Maybe Matt's Miracle(58)

Matt



I watch Sky’s ass as she walks toward her bedroom without a word. I heave a sigh. I want to follow her and grab her ass and lift her shirt and bite the sensitive skin on her side, just above her hip. I want to undress her slowly. I shift in my chair and adjust my jeans. Seth snorts.

“What?” I ask, trying to look innocent.

“Dude, you’re so transparent,” Seth says. But he’s grinning. He’s not mad.

“What’s transparent?” I ask. How much I love her? I hope that’s transparent. How much I respect her? I hope that’s obvious. How much I want her? That might be better left between the two of us.

He closes the magazine. “Sorry I cockblocked you,” he says.

That hits me in the gut. “Don’t talk about your aunt that way,” I snap.

Seth’s brow furrows. “I didn’t say anything bad.”

“Don’t talk about her like I’m hanging out trying to get in her pants. It’s not like that.”

He nods his head slowly. “If you say so.”

“Seth,” I warn.

“What?” he bites out.

I can’t think of what I should tell him, so I have to go for the truth. “I love her, Seth. I love her a lot. And yeah, I want to get in her pants. But I also want to marry her, and I want to get to love her forever. I want to live with her and share all her ups and downs.” I drum my thumbs on the table, trying to figure out what else to say to make him understand. He’s a walking hormone, which is what he should be at his age. He’s not thinking long term. But I am. “So, when you talk about cockblocking me, it makes me worry that you might think that’s all I’m after. It’s not. I respect her. And I want to be sure you know that.”

Seth does that slow nod again, like he’s thinking it over.

“Would it bother you if I asked her to marry me?” I blurt out. No idea where that came from, but there it is.

Seth’s brow rises. “You really want to marry Aunt Sky?”

I nod. I do. I so do.

He looks around, and a little muscle tics in his jaw as he grinds his teeth. “What happens to us if you get married?” he asks.

Huh? “What do you mean?”

“I mean if you and Aunt Sky get married, she’s going to be your wife. We were just getting used to her being our mother.”

Oh, I get it. Shit. “Can’t she do both?”

He shrugs. “Can she?”

“The only difference I see is that you’d have two parents at home instead of one.”

Seth’s eyes narrow. “Two parents.”

I nod. “Seth, I know I’m not your father, and I never will be. But I want to be part of your life. In whatever way you’ll let me.” It’ll probably be in some ways he doesn’t appreciate, too, but that’s what dads do. It’s not always Father’s Day and Little League fun. “I don’t want to take Sky away from you. I promise.” It’s important for him to get that last part. He needs to feel safe with her and know that she’ll always be there, no matter what. Hell, in two years, he’ll be going off to college. I won’t have long with him at all, not like Joey and Mellie.

“Your family is pretty cool,” Seth says quietly.

“Sometimes they’re not.” I laugh. Usually they are.

“So, you staying over tonight?” Seth asks.

I shake my head. “No.”

“Why not?” He looks confused.

“Because I respect Sky.” Because I don’t want you think poorly of her.

“Whatever, man,” he says as he gets up. “I’m going to bed.”

“Good night,” I say.

He goes into his room and closes the door. I let out a deep breath. God, there’s a lot to consider when there’s a teenager in the house. He’s impressionable, and he’s going to learn how to treat women from the way his mother was treated, and the way Sky is treated around him in the future. I am determined to be a good influence.

Sky walks out of her room, her hair damp around her shoulders. “Did Seth go to bed?” she asks. She fidgets around the kitchen, like she’s not quite sure what to do.

“Yep.” I stand up and lean against the counter. She turns to set up the coffeepot for tomorrow morning, and I see her ass in those pajama bottoms and I want to just grab it and plump it and sink my teeth into it. But I have to go home. I groan to myself.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, turning to face me.

“Nice jammies,” I say.

She looks down at herself, grins, and strikes a dramatic pose. “You like them?”

I swipe a hand down my face. “I’d like them more if they were on the floor.”

She freezes. The skin I can see through the open vee of her pajama top colors, turning all rosy. “Oh,” she breathes. But then she grins and crooks a finger at me. “I think they would really like to be on the floor.”

I groan again and toss my head back. “I can’t.”

She freezes again. “You’re not staying?”

I shake my head. I’m stupid. I know.

“Why not?” she asks quietly.

I point toward Seth’s room. “Because we have a teenager in the other room, and I need to set a good example for him.” I hate this. But it is what it is.