Chapter 7

Gwen

He laid me back onto his bed, his big body following me down and pinning me to the mattress. The dreams I”d been having of him were about to finally play out in real life. I”d thrown caution to the wind. Other women got to have wild flings with sexy men. Why couldn”t I?

”You”re fucking perfect,” he said, his voice deep and husky with desire.

His tone sent a shiver through me and my nipples hardened into sensitive peaks that were trapped against his hard chest. His large hands slid up and down my sides as we kissed, then dipped under the hem of my shirt. My heart was racing. It had been so long since someone had touched me like this. The fact that it was Static was threatening to send me into orbit from the simplest of touches. He was so gorgeous and sexy. The way his powerful body was caging me in was intoxicating. There was no fear here. Not with him.

I arched into his touch as he palmed my breast through my bra. His fingers plucked at my nipple, forcing a whimper from my throat. I was buzzing. It was a full body vibration that started down low.

Static pulled back, frowning down at me. ”What is that?”

I was literally buzzing. Groaning, I lifted my hips, digging into my back pocket to pull out my cell. I gave him an apologetic look as I answered. ”Hello?”

”Gwen?”

Static rolled to the side, and I lifted up onto my elbow. I prayed my voice wasn”t as raspy and breathless as it sounded to me. ”Dani? Is everything okay?”

”I”m so sorry to be calling,” she said, sounding worried. ”But Sean isn”t feeling well. He threw up in class.”

”Oh no!” Every fiber of my being switched from turned-on woman to worried mother. ”Is he running a fever?” I shot Static a look as I scooted to the foot of the bed and stood.

He was already up and in motion, grabbing a set of keys from a bowl on the dresser.

”Yeah, clocking in at one hundred and one. He”s in the nurse”s office now. She wants to know if she has permission to give him something to help with it?”

”Yes, please,” I answered. Frowning, I followed Static when he motioned for me. As soon as I got near, his big hand spread over my lower back and he led me through the house.

”Do you want to take Grace home, too?” Dani asked. ”I can pull her from her Kindergarten class if you want?”

”Yeah, please. If he”s sick she”s probably already got it, too.” I stepped into Static”s garage and watched as he rolled his bike in so it was out of the way. ”Thanks, Dani, I”ll be there as quickly as I can.”

”See you soon, Girl.”

I hung up and shook my head. ”Static, thank you so much but I need my car. Grace”s car seat is in there.”

”I have one,” he said. ”Get in.”

Peeking into the back seat of the car, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the car seat already buckled in. I hurried around to the passenger side, pausing when he beat me to it. He arched a brow as he held open the door. Smiling, I slid in and buckled up. Twisting my phone in my hands, I tried to think of something to say to ease the awkward silence. He”d been fondling my breast right before that phone call. But he didn”t seem upset at all.

There was a worried set to his lips, but I was sure it wasn”t from what had happened between us. At least I hoped not. Trent would have been pouting by now, saying that I was choosing the children over him. As if I wouldn”t run to the rescue when one of my babies was sick. I thought back over the events of the morning and froze in my seat.

What happened with David had seemed so familiar. A flash of a waiter shooting me a friendly smile and Trent spending the rest of the night freaking out about it entered my mind. I gasped out loud, then turned to Static and hit his shoulder three times in succession. They weren”t hard slaps. Just like taps really as the realization sank in.

”What the hell, Gwen!” he bellowed, looking over at me like I was crazy. He was holding the steering wheel with his left hand and his right elbow was resting on the center console. He could have easily blocked the second and third blow, but he didn”t even try. He just looked at me like I”d grown horns.

”What you did today!” I squeaked out.

”Sugar,” he said, his tone wary. ”I don”t know what you”re saying.”

”The way you reacted to David,” I accused, ”it was exactly the way Trent behaved, too.” The gasp popped from my lips without warning as he jerked the car to the side of the road and slid to a stop.

Fury was sparking in his eyes as he glared at me. ”Don”t. Ever. Compare me to him,” he demanded. His hands were fisted, but they stayed where they were. He didn”t reach for me.

”Then don”t act like him,” I said before I knew the words were going to pop out of my mouth. His lack of reaction alone made me realize my comparison wasn”t exactly fair, because while both men had acted jealous and possessive, Static had only been aggressive toward David. Trent had always taken his aggression out on me. I”d end up apologizing for hours on end before going to bed and crying because Trent treated me so badly.

Static had only made me promise not to see David again, and then he”d kissed me in a way I”d never been kissed before. He was gentle, but persuasive with me. In that way he was completely different from Trent. Even now. Instead of being angry that I was leaving him in the lurch to go pick up my kids, he was driving me to get them. And there had been no question. He just jumped into action.

Guilt made hot tears prick at my eyes. ”I”m sorry,” I whispered. ”You”re not like him.” I paused, ”I just-”

”I”m a possessive man, Gwen,” he said, his voice hard, but the anger was gone. ”I don”t like sharing what”s mine. That doesn”t mean that I”ll take it out on you if another man is interested in you. That being said, I don”t share. I expect that my woman wouldn”t entertain any other man”s interest.”

”But I”m not your woman,” I pointed out, voice soft. I wasn”t being accusatory, just pointing out the truth. He hadn”t made me his old lady. ”And that”s fine,” I told him before he could speak. ”It”s fine.”

He searched my face, a muscle in his jaw flexing as he ground his teeth together.

He was about to speak, and I really didn”t want to know what he had to say. If he said he didn”t want me to be his, it would break my heart. But...I was also terrified he would claim me. I don”t know if I was ready for that. I was a complete mess and didn”t want to subject anyone to my issues. ”Can we get the children please?” I asked.

He jerked his head in a single nod and pulled back out onto the road. We were going to have to talk about what happened at some point. Just not now. I couldn”t do it now.

We rode the rest of the way in silence, but the worry for Sean overpowered my guilt for comparing Static to Trent. As soon as Static pulled up to the drop off curb, I was out of the car and running toward the building. I hurried into the office and Beverly—the school”s secretary—gave me a sympathetic smile. ”They”re in the back.” She pointed over her shoulder to the little door that led to the nurse”s station.

”Thanks, Bev,” I said and went around the desk. As soon as I stepped through the door my anxiety fled only to be replaced with the overwhelming need to nurture. I was with them now. They were fine. Grace was sitting on a chair, swinging her feet and singing softly to herself, and Sean was lying on the exam bed, the paper crinkling with every movement.

”Baby,” I said, voice soft.

Sean”s eyes met mine and I read the misery there. This had hit him hard and he had that look. The one that you saw and just knew he felt awful.

”You ready to go home?”

He nodded. I looked over at Grace and she smiled at me. There was no sign of her feeling unwell, yet. Sean slipped off the bed and quickly took the hand I held out to him. He leaned heavily on my side. I”d offer to carry him, but he”d be horrified if I had to carry him out of school. A nine-year-old boy”s pride was a funny thing.

”I”ll get Grace.”

I turned at the deep voice, surprised when I saw Static. He had followed me in here. Trent had never once picked the kids up from school. He never cleaned up puke. Had never even changed a diaper. The portions of my heart that hadn”t already melted for Static did so and then began to bubble and simmer there in my chest.

Grace kissed his cheek when he picked her up and started chatting to him about her day. As we walked out of the school, I heard her whisper, ”Sean isn”t feeling good. He frew up.”

Static”s chuckle was a deep rumble in his chest.

We put Sean in the back, then Grace in her booster seat. After getting their bags from the office, I climbed in the front.

”What about my car?” I asked as Static began driving us home.

”Don”t worry about it. I”ll have one of the guys help me pick it up. You just take care of these two.”

Sighing, I turned in my seat and checked on the kids. Sean was already asleep, his mouth open wide as he dozed. Grace was looking through a picture book I”d pulled from her backpack and given her. I tried not to let them have electronics too often. Since they were both occupied, I faced Static.

”I really am sorry.”

He side eyed me, then nodded in acceptance. ”Maybe I shouldn”t call you Sugar. Spice might be more appropriate,” he teased.

Laughing, I shook my head. Then I sobered and added, ”I shouldn”t have said you were like Trent. You”re so different from him it would take me a year to list all the ways,” I admitted.

That devastating smile spread over his face. ”If you can forgive me for acting like a jealous asshole, I can forgive you for comparing me to your ex.”

”Done,” I replied, with a happy smile. ”Thank you so much for bringing me to get them.”

He grunted. ”No way I was going to make you detour to get your car first. It”s no problem at all.”

A retching sound followed those words, making us both grimace.