All Grown Up(37)

She squinted at me. “You don’t have to be an ass.”

A light breeze blew, and it carried the smell of something sweet through the air. I wasn’t sure if it was her shampoo, or perfume, or maybe just soap, but it definitely woke up the lazy dog between my legs who’d been pouting since I left her earlier. Slowly, I moved toward her. Valentina took a few steps back and hit the wood of the stairs behind her.

I ducked my head to align with hers and took full advantage. “What do you say? No relationship. No expectations. Just a summer of fucking—hard, soft, whatever you’re in the mood for—whenever you’re in the mood for it.”

Valentina’s chest heaved up and down. Why the hell hadn’t I thought of this sooner? It was the perfect arrangement, really. She wanted me as much as I wanted her—we’d both be getting what we needed. Val would get a carefree summer fling, her one under the belt, and I’d get to spend the next eight weeks screwing her out of my system. I honestly wanted to kick myself in the ass for wasting the last few weeks trying to get her to go out with me when the obvious solution had been right in front of me all along.

“But…” she started to speak.

It looked like she might’ve finally thought of a reason my idea wasn’t a good one. Whatever it was, my argument was better, though mine needed to be demonstrated. I put a finger over her mouth to stop her lips from moving.

“Screw but…” I wrapped my other hand around the back of her neck, and my mouth descended on hers before she could argue. Just like the first time, whatever fight she had lasted only a heartbeat. Our tongues met, and that ever-present spark ignited to a full-blown fire. Neither of us could get enough. We groped and pulled, tugged and pushed until we were both out of breath. When we came up for air, her eyes were glazed over. I pushed a piece of her wet hair behind her ear. “Think about it. We’d be good together.”

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. “I should go inside.”

I didn’t want to let her, but I knew she needed to think about it.

I nodded. “Go. I’ll wait until you get inside and lock up.”

I followed her up the stairs so I could see from the deck that she made it safely inside. As she walked to the door, I played a mental game.

If she doesn’t look back, she’s going to say no.

If she looks back, she’ll say yes.

She walked all the way to the door without a glance back in my direction. But at the very last second, just as she was about to shut the door behind her, she stopped, looked up one more time, and smiled.

Fuck yes!





Chapter 13




* * *





Valentina



“So…are we going to pretend we’re not going to talk about it?” Eve sipped her coffee and eyed me over the mug.

I sighed. “I was hoping I could at least get some caffeine in me first.”

It was almost nine o’clock. I hadn’t slept this late in years. Then again, I didn’t generally stay up until three in the morning, either. But it had been impossible to fall asleep after what Ford had proposed…not to mention…that kiss.

Eve set her mug down and picked up a bottle of sunscreen. The sun was already strong. She squirted a glob of lotion into the palm of her hand and started to lather up. “He’s ridiculously hot.”

I frowned. “I know.”

“Seems smart, too.”

“He is.”

“Has a good sense of humor.”

“That’s actually what first attracted me to him when he messaged me on Match.com. He’s witty and made me laugh about the entire prospect of dating.”

Eve finished one arm and started on the other. “Do you remember when we were ten, and I crashed my bicycle into a car that was backing out of a driveway? I steered right into it and chipped my front tooth.”

“How could I forget? You flipped over the handlebars and landed sprawled out on the concrete. You were out cold, and I thought you were dead.”

“Do you remember how terrified I was of riding a bicycle after that?”

I knew where she was going with her bike ride down memory lane. “You couldn’t be more subtle if you tried. I get what you’re trying to say, and sure—of course I’m scared to get back out there. But it’s more than that. I’m just not ready.”

“There are some things we never feel fully ready for. Did you feel ready to have a baby?”

“Of course not. But I was eighteen years old and still a baby myself.”

“Did you feel ready to get married?”

“I was also a kid.”

“Alright. Well, did you feel ready to go back to college at thirty-four? Or ready to get a divorce? Or ready for your son to move away?”

I slouched into my chair. “No.”

“We’re rarely ready for the big things in life, no matter how much we prepare. Sometimes as ready as I’ll ever be has to be enough.”

God, I hated when she was right. I chewed my bottom lip. “Last night he suggested we have a summer fling—no strings attached—since I don’t want a relationship.”

Eve held out both hands. “That’s perfect!”

I’d spent half the night tossing and turning, trying to come up with an argument against his suggestion. Unfortunately, all I’d gotten out of my soul searching was dark circles under my eyes.