Evan pulled back, but I didn’t want to open my eyes yet.
“Wow.” Evan whispered almost reverently. I lifted my eyelids and smiled.
“Yeah, wow. That was . . .” Kissing Evan took my breath away, and all my words, too, it seemed.
“Fucking amazing. We should’ve done that years ago.”
“You must’ve had it bad.” I gave him a playful smile and a wink.
Evan laughed and rested his forehead against mine.
“You were pretty tough to resist. Those sexy green eyes and gorgeous lips.” He gave me a soft peck before peppering kisses along my jawline and behind my ear before returning to my lips. “You were always so damn beautiful.” Hot open mouthed kisses trailed down and over my collarbone. I clutched the back of his head as he tasted the other side of my neck. His fingers threaded into my hair as his lips found their way back to mine. One part of me wanted to take it slow and savor the moment, another wanted to tear his clothes off and pull him into my bedroom.
We broke apart, panting and clutching onto each other.
“I have to be up at four o’clock tomorrow morning.” Evan gave me a soft, sensual kiss that made my knees wobble. “I need to go.” Kiss. “Now.” Kiss. “Fuck, Paige . . .” He backed me up against my door and pressed his body against mine, devouring my lips and moaning into my mouth. I whimpered at the hardness against my stomach and fought the urge to rub myself against it. Family friend status notwithstanding, this was only a first date—a first date with enough crackling sexual tension to bring me to my knees. And now I was back to thinking of his hard-on. Evan needed to leave . . . now.
He broke away, his eyes shut tight. “I’ll text you when I get home and call you tomorrow.”
I gave him a peck on the lips, then another as I ran my hand down his cheek. “Good night.” I kissed the corner of his mouth and nipped at his jaw, feeling all kinds of victorious when his breath hitched.
“Shit, Paige . . . if I don’t go now—”
“I know. Good night.” I gave him a quick kiss on the lips as he nodded and strode through the door.
I crept over to my window, and watched him traipse down the steps. He stood at the curb, rubbing his neck as he glanced up at the night sky for a moment. He shook his head, opened the door of his truck and got in. I darted away from the window once the engine started.
I ran my finger across my swollen lips and smiled to myself. My phone buzzed in my purse as I strolled back into my living room.
Evan: You shouldn’t watch people from your window. It’s a little creepy.
Me: The eyes you have in the back of your head is what I find creepy.
Evan: I’m glad I didn’t kiss you before we went out tonight. I never would have stopped and you would have gone hungry.
Me: I wouldn’t have minded. At all. I had a great time tonight.
Evan: Me too. You were definitely worth waiting for.
Me: I don’t stand a chance against you, do I?
Evan: Not if I can help it. Sweet dreams, Daisy.
When I got into bed and closed my eyes, I did have sweet dreams. Sweet dreams of excitement and an emotion I didn’t normally allow myself to feel—hope. I tried to suppress the dread of disappointment. Maybe things would be different this time. Maybe Evan was right, and we were exactly where we were supposed to be at the time we were supposed to be there. I let myself hope for a future, and prayed all the optimistic flutters in my stomach weren’t too good to be true.
“Holy shit! This is like the Mercedes of carriages. Ellie, add this to the registry! Give me that scanner!”
Natalie was having a little too much fun helping Ellie choose items for her baby registry. Over the past couple of months, Jack and Evan had been working non-stop and she’d been postponing a trip to baby superstore for too long. I asked Natalie to come with us since she had the most recent baby experience compared to my nil.
“Ellie, come here! Look, the brake is on the handle, do you know how freaking convenient that is? And the handle switches from back to front. Plus, it’s a jogging stroller! Just picture you and little Jack Junior running the track at Pelham Bay Park. This place makes me want to get knocked up all over again because all this baby shit gets better and better every year!” Ellie snuck a look at me and raised her eyebrow. The Mercedes of strollers was priced accordingly, and I could see our family up in arms about not having any big gifts on their list that they could afford.
“Okay, Natalie, go ahead and scan it. Let’s see if we can find one a little more reasonable to add along with it¸ so I don’t look like I’m giving birth to one of the Kardashians.” Natalie pouted, which cracked us both up.
“Fine, fine. We can move onto the bouncers.” Natalie moped to the next aisle, making us laugh even harder. I felt my phone buzz in my purse and reached in as Ellie squatted down to compare the jungle animals and Winnie the Pooh mobiles.
Evan: Hey Daisy! I miss you. Sorry it’s been so crazy.
The diner was the start of a long string of big jobs. Evan worked almost seven days a week, but still texted and called all the time. We had only had coffee and lunch dates since he was always working late and up early, but they always ended with mind-blowing kisses that left me wanting to beg for more. I’d been sneaking visits to their office under the pretense of all the extra advertising they’d been doing. Promotion planning for Taylor’s Flooring meant sitting on Evan’s lap and making out like teenagers before anyone came back to their office. It sometimes felt like an illicit affair, and hell if that didn’t make it hotter. I’d become well acquainted with the definition of a ‘lady boner’—as I was sure what I’d been feeling on a regular basis was a bad case of blue balls. I never had to actually take a cold shower before Evan.
Me: I miss you, too. I understand. No worries.
Evan: Of course I still worry. I have amazing plans for us soon.
Me: You have me intrigued, Mr. Jacobs.
Evan: Not saying a word. Lips are sealed. That is unless you’re stopping by today. I think we need a new logo. And we need it BAD.
I laughed and stuffed my phone back in my purse.
“Look at the goofy grin. That was Evan, wasn’t it?” Natalie nudged me in the side.
“Yes. That was Evan. To tell me he missed me and wanted me to stop by later. Happy?”
“Does that mean he wants to grope you in the supply closet again?” Ellie smirked at me as she scanned a box of baby bottles.
“Jesus, Jack has a big mouth!” I had never been so mortified in all my life. I was innocently looking for a pencil when Evan came up behind me and ran his tongue up and down the shell of my ear. Jack came in just as he put his hand under my dress and backed me up against the Post-It shelf.
“Stop it, Paige. I think it’s adorable. You deserve each other, and it’s nice to see you happy.”
“Yeah, yeah. Happy. Wonderful. Supply closet? You have been holding out on me, big fucking time. I knew this would happen.” Natalie plopped down on a glider and rocked back and forth as Ellie moved on to crib sets.
I folded my arms as I glared at her. “Knew what would happen?”