Page 7 of The Labor Date
“And yet I’m only here for you. Feel good? Admit it,” he murmurs, far too pleased with himself, belied by his cocky chuckle.
“I hate you. Keep going,” I say, breath catching as he moves to the ball of my foot, then the pads of my toes.
“Bossy woman,” he teases, and switches feet. Heat licks up my calves, settles in my core, swirls to a hum around my nipples. My laptop slides a little precariously toward the edge of the lounge.
“Scott,” I warn, except it comes out more like a plea. Who knew footy play could be such a turn-on, bringing me to the edge?
He glances up through wet lashes, eyes hot. “I’ve got a few talents that don’t require skates. I’d love to show you.”
“I am not sleeping with you just because you know how to rub feet,” I blurt out suddenly when he does something incredible to the inside of my heel, almost sending me over the edge.
“Believe me. If I ever get you in a bed, sleeping is the last thing we’d do.” The way he’s so sure of himself does nothing but add to the wetness pooling between my thighs.
The alarm on my phone rips through the spell. I jerk upright, nearly kicking him in the face. “Winston! It’s his snack time. He’s on a schedule.”
Scott blinks, then stands, towel and hands low on his hips. “Here I thought we were getting somewhere.”
“Sorry.” I fumble for the phone, and silence the alarm. I stand and gather my things to head inside.
“You like to baby him a lot don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t say babying, more like caring for his well being. A schedule just helps us get through a day of taking proper care of ourselves.”
“You know who else is on a schedule?” He taps his stomach. “Me. I just burned a gajillion calories in hockey practice and swimming. I need to replenish, otherwise the team nutritionist and my coach will be all over my case when I drag tomorrow atpractice. How about we have dinner in town together tonight? My treat.”
I hesitate. But hell, look at him. A 6 foot tall tower of fun. I need fun. I need a man to bring me back from the dead. “Sure. Winston would love the change of scenery. I could try out his new cat stroller.”
“I-I was hoping to be just us.” He leans in, eyes dancing. “Do you ever do anything just for you?”
He isn’t wrong. The past year has been a long bout of not-fun. Of fixing my broken heart, of taking care of Winston, and of throwing myself into my career, telling myself certain needs could wait.
I study him at the end of my lounge chair, water still beading on his chest, towel clinging to a body that should’ve come with a warning label. It would be dangerously easy to say yes.
“I suppose you’re the man to show me what I’ve been missing out on in life?”
He looks around with a cocky grin, nothing but us and land that goes on for acres and acres. “I think I’m the only man around for that job.”
He’s right. Other than the crew and the director and producer daily on set at the TV show, he’s the only man in my life. But while I’ve kept things professional on the set, Scott is here under my roof, hard to avoid.
I think… I really want him. “Fine. Dinner for two it is. Just give me a while to get Winston situated.”
He follows me back through the house. “Without your heels on, you’d fit perfectly under my chin. Just saying. If you’d like to dig out a pair of flats from your closet, we could try it out tonight,” he tempts me, giving me a smoldering grin as he stops at his door and lets me pass along to mine at the end of the hall.
My mind races to figure out if I even brought any flat shoes with me other than tennis shoes.
But when I open my bedroom door…
I scream.
6
WINSTON
My human opensher bedroom door and screams.
Then Jerk-face comes rushing up behind her. They both clamp their fingers around their noses and shout words, words, words at me and at each other.
My Holly looks worried for me. Little does she know, Jerk-face gave me some kind of treat before he went to the pool, causing me tooopsall over her pink plush comforter.
