Page 56 of Before You Go

Winter skips toward the door, singing, “Hi, Franny!”

“Uh… hey, sweetheart,” she replies, stepping away from me.

“Do you want us to bring you cookies after we make them?” my niece asks, looking between Franny and me with a bright smile that reminds me of her dad’s knowing one.

“We’ll be leaving soon, so we’ll come get some tomorrow,” I tell her, and her smile gets brighter.

“Cool. See ya!” She rushes out the door, and Kingston shouts a goodbye before following after her.

“She is totally going to tell your brother what she walked in on,” Franny says, watching the door close.

“Yep,” I agree, and she turns to face me.

“You need to tell him that she didn’t see what she thinks she saw.”

My brows shoot up. “You want me to make her look like a liar?”

“No.” Her shoulders slump.

“Don’t think about that right now,” I tell her, suddenly sorry for teasing her when she seems genuinely distressed.

“Don’t think about it?” she breathes, looking up at me with her eyes going wide again.

“You need to go meet Molly downstairs.”

“Right. You’re right.” She looks around. “Do you know where my phone is?”

“In your hand.” I press my lips together to curb my grin.

Her eyes drop to it, and she shakes her head.

“Of course,” she grumbles, and try as I might, I can’t help but to laugh. She glares at me. “Is it funny to you that I apparently have to deal with pregnancy brain on top of everything else?”

“No,” I say as soberly as possible. I don’t laugh like I want to since I know that would just piss her off. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.” I take her hand and lead her out of my apartment to the elevator, with PJ following. After pressing the button, I bend to pick him up so he doesn’t rush in after her when the doors open. He may be up and moving now, but she has enough to focus on tonight without trying to get ready with him underfoot.

“Thanks for keeping him.”

“It’s not a big deal.” I lean down and brush my lips across her forehead, then pull back to meet her gaze. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Okay.” Her eyes drop to my mouth for a moment before she turns away from me and steps onto the elevator, pressing the button for the first floor.

When the doors hide her from view, I head back into my place with PJ, hearing my cell beep in the kitchen as I kick my door closed. Going to pick it up, I find a message from Miles on the screen that makes me laugh.

CHAPTER 14

Francisca

Since the first night I met Dayton, I’ve felt a connection to him that was deeper than physical attraction. He has this aura around him that puts me at ease and just makes it a little easier to breathe, no matter the situation we are in. But tonight, my awareness of him feels different. It’s hot and tempting, making me feel as if my skin is too tight.

It started when he kissed me, but then it grew into something more when he came to pick Molly and me up from my place. The moment I opened the door to him in a tux, and his gaze tracked down the bodycon dress I decided to wear, a switch was flipped. If Molly hadn’t been right there, I have no doubt that we would have gotten to this party late; that’s how thick the sexual tension was.

And it didn’t get any better through the car ride, which was torturous, and hasn’t lessened since we’ve been here at the event. It doesn’t matter that we are in a room full of people or that we’ve barely had any contact since we arrived. I can feel him every time I move, and I know that if I look, I’ll find his eyes on me.

Rubbing my fingers over my lips that I swear are still tingling from his kiss earlier, I half listen to my mom as she talks to Molly and me. It’s not that I’m not interested in what she’s saying, I just can’t seem to focus with my body so aware of the male temptation across the room who’s currently talking to a group of businessmen.

Feeling a hand touch my lower back, I turn my head and inwardly groan when I come face-to-face with Matthew.

“Hey.” He leans down, touching his lips to my cheek, and I immediately want to wipe at the spot he kissed. “I messaged you earlier.”

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