Alex and Ryder and my dog is so pleasant that it didn’t occur to me until just now that someone from school might see us.
“Can we take Atticus to the dog park?!” Ryder asks.
“Um. He’s probably had enough excitement for today, actually.”
“Why don’t we go back to our place? We can watch a movie. You can hang out with Atticus there.”
We go back to Alex’s car. Atticus and I had walked to the library, as it’s only about five blocks from my house. We had all stopped by my house, before getting gelato, so I could grab some dog food and a chew toy. I would have dropped Atticus off, but I could tell that Ryder wanted to spend more time with him. They’re very cute together.
“Do you think Atticus likes going to the library?” Ryder asks from the back seat. He has chocolate gelato all around his mouth, and hopefully my dog won’t drop dead because he’s licking his entire face.
“I think he loves kids. And he likes quiet spaces. So do I. I used to go to the library whenever I could when I was younger.”
I look back and see Ryder wrinkling his nose. “Why?”
“Because everyone’s welcome at a library. As long as they’re quiet. And everything’s always organized in the same way, at almost every library in the world. For now, anyway. It’s starting to change a bit. And because there are so many books. Being around books and people who like to read books is really comforting, I find.”
“I guess,” he says, contemplating this. “They smell funny. But not like farts or anything.”
I can’t stop staring at Alex’s hands. One’s holding the cone that he’s biting into and one’s on the steering wheel, as he drives us to his house. He’s a good, safe driver. “I looooove the way books smell.” And I want those hands all over me. “That smell comes from the paper and ink and glue. There are actually quite a few chemicals involved in the making of a book, and different kinds of books smell different because black and white paperbacks use different chemicals than photography books, for instance.” I want that man to drive into me. Good and fast and hard. “And when the book gets older, everything breaks down and wafts into the air even more. I find the smell of books really comforting. I think that whenever I’m at a library, I just feel like I did when I was a happy kid. Everything’s in its proper place. You always know where to find what you’re looking for, but you’re always going to find something new and wonderful in a book.”
I wonder if Ryder can tell that I’m rambling because I’m horny.
Because his dad certainly can.
Alex is grinning. He’s keeping his eyes on the road but grinning because of me. He licks his fingers when he’s finished consuming his sugar cone, and I’m wondering if maybe Ryder needs a nap or something. Something to keep him preoccupied while his sexy daddy does something about this intense dull ache between my legs. I lift up the hem of my sweater dress a little to scratch an imaginary itch on my thigh. Alex catches this out of the corner of his eye, blinking.
I give him a look—keep your eyes on the road, Sexy Daddy.
“Yeah, I like it too,” Ryder finally says. “Sometimes I like fart smells too though. Is that weird?”
Alex and I laugh. Nothing like a little fart talk to keep the libido in check.
Alex reaches over to squeeze my bare leg, just above the knee.
Or maybe not.
I finish my cone and make sure Alex sees me licking the remnants of gelato from my fingers when we’re at a stop sign.
I had always tried so hard to be as unsexy as possible when there were kids around, but it seems like it’s impossible for me to feel unsexy when I’m around Alex.
“You can go now, Dad,” Ryder says. “There aren’t any cars coming.”
“Right,” Alex says, tearing his eyes away from my mouth and my fingers. “Just being extra careful.”
When we get to Alex’s house, we all go out to the backyard so Ryder can play with Atticus. The teepee tent is still up, and I’m reminded of that first night here with Alex. It was only a week ago, but so much has happened since then. So many orgasms. So many dirty words. So much opening of my heart.
“Hey, why don’t we go inside and feed Atticus now,” Alex says