After parking my car in the street, I took a moment to look over at her house. It was located in a quiet little subdivision, lined with pine trees and white picket fences. I brought my hand up to my neck and worked the kinks out as my eyes scanned my surroundings.

There were basketball hoops with minivans filling up the driveways and a couple bicycles laying scattered in yards. Everything around me screamed family. I was so out of my comfort zone, it felt like I was on another planet. Ignoring how out of place I felt, I grabbed the bottle of wine and the flowers that were riding shotgun with me and made my way up to her front porch.

A pair of warm green eyes the color of emeralds greeted me at the door. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail hanging just past the middle of her back. I loved it when she wore her hair like that; it allowed me to better see her face. “Hey, come on in.” She smiled, opening the door wider to let me pass through.

Upon entering her house, I took a look around. The walls were covered with different pictures that documented her life, most of them being playful images of her and Tanner.

I skated my eyes casually across each photo. Something about the boy scared me to death, which was really pretty silly considering he was only seven years old and not much of a threat to my manhood.

“I can take those,” she offered, grabbing the wine and lilies I held in my hands. She placed her nose in the bouquet and smelled the flowers. “These are beautiful.”

She was dressed casually in a pair of tight skinny jeans and a long flowy white top. I liked the fact that she didn’t dress up and try to impress me. Everything about her screamed natural and organic. I would bet money she didn’t have an ounce of silicone in her body.

“You’re not afraid of dogs, are you?” she called from the kitchen as I slid into the warm leather couch.

“You’ve got a dog?” I vaguely remembered her mentioning a dog last week when we spoke. I couldn’t remember what kind of dog she had, but I read once that you could tell a lot about a person by the breed they picked.

She kicked a cabinet closed and started to pour water into a vase. “I do, but I can leave him out back if you’re not a fan.”

I wasn’t sure if this was a test, but I genuinely liked dogs, so I replied, “No, I’m good. Let him in.”

I heard the back door open and close just as a reddish-blonde, furry-haired creature came bounding toward me, tongue hanging out when he jumped on the couch, nearly knocking me over. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a golden retriever. I was expecting more of a little lapdog for some reason.

“Smuckers…down,” she scolded, pointing her finger to the floor. The dog looked up at me, tail wagging, silently pleading for help. Despite the serious intent of his owner, the dog showed no signs of leaving the couch.

I scratched the back of his soft, furry ear. I’ve always liked dogs. I was never allowed to have one growing up because my mom said they shed too much. Which I didn’t know why it was such a big deal considering we had a cleaning lady come in three times a week.

“He’s fine,” I said, continuing to scratch his head.

Chloe didn’t look convinced. “Okay, but fair warning, he’s a people person. Once you give him attention, he’ll never leave your side.”

I laughed as my new buddy snuggled up closer, giving me those droopy eyes. “I don’t mind.”

She laughed, and I was caught off guard by how relaxed and comfortable it made me feel. “Yeah, well, you might think differently once you look at your clothes and see how much he sheds.”

I found myself laughing along with her as she went back to the kitchen and poured us both a glass of wine.

Walking over, she handed me my glass then took a seat on the other side of Smuckers. Such an interesting name. “So how did he end up with a name like Smuckers?” I asked, taking a sip of my Pino. “Are you a fan of jelly?”

Chloe ran her finger along the rim of her wineglass. “He’s Tanner’s dog, so I thought he should be the one to pick the name. I’m not really sure why he picked it. I guess it just sorta suited him.”

There was a knock on the door. “That would be dinner,” she said, setting her wine down and standing up to go answer the door.

“I got it,” I said, reaching into my back pocket to pull out my wallet.

Chloe shook her head in disapproval. “No, you are my guest. I should have cooked, but I ran out of time. I ordered Chinese instead. I hope that’s okay?”

I gently nudged her out of the way as I moved toward the door. “I’ll take care of this. You’ve been working all day then had to come home and take care of your boy. Please let me pay.”

She held her hands up in mock surrender. “By all means, who am I to turn down a free meal.”

I laughed and then did something unexpected. I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “You’re adorable.” It wasn’t hot and passionate, nor was it earth-shattering. It was real and unexpected, just like her.

She smiled nervously, then grabbed the bags from the delivery guy while I took cash out of my wallet to pay.

After we finished our dinner, I helped Chloe pick up the kitchen while Smuckers stood at my leg the entire time, silently begging me for table scraps. When Chloe’s back was turned, I would sneak a piece of sesame chicken into his waiting mouth.

“It’s a beautiful night. Would you like to sit outside on the back deck?”

“I would love to.” It was in the low sixties, which was the perfect temperature for me.

I followed her as we walked through the kitchen and toward a sliding glass door. “Wow, this is pretty cool,” I said, noting the outdoor stone firepit and wicker furniture sitting on her deck.

“Thanks.” She smiled while lighting a couple Tiki torches. “We spend a lot of time out here.”

I smiled back at her while breathing in the fresh air. “I love it.”

It was dark outside, but I could see the shadows of a wooden jungle gym resting toward the back near the fence. “Does Tanner use that a lot?”

Her deep green eyes met mine. “All the time.”

Being in her home, surrounded by kids’ toys, served as a reminder of what I was potentially stepping into.

We took a seat on the wooden swing and began rocking slowly to the soft music that was playing through the Bluetooth speaker. “You really have a nice home, Chloe. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to invite me over.”

She smiled as she stared into my eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

I took a swallow of my wine and leaned a little closer. The smell of her shampoo hit my nose. It shouldn’t have been such a turn on, but with this woman, everything was.

“I love it here. It’s so different from New York,” I said, and slipped my arm around her shoulders, taking full advantage of out proximity.

“How much time do you end up spending here?”

“It depends.” My lips turned up into a grin. “But I have a feeling it’s going to be much more frequently than I have in the past.”

She either didn’t catch my hint, or she chose to ignore it. Her voice was quiet when she asked, “Do you have a lot of friends and family in New York?”

I pondered her question. Technically, that’s where my life was, but things were changing for me. Most of my close friends were now married. My family wasn’t all that big, and the only thing grounding me to New York was the company my father left me to run.

My world was definitely shifting.

I blew out a deep breath, trying to get myself to relax. “I do, but my friends aren’t getting any younger. Everyone is starting to move on with their lives.” I hesitated, feeling nervous and uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation. “I was an only child, so there isn’t much family. It’s basically just me and my mom and few relatives.”

“Were you and your dad close?”

This wasn’t something I normally talked about with anyone, but with her, I just couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“We were very close. Even though he was a busy man and traveled away more than I liked, he always did his best to be there when he could. As far as role models go, I couldn’t ask for anyone better. He taught me a lot about being a man and encouraged me to take risks. I think that’s where my confidence comes from.” I was starting to get choked up. There was no denying that my loss was still pretty raw. I missed him now more than ever.

Chloe reached for my hand. Her face softened; she had no idea how beautiful she was. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be on you.”

I gave her fingers a squeeze. “I have my moments.” I took a sip of my wine. Talking to her was way too easy. “But I have to admit, it also helps to keep busy.”

“What about your mom? Do you guys have a good relationship too?”

I pulled on the collar of my polo shirt, averting my gaze from hers. “My relationship with my mother is a bit more complicated, and I’d need more than one bottle of wine to get through that conversation.”

She looked down at our joined hands. “We’ll save that topic for a rainy day then.”

I liked that she didn’t push me to talk about it more. I wanted to ask her about her family. About Tanner’s dad, but the thought of kissing her and finding out what she tasted like was more appealing. I didn’t do well with heavy conversation, to begin with, and I opened up to her more than I did with anyone else since the funeral, and that said a lot.

I reached over and slid my hand up the back of her neck. She was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. I didn’t deserve a girl like her. Her kindness and sincerity took her out of my league. I had no business touching her, but I didn’t have the strength to stop myself either.

“You’re perfect, you know that?”

She stared at me for a beat too long. She seemed unsure about herself. “I’m far from perfect, Jack.”

I pulled her toward me. Her words were definitely not going to do, and they certainly weren’t going to stop what happened next.

I brushed my lips against hers. They were soft and warm, just like her. “You’re perfect for me, and that’s all that matters.”

When she sighed, I took that as my opening. I could taste the wine on her tongue every time it met mine as she applied the right amount of pressure.

She brought the pads of her fingers against my cheek. “You’re not so bad your self.”

My hands slid down her back and along her hips, loving every dip and curve that they discovered.

“Do you feel that?” I asked against her lips. “The charge between us. The connection.”

Never in my life have I been brought to so much pleasure from one single kiss. My mouth and my hands were on a journey of their own.

“Is this what you wanted, Chloe? For me to kiss you like this?”

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted.” Her lips moved up to my ear as her fingers threaded through my hair. “But now that I’m kissing you, I don’t want to stop.”

My pulse raced. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to fuck this up. My muscles were aching as my mind battled for control. I plowed my tongue deeper into her mouth like it was the first and last time I would ever kiss her again.

I very carefully slid my fingers to the underside of her breast. Her body jumped at the slightest touch from my hands. “Chloe, how far do you want me to go?”

My words caused her to go still. It felt like we were sitting in the dark and someone just flicked on the lights.

She pulled back and rested her hands on my chest. I watched her in silence, afraid to take my eyes away from hers. Whatever doubts she was having, I wanted them gone.

“Hey,” I said, tilting her chin up with my finger. Her lips were swollen from our kiss, and she looked so vulnerable that it made my chest tight. “I didn’t come here tonight with any expectations.”

“You’re not mad at me for pulling away?”

“Of course not.” I took her hand in mine and dropped it on my leg. I laced our fingers together. “If it makes you feel any better. I’m trying to wrap my head around that kiss too. It was a little intense.” I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m not going to lie; I would have liked it to continue, but I think it was probably best that we stopped.”

“You do?”

I brought my free hand up to her mouth and ran my thumb along her bottom lip. “We got caught up in the moment,” I whispered. “But I’m a patient man, Chloe. Especially when it comes to getting something I want. And you’re not just something I want, but you’re also worth the wait.”

Every impulse in my body wanted to lay her down on the wooden deck and show her how good we could be together, but I needed to keep a level head here. She wasn’t just a random fuck, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure how to handle a woman. Normally, it was just about the sexual conquest, but with Chloe, it was so much more than that.

Her stare never wavered from mine. “Thank you for being patient with me.” She leaned in and brushed the softest kiss against my mouth. “And for making me feel better.’

A laugh slipped out of me. “Sweetheart, we stopped way too short of the many things that I am capable of doing to make you feel better,” I said teasingly.

She brought her head down to my shoulder. A protectiveness swept over me, and my heart began to pound erratically in my chest. “I don’t know what it is about you, but there’s something happening between us. I know you feel it.” I exhaled deeply. The truth was, I knew all the reasons why this shouldn’t be happening, but I’ve never felt anything like this before. “When I’m with you, you make me want to forget all my rules. You make me forget who I’m supposed to be.”

“Jack, can I be honest?” I nodded my head and tried to seem casual, but my heart was racing. “You scare me. I’m afraid after you’re done with me, I won’t be able to walk away.”

“What do you mean when I’m done with you?’

She looked up at me through her long lashes. “You’re used to fast and easy. And I’m slow and complicated. You’re saying all the right things and making me feel something in a way I haven’t felt in a long time, and we barely know each other. I know you like to keep things casual, and I’m afraid that I will end up wanting more.” I saw something flash across her eyes. “My heart wants to throw caution to the wind, but my head is telling me to play it safe and slow.”

I stared at her, trying to decipher everything she just said. How was I even supposed to respond? Yes, I avoided commitments. Yes, I had a past, but the problem was that she wasn’t just a one-night stand. She knew it, and I knew it. So where did that leave us? The only thing I was familiar with was the physical contact of a woman. Dealing with emotions was a foreign concept to me. Could we possibly have something in-between? Maybe build off of that and see what happened?

I ran a hand through her hair. “I know things are going to get complicated, but I know if I don’t pursue this, I’ll regret it. I can’t make you any promises. I can’t guarantee what will happen tomorrow. All I’m asking is that you take a chance on us and see what happens.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

I slid my hand up to her shoulders and then down along her arm. Her soft skin heated under my touch. “No, sweetheart. It’s going to be hard and different for both of us. But I want you, Chloe, really want you. Let’s not overcomplicate things. Go out with me tomorrow night, on a real date. Please.”

She exhaled a shaky breath, while it felt like mine was trapped inside my body, waiting for her answer. “Okay, Jack. I’ll go out with you tomorrow.” She gave me a smile that was packed with so much tenderness that I felt it sneak over that protective wall I had around my heart. “And who knows,” she said with her eyes completely fixed on mine. “Maybe it will turn into something more.” She shook her head. “Or maybe it won’t. But at least we took the chance.”