She thought for a moment. “That should work. And I can fix us lunch.”
He nodded and touched her lower lip with his thumb. The soft, plump lip brought a carnal image to his mind. Her mouth wrapped tight around his cock, suckling and licking. “I’ll see you then,” he said in a rough voice. “Sleep tight, Shay.”
Without another word, he strode to the front door. If he didn’t get out fast, he was never going to leave. A man had only so much control, damn it.
Chapter Seven
It was a little before two in the afternoon, and Vance would be showing up any minute. In fact, if Shayla remembered correctly, the man would be early. Being late had always been a pet peeve of his. She grabbed the pepper grinder and sprinkled some over the salad before turning to the stove. She’d decided on grilled chicken, oven-roasted russet potatoes and a garden salad. Unless he’d changed drastically in the years they’d been apart, Vance was a meat-and-potatoes man. Shayla had wanted him good and satisfied. Part of her also wanted to show him that he wasn’t the only one who could cook.
As she placed the plate of chicken and potatoes on the table, the phone rang. Shayla froze. Was he cancelling? God, she hoped not. When it rang again, Shayla dragged herself to the other side of the room and picked up the cordless phone attached to the wall next to the fridge. “Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie, are you busy?”
Oh, thank you, God. “Hi, Mom, not at all.” She looked at the lunch she’d prepared and smiled. “How are things at home?”
“Everything’s fine. I just called to see how it was going with the new apartment and everything.”
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Her mom was her best friend. They’d been through thick and thin together, which was why Shayla knew that the “everything” her mom referred to was Vance. “Um, great. The cold weather is taking some getting used to, but other than that, I’m good.”
There was a beat of silence, and Shayla thought maybe they’d gotten disconnected. “Have you talked to him yet?” her mom asked in a quieter tone.
Shayla heard the worry in her mom’s voice, and that was the last thing she wanted. Evelyn Riggs had had enough to deal with in her life, having been married to a monster like Peter Riggs, not to mention the breast cancer. She certainly didn’t need to waste time fretting about her daughter’s love life, or lack thereof.
“We’ve cleared the air, Mom, so you don’t need to be concerned,” Shayla said. “In fact, he’s coming over for lunch in a few minutes.”
“It’s been a long time since you two were an item,” she prodded. “I imagine a lot has changed. I’m sure he’s changed.”
“True,” Shayla said, unsure where her mom was going with the conversation. “But don’t read a lot into it. It’s just lunch.”
She tsked. “Ha! You’ve cared about that boy for as long as I can remember, young lady. Moving to Florida didn’t change a darn thing, much to your father’s dismay.”
Why had she thought she could fool the woman? “You’re right, but if I start overthinking it, I’ll make myself crazy. Today we’re going to have lunch together, nothing more.” If I hope it’ll lead to more, well, that’s my business.
“How’d he react to seeing you again?”
“At first he was angry, but we talked, and I think he understands why I did what I did.”
“You told him about your father?” she asked, her voice a little unsteady.
“Yeah. I think if Dad were still alive, Vance would’ve…”
“Of course he would’ve. He’s an honorable man. Nothing like the man I married.”
Sympathy for her mother prompted her to say, “Vance is a good man, that’s true, but so is Fred.”
Her mother sighed. “He’s so good to me that sometimes I can’t believe he’s real.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and Shayla said, “But he is real, and you deserve someone like Fred.”
“We both do, sweetie.” She paused, then added, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom,” Shayla replied. After they hung up, Shayla’s nerve endings were firing like pistons in a racecar engine. Was she doing the right thing? She’d gotten frustrated with Vance for wanting only a physical relationship, but she couldn’t deny her body ached for his just as much. All he had to do was glance her way, and her clit swelled and throbbed. When she imagined him stripping out of his jeans, his engorged cock within her reach, Shayla’s panties grew damp. All they’d done so far was some hot and heavy kissing, and already she was spiraling out of control. Her emotions were all over the place when it came to Vance. If she wasn’t careful, Shayla could end up on the losing side. When she heard her doorbell chime, her pulse quickened. Vance. She checked the clock. Right on time, of course.
Shayla tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smoothed her beige sweater down. Her jeans were a bit tighter than what she was used to, but they showed off her rear better than any of her others. When the doorbell blared again, Shayla sprinted from the room. She yanked the door open before a third ring.
Vance stood in the hallway to her apartment building and boldly eyeballed her. Slowly. As if afraid he’d miss something if he went too fast. Her pussy throbbed when his gaze stopped for a few seconds too long on her lower half.