Page 80 of Unexpected Ever After

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he said, echoing my thoughts. His fingers dug into my thighs as I began to move. “Yes,” he groaned, spurring me on.

I leaned forward and captured his mouth with mine. He tangled one hand in my hair and gripped my hip with the other, holding me in place so he could thrust inside me with both his tongue and his cock.

I cried out as another climax rocketed through my core. He wasn’t far behind. I collapsed atop his chest, both of us panting as we tried to catch our breath.

“I think that was even better than last time,” he declared, and I chuckled.

He got up to dispose of the condom, but I couldn’t move. Lying next to me, he pulled me into his chest and placed a sweet kiss to my temple. I wanted to lay here, wrapped in his arms forever, but I didn’t have that option. Sneaking into my grandparents’ bed and breakfast in the middle of the night like a rebellious teenager wasn’t exactly a good look for a woman in her thirties. I granted myself several long minutes to soak up the moment and indulge in some after sex cuddling before getting up and gathering my clothes. It was damn near painful slipping out of his embrace and leaving the warmth of his bed, but I didn’t have a choice.

“Can you stay?” Gavin asked as I stepped into my shorts. I shook my head, giving him a sad smile.

“I can’t. My grandparents don’t even know where I am. I need to get home to Eli.”

“I figured, but it never hurts to ask.” He reached out and grabbed my arms, pulling me down on top of him before I could protest. I giggled as he nuzzled my neck, tickling the spot just above my collarbone. “I’ll walk you out,” he offered and jumped out of bed, pulling his jeans on. I watched as he buttoned them, going commando underneath. Something about that made my blood run hot, just knowing he was bare beneath the denim.

“See something you like?” He quirked a brow, one side of his lips turning up.

“I see a lot that I like,” I admitted playfully.

He walked toward me, and I leaned back against his dresser as he caged me in with his arms. “Careful, I might not let you leave if you keep talking like that.”

My blood heated and my body screamed to go another round, but my head won out. I made a zipping my lips motion and pretended to throw away the imaginary key. He chuckled and stepped back, letting me past.

“Goodnight, Melody,” he said when we reached my SUV. His hands cupped my face, and he gave me a chaste kiss before opening my door. I drove home with a sense of hope I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Five years ago, I thought my world was ending. Four months ago, I had a one-night stand with a man I thought I’d never see again. Three days ago, I thought at best, we could be friends. Two hours ago, I decided that friendship would never be enough, and one minute ago, I realized I was falling for him. I was glad he asked for more than one night because I wanted him to have them all.

Chapter 16

Gavin

ONE MONTH LATER

Melody snuggled deeper into my side, and I draped my arm across her shoulders. She was curled up next to me on the couch as we watched a movie. It was surreal having her here. A few weeks ago, we were still fighting our attraction, both of us believing we shouldn’t be together. Now, she was tucked into the crook of my arm with her head on my shoulder and palm pressed to my chest.

We were still keeping things low key even though I wasn’t able to find anything in the teacher handbook that prohibited dating parents. And believe me, I looked. I gained an extra dose of reassurance from the most unlikely source: Mrs. Smith. She came up to me in the cafeteria that following week after the festival and asked how Ms. Barrett was. My head snapped in her direction, and a knowing smirk curved her lips.

“I was in the same boat with my husband twelve years ago,” she began, a soft smile forming as a dreamy look filled her eyes. “We had an instant connection that sparked to life at our first parent-teacher conference. And I fought it tooth and nail for months.” She shook her head with a chuckle. “I was so afraid of losing my job my first year of teaching. I felt so guilty that I broke down one day and confessed to the principal that I’d kissed a student's father. And do you know what she said?” I shook my head, eager to hear more. “All she asked was, ‘is he married?’ and when I told her no, she said, ‘then I don’t see what the problem is,’ and encouraged me to follow my heart.”

“So, there’s no rules against dating a parent?”

“Nope,” she said, popping the “p.”

I stood there, silently watching over the lunchroom for a long moment before speaking again.

“How did you know? About me and Melody, I mean.”

“Oh, Mr. Phillips, it was obvious,” she claimed with an amused chuckle. “I suspected it from that very first meeting. The way you two watched each other was a dead giveaway. Then when you both disappeared into storage and she came out with her face as red as a tomato after Brynlee went looking for you, it merely confirmed my suspicions.”

“That obvious?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded.

“Is that why you insisted we take that picture with the arbor?” She gave me a knowing wink.

“I could tell you two needed a little push.”

Damn, Mrs. Smith had played us. There was more to this bubbly, eccentric art teacher than I had realized. I supposed when you observed everything with a keen eye, always searching for deeper meaning, there wasn’t much one could hide.

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