Page 67 of Trick or Treat

“No. I mean, yes. I would like that very much. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“No. Just you.” He squeezed her tighter into his side and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe you could wear those tight leggings you got on now. I really like watching your tight ass in them.”

“Trick!” She smacked his leg under the quilt and laughed.

“Seriously, babe. Those leggings? Fucking hot.”

Wednesday night Lindseyfound herself at Trick’s for dinner with his kids. She was both excited and nervous at being included in his family tree trimming time. On the one hand she didn’t want to intrude but on the other, if she and Trick were going to try and make things work between them, she was going to have to get used to the idea of Keegan and Reagan being around. Not that she didn’t like his kids. She absolutely adored Reagan and having Keegan in her class, he’d already worked his way into her heart.

She knocked on the door and was let in by a smiling Keegan. “Hello, Miss Hicks. Come inside.” He held the door open wide and waved her in.

“Hello, Keegan.” She stepped inside and looked around, spotting Reagan playing in the floor with her Barbies. Something in the air smelled delicious and she couldn’t wait to see if whatever Trick was cooking tasted as good as it smelled.

Trick stood between the living room and kitchen, drying his hands on a dishtowel. “Hey, babe,” he greeted and ambled her way. He took the dessert she’d made out of her hands, leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, leaving her blushing. He didn’t miss her discomfort at being kissed in front of his kids. “Babe, they know we’re seeing each other. Seeing us kiss isn’t going to scar them for life.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose before instructing Keegan to take her coat and put it on his bed, before disappearing into the kitchen.

“He’s right, Miss Hicks. It’s no big deal seeing Dad kiss you,” Keegan confirmed as he took her coat. He quickly did as his dad instructed, returning to the living room and taking a seat on the couch.

She supposed he was right. If they were going to be together, his kids were going to see them kissing from time to time. Because she would be spending a lot of time with them outside of school, she supposed she needed to make a change in the way Keegan addressed her. “Keegan, how about when we aren’t at school and I’m here with you guys and your dad, you just call me Lindsey? You can save the Miss Hicks for when we’re at school. How’s that sound?”

“Sure, Mis Hi…I mean, Lindsey. That’d be cool.” His smile was so much like his father’s, she couldn’t help but worry that he was going to be quite the lady’s man when he got older.

“Can I call you Lindsey, too?” Reagan asked from her spot on the floor. She was wearing navy blue leggings, a white long-sleeved shirt and a pink boa wrapped around her neck.

“Yes, Reagan. I would like that.”

“Linds!” Trick yelled from the kitchen. “When you get done in there, come to the kitchen and keep me company while I finish dinner.”

Lindsey smiled and shook her head at the kids. She had half a mind to tell him to use his inside voice, but in the end, she headed for the kitchen. Trick was standing at the stove working on dinner, looking way too sexy for his own good. He wore his usual jeans and tee, but just the added touch of a dishtowel slung over his shoulder while he cooked did something to her. Was it wrong that she found a big, tough man like Trick cooking hotter than hell?

“What’ve you got there?” Trick tipped his head toward the dessert she’d made. He’d told her not to bring anything, but she didn’t feel right coming empty-handed.

“Coconut cake. I hope you guys like coconut.” Maybe she should have asked if there were some hard lines regarding foods that he and the kids would not eat or if there were any food allergies.

“Don’t know. Never had coconut cake before. Sounds good, though.”

She pulled the cover off the cake and set it aside. Her grandmother taught her how to make the cake when she was a teenager. It was a two-layer, super moist cake that was absolutely delicious.

Trick snuggled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and sticking his face in her neck. “Told you you didn’t have to bring anything.”

“I know, but I felt bad.”

He kissed the side of her neck, then her earlobe before pulling back and going back to the stove. Holy crap, the man could make her weak in the knees with a simple nuzzling of her neck. She was trying to put some time and distance from the memory of Trick with the other woman before she had sex with him again, but he was making it difficult.

“If the cake tastes half as good as it looks, should be really good.” He turned the temperature down on what looked like potatoes. Pulling a strainer out, he dumped noodles and drained the water for what she guessed was mac-n-cheese.

“I don’t know what you’re cooking but it smells amazing.” She stood at the counter feeling like she should be doing something. She wasn’t used to a man cooking for her.

“Grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes, Stove Top stuffing and mac-n-cheese for the kids. You can have mac-n-cheese, too, if you want.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I swear it’s like another food group for those two.”

“You need help with anything?” She couldn’t stand it. She needed to help do something.

“No. Got it. Have a seat.” Trick moved around his kitchen preparing dinner, completely comfortable with doing all the cooking. She supposed she shouldn’t complain. It gave her the opportunity to watch the way the muscles in his shoulders and back moved under his tight long-sleeved t-shirt as he worked. The man was definitely built.

She took a seat at the table, a memory of running her hands over every inch of his bare chest flashed quickly through her mind. She had to bite into her lower lip to suppress the groan trying to slip free. She swallowed hard as he bent over to check on something in the oven. He had the most amazing butt in his faded jeans. They hugged his long, muscular thighs without being too tight. Yep, they hugged his package really well, too, she noticed when he turned around.

“Lindsey, I’m trying to do the right thing here by giving you some time, but you keep looking at me like that and I’m going to have to do something about it. Which is going to be really difficult since my kids are in the next room.”

She cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her chair. “Um. Yeah. Sorry.” She felt her face blush and knew he’d noticed when he chuckled.

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