Page 57 of Takeover

“Can I go to Boston with you next time?”

“Kiddo,” she says while she adjusts his glasses. “If your daddy lets me, I would take you everywhere with me.” Seemingly satisfied with Tara’s answer, he hugs her. She wraps her arms around him and kisses the top of his head. When I lift him off the island, I tell him to go wash up.

“Come here, you.” I wrap my arms around Tara, pull her closer, and finally give her the kiss I’ve been dying to give her since I saw her on Friday. “I’ve missed you so much.” We kiss one last time before I pull away and rest my forehead on hers. “I think maybe we’ll all go to Boston next time. What do you say?”

She wraps her arms around my waist and massages my back. “I think that’s a great idea. Let’s go for a weekend this summer. We can take Vincent to the Children’s Museum. They also have a great aquarium. Maybe do a duck tour. I love that city.”

“I love you.” And I do. Not just because she’s beautiful, kind, and smart, but because she always includes my son in everything. That was my reluctance in dating. Vincent had already been abandoned by his mother, and I didn’t want to bring in a woman who was only here for me.

“I am pretty fabulous,” she teases. “And I love you, too. Vickie and Alan kept making fun of me all weekend.”

“Why? Because you went from hating me to loving me in a matter of months.”

“Pretty much.”

Vincent returns, and while they get ready for dinner, I run to the bedroom and change out of my suit. I put on a pair of jeans and the t-shirt Tara got me. When I return, I take my seat at the kitchen table, and the three of us enjoy a dinner where Vincent talks nonstop, and Tara gives me lustful glances, hinting at what’s to come after Vince goes to bed.

33

“I was really down on going away, but after that welcome, I might need to go away more often. I’m pretty sure I saw stars after that last round.”

Ethan laughs and pulls me to his sweaty body. His large hand cups my pussy, and despite my orgasmic haze, I can’t help but moan.

“Nope. I missed you too much. Come here.” With one arm, he forces me on top of his hard body and cups my ass with his hand. I kiss him with abandon until we are both breathless. I finally roll off him, both our bodies coated with sweat.

I cuddle to his side and stroke his stomach while he glides his fingertips on my side. It takes several minutes for my body to calm down and for my heart rate to return to normal. When I finally look up into Ethan’s face, he’s a million miles away while he stares into the ceiling.

“Where did you go? Is work on your mind?” Ethan does his best to leave work at the office, but there have been several nights when he would go into his home office after I’ve gone to bed.

“It’s not work.” He continues to glide his fingertips on my side, but he’s on complete autopilot.

“What is it?” My heart drops at his admission that whatever has him so lost in thought isn’t work. “Is it me?”

“Of course not. Not directly, anyway.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I try to move away from him to get a clearer view of his face, but he tightens his arm around me.

“You were right,” he says but doesn’t give me any more information.

“Of course, I was. About what, though?” That response gets a laugh out of him. He finally loosens his hold and twists his body to face me.

“You were right about Lindsay.” The mention of her name is like a needle pricking my little bubble of happiness. The smile I was forcing slips, and I wait for him to say more. “She came by my office this morning and told me she wants us to be a family again.” I hold my breath when he tells me the entire story of his impromptu meeting with his ex-wife. It’s as if someone’s sucked the very air out of the room. I have a sudden sour taste in my mouth and feel a heaviness in my chest that wasn’t there minutes before.

I jump out of the bed so fast he misses me when he tries to grab my hand. Because Vincent comes into the bedroom some nights, we never sleep naked. As I dress, I mull my next words.

“I’m going to give you another out, Ethan. You share a son, and if any part of you wants to try to work things out, you need to let me know right now before I go any further with you.” With my heart in my throat and my stomach on the floor, I run a shaky hand through my hair. While I wait for him to speak, I turn my back and look out his window.

I hear the creaking of the bed and heavy footsteps across the floor. Big hands land on my shoulders, and I try to shrug them off with no success. As if I weigh next to nothing, he spins me around.

“I told you already where I stand on this. I don’t need or want an out with you, Tara. What we have is not expendable. I’m in love with you. I want what we have. I told you about Lindsay because I don’t want secrets between us. Don’t you ever give me another out, you got that?”

My shoulders sag in relief, and the sour taste leaves my mouth. I expel a breath and reach for my man and pull him to me. I bury my face in his bare chest and kiss him repeatedly.

“No more outs. You just missed your last opportunity, but let me tell you something. I am not above beating your ex-wife’s ass if she comes after my man again. She had you, and she left. Now, you’re mine. And I know I’m not Vincent’s mother, but I love him. How fucking stupid do you have to be to walk away from the two of you? And I kept my mouth shut when you told me the circumstances the first time, but how on earth can Vincent be too much? He’s nowhere near enough, and if she was too blind to see that then, that’s too fucking bad for her.” I step away from him, walk back to the bed and punch my pillow.

“Tar, baby, I don’t ever want you to keep your mouth shut. Always tell me how you feel. We’re in this together.” He lies down and pulls me so I can lay my head on his bare chest.

“I have a question. How did you meet that woman?” I do my best to keep the disgust from my voice when I ask that question.

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