Mike’s phone on his desk rang.
He turned his attention to it, so Garrett quickly called, “Yo.”
Still going for the phone, Mike’s gaze swung back to him.
“Thanks, brother,” Garrett said low.
Mike lifted his chin.
Then he answered his phone.
*
Late that night, standing at her door, Cher in his arms, Garrett broke the kiss that had started five minutes ago as a good-night kiss and became a make out session.
He caught her eyes through her half-mast lids and whispered, “Late, baby. Gotta get home. Let you get to bed.”
Her hands slid down from his hair to rest on his chest as her lips went slightly pouty.
It was cute.
But it was more sweet, her pout saying she didn’t want him to leave.
“Okay,” she muttered but didn’t move out of his arms.
“You dropping Ethan at his friend’s at five thirty tomorrow?” Garrett asked.
She stayed in his arms and nodded.
“Be here at six to take you to dinner. Be prepared to spend the night at my place,” he ordered.
She grinned in a way that was not cute or sweet but something a fuckuva lot different.
Before that grin made him hard, he gave her a squeeze and said, “It was a good night, baby.”
She continued to look into his eyes as she pressed closer. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed, because it was.
Ethan was a good kid. Ethan liked him. And Cher had not been wrong. He’d soaked in guy time, man talk, and he didn’t hide the pride he felt having Garrett around and showing him off to his bud.
It did not suck.
It felt fucking great.
Which, at the same time in his fucked-up head, was fucking terrifying.
Because if he fucked this up, it wouldn’t be fucking over Cher, which was bad enough.
It would be fucking them both.
Again, he powered past that feeling and offered, “You need me anytime to step in with Ethan, if I can do it, I’m there.”
Cher didn’t respond except to drift a hand up his chest to wrap it around the side of his neck and rub her thumb gently along the column of his throat.
That said something, though.
And her eyes said something too.
They were warm and happy.
He put that there. He gave her that.
And that felt fucking great too.
Just as it was downright terrifying.
He focused on her look.
He focused on her touch.
He focused on her soft body pressed to his.
He focused on the night he had with her boy, which moved on to a night spent with her, her boy, and his friend.
He focused on how he and Ethan and Cher were getting comfortable with each other. How Garrett liked the way she teased her kid. How he liked the way Ethan’s friend looked at Cher like he wished he was twenty-five years older and could slide a ring on her finger. How natural it was for her to balance having her man there with giving her son and his bud their kid time, all this while giving Garrett attention, Ethan attention, and ribbing Teddy, giving him attention.
And focusing on all that, he reminded himself not to be a dumb fuck.
Finally, she spoke.
“I think, you’re down with it, we should discuss another waffle morning. Maybe next weekend,” she suggested.
He gave her another squeeze. “You’re good with that, you think Ethan’s good with that, we’ll do that.”
She pressed closer and smiled.
He dipped his head and kissed her again. Another good-night kiss that turned into a five-minute make out session.
With effort, he ended it, touched his lips to her jaw, lifted one hand so he could slide his fingers along where he’d touched his mouth, and let her go.
“’Night, brown eyes,” he murmured.
“’Night, Merry,” she replied.
He turned and pushed out the storm door. Once out, he twisted to see her in it, watching him go.
He gave her a look.
She rolled her eyes and did what his look told her to do. She locked the storm, stepped back, closed the front door, and he heard that lock go.
Only then did Garrett start down the walk.
Hold On
Kristen Ashley's books
- Holding the Dream
- Dance Upon the Air
- High Noon
- Moon Island(Vampire Destiny Book 7)
- Illusion(The Vampire Destiny Book 2)
- Upon A Midnight Clear
- Son Of The Morning
- MacKenzie's mission(MacKenzie Family Saga #2)
- Loving Evangeline(Patterson-Cannon Family series #1)
- A Billionaire's Redemption
- A Convenient Proposal
- A Dishonorable Knight
- A Headstrong Woman
- A Passion for Pleasure
- Atonement
- Beyond a Doubt
- Beyond Control
- Cavanaugh on Duty
- Colton's Dilemma (Shadow Breeds)
- Conceal, Protect
- Conflict of Interest
- Confessing to the Cowboy
- Dreams Don't Wait
- Explosive Attraction
- Find Wonder in All Things
- Forbidden Fires (Bondage & Breakfast)
- Galveston Between Wind and Water
- Game On
- Gone with the Wolf
- Honor's Players
- Illusions of Love
- Intaglio Dragons All The Way Down
- Just One Song
- Living London
- Lone Wolf (Shifters Unbound)
- Love Resolution
- Lyon's Crew
- Mountain Moonlight
- Need A Want Companion Novel
- Of One Heart
- Once a Bad Girl
- Once a Thief
- Once Again a Bride
- Once and Again
- Once Touched, Never Forgotten
- Once Upon a Kiss
- Once Upon a Prince
- One Desert Night
- One More Kiss
- One More Sleepless Night
- One Night of Misbehavior
- One Night Standoff
- One Texas Night
- Only Love (The Atonement Series)
- Operation Endurance
- Primal Bonds
- Questions of Trust A Medical Romance
- Reflection Point
- Retribution
- Savage Redemption
- Second Chance
- Secure Location
- Someone I Used to Know
- Son of a Preacher Man
- Soul Bonded
- Sunset Seduction
- Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters)
- Sweet On You
- Tempting Cameron
- That Carrington Magic
- The Bridgertons Happily Ever After
- The Demon's Song
- The Dragon and the Pearl
- The Lone Rancher
- The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret
- Translation of Love
- Twisted Perfection
- Vision In White
- When Love's Gone Country
- The Lost Tycoon
- Down on Her Knees
- Love, Your Concierge
- A Demon Made Me Do It
- Campbell_Book One
- The Lady of Bolton Hill
- Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection
- A Question of Honor
- Blood on Copperhead Trail
- Passion and the Prince
- Top Secret Twenty-One
- Dungeon Royale
- Make Me Bad(Private Lessons)
- My Fair Billionaire
- Writing Our Song:A Billionaire Romance
- Kissed by Moonlight
- Redemption in Love
- The Masterful Mr. Montague
- Diamonds are Forever
- Every Second with You
- If You Only Knew