She turned to face him. “Again, thanks for doing this for Leo. I really had no idea he hated lacrosse, or that he still wanted to play football.”
“Kids don’t tell their parents—or in this case, you—what’s on their minds half the time. They think you won’t care. And if you shot him down on the football thing years ago, he likely figured you wouldn’t give it a thumbs-up now, either.”
She sat on one of the weight benches. “This is hard.”
He took a seat next to her. “Of course it’s hard. Plus, they don’t make it any easier on you. They’re teenagers, and they’re sullen and moody and given an opening, they’ll take advantage. Or they’ll make everything seem like it’s your fault.”
She turned her head to look at him. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed. “I have no idea. But I’ve been a teenager, and we all ganged up on our parents. I just know all the moves.”
“You do, huh? Care to take on a couple of difficult ones? I’ll gladly turn them over to you since you seem to be their hero today. You can give them back when they’re adults.”
“No, thanks. And they just like me because I don’t have to tell them to do their homework or give them curfews or tell them no. Trust me, if I had to do that, they’d give me shit, too.”
“Probably.”
He laid his hand on her leg. “Cut yourself some slack, Katrina. They’re really great kids. They’re smart and funny and they ask excellent questions. But they’re also very respectful. You’ve done a good job raising them.”
Their teachers and other parents had always been complimentary of Leo and Anya, for which she was grateful. But it was nice to hear Grant give her positive feedback. So often she felt like she was flying blind.
“Thanks. I’ve done my best, and I freely admit I’ve had to leave them in the care of nannies and au pairs while I traveled. I tried to hire exceptional ones. And I’ve tried to be here for them as much as I could.”
“You’re only one person. You’ve worked your ass off to be both mother and father and breadwinner. You can’t do it all, ya know.”
“I had to. Who else was going to do it? Someone has to be here to make sure they’re taken care of.”
He brushed her hair away from her face. “Yeah? And who’s been here to take care of you?”
The way he looked at her made all those responsibilities, that tight knot of tension she always felt in the pit of her stomach, fall away. And when he brushed his lips against hers, she leaned against him, letting herself draw some of his strength.
Only a minute. Just a few seconds of his touch, the way he squeezed her leg, the way his tongue slid so intimately against hers, and then she’d pull away so they could head back upstairs.
But then he’d pulled her onto his lap and the kiss grew more intense. She knew she should engage some common sense. They were in the gym where anyone could walk in at any moment, but for the life of her she couldn’t summon any of that common sense right now, because his hands were on her hips, digging in, and she felt wanted. When was the last time that happened? When was the last time she allowed herself to fall into a kiss and feel a man’s hands on her?
She couldn’t remember. All she knew right now was that she was on Grant’s lap, nestled against some very strong thighs, rocking against one very promising erection, and all she could think about was herself.
Just this once, she wanted something for herself.
She wanted Grant.
But then she heard the ping of the elevator door. She broke the kiss and slid off his lap in a hurry, taking several steps backward. Grant picked up the workout bag Leo had brought with him and placed it on his lap, giving her a crooked smile while she lifted a shaky hand to her mouth.
Her lips felt swollen from his kiss and as the guy who’d come in passed them and gave them a short nod, Grant nodded back.
“Ready to head upstairs?” Grant asked.
“Yes.”
He stood and she walked in step with him to the elevator. They stepped inside and she pushed the button for her floor. Her cheeks were still red and she put her cool hands on them, hoping to douse the flames.
It didn’t help when Grant moved into her, his hand sliding around her waist.
“We’re not finished here,” he said, his warm breath caressing her cheek.
It was stupid to even start. She had responsibilities. The kids. Her job. She had no business making out with Grant.
But oh, she wanted so much more.
NINE
GRANT HAD TO RIDE UP THE ELEVATOR WITH THE BAG in front of him to hide his erection. But it had been worth it to feel Katrina on his lap, to touch her and kiss her.