“What are you doing here?” I asked as I blinked hard to see if it was a mirage or a dream. Nope. His blond dreads had been combed out, but his hair was still pulled back, and those dark blue eyes, which looked like the ocean at midnight, stared at me.
Like an alcoholic falling off the wagon, I drank him in. Beautiful tattoos on display on perfectly sculpted arms. Check. Body I wanted to climb like a stripper pole. Check. Bulge in his worn jeans damn near at eye level. Check, check, and more checks.
“Were you going to tell me?” he shot back, his tone a mixture of hurt and anger. I quit staring at his package to meet his mesmerizing gaze.
“I don’t even know if I am,” I replied with a sniffle. “She says I am.” I motioned to my mother.
“She is. Trust me on this,” my mom firmly insisted. “I’m going to be out front while you two work this out.”
Without a bit of struggle, she stood from the floor. It was so good to see Mom moving like normal again. I still couldn’t believe six weeks ago, I thought she was going to die. That thought set me off to crying again. Oh my God, when would it end?
The indecision didn’t last long on his face before he crouched next to me and wiped my tears with his thumbs. As if that would make them stop flowing! I was like a damn faucet.
“Baby, don’t cry. We’ll figure this out. Hell, if you want, I’ll go get a test from the store now. Then we can come up with a plan after we’re sure,” he offered.
My mom called out from the front, “I’m sure!”
At that, we both laughed, though mine was a little watery. “What are you doing here?” I finally asked.
He sighed. “Well, I’ve temporarily moved down here. Or at least itwastemporary.”
“Temporarily?”
“Yeah.” He nervously smoothed his beard before he wet his lips, then dragged the bottom one through his teeth. “Yeah. If you still wanted to be with me, I was going to stay. If you didn’t, I was going back. But if you’re pregnant, I’m staying regardless. Whether you want an ‘us’ or not, I’m going to be here for my kid—if there is a kid.”
“There is!” my mom called out in a singsong voice.
“Mom!” I chastised.
Shaking his head, he chuckled.
“Anyway… really?” Hope began to creep in. “You’re here? For good?”
He chuckled, and it was the sexiest sound I’d heard in weeks.
Then he ducked his head to look me straight in the eyes. “I couldn’t stand being away from you anymore. It was killing me. If you hadn’t wanted me, it might’ve landed me in a nut hut, but I would’ve figured it out. You do want me, right?”
Setting the crystals on the floor, I launched myself at him. Due to his crouched position, I knocked him over. More laughter ensued, but I cut it off when I pressed my lips to his. My tongue traced the seam, and he opened to plunge in his tongue to stroke mine, but I gave as good as I got. Sandwiched between us, his erection grew harder, and I groaned into his mouth.
I was dimly aware of the door to the backroom softly closing. My attention was too focused on the feel of him under me and the way he threaded his fingers through my hair to control the tilt of my head.
“I take it that’s a yes?” he mumbled against my lips.
Breaking free to look him in the eye much as he’d done to me, I smiled. “Yes, it’s definitely a yes.”
At my reply, he rolled us over until his hips rested between my thighs. He thrust slowly, and the friction against my clit had me wet and wanting. The next sweep his tongue made into my mouth had me whimpering. When he moved to withdraw, I bit his tongue, then his lip. For a few minutes we lay on the break room floor of my shop dry humping and making out like teenagers. Lost in him, I was ready to flip up my skirt and let him take me right there.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he said as he buried his face in my neck. “So goddamn much.”
His nose nudged my earlobe as he placed kisses along the side of my throat. When his teeth scraped the skin, I damn near lost my mind. It had been five weeks of celibacy, with the exception of my toys. I’d gone through enough batteries it was embarrassing.
I’d finally bought a rechargeable one.
“Me too” was all I could squeak out. My brain was a needy pile of mush, and my thoughts all centered around my escalating desire and how good Phoenix was at everything he did.
“Does that door lock?” he paused to ask.
“Yes,” I answered through panting breaths.