Page 56 of The Widower
CHAPTER 13
“Ah, kids… how do you stop them?!”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
Lauren cornered me the second I got home—no way to escape, no excuses to ignore her.Sometimes I swear she has a sixth sense for when something happens to me. It’s uncanny.
“Is it really that hard to control yourself when that man’s around?” she asked, making me overthink everything all over again.
I’d told her about our so-called innocent little game of questions and answers that had spiraled way too far into personal territory.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“What kind of drought are you living through, woman?!” she teased, rolling her eyes dramatically, which made me roll mine right back.
Look who’s talking…
“Says the saint who practically turns into a feather when she’s next to Mark.”
“Oh no, don’t drag me into this.”
My best friend has a thing for a guy from work—a thing that’s way past a crush. They hook up constantly, but Mark’s not exactly the relationship type, and Lauren seems perfectly fine with the whole using and being used arrangement.
“You know exactly what I mean,” I shot back. “So don’t judge me.”
She grinned wickedly. “What do you think he’s like in bed?”
The question caught me off guard. For a split second, I actually pictured it—him.
“The way he talks…” she continued, eyes gleaming.
“I don’t want to think about something that’s never going to happen.”
“Oh, really? You got a crystal ball to back that up?” She crossed her arms, smirking like she’d caught me in a lie.
“It’s practically impossible. It’s just… a few kisses. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“So what? Men are men! Doesn’t matter if they’re rich, broke, fat, skinny, tall, short—whatever! They’ve got needs, and so do we!”
“It’s wrong!” I shot back. “He’s my boss, Lauren! I need to control myself before I screw everything up!”
“From what you told me, he’s the one who kissed you. All three times!” she said, emphasizing the last part in a way that made me burst out laughing.
“Okay, fine, I provoked him a few times,” I admitted, trying not to smile.
She leaned closer, voice dropping conspiratorially.“You just can’t admit that this man could make you lose your mind. Worse—you can’t admit that it’s going to happen.”
“Don’t start.I’m a single mom; I barely have time to breathe. Kisses are rare, okay? So stop putting ideas in my head.”
Lauren’s grin only widened. “Oh, come on—picture this. Colin picking you up, carrying you to the bed, taking off your clothes, kissing you everywhere, going down on you—”
“Whoa! Stop right there!” I clapped my hands over my ears. “Don’t you dare add more fantasies to the ones I already have about him!”
“Aha! I knew it!” she laughed, half-squealing, absolutely delighted she’d hit a nerve.
She wasn’t supposed to talk like that, with that much enthusiasm about him. And I wasn’t supposed to feel this flustered. God, I’m such an idiot.
“You’re impossible, you know that?”I muttered.
