Page 24 of Surprise Mother Pucker

Kennedy:

Well, luckily, I don't give a damn about looking cool and collected, either.

Eli:

Just tell me when you're free, killer, and I’ll work around your schedule. You’re doing so much and doing amazingly at it. I don’t want to interfere in any way.

Every word that came out of his mouth was sheer perfection. It's like he knew the exact thing to say to make me giddy with happiness. There had to be a catch of some sort. Maybe he had a record…or one of his pack mates did.

Or worse, what if he never trimmed his toenails, and they scratched me whenever I snuggled with him?

Kennedy:

I’m free the day after tomorrow, and I know for a fact one of my sitters is free.

Eli:

In that case, can you be ready at seven? I’ll pick you up.

Kennedy:

It’s a date.

Setting my phone down, I put my textbook away and watched Charlotte as she slept, unable to keep the grin off my face.

“Your mama is going on a second date, sweet girl.”

Thankfully, the next day, I had almost a full day to myself that I could use to study while Charlotte was in day care. Opportunities like that didn't come up often, so I took it gleefully, as it meant I didn’t have to hire a sitter again to have a late-night study session.

Grabbing my textbooks, I drifted to the second floor, to the exact same table I’d used when I met Eli. I hadn't actively intended to go to the same table, but it was like my body gravitated toward it.

Placing my textbooks down, I pulled out my notepad and settled in. I even kicked off my shoes and crossed my legs on the chair. I was going to be studying for a long time, so I may as well have been comfortable.

While a select few students treated a trip to the library like a fashion show, the majority of them were dressed similar to me—leggings, an oversized T-shirt, and a cup attached to one hand, indicating a caffeine dependency.

The ability to drink as much caffeine as I wanted was probably the one silver lining to Charlotte needing formula instead of being breast fed. I had done my best in the early daysto feed her myself, but she simply wasn't getting the nutrients she needed from me. And at the end of the day, fed is best. So, now Charlotte drank expensive formula, and I enjoyed the occasional cup of coffee.

I fell into the routine of studying pretty quickly. Before I had become a mother, I used to procrastinate by looking at social media on my phone or texting friends. But now I had a limited amount of time, and I needed to get as much done as possible.

My hyper focus was so intense that I didn't even realize there was someone standing behind me until a take-out cup of coffee was placed in front of me, along with a bottle of water.

Jumping, I took out my earbud and turned in my seat, even though I knew the familiar scent.

Eli stood behind me, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. How he managed to look so refined and put together while wearing sweatpants was beyond me.

“Eli! Hi,” I said lamely.

“Hey, killer.” He smiled down at me. “I don't want to disturb you, but I noticed that you hadn't moved from here in several hours, so I thought you'd need something to drink. I also grabbed this,” he said as he placed the small take-out bag that held a grilled cheese from the café on the table.

My mouth filled with saliva at the scent of the sandwich.

“How did you know I’ve been here a while?” I asked, craning my neck to look up at him.

“Because I popped into the library before my three-hour statistics lecture and saw you sitting there. That class finished almost an hour ago, and you’re still in the exact same position,” he said, raising one eyebrow.

“I didn’t realize that much time had passed,” I admitted. “I must have really been absorbed in the work.”

“Don't let me disturb you. I've got another class to get to soon, anyway, but I just wanted to make sure you had something to eat and drink.”

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