She stepped away. Never in her wildest thoughts would she imagine that's what was bothering him. The man Travis was spying on yesterday must've been the stepdad.
"I don't think the court would allow a change in custody. The stepdad isn't a blood relative and your ex-wife—"
"Ex-girlfriend. We weren't married."
She swallowed. "Without your ex in the picture, the stepdad has no claims to the children. They don't biologically belong to him."
"That's what I hope." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight. Let's go inside, and I can send my kids home."
"Are you sure you want to do that tonight?"
"Yeah, they're looking forward to watching movies." He walked her inside.
Five minutes later, the kids had their shoes on, told her thanks for dinner, and carried the extra tacos home with them. When the door closed, she remained in a funk. While glad that he stayed, she only had the urge to hold him until all his worries disappeared.
She led him to the bedroom. Silently, they both stripped out of their clothes.
A chill swept over her, and she slipped between the sheets. Holding the blanket up, inviting him in, she snuggled against him, covering them both up.
His body remained tense. Only his hand moved as he played with her hair. Settled into the crook of his arm, she gazed at his profile as he stared up at the ceiling. The whiskers of his beard moved slightly, and she suspected he gritted his teeth.
She never imagined in such a short amount of time; she'd feel such emotions for a man who was once only a hot guy she had a crush on. That during her low times after her grandpa had died, that watching Wyatt ride on his motorcycle from afar gave her something to focus on, instead of feeling sad.
She wanted to give that comfort he'd unknowingly given her.
Pushing up, she crawled on top of him and wiggled down on the bed until the covers were over her head. She kissed his left hip, his abdomen, and his right hip.
His cock hardened without her even touching that part of him. Rubbing her hands along his muscular thighs, she used her tongue to lick the length of him.
Wyatt stretched his legs underneath her. Circling her tongue around the head of his cock, she opened her mouth and took him in, sucking softly. Since meeting him, every time they'd been together, they'd been rushed. She hadn't had time to just be with him. To explore. To learn.
Tonight was as much for her as it was for him. She needed to have the closeness, the slowness, the time to try and understand what was happening to her. Being with him seemed like so much more than a fantasy or a few one-night stands.
She took more of him in her mouth and slowly sucked until he almost slipped out of the hold of her lips. Then, she went down again, using her tongue to caress him.
Wyatt moaned and removed the blanket over her head. Without letting him go, she peered up at him. He had his hands clasped behind his head, watching her.
The power he gave her in that one look overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes and bobbed her head, giving him steady, firm, deep.
His hand molded atop her head. So caught up in pleasuring him, when he came in her mouth, she only then realized she'd dug her nails into his thighs.
Taking her mouth off him, she raised her head. "I'm sor—"
"Don't you dare fucking say it." He pulled her up and tucked her against his side, holding her tightly. "It was the best, tiger."
She snuggled closer, looped her arm around him, and closed her eyes. And wondered if she was half in love with Wyatt Carr.
He kissed her head. "Give me a few minutes, and then it's my turn."
She smiled against his chest. He was going to break her heart because she couldn't walk away from him.
Chapter 12Wyatt
CARRYING A PIECE OF plywood, Wyatt climbed the ladder, carefully balancing the board on his right arm and using his head.
"Four more steps, boss," shouted Tony over the music coming from the boombox.
Near the top of the ladder, the wood lifted off him, taken by Tony and Matt. He grabbed the crossbeam and stepped up on the second-floor rafter. By the end of the day, they'd have the roof on the new construction.
He took the hammer off his toolbelt and grabbed a handful of nails. As Tony lined up the plywood, he nailed it down.
The sun beat down on his shoulders. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm, he moved over while Rocky brought up another piece of lumber. They all took turns, one after another.
"Boss?"
He walked to the edge of the roof and peered down to the ground, spotting Carter waving his arm. The bright neon-colored shirt beside his employee caught his attention before he absorbed what Carter was yelling.
"What are you doing here?" he yelled down at Jess.
His daughter flapped her arms. "Dean picked up Travis at..."
The hammering behind him cut out the rest of the sentence. But he'd heard enough. He climbed down the ladder, sliding halfway, and stormed across the dirt yard.
"Where is Travis now?" he demanded.
"I don't know." Jess hurried to keep up with him as he headed toward his motorcycle. "I saw him getting into Dean's car from the bus. I yelled for him, but they took off. Once the bus dropped me off, I ran all the way here instead of going home."
"Good girl." He handed her a helmet and yelled at Roddy. "Keep them working until dark. I want that roof on, and the site cleaned up."
Roddy saluted him. He got on the Harley. His daughter climbed on behind him. Waiting until she pushed the footpegs down and wrapped her arms around him, he took off the moment she was settled securely behind
