Page 46 of The Third Girl

“No problem. Gotta take care of my girls.” The second the words leave his mouth, I know it’s registered in his brain what he’s said. It seems like we’re stacking one scary brick on top of another, and I’m beginning to get concerned that they’re all going to topple over any minute and bury me under them.

To me, it’s so clear that Matt yearns for the closeness of a relationship again. But am I simply here and it’s convenient, or— I stop that line of thinking for the sake of my heart, which is becoming more and more attached to Matt with each and every passing moment. Even if we hadn’t had sex, I’m pretty sure I’d still feel like this. I’m at a loss for what to do or say next, but it’s not a conversation to be had in front of his child, no matter how young she is.

We eat quietly for a while before Matt’s gaze shifts to Sailor, who’s mostly pushing food around the tray with her fingers. He whispers, “Seems like someone is done eating. You wanna go play?”

She gives him a toothy toddler grin. “Yep.”

While I make a grab for the wipes in the center of the table, Matt unclips the tray and takes it into the kitchen. I scoot her chair toward me and clean her hands, then let her wipe her own mouth—that’s a new thing this week. She insists on doing it herself.

“Ready?”

She nods her head excitedly. “Toys!”

I lift her down without getting up from sitting since I still have the heating pad on my stomach. Bending at the waist so I’m closer to her level, I poke her in the belly. “We’ll come see what you’re doing in a few minutes, okay?”

Sailor takes off like a shot, not bothering to answer. It’s obvious that her brain has already switched gears, and she’s ready to focus on her toys. There’s no stopping her now.

Instead of sitting down across the table from me again, Matt chooses the chair on my left, pulling it out sideways to face me. He stretches across the table for his coffee mug, sliding it toward him. “Feeling any better?”

My face flushes pink. “Yeah. I’ll be okay. The first couple of hours are always brutal. But you could go shower and sleep if you want. I’ll be okay.” I glance down at my coffee mug, where I’m tracing the lip with my finger. “Thank you for everything. I wasn’t expecting the”—my brows draw together—“levelheadedness of your response, I guess. A lot of guys are squeamish with periods and cramps and stuff. So, thank you for not making it weird.”

His voice husky, he murmurs, “It’s a natural function of the female body, Sky.” He shrugs at the same time I shiver on the inside over his use of a nickname. “I did what I thought would be helpful.” Reaching out, he cups the nape of my neck with his hand and skims the pad of his thumb along my jaw, then leans in and covers my mouth with his, robbing me of my breath.

I lean into his kiss, the soft but commanding swipe of his tongue makes me melt into him. And I answer him stroke for stroke, teasing him with every curl of my tongue. My head goes hazy the longer we kiss. I want to be closer to him. Still in a lip-lock, I pull the heating pad from under my shirt. It drops to the floor as I stand up between Matt’s legs. He tilts his head back, and I continue to kiss him, nipping and licking as I hold onto his shoulders. His hands settle on my hips, a dominating presence on my body, then slide around to my ass, squeezing my cheeks through my joggers. His touch does all sorts of things to my insides.

“On my lap,” he growls. Leaving me no room to argue, he lifts me, settling me in a straddle over his lap. He holds my head between his hands, staring into my eyes. “This? Us? It’s not an experiment to me. I’m inexplicably, insanely attracted to you. I wanted every second of what happened between us in that parking lot. I want you, Skylar. So much it hurts.”

“I want you, too.”

Our lips crash together in another feverish kiss, and my heart hammers so hard in my chest, I wonder if I could pass out simply from being close to him. It races and races, pumping blood though my body at a furious pace. With our arms entwined around each other, I rock against his erection, seeking out friction. Sparks light up under my skin and shoot along my veins. I’m so into him, I’d do most anything if he’d keep touching me.

Matt pulls me closer, slipping his hand under my shirt to find my bare breast. My back arches to fill his palm, my nipples already twin points of urgent need. He groans, lips skating over my jaw and to my neck, his other hand stealing beneath the shirt to cup my other breast. “Fuck,” he mutters, nuzzling his face against the column of my throat, letting me feel the stubble on his cheeks. I’m sure my fair skin will be reddened later, and I can’t say I’m sad about it. He licks a path over my skin as his hands slide behind my back and he tugs me to him. “I love the way your skin tastes.”

Soul-deep desire blooms inside me. I touch my lips to his, then suck the lower one into my mouth, all while staring into his eyes. I let it go with a wet pop before straining closer and taking what I want from the kiss. My fingers slide into his hair, holding him where I want him as I stroke into his mouth. The heat between us is going to send us both up in flames.

He bands one arm around my lower back and the other drifts upward until he has the back of my neck in his grip. We grind together, Matt thrusting upward while I rub over him from my position on top. He’s making me feel so good, I can’t say I care that I have my period. His every touch sends sparks of pleasure shooting downward.

The sound of the doorbell crashes through our reverie, and then toddler feet pad down the hallway toward the door.

“Shit.” Matt picks me up off his lap by my waist and sets me off to the side. He stands up, and man, his dick is seriously trying to poke a hole through his uniform pants. Their dark color only goes a tiny way to disguising the tent he’s pitched. He takes a couple of deep, calming breaths, not that I believe for a second it’s going to help. Matt leans to the side, peering out the front window toward the driveway before he runs his hands through the hair that I’d already managed to dishevel. “My, um—” His forehead pinches with his frown. “I forgot my… fuck, I forgot Sailor’s grandparents were stopping by to take her out today. Is it really ten already?”

---