Page 18 of Forbidden Flame

I woke up feeling sore in all the right places and aching for more.

Instead of feeling sated, I wanted Cole with an intensity I hadn’t anticipated. I don’t think I managed to get him out of my system. I wanted him even more. He’d given me the taste of what it felt like to be cherished.

I wasn’t sure if it would always be like that with Cole though. Maybe it was the circumstances. The idea that we only had a few hours together and we had to make the most of it.

Who knows what would have happened if we’d met under different circumstances? I probably wouldn’t have slept with him. I wouldn’t have felt these feelings for him.

I needed to get him out of my head. I got out of bed and showered the smell of Cole and sex off me. I couldn’t resist touching myself, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted Cole’s hands on me, his tongue and his teeth. I wanted everything.

The time alone in the shower did nothing to sate my desire for the man I shouldn’t be thinking about. If my brothers found out, they would lose their minds. It was bad enough I was friends with the women who lived on the Monroe farm.

I’d fought with Teddy about attending the bachelorette auction. He was worried about my safety. I was used to fighting with my brothers about most things. I’d pick my battles, but the women—Sarah, Marley, and Ireland—had become good friends.

Being a single mom, I didn’t have a lot of those. I wasn’t like the other moms at Izzy’s school. There were very few divorced couples and almost no single moms. I was an anomaly.

After I got ready, I texted Dad that I was on my way. I drove the van down the lane to the farmhouse. It held so many good memories from when my mother was alive and so many sad ones when she was gone.

I was grateful that I still lived on the property and had my own space. I knocked softly on the door before going inside to let Dad know I was here.

“Mommy!” Izzy cried as soon as I came inside. She ran toward me and threw her arms around my waist. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby girl. Did you have a good time with Grandpa last night?” I asked as we made our way into the kitchen where Dad stood at the stove making breakfast.

“We made animals out of clay and painted.”

“It sounds like you were busy.”

Izzy showed me her clay creations that looked barely more than a lump of clay, but I made the appropriate noises of approval when she pointed out each one and told me it was a dog or a bear or a lion. “These are amazing.”

“And we painted a bunch of pictures.”

Every counter surface was covered in paintings.

“She liked the watercolors?”

“She loved it. She’d paint all day if I let her.”

I wished I had more time to do those things with her. Usually, I was baking or cleaning or doing a million other things. It was tough to find quiet time to just be with my daughter. “I’m glad you had fun.”

“Can I stay overnight again?” Izzy asked, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

“That’s up to Grandpa.”

“She’s welcome anytime,” he said as he placed plates of eggs and bacon on the table. “You’re staying for breakfast.”

It wasn’t a question, but my stomach rumbled. Even though we’d eaten last night, I must have worked up an appetite. I sat at the table while Dad poured juice for Izzy and coffee for me.

I took it gratefully and breathed in the aroma.

“How was last night for you?”

I gave Dad a look. He knew I didn’t want to discuss the date portion of the evening with my daughter. “It was fun. They raised a lot of money for the animal rescue.”

I hadn’t mentioned that I was there to support the Monroes’ farm. Dad wasn’t happy that I associated with women who lived on Monroes’ farm, but he was pleased I finally had some girlfriends. My brothers were not as forgiving. They didn’t think I needed to hang out with anyone associated with that farm.

“Did your uncles come over last night?” I asked Izzy.

“Uncle Jamey was here.”

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