“Do you forgive me?” he asks softly, his eyes pleading.
I take a deep breath, holding it in. I still can’t form words as I look into his eyes. I know we have a lot to work through, but I want to be with him. So I take my hands off the counter, place them on his shoulders, and lean in, pressing my mouth to his. His hands hold my face more firmly while he takes over control of the kiss by tilting my head farther so he can get deeper. His tongue tangles with mine and the feel of his hand skimming down my side to run smoothly over my breast causes me to lift my hips and circle my legs around his waist. Then he pulls his mouth away and rests his forehead against mine with his eyes closed.
“We have a lot to work out,” I say softly.
He nods, his hands sliding around me.
“If we’re going to do this, I want all of it, not just the sex.” I know deep down that I’m just as guilty as he is for what happened between us before. I should have told him sooner that I wanted more before flipping out and jumping ship.
“You got me, Kat.”
I search his face and see the truth and love in his eyes.
“You love me too, right?” he asks, sounding worried. “I didn’t get that wrong, did I?”
“I do love you,” I whisper. This is not what I thought would happen between us.
“So all the rest can be worked out.”
“All the rest can be worked out,” I repeat as his arms wrap around me and he pulls me into his chest.
“Now, is it time for make-up sex?” he asks with a grin, making me tilt my head back and laugh at the hopeful look on his face.
When I get control of my laughter, I search his face. The look in his eyes makes me pause. He’s still smiling, but he looks vulnerable. He’s not used to the things he’s feeling, and I know that, if we’re going to do this right, we need to take it slow for both of us.
“How do you feel about watching a movie and making out with me?” I ask with a smile.
“We can do that,” he says softly, helping me off the counter and grabbing our beers before leading me into the living room.
We are just getting comfortable when my phone rings from my bag in the kitchen. I know from the tone that it Brandon. I get up off the couch and go to my bag, pulling out my phone.
“Hey, honey,” I answer, putting the phone to my ear.
“Where are you?”
“Excuse me?” I ask, hearing the anger in his voice.
“I heard you were with Mike.”
“I am with Mike.”
“Mom, what the fuck?”
“Brandon, you’re the child. I’m the parent,” I remind him. Since we have been on our own without his dad, he has been stepping over his boundaries more and more.
“Whatever,” he says before hanging up on me.
I pull the phone away from my ear and look at the screen.
“Everything okay?” Mike asks, making me jump.
I sigh and turn to look at him. As much as I want to hang out, I need to go home and talk to my son.
“I need to go home,” I tell him, shaking my head.
“Brandon okay?” he asks, looking concerned.
“Yeah. I just need to go home and have a talk with him.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, getting my bag and following him out to his truck.
Chapter 4
KAT
I answer my phone, my voice cracking. “Hello.”
“What’s wrong, baby?” Mike asks, his voice softening as my body collapses back onto the bed.
“I’m sick,” I tell him, pulling the covers over me.
“Where’s Brandon?”
“He’s staying the night at a friend’s house tonight,” I mumble, cuddling deeper into my pillow. I woke up with a headache, and throughout the day, I have slowly gotten worse. My nose started running, and then I started getting chills. “I took some medicine,” I say absently.
“I’ll be over in an hour.” His concern comes to me though the phone like a soothing caress.
“You don’t need to come,” I say immediately, not wanting him to get sick. Working from home, I’m able to make my own schedule, but I know he doesn’t have the option of being sick. His club is very important to him and his brother.
“Do you like chicken noodle soup?” he asks, ignoring me and my protest.
“I don’t want you to get sick.”
“I’ll be fine. Now answer my question.”
I smile at his bossiness and nod into my pillow as I tell him, “Yes.”
“I’ll see you soon, baby,” he says, softly making my heart swell. Since we got back together, he has been all in and our relationship couldn’t be any better.
“’Kay,” I whisper, falling asleep.
“Kat, wake up, baby,” I hear then feel a cool rag on my forehead.
I open my eyes slowly. They feel so heavy.
“Hey,” Mike says, running a finger down the underside of my jaw. “I need you to sit up and take some medicine for me.”
I blink and slowly sit up with his help. “Thanks,” I tell him, taking the pills from his hand and putting them in my mouth before taking the cup from him and swallowing them down.
“You got a thermometer?”
“In the bathroom,” I whisper.
He gets up and leaves, coming back a few seconds later with it in his hand. “Open up, babe,” he says, sitting on the side of the bed near my hip.