springing in my neck. “I’m not Catch the Asshole either.”
“Whatever you say,” she muttered, her eyes narrowing. “You’re seeing Mindy, aren’t you?”
The two of us glared at each other. A Mexican standoff without the guns.
“Mindy and I aren’t—”
She threw a hand up in my direction. “Right. Whatever.” She put the bottle of juice back in the refrigerator and slammed the door shut. “Let’s forget this conversation. Totally embarrassing, all of it. You’ve got Mindy and a bunch of other chiquitas wherever you go. I get that. Believe you me, I get that. What do you need me for? I need to get a grip.” She pummeled the door of an open cupboard, whamming it closed. “Thank you for the wake-up call.”
“Is that what you think of me? That hooking up with women, one after the other, is all I’m capable of?”
“Isn’t that what you just said?”
“No! That’s not what I said. I—”
She lunged at me and kissed me deep. Declaration and defiance and desire. Her tongue searched for the answers she wanted in my mouth.
Fuck, if only I could give her what she wanted.
She ended the kiss and swept my hair back from my face, a small hand wrapping around my neck. “I like you. I want to be with you. I don’t care that you’re older than me. You’ve got a few gray hairs. News flash: So do I. Only difference is, I cover mine up with a box of hair color once a month.” She raised herself on her toes and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’re seeing Mindy. She’s younger than me. What’s the difference?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Yeah? What the hell’s the difference? Why is it okay that you fuck her, and you can’t fuck me?” She froze, her mouth dropping open, her eyes huge. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.” She visibly shrank and turned away from me, leaning over the kitchen counter. “Please forget I said that.”
“Jill, I like you. I do.”
Her head whipped around, and she faced me, her eyes glassy. “What do you like about me?”
“What’s not to like? I see you, and I fucking lose all control. Any logic flies out the window.”
“Tell me.”
I took in air through my nose, my eyes riveted on gray-blue ones. “Your softness. Underneath that sharp-talking mouth are endless curves of creamy soft I could get lost in.”
“Go ahead,” she whispered. “Get lost.”
The heat between us vibrated. Several feet of distance separated us in that kitchen, but I could feel her skin on mine, her breath on me right that very instant. She wasn’t going to let this go or let it be, and she needed to. She beckoned me into a new world, that world, but I couldn’t go there with her. It would blow me apart, and I was already blown apart. Decades’ worth of debris.
She took in a deep breath. “I want you. I like you. It’s very simple and very real.” She searched my eyes, her chin set. “Would this be a problem with Grace? Is that why—”
“No, of course not. It wouldn’t bother her.”
“Or the club? Because of my history with Catch. Is that why you’re—”
I shook my head and moved towards her, my hand reaching out and drifting across the soft skin of her upper chest, so pale next to mine. So delicate. Unmarred.
Her eyes fluttered for a moment. “If you want to keep this a secret, that’s fine with me.”
“Secrets are poison.”
Becca’s singsong shouts rang out, and the bump and crash of thick plastic echoed from the living room.
I removed my hand from her silky throat and stepped away from her. “She threw her sippy cup now, huh? Guess she wants a refill.”
“She’s not the only one,” Jill mumbled.
“I gotta get moving anyhow.”
Her eyes flashed. “You do that.”
“Jesus, Jill.” I turned and swung open the screen door, hustling down the narrow steps.
Behind me, the door crashed.
“ JUST ONE MORE BLOCK , and we’ll be home, sweets.” I guided Becca’s stroller down the last block before Rae’s
“Whatever you say,” she muttered, her eyes narrowing. “You’re seeing Mindy, aren’t you?”
The two of us glared at each other. A Mexican standoff without the guns.
“Mindy and I aren’t—”
She threw a hand up in my direction. “Right. Whatever.” She put the bottle of juice back in the refrigerator and slammed the door shut. “Let’s forget this conversation. Totally embarrassing, all of it. You’ve got Mindy and a bunch of other chiquitas wherever you go. I get that. Believe you me, I get that. What do you need me for? I need to get a grip.” She pummeled the door of an open cupboard, whamming it closed. “Thank you for the wake-up call.”
“Is that what you think of me? That hooking up with women, one after the other, is all I’m capable of?”
“Isn’t that what you just said?”
“No! That’s not what I said. I—”
She lunged at me and kissed me deep. Declaration and defiance and desire. Her tongue searched for the answers she wanted in my mouth.
Fuck, if only I could give her what she wanted.
She ended the kiss and swept my hair back from my face, a small hand wrapping around my neck. “I like you. I want to be with you. I don’t care that you’re older than me. You’ve got a few gray hairs. News flash: So do I. Only difference is, I cover mine up with a box of hair color once a month.” She raised herself on her toes and planted a gentle kiss on my lips. “You’re seeing Mindy. She’s younger than me. What’s the difference?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Yeah? What the hell’s the difference? Why is it okay that you fuck her, and you can’t fuck me?” She froze, her mouth dropping open, her eyes huge. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.” She visibly shrank and turned away from me, leaning over the kitchen counter. “Please forget I said that.”
“Jill, I like you. I do.”
Her head whipped around, and she faced me, her eyes glassy. “What do you like about me?”
“What’s not to like? I see you, and I fucking lose all control. Any logic flies out the window.”
“Tell me.”
I took in air through my nose, my eyes riveted on gray-blue ones. “Your softness. Underneath that sharp-talking mouth are endless curves of creamy soft I could get lost in.”
“Go ahead,” she whispered. “Get lost.”
The heat between us vibrated. Several feet of distance separated us in that kitchen, but I could feel her skin on mine, her breath on me right that very instant. She wasn’t going to let this go or let it be, and she needed to. She beckoned me into a new world, that world, but I couldn’t go there with her. It would blow me apart, and I was already blown apart. Decades’ worth of debris.
She took in a deep breath. “I want you. I like you. It’s very simple and very real.” She searched my eyes, her chin set. “Would this be a problem with Grace? Is that why—”
“No, of course not. It wouldn’t bother her.”
“Or the club? Because of my history with Catch. Is that why you’re—”
I shook my head and moved towards her, my hand reaching out and drifting across the soft skin of her upper chest, so pale next to mine. So delicate. Unmarred.
Her eyes fluttered for a moment. “If you want to keep this a secret, that’s fine with me.”
“Secrets are poison.”
Becca’s singsong shouts rang out, and the bump and crash of thick plastic echoed from the living room.
I removed my hand from her silky throat and stepped away from her. “She threw her sippy cup now, huh? Guess she wants a refill.”
“She’s not the only one,” Jill mumbled.
“I gotta get moving anyhow.”
Her eyes flashed. “You do that.”
“Jesus, Jill.” I turned and swung open the screen door, hustling down the narrow steps.
Behind me, the door crashed.
“ JUST ONE MORE BLOCK , and we’ll be home, sweets.” I guided Becca’s stroller down the last block before Rae’s
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