Page 41 of An Ex Affair

“I’ll try.”

We hung up, neither of us any wiser than when he’d called me. He’d identified the underlying problem though. I didn’t feel good enough for Tully. She was a Hollywood celebrity with plenty of money in the bank. I was some small-town firefighter putting on a fundraiser just to keep his job. I wasn’t enough to keep her back when we were young and had our whole lives ahead of us. What did I possibly have now to keep her?

Fuckin’ nothing, that’s what.

I stood up, letting the rocker hit the siding of the house with a bang. I hated feeling sorry for myself. I’d done enough of that the first year after Tully left me. Digging my keys out of my pocket, I headed for my truck. I cruised through town, letting my brain wander. Then I made a U-turn, coming back through town and stopping at Sophia’s driveway. Tully’s white Range Rover was parked out front, along with a work truck. I wasn’t ready to see her just yet, so I headed for the dirt road around back that led to the river. I parked and climbed out, heading for that flat rock that probably had an indentation of my ass in it by now. It’s where I always went to think. Couldn’t tell you how many times Sofia would find me out here over the years, a bottle of ice-cold water in her hands for me.

The jingle of Hayes’s collar brought me out of my musings sometime later. I twisted my neck to see him ambling next to Tully as they headed for the rock where I currently sat. Tully raised her hand and smiled, looking pleased to see me. I wasn’t sure if she’d be pissed at me for how I handled her so roughly last night. Thought that might be why she snuck out before I woke up.

“Hey,” she said pleasantly, plopping down next to me on the rock. She smelled like wood and paint with her work clothes on and her hair in an all-business ponytail. Hayes took the other side of me, laying his head on my leg.

“You stealing my dog now?” I responded, feeling a bit jealous that Hayes had clearly been with her all day.

Tully laughed. “No, but he’s a sweetheart. And a good conversationalist.”

I frowned. “You’re telling me hetalksto you?”

Tully only laughed harder, looking younger with her eyes dancing like that. “No, but he listens real well.”

I could stare at her all day. Then I remembered what Boon had said and forced myself to look back at the water trickling lazily down the river. “I, uh, wanted to apologize for?—”

“I swear, if you apologize for last night, I might push you in that water,” Tully snapped, all sass and attitude.

I gaped at her.

Her cheeks were pink, but she didn’t drop my gaze. “I liked it, Colson. And if you agree to my offer, we can do that more often.”

I’d come here to think, but Tully referring to more sex just made every drop of blood flow to my dick instead of my brain. I was nodding before I’d fully formed a thought. Tully’s face lit up.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yeah.” My voice squeaked like a pre-teen boy. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yes.”

Tully hopped to her feet and whipped her shirt over her head, leaving her in work boots, jeans, and a pink satin bra. I looked down at Hayes and then around us, surveying the trees for signs of life.

“Here?” My dick leaped in my jeans, making things a bit more snug than comfortable in there.

Tully shrugged and whipped off the bra. My mouth went dry looking at her pert little boobs, nipples puckered already. “You said we had to sneak it, right? What better place than where we used to make out for hours?”

I mean, her logic was sound. Who was I to argue? I pulled my shirt from my body and got up to spread it out in the grass a couple trees over. I made a noise with my mouth and Hayes reluctantly got up, walking over and flopping back down on the makeshift bed I’d made him.

“Good boy,” I purred. “Now take a nap and don’t worry if you hear things.”

He huffed out his nose like he was barely tolerating me, but he did close his eyes. Good enough for me. I headed back over to Tully. She’d gotten her boots and socks off, leaving just her skintight jeans. Then a thought hit me.

“Wait, I don’t have a condom on me.”

Tully tilted her head. “I have an IUD. Never failed me before. And I’m clean. You?”

I nodded, excitement clouding over any little voices telling me that this was a bad idea. We hadn’t even had sex without a condom when we were married. She’d been too scared she’d get pregnant before we were ready for that step. “Clean.”

“Then we’re good.” Tully shoved her jeans and panties down, kicking them off her feet. She stood before me, naked as the day she was born, but with a whole lot more curves and valleys. “How do you want me?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Tully

I must have shocked him.

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