Her loyal streak and schoolgirl romantic fantasies tangled her mind. But instinctually…she knew her ex wasn’t the man for her.
I wonder how she’s feeling about me?
“Are you thinking about more than sex now?”
“More?” Masey goes stiff. She looks decidedly nervous as she gives me a jerky shake of her head. “I promised I wouldn’t be a clinging vine. We’re together because I wanted experience, and the sex is beyond amazing. Everything I thought it would be—and then some. But that’s all. I don’t expect anything else.”
A snappy response sits on the tip of my tongue. More than the sex could be amazing if you’d let me into your heart. But she’s not. Because she’s not feeling it? Or because she’s afraid I’ll reject her?
I have to believe the latter or I’m fucked. And I can’t risk spooking her yet by saying I think about more than sex between us a lot. I need to let this play out, be with her longer than a day or two so she can experience how good we can be together.
“Don’t be afraid to expect more. Maybe you should.” After draping my shirt over my arm, I turn to Ranger and lift him up in his jumpy seat. “We’ll leave you to it. Holler if you need anything.”
She nods, but I see the shock on her face. She can’t decide what to make of my words. I’m not staying to explain. She’ll figure it out.
With a wave, I shut the door. I don’t hear any movement inside the office or a hint of her voice for long minutes.
Finally, Ranger seems bored by hanging out in the hall and starts demanding out of his jumpy seat. I hustle him down the hall and find his stroller, then wrestle into my shoes. “How about a run, big guy?”
When he sees his stroller, he gets practically giggly. He loves the outdoors. He’s definitely my boy.
Soon, we’re out the door, and I’m pushing the stroller as I run a few laps around my condo complex. When I round the final corner and jog on the sidewalk at the perimeter of the parking lot, heading toward my unit, I see a sporty blue convertible pull up.
What shitty luck. Caitlyn Everson is the last person I want to see.
But she seems all too eager to park, hop out, and smile my way. Even from a distance, I see the invitation in her eyes. And the question. I haven’t seen her—let’s be honest, fucked her—since shortly before Ranger was born. She knocked on my door a couple of months back. I would have…but my son needed a bottle, and I didn’t feel like explaining to a woman I only know sexually that I had recently become a father.
Still, I have to jog right past her. I can’t exactly do that without saying hi. And now that she’s seen the stroller, she’s bound to have questions.
“Hey there.” She flirts as she approaches, wearing a chic black jumpsuit with a plunging V-neck and ridiculously high heels. She bats her lashes at me, flashing a pageant smile. “I haven’t seen you in a while, Trace. You look…really good. Doing all right?”
I am not flirting in return. Zero interest. In fact, I’m not sure what I ever saw in her.
Sex. A lot of no-strings sex.
“I’m great, Caitlyn. How about you?”
“Busy. Work is a zoo. But I’m not too busy to spend a few hours with you. I’m free this evening…” Her eyes eat me up as she comes closer, licking her lips before she notices the stroller and frowns. “You babysitting or something?”
“No. I have a son now. We were just out getting some exercise.”
She frowns. “Do you suddenly have a wife, too?”
“No. His birth mother gave me sole custody. His name is—”
“When did that happen?”
She doesn’t care what his name is, how old he is—nothing. Hell, she doesn’t even try to peek in the stroller.
I do my best not to look as annoyed as I feel. “Last November, the day he was born.”
“Oh. Well, if you can get a babysitter or want to call me after he’s down for the night, I would love to come over.” Her frown turns up to a coy smile as she flips her fluffy blond hair over her shoulder. “It’s been too long since we made each other feel good.”
She’s straight-up offering me a booty call. Not because she likes me as a person or wants to start a relationship, just because she enjoys the way I once