“He wants some alone time with his ladies.” Oliver winked at Laurie. “Especially Princess Laurie, who was the most beautiful girl at the party.”
Laurie giggled and fumbled with her spoon, getting more of the ice cream on her face than in her mouth. I immediately turned to help her, and looked up to catch Seth watching me far too closely.
“Okay, I’m outta here.” Oliver leaned forward to brush a kiss over Laurie’s head. “See ya, squirt. Sleepover on Friday night?”
“Yes!”
“Great. Bet your Daddy will enjoy his sleepover too,” he said out of the side of his mouth when Laurie went back to attacking her rapidly melting ice cream.
Seth flipped his brother a discreet cheek middle finger, and Oliver backed away, laughing. “Goodbye, Alison.”
I was flushing, I just knew it, so I decided to just wave a few fingers while I shoveled in ice cream.
We stayed outside, eating ice cream and swinging and talking, until it was nearly twilight. By then, a full Laurie had burned off her sugar high by racing around the yard in pursuit of one of the myriad balloons that hung from every tree and post. There was a lot of clean-up left to be done—and not even referring to Seth’s giant sand pit in the family room that had barely been used—but when I stood to see to it, Seth pulled me back down, so close that our thighs rubbed together.
“You’ve done enough today. Time to relax.”
Oh yeah, like I could do that when he was stroking my hip through my flimsy dress. All the while, I made sure Laurie was still occupied with her balloon and not watching us.
“We can’t just leave
everything out here. If it rains tonight—”
“So stuff will get wet. No big deal. They’re folding tables and cheap tablecloths. Easy to replace.”
“But that all costs money. No reason to—what are you doing?” I asked breathlessly as he inched my dress up to caress my bare skin.
“Not nearly enough.” He turned his head into my hair. “Next time, don’t wear panties. I want easier access.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Dude, you want me to go commando at a children’s party? I was running around all day. Pretty sure a random kid doesn’t need to see my muff and be scarred for life.”
Seth chuckled and tugged at the edge of my panties. “I’d love to see your muff.” He dropped his voice until it was barely a whisper over my skin. “Actually, I’ve been fantasizing all day about going down on my knees between this pretty pale thighs and licking your pussy until you come all over my chin.”
My fingers slid off the condensation on my empty bowl of ice cream. “Hi, little ears nearby.”
“She’s not paying attention.” He tipped up my chin with his thumb. Sometimes he seemed to have ten hands and he knew exactly how to use all of them. “Stay over tonight.”
Arguments formed in my head. It had been a long day, and I wanted my bed. Needed that space to myself to regroup after the confusing feelings being with Laurie and her friends had stirred up in me. I’d enjoyed playing with them and keeping them from getting into too much mischief. It was tiring, sure, but it was rewarding too.
Add in Laurie’s questions and the whole Tina thing that morning and the conversation with Seth that had come afterward, and I was seriously in want of some alone time.
But then I glanced over at Laurie, babbling to herself as she sat on the grass and poked at her Sleeping Beauty balloon, and absorbed the warm muscles pressed against my outer thigh and I absolutely didn’t want to leave. My loft with Sage was fine. I liked it well enough, and maybe someday it could be a home.
This place—and these two people—had been home for me since the day Seth bought the house, right after his divorce.
“Okay.”
Seth frowned, his expression so like his daughter’s when she was trying to puzzle out something. “Seriously?”
I fought not to smile. “Seriously.”
“Babycakes, it’s bedtime.”
Laurie glanced up and pouted. “No.”
I had to laugh. He was about as transparent as glass. “How about a story first?”
“She needs a bath too,” I added under my breath.