She looked up, her eyes soft as she smiled. He smiled back and kissed her fully on the lips before hugging her into his side. In a comfortable silence, they watched as the girl before Claire performed to some Taylor Swift song. He loved having her in his arms. The feel of her sweet body against his sent molten lava through his veins, and he was convinced that he could live with her as a permanent appendage on his body. It might be hard to play hockey with her glued to him but, in a way, he didn’t care. He never wanted to let her go.
He was hopped up on the way Reese made him feel. She put him on a high that was indescribable. He was hooked. She was his drug, and he was utterly fine with admitting his addiction to her. Moving his hand into her back pocket, he was rewarded with a sneaky little smile.
“You trying to get frisky?”
He gave her a cocky grin. “Aren’t I always?”
“True, very true, but you’re gonna have to wait. Claire is about to come on.”
He moved his nose in her hair and took in a deep breath. “I have no problem waiting for you.”
She giggled as she pushed him away playfully. “Shh, you’re turning me on.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her jaw. “Now you’ll have to wait, too.”
She scowled at him. “I hate waiting.”
“Sorry,” he said with a shrug as they called Claire’s name. Turning to look at the stage, he smiled when he felt Reese’s hand slide into his back pocket. He tried to ignore the desire he had for Reese as he watched Claire get in position. When the song started and she started moving like her body was the music, Phillip found himself in awe of her beauty. He had seen her dance with a partner and in a group, but he decided that watching her dance alone was his favorite. She commanded the stage, owned it, made it her bitch, and it was mesmerizing to watch.
“I like her outfit a lot more today,” he said as she leaped in the air before landing and pulling her leg behind her head.
“Figures you’d like the one that covers all of her,” Reese teased, poking him in the side and making him jump.
He smiled as Claire continued to turn for what seemed like forever before falling to the ground and arching her back. Tears stung his eyes like they had the first time he saw her perform this dance. When the song ended, her eyes were wide and full of emotion. Phillip let Reese go to cheer like he was in a hockey rink, and not at a national dance competition. He knew people were looking at him like he was nuts, but nothing mattered but letting Claire know how proud of her he was. When she went off the stage, Reese took his hand and led him backstage, where Claire ran right into him, hugging him so tight he couldn’t breathe.
“I was so scared I was going to mess up,” she whispered against his chest. He held her, kissing the top of her head.
“No way, you had that.”
She shook her head before looking up at him. “You think so?”
“I know so,” he said with a wink.
“I agree, I think you’re going to be three for three, Claire,” Reese said with a wide grin.
Claire looked from her to Phillip. He smiled before hugging her tight. “Now go up there and get your hardware so we can go home.”
Claire smiled as she let him go. “Can we get ice cream, too?”
“Ooh, can we? I second that request,” Reese chimed in.
He chuckled as he shook his head but, inside, he was on his knees, thanking the sweet Lord above. This was what he wanted. He wanted these moments with the two women that meant the most to him. He knew that it was only ice cream, but it meant way more to him. It was the start of something that he never wanted to end. He knew that Reese was nowhere ready to settle down and admit that she loved him, but he felt like she was getting there and he wasn’t about to stop loving her. Not when the end result was within reach. When Claire went three for three, getting the highest score, only three points away from perfect, and placing first overall, Phillip saw tears in Reese’s eyes and he knew right then that she was almost there. She only needed a little more time to see that they worked together as a unit, a team.
That they could work as a family even.
Chapter 25
STANDING ALONE in a room with Kevin Edds was probably the last place she thought she’d be when she walked away from him three years before.
But sometimes the moments you’d think would least happen come around and bite you in the ass. Blah, she wished she were anywhere but here. She felt naked with his lazy gaze on her. He stood against the wall, looking up at her from his phone while she stood by the iHome. Despite the fact that she was fully clothed in black tights, shorts, and a long-sleeved sweatshirt, she felt like he could see right through the layers she wore. Before, she loved it. She loved how he looked at her like she was a piece of the most succulent meat he’d ever put in his mouth but now, now she wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire. She didn’t care that he looked sinful, all tall and lean in a pair of dance shorts and a tank, because she didn’t want anything from him.
Ever again.
She had regretted her decision of inviting him to the studio a hundred times over, but she had done it and now had to live with the decision she made. The whole way home from Chicago with Phillip and Claire, she tried to figure out why she said yes. She told Phillip it was because of the kids, but was that the real reason? It didn’t feel right. She felt like there was more to her decision, but she couldn’t figure out what that was. She needed to figure it out but all she kept doing was wishing him to the millionth circle of hell. She wasn’t sure if there was one but she sure hoped so, because Kevin Edds needed to leave and make that place his home.
He was hopped up on the way Reese made him feel. She put him on a high that was indescribable. He was hooked. She was his drug, and he was utterly fine with admitting his addiction to her. Moving his hand into her back pocket, he was rewarded with a sneaky little smile.
“You trying to get frisky?”
He gave her a cocky grin. “Aren’t I always?”
“True, very true, but you’re gonna have to wait. Claire is about to come on.”
He moved his nose in her hair and took in a deep breath. “I have no problem waiting for you.”
She giggled as she pushed him away playfully. “Shh, you’re turning me on.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her jaw. “Now you’ll have to wait, too.”
She scowled at him. “I hate waiting.”
“Sorry,” he said with a shrug as they called Claire’s name. Turning to look at the stage, he smiled when he felt Reese’s hand slide into his back pocket. He tried to ignore the desire he had for Reese as he watched Claire get in position. When the song started and she started moving like her body was the music, Phillip found himself in awe of her beauty. He had seen her dance with a partner and in a group, but he decided that watching her dance alone was his favorite. She commanded the stage, owned it, made it her bitch, and it was mesmerizing to watch.
“I like her outfit a lot more today,” he said as she leaped in the air before landing and pulling her leg behind her head.
“Figures you’d like the one that covers all of her,” Reese teased, poking him in the side and making him jump.
He smiled as Claire continued to turn for what seemed like forever before falling to the ground and arching her back. Tears stung his eyes like they had the first time he saw her perform this dance. When the song ended, her eyes were wide and full of emotion. Phillip let Reese go to cheer like he was in a hockey rink, and not at a national dance competition. He knew people were looking at him like he was nuts, but nothing mattered but letting Claire know how proud of her he was. When she went off the stage, Reese took his hand and led him backstage, where Claire ran right into him, hugging him so tight he couldn’t breathe.
“I was so scared I was going to mess up,” she whispered against his chest. He held her, kissing the top of her head.
“No way, you had that.”
She shook her head before looking up at him. “You think so?”
“I know so,” he said with a wink.
“I agree, I think you’re going to be three for three, Claire,” Reese said with a wide grin.
Claire looked from her to Phillip. He smiled before hugging her tight. “Now go up there and get your hardware so we can go home.”
Claire smiled as she let him go. “Can we get ice cream, too?”
“Ooh, can we? I second that request,” Reese chimed in.
He chuckled as he shook his head but, inside, he was on his knees, thanking the sweet Lord above. This was what he wanted. He wanted these moments with the two women that meant the most to him. He knew that it was only ice cream, but it meant way more to him. It was the start of something that he never wanted to end. He knew that Reese was nowhere ready to settle down and admit that she loved him, but he felt like she was getting there and he wasn’t about to stop loving her. Not when the end result was within reach. When Claire went three for three, getting the highest score, only three points away from perfect, and placing first overall, Phillip saw tears in Reese’s eyes and he knew right then that she was almost there. She only needed a little more time to see that they worked together as a unit, a team.
That they could work as a family even.
Chapter 25
STANDING ALONE in a room with Kevin Edds was probably the last place she thought she’d be when she walked away from him three years before.
But sometimes the moments you’d think would least happen come around and bite you in the ass. Blah, she wished she were anywhere but here. She felt naked with his lazy gaze on her. He stood against the wall, looking up at her from his phone while she stood by the iHome. Despite the fact that she was fully clothed in black tights, shorts, and a long-sleeved sweatshirt, she felt like he could see right through the layers she wore. Before, she loved it. She loved how he looked at her like she was a piece of the most succulent meat he’d ever put in his mouth but now, now she wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire. She didn’t care that he looked sinful, all tall and lean in a pair of dance shorts and a tank, because she didn’t want anything from him.
Ever again.
She had regretted her decision of inviting him to the studio a hundred times over, but she had done it and now had to live with the decision she made. The whole way home from Chicago with Phillip and Claire, she tried to figure out why she said yes. She told Phillip it was because of the kids, but was that the real reason? It didn’t feel right. She felt like there was more to her decision, but she couldn’t figure out what that was. She needed to figure it out but all she kept doing was wishing him to the millionth circle of hell. She wasn’t sure if there was one but she sure hoped so, because Kevin Edds needed to leave and make that place his home.
