Page 44 of The Player

“Eight years ago, I went to the ball, messed around with Julie as James, and she had Lennox. I’m his father, Bryson, and I left her alone.”

“Dude, Kaylee and I have known this since then. We’ve helped take care of them.” Bryson laughs and then coughs a little. “Shit, it hurts to laugh sometimes.”

I glare at him. “This…this can’t be happening. I’m a father. Julie knows I’m James now, and I still acted like a goddamn douchebag to her.”

“Calm down, Aaron. You’ll see her tonight. Make things right and put your life back on track.”

Can I? Shit. The thoughts are failing me as the feeling of losing Julie grabs me and beats at my chest.

“We can’t go home yet. I gotta get to the flower shop and bakery. Also, is the sex toy shop still around?”

Bryson laughs and pulls me into him for a side hug. “About time, you jackass.”

“Driver, do you know the bakery downtown?” If I remember correctly, Julie loves those lemon blueberry muffins. “What does Lennox like?” I mutter about.

“Chocolate chip cookies,” Bryson says as he shakes his head at me.

“Just like me.” I smile and know how I’m going to make it up to my kid. Holy shit. I’ve got eight years to make up for.

The driver chimes in, knocking me from my thoughts. “Yes, I sure do. Unfortunately, I cannot stay around to pick you up, though.”

“That’s what Uber is for. Thank you. Please drop us off at Courtney’s Bakery.”

“No problem.”

Bryson smiles. “You know, Courtney retired a few years back. Her son, Baker, took over, and it’s now a bakery bistro.”

“Cool. We can grab lunch, and you can tell me all about this dead wife of yours.”

* * *

Three in the afternoon rolls around, and I hear Julie’s car pull into the garage. My fingers twitch nervously as I think about how to apologize. Hell, have I ever told anyone I was sorry and meant it?

Before I can go down that rabbit hole, Julie comes into the room and bumps right into me. “Hey.” I chuckle and wrap my arms around her to keep her from falling. Her purse and phone fall to the floor, and she looks up at me with shock on her face.

“You scared the heck out of me!” she exclaims, slapping a hand down on my chest. My dick instantly gets hard, and I push down the lust. Now is not the time for that.

Once she regains her footing, I pull back, and with as much sincerity as I have, I apologize. “Julie, I’m truly sorry.”

Julie’s head pops up so fast that she almost knocks my nose off as we were both going for her purse. “You…Wait, am I being punked right now?”

The look of utter surprise makes me feel even worse. I’m a bastard of a friend. Shit, this goes to show me how bad of a person I’ve been. Taking her back into my arms, I kiss her. There’s nothing else I can do right now. Her lips call to me. Beckoning me to claim her. Again.

Honey and vanilla meet my tongue the second it’s delved into her mouth. She’s been eating her favorite ice cream. “Mm. You taste delicious, Sugar Plum.”

This seems to cut through her lusty haze. It saddens me as I watch the wall literally being built within her gaze. “No. We aren’t doing this. I…”

Cutting her off, I pull her into me and walk until her butt hits the counter. Hearing another word from her right now would crush me. She isn’t ready to forgive me, and I don’t blame her. That’s why I’ve got to try to keep her in lust-induced happiness. I can definitely do that.

“Hey, Aaron,” Lennox says, coming into the house with a bag of goodies and his backpack.

I want to rummage my hands through her hair and claim her mouth as I grind my dick into her. But Lennox is here, and it would be inappropriate to fuck his mom in front of him.

“This isn’t over,” I whisper in her ear and back up. Still, she wiggles, trying to get away. Fuck, it turns me on when she doesn’t obey. Such a naughty girl.

Stepping away from Julie, I turn around and see a box of chocolate chip cookies in Lennox’s hands.

“Mom said you might need these since you had a bad day at physical therapy.” Fuck me.

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