Page 42 of Other Side Of Never
Used to physical labor, his body was toned and tight in all the right places.He moved fluidly with a rolling, animal-like grace that sucked up all my attention and invited my hungry hands to explore.
It had been too long since I’d had sex.Much, much, longer since I’d had good sex.
My hands curled into fists as if to keep control of fingers that longed to dance along the contours of his arms, the curve of his—
I breathed deeply then blew it out slowly.Reminded myself I didn’t do single dads.Because with Kian, I really, really, wanted to.
“Want to see my rocks?”
Isaiah stood looking at me expectantly.
“Sure!”I chirped, my face, already flushed from exertion, burning hotter.
Isaiah couldn’t possibly understand I’d been ogling his dad, could he?
Emptying his pockets into my lap, he beamed.“There’s some really pretty ones.”His face uncharacteristically serious, he added, “Don’t drop any, okay?”
I shook my head.“I won’t.”
Smiling, I poked through his small collection, remembering the sweetness of another little boy dumping his treasures into my lap.
“Bridge!Bridge, look!”
I looked up, my smile ready, to find Isaiah perched on top of the monkey bars.
My stomach dropped.I hated those things.The one and only time I climbed the fucker I ended up in a thigh to toe cast for 6 weeks.
And then there was what happened to Gary’s oldest.
I shuddered.
“Are you allowed up there?”I asked, my voice high-pitched and strident.
He laughed.“Yeah.”
I swallowed tightly, my shoulders tense.“Are you sure?”
His eyes, so like his father’s and his older brother’s, dropped.
“Isaiah,” I warned.“You’re going to get me in trouble!”
“Dad does it with me all the time!”
I cocked my head to the side, afraid to move.“Your dad climbs up there?”
Maybe I was wrong.What did I know about raising kids?
He laughed then pointed to the ground beneath him.“No, he stands there.”
Shitburgers.
“Hang on, buddy.I’m coming over there.”I held up my palm.“Don’t move.”Scooping up his rock collection, I stood and carefully spilled them into a small pile on the bench.
At his sudden gasp, I spun around like a top just in time to see him lose his grip.My body jerked as I physically felt him hit the ground.
This cannot be happening.
With my heart lodged in my throat, I dashed across the grass to the sandy playground, my feet immediately sinking in and slowing me down.
