Page 27 of A Way Out
She caught his eye when he straightened, and she swore he smirked. Great.
“Kids will be getting up soon. I figured we should leave as soon as they head off to school. Does that work?”
They’d already had this conversation, of course. Maria was a woman who needed a plan, after all. But she appreciated his attempt at trying to force normalcy into this situation.
“Yes, of course,” she agreed.
“I’ll leave you to it.” And then he was gone, striding into his bedroom and closing the door behind him.
She sighed and stared at herself in the mirror while she finished brushing her teeth. What was she doing? Was she projecting? Was she looking for a rebound?
Did it even qualify as a rebound at this point? She’d come to terms with her failed marriage long before the divorce was final.
But she hadn’t been with anyone, since before her grandmother died. That was a long time. And she knew, from her own body, let alone all the blogs and conversations with her doctor, that she was at the peak of her sexuality right now.
She ought to be having sex on the regular.
Was that it? Was that all she wanted from Oz? Because she wanted something from him. And by something, she meant she wanted to feel his naked body pressed against her own. She wanted to use her fingers to explore all those hard, inked muscles. She wanted his lips on hers.
On her.
What would that lip ring feel like, pressed against her skin?
She shivered and rinsed her mouth.
When she climbed into the shower, she was still wondering—what did she really want from Oz?
This morning was no less chaotic than any other this week. Maria was grateful for the distraction, to be honest.
Was it strange that she preferred the constant noise and movement to what she’d had in her previous life? Everything had been so organized, so put together, so quiet. She and Vic had rarely spoken, even before they separated. The nanny didn’t talk to her other than to give her reports on Riley’s day. The housekeeper basically ignored her.
Her house in Washington had felt like a museum, like she wasn’t supposed to talk loudly or touch anything.
In contrast, staying with Oz and his family was energetic, exciting…fun.
Hugs and kisses were doled out as Cat ushered the kids toward the door.
“Have fun!”
“Love you, Uncle Oz.”
“Come home with a record deal,” Daniel said.
Oz chuckled. “We’ll do our best. Hey, take care of your abuelita,” he called out just before the last child hurried out the door.
Cat watched, probably making sure they were climbing into her car, and then turned around.
“Come here,” she said to Oz, who obeyed as only a son should. They hugged, she whispered something into his ear, and the tips of those ears turned red.
And yes, Maria was curious. Not curious enough to ask, though. Or, more honestly, not brave enough to ask.
“Your turn, mija,” Cat said, pushing Oz away.
This was not how goodbyes were done in her household. Not the one she grew up in, not the one she’d recently divorced out of. She honestly could not remember either of her parents ever hugging her. Vic had given her a peck on the cheek in the early days of their marriage, but that had soon morphed into simply “goodbye,” followed by an indication of when one or the other intended to be home. They hadn’t even clasped hands or given the other a shoulder pat.
Cat, on the other hand, pulled her into an embrace that practically molded their bodies together. Maria could actually feel the outline of the other woman’s bra strap.
She didn’t hate it. Not the bra strap—the hug. The signs of affection. She wanted Riley to grow up thinking this was a normal goodbye.
