must.
Scarlet liked Lewis, as a friend. A friend she happened to be crazy attracted to. Would a night of sex squelch that attraction or make it even more difficult to ignore? Would it lead to awkward interactions or ongoing secret hookups behind Jessie’s back? Would it remain private or would someone find out?
Would it hurt Jessie or negatively impact Scarlet’s chances of adopting Joey?
She refused to risk either.
Time to take back control.
She sidled up to Lewis, pressing her breasts to his chest, reaching up to cup the back of his neck and pull his head down so she could whisper in his ear. “I hope you were serious when you said anything,” she whispered. “What I have in mind will involve strength.” She caressed his biceps. “And patience. I don’t like to be rushed.”
“You set the pace,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. Two large hands gripped her butt and pulled her bottom half flush with his. “You’re in charge.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” she said quietly, keeping her mouth close to his ear. Then she puckered up and made the loudest kissing noise she could.
When Lewis jumped back she said, “Now put on a shirt. We’re going shopping.”
“Shopping?” he asked, holding his ear.
“You did say anything I wanted.” Scarlet walked to the bags she’d dropped at the front door when she’d arrived and bent to retrieve her backpack.
“But shopping wasn’t at all what I’d had in mind,” he mumbled.
Scarlet looked down so he wouldn’t see her smile as she unzipped the front pouch and took out the advertisements she’d printed. “I found the perfect comforter set and accessories for Jessie’s room.” She carried the pictures back to the kitchen and spread the top few out on the island counter. “I ordered them and they’re waiting for us to pick them up at Macy’s.” She looked over to him. “Of course if you hate them or they’re too expensive I can cancel the order. Or I’ll pay half. Or all if I have to. I want her room to be amazing.” The kind of room a girl would love to spend time in. A room she’d want to invite her friends over to see.
“I can afford to pay for my daughter’s bedding, thank you,” he groused, reviewing the results of the hours she’d spent on the Internet.
“I thought we could paint one wall this color.” She held up the color swatch she’d gotten from the paint store and pointed to the shade with red X. A dark, grape jelly purple. “Jessie told me you have hardwood floors throughout but this throw rug will offset the deep coloring of the wall perfectly.” She pointed to a picture of a colorfully designed rug. “I couldn’t find it in stock anywhere local, so we’ll have to order it.”
“Stop,” he said. “The rug is fine, but there will be no purple wall. Not in my condo.”
His bland, shades of cream condo. “That’s your problem, Lewis,” she said, prepared for this battle. “You can’t think of it as a wall in
your
home. You need to think of it as a wall in
Jessie’s
bedroom. A wall with personality. A wall with posters of her favorite bands.” Scarlet hurried over to one of the bags and pulled out the three posters and the lavender and purple picture board she’d purchased. “It won’t be a wall of solid purple. We can put the bed on that wall. And hang these.See?” she pointed to the accent colors on the posters and picture board. “Shades of purple. Purple is her favorite color, did you know that?” Scarlet couldn’t remember ever being so excited about a decorating project. “She’s going to love it.”
Lewis scooped up her papers. “You’ve put a lot of time into this,” he noted.
And she’d enjoyed every minute of it. “Growing up I promised myself if I was ever lucky enough to have a daughter, I’d do a better job than my mother did with me.” She shrugged. “Not that Jessie is my daughter or anything. But so far she’s the closest I’ve come to the real thing.” Hopefully
Scarlet liked Lewis, as a friend. A friend she happened to be crazy attracted to. Would a night of sex squelch that attraction or make it even more difficult to ignore? Would it lead to awkward interactions or ongoing secret hookups behind Jessie’s back? Would it remain private or would someone find out?
Would it hurt Jessie or negatively impact Scarlet’s chances of adopting Joey?
She refused to risk either.
Time to take back control.
She sidled up to Lewis, pressing her breasts to his chest, reaching up to cup the back of his neck and pull his head down so she could whisper in his ear. “I hope you were serious when you said anything,” she whispered. “What I have in mind will involve strength.” She caressed his biceps. “And patience. I don’t like to be rushed.”
“You set the pace,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. Two large hands gripped her butt and pulled her bottom half flush with his. “You’re in charge.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” she said quietly, keeping her mouth close to his ear. Then she puckered up and made the loudest kissing noise she could.
When Lewis jumped back she said, “Now put on a shirt. We’re going shopping.”
“Shopping?” he asked, holding his ear.
“You did say anything I wanted.” Scarlet walked to the bags she’d dropped at the front door when she’d arrived and bent to retrieve her backpack.
“But shopping wasn’t at all what I’d had in mind,” he mumbled.
Scarlet looked down so he wouldn’t see her smile as she unzipped the front pouch and took out the advertisements she’d printed. “I found the perfect comforter set and accessories for Jessie’s room.” She carried the pictures back to the kitchen and spread the top few out on the island counter. “I ordered them and they’re waiting for us to pick them up at Macy’s.” She looked over to him. “Of course if you hate them or they’re too expensive I can cancel the order. Or I’ll pay half. Or all if I have to. I want her room to be amazing.” The kind of room a girl would love to spend time in. A room she’d want to invite her friends over to see.
“I can afford to pay for my daughter’s bedding, thank you,” he groused, reviewing the results of the hours she’d spent on the Internet.
“I thought we could paint one wall this color.” She held up the color swatch she’d gotten from the paint store and pointed to the shade with red X. A dark, grape jelly purple. “Jessie told me you have hardwood floors throughout but this throw rug will offset the deep coloring of the wall perfectly.” She pointed to a picture of a colorfully designed rug. “I couldn’t find it in stock anywhere local, so we’ll have to order it.”
“Stop,” he said. “The rug is fine, but there will be no purple wall. Not in my condo.”
His bland, shades of cream condo. “That’s your problem, Lewis,” she said, prepared for this battle. “You can’t think of it as a wall in
your
home. You need to think of it as a wall in
Jessie’s
bedroom. A wall with personality. A wall with posters of her favorite bands.” Scarlet hurried over to one of the bags and pulled out the three posters and the lavender and purple picture board she’d purchased. “It won’t be a wall of solid purple. We can put the bed on that wall. And hang these.See?” she pointed to the accent colors on the posters and picture board. “Shades of purple. Purple is her favorite color, did you know that?” Scarlet couldn’t remember ever being so excited about a decorating project. “She’s going to love it.”
Lewis scooped up her papers. “You’ve put a lot of time into this,” he noted.
And she’d enjoyed every minute of it. “Growing up I promised myself if I was ever lucky enough to have a daughter, I’d do a better job than my mother did with me.” She shrugged. “Not that Jessie is my daughter or anything. But so far she’s the closest I’ve come to the real thing.” Hopefully
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