Then I drop the phone into my handbag and head down the stairs toward the kitchen. The scent of coffee and cooking reaches me.
As I draw nearer, the sound of voices grows louder. I step into the kitchen to find JJ and Isaac seated at right angles to each other at the island. Their heads are close, their looks intense. They aren’t arguing. More like, they’re discussing something with such gravity, they don’t notice me. Also, Isaac is freshly shaven, while JJ, for once, has a day’s growth of whiskers on his chin. He’s also dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, as is Isaac.
I walk past them, and JJ is the first to notice me. He drags his gaze down my body and up again. By the time he reaches my face, my blood is pumping fast. Heat flushes my cheeks.
"Morning, did you sleep well?"
An answering throb from deep within my body has me flushing further. "Mmm-hmm. I did. And you?"
"Never better."
"Come sit," he pats the barstool next to him.
I glance at the coffee pot, then back at him. "Wanted to get a coffee."
"Isaac will do that for you."
I blink. "He will?"
"You bet." Isaac flashes me a grin, then hops off his stool. He brushes past and winks at me—he actually winks at me—as he walks toward the kitchen counter.
My head spins. "What was that?" I whisper.
"What was what?" JJ lowers his voice to a hush. "Come, baby, sit next to me."
I’ve never seen Isaac look this happy or JJ this… mellow. This tender. This… caring. It can’t be just the sex we had, though that was phenomenal. Over-the-top. Other-worldly. It was more than sex, actually—more like a bonding experience. Clearly, the men feel the same way, too. I manage to put one foot in front of the other, round the island, and slip onto the barstool that JJ indicated. I place my book on the island.
"Where’s Miriam? Doesn’t she normally get breakfast? I didn’t see her yesterday, either."
"I’ve given Miriam and Craig the week off." JJ takes a sip of his own coffee.
"You have?"
He nods.
"Why’s that?"
"So we have a chance to get to know each other better."
50
JJ
The sex last night was incredible. It was mind-blowing. I had no idea I could come that hard, that long, feel this fulfilled. It was more than sex. It was toe-curling, bone-shattering, mind-jarring, perception-bending shagging.
If anyone had told me I’d share a woman with my son, I’d have shot them first, then laughed. Yet, there’s no denying the fact that it happened. And it was mind-boggling. But that’s not all. It was a means of connecting with my son. For the first time, I understand just how similar we are. It’s why we’ve been at loggerheads for so much of his life. That, and the fact that I was a shitty father. I’ve never felt closer to him in my life than I do now. Never realized how much I wanted my family around me until she came into my life.
Oh, I denied the effect it had on me, but after last night, it’s clear I’m letting go of her… Not until I’ve had my fill of her, which isn’t going to happen for a long while. And that means more than just fucking her. It means spending time with her, getting to know her, finding out what her likes and dislikes are. It means having a relationship with her. Enjoying her razor-sharp mind, understanding what makes her tick. What she loves to do. What her dreams are. Her aspirations. Her goals. Who and what she is.
As for Isaac, things are so much clearer. He’s a lot like me, yes, but he’s also his own person. He has his own individuality, his own personality. His own ambitions. He has the right to live his own life. If I were in his shoes, I’d have been pissed off by how I tried to mold him to fit my expectations. I’d have left home and never returned. But Isaac did…
Thanks to her. Because she was there for him when he needed a friend. She didn’t allow him to go homeless or hungry. She took care of him and became the responsible one. She ensured he had the time and space to pursue his craft. I owe it to her for bringing my son back into my life. And as if that weren’t enough, she became the medium through which I found my son all over again.
"I’m not sure what you mean, JJ." Lena nods her thanks to Isaac who places a mug of coffee in front of her.
I slide off the stool, fill up a plate with food, then slide it across the counter toward her. "Eat first, then I’ll tell you."
She glances at the toast, baked beans, eggs, and hash browns.