The Way Love Goes (Serendipitous Love Book 4) Read online

  “I drove, since I live out of the city. I can drop you off at home.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t have to go out of your way for me. I mean… I would appreciate it though.”

  “It’s not out of the way. Come on.”

  I was in Sean’s vehicle.

  It smelled like him, which meant it smelled delicious. That smell, plus two drinks, plus being pressed against him for two songs, plus almost two months without any intimacy equaled a very horny Fallon.

  I pulled my seatbelt tighter.

  The tighter it was, the less likely it was that I would climb out of it and crawl into his lap, because that’s exactly what I felt like doing.

  It was a weird, foreign experience, feeling a level of attraction like this to someone who I’d had such contentious first interactions with. But somehow, even those negative events had ended on positive notes, and both had left me feeling tingly and light and… horny. And now… I was horny as hell.

  But I wouldn’t sleep with him.

  Nope.

  Getting into a cab instead of letting him drive me home probably would have been a better way to ensure that outcome, but I was here now. In his car. Ready to jump his bones.

  Shit.

  This was a bad idea.

  “You’re quiet,” he said, over the low volume of the radio. Whatever hip-hop he’d been listening to had kept it from being completely silent, but he was right. “You okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just… thinking.”

  “About?”

  Ummmm.

  “Oh. Um… you said you live outside of the city? Where? And why?”

  He coasted up to a stop light, then glanced in my direction. “Yeah, I live in my family’s house, out on the lake. The house I grew up in.”

  “Oh. So… do you live your parents?”

  Please say no…

  “What?!” he chuckled as he gassed the car once the light had turned green. “No, Fallon. I don’t live with my parents. I live alone.”

  “Good.”

  He laughed louder. “Good? Why good?”

  “Because a grown man living with his parents isn’t cute. And I heard about your homeboy Roman, with the baby mama living with him when he and Simone met, so I’m just glad that doesn’t run in your crowd.”

  “So what, you trying to be the next Roman and Simone?”

  I gasped. “Huh?! No, I was just sayin—”

  When I looked over, Sean had one hand on the steering wheel, the other covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. I swatted his arm.

  “Stop messing with me like that!”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  I sucked my teeth. “I’m serious, Sean.”

  “Alright, alright,” he said, shooting me a smile as he made a turn. “So… you been out to the lake before?”

  “No, not yet. But I’ve heard it’s beautiful. And I love going to Lake Michigan. “

  “Lake Michigan? You’re from…?”

  “Chicago.”

  “Oh word? Let me guess… you like to stroll Navy Pier… bike around the lake… and maybe… Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Nah… girl like you… I think Riva is more your style.”

  I sucked my teeth, again. “Absolutely not,” I said. “Riva is too frou-frou for me. Bubba Gump, or the food court.”

  “The food court?” he asked, eyes wide. “I would have never guessed.”

  “Mmmhmm. How do you know so much about Navy Pier?”

  He shrugged as he pulled to the last stop light before my house. “Used to have family in Chicago. Visited often.”

  “Used to have family there?”

  I was watching him, so even though I didn’t hear him sigh, I saw the drop of his shoulders as he pulled away from the stop light. “Ex-wife’s family.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. But, anyway… Lake Zecoria isn’t like that at all. A couple of docks, a bunch of trees, a few picnic areas, stuff like that. Maybe one day you’ll let me bring you out there. Go fishing with me.”

  I smiled at him. “Yeah… maybe so.”

  We pulled in front of the brownstone, and I was surprised – almost – when he got out to walk me up the driveway. “This is not at all how I expected my night to end,” I said, when we were standing in front of my door. “So much for girl’s night, huh?”

  “Yeah, me either.” Sean pushed his hands into his pockets. “I was supposed to be getting drunk with my boys, playing cards, whooping ass on the Xbox while the women did their thing, but those dudes, man… they couldn’t stay away.”

  I sighed a little, thinking about how I’d basically had to beg Ray to make the trip to see me – with no luck. “Well, when you’re in love, that’s how it’s supposed to be, right?”

  “Yeah, actually.” He nodded. “It is.”

  We stood there, just looking at each other, for what felt like, but probably really wasn’t, a long time. It was like we both knew he should leave, but neither of us wanted to take a step toward that. I wanted to invite him inside. Wanted him to peel me out of my clothes and carry me up my stairs. I was a curvy girl, but with a strong back like that, he could do it, I was sure.

  “I’m gonna head on home,” he said, in a tone reminiscent of someone under duress. “Me and my guys are going to be at the Pot Liquor site early in the morning. Should probably get some rest.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, probably so. Can’t be falling asleep on the job.”

  “Nope. Sure can’t. So… good night.”

  Sean stepped closer to me, then paused, and I could practically hear his brain working out what he should do next. He extended his arms, and dual feelings of disappointment and relief swept through me.

  A hug.

  How… innocent.

  Damn.

  Just like on the dance floor, Sean’s arms felt exactly like a man’s arms were supposed to feel: strong, safe, and warm. I settled in, wrapping my arms around his waist, and he laughed when I tucked my face into his neck and inhaled.

  “I enjoyed your company tonight, Fallon,” he said, mumbling the words into my hair, and I turned my face up toward him.

  “I enjoyed your company as well.”

  I bit my bottom lip, and decided against saying what was on my mind, that I wasn’t sure why, but I knew I wanted him to kiss me.

  Sean must have been telepathic.

  His lips felt just as good as I’d imagined them – maybe better. It was just a brush at first, but then he pressed harder, and then his tongue was in my mouth. And it was glorious. Hot, tingling pleasure shot straight between my legs, like there was a direct connection there from my mouth. He probed deeper, teasing and tasting me as our tongues danced, and his hands gripped tighter at my waist.

  I moaned against him when he pulled back just long enough to suck my bottom lip, and then plunged his tongue into my mouth again. He wasn’t frantic, not at all. Every stroke of his tongue was unhurried, carefully measured to give exactly what I needed, tailored just specifically for me. It wasn’t a please let me in, I want to get between your legs kiss; it was a this, right here, is why you need me between your legs kiss. And as wet as Sean had me… I… I…

  Shit.

  I put my hands against his chest to push him away, and he slowly pulled back. When our eyes met, I shook my head, and he let out a groan.

  “Did I misread the vibe here, or…?”

  “No,” I answered, swallowing hard to catch my breath. “I… no, you didn’t. I just… Sean, I can’t. I’m sorry, because I know I was putting off a vibe, because there is a vibe here, between us, but… I… I just got out of a three-year relationship. My head is all messed up from that, and I really don’t think I’m ready to do anything that even remotely resembles getting involved. Even just casual sex, you know? I just need to be, for a while. I’m sorry.”

  Sean bit his lip, and then leaned into me again, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Nothing to be sorry about, Fallon. I’ve been there, remember? I get
it.”

  “Thank you. You’re… still going to fix my house though, right?”

  Sean threw his head back and laughed, then let his hands slip away from my waist. “Yes, I still plan to fix your house. We’re good.”

  “You sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I nodded, then moved away from him, finally turning to unlock my door. He headed back to his truck as I stepped into my doorway.

  “Hey,” I called out, as he opened his door.

  “Yeah?”

  I stepped back out so I wouldn’t have to yell so loud, then clasped my hands together in front of me. “That was the best first kiss I’ve ever had.”

  Sean chuckled, then shook his head as his mouth spread into a smile. “You’re not that bad yourself. Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  I turned and actually went in the house then, pressing my fingers to my lips as I started up the stairs to get in the shower. On the way, I checked my phone to see that I’d missed another call from Ray. What the hell did he want from me?

  At some point, I knew I would probably have to talk to him. I still hadn’t given him the full-blown angry rant I thought he deserved, but I was trying to just forget it. It would be a lot easier if he’d just leave me the hell alone.

  Screw him.

  Back to Sean.

  Do cold showers work for women? I wondered as I kicked off my heels. Cause if so… I definitely needed one of those.

  Six.

  “So… don’t be mad.”

  Inwardly, I groaned at the sound of those words, because 99% of the time, they preceded something that it was impossible not to be pissed about. But… maybe that wouldn’t be the case with Fallon.

  I put down the shovel I was using to scrape up tile and turned to see her standing behind me, wearing a sheepish smile. It was early in the day, and the first time we’d worked at her house on a Saturday, so she’d been around all morning, just observing from the background. She’d come down the stairs in running gear, but never did leave the house. Now, I had a feeling I was about to learn why.

  “Why would I be mad?” I asked, using my arm to wipe sweat from my forehead.

  She chewed on her top lip as she stepped a little closer to me, and I noticed she held a tablet in her hands. “Because… I might be kind of… changing the plan a little.”

  “Happens all the time.” I shrugged. “You want a different finish on the cabinets or something?”

  “Bigger than that.”

  “Oh… you want to choose different flooring? The store hasn’t shipped it to us yet, so—”

  “Bigger than that.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Okay… why don’t you tell me exactly how big a change?”

  “’Knock down a wall and completely reconfigure the kitchen’ big?” She gave me a bright smile at the end of her statement, as if that made it better, and I couldn’t help laughing a little as I shook my head.

  “That is not changing the plan ‘a little’, Ms. Perkins. That’s big as hell.”

  She dropped her head. “I know, but look at this!” she said, turning the tablet on and holding it up toward me. She rested a hand on my shoulder as a picture of a kitchen about the same size as hers came on the screen. “You see how this kitchen has…”

  I was listening to her, really, but my mind was running in a completely different direction. It was hard to focus on what she was saying when she was all in my space, touching me, and smelling good doing it.

  I may or may not have been feeling the hell out of Fallon.

  A week had gone by since our little impromptu almost-date at Urban Grind, and I was having a hard time getting her out of my head. It was a foreign concept to me, to be wrapped up in a woman like that, especially after that shit with my ex, but something about Fallon… I don’t know. This woman was beyond attractive to me.

  Physically, the appeal was obvious, no denying that. Fallon was beautiful, and she was successful, smart, all of that. But there was something else there, something I couldn’t pinpoint, that just… tipped my fascination over the edge.

  Maybe it was her candor. I was at a place where the elusive personal trait of honesty was sexy as hell, after finding out I’d devoted my life to a liar. So for Fallon to not even pretend she wasn’t hurting about her breakup, being open about how she felt, that was refreshing to me. And the fact that she wasn’t shy about admitting a fault, or apologizing when she needed to?

  Whew.

  A year and a half ago, when I was still newly divorced, I swore I wasn’t doing that shit ever again. Macho bullshit aside, betrayal hurts. Lost trust hurts. Being lied to hurts. Having that shit happen at the hands of your wife, a woman you swore to love, cherish, protect, and had been doing your damnedest to live up to those vows for?

  It fucking hurts.

  So I wasn’t trying to do that again.

  Casual dating? Fine.

  Casual sex with no expectations? Even better.

  Turns out, I didn’t end up doing either one, because I had more compelling stuff happening, but now… my mind was clear, for the most part. Now, my mind was on Fallon.

  But she wasn’t ready.

  And honestly? I understood. I’d been there before, and having your world rocked by that kind of betrayal wasn’t something you just got over fast. In general, her mood had been upbeat in the week since I started paying attention when I saw her. She was resilient, not allowing herself to be broken down by what her ex had done, but she was still hurting.

  I’d been making it a point to spend the early parts of the day at the Pot Liquor site, so I could “check in” at Fallon’s in the evening, when she was usually home. There was only a short window between the end of her workday and when we stopped for the day. So, I had to be strategic about it, but I was good at finding reasons to send the guys home, and stay at her house a little longer.

  And she never seemed to mind.

  Especially on the days when her eyes were pink and glossy, like the breakup had been on her mind. One of those days, I just joked with her until those tears were ones of laughter. The other, I took her into her garage and showed her how to use the miter saw, then made her help cut the crown molding for her ceiling. It’s hard to think about your bitch-ass ex when you’re focused on not cutting your fingers off.

  “Do you think this is doable?” she asked, turning to me with her eyes wide, full of excitement about her ideas for the kitchen. “And if we take out this wall right here, it would open everything up, and bring in a lot more light.”

  I pulled my hardhat up to scratch my head. “If we do all of this, it’s going to add quite a bit of time, probably weeks to this project. I was under the impression you wanted this over with as soon as possible.”

  “I did, at first.” She turned to face me, tucking the tablet into her arms. “But now I want it to be perfect, not just done. You know?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. What made you change your mind?”

  “I…” – she pushed out a heavy breath, then lifted and dropped her shoulders. “I realized that I was depriving myself of the original reason I even bought this house. I like watching the transformation happen, watching the beauty come back into these older homes. This was supposed to be this big DIY thing for me and my ex, but he’s not part of it now. I may not be able to do it by myself, but I shouldn’t let him steal the joy of the process from me. I don’t even know if I’m going to keep it, or sell and get something smaller just for me, but still… I want to enjoy it while I can.”

  “Good.” I kept my response simple, so I wouldn’t end up ranting about bums who left huge responsibilities on their girl’s shoulders. He didn’t want to do his part? Fine. I had her back.

  “So we can make those changes?” she asked, her voice hopeful.

  “Of course. Anything you want, I’ll make it happen. Send me a list of your plans, Ms. Last-Minute changes. I’ll see what you have, call the plumber back out here about moving water lines, get the cabinet guys and th
e granite company back out. From there, I can give you a new budget and timeline.”

  “Ah!” She let out a little shriek of excitement, and a second later, she was hugging me. Over her shoulder, I caught some of the guys giving us curious looks, so I gave her a squeeze back, and then reluctantly pulled away.

  “Let me get back to these floors,” I said, reaching for my shovel. “I’m glad you brought this up while we were in demolition mode, instead of once we started putting stuff in.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I figured I should catch you before. Did I add a bunch of work?”

  “Hell yeah,” I laughed. “But it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

  “It looks like you were almost done except the floors,” she said, then stepped past me into the kitchen.

  “Hold up!” I grabbed her around the waist, pulling her backwards out of the kitchen. “Can’t be in the work zone without protective gear.”

  She sucked her teeth. “Sean, are you serious? Work zone? It’s just my kitchen!”

  “I’m dead serious. It can get dangerous, so we make safety a habit. Always, safety first. All times, even the small jobs. And we tore out part of the ceiling remember, because of the water damage. You don’t know what might fall out of there.”

  She rolled her eyes, but I gently grabbed her arm, tugging to get her to meet my gaze.

  “I’m serious, Fallon. You said you’d eat out or order in, you’ve got your mini-fridge and stuff… you don’t need to be in this kitchen while it’s being torn down or rebuilt. It’s potentially dangerous, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  Her expression softened, but then took on a mischievous edge. “But what if I want to help?”

  “Help what?”

  She smiled. “Tear the kitchen out. I’m strong, and I’ve got some aggression that probably needs to be worked out. I want to do it.”

  “Then you need protective gear,” I said, shaking my head.

  “So….?”

  I groaned, then chuckled. “Okay. Follow me to my work truck.”

  Outside, I found a clean pair of goggles and a hard hat in my truck. I put both on her, and she turned to look at her reflection in the window.