Bonus Kisses - Freya Barker Page 0,23
shit.”
“Let me have a look.”
I busy myself with the contents of the first aid kit as he reaches behind his back to pull the T-shirt off. I take in a deep breath, grab a wad of gauze in my hand, and drop down on my knees in front of him. Biting hard on my bottom lip to avoid groaning at the sight of his lightly dusted chest, I zoom in on the jagged tear above the left nipple oozing blood.
His skin is hot to the touch, and I mentally list every bone in the human body to resist the temptation to let my fingers explore. My hands work by rote, efficiently cleaning and closing that cut as well. Thank fuck for that, because the rest of me is in turmoil.
It’s impossible not to notice his musky scent, the heavy muscles of his thighs framing me, or the rapid beat of his heart under my hands. So the moment I tape down the last bandage, I shoot to my feet. Pins and needles in my lower extremities have me stumble a step back and large hands grab me by the hips to stabilize me. I’m not sure if it’s him or me, but one of us hisses at the touch and our eyes lock.
The loud beeping of my phone alarm startles me out of my trance and into action. Rafe’s hands drop from my hips.
“I’ll go get the kids from the bus stop, and you should grab a shower before you scare the crap out of them,” I assign, stuffing supplies back in the zippered kit. “Just don’t soak those cuts.”
“Go.” He gets up and stills my frantic hands with his. “I’ll clean this up.”
I don’t need to be asked twice. I grab my phone off the counter, shove it in my pocket, and head for the front door, hoping like hell he doesn’t notice my wobbly legs.
That was too close for comfort.
Chapter Nine
Rafe
“I don’t want to go to school.”
I glance over at my daughter, who has a familiar stubborn expression on her face.
“Come on, Sofie, get your stuff. You’re gonna miss the bus,” I try to coax her, but I can tell from the now quivering bottom lip we’re heading for a meltdown.
“I don’t care.”
“But I do. Let’s go, Pipsqueak.” I get up from the kitchen table and collect the breakfast dishes, hoping my actions will prompt her. Instead, when I turn back from the sink I see she’s dropped her head on her arms on the table.
“It’s pizza day today.” Spencer, already standing by the door toting his Spiderman backpack, tries to help.
My eyes dart to the calendar on the fridge. Sure enough, on today’s date pizza day is marked in Nicky’s tidy handwriting. So much for the lunches I packed them both. I should’ve checked the schedule.
Every last Friday of the month the elementary school—where Spencer is in kindergarten and Sofie in third grade—offers pizza lunch for the kids. Those are the kinds of things I’ve never really paid much attention to because Nicky had everything firmly in hand.
“Exactly,” Sofie wails, shoving her chair back and storming out of the kitchen. I hear her feet stomping up the stairs.
Fuck. Not exactly how I want to start the busy day ahead. I take in a deep breath and move to follow her upstairs, when a hand on my arm holds me back.
I’ve tried extra hard to ignore Taz these past few days since I almost…
“I’ll go,” she says before I have a chance to finish that thought. “You take Spencer to the bus stop and I’ll look after Sofie.”
I want to object but I don’t get a chance, she’s already out of the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, just as the bus comes around the corner, I hear running footsteps behind me and my daughter’s small body slams into me, her arms slipping around my hips.
“Hey, honey.” I smile down at her blotchy face and run my hand over her hair, before throwing a questioning glance at Taz who mouths, “Later.”
When the bus takes off—both kids on board—we start walking back to the house. I try not to notice Taz’s energetic step beside me, her dreads bouncing around her shoulders.
“What was that all about?”
“Pizza lunch.” She looks up at me and I notice the long lashes framing her expressive eyes. “Apparently, Nicky would always be at the school to volunteer.”
“Ah.”
It’s messed up that I didn’t know that. Then again, there was a lot about my wife’s activities I was unaware of.