Page 61 of Unexpected Kisses

She smiles and her entire face changes. Gone is the worry, replaced by a lightness I’d like to always see. I don’t like that I’ve upset her. “I’m okay. Stop worrying about me. I promise I’ve managed just fine on my own.”

I want to tell her that she no longer has to manage on her own, that I’m here now and I can help her, but we’ve just got back onto steady footing and I don’t want to mess that up again.

“Okay. Call or text if you need anything. I’ll see you in ten days unless you’re free to get together before then.” I lean into her and lay a soft kiss on her jawline near her ear, and she sucks in a sharp breath. I know she’s somewhat affected by me, but she’s bound and determined to resist it every step of the way for some damn reason.

* * *

“Take,” I call down to Dylan. I needed to climb today. The excess energy in my body is driving me crazy the closer the clock ticks down to our arranged dinner date.

Not a date.

Stop thinking of it as a date. For fuck’s sake. It’s an impregnation session. Yeah. That’s what I’ll refer to it as in my head so I don’t get too carried away. I don’t want to scare the woman away. I think I’ll be walking a fine line tonight.

“Are you ready to lower?” he calls back.

“Ready to lower.”

My feet land on the mat and Dylan loosens the rope. “You’re climbing like a machine.”

I’m distracted in my reply. “Yeah. Thanks.”

His hand lands on my shoulder and I look up at my long-time friend. “Hey. You okay?”

I blow out a breath. “Yeah. Just have a lot of nervous energy I need to burn.”

“What has you so nervous? Is it because of the inevitable phone call from your grandfather tomorrow morning?”

My grandfather. The current bane of my existence. I’m going to drag that man into the twenty-first century kicking and screaming if I have to. He’ll give the damn job to Mom or Hayley by the time I’m finished with him. “Nah, I haven’t really thought about him, but I am getting ready for a face-to-face meeting. I’ve put together a slideshow of all the women who fill CEO roles in big business as well as their achievements and what they bring to the table.” Dylan snickers. “Sarah’s coming over tonight.” I don’t need to say anything more. Understanding washes over his features.

“You’ve got this. Just keep doing what you’re doing and she’ll come around. How can she resist you? You’re perfect boyfriend material.” He squeezes my shoulder then we release our ropes.

“Thanks, man. And thanks for coming with me this afternoon. I needed this.”

“No problem.” We both collect our bags and go our separate ways in the parking lot.

I walk in the door and head straight to the shower with thoughts of what’s going to happen in a few short hours. Not gonna lie, I’ve been dying to get my hands and mouth on her sweet body. I can’t count the number of times I’ve rubbed one out in the shower to thoughts of touching that smooth skin, running my hands over her killer curves—and there I go again. My cock grows and throbs.

“You’re gonna have to wait a little longer, buddy. I don’t want to waste a single drop of my swimmers today. They’re all for Sarah.” My dick taps against my stomach at the thought of filling Sarah with my cum, seeing her round with my baby. I blow out a breath and turn the water to freezing, trying to think of something else that will help my body calm down. Ignoring my dick, I wash my hair and my body, then step out and dry off.

I’ve noticed Sarah seems to like it when I wear my Henleys, so I choose a black one and pair it with my favorite jeans. I make sure the bathroom’s tidy and do the same with my bedroom. I don’t live like a slob, but I don’t want Sarah to step in here and see any mess. I need everything to go perfectly tonight. I give one last cursory look to make sure I haven’t missed anything and then head downstairs to make sure the living room is tidy.

Once I’m happy with everything, I grab the ingredients I need and start preparing dinner. I can’t cook it in advance, but I can have everything on hand ready to go. I slice the chicken and peel the shrimp, then prepare the vegetables according to the instructions. Glancing at the time, I still have twenty minutes and too much nervous energy, so I grab a beer and head upstairs to my outdoor deck. I watch the traffic in the street as I lean on the glass and try to settle my thoughts, but they land back on Sarah like they always seem to do.

I get that her high school boyfriend hurt her when he took the promotion and left for Australia without considering her, but I wonder why she’s so determined to do this baby thing on her own. Am I hoping for something that’ll never happen between us because she only sees me as a donor and nothing more? How can I make her see me as something more? Can I make her fall for me, the way I’ve fallen for her?

I take the last sip of my beer as I see her teal Yaris park in front of my place. It’s showtime.

CHAPTER25

–sarah–

Our lackof success for the last two months has landed me on AJ’s doorstep, promising him that I’ll try thishisway. I’m not so sure it’s a good idea when he’s interested in someone else. And wasn’t that a stab to my already tender heart, finding out he’s interested in someone. I don’t know how I’m going to survive this experience with my heart intact.

I like the guy.

Reallylike him.

But he likes someone else. I need to remember that.

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