Page 19 of The Parent Pick-Up
She squeals, hugging me so fiercely, I nearly topple over. “I promise.”
I drop my hand to her head and tug playfully at her ponytail. “Ask if Maddie has an extra toothbrush you can use and tell Mrs. Bonner to text me if she needs anything.”
Olivia skips off to join the Bonners, who are waiting by their minivan for Olivia. Kate Bonner waves at me as Olivia hops in beside Maddie. I wave back, then drop my hand, suddenly painfully aware of how empty my night just became.
I’m not ready to go back to the house alone for the first time since we moved here. It’s small and cozy, but it will feel huge and empty without Olivia.
I should really get a hobby.
“Hey.” Owen comes up beside me. “You okay?”
I force a laugh. “Totally. Who doesn’t love being ditched by their only child for a puppy?”
He smiles that crooked grin that makes my insides do somersaults. “Come over for dinner.”
The way he says—not a question, but a foregone conclusion—leaves no doubt he’s interested in dinner and more.
“Are you sure?” My voice comes out breathy, and I clear my throat. “I don’t want to impose.”
“It’s not imposing if I invite you,” he says.
Our gazes lock, and there’s a knowing that passes between us. Something sparked the first night we met, and our bondingmoment while getting lost in the woods only added to the flames.
If that counselor hadn’t blown his whistle, we would have kissed. And my body still tingles with the memory. The way he’s looking at me, I swear he’s thinking it, too.
“We can order takeout from the pizza place, open a bottle of wine…maybe take a walk on the beach.”
It all sounds good.Yes. Yes. And yes.
A sudden shyness comes over me. I haven’t dated much since having Olivia, and it’s been so long since I kissed a man, I’m not sure I remember how.
But I know if I join Owen tonight for a private dinner, we will be kissing and more. Maybe a lot more.
A shiver of anticipation runs down my spine, and my nipples tighten. There’s no denying how much he turns me on. Even when I was angry at him, I couldn’t ignore how gorgeous he looked every day at parent pick-up.
Owen is blessed with amazing bone structure, gorgeous eyes, and so it seems, a vulnerable, generous heart.
All those add up to one hot neighbor crush. It’s enough for me to shove aside my doubts. Right now, we aren’t neighbors or teachers or parents. We’re just Owen and Ivy, leaning into each other a little too closely in the school parking lot.
I need a shower, a shampoo, and a little primping time to get ready for dinner and anything else Owen Taylor has planned. Yesterday, I’d been mad enough to tear into him, but today everything is different.
“Give me an hour,” I say, blowing a strand of hair stuck to my forehead.
“Take your time,” he says, backing up toward his car. “You know where I live.”
My heart races the entire drive home. I can’t stop thinking about what could happen tonight. I’m glad I haven’t fooledaround with anyone in years, because Owen seems worth the wait.
I can already imagine what his body looks like under those well-fitted shirts and pants. I imagine his chest, his legs, and everything between, and by the time I pull into my drive, I’ve worked myself up into a state of intense longing.
It’s a strange, unfamiliar feeling to want someone. I can’t even remember the last time I looked at man and thought about getting naked with him.
But Owen? I definitely want him.
Anticipation sizzles under my skin.
I hurry into the house, already peeling off my sweaty clothes on the way to my bathroom. Through the open windows, I can see the pink splash of the setting sun and the blue bay waters. I pause for a moment and take in the beauty, the solitude.
Starlight Bay feels right.
