“It’s typed?” She looked amused. And so gorgeous he ached to touch her again.
He shook his head and maintained his distance. “It’s not typed.” It was feverishly scrawled onto a Post-it and wedged into his wallet.
“Oh. You were teasing.” She rolled her eyes. “I thought I was getting better at picking up on your sense of humor.”
“Have you been trying to figure me out, Kimber?”
He leaned a palm on the counter behind her and hovered over her, flattered she’d thought about him in a way other than physical. The innocence in her eyes nearly floored him. And reminded him who he was. Who she was. Despite their promises not to make promises, he wondered if they were playing with fire.
He backed away abruptly. “That’s a bad idea.”
Ignoring her downturned lashes, he kissed her forehead and pushed away from her before giving in to temptation and taking back his last words. He trekked to the living room, putting some much-needed distance between himself and the gorgeous redhead muddying his brain.
* * *
Kimber knelt in front of the boy she’d mothered for almost a week and smiled at the Superman T-shirt stretched over his little chest. “Thank you for hanging out with me.”
Lyon’s face pinched slightly. “Are you going to come and see me at my house?”
“Um…” She wondered if he latched on to every woman he met, if he’d latched on to her. Or if, by telling him truthfully she would not be coming to see him—likely wouldn’t see him anytime soon—he’d be hurt. Maybe not. Kids were more resilient than adults in most cases.
Who knew what was going on in that head of his?
“We live very far away, buddy,” Evan said. “But you are welcome to invite her to your birthday party next month. Maybe Kimber can come if she doesn’t have to go to work.”
She shot Evan a smile, grateful he knew what to say.
“Yeah! You can come to my Superman birthday party!” Lyon smiled, appeased.
“Superman.” She dropped her jaw in faux shock. “You’re kidding.”
“No. For real,” he said so seriously, they all laughed.
She didn’t want to promise and let him down so she said, “Send me an invitation and I’ll do my best to make it.” But even that sounded like a promise to her ears. And it hurt, lying to him. By next month, she and Landon would have long blown through the list, and their temporary relationship. She ignored the sadness trying to leak into her chest.
Lyon turned to embrace his uncle as Kimber stood. Seeing Landon smile at his nephew and give him gentle orders like “be good on the ride home” and “don’t forget me” clenched her heart. He was wholly capable and loving with that boy. Another thought nudged the edge of her mind, but she refused to let it come forward. It was dangerous comparing herself to his flesh and blood; people he would love forever no matter what.
After Evan and Lyon made their way out the door, she excused herself to pack. Landon kissed her, promising to pick her up tonight at her place. “Wear a dress,” he’d instructed as the elevator doors slid shut between them.
She paid the cab driver, sifting through her purse for another twenty as her fingers slipped over the check Landon had given her. It was a lot of money. A generous amount. And in a way, despite her protests, it did feel a bit like payment for what had happened between them last night.
But she couldn’t think that way. She had a date with number five on his list… whatever that was. In truth, she’d been surprised that he’d asked her out on a date. Their parameters didn’t exactly include social situations.
What did you expect? Just sex?
Maybe. Wouldn’t just sex be easier? She was already having a hard time separating her emotions from the physical act they’d shared. Every other minute she had to remind herself not to feel anything for Landon. Or Lyon, for Pete’s sake. Evan had also nudged his way into her heart. Like they had when she was sixteen, she found herself falling in love with the Downeys. All it’d take would be her showing up to Lyon’s birthday party and being around the entire clan. Then she’d be a goner.
So. Maybe this fun-night stand business had been a tad ill-advised. In Gloria’s defense, she hadn’t known how close Kimber had grown to the Downeys that summer a hundred years ago. Too late to turn back now. Her feet were not only wet, they were encased in cinder blocks and she was sinking.
Stop being so melodramatic. You’re not sinking. You’re a loving person.
A loving person capable of walking away from Landon when they were through with the list. Or at least she hoped so. For both their sakes. She didn’t want him to hate her when this was over. Ice pick to the heart, that thought. She shook it off as she climbed the stairs at the side of Hobo Chic leading to her apartment.