Page 81 of That One Night
Then his mouth brushed hers and everything inside of him felt like he was on fire. She curled her arms around his neck, her body arching into his as he deepened their kiss, his body hardening with need at the way this woman felt.
“Good luck,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ll open the door, make sure the coast is clear.” Because her mom wasn’t the only one who could catch her sneaking out. There was Jed and the farmhands.
It would be just their luck for one of them to catch them after they’d been so careful. Until now, at least.
“My hero.”
He winked at her, then yanked the door handle, still distracted by the soft way she was staring at him. Maybe that’s why he let the door swing wide open before looking out.
And when he saw the dark-haired woman in a pair of slim-fitting jeans and a checkered shirt standing there, his stomach dropped.
“Mom.”
“I didn’t even knock,” she said, smiling at him from the stoop. “Do you have a sixth sense or something?” The sun was behind her, illuminating her hair. In her late fifties, Maddie Hartson was still a beautiful woman, her face untouched byany of the fillers or surgeries so many of his friends' parents had gotten. Sure, there was a little gray streaking in her hair nowadays, but she still looked like the mom who’d adored him when he was a kid.
Fuck. The word lingered on his tongue. He barely managed to bite it away. His mom looked over his shoulder, the smile on her face wavering when she saw who was behind him.
He could have played it off if he’d thought about putting some damn clothes on. But he was standing here in his underwear and nothing else, his hair mussed from a night with Emery, his fingers curled around a coffee mug.
His mom blinked. “Oh, I’ve interrupted.” Her cheeks flushed as she tried to pull her gaze away from him and Emery, pressing her lips together like she was trying to figure out how to get out of this.
He heard Emery’s breath catch.
“Emery was just leaving,” he muttered, because he had no idea what else to say. And if this was bad, Emery’s mom seeing the three of them would be a thousand times worse. He turned to look at the woman he’d just spent the night with. Her face was pale.
“Oh, hi Emery,” his mom said, her voice sounding so falsely light that at any other time he would have teased her.
“Hi, Mrs. Hartson.” Emery sounded just as awkward.
Okay, so now it was almost funny.
He stepped aside so Emery could pass by. She had her hands curled into fists, like she couldn’t quite believe this. He had to stop himself from grabbing her, kissing her again.
She gave his mom a tight smile, and his mom nodded back as Emery passed her, standing stock still as Emery walked down his steps, turning to look at him over his mom’s shoulder.
“Oh. My. God!” Emery mouthed.
His lips twitched. If he laughed, she’d probably kill him. So instead he just widened his eyes at her. She shook her head and walked toward the side of her house.
Letting out a low breath, he brought his gaze back to his mom, who still hadn’t moved.
“Coffee?” he asked her. “I just put some on.”
She blinked. “Oh. Um…”
“Come in,” he said. “I promise I don’t have anybody else in here.”
She looked supremely awkward as she walked inside. The place was still a mess, from last night and this morning. He picked up the towel Emery had placed on the couch and threw it into the laundry room, before walking into the kitchen and pouring his mom a coffee.
“Do you want cream?” he asked her.
Finally, his mom let her gaze land on his face. “Hendrix…”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it.” Because he knew his mom didn’t like what she just saw. Right now he didn’t like it either. Not the fact that Emery stayed the night – hell, helovedthat. It was the fact he could feel his mom’s judgment, even if she was trying so hard not to let it out.
And she could judge him all she wanted. But not Emery.
“I know you don’t,” his mom said softly. “And believe me, I don’t want to be here saying it either. I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d called before I stopped by. Or at least been a few minutes later.” She sighed. “But I didn’t. And here we are…”
