Page 79 of The Foul Out

Before I could second guess myself, I said, “I’d love if you picked up dinner.”

“Cool.” The lines around his eyes disappeared, and a relieved grin spread across his face. “I’ll text you a few options and see you later.” Then he turned to the kids and held a fist to Sam first. “I’ll see you Monday, little man. Have fun with Dad.” Then he wiggled his fingers at Piper. “Thanks again, Pipe.”

She nodded.

As soon as the door closed, she said, “Dad said six o’clock, right? Because it is 5:53.”

Dropping onto the sofa, I sighed and patted the seat next to me, signaling for her to sit. “He’ll be herearoundsix.”

“Who got me this?” Sam asked from where he was on his knees at the table. He held up a package of M&M’s decorated like baseballs and two cans of whipped cream.

“Were they in Kyle’s bag?” I eyed the brown bag still sitting by the table where they’d done nails.

Without responding, Sam picked up one can and flipped it in the air. It spun, and as it fell, he grasped for it but missed. Whenit hit the ground, he scooped it up and popped off the red top. Then, with a burst of aerosol, he squirted it into his mouth.

“Where did you learn that?”

“At Little Fingers. Kyle showed me.”

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help but smile. Of course.

“No more whipped cream.” I grabbed the cans and the candy and put them back on the table. “Let’s get ready to go to Dad’s.”

A half hour later, the kids were gone. They’d left with Jace, and the transaction had gone pretty easily.

“I got tacos,” Kyle said when he showed up a few minutes later. He brought the bag to the table and set it down. “Since you don’t normally do gluten, dairy, sugar, or dyes, one set is free of all that. It’s also taste-free. The other set is full of it all. That one, you might actually enjoy.”

Oh, we were back to the jokes, huh?

“What happened to the nice guy who wasn’t giving me crap?” I braced my hands on my hips and gave him a mock glare.

He rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “He got some confidence back because you invited him to dinner.” He grinned.

I rolled my eyes.

“I see Sam found my treat.” He snagged the whipped cream from the table and flipped it into the air. Then he caught it with all the grace that Sam hadn’t managed.

“Yeah, and he showed me how you taught him to squirt it straight into his mouth.”

“I would never.” He smirked, popping the cap off with his thumb, sending it shooting toward me.

I swiped it out of the air.

“Nice, Crabby.” He squirted a dollop of cream onto his finger.

“Do you actually want that, or are you just messing around?”

“I definitely want it.” He brought his finger to his lips and hummed as the cream disappeared.

Suddenly hotter than I’d been only a moment before, I zeroed in on his mouth and watched as he released his finger.

“Not bad, but…”

He clutched my wrist, and the second his rough fingers locked around it, goose bumps broke out across my skin. Watching my face, he tilted the whipped cream can, each move slow and steady. There was no part of me that questioned what he was doing. I knew. And I wanted it.

The burst of condensed air echoed off the walls as the cold cream landed on my finger. With his eyes locked on mine, he lifted my hand. My heart pounded loud in my ears when, without breaking eye contact, he wrapped his warm lips around my finger, and when he sucked, my body throbbed.

I didn’t need this complication. I didn’t have time to devote to another person. But damn, I wanted him.

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