"Your sister has two, though. I actually feel better having another adult here. There's a lot to be said for talking and having someone reply to you."
Laughing lightly, she agreed with him.
"I guess it is rather isolating being a single parent."
"Christ," he gasped. "I'm only twenty-six! The term single parent makes me feel old."
"Well, that's what you are, buddy. Deal with it."
She stood up, placed Joe gently into his Moses basket, and laid a fleecy blanket over him. Leo placed his hand over hers, stopping her from leaving.
"Don't go. Please just stay. For an hour. That's all I'm asking."
Erin's chest tightened. He needed someone, and something inside of her refused to deny him that. She sat back down, flipping her hair over her shoulder, but because it was so long, it ended up slapping his cheek.
"You know, I've never met anyone with hair as long as yours," he spluttered, watching as she smoothed the ebony strands.
"Well, now you have." She smiled, getting more comfortable. "Can I say I've never met anyone with such a large tattoo? It's amazing."
Erin ran her fingers across the inked puzzle, amazed he wasn't flinching away from her touch. He exhaled loudly, looking down at her fingers on his skin.
"That leaves us tied then," Leo sniggered, but Erin shook her head.
"I've never spent this much time with a father I'm attracted to."
He raised his brows in evident surprise, his mouth dropping open slightly. Her pulse sped up when she took charge, linking her fingers with his. Anxiety rose, hoping her touch wouldn't be rejected. His smile soothed her frayed nerves.
"Would you like a coffee, Erin?"
She nodded, feeling his fingers gently squeeze hers.
"I would love one. Coffee and an afternoon chat with a cute guy sound like a great recipe to me."
Joe wriggled in his Moses basket, whimpering as if in agreement. The baby had settled down now that Leo was less stressed, and even though they were moving faster than maybe they should, she refused to press the brakes.
Chapter 2
Erin returned to Leo's apartment the next day. And the day after that. In fact, she returned every day for the next week. Each of those days got easier for Leo with the baby. Erin showed him how to soothe Joe, tricks on getting him to finish an entire feeding, and how to get him to settle quicker. Leo had never been so thankful.
Leo had started to watch the clock, counting the minutes until she knocked on the door to his apartment. He told himself he shouldn't be relying on her; she was only doing this because she felt sorry for him. Nevertheless he couldn't ignore the light touches between them or the sparks that flew when their eyes met. Over the last few days he had pulled himself back from touching her long, ebony hair at least ten times. He had dreams of what it would feel like caressing his chest and being shrouded in a curtain of it as he kissed her senseless. Looking at her had become almost painful because his head warred with his heart. One told him to go for it, to show her the attraction he felt, but the other told him to focus on his son, and make him the main priority. Confusion engulfed him.
He had heard nothing from Carlie. Anger would claw at his gut whenever he thought of her. Carlie should be a part of their son's life, not a stranger. He still didn't understand how she could leave and not care what happened to her son. She hadn't even stayed to make sure Leo had taken him in out of the cold. She just hadn't cared at all, turning everyone's life upside down, and the way she had discarded their son… That was something he could never forgive.
The tapping on the front door made him grin like a fool. Leo checked on sleeping Joe, making sure the noise hadn't disturbed him, then checked his own appearance in the mirror. Formula stained his white wife-beater. Fluff from one of Joe's soft toys covered his crumpled dark jeans, yet his happiness outshone all of that. He finally felt in control, and the woman knocking on his door had a lot to do with that.
"Good afternoon, Mr Sommers." Erin grinned as he opened the door.
She waved a brown paper bag in one hand and a can of formula in the other. Her cheeks flushed from the biting wind outside, her bangs spiky from the light rain. Leo noticed with regret she'd braided her hair, and it hung down her back. He tried not to pout.
"Hello, Miss Miles. What do you have there?"
"I brought you both lunch."
Erin swept into the apartment, tossed her purse onto the couch, and peered over the Moses basket to stare at the sleeping baby. She passed Leo the formula.
"You didn't need to bring this. I can get him formula." He tried to hide a grimace.
She moved closer, placing her palm flat on his chest and meeting his hazel gaze.
"I know, but I thought I would bring lunch for both of my favorite men. That's not wrong, is it?"
He shook his head, trying to think of something to say, but she turned his thoughts to mush whenever she touched him. Or whenever she got this close. The denial was getting harder and harder to deal with.
"So what did you do today, dear?" Erin teased, stepping back and shrugging off her coat.
Leo chuckled, burrowing around in the bag to see what she'd brought him. He'd learned to lean on her far too quickly, the whole situation startling him. He still felt guilty, but Erin didn't seem to mind; she actually appeared to enjoy his company and that of Joe.
"Well," he pondered, lifting a bagel to his mouth. "Four-thirty was the start of Joe's day, so it's been downhill since then. Until I opened the door to your smiling face, that is."
Erin cast her eyes down in the most seductive way. Sometimes he'd tease her on purpose just to see her reaction. The pull to her was so strong it seemed wrong. They'd only known each other a week, yet he couldn't get enough.
"How was your day?" Leo asked around a mouthful of food.
She flopped down next to him, her eyes growing wide as he virtually inhale the bagel.
"Oh, you know—wash, cut, blow-dry."
"You love it."
Erin smirked, reaching for her purse. "Actually, I like it so much I brought my scissors here."
He frowned at her, watching the way she wielded the scissors like a deadly weapon. Joe made a keening sound from the basket but settled almost immediately.
"Why have you brought those here?" he asked with caution, pulling away a little when she reached out.
Her fingers combed through the back of his head; her nails scraping gently over his scalp. He all but purred at the intimacy. He wanted to beg her for more, and he stumbled for something to say. He stammered, tongue-tied for the first time since his teenage years. Erin laughed at his fumbling, causing him to stammer a bit more.
"I thought you could do with a trim. Just half an inch. Promise."
"You want to cut my hair?" he asked, closing his eyes as she ran her fingers through his locks again. Each time her fingertips caressed his scalp, sparks flew, all converging at his groin. His balls tightened, the stiffening of his cock pushing against his underwear. Shifting his position in the chair didn't hide it either. The longer her hands remained on his body the more she turned him on.
She cleared her throat. "Y-yeah. Would you like that?"
"Will it take long? It's just that Joe will be awake soon, demanding I feed him."
Unaware of his actions, he tilted his head closer to her. She smiled, turning her body so he could rest his head on her shoulder. They both stilled for a moment but didn't separate. Her fingers continued a slow, steady rhythm, combing his soft strands as Leo inhaled her sweet scent.
"I don't know how I'd have gotten through this week without you," he muttered.
"You would have been okay. I've not done that much for you. You were thrust into something you had no idea about. I just guided you."
His voice grew gruff when he replied. "And you have no idea how much I appreciate what you've done. I think someone was sending me some good luck the day I crashed into you."
Leo didn't want her to move, but if she really wanted to cut his hair it needed doing before Joe woke up. It would be good to have this small moment with her, even if it was just a haircut. So regretfully he pulled away, standing to move a dining room chair into the space.
"You'd better take your top off. You'll get hair all over it."
Leo snorted, looking down at the mess on the white cotton. "It's not like I can make it any dirtier."
"True. It is a mess, but trust me. Those little cuttings stick in the fibers, and no matter how many times you wash it, it still makes you itch."
He held his hands up in surrender, making his eyebrows dance before whipping his wife-beater off. Erin's gaze shot straight to his puzzle-piece tattoo. Her tongue darted out, licking her lip as she perused his ink. He got a kick from her obvious attraction, vowing to be half-dressed next time she came around.
"I don't know how you control yourself around me," he teased, receiving a slap on his shoulder, but he didn't miss her muttered response.
"I don't know either."
His heart started to beat double time. His groin tightened at the realization that what he felt was not one-sided. Hope swelled within his chest as her fingers began to flick through his hair. He squirmed.
"Sit still or I'll end up cutting you." Erin forced his head forward when he tried to turn to face her.
Easy for her to say. His cock was painfully hard, and each time she touched him it grew worse. Convincing him that no woman would want a guy with baggage didn't help either. The haircut should have been a time to relax before Joe started squalling again. Instead each second was becoming sheer torture.
Leo remained silent, tilting his head whenever she twisted it. Mentally, he recited the alphabet, trying not to get too carried away with the scratch of her nails on his scalp, or the stroke of her fingers through the strands of hair. He got to
L
before he realized she had stopped cutting.
"Did you just hum?" she asked in confusion, ghosting her fingers across his shoulders as she moved to stand in front of him.
"I… I was agreeing with you," he lied, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
It wasn't.
She frowned, placing her hands on each shoulder. She flicked the clipping of hair off before resting her hands.
"I didn't say anything for you to agree with."
The flash of her navel underneath her tight T-shirt was level with his lips. His mouth watered in excitement as he wondered what her skin tasted like. He had to force his gaze upward, tearing it from her creamy flesh. He didn't know what to say, hadn't even been aware that he had hummed. He knew why he had though. Erin's touch had made him want her naked and in his arms.
Leo placed his hands on her hips, expecting her to pull away. He always thought she would when he touched her. She didn't; she gazed at him, waiting. The air around them crackled with intense attraction, an arousal that was getting more and more difficult to deny.
"Leo, you hummed. I heard it, and I felt it. You…" She paused. "You don't have to hold back around me."
His fingers flexed on her hips before he rested his forehead against her abdomen. He mumbled lowly, hoping she couldn't hear and that his sounds were muffled by her stomach. Goose bumps skittered across her skin, eliciting a delicious shiver.
"It's too soon," he whispered. "Too much."
Erin ran her fingers through his freshly clipped hair, exhaling.
"I understand. You have Joe to think of, but I feel it and I know you do too. I'm not imagining it."
His lips skimmed her navel, and he told himself it was only a quick taste. He lied, because once he licked his lips, her flavor burst across his tongue. The temptation to kiss her flesh again bubbled in his blood, but he held back.
"You're not imagining it. I just don't want you to think this is about Joe."
"I know it isn't," Erin stated softly. "Look, if you had met me in a club or a coffee shop we wouldn't be having this conversation. I get your need for caution, but you have feelings too. You can't spend the rest of your life denying yourself."
She was right, but his son had been through so much already. He needed to think this through. He couldn't deny his attraction to Erin; it was evident in his gaze, his touch… and his pants. Right now all he wanted to do was kiss her, to run his hands across her smooth, scented skin and hear her soft moans of pleasure. Deep down he sensed she would do nothing to hurt him or Joe, though his judgment was clearly not the best.
"Do you want me to leave?" Erin croaked out, her fingers tightening in his hair.
His hands mirrored hers, grasping her hips. He was torn, his head and heart battling for dominance once again. Joe cooed in his basket as Leo temporarily lost himself in Erin's skin. He nuzzled her abdomen, his tongue darting out to take a quick taste.
It wasn't enough.
He pulled at her hips, groaning as he swirled his tongue around her navel. She tasted tangy, salty, and raw. It made his mouth drier than the Sahara, and he longed for more. From the way Erin pushed against him, she wasn't about to deny him. In fact her whimper demanded more.
"Don't go," he gasped. "Please. Stay."
Erin lowered her head, cupping his face in her hands before lowering her lips to his. They both gasped as her lips pressed against his. Leo's heart thundered, making his whole body freeze for an instant. It didn't feel wrong; it had just startled him. The intensity was extreme, but he relaxed a little, Erin's mouth moving slowly against his. It started out chaste, a series of lingering pecks. Nevertheless when she pulled away, his lips still tingled.
They stared at each other, shock reflected in their faces. He was vaguely aware he still clutched her hips, but he couldn't drag his eyes from her flushed cheeks and wide eyes. Neither one of them said anything further; they didn't need to. The sparks had begun to ignite.
Leo stood quickly, shoving the chair onto its back. He took one step toward her, expecting her to back up. She didn't. Her arms wound around his neck; her lips met his first. The kiss became intoxicating, gentle at the start but growing deeper with each sweep of Leo's tongue.
Excitement swiftly turned into lust, yet Leo tried not to push too soon. Her grasp on his T-shirt gave away her rising passion; his own need rolled off him in waves.
Joe whimpered, making them both still, but not for long. Leo's lips began to trail across her jaw, small pecks and quick licks. He moved down toward her throat, feeling her increased breaths. Encouraged, he lapped at the sensitive area, enjoying her pants of anticipation, but Leo took it no farther down than her earlobe. He wasn't sure where this was leading. He just didn't want to rush it. It felt right.
Her soft sigh produced a rumbled groan from Leo as he took the lobe of her ear into his mouth, sucking slowly. The sound went straight to his groin, causing him to shift position. He wanted her to know the effect she had on him, but worried her actions would be based solely on lust. He wanted her body and mind and not just for tonight.
Erin smoothed her hands down the back of his neck, gently massaging his shoulders as they pulled apart. He didn't want it to end any more than she appeared to, but they had only known each other a week. Even though the attraction was strong, they needed to tread carefully. For themselves as well as Joe.
"Um… wow…" Leo stumbled.
Erin grinned, tugging him over to the couch. She tickled her fingers down his tattoo, lowering her head and placing three small kisses on his bicep. She sat behind him, moving Leo so his back pressed against her chest. Her legs rested on either side of his hips, her arms dangling lazily over his shoulders. Touching Erin felt as easy as breathing. It was as if they had known each other far longer.
"Yeah," Erin exhaled. "Dreams have nothing on reality."
"You dreamed of me?"
"From day one. Didn't you?"
Leo chuckled, giving her knee a quick squeeze. "I don't think men's dreams are quite the same as women's."
"Wanna bet?" Erin teased, but she flushed, muttering about a rather erotic dream she'd had last night. "On reflection it's all rather embarrassing."