little—” I try to reach for him, but he steps back, laughing. My eyes narrow as I get up. “Brush teeth and bed.”
Benny moans in protest but heads to the bathroom anyway.
A few minutes later, he’s in his bed, and I’m tucking him in while Leo busies himself in the kitchen. “Can we have breakfast at the diner tomorrow?” Benny asks through a yawn.
“Sure.”
“Leo too?” he asks.
I sigh, bringing the blankets up to his chin. “Leo drives a long way to be here, so—”
“I’ll be there!” Leo calls out, and I can’t help but laugh.
One eyebrow raised, I look down at Benny. “I guess we’ll see him tomorrow. You really like him, huh?”
Benny nods.
I whisper, “Can Mama tell you a secret?” Benny nods again, eyes wide, and I lean down, place my mouth to his ear, my words just for us. “I really like him, too.”
When I pull back, he’s smiling, his eyes closed, and so I kiss his cheek and leave the room, closing the door behind me. Leo’s standing just outside the door now, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He opens his mouth to speak, but I lift my hand to cover his lips. “Shh,” I say, ignoring the heat of his hands on my waist. I turn, practically in his arms, and stare at the door handle, waiting. Leo’s front is pressed to my back, warm and hard, and I try to ignore my body’s reaction to him. Tiny footsteps creep across the floor, and then the handle shifts. “Boo!” I shout, and Benny squeals, runs back to his bed, laughing as he puts the blankets over his head. “Goodnight, Benny,” I tell him.
“Night, Mama,” he calls.
“I love you, bud.”
“Love you!” he says, but it comes out luhyoo—all one word.
I lean against the wall just outside the door with Leo in front of me, his hands on my hips, his eyes right on mine. We stay silent for a solid minute to make sure Benny isn’t getting up again. When I assume it’s safe, I lead him to the kitchen, rest against the counter, and ask, my arms crossed as I look down at the tiles, “How do you think it went?” Going by the smile that’s graced his lips for most of the day, I’m assuming it went well.
“A little rough at the beginning,” he says, then releases a heavy exhale. “But, God, Mia, he’s…” He trails off.
“Everything?” I ask, looking up at him.
He nods. “And then some.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to comprehend all the emotions swarming through me. As far as first meetings go, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. But I’m scared, concerned about what it means and confused about where to go from here. “So… maybe we should make a schedule?” I offer, shifting my stare away from his, because he’s looking at me with heat in his eyes again. I’ve caught him doing it a few times throughout the day, stolen glances mixed with desire, and it’s hard not to want the same things he wants. But it would also be selfish. And it was fine when Benny was around and he was our buffer, but now it’s just us, and it’s almost too much. I clear my throat, reach for my phone on top of the microwave and pretend to go through my calendar just for something else to focus on that isn’t him and his eyes and the smirk, and I’m blushing.
Crap.
“Whatever works for you, we’ll make it happen,” I breathe out.
He takes a step forward, our feet almost touching. “Yeah?”
I nod, mindlessly scrolling through the dates on my calendar. “You’ve missed out on enough, and I want this for you and Benny. I want him to have you in his…” I trail off when Leo’s palm slides against my hip, his thumb stroking the bare skin between my shorts and top. A ragged breath falls out of me, and I try to refocus my thoughts. “What are you thinking? Like every other weekend?”
He pushes forward, his nose running along my jaw until his mouth’s to my ear. “That works,” he murmurs, and then his entire hand is under my top, at the small of my back, and my knees buckle, but he catches me in time, his strong arm holding me to him.
“Crud,” I hiss, pushing on his chest. He doesn’t budge. I don’t know if I want him to. “It’s getting late.”