Chapter 7

The next few days were a blur of activity, which was par for the course in Tess's life. She ran around dropping kids off at day camp, sped from job to job, and constantly wondered in what way she was failing today. By the time Thursday came, all she wanted was an escape. She couldn't wait to see Miles. After her first appointment in the morning—Mrs. Casey, who had just had knee replacement surgery—she texted Miles.

Instead of meeting at the diner, can we go straight to your place?

His response was short.

Sure.

No questions, no comment. At first, she thought he might be annoyed by her request. He was the one who had said more than once that he wanted to get to know her, but when she suggested his place, he had no problem with forgoing the "date" portion of their time together.

12:30?

She stared at his text. He wasn't bothered at all by the change of plans? She responded with one word of her own.

Yep.

As she checked on her next client, Mr. Kincaid—a bedridden man in hospice—she considered this thing with Miles.

She worked through her routine on autopilot. Hospice was hard for her. Dread and fear and utter grief permeated every house. People spoke in hushed tones as if they were already at a funeral. For the most part, no one talked to her. They let her go about her business, which offered her a chance to think about her own life.

She'd thought she'd be okay having a relationship with Miles without giving it a label. She didn't know if she was ready for a relationship. That was part of why she hadn't done much dating. She didn't need another person to take care of.

Right now, this thing with Miles, whatever it was, was mutually beneficial. Maybe she could keep it like this. Meet once a week or so to have sex and share a meal if they had time.

Finishing up with Mr. Kincaid, she made notes and checked in with the service that sent her. Then she said her goodbyes to Mrs. Kincaid. Once outside, Tess took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air. She needed a cleansing breath to make sure the sadness from the house didn't cling to her as she went about the rest of her day.

She drove to Miles's condo and circled around looking for a spot to park. When she'd made this suggestion, she hadn't considered the dearth of parking here. On her third time past his house, her phone rang. She pressed the button to put Miles on speaker.

"Hello."

"Almost here?"

"I'm looking for parking."

"Drive around back. I have an extra spot. Number twelve. I'll open the gate for you."

"Okay." Tess couldn't imagine the life Miles led. Personal drivers, a gated parking garage, trendy condo.

She drove down the alley and, sure enough, as she neared, the wrought iron gate slid open. She quickly found the spot and parked. Now to find her way to the front entrance. She looked around and a door in the corner of the garage opened.

"Tess." Miles stood at the door, waving her over.

"I'm glad you came down for me. I don't think I'd know how to get out of here."

"It's not that complicated." As soon as she was close enough, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her through the door. "Hi." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and led the way to the elevator. "So why the change of plans?"

"It's been a crazy week. I wanted a break." She huffed out something that sounded kind of like a laugh.

"What?" The elevator dinged, and he moved his arm to rest it around her shoulders as they walked to his door.

"It sounds ridiculous. This week wasn't any different than any other. I don't know why it's getting to me."

"Come in and tell me about it." He shoved his door open.

Tess stepped into the living room and turned so her body was in front of him. "I don't want to talk."

"That's okay, too." He skimmed his hands up her arms. "Tell me what you do want."

"Take me to bed. Give me the escape I need." Tess liked asking for what she wanted. She'd spent too much of her life not doing that. All of her thoughts fled as Miles captured her mouth, assaulting her with kisses.

He took her upstairs without a word. In his bedroom, she reached for her shirt to pull it over her head.

His hand on hers made her stop. "You want an escape, so let me."

Tess dropped her hands to her side to see what Miles would do. He trailed his fingers from her hand up her arm and to her collarbone. The soft lingering touch caused goosebumps to rise all over her skin. He stroked her abdomen where her shirt met her pants without pulling her shirt up. A gentle glide under the edge of the cotton.

Then he slid his hands under and pulled the shirt over her head. He lowered his lips to her neck while his hand continued to stroke her bare skin. It seemed like an eternity before he flicked the clasp on her bra and popped the button on her jeans, but then suddenly, she was lying naked on his bed.

They didn't speak. The room was filled with heavy breathing and the sounds of their kisses, but no words. Miles took his time with her body, playing and exploring like she was his favorite new toy. In the back of her mind, she felt a little guilty, because he was doing all the giving, making sure she was pleasured and enjoyed herself.

She did none of the work. She didn't even have to request what she liked. It was as if he just knew.

And while she was lying in Miles's bed, nothing else mattered. She had no worries, no weight pulling her down.

He allowed her to be Tess, the woman.

It was a frightening thought as she lay spent and panting with his arm curled around her hip. She wasn't sure she remembered how to be just Tess.

Miles knewhe should get up and check the time so Tess wouldn't be late to wherever she needed to go, maybe offer her lunch. He almost laughed at that. They kept making plans to have a meal together, but it never seemed to happen. Not that he could complain about how his afternoon had turned out, but he hadn't wanted his time with Tess to be just about sex.

But today, something about the way she'd said she needed an escape meant he couldn't say no. He couldn't remind her he wanted to get to know her better. Instead, he'd given her what she'd asked for.

She lay in his arms with no sign of moving. He trailed his fingers up her back. "Why do you have so many jobs?"

"Gotta work," she mumbled.

"Why not just work at the hospital?"

She rolled her head to look up at him from her resting spot on his chest. "I work long shifts at the hospital every other weekend, and one day shift on Wednesdays. That's my main paycheck. I supplement with home healthcare because the hospital isn't enough."

"Why not work more at the hospital?"

"I work shifts most people don't want—overnights on the weekend. The pay is premium. But I only do that every other weekend, when the kids are with their father. If I try to go full-time, I'd get variable shifts, which doesn't work well for a single parent."

"Can't you just get a regular shift?"

"Doesn't work that way. The schedule rotates to be fair."

"Except for you. You always get the crap."

"I ask for the crap. Like I said, good money."

"Tell me about your kids."

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'd rather not. They aren't part of this," she said, laying her hand on his chest.

Her reaction stung. It wasn't as if he'd asked to move in with her family. He wanted to get to know her. "Why do you try so hard to work around your kids' schedule? Working parents use babysitters all the time. I had a nanny my whole childhood, and I turned out okay."

He'd meant to make her smile, but all he got was another sigh. She shifted again, lowering her head back to his chest, no longer looking at him. He'd overstepped another invisible boundary.

"My mom was a single parent. I never knew my dad. He took off when she was pregnant. Growing up, I had a lot of friends with at-home moms, and I thought it was great. Don't get me wrong, my friends pointed out all of the downsides, like not being able to do what you want. But especially when I was really young, the idea of having someone at home to help with homework or make me a snack, ask about my day—I didn't have that. I wanted it for my children."

Tess began tracing shapes on his chest as she spoke. Even though it tickled, he didn't move because he wanted her to continue.

"That was one thing William and I agreed on. He wanted me to stay at home and take care of the kids. And I did for years. But when Andrew was a toddler, I wanted to go back to work part-time. I missed being a nurse. I also mistakenly thought my paycheck would relieve some of the burden on William. We were already drifting apart. Going back to work only made it worse."

He didn't understand how her ex could have a problem with her working. She was obviously passionate about it. She loved being a nurse. It was the first thing he'd noticed about her at the gala.

"So he didn't want you to work at all?"

Tess's hand stopped moving. "You don't want to hear about my ex. It's definitely not a conversation for now. Not here. I might be woefully out of practice when it comes to dating, but even I know I shouldn't be talking about another man while lying naked with you."

He reached and tilted her face toward him again. "I don't care if you want to talk about your ex. He's obviously a loser, so I can only imagine how amazing I look in comparison."

This time he accomplished his goal of making her smile.

"Do you have time for lunch today?" he asked and stroked her cheek.

She pushed up off his chest. "I'm not sure. What time is it?" She glanced around the room.

He grunted and got off the bed to grab his phone. "Almost two."

"I have to leave by three."

"Awesome. Get dressed." He reached to the floor, picked up her discarded clothes, and tossed them at her.

"You don't have to, you know," she said as she stepped into her underwear.

"Don't have to what?"

"Have lunch with me. Take more time out of your day. Make this…"

He buttoned his pants and studied her. "Make this what?" She suddenly looked uncomfortable. "A date?" he supplied.

She nodded but didn't look at him. She stared at her T-shirt, as if pulling it on had become a confusing task.

He crossed the room to where she stood and waited for her eyes to meet his. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She lifted a shoulder. "It's just that…I don't know. I thought you were looking for sex."

"I am. So are you. That doesn't mean that has to be all there is. We can hang out and have fun, too."

"For how long, Miles?"

"Huh?"

"If we try to make this a normal relationship, at some point, it's going to stop working for you. You're going to want more from me, and I don't know how much more I have to give."

There it was again, the look on her face that showed all the worry and burden she carried with her. Like she believed she had to do it alone. Not that he was volunteering to help carry the load, but if he could give her a respite now and then, it would be good for both of them.

"I'm fine with whatever you can give, Tess. If coming here to have sex is what you want, why can't we be friends, too? I like talking and spending time with you. No pressure."

She studied his face as if searching for some answer. Then she offered a short nod. "Okay."

He didn't know why, but Miles felt like he'd just won a battle. He dressed and debated what he wanted to do with Tess for lunch. As much as he liked the idea of keeping her all to himself and ordering food in, he didn't want to treat her as if she had nothing else to offer but sex. He really did want to get to know her.

"Come on. I'll drive."

She raised an eyebrow. "I feel weird having a car with a driver. Let's take my car."

He grabbed his keys off the dresser. "I mean I'll drive." He jingled the keys in front of her. "I promise I'll have you back here in time to get to your next job."

"I think you have control issues."

He laughed. "No more than you do, Miss Bossy Pants."

"I'm only bossy because I have a lot to do. I don't have time for people to figure out what to do and how to do it. It's easier if I tell them. It's not so much about being in control as it is about being efficient."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," he said. He led her down to the garage. He drove most places, except to and from work. A corporate car was one of the perks his position afforded him. He used that commute time to make more calls. But on his own time, he liked to drive. Tess was right, though; he liked to be in control.

Tess didn't knowwho she was any more. She and Miles had a lovely lunch at an outdoor café. It felt strange to have a relaxing lunch in the sun without having to order for anyone else, or break up an argument, or rush through her meal because she needed to get someone to practice or class. Miles proved to be an excellent lunch date.

He continued to ask questions about her life and listened to her responses. He also respected her choice to leave some topics off-limits. Like the kids. She thought she'd run out of things to talk about with him, but she didn't. In her everyday life, the kids took up so much space, even when she wasn't with them, she'd forgotten what it was like to talk about anything and everything else.

She and Miles shared childhood stories. As she suspected, Miles had been a troublemaker, albeit a good-natured one. He charmed everyone, including her.

She'd also forgotten what it was like to have a man focus on her, as if she were the prize. And it wasn't even about sex, because he'd already gotten that.

As he pulled back into his parking spot in the garage, he held her hand. "I had a great time today."

"So did I," she answered.

"Can I call you later?"

She froze as she gathered her purse to head to her car. "Why?"

"To talk."

She stared at him.

He reached across the car, wrapped his long fingers around the back of her neck, and pulled her in for a kiss. He swiped his tongue against hers, making her dizzy.

"As much as I enjoyed having sex with you today, I also had a great time talking over lunch. Since I know you can't come over to fuck my brains out tonight, I'd like to talk to you."

"Okay," she found herself agreeing.

His fingers massaged her neck for a moment. "Until tonight then."

"Bye." She slipped away from him and out of the car.

As she drove, Tess thought about Miles's request to call her. So they would talk. Like a real couple.

Huh. How had he maneuvered her into that? Talking after work, sharing meals, having sex—all hallmarks of a relationship. And they'd managed to do them all in one day. She drove to her client's house with the realization she'd been right about Miles in more than one way. He was trouble, and he did like to be in control.

At the moment, though, she couldn't quite remember the downside to either of those.

Later that evening,as she sat on the uncomfortable metal of the bleachers at the park, her phone rang and Miles's name popped on the screen. She pushed it to voicemail but immediately felt guilty, so she texted him.

Can't talk. At baseball practice.

You don't strike me as a ballplayer. What position?

Funny. My son is playing.

Another piece to the puzzle.

Huh?

She looked up and saw Andrew still sitting on the bench, waiting for his turn to practice batting. Billy sat beside her, oblivious to everything with his nose in a book about Albert Einstein, so she returned her attention to her phone.

I now know that of your three kids, at least one is a boy and he likes baseball.

Tess rolled her eyes.

It's not like I'm keeping government secrets.

You said kids were off-limits.

She had said that, hadn't she? She thought about it a moment. It had felt natural to tell him where she was and what she was doing. What was she supposed to do, lie? Then she remembered being in bed with Miles and she had her answer.

That was when we were naked.

Got it. Naked=No kid talk

Tess snorted loud enough for Billy to actually look up. She waved at him to continue ignoring her and go back to his book, and he did.

Are you having fun?

She wanted to laugh at that, too, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself.

No way. Watching kids this young play baseball is torture. Mostly they stand around and talk or pull up grass and dandelions. Painful.

Ouch. Why go then?

He's my kid. He wants baseball, we do baseball.

They continued chatting via text. As it turned out, Miles had played baseball in high school and college. He tried to convince her of the virtues of the game, but she wasn't buying it. Before she knew it, practice was over. She sent one more text telling Miles she had to go. He replied with a winkie-face emoji. The simple conversation made the time she usually spent doing mundane things, like creating her grocery list, fly by.

She tapped Billy's shoulder. "Practice is over. Ready?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"What do you mean?"

Closing his book, he shot a look at her over his shoulder. "You usually sit here, staring between Andrew and the time. You were laughing."

"A friend, nosey pants. I'm allowed to have those, you know."

"I know."

Andrew came running up to them. "Did you see? I caught a fly ball."

"Yeah, buddy. We saw." She had seen and even cheered for him. Billy mostly pretended, and Tess let him. "Come on. Let's go get your sister."

They piled into the car and drove to the pool to pick up Zoe, who was getting out of swim team practice. Such was her night, filled with driving to and from, handling requests for snacks because everyone was starving even though she'd fed them all dinner before they started on this trek. Just like every other night of her life.

Except it wasn't.

Tonight, things had gone smoother. She'd been relaxed, no doubt thanks to the orgasms she'd received earlier in the day. But more than that, having that little break with Miles made her happy.

As they entered the house, Andrew and Zoe started arguing over who got the bathroom first. Tess shook her head. She knew Andrew only did it to start the argument with his sister. Why Zoe let him get to her Tess didn't understand. During the school year, the rule was youngest to oldest simply because Zoe could stay up a little later. During the summer, she let some of the rules slide.

"Enough. Drop the dirty stuff in the laundry room and flip a freaking coin if you can't figure it out without a fight."

They grumbled, and Billy plowed past them with his book to retreat to his room. Tess didn't know what to do with him. He spent his days at a science camp. He had zero interest in sports, much to his father's dismay. William had wanted his firstborn son to be a star player of some sort.

Billy preferred to learn and think and create, which Tess loved, but sometimes she worried he spent too much time in his own head.

"Fine," Zoe said. "Take a shower first, but if you use all the hot water, I'm going to dump ice water on you first thing in the morning."

"You can't do that."

"Watch me."

"Mom!"

Tess opened the dishwasher to empty and reload it with the night's dishes. "She has a valid point, Andrew. There's no reason for you to stay in there so long there's no hot water for your sister. You have a little body. You should be out in record time."

He took off for the bathroom.

Zoe stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared at her.

"What?"

"You wouldn't care if I dumped water on him?"

"Of course I'd care. It would make a huge mess. But sometimes you have to understand the power of a well-placed threat. It was enough for him to think I'd let you get away with it."

"You're a little bit evil," Zoe said with what Tess chose to believe was a hint of admiration. Then she wandered off, leaving the trailing scent of chlorine in the room.

Tess put away the few clean dishes that were still in the machine from yesterday and then reloaded it. By the time she had the dishwasher loaded and the counters wiped down, Andrew was back in the kitchen looking for a snack. She handed him a banana.

He took it and ran to the living room.

"Half an hour of TV then bed."

"I know."

It was the I know of someone who had no intention of doing what he knew he was supposed to. As she grabbed dirty clothes from around the house—seriously, why did the kids throw dirty clothes everywhere?—her phone vibrated in her pocket. She assumed it was her mom checking to see if Tess needed her to babysit this week, but when she pulled the phone out, she saw Miles's name on the screen. With an armful of clothes, she pressed the screen.

"Hello," she said as she hurried to the laundry room.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Something about the flirty greeting made her insides turn to mush.

"Is now a good time? You said I could call to talk."

"We already did."

"We texted. I wanted to hear your voice."

Her mushiness turned to goo. This guy was too charming. He shouldn't have this effect on her. She knew better.

Miles didn't knowwhy he'd called. Well, he did, but he didn't want to examine it too closely. He'd had a great time with Tess this afternoon, both in bed and out. He wanted more. Their texting earlier was proof she wanted more, too.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Laundry."

"Boy, you really know how to relax."

She laughed, but it sounded harsh. "This is my life."

"Can you talk for a few minutes?" He heard some shuffling and banging on her end and then the sound of a machine starting up.

"Now I can."

"Why couldn't you talk at the baseball field?" She was so quiet he thought he'd lost the call.

"My son was sitting next to me." Another brief pause. "My older son. I didn't want to have to explain who I was talking to or worse, have him overhear something he shouldn't."

He tried not to let it bother him that she felt the need to keep him a secret. "Theresa, are you saying you can't control your mouth when you talk to me?"

"I'm not the problem," she answered, chuckling. "You say things that are inappropriate for little ears."

"Are you alone now?"

"For a few minutes. I'm in the laundry room. I can usually hide out here for a little bit. They don't come in because they're afraid I'll put them to work."

He sat back on his couch and closed his eyes. He imagined her hiding behind a door, peering through a crack to make sure she was alone. "Then I can be as dirty as I want."

She sucked in a sharp breath.

"You want me to be dirty, Theresa?"

"Not now. I have to face my kids before they go to bed."

"But I have you now, for at least a few minutes. Close your eyes."

"What?"

"I'm going to give you something to think about, something to relax you." He waited a beat. "Are your eyes closed?" Nothing.

"Theresa?"

"Fine. They're closed, but if my kids start yelling because they're burning down the house, it's on you."

Man, he knew she didn't like relinquishing any control, but he hadn't pegged her for a drama queen. "I'll buy you a new house if they burn it down. Eyes closed?"

"I said yes."

"Close them for real this time."

She snickered. "Okay."

He liked that they could laugh and tease even in the heat of a moment. "Imagine sitting on my couch. Naked. The leather cool against your skin."

"I would never sit naked in the living room."

"You will in my house." He ran his hand across the leather cushion beside him, imagining her lying there. "I'd pour you a glass of expensive champagne because I know you like it, though you'd never buy it for yourself."

"Mmm…I can almost taste it."

He knew she was playing along to appease him, but the fact she was at least trying was enough. For now.

"I'd pick up your legs and stretch them out onto my lap. I'd massage your feet, kneading into the arch until you moan."

She sighed, and he knew he had her. "My thumbs press deep into your muscles until you're limp."

"You know, I thought you were going to seduce me with dirty talk, but this might be better."

"I prefer my seduction to take place in person, but if you want dirty talk, I can accommodate that, too. I'd take the bottle of champagne and pour it over your perfect breasts and then lick them clean."

"You're gonna ruin that expensive couch of yours," she said, but her voice was low and husky.

"Then I'll buy a new one. It would be worth it to watch you soar with pleasure when I suck a nipple in my mouth until your back arches, searching for more."

Her breath quickened, and in his mind, he saw her chest heaving with excitement.

"The bubbles tickle your skin as they trail down your stomach. I'd work my way with my lips and tongue until I could lap at your pussy. It's already wet for me. Isn't it, Theresa?" He waited a second, but she didn't respond. No quick, snarky comment. She was in the moment with him. "I'd kiss your pussy like I own it. Flick the tip of my tongue against your clit, just enough to make your hips jump. A hint of what's to come. I'm gonna take my time with you because I love the taste of you on my lips, in my mouth. A slow build until you're scratching at my shoulders, pulling at my hair, anything to hold me in place to get what you want."

"You're killing me here," she whispered.

"You want it bad, don't you?" She didn't respond.

"Theresa?"

"Yes. I nodded, but you can't see me."

What he wouldn't give to see her right now, full of desire, dying to get off. On him. "You're not touching yourself, are you?"

"No. But I want to."

"Don't. Let me take care of you."

A heavy sigh crawled into his ear. "You know that's not possible."

He wanted to make it possible.

"Come over for lunch tomorrow."

"I can't. I'm working."

"Before? After?"

"You're making it really hard to resist."

"So don't. Everyone needs a break. I'm suggesting you take a break with me."

She became silent again, and he knew she was warring with whatever she had on her schedule that would compete with him.

"I guess I can go grocery shopping tomorrow night."

"What does that mean?"

"I can come by before work. Nine o'clock?"

"Excellent."

"What about your job?"

"Don't worry about my job. See you tomorrow morning. I'll be thinking about you tonight." He shifted his hard dick in his pants. He didn't think he'd make it 'til morning.

"You certainly gave me plenty to think about."

"Only thinking, Theresa. No touching. That's for me."

"We'll see."

His cocky girl was back, and he liked it. "Have a good night. But not too good."

"You, too."