With flaming cheeks, I hurry downstairs to get breakfast after having taken a quick shower. Now there’s some distance between Kristian and myself, my mind feels all jumbled and confused. I can’t believe I promised to give him a blowjob later.

It’s like he’s taken control over me already—something I’ve vowed never to allow any man to do again—and it unsettles me. Makes me feel vulnerable.

“Good morning,” Mum calls out softly as I walk into the kitchen.

“Morning,” I mumble as I sit down next to Ailith. She gives me a smile before she turns back to her book—Harry Potter this time—and I can’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief when she doesn’t seem not to notice the way I look. While the swelling of my lips has subsided, they still feel bruised.

Used.

As if I’ve spent the whole night fucking, which I have.

Mum places some toast before me and when I sneak a peek at her, I cringe inwardly at her wide eyes.

“Sleep well, Laura?” she asks as the surprise is replaced with suspicion.

“Mm-hmm,” I murmur as I butter my toast. Hoping to distract her, I take a big gulp of coffee, burning my tongue in the process.

“I see,” she murmurs as I do my best to appear normal.

“Ailith, will you help me feed the horses again?” I ask and turn to my daughter.

“Sure, Mummy,” she mumbles, completely absorbed in her book. For once, I wish she wasn’t such a bookworm, but then again, maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she won’t notice how strange I look.

Because I know I definitely look different from usual.

“Eat up, girls,” Mum’s brisk voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Lise is stopping by later to take Daffodil out for the first time, and I need to run some errands before she arrives. Is that okay?”

I nod, grateful that she isn’t going into Third Degree Mode.

“Sure, no problem.”

“What’s that on your wrist, Mummy?”

I smile as I push up my sleeve and show Ailith my tattoo.

“Wow,” she breathes, awe in her voice, as a wide smile breaks across her face. With shining eyes, she leans into my side. “That’s beautiful. Did Kristian do it?”

At the sound of his name, a cacophony of butterflies starts to swarm in my tummy.

“He did, yes.”

Softly, she traces the words underneath the clear bandage.

“Does it hurt?” Mum asks quietly.

I shrug and glance at her as she sits down on the bench across from us, waving her hand at me. I reach my arm over the table and she gently puts her hands around my wrist, careful not to touch the tattoo.

“Not really,” I shrug. “It stings a little, but nothing I can’t handle. Kristian said that it should stop in a couple of days.”

Mum smiles softly and tilts her head at me. I narrow my eyes when I notice the teasing glint in them.

“Is he joining us for breakfast?”

I pull a frown and take a bite of my toast.

“I don’t know,” I hedge, “I haven’t spoken with him since yesterday.”

“Haven’t you?” Mum murmurs.

“No,” I grit my teeth as a traitorous blush creeps up my neck.

She releases my arm and nods brusquely at me.

“Well, text him, then. We did promise him food and board while he lives here.”

My mind is screaming at me to wait, that I need more time until I see him again, but I can’t come up with a reason to refuse, so I take my phone and swipe the screen.

Carefully, I place the phone on my thigh as I wait for him to reply

I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to mask my gasp with a cough. Quickly, I text him back.

It doesn’t take him long to reply.

“He’s on his way,” I murmur to Mum and glance at her.

“Are you okay? You look a little flushed.”

I shake my head slowly at her teasing smile. She’s on to me. I just know it.

“I’m fine.”

She winks at me and I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes at her. While we wait for Kristian to arrive, I turn to Ailith, asking her about her book even though I can’t focus on her. As the seconds tick by, I wonder if I’ll be able to act natural around him.

It dawns on me that despite him opening up to me yesterday, I still don’t know much about Kristian. The fact that, despite us having slept together, we’re practically strangers, makes me resolved to grill him a little bit. I can’t start a relationship with a man I hardly know, especially when there’s not just me to consider.

Ailith—she’s what matters to me. I can’t introduce a new man as my boyfriend without having some more information about him first. That would make me a bad mother—an irresponsible one—and I’ve vowed never to let her down again.

I’m not about to start now.

* * *

As I open the back door to the kitchen, there’s a lightness in my heart that I haven’t felt in so long, but there’s a smidgen of nerves as well. I do my best to tamp them down, focussing on the only thing that matters—that I get to see Laura again so soon.

While I doubt that she’s made up her mind about my wish to date her, I have to admit that I’ve missed her ever since she left me an hour ago.

I couldn’t even fall asleep again, and that’s a first.

“Morning,” I rumble as I close the door and remove my boots. I doubt Wenn will look kindly on my dirty footwear if I don’t, and I know it’s important to get on good terms with her.

She stands up and nods in satisfaction, confirming my hunch.

“Good morning. Please, sit down, have some coffee. I’ll make some more toast.”

I nod in thanks and walk slowly towards Laura and Ailith. Both of them look at me from their seat at the long, wooden bench, and I wink at Laura as she nibbles on her lips.

Fuck. She looks just as gorgeous as she did when she left me.

I glance quickly at Wenn at the kitchen counter, her back to us, and trail a finger down Laura’s slender neck as I walk past her to sit next to Ailith. I’m aching to touch her, but I don’t want to come across too strong. And I don’t want Ailith to become suspicious of our relationship.

The shiver that runs through her makes me smile, but I suppress the need to tease her anymore.

“Good morning, Ailith,” I smile at her as I sit down. “What are you reading now?”

She beams at me and shows me the front of her book, making my smile widen when I read the title.

“I love Harry Potter,” I tell her as I place my arms on the table. The guarded expression in Laura’s eyes doesn’t make me too happy, but I guess it’s only natural.

“You do?”

Ailith’s excited voice draws my attention back to her.

“Yep. He kicks ar..um, I mean, butt.”

Shit. Best watch my mouth from now on.

The amused smile along with the small headshake Laura sends my way makes a thrill run through me.

“He so does!”

I look back at Ailith and wink at her.

“Here you go,” Wenn says as she places a plate, with a mountain of toast on, in front of me.

“Thank you.”

How the hell am I going to get through all of this?

“I hope you’re still happy with the flat?” she proceeds to ask as she sits down in front of me.

“Oh, yes, it’s great,” I smile and butter the first piece of toast.

“And the bed doesn’t squeak, does it?” she prompts.

I shake my head, unable to stop myself from grinning.

“Nope, definitely not.” I turn back to Ailith. “So, you’re still on your holiday, aren’t you? When are you going back to school?”

She sits up straighter in her seat, her book forgotten for now.

“I think it’s in three weeks, isn’t it, Mummy?”

I glance at Laura as she nods.

“Yes.”

I bite down on my toast and shuffle in my seat so I can give Ailith my full attention. The need to show Laura that I know Ailith comes first, that they’re a package deal, is at the forefront of my mind—it has been since she left me earlier. Despite my lack of experience when it comes to dating single mothers, I’m not a fool, and spending the best part of my youth with my mum taught me a thing or two.

Showing Laura that I realise getting to know her means that I need to make an effort with her daughter as well is paramount. And from what I have seen of Ailith so far, it will be easy—so bloody easy—to find myself caring for her just as much as I care for her mother.

“Do you like school?”

As Ailith starts to tell me about her favourite classes—English and Music—and her best friends, Maria and Cate, I do my best not to stare at Laura too often.

She makes it pretty bloody difficult, though, and she doesn’t even know it. Whenever she moves in her seat, my eyes are drawn to her. I watch as the tension in her body seeps away while she settles in to listen to her daughter telling me about her life. I have to concentrate on Ailith’s chatter when Laura licks off a crumb from her lips, her pink tongue tempting me to kiss her senseless as blood rushes down to settle in my lap.

I can’t wait to kiss her again.

Once there is a lull in the conversation, I look at Wenn.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t eat any more,” I apologise.

She waves a hand at me.

“Oh, that’s okay. I always make too much when we have guests.”

I wipe my hands and mouth on a napkin, relieved she doesn’t seem offended.

Ailith smiles at me and finishes off her breakfast. I turn my eyes to Laura when she stands up and leaves her seat.

“So, Laura, what are your plans today?”

She purses her lips.

“Well, Ailith and I are off to feed the horses, and then I have a mountain of paperwork to sort through.” She runs a hand through Ailith’s curls as she smiles down at her. “And then I’m driving you to Cat’s house later, remember? Tonight’s your sleepover.”

I look at Ailith when she squeals in excitement. I can’t help but grin—it’s infectious—but when Laura lets out a carefree laugh, my head snaps in her direction, mesmerised. Fuck. Me. Now that I know that Laura will be relieved of her mummy duties tonight, anticipation soars through me.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

“And I have some errands to run before your aunt arrives later.” I wrench my eyes away from Laura and blink at Wenn. The secretive smile on her face makes me swallow. I need to distract her, and quick, and then an idea forms in my mind.

Turning in my seat, I give her a disarming smile.

“Actually, I need to head to town and pick up my new car. I had planned to wait around for Lise, but would you mind giving me a lift this morning? Then I can head to the tattoo shop early and get some things done. It would be a great help.”

And the sooner I get back, the sooner I’ll see Laura again.

Fuck, I sound like a lovesick fool already.

She shakes her head.

“Not at all. I’d like the company, actually.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll see you later, Kristian.” Ailith beams at me as she closes her book and throws her leg over the bench. When her arms flail, I spring forward, catching her before she falls flat on her arse.

“Phew! That was close,” she mutters, scrunching up her nose just like Laura does. It’s adorable. “Thanks for not letting me fall, Kristian.”

“You’re welcome, girlie. Enjoy your day.”

“I’ll just fetch my handbag, and then we can go,” Wenn says and leaves the kitchen. Slowly, I stand and take the few steps that separate me from Laura. She glances warily at me, but remains quiet as she loads the dishwasher. I look over my shoulder at Ailith, who’s sitting next to Sally at the other end of the kitchen, well out of reach. The sight of her cooing at the animal makes me smile, and confident that she won’t pay attention to us, I take another step closer to Laura.

I grin playfully at her as I bend down to whisper in her ear. Her body locks in place as I breathe in her scent.

“I can still taste you,” I murmur. “I can’t wait to see you again later. To feel your perfect, pink lips around my cock.”

“Kristian,” she shushes me, making me grin as I lean away to catch her eyes. Her one hand is fisted at her side while the other is gripped tightly on the counter, her knuckles turning whiter by the second. I blink innocently at her.

“What?”

“You can’t say stuff like that to me,” she whispers.

“Oh, okay.” As if lost in thought, I tuck a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and then purse my lips at her. “Actually, why not?”

The alarm in her eyes makes my smile widen. It’s kind of fun to tease her.

“It’s all just too much. My bloody hormones can’t take it—if you keep it up, I think my ovaries will explode.”

I bark out a laugh and trail my fingers down her arm until I reach her fingers, linking our hands together. She tries to pull free, but I won’t let her.

“So. Fucking. Cute,” I whisper before I lift our linked hands and place a light kiss on her knuckles while I keep my eyes locked on hers. The longer we stare at each other, the more her pupils start to darken, stirring the need I have for her. I know she feels the same way. I can feel it—if only she weren’t so bloody stubborn.

Though, I have to admit, her stubbornness is part of her charm.

Vaguely, I hear hurried steps coming from the hall, and this time when Laura tugs her hand, I release it.

“Text me later?” I murmur and take a step back.

No sooner have the words left my lips than our small bubble of privacy is burst. Trying to keep my thoughts hidden, I school my lips into a friendly smile at Wenn when she re-enters the kitchen. Ailith jumps up from her place next to Sally and runs to her grandmother to take her hand.

“Right, let’s get going, shall we?” Wenn says and raises her eyebrows expectantly at me.

I take a step to the side, gesturing with my arm that she should go first, before I nod once at Laura. I try to mask my disappointment that she hasn’t answered me yet, but it’s not easy.

“I will.”

Her whisper is so low, for a second I thought I imagined hearing it, but when her eyes warm, I can’t stop the happy smile from forming on my lips.

I wish I was free to kiss her goodbye, but I know that it’ll be a long time before she’s comfortable with that kind of PDA. It doesn’t make my desire for her disappear, though.

In fact, I’m sure I’ll be walking around all day sporting a semi, thinking about the pleasure that is to come.

Shit.