11. Katie

CHAPTER 11

Katie

N olan Ellis is in my house.

Nolan fucking Ellis is sitting on my couch.

What is my life right now? I don’t even know how I got here. One minute, I was lamenting over what to wear with a dress code of “casual,” and the next, I was watching my date cook dinner with my son.

At the moment, Cody is leaning against Nolan’s shoulder, chomping down on popcorn like this is an everyday occurrence.

I guess he’s met Nolan several times now, so I’m sure he’s comfortable with him. That should help this situation, but instead, it’s making my head spin even more.

This isn’t what I imagined for my first date with a man in years. I figured we’d go out to dinner somewhere, have a glass of wine, and then I’d be home by eleven. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe my first date would involve my son.

I wanted to keep this a secret from him. Hell, I wanted to keep it a secret from everyone. That’s what I’d planned. Before Nolan arrived, I’d texted him to stay in his car until Sue arrived so I wouldn’t have to deal with introductions. Look where that idea got me. Snuggling on the couch with the man I haven’t stopped fantasizing about since New Year’s and my amazingly adaptable son who has always looked up to that same man.

I kind of like it.

I mentally cringe. No, I can’t get used to this. This can only be a onetime thing. I will not let Cody get attached to Nolan only to have him disappear in a few weeks when he gets tired of dealing with a single mom.

A hand lands on the back of my neck, and I look over at Nolan. Cody has slipped down to lay his head in Nolan’s lap. He’s out cold, as he usually is when we have movie nights. It always makes me laugh when he’s adamant he won’t fall asleep, but three-quarters of the movie goes by and he’s down for the count.

Nolan smiles at me, a soft, happy look in his eyes. He looks comfortable over there with my kid asleep against him. “Should we move him?” he whispers.

“Only if you’re uncomfortable. I usually wait until the movie is over before I wake him up to go to bed.” I’ve learned that if the movie is still going, Cody refuses to go to bed.

“Then we’ll wait.” Nolan starts to massage my neck when he turns back to watch the movie. He laughs at all the funny parts, as if he’s genuinely enjoying the movie. There wasn’t any grumbling when Cody suggested an animated movie. He didn’t even make a face at some of the cheesier parts.

Is this all an act to get into my pants? He’ll be in for a rude awakening when he realizes that nothing will be happening tonight while my kid is in the house with us. Is that when he’ll show me his true colors?

That’s not Nolan, and you know it.

I fucking hate how cynical I am sometimes. But after years of men proving how worthless they are, it’s hard to change your thinking when a good guy does the unexpected. What else am I going to do but question his motives when no other guy has ever done something as selfless as hanging out with an eight-year-old because their plans got canceled?

My body starts to melt a little under Nolan’s fingers. When they move up into my hair, his nails scrape against my scalp. A little moan slips from my throat. That feels incredible.

Nolan chuckles, and I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. I’m not willing to move my head on the off chance he stops doing whatever magic his fingers are creating. I close my eyes to better enjoy the massage, when suddenly, Nolan’s whispering my name.

I blink awake, only just realizing that I fell asleep. The TV is off, the only light coming from the lamp on the end table by Nolan.

“Hey, little dove,” Nolan says.

I sit up, forcing his hand to drop from my head. “What time is it?”

“Just past ten.”

“Fuck.” I rub my hand over my face to wake up a little. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was more comfortable here than I have been anywhere else in a long time.” Nolan’s expression is so open that I know without a doubt he’s telling the truth.

Cody is curled up on his side, his head cradled in Nolan’s lap. “I should get him to bed.” I reach out a hand to wake him up, but Nolan stops me.

“I can carry him if you lead the way.”

My eyebrows raise in surprise. “Thanks. It’s just the first door on the right.”

Nolan carefully slips out from underneath Cody. He turns to slide his arms under Cody’s knees and back, lifting him as if he weighs nothing. I usually have to wake him up to get him into bed. He’s much too heavy for me to lift on my own anymore.

I walk in front of Nolan, leading him to Cody’s room. I turn to watch him step through the doorway, my son safely tucked against Nolan’s chest. Something inside me clenches at the sight of them together.

Nolan gently lays Cody on his bed. “I’ll let you get him comfortable,” he whispers.

I’m not able to speak through the lump in my throat, so I nod instead. Nolan kisses my temple and then leaves. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. This shouldn’t make me as emotional as it is. I’m being ridiculous.

I grab some pj’s out of Cody’s dresser and quickly get him changed, grinning at how he doesn’t even stir as I go. It’s only after I get him tucked under the covers that his eyes start to flicker open.

“Mommy?”

“Go back to sleep, my love.”

“Tell Nolan I had fun tonight,” he murmurs with sleep in his voice.

“I will, baby. Good night.” I press a kiss to his forehead and walk out of his room, leaving the door open a crack. I head back to the living room to find Nolan standing in front of my built-in bookshelves.

He turns to look at me over his shoulder. “Do you have a favorite?”

My face heats. I don’t want to tell him that I read about girls getting railed by monsters. Then again, even the non-monster smut would still be embarrassing to share with the guy I’m starting to have feelings for.

“I have multiple favorites.” Avoidance at its best.

“Oh, you have Tilly’s book. Did you like it?” He pulls it off the shelf, and I squeak. My hand shoots out to stop him from opening it, but it’s too late.

Nolan’s eyes widen and shoot to mine. “Well, well, well. Who knew Tilly Areneto was such a dirty bird?”

“Stop it!” I snatch the postcard out of his hands. Ellie drew some character art for Tilly’s book, and a couple of them are… let’s just say they are not suitable for work. This one in particular de picts the hero eating his woman out as if it’s his last meal on Earth.

“So that’s why your face got all red when I asked if you had a favorite. Now you have to tell me.”

“Why?”

“Then I can read it and know what you like most.”

Warmth flows through me at the idea of Nolan reading my favorite book, purely because I like it best. I bite my bottom lip, waffling between being honest or making something up. The look in his eyes gives me the courage I need.

“This one is my favorite.” I grab a shifter romance that kept me up all night wanting to finish. Not only is the story addicting, but the way the man loves his mate is something I’ve always dreamed of experiencing. Granted, I’m a realist and know no man would ever come close to loving me the way a fictional character loves his woman.

“Can I borrow it, then, or shall I take a picture?”

“You can take a picture. No way am I letting you take one of my precious books from my shelf.”

Nolan grins. “Fair enough.” He pulls out his phone and takes a picture of the book. Then he carefully slides it back from where I grabbed it. He turns toward me, his palms sliding down my arms to grab my hands. He lifts them to his mouth and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Thank you for a fun night.”

I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly what you’d planned.”

“No, but I still had a great time.”

“Watching an animated movie with an eight-year-old? Sure, that’s any man’s idea of a great night out.” I’m not sure why I’m pushing him on this. I just don’t want him to lie to me.

“I got to spend my night with the woman I haven’t been able to stop thinking about in months and the kid who makes up her whole world. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.” The conviction in his voice makes my heart thump. Those blue eyes hold so much more in them than I’m ready to acknowledge.

Wait. “What did you mean you haven’t been able to stop thinking about me for months?”

Nolan smirks, but before he answers, he grabs my hand and takes me over to the couch to sit down. “Do you remember what you said to me at Ellie and Adam’s wedding?”

My eyebrows bunch as I try to think back. “I don’t have a clue. Was I mean to you? I’m sorry if I was. That was not my best night. This waiter kept hitting on me, and my final straw was him saying I was pretty hot for a mom.”

Nolan grimaces. “I didn’t know about that. I’m sorry you had to deal with him, though that puts what you said into perspective. I’d asked how your night was going, and you said, ‘When will men learn that women are not playthings for them to use and put away when they get bored? This is why I don’t bring men around Cody. He’ll grow up thinking it’s appropriate to jerk women around for his amusement.’ And then you grabbed the drink the bartender handed you and walked away.”

I scrunch my nose. “I’m a little jaded. What can I say?”

Nolan laughs. “Seems like you have reason to be, but what you said put something into perspective. What would I want my child to learn from me? Son or daughter, am I living up to the standard I’d want to set for them? I quickly realized that the answer was no.”

I’m stunned speechless. What do you say to something like that? I had no idea my pissed-off words could have such an impact. “I… I’m not sure what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that, after that night, I took a hard look at my life and started to make some changes. I also started growing a hardcore crush on you after that, even though you wouldn’t give me the time of day.” He huffs a self-deprecating laugh .

“It wasn’t for lack of desire on my end. I hope you know that. I just knew that the minute I gave in to you, I wouldn’t be able to give you up after one night.”

“You think I’m hot?” He smirks.

“I didn’t say that…” I try to keep a straight face as Nolan’s face falls in disbelief. An inelegant snort comes out of my nose.

Nolan gasps. “You little devil.” He reaches out and digs his fingers into my ribcage, making me squeal as he tickles me.

“Stop, stop, stop!” I laugh, shoving at his hands. When he pulls away, his upper body is pressing me back into the couch, his face level with mine.

“Your eyes make me think of chocolate cake when you laugh.” He softly smiles down at me. “Makes me want to eat you.”

And just like that, my core tightens. Fucking hell, he’s potent. “There will be no eating tonight, mister. Not while Cody’s here.”

“Understood. Does that mean kissing is off the table, too?”

“No way. Not after how adorable you were with my kid tonight. Talk about an ovary bomb.”

Nolan burst out in a laugh. “A what?”

“Never mind, just kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nolan finally presses his lips against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck to pull him closer. His body rests more firmly against mine. The pressure settles something in my body, as if the only thing holding me to Earth is him.

His tongue sweeps into my mouth with a sensual glide. It only seems to remind me of the way he ate me in the hotel. The memory has me moaning into the kiss, my body moving with the pent-up desire I’ve had since that night.

“Fuck, little dove. If we keep this up, I won’t be able to hold myself back. ”

I groan, so tempted to say fuck it and let him have his way with me.

“Not helping,” Nolan says against my lips, and I laugh.

“I’m sorry. You’re too good at that.”

He leans away from me and stands. He adjusts the crotch of his pants with a grimace. A satisfied grin stretches across my face.

Nolan points a finger at me. “Stop it. This is your fault.”

“My fault? You’re the one with all the moves. Making me all aflutter inside.”

He tips his head back with a groan. “Okay, I’m walking away from you now before all semblance of control snaps out of me.”

I stand and follow him to the door. He slips on his coat and grabs his keys from his pocket.

“Text me when you get home?”

“Of course.” He slips a finger into the cleavage of my tank and pulls me into his body. “Goodbye, little dove.” Another fierce kiss is pressed to my mouth before he turns to the door and walks to his truck.

I am in way over my fucking head with this one. Aren’t I?