“That’s the last one, Scoob, then it’s bedtime.”
Merit relaxed in his lawn chair next to Mae’s, watching as Ian speared another marshmallow on the roasting stick. It was a little after nine p.m., and after pizza earlier, he and Ian had washed dishes while Mae was supposed to take a nap. She’d ended up doing laundry.
Then he and Ian had cut the grass before the three of them tossed a football back and forth, kicked the soccer ball around, and finally relaxed to roast s’mores over the campfire.
“Aw, come on, Mom. Why do I have to go to bed when Merit’s still here?”
“I’m heading home soon,” he said right before leaning over to stage whisper behind his hand, “But for now, roast that marshmallow slow.”
Ian grinned and lifted the treat away from the flame.
Mae glared at him, but he saw the corner of her mouth twitch with humor. She was so beautiful sitting there in those sexy short shorts and sweatshirt, the firelight playing over her happy features and golden hair. After that kiss in her kitchen, it sucked not being able to touch her and kiss her at will, yet he knew that wasn’t an option in front of her son.
Not yet, anyway.
Hard to believe the first half of his day had been complete shit, and the second half of the day was the best he’d had in years. Well, other than the night of Asher’s wedding, and last Saturday. The only dark spot was that he hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell her he’d lied about a job to shut his dad up.
He’d made an attempt in the kitchen before the pizza, but then she’d grabbed the flowers on the counter, and he didn’t want to fuck up his apology only seconds after being forgiven.
Wanting to shake off the black cloud, he lolled his head toward Mae’s chair. “I haven’t done anything like this in a very long time. Thanks for letting me stay. It’s been great.”
“It has been,” she agreed, the joy in her smiling blue eyes echoing her words.
“We have campfires all the time in the summer,” Ian said as he hovered his roasting stick over the fire, then away, over, then away. “Sometimes we even go over to Uncle A’s for one. He has a huge backyard.”
Assuming Uncle A was his brother, Asher, Merit had to agree his backyard was a lot bigger than this one. “Uncle A, hey?”
“Yep. He was gonna build a tree house in the back and said I could sleep in it when it was done, but now he moved into Auntie H’s house and he’s selling his.”
Merit perked up at that news. “I thought he was going to rent it out?”
That question was for Mae, and she shook her head. “Honor said they didn’t want to deal with renters right across the street.”
Huh. He hadn’t known his brother was selling his house.
“He has the best tree ever,” Ian enthused. “We laid on the grass, and he pointed out all the good branches.”
“Yeah...that tree would be perfect,” Mae agreed, her commiseration sounding more than a little wistful. They sighed together as Ian swung his marshmallow back over the flames.
“But…I’ve been thinking, Scoob. May-be we could look at building one here in our tree. The one in the corner.”
Ian’s head whipped around, his eyes wide as saucers as he gaped at his mom. “Really?”
“Maybe,” she reiterated. “Merit will have to make sure the tree would work, first.”
Wait—Merit will have to what?
She twisted in her chair to look at him. “Would you mind checking it out for us?”
His heart thumped hard while he shifted in his seat. Now was the time to tell her he didn’t actually build tree houses. He knew absolutely nothing about building tree houses. “I—”
“Please, Merit? Pretty please?” Ian bounced so hard in his chair, his marshmallow fell off the end of his roasting stick, and he didn’t even notice.
One look at that excited little face and he couldn’t bear to say no. “Of course I can look at it.” Technically, not a lie, but it still triggered a wave of guilt.
Mae reached out to squeeze his forearm. “Thank you.”
One look at her beautiful smile, and he knew he’d be researching tree houses the second he got home. The warmth of her touch made the muted electric buzz between them spark to life—especially when her hand lingered. She trailed her fingers along his skin, back and forth, her thumb tracing the vein on the inside of his arm.
His pulse sped up as he watched her movements and imagined her tracing a vein somewhere else on his body. With her tongue. Her gaze rose to his, and he wasn’t sure if the flame in her eyes was a reflection of the campfire or the blaze gathering steam inside him.
“Aw, man—I lost my marshmallow.”
Ian’s exclamation made them both jump. Merit jerked his arm away at the same time Mae yanked her hand back. Heat swept through him from head to toe and settled smack dab in the middle of his body. Worst time ever to be thinking those kind of thoughts.
“Can I do another one?”
“That’s enough for tonight,” Mae said, her voice a bit breathless as she rose to her feet. “How about you grab the hose to put the fire out?”
And douse me while you’re at it, Merit thought.
Ian sighed, but he didn’t argue. Merit understood a moment later when he used the hose like a gun and shot the fire in little bursts while making explosion noises to go with each spray of sparks. When the last coal was black and the hose put away, they all went inside.
He ruffled Ian’s blond hair before offering a knuckle bump. “Thanks for a fun night, Ian. Sleep tight.”
The kid surprised him by wrapping his arms around his waist in a hug. “Goodnight, Merit. I wish you could stay.”
His chest squeezed as he hugged him back. He was falling for Ian as much as he was falling for Mae.
The thought drew him up short. Was he falling for Mae?
Well, duh, dipshit. You got down on your knees for her—and it wasn’t about sex.
He wasn’t falling; he’d already fallen.
He gave the kid one more hair ruffle. “I’ll see you soon. Promise.”
“This weekend?” Ian let go and looked up at his mom. “Can Merit come to our birthday dinner?”
Her gaze met his over her son’s head. “If he wants to,” she said softly.
He wanted to. Definitely. “How about if I take you guys out? Then no one has to cook or clean up.”
“Can I pick where we go?” Ian asked. “I’m gonna be seven.”
Merit raised his eyebrows for her approval. Her palm up shoulder lift came with a warning. “He’s going to be seven, but we might still end up at Chuck E. Cheese.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’m gonna pick someplace great,” Ian promised. Then he gave his mom a hug and kiss, hollered good night, and ran to the bathroom.
Mae stared after him, and when the sound of running water reached them, she swiveled toward Merit. “Wow. I didn’t even have to remind him to brush his teeth.”
“Progress?”
“More like a miracle. And most likely a one-off.”
Merit laughed before reluctantly glancing toward the front door. “I suppose I should get going.”
She glanced toward the hall. “Ian? I’m going to walk out with Merit. Get in bed, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Okay!”
Merit’s pulse kicked up as she walked with him to door. The porch light was on, but as she stepped outside with him, she flipped it off. “Nosey neighbors.”
“I wasn’t planning to get down on one knee again,” he teased.
In the dark, she moved forward to flatten her hands on his chest. “Pity. You looked good on your knees.”
The husky suggestion in her voice conjured up earlier imaginings and wrung a low groan from his throat. “Mae.”
He heard her smile a second before she drew his head down and kissed him breathless. He was hard again in no time and wishing she didn’t have to go back inside so he could get down on his knees for her right now.
She left him happy, but hard, and he drove straight from her place to his converted warehouse studio suite to paint his sexual frustration away. Or take the edge off, anyway. But first, he sent a text to his brother.
Merit: You suck.
Grayson: Did she say yes?
Merit: Fuck you.
Grayson: ☺
By dawn, he returned to his huge, empty house and fell into bed with an idea from the night before growing roots in his mind.