The image of Mr Ledger taking his hand to me pops into my head again.
‘Let’s go, Harpy,’ he says, reaching down and taking her hand from mine. For a brief moment, our skin touches and I jump, blushing even harder before I turn away and step inside.
‘Bye Kenzie,’ says Willow, our eyes meeting as her father pulls the door closed, and I wave and they’re gone. I breathe out, shut my eyes, and take a moment.
Oh my goodness.
I cannot be thinking the thoughts that are running through my head right now, each naughty image trailing and lingering like fingers teasing through my hair and tingling my scalp… Mr Ledger’s fingers.
Fuck.
No.
I shake my head and breathe in sharply through my nose as I chastise myself.
He’s too old.
Like a fine wine - too refined for my unripened taste - too grizzled, too fractured, too muscly. I mean, when he opened the door he was practically bursting out of his t-shirt, like some sort of nineties action hero movie cliché. I laugh, pursing my lips and tilting my head. Besides, he’d never be into me - red hair and freckles.
From the look of the photos scattered around the house, his wife was a solid ten blonde bombshell with the body of a Hollywood starlet and the ass of a supermodel, and her tits were bigger than my head.
No way he’d like my bony ass, I quiver as I breathe out. Nevertheless, I squeeze my thighs together and hold them tight, rocking back and forth against the rigid seam of my jeans as I feel myself getting wet with the hope that he might.
A girl can dream.
I open my eyes again and look around my room for the first time and almost choke.
Holy shit.
Large double bed, perfectly made, a sitting area by the huge glass door that leads to a frickin balcony, modern decor, a free-standing mirror, two bedside tables, more cushions than I think I’ve ever seen in one place, and a stunning view of the valley. There’s a desk too, and a laptop, and a walk-in wardrobe and a goddamn en-suite bathroom. My bag falls from my shoulder and thuds gently onto the thick pile carpet as I take it all in.
This is incredible.
I walk forward, my knees bumping against the foot of the bed, trailing my fingers over the silk sheets as I work my way around. The double doors that lead out onto the little balcony slide open easily and I feel the warm air of LA rush through as I step out.
Down below I can see the pool, the clear blue water shimmering softly, the neatly cut grass waving back and forth in the breeze. I imagine slipping beneath the surface as Mr Ledger watches me from the door, his eyes travelling all over my skin, and my curves, and…
I smile as I see him appear in the kitchen below. He picks up Harper and she embraces him, nuzzling into him and holding him tight and he smiles warmly before placing her down on a chair and disappearing again. I watch as she prances her unicorn around in a little circle, and then strokes its hair. He returns a second later with a bowl of what looks like cereal and her little legs kick with excitement as she digs in.
He’s a good man.
A grumpy asshole, but a good man. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. My instincts are continually tingling that something still isn’t right, and I shiver a little as he disappears again, but the fact is, what man wouldn’t be hardened by the death of his wife? I might have to cut him a little slack.
Or not…
I turn around, step back inside, close the door, and breathe. I’ve got to shake this feeling. I’m in a good place, with good kids, and a good man. Stop looking for drama and play fucking nice, Mackenzie. I lie down on my new bed, my mouth grinning so hard it hurts as I feel how soft the sheets are.
Instantly my deviant thoughts are back. I can’t help it. I squish my thighs together again as I picture him sneaking in during the night… sliding in beside me, running his hand over my bare thigh, hooking his thumb into my little cotton panties, slowly sliding them dow-
Dammit.
Flick’s words have really got inside my head. I roll onto my back and go rigid, but then I realise that my hand is already squeezed between my thighs and I take a shallow breath, licking my suddenly dry lips as I feel my cheeks flush.
Fuck it.
I’m so worked up that I need the release right now. I feel a sudden rush of excitement flush through me as my thumb traces the shape of my lips through my jeans, and I quiver and close my eyes.
Eyes.