Page 47 of Mother Pucker

Kai nods. “Yup, sometimes she wears a wig. The only reason I know she’s actually blonde is because I’ve seen her take the wig off.”

Shayla shakes her head. “Actually, I think her natural hair color is red.”

“Wow,” I say, not knowing how to respond, and finding everything about Shay–from how she lost her parents at a young age, to how she was raised by her eccentric stepmom, to how she moved across the country to fulfill a pact with her best friends–simply fascinating.

Despite the fact that she’s had to deal with so much loss in her life–her parents and her husband–she’s fiercely loyal to those who are still a part of it.

And a lack of loyalty is one thing I know too much about. One thing I wish I knew nothing about.

Once Shayla is done with slicing the potatoes, I add them to the air fryer. We chat more about family and their life in California before I put the turkey patties in too for a few minutes while I heat up the whole grain buns.

Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting down to eat at my dining table with our assembled burgers in hand.

It’s crazy what one can learn about people by the way they assemble their burgers. For example, I learned that Shay hates ketchup. And it has nothing to do with the amount of sugar in the ketchup–because I got unsweetened ketchup for her–but because she doesn’t like the taste of it. I also learned that Kai likes all his toppings on the side and only cheese with his burger. Then he likes to eat around the bun before he eats all the vegetables.

“This is delicious!” he mumbles around his bite.

Shayla eyes him wearily. “Kai, don’t talk with food in your mouth, sweetheart. You could choke.”

Kai’s shoulders deflate a little, but he perks back up, finishing his bite. “Okay, Mom.”

I get the feeling he’s used to Shayla hovering over him, but I love that he seems to take it in stride. He still lets his mom know what he wants, but he lets her win some of the battles, too.

Shayla smiles at him before addressing me, “This really is good, Rowan. I’m seriously impressed. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had French fries.”

“I guess I’ll have to continue to press your limits.” I wink at her. “Maybe I can get you to break a few more of your self-imposed rules.”

She tucks her bottom lip into her mouth, looking down at her food, but it’s clear she got my gist.

At one point during our conversation, Kai takes a break to go to the bathroom, leaving me and Shay alone.

I’ve just heard the bathroom door shut when I pull her toward me. She leans in easily as I take her mouth with mine. Fuck, I’d already missed it, and it’s only been two days.

She braces her hand on my shoulder, falling into our kiss, and I swirl my tongue inside, tasting her thoroughly. Shay wiggles in her seat like she’s rubbing her thighs together, trying to ease the want starting there. I bet if I was to place a finger in between her folds, she’d be dripping for me, too.

I curl my hand around her neck, my thumb fluttering over the tattoos behind her ear, deepening our connection. My breaths come out ragged. “Fuck, baby, I can’t wait to devour you from head to toe. I can’t wait until tomorrow . . . come back over later.”

I swallow the moan that leaves her lips, kissing her as thoroughly as I can before we break our connection.

“I can’t,” she whispers against my lips. “I’ve got smutty book club with my friends tonight.”

I give her a lopsided grin. “I don’t really know what that means, but I’m assuming it has to do with theverygraphic book you were reading on your Kindle.”

She leans back, her chest still heaving. “How do you know?”

“You left your Kindle in my bathroom the same night you climbed out of my bathtub in all your naked glory like a water nymph.”

“So that’s where it’s been. I’ve been looking for it, actually.” She pauses, realizing what I’d previously said. “Wait. You read my book?”

“Hell, yeah, I read it!Ablaze?I read it from cover to cover.” I blow out a dramatic breath. “Talk about angst and pining. It gave me a stomachache. But fuck, when they go at it like–”

“I like your bathroom, Rowan.”

Both Shayla and I practically jump out of our seats at the sound of Kai’s voice. Thank God, we had the wherewithal to break away from each other when we did, or . . .

I don’t want to think about theor. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if he had walked in on us kissing. Not only would it have put Shayla in an awkward situation, but it could have had the potential to ruin whatever this is between us before we even started.

She’d specifically made that one of her conditions–for her son not to find out. And though I’m still not happy about the prospect of never revealing it to him, I respect her wishes. I’m well aware that her stipulation means she’s already put an end date for us, but what other choice did I have?

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