Page 47 of Fabulous Filthy Friend

She raises an eyebrow at me. “Why not?”

“Because…”

“Because I’m a mom? Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy good sex. And let me tell you, Cade—”

I throw up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I still have to look him in the eye, you know.”

She chuckles and climbs from the bed. “Are you awake enough to get out of bed and come to brunch with me?”

“Don’t you have the kids?”

“Nah. Let them have some time with Daddy so we can have a mimosa or two.”

As much as I’d love to stay in bed all day, a mimosa does sound good. My stomach rumbles. And some pancakes and hash browns wouldn’t be bad, either.

I toss off the covers, set my mug onto the nightstand, and slide from bed. “Give me five minutes to change.”

She leans against the wall with her mug. “So, are you going to give Dan another chance to stoke a flame?”

I grab a pair of jeans and tug them on. “We’ll see what happens.”

When Dan dropped me off last night, he didn’t even attempt to make a move. We parted with a short, almost chaste kiss that left me craving more…but not necessarily from him. Hence my late-night log-on to the HRD4U site.

Could Dan really cut it? Could there really ever be a flame there?

Or will the spark just fizzle out like all the other ones?

12

FLYNN

Our waitress returns and refills my coffee for the third time. The steam rising up from it gives me something to look at besides Mom. After my run-in with Father Lafayette, I can’t even seem to look at her without my stomach turning slightly.

When you can’t even look your own mother in the eye, you know it’s bad.

Shit.

This might be the end of my career as HRD4U. He has been such a good thing for me, and he never got in the way of my relationship with Mom…until now.

And I don’t want anything between us.

Leaving him behind would solve a lot of problems, but that doesn’t feel right, either. Even if I didn’t need the money, I still enjoy doing it. Or at least, I did, before the guilt showed up and became overwhelming.

It makes other people happy. I like doing that. And it gives me something else to keep me occupied instead of dwelling on my unrequited love for Rachel. I don’t want to give it up, which means I need to figure out a way to get over whatever this is, just like I’m figuring out a way to get over my feelings for Rachel. Slowly. And maybe not well. But I’m trying.

“Earth to Flynn.”

“What?” I meet Mom’s eyes and can’t miss the concern in them.

Moms never stop worrying about their kids, even when they’re adults. I’ve done my best to keep from doing anything that would cause her to have to be concerned for my well-being, but it appears I’ve failed miserably.

She chuckles. “Where did you go just now?”

I shrug and take a sip of the hot coffee. “I’m here.”

Sort of.

She laughs again, but it sounds forced. The apprehension lingering behind it makes her smile falter. “If you say so.”

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