Page 40 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

“That’s our nightly routine,” I explained. “He gets one last burst of energy right before bed, then passes out. Thanks for humoring him. You’ve already done so much for us today.”

Jordan smirked at me. “Are you kidding? I’m just grateful to spend time with a kid who actually wants tolistento me. Half the kids on the baseball team don’t want to be there.”

“And all the kids you see at work are sick, so they’re not happy about visiting you.”

“Exactly. I still find ways to make them smile, but it’s an uphill battle. I wouldn’t change a thing, though. I love my job.” We reached the front door. “Do you want a ride back to your car?”

I grimaced and checked my phone. “According to the app, AAA still hasn’t arrived. I’ll get Sara to take me in the morning.”

“Glad you didn’t wait for them by your car,” Jordan said as we walked out onto the balcony, next to the steps leading down from the apartment. The air was cool now that the sun had gone down, and the moon was beginning to peek above the rooftop of the main house.

“Thanks again for everything today,” I told him. “Seriously, you’re amazing.”

“It was fun,” he said. “See you at practice tomorrow.”

“Drive safe,” I said.

Jordan turned toward the stairs, broad shoulders blocking out the moonlight for a moment.

Then he turned back around with a determined look in his blue eyes, pushed me up against the door, and kissed mehard.

21

Jordan

I considered myself to be a disciplined man.

Now, I definitely wasn’t always that way. When I was a teenager, I had zero impulse control. I did whatever I wanted, ate whatever sounded good, made jokes without caring if they were appropriate or not. For a while, it worked for me. I guess I was charismatic enough to get away with it.

But that was a long time ago. I settled down in college and learned how to focus, how to study. I graduated early. Then I passed the MCAT and breezed through med school. I was, by every definition of the word,disciplinedas an adult.

None of that mattered when I looked at Haley, though.

When I gazed into her eyes at dinner and saw her smiling back at me, I became that impulsive teenager again.

I was desperate for any excuse to stay longer, to delay that awful moment where we said goodbye for the night and parted ways. I practically leaped at the opportunity to tuck Bran in bed, if only to extend my time with Haley. The kid was pretty damn cute, too. In a weird way, he reminded me of Lucas.

And when we said goodnight, my entire body revolted against the idea of going home, my bones practically trembling in protest. I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. All of the energy from being around her for the past four hours simmered like a boiling pot, until it had to be released.

So, yeah. I gave in to my impulse and kissed her.

She reacted immediately, pressing her chest against mine and making the cutest little whimper into my lips. In the blink of an eye, all the intense heat from our foursome was back.

“I had to know,” I whispered after the kiss ended.

Her eyes were round orbs in the moonlight. “Know what?”

“If kissing you alone would feel as good as it did when the four of us were together.”

She swallowed heavily. “And?”

I stroked her cheek. “When it’s just the two of us? It’s even better.”

We kissed our way back into the apartment. I kicked the door closed behind me, and after it thumped shut, Haley put a finger to her lips. “Shhh!”

“Sorry!” I whispered back, my lips finding hers again.

Jesus fuck, it felt so good to give in to what I wanted. And to feel my desire reflected back at me twofold, Haley’s fingers grasping at my arms like she wanted to tear into me hungrily. She pulled me by the lips into her bedroom, then closed the door softly behind us.

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