I never want to be in that situation again. The problem is, how do I ever move forward if I’m too afraid to give another man a chance? In theory, the solution is easy. Open myself up and let Lachlan in. The reality, isn’t so black and white. I can’t afford to make those mistakes again. Especially now that I have Kinsley. If I’m wrong about Lachlan, I won’t be the only one hurt. It’s clear my daughter already cares about him.
So that leaves me at a crossroad. Do I text him or not? The sexually deprived woman in me wants to text him and beg him to fuck me. I can just imagine the stamina that man has. When he was sweating on the soccer field, he lifted his shirt up, and I caught a glimpse of his six-pack of abs. He works out for sure.
But the responsible, single mother, whose heart has been shattered into a million pieces by my husband is yelling at me to run, and run fast. No good can come from this—well, aside from some potentially mind-blowing sex. But then he’d need to see me naked…which is why, while I won’t admit it out loud, I’ve worked out at the gym every day this week. After seeing how fit Lachlan is, I can’t imagine what he would think if he saw me naked.
Sighing heavily, I stare at my ice cream-covered spoon, recognizing I’m stress eating again. I haven’t felt this out of out of sorts in a long time. Putting the lid back on, I take it back into the kitchen. Damn Ben and Jerry and their delicious ice cream. Throwing the container back into the freezer, I slam the door shut. Sulking like…well, my five year old, I’m walking back to the living room, when the front door swings open and in walks Willow and Jax…and Lachlan.
Willow and Jax don’t notice me standing here as they yell something about going out while running upstairs to change, but Lachlan does. With the front door still partially open, his gaze is glued on me. He’s dressed in his usual T-shirt, jeans, and Vans, but added to the mix is a black leather jacket. Of course he’s wearing a damn leather jacket. Because he wasn’t already hot enough without it. I also notice he’s not wearing a beanie, and I was right—his hair, messy and all over the place, is the same ginger color as his facial hair. It makes me want to run my fingers through it to see if it’s as soft as it looks.
While imagining running my fingers through his hair, my gaze lands on his bright green eyes which are widened almost comically, and I snap out of whatever lust-induced coma I’m currently in, looking around to see what has him in such shock. But when I follow his line of vision, it takes me to…well, me. And it’s then I wish the floor would crack open and swallow me whole. Because as I was standing here checking out Lachlan, I forgot I’m dressed in the shortest, tightest, pair of boy shorts, and a tiny cotton camisole. Yep, you heard me right. I’m standing here in my goddamn underwear! In my defense, I ran out of clothes, and they’re currently in the washer and dryer. Not that it will do me any good right this second.
As if this moment couldn’t get any worse, I hear my brother and Willow descending the stairs, talking and laughing. My own brother is about to see me in my freaking underwear. Great! As if Lachlan can read my mind, his eyes briefly go to the stairs and then he’s pulling me by the curve of my hip behind him and against the wall to shield me from embarrassment. His hand stays holding on to my flesh as Willow and Jax enter the living room.
“What the hell is going on?” Jax asks, confused as to why his friend is hiding his sister behind him. Lachlan’s so tall, that when I try to look over him, I fail, and instead have to look around him. He backs up slightly, and I’m sandwiched between his body and the wall. Without realizing what I’m doing, I slide my hands up his strong, muscular back to keep my balance, so I can peek around him. In response, his fingers tighten on my hip, and a soft moan escapes my lips before I can stop it.
“I’m…uh…not dressed,” I say with a bit of an awkward laugh, fully aware I also sound slightly turned on and breathless. Remember those sparks I mentioned I’ve never felt? Well, holy fucking hell, I feel them with Lachlan, right now, between my legs. Willow cackles, and Jax fake-gags. Lachlan groans, and the way his body vibrates, sends heat flooding through mine. “Can one of you please grab me the throw blanket from the couch?”