Page 91 of Single Mom's Guide to Love

She laughs softly but balls her fists together as she rests them on my chest. “I don’t know how to do this. And even as I’m saying that I want to, I know I need to take this slow. I’ve neverconventionally dated. My first marriage was nothing to write home about. And now my second only happened because of circumstances. I’ve never gone into a situation more blind than I am right now. My head is wondering what the hell I’m doing. But for the first time in my life, my heart is winning the battle, and I now realize I’d be the most stubborn woman on the planet if I didn’t listen to the winning team. Me and you.”

I know I should say something. Anything to reassure her that the last thing I want to do is hurt her. But all I want to do is kiss her.

And so I do. I kiss her with every ounce of affection, emotion, and dare I say love, that I have for her. I kiss her to let her know I’ll take care of her. Her heart. Jayce. Anything else that life throws at us.

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t know what I’m doing either,” I say. “I never thought I wanted a family. Christ, until a few years ago, every ounce of my energy was on SpaceCraft and nothing else. We’re not that different, you and me.”

“Oh we’re very different,” she says lightly. “Which is another reason my head is still way behind the heart on this one.”

“Well then, let me convince it.”

I bring her to me and turn her toward the water, letting the warmth hit her as I’m sure she has to be freezing. While her body is warming, I let my hands graze over her perfect curves.

“Yes, our ages are different. Our backgrounds are different,” I begin, not being able to help myself as my hands graze over her perfect breasts. I fight down my cock, because it’s not the time and place. “Right there should be enough for us to realize this might not work.”

Maeve’s eyes close and her head falls back, resting on my shoulders. I let my hands continue to run over her body, hoping to guide her to the relaxation she probably desperately needs right now.

“But what’s more important is that, besides our differences, we understand each other. I know that you like to be in control, but there are times you need things off your plate, even if you refuse to ask.”

“And I probably never will,” she cracks, eyes still closed.

“I’ve come to learn that. But that’s okay. I know you, Love. And I’m going to keep learning about you. Just like you’re going to learn that I will lock myself away for days when I feel stuck, thinking that I need total isolation for a breakthrough.”

“When all you really need is someone to talk you through it…”

My eyes close as I pull her in tighter, remembering how much she helped me the other night when I was going through that exact feeling. “Precisely. So yes, we might be different. But we’re both driven individuals. We want to be the best. We love a challenge. But most importantly, we want to make sure everyone around us is happy, even at the expense of our own happiness.”

“Especially at our expense,” Maeve adds.

“Because as long as everyone else is happy…”

“Then so are we.”

Holy shit, that’s it. Suddenly, everything in my life is clear as day. I wanted to make my parents happy, and I thought good grades and being the best would do it. I even developed a video game in hopes of earning their praise, believing my mind would be the glue to bring them peace. I dated women for months because I couldn’t fathom my board and my company being disappointed in me for not having the next big thing—even though I was miserable the entire time.

And Maeve? She married Josh because she thought it would be best for Jayce. She prides herself on being in charge of her family, even if it means bending over backwards. She only has a few members on her staff, and those are only for jobs that arepainstaking and expansive. I’ve heard her say the words “I’ll take care of that,” more than I’d like during the decorating process.

Two opposites on the outside. But inside? More alike than even we knew.

Maeve and I don’t say anything else as we let the hot water rush over us. I pump some of the hotel shampoo into my hand, lathering it together before running it through her brown locks. I massage her head, which I’m guessing she likes as she keeps leaning into my touch every time I apply pressure, before turning her to rinse it out. She returns the favor for me, though she decides to fill her hands with body wash, running her hands over every inch of my body.

“Fuck, Love,” I say as she strokes my cock. I turn into the water, wanting the suds off me as Maeve’s hand keeps working me.

“Logan?”

“Yes. Like I’ve said before, whatever you want, the answer is yes.”

Her giggle is infectious, and I truly don’t know if I’ve ever heard that sweet sound before. “The event we’re supposed to go to tonight…how important is it?”

“To Kat, it’s a huge deal. To me it’s just another fundraiser; they want my money more than me.”

Her smile gets a little bigger. “So how much trouble would we get in if I suggested that we skip it and spend the night here, just the two of us?”

My wife is a damn genius. “I’ll double my donation. And it’ll be money well spent.”

Her giggle turns into full-on laughter as I pick her up in my arms and pin her against the wall of the shower. Her legs wrap around me, as do her arms, as water rains down both of our faces.

I still have soap on me. She probably has some in her hair. Neither of us care. Our lips find each other, and suddenly, despite everything going on in our lives, we’re able to find a different kind of calm in the chaos.

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