Page 53 of Noble Neighbor
Sunny met Ruth’s gleaming gaze, reading the silent encouragement. She shifted her stare to Kenzie. “You won’t miss me?” It would be Kenzie’s first sleepover, but her daughter shook her head sharply, grinning. Kid knew her mother was about to give in. “Okay then.”
“Yes!” Kenzie’s fist shot in the air, followed by the girls sharing a quick dance-hug, singing, “We’re having a sleepover.”
“Hmm,” Bella hummed in her ear. “It’s averygood night for sleepovers.”
“Bella.”
“Don’t ‘Bella’ me in that tone, Sunny.” Bella slung an arm around her shoulders, propelling her forward. “You’ve mentioned before Molly is a heavy sleeper, and once down, she won’t budge till morning. Clement is staying out, so is Kenzie. Frank is definitely tapping Lorena tonight, and his Caddie’s always in her drive till morning. Tonight’s the night, Sunny. You won’t have a better opportunity.”
*
Sunny followed Oliver as he carried Molly to her bed. Working in tandem, they got her into pajamas without waking her. And whenOliverpulled the duvet up, tucking it around her shoulders as he bent to press a kiss to the little girl’s forehead, Sunny was certain her other ovary melted.
Exiting Molly’s room, Sunny paused, her gaze shifting from the open bedroom door farther on to the foyer below.
Oliver either went down the stairs and home, or he crossed the landing to her bedroom.
It was time to decide.
A door snicked closed. She jolted at the soft sound.
Oliver moved in beside her. “Sunny?”
She lifted her head, meeting his eyes. Raw desire shone in their green depths. It matched the need churning within her. But. “Can we do this without creating complications for us?”
He nodded slowly. “No complications. No expectations. Just two adults coming together.”
She grabbed his hand, tugged.
Unlike their frenzied kiss from a few days ago, neither was in a rush now.
Sunny walked ahead, Oliver right behind. They entered her bedroom, and the door shut with a soft click. The lock turned. Sunny only stopped when she reached the side of the bed, glad she’d left a lamp burning, and turned to face him.
He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it across the arm of a chair. She looked at the foil package he was removing from his wallet. There were already so many parts of her life she couldn’t reveal, and she didn’t want further barriers between them.
She placed a hand over his. “I’m healthy. On the pill.”
He gave her a considering look and smiled, slipping the condom back. “Me too.”
“On the pill, huh?”
He chuckled. “Funny. No, I mean I’m healthy. Actually”— he broke off, running a hand over his nape — “this will be my first time since Christie.”
Wow.“I’m honored, Oliver.”
“Yeah, well. I kinda—”
Sunny cut his words off by brushing her lips against his. “No need to explain,” she whispered. “It’s been a while for me, too.”
She undid a button on his shirt, then the next, until she reached his waistband. She pulled the soft material from his trousers, loosening the last buttons as her gaze slowly drifted up, looking at the exposed area. A trail of dark hair with well-defined abdominal muscles fanning out.
His medallion lay in the middle of his chest. Right beside his heart. Sunny fingered it.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I can remove it.”
Shaking her head, she lifted the metal to her lips before placing it back against his chest. “Don’t.”
It was a reminder that what they now had was only temporary.
