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  Jeremy had promised Laila he was going to savor her, and he intended to keep that promise to the best of his abilities. That meant he was going to have to fight the urge to just take her right now, though she was making that difficult with the way she wrapped her body around his. Finally, he pulled up, gasping for air when their lips broke apart. He wasn’t expecting it, but Laila took the break in kissing to press her hand to the center of his chest and push Jeremy back on the bed. It took him off guard when she moved to slide her lips over the length of his cock, sending a shudder through his entire frame, but he gave into the feelings washing over him. He began threading his fingers through her hair the way she’d done when he’d been kissing her stomach. He wanted to give her free rein to do whatever she wanted, and he planned to enjoy every minute of it.

  They continued on like this for what might have seemed like a small eternity, both of them taking turns exploring the other with hands and mouths. It was something Jeremy hadn’t experienced for a very long time. He’d been famous at one point of his life, and he had had the opportunity to be with a lot of women, though he’d turned them down. Since his marriage had ended, there hadn’t been anyone before Laila, and he was so damned glad he waited. Everything with her just felt right, her hands on his skin, his lips on hers. It all just seemed to fit perfectly.

  Jeremy had completely lost any sense of time since they’d come upstairs. There was something a little surreal about the power being out and the only light being the flickering candle that was slowly dwindling at the far end of the room. The chilled air didn’t stop the fact that both of them were generating more than their fair share of body heat. It had gotten to the point that he’d started to work up a sweat when he grabbed Laila’s hips to pull her on top of him, and landed a sharp slap on the curve of her ass. The sound that echoed around the room was satisfying, but not as satisfying as the sound it dragged out of her. He filed it away in the back of his mind that she enjoyed that in case he was ever going to need it again as he used his hand to guide her across his lap.

  “I told you I was going to savor you, Laila.” Simultaneously, he centered himself, moving along with her until their bodies met somewhere in the middle.

  He was honestly surprised how well the two of them fit together. There was something about the way even her hips slotted into his. They moved in unison, though in this position, Laila was the one who was in control. She set the pace, and everything he did was controlled by her reaction to his motions. He took the opportunity to let his hands roam along the lines of her curves again, his thumbs drifting in tight circles around her nipples as he felt them pebble and harden beneath his touch, dragging a soft moan from her parted lips. Her eagerness lit a fire in his desire and he was like a runaway train. That was all the encouragement he needed to pick up the pace until it was too intense for him to keep up from this position.

  Quickly, Jeremy wrapped his arms around Laila’s waist, flipping her over onto her back as he settled himself between her thighs one more time. Laila’s legs wrapped around him, pulling him back into her heat as she let out another soft moan. Jeremy wasn’t going to be able to hold himself back much longer. At least he was certain that she’d orgasmed more than once tonight. That much had been obvious. They were totally enjoying themselves, but it was drawing to a close as he felt himself begin to lose control of the careful pace he’d set up until now. It was way too easy to get lost in her; the way their bodies fit together like gloves and in the way she cried out with every forward slam of his hips that pinned her onto the bed.

  The final straw was when she fell apart under him. Laila was clearly enjoying this just as much as he was, as her body clenched and spasmed around him. That was all he could take. The tension in his stomach was wound to a tight knot, and it completely unwound as he felt the world collapse around them. His vision swam as he cried out her name. The only thing Jeremy could feel was the way her fingers dug into his back as they rode out their climaxes together.

  Finally, they wound up tangled in each other’s arms, Laila’s back pressed into his chest as he buried his face in her hair. He wasn’t sure what time it was when they finally went to sleep, but between the blankets and the woman in his arms, he’d entirely forgotten the cold.

  Chapter Seven

  Laila

  Laila woke up alone the following Sunday morning to the sound of her alarm clock. It was a jarring way to wake up on the weekend, definitely not something that she was used to, but she had promised Jeremy that she would do him a favor.

  Things had been a little weird between them since that fateful freezing night they had spent together. It had been an encounter most people only dream of, but it had also been something of a strain on the friendship Laila and Jeremy had built. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but she did know that night had changed things for better or for worse. She’d been trying to tell herself that she could be cool enough to do this ‘friends with benefits’ thing if that was all he wanted, but she really didn’t know if she had that in her or not.

  They’d both had a lot going on since that night. He was pretty stressed at work and would have to go in on his Sunday with Jesse. She offered to help him out by babysitting and that seemed to ease the pressure a bit. She wasn’t sure if it was his job, or the big corner they’d turned by having sex, but something was definitely different.

  Laila had run through all of the possibilities a million times, and knew she was totally overthinking it. With a sinking feeling, she faced the fact that it was definitely getting to be time to sort out her feelings and then have that big discussion with him.

  The only thing she knew for certain was that she was definitely not looking forward to today. This was the day she was going to have to meet Jesse’s mother, and Jeremy’s ex for the first time. There was no way around it. She wanted to help Jeremy out, and he wouldn’t be back from work before Stephanie was scheduled to pick Jesse up. This meeting was probably going to happen sooner or later, so she just had to face her fears and push through it.

  Jesse was just about the same age as most of the kids she worked with on a daily basis. That meant she had a pretty good idea of how he probably operated, and a Sunday morning spent eating pancakes in front of the television with his favorite cartoons was exactly what she had planned. Laila had just about an hour before Jeremy was supposed to be leaving to get ready and head over there. By the time she walked across the lot, he was waiting for her in the doorway.

  Laila walked up to Jeremy on the sidewalk outside of his house, trying to put on her best smile as she approached him. At least she could hold down a civil conversation without too much awkwardness with the guy she’d just slept with. That would be a pretty grown-up thing to do.

  “Hi, Jer.” She slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans trying to look nonchalant. The morning air was brisk and chilly. It always was this time of year, but at least it wasn’t as frigid as it had been this time a week ago.

  Jeremy returned her smile. Maybe this was a sign that things between them were looking up. Perhaps they could return to something like the friendship they had before if not more.

  “Hi, Laila. Jesse is inside watching TV. I made him some breakfast and already told him goodbye, so he should be good to go. He was actually pretty excited that you were going to be his baby sitter again.”

  Laila managed a soft laugh and a nod. “He’s a pretty awesome guy, so is his dad.”

  Jeremy’s face took on a kind of serious expression like he was about to say something significant, though the next thing out of his mouth was just more instructions about babysitting.

  “Steph will be here around noon to pick him up, so you won’t need to cook for him or anything. Thanks a lot for doing this for me. I hated asking you to do this, but an issue came up with one of the players and it’s something we’ve got to work out this weekend. Otherwise, next week is going to be impossible.”

  Laila just nodded again. She understood work taking priority better than most p
eople. She’d spent more than her fair share of evenings grading papers and Sunday evenings making sure that things were in line for the next week of work, though she wasn’t sure how she felt about Jeremy changing the tone of the conversation like that.

  “Listen, it’s no big deal. I take care of kids his age for a living. I can spend a few hours on a Sunday morning covering for a friend. I don’t mind at all. Just take care of everything at work. I’ll lock up after Stephanie comes to pick him up, and I’ll be over at my place if you need anything, okay?”

  It was Laila’s way of giving him an invitation to come over and actually talk to her if he wanted, but she didn’t know if he was going to take the offer or not. Jeremy just nodded, palming the keys that had been hanging off his index finger as he took a step towards the parking lot.

  “I might just take you up on that. I’ll see you in a bit. Thanks again.” Jeremy turned to walk towards his car, leaving Laila behind to head into his apartment. She had a set of spare keys to the place in her own pocket since she was the only other person who he really knew in the complex.

  Laila really was looking forward to spending the morning with Jesse, but she was uncertain about how things were going between her and Jeremy. She was already kicking herself for taking things too far the night of the snowstorm and ruining a friendship that was quickly becoming one of the most important relationships she’d ever had in her life. For now, all she could do was move on with her day and hope that things weren’t broken beyond repair.

  ❖

  It was nearly lunch time and Laila was expecting Stephanie any time now. She shrugged off an instinctual rush of anxiety and then remembered that she had nothing to worry about. Jesse seemed like a great kid, so he must have had a couple of great parents looking after him.

  Jesse and Laila had spent the morning together working on some macaroni art while they watched cartoons on the living room floor. She was already wearing a necklace made of noodles painted in a rainbow of colors — one of the kid’s creations — and they were working on one for Stephanie when she heard a knock at the door. A quick glance through the peephole confirmed that there was a woman in her mid-thirties on the other side of the door, one who held a remarkable resemblance to the child playing on the floor behind her. Opening the door, she was expecting an awkward, yet hopefully pleasant interaction.

  The look on the other woman’s face wasn’t exactly what Laila had been expecting, but she only had a moment to take it in before Jesse came running up from behind her to latch onto the waist of the woman waiting there.

  “Mommy!”

  That exclamation cleared up any remaining doubts Laila might have had about who she’d just opened the door to. Laila had to admit that seeing Stephanie there in person was a lot more intimidating than she’d imagined. Stephanie was gorgeous and exactly what you’d have imagined a professional baseball player’s wife would look like. Tall, with long blonde hair that curled around her shoulders, she was dressed to the nines, and it made Laila immediately feel self-conscious about her jeans and sweatshirt.

  Laila knew she should have spoken, but she couldn’t make the words form in time to address Stephanie before the taller woman had her hand out introducing herself.

  “Hi, I’m Stephanie, and I’m guessing you’re Laila. I’ve heard a lot about you from Jesse here.” Laila reached out and shook her hand, not quite sure how to respond. “Thanks, I’ve heard a lot about you, too.” Her mind raced between the things she’d actually heard about this woman and the necessity of keeping things polite.

  “Jesse, why don’t you go get your stuff packed up, and Mommy will be waiting for you? I have a few things to talk about with Miss Laila, so you don’t have to be in any hurry.” Laila was a little caught off guard, and she was certain that it didn’t sound good for her. Jesse rushed off to pack his bags, leaving the two of them alone.

  Laila was absolutely not prepared in the slightest for what was about to come out of Stephanie’s mouth. It was disconcerting because she kept her tone even as if they were just having a normal conversation. If someone else had been in the room out of earshot, they would have assumed the two women were talking about the weather. That made it even more surreal, as the other woman’s words were venomous and clearly intended to sting.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, but I’m not entirely certain I trust it all. I know you’re a teacher, and I know you’re practically a college student, if not much older. I can’t tell you what the hell Jeremy is thinking. I’m just going to chalk it up to a midlife post-divorce crisis of some sort. As far as I know, my son doesn’t have any idea that the two of you have been hooking up, and I’d sure as hell like to keep it that way. Do you understand?”

  Laila could only blink for a moment. She had no idea how she was supposed to respond, or how Stephanie might have guessed what happened between her and Jeremy. Maybe he’d told her. Maybe there was still something going on between them. Laila really had no idea, and she had this sinking feeling that it wasn’t even her place to ask.

  “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about” she snapped. It was the only reply Laila could come up with on the spot. In the end, it wasn’t really any of Stephanie’s business what Laila and Jeremy did with their free time, though Laila wasn’t going to find the courage to tell her that right now.

  “I’m sure you don’t. Listen, I don’t care what Jeremy gets up to. He’s a grown ass man, and he sure as hell hasn’t ever listened to me when I gave him any advice. It’s probably the reason the two of us were never going to work out once he got off the road and out of the game full time. But, I’m not blind, and when it comes to my son, there isn’t anything I’m not going to do to protect him, even if it’s just from being let down by whatever flavor of the week his father decides to drag through his life.”

  Laila was in shock, and it was hard to hide. Clearly Stephanie had the advantage because this little speech had been all planned out. There wasn’t even time to come up with a reply, because that’s when Jesse came running back into the room with his suitcase in tow behind him.

  “I’m ready, Mommy!” He paused at Laila’s side, the sweet little hug he shared with her gave her something to do while she gained her composure. The duality of this woman’s vile attitude and the innocence of her son was staggering. “Thank you for watching me, Miss Laila. Tell Daddy I said bye?” He looked up at her with an expectant expression.

  She found her voice and said “of course!” as she tousled his hair the way she always did, and then they were out the door.

  Clearly, Stephanie was used to talking to people this way, leaving her feeling scolded and diminished as she waltzed off to her car triumphantly holding Jesse’s hand. In a moment that sent chills down her spine, Laila saw Stephanie stop to turn around and give her one of the sickest smiles she had ever seen in her life. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  Feeling shaken, Laila began to second guess everything that had happened, not just today, but during the last few weeks as well. Waves of regret began to wash over her, and the longer she stood there, the harder it slammed into her. The only thing left to do was to lock up the apartment, pocket the keys, and head over to her own place for the rest of the day. She had a lot to process and she definitely wasn't looking forward to it.

  Chapter Eight

  Jeremy

  The Sunday morning meeting dragged on seemingly forever until Jeremy was finally free to leave. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to deal with players that thought they were in the majors when they were barely good enough to be in the minors. Besides, he knew better than most that that kind of prima donna attitude wasn’t going to fly especially in the big leagues. In the end, it had come down to the owner of the league telling one of the players that he could get his act together or hit the road. It was this kind of ego-driven drama that Jeremy hated about the game the most, and the sooner he could get back to his home life, the better.

  Once it was over, he hurried out to his car. He
took a deep sigh and mentally tried to make the switch from work drama to whatever was going on in his personal life. He looked at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. That meant he had definitely missed Stephanie dropping by to pick up Jesse. That held a mixed bag of emotions for him. On one hand, he wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to see his ex-wife. On the other hand, he hated the fact that he hadn’t got to spend every minute he possibly could have with Jesse. At least Laila had been there. Jesse liked her, and Jeremy trusted her. It was the best possible alternative to Jeremy actually being there himself.

  Things between them had been a little awkward since the snowstorm incident, though he knew the risk it would pose on their friendship long before it ever happened. Jeremy wasn’t the type of guy to just hook up with a girl and then disappear, and he wasn’t intending to do that right now. However, he also wasn’t certain that he was ready for a full on relationship either. He was still hurting from the marriage he’d just gotten out of, and moreover, he had Jesse to think about. There was no way he was going to parade a series of women in front of him. In fact, he wasn’t going to let the little guy know that he was even seeing someone until he was damned sure it was serious. The fact that he let Jesse meet Laila showed just how much he trusted her, though he had no idea where their friendship might be going.

  Now, he had a lot to think about. Laila was so much younger than he was — twenty-five to his thirty-five. He had no way of knowing if she was even interested in a relationship. She was still trying to find her way after her last breakup. In fact, she was even fresher off of it than he was, and since her ex-boyfriend had shown up at her place at the beginning of the snowstorm, it was obvious he wasn’t entirely over it. He had no way of knowing if Laila was. It was clearly getting to be time for an honest discussion to cover all of these issues, regardless of how hard it might be.