One Look: A grumpy, single dad small town romance(48)

“’Night, Coach.”

I lifted my chin in a good-night motion and pulled my phone from my pocket. I’d been so keyed up with Lark in my arms that I hadn’t noticed Michael’s car pull down the driveway.

What if Penny had caught us or the guys had been a few minutes later? I had been a fraction of a second from wiping that coy little smile off her face with a kiss.

I pulled up Lark’s phone number.

Me: Sorry about that.

I watched as the bubbles appeared and disappeared three times before she finally responded.

Lark: It’s okay. Good night, Wyatt.

I frowned at my phone. I had been surprised at how simple things felt over dinner with Lark. Penny adored her, and even when Lark had corrected Penny to help with dishes, I wasn’t my typical overprotective self. I actually felt . . . relieved. It was nice knowing the parenting wasn’t solely on my shoulders, and for a brief moment I had someone else carrying the responsibility with me.

It rattled me. I shouldn’t be having those feelings, any feelings, for a woman I shouldn’t trust because she had already told me that she would be leaving. It was the exact opposite of the stability I was trying to create for Pickle.

But with only the moonlight in the kitchen, Lark was irresistible. Rational thought had flown out the window when she was warm and pliant in my arms. She’d felt it too. I was sure of it. The way her pupils dilated and she melted against me told me everything I needed to know.

I needed five more minutes. An hour, tops.

Just to get her out of my system.

I knew it was bullshit even as I typed out the message.

I’m coming up.





I stopped at Penny’s door and listened one last time. She didn’t stir, and her slow, steady breathing let me know she was sound asleep.

I ground my teeth as I stomped through the darkness. I tried to pretend I didn’t know exactly what I was doing as I pounded up the wooden stairs toward her apartment.

The reality was, I planned to fuck Lark Butler. Use her up and satiate the clawing need she seemed to drag out of me. A need I didn’t have time for and definitely didn’t want—but which was there nonetheless.

Handling things on my own, getting shit done and not asking for help, had worked for me so far, but lately I had caught myself asking for her opinion, wondering what she would think if I got home late or made a tough call to cut a player.

It was maddening.

It had been years since I’d let a woman in, and I didn’t realize how badly I craved the closeness of another person. The intimacy of a family dinner and a night on the couch watching a shitty movie.

Lark had managed to wedge herself into my life, and she hadn’t planned on staying.

A bitter part of me wanted to grab onto her, shake her, and make her see what she was doing to me. To us. Because it wouldn’t just be me who would be broken and bruised when she finally walked away. Penny was already attached to her, and the closer we got, the harder it would be to pick up the pieces when Lark eventually moved on.

My fist paused in midair before landing with a resounding bang on her front door.

Fuck it.

The door swung open, and the wisps of her hair blew back.

“Wyatt—”

I surged forward, swallowing her gasp as I lifted her and pulled her legs around me so I could feel the heat of her pussy press into my aching cock. I wanted to rut into her, show her exactly how unhinged she was making me simply by existing.

My hands met her ass and squeezed, pulling her into me, rubbing her against me as I slid my tongue into her mouth. That spicy cinnamon and citrus I knew so well assaulted my senses as I left a trail of wet kisses down the column of her neck.

Her moan thrummed under my mouth, and I licked and sucked the pulse point under her thin skin. Lark’s hands moved up my chest and over my shoulders as she pulled me closer. Through her jeans I could feel the heat of her pussy, and a core-deep longing pulled a guttural moan from my body.

Lark found my belt buckle. I pulled back, enjoying the lust flash in her eyes and how her lips were already puffy from my kiss. In one swift movement, I whipped my belt through the loops and let it fall with a clatter to the ground.

My hands found her tits, her nipples already hard beneath my thumbs as I teased in slow, rough circles. Her nails scraped against the thin skin of my stomach as she undid my jeans and worked the zipper down.

Lark flashed a mischievous grin as she lowered to her knees. I gripped the sides of her arms. “Hey, I—”

Before I could stop her, she smiled. “Shh. I want this.” Lark freed my cock and pushed my jeans and underwear down my thighs. “Didn’t you say you’d let me gag on it?”

I swallowed hard. “Is that what you want?”

She licked her lips and nodded.

“Tell me,” I demanded, desire flooding my bloodstream as she looked up at me, teasing and gorgeous and perfect. “Tell me you want me to feel the back of your throat with this cock.”

Lark took me in one hand, then smiled and licked the bead of precum from the head of my dick. “I want it. I want every inch of you.”

“Is that right? You want me so deep you gag and then I feed you another inch?”

“Yes.” She practically whimpered, and on a moan, Lark pulled the head of my cock into her sweet mouth. It was tight and hot and wet.

Emotion flickered through me as her eyes met mine. I was holding back. My words were harsh and demanding and bold, but I would go only as far as she would let me.