Walking quickly to the bathroom to freshen up, I checked the clock. Eight fifty. I still had some time to clean up the kitchen . . . and maybe brush my teeth.
After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, I wiped down the kitchen counter as fast as I could before heading back into my bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and checked my reflection in the mirror. As far as I could tell, I looked the same as always, but I pushed my fingers roughly through my hair a few times for good measure.
Why was I suddenly nervous?
Just as I was debating whether I should light a candle or two to set the mood, I heard a gentle knock on the door, and my dick was standing at attention already.
Let’s do this.
I opened the front door to find Kate standing there with a devilish grin on her face, her hair slightly more tousled than it was the last time I saw her.
“I was half expecting you to show up in a trench coat with nothing else underneath,” I murmured, ushering her inside.
As she walked past me, I caught a faint whiff of some delicious-smelling perfume, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself. The thought of Kate in her apartment only a few yards away, getting herself all primped and ready for our hookup? It was pretty sexy.
“A trench coat? Man, you clearly need to get laid more.” She chuckled, turning and arching her brow at me. Even in a simple outfit of leggings and a sweater, she was sexy, and I couldn’t wait to put my hands all over her curves.
“That’s the idea,” I replied, slipping my arm around her waist and pulling her toward me. I closed the front door and wrapped a hand around her waist, letting my fingers graze and gently squeeze her perfect ass.
She inhaled sharply and stifled a small gasp. “Not one to waste time, I see.” She ran her hand down my chest and abs, stopping just shy of the growing bulge in my jeans.
“I’ve been waiting too long for this,” I growled, my need for her becoming more and more urgent by the second. I took her hand in mine and led her to my bedroom, making sure to firmly close and lock the door behind us.
Better safe than sorry.
When I turned, Kate’s gaze drifted from mine down to the obvious erection in my jeans.
“That for me?” She smiled.
I cleared my throat. “I think you know it is.”
“Come here, big guy. I think we should set some ground rules first.” She took a seat on the edge of my bed and motioned for me to join her.
“Okay. What did you have in mind?”
“Just want to make sure we’re on the same page with everything,” she said as I sat down beside her.
My skin still felt electric with desire for her, but she was right. We needed to talk about what was going on.
“Well,” she said, leaning her head back and looking at the ceiling, “after the other night . . . that hot and totally unexpected kiss . . . I just realized that we clearly have chemistry. And if you’re on board for something casual, and I’m on board for something casual, then what’s the point in denying us both something that could be mutually beneficial?”
I smiled, unable to keep my gaze from wandering to her chest. “You make it sound like we’re entering into a business transaction.”
“It kind of is,” she said, leaning toward me. “When it’s no strings attached, you’ve got to make sure that each person is getting exactly what they need—nothing more and nothing less.”
“Sounds like you’ve done this before.” I gave her a teasing look.
“Casual sex does happen to be my forte,” she replied with a wink. “But no, I’ve never done this. Officially, at least. I’m more a one- or two-night girl. Three or four if he’s worth the trouble.” She laughed, and I made myself laugh with her. The thought of her doing this with another man made me want to put my fist through a wall.
It wasn’t that I was feeling possessive or threatened because of her experience. On the contrary, it was clear then more than ever that she knew exactly what she wanted.
Me, on the other hand, while I wasn’t a stranger to the occasional casual hookup, a part of me always wondered if a connection could turn into something more serious. Something lasting. Someone who would love Maddie as much as I did.
But I knew that the minute I even hinted at wanting someone to accept me as a package deal—to love me and love my daughter—Kate would be on the first bus out of town. She didn’t do commitment, and if this was all I was going to get from her, then I’d take what I could get.
I cleared my throat, realizing she was waiting for me to answer. “That’s fair,” I said, leaning back on my hands. “So, what exactly do you need? I want to make sure you feel comfortable.”
“I just think it’s best that we’re always honest when we communicate,” she replied, her tone serious. “The minute one of us starts lying about what we want or avoids having a real conversation, that’s when this whole thing breaks down and it all becomes way messier than it needs to be.”
I nodded. Honesty. I could do that. “Totally agree. Anything else?”
“Hmm.” She leaned her head from side to side. “Maybe no sleepovers? Cuddling through the night is a surefire way to catch feelings.”
Catch feelings? She made it sound like the plague. “No sleepovers, got it. Plus, with Maddie, that’s probably not a good idea anyway.”
“Exactly.” Kate nodded, shifting her position on the bed so she was facing me more fully. “Any ground rules you’d like to lay down?”
I smiled, finding the intent look on her face both adorable and incredibly sexy. “I think that covers it. Honesty and no sleepovers.”
I tilted her chin to mine, stealing a sweet kiss, and when her lips parted, I deepened the kiss. The feel of her tongue exploring mine had me rock hard again. It was as if my body had muscle memory and knew we were about to get another shot at this.
Pulling back for a second, I met her eyes. “You’ll let me know if you want to take things to a . . . kinkier place, right? You won’t just tell me to choke you in the heat of the moment without the two of us talking about it first?”
She laughed. “Choking isn’t really my kink, but yes, we’ll talk about it before entering into any new territory between the sheets. Any kinks of yours I should be aware of?”
“Just the usual. I’m particularly fond of oral.”
“Hmm, a man who likes blow jobs. I’m stunned.”
I chuckled. “Receiving is nice, but I actually meant giving.”
She blinked like this surprised her. “Oh.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. What you’ll taste like, the sounds you’ll make. How fast I could make you come for me,” I murmured, bringing my mouth to her neck.
Kate let out a soft, need-filled noise, bringing her lips closer to mine. I leaned in, and our mouths met in a soft, warm kiss.
She moaned softly, and our kisses grew faster, more urgent. I hoisted her on top of me, swinging her legs over my hips so she was straddling me while I sat up on the bed, supporting us both.
I moved my lips again to her neck, nibbling gently on her earlobe as I slipped my hands under her shirt to unhook her bra.
Once the clasp was undone, she quickly pulled her shirt and bra over her head and tossed them across the room. My hands moved to the full, supple roundness of her breasts, massaging them gently and rubbing her nipples between my thumb and forefinger. Reveling in the feel since our time had been so fleeting that night.
She moaned, arching her spine and throwing back her head. I moved my mouth from her neck, trailing my tongue along her collarbone and dipping down to her breasts. She smelled like heaven. A warm feminine scent with a trace of vanilla. Her breathing grew heavy as she began rocking her hips over mine, the friction from our clothes making my cock stiffer by the second.
“Take these off,” she said, sliding off my lap and tugging at my waistband. Aft
er unbuckling my belt, she unfastened my jeans and reached into my briefs to pull out my cock.
We kissed again, faster and rougher than before, as Kate worked her hand over my length, causing low, growling groans to rise up from deep within me.
Jesus. It has definitely been a while since a woman has taken me in her hands.
“That feels incredible.”
As she continued with that motion, I took my shirt off and tossed it aside. We lay back on the bed, both moaning and breathing hard, and I slipped my hand into her pants, my fingers quickly meeting the warmth and wetness between her thighs. I rubbed along the length of her.
“You’re so wet,” I whispered, my voice going hoarse from the incredible movement of her hand.
“You’re like a rock,” she whispered back. “And I forgot how pretty your cock was.”
“Pretty?” The word halted the movement of my fingers.
She laughed, looking down at her hand and slowing its movements against me. “Yes. See.”
As her palm worked over my stiff length, I looked down, trying to see what she saw. A flesh-colored eight inches of thick erection that her fingers couldn’t even close around. But pretty? That was a hard pass.
“Alteration to our agreement. Let’s not use the word pretty ever again in relation to any of my body parts, especially my dick,” I said, pressing my lips to hers.
“Deal.”
I could have gone on like that forever, the two of us taking our time, drawing out the pleasure more than we did before. But this was our first time having uninterrupted sex, and there was no way I was letting it end with a hand job.
I shifted away from her to stand and step out of my jeans. Leaning down, I slowly peeled Kate’s leggings away from her body, relishing each moment as I unveiled more and more of her soft, supple skin.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” I murmured, taking in the sight of her before joining her on the bed. I was more than ready for the night I’d been waiting for since the first time I laid eyes on her.
Chapter Nine
Kate