When I Need You (Need You #4)

“Why him?”

“Don’t you think I’ve asked myself that a hundred times? Yes, he’s so good-looking it borders on obscene. Yes, he’s worked his butt off for that jaw-dropping physique. Yes, he’s got more charms than a jewelry store. Yes, he’s cocky. He’s the very last type of man I should be fantasizing about locking in my bedroom for days.” I tilted my face away from her probing gaze. “I’ve never experienced such an overwhelming physical reaction to a guy. He gets close to me and all I want to do is climb him like a tree. So instead of sex being the last thing on my mind? I’m thinking about sex all the damn time.” I paused. “Even that’s not the whole truth. I was thinking about saying ‘screw it’ to the no-fraternization rules and begging him to screw my brains out before he brought up the IR list exemption.”

Silence.

I glanced up.

Daisy’s mouth hung open. Not only because I’d honestly voiced my inner turmoil, but her gaze winged between me and whoever stood behind me.

A shadow fell over me as Daisy’s crush stepped up to the table.

Floor, please open up an escape portal for me right freakin’ now.

“Sorry to eavesdrop, ladies, but I needed to grab Daisy’s attention.” He crouched down in his fancy-ass suit and kept his focus fully on my flustered friend. “You and I are having dinner at Ike’s immediately after you set your lovely, but conflicted friend, on the right path.”

“You’ll wait for me? Even if this conversation takes another two hours?” she said skeptically.

“I’ll wait. But let’s see if I can’t speed things up.” Mr. Crushworthy-in-a-Suit smiled at me. “I overheard more than I should have. You don’t know me, but I am a man who knows exactly what I’d want from a woman who has an intense physical attraction to me.” His gaze didn’t waver from Daisy’s when he said, “She should act on it. Trust me: A man likes it when a woman takes it to the next level.” He pushed to his feet and walked away.

Daisy’s eyes tracked his every movement and she allowed a cocky grin before refocusing on me. “See? Even Markus agrees you should take that leap of faith.”

“Omigod, that’s Markus?”

“Yep. He’s a hottie, isn’t he? He’s a guy, take his advice.”

“I’ll bet Markus would tell me to bang my TA if he thought it’d convince you to bang him.”

“I’m a sure thing for him tonight, so I am not letting you deflect this convo back to me.” Daisy leaned in. “It’s about damn time you found a man who trips your trigger. I hate that you’ve equated selfless with sexless. It’s always made me sad that you put your physical needs at the bottom of your ‘life priority’ list. Just once I’d love to see you flip that list on its head and do something out of the norm, maybe a little out of control, maybe even something with the potential for regret.” She pointed at me. “Don’t give in to the panic like it’s third and long. Go for it like it’s a guaranteed first down.”

I rolled my eyes. “As long as we’re using football euphemisms, the truth is I’m afraid I’ll fumble in the end zone. God knows Jensen doesn’t have that issue, since he’s used to scoring.”

Daisy laughed. “You’ll be fine, Ro. Very greedy, I suspect, when you’re faced with him completely out of that uniform. So my advice? Make certain when you blow the whistle and it’s game on, that you’ve allowed yourself enough time to get to the goal and you’re not rushing the play.”

I snickered.

“You are one sexy mother—literally. You deserve to score with one of the finest men to ever grace the gridiron.”

“I shouldn’t worry about either of us getting . . . disenfranchised?”

“Girl, if anyone can burn the rule book, it’s The Rocket. He is on the A team. But it’s still best only to be reckless when you’re alone behind closed doors.”

My phone buzzed and the caller ID read: TALIA. “Hey, T. What’s up?”

“We’re at the pool and Calder’s friend Nicolai showed up with his dad. They want to know if Calder can spend the night.”

Nicolai and his family lived in the other building in Snow Village. Although Nicolai was two years older, he and Calder had a great time when they played together at the pool or the playground with the other kids. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes and we’ll talk about it then.”

I ended the call and glanced up to see Daisy making eyes at Markus across the room. “I’m out. Thanks for listening. Sorry I’m such a newb at this scoring stuff.”

Her gaze met mine. “You won’t be for long. I hope you’re on your way to earning a spot at the Pro Bowl.”

? ? ?


At the community pool in the apartment complex, Talia sat on the edge at the shallow end, watching Calder diving for a toy. She didn’t look at me until after Calder surfaced. “Time’s up, mer-boy. Your mom is here.”

Calder waved at me and took his time swimming, splashing and bouncing his way to the steps.

“Everything went okay today?” I asked her.

“He was a little tired after camp and fell asleep in the car. But he perked up when we came down here for his swimming lesson.”

“Thanks for staying late. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Nicolai’s dad said for you and Calder just to come over to their place with Calder’s stuff whenever. He said he’ll feed Calder supper too.”

That gave me pause. “They’re assuming I’m letting Calder stay over?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“You don’t think Calder is too young to spend the night at a friend’s?”

Talia leveled a look on me that indicated maturity beyond her twenty years. Then again, she was majoring in early-childhood development. “From what I’ve seen, Nicolai’s parents are just as involved in their son’s life as you are in yours. I’ve never seen Nicolai running around here unattended. It’s not like Calder would be in Roseville. He’d be in the next building over.”

“True.”

“Can I ask you something?” Talia said.

“Sure.”

“There are half a dozen kids around Calder’s age in this apartment complex. It’s a gated community. This pool is rockin’. So is the playground. But I don’t hear from Calder that you let him play with those kids very often. Only if you’re with him. Do you think that’s best? Given he’s got a built-in social network so close by? It’d be good for him, as an only child, to develop some interpersonal skills.”

“It’s hard to just say ‘go out and play’ in this day and age. But I’m working on it.”

“Good. Because I think some separation would be good for you too.”

I sighed because I knew she was right. “Camp is great, but it’s only three days a week and I know he misses being around other kids. I want to find a balance between his needs and us spending time together . . .” And my own needs.

I held out a towel for my shivering son and wrapped it around him before I kissed the top of his wet head. “How’s my guppy today?”

“I’m not a guppy. I passed to the next level. Right, Talia?”

“Absolutely. You are in the flounder-level class now.”