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  “Yeah, I know.” I understood a thing or two about hard work and commitment. I wouldn’t have gone as far as I had professionally if I hadn’t been willing to work twice as hard for twice as long as every other kid on the field every day.

  “I know you know.” She stood. “You wanna come in for some lemonade?”

  “No, I’m gonna head home. I’ve got some thinking to do, Linda.”

  “I imagine you do.” She patted my cheek with a warm smile. “It sure was good seeing you again, honey.”

  “You too,” I said, giving her a hug.

  Chapter Five

  Hallie

  I was already working on my fourth drink, and the laughs and conversation flowed as freely as the wine.

  “I can’t believe you’re seeing Spencer MacKay again,” Miranda said, elbowing me. “God, you are so lucky. That man has only gotten better with age.”

  I had to agree. In his early twenties he’d been hot, but now he was sexy and refined and so yummy I wanted to lick him all over every time I saw him. “I’m worried though,” I said, skimming my fork over my half-eaten cheesecake. “Chris is so young, and Spence is this larger-than-life guy he’s idolized forever. If we got involved and it didn’t work out, he’d be crushed.”

  “You’re an amazing mom,” Sam said, pointing her dessert fork at me. “But you deserve to have a life too. You’ve put Christian first since the day he was born.” I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she raised her hand. “Hey, I get it, okay? I’m a mom too. But I really don’t think you’re doing him any favors by making him the center of your universe.”

  I wasn’t doing that! I had my gallery, my classes, and my friends. I had a life! “Hey, I love my son, but he’s not the only great thing in my life.”

  “I’m just saying,” Sam said, shooting a look around the table. “He’s going to be a teenager in a few years, Hallie. And we all know what that means. He won’t have time for his mom anymore. And where does that leave you? I’ll tell you. Alone.”

  It wasn’t that I’d never considered what my life would look like when Chris started dating and driving and doing all the things teenagers do, but every time the thoughts crept in, I’d stuff them back down, reminding myself I had plenty of time to worry about the future. But that was before my past had walked back in to my life, reminding me that years can pass in the blink of an eye.

  “It’d be asking a lot of Spencer,” I said, thinking of how great he’d been with my son. “Taking on all my…” I wouldn’t call it baggage. My son was not baggage. He was a blessing, the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  “We know, we know,” Miranda said, nodding as she reached for a forkful of my dessert. “But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do it gladly. You have to give him a chance, girl. If you don’t, you know you’ll regret it.”

  “He asked me over tonight.”

  Sophia palmed her forehead. “And you’re just telling us this now? What the hell are you still doing here?” She shooed me with both hands. “Go! Go!”

  I laughed, grasping her hand. “There’s plenty of time… if I decide to go.” It wasn’t like he’d invited me to spend the night, but I was pretty sure I would if I went over there.

  “Why wouldn’t you go?” Miranda shrieked. “Are you crazy?”

  “It’s been forever since I’ve been with a man,” I said, blushing as I clenched my teeth.

  “And you’re worried you’ll forget how?”

  The girls giggled when I dropped my face into my hands.

  “Come on, Hal. You know it’ll be amazing,” Miranda said. “How many times have you told us that Spence was hot as fuck in the sack?”

  “I know.”

  “Are you worried he won’t have the same staying power now that he’s on the wrong side of thirty?” Sam asked, wiggling her eyebrows until I laughed.

  “No. I’m sure he’s still amazing. Me on the other hand? I’m hopelessly out of practice. What if I disappoint him?” My biggest fear was that I’d become a frigid shrew after going so many years without.

  “So you two haven’t messed around at all then?” Sam asked.

  “A little.”

  “And? Were you into it?” she asked. “Was he? Did it feel like old times?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then why are you sitting here second-guessing yourself?” Sophia demanded, throwing her arms in the air. “Chris is spending the night with your mom, and you have a gorgeous man waiting on you. Get the hell out of here already!”

  They were right. I had to release the fear and embrace the moment for once. “Okay, okay.” I made my rounds hugging each of them before I dropped a few bills on the table to cover my meal. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “You better,” they said in unison, laughing as they pointed at each other.

  “Group chat tomorrow!” Sam announced. “We want all the dirty details!”

  ***

  Spencer

  I was crawling out of my skin waiting for the doorbell to ring. It was after eleven, and I was beginning to think she’d changed her mind about stopping by. But I had too much pride to text her and ask. Instead I sat scowling at the news, beer in hand, watching the minutes tick by.

  Finally, after twenty minutes of doing that, the bell rang, and my heart started thumping wildly in my chest. Showtime.

  I set the beer bottle down on the table and jogged to the door, forcing myself to take a deep breath before I answered it.

  I stumbled back when she threw her arms around my neck, pressed her hot little body against mine, and tugged on my hair before claiming my mouth.

  Fuck. Ten seconds into that kiss and I was good to go. I boosted her up, holding her lush ass in my hands as I pinned her against the wall. We were tearing clothes, attacking each other’s mouths, and I couldn’t get her naked fast enough. I thought about asking whether she was sure, but she didn’t act like a woman who was having reservations, and I was too turned on to invite rejection.

  She tore her lips from mine, panting wildly as her nails scored my back while I kissed her neck. “I want you, Spence. Please. Fuck me.”

  She’d lost her shirt a long time ago, but there was still a lacy barrier between me and her perfect tits, and I needed it gone. I pressed the front snap and groaned when she was finally exposed to me. Her breasts were fuller than I remembered, thanks to the few extra pounds in all the right places. Years ago, she’d been slim, on the skinny side, now she was lush and curvy and so fucking sexy I was afraid of coming in my pants as I licked and caressed her nipples.

  I boosted her higher, giving me easy access as she tipped her head back and moaned my name.

  “Couch,” she said, pointing behind me.

  I carried her into the living room and dropped her on the tan leather couch, making her squeal as I smirked, watching her tits bounce.

  “How much have you had to drink tonight?” I demanded, pulling my training pants off. No way would I fuck her if she was loaded, but her eyes looked bright and clear, so that was a good sign.

  “A few glasses.” Her hand was trailing down her stomach as she watched me shed the rest of my clothes. I growled when she slipped her finger under the band of her black lace panties. “This isn’t about alcohol… and you should know I left my inhibitions at the door.”

  “That’s what I wanna hear.” I tore her panties off, making her eyes widen in surprise. She’d been sweet and innocent the last time we were together. She’d only had one other lover before me. But we were older now, more experienced, and there’d be no holding back. I wanted to do with this woman all the things I’d been fantasizing about for years.

  “Stand up,” I said, reaching for her hand.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, letting me help her to her feet.

  “My bed.” And I didn’t intend to let her out until she had to pick her son up in the morning. Tonight, she was all mine. No distractions. Just us… getting reacquainted with each other’s bodies.

  I led
her down the hall and didn’t even bother flipping the light switch as I kicked the door to the master suite closed and locked it.

  “Why’d you lock it?” she whispered. “You afraid I’ll try and get away?”

  I chuckled as I threw her on the bed. “No, my brothers are always stopping by uninvited. Don’t need them walking in on us.”

  “I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time they caught you in bed with a woman,” she teased, wrapping her arms around my neck when I joined her on the bed.

  “No, but one look at you and they’d fucking fall in love. I can’t risk that.”

  She thought I was joking, but I wasn’t. My brothers hadn’t met her the last time we were together because they were both away at school. We were all attracted to the same type of women, and I wasn’t about to compete with my brothers. Not for Hallie.

  I kissed her neck as I murmured, “You’ll meet Jake at the academy soon enough. He’s one of my coaches. When he hits on you, and I know he will, tell him to fuck off. You’re mine.” She gasped as I rolled her nipple between my thumb and forefinger.

  “Is that so?” she whispered, licking her lips as my hand traveled over her stomach. “I’m yours?”

  “After tonight you will be.” There was enough light filtering through the open curtains for me to see her face. “This isn’t some casual thing for me, Hallie. Tell me you know that.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “I’ll take it slow with Chris,” I promised, flattening my palm on her stomach. “Let him get to know me. But you and me, that’s a different story. I know what I want with you.”

  “You do?”

  “I want a relationship.” I kissed her. “The kind we had before I left, only better.”

  “Better, huh? I don’t know if that’s possible. I seem to recall it being pretty good.”

  “It was,” I hissed, closing my eyes as I inhaled her sweet scent. “So fucking good. But we couldn’t think or talk about the future then because we didn’t think we could have one. Things are different now, right?”

  Her nod was barely perceptible, and she was looking at my chest.

  “You wanna get married again?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  “And you wanna have another baby?” My baby.

  “I’d like to.”

  “Good, then we want the same things, and if we’re as compatible now as we were then, we can finally have them.” It should have scared the shit out of me, talking forever with a girl who’d been back in my life half a minute. But it didn’t. “Am I making you nervous? Talking like this?”

  She shook her head slowly before looking up at me.

  “Good, because as much as I want you right now, we need to get this shit worked out first.”

  I’d seen the other guys checking her out at my academy. Divorced dads, coaches, even a few of the under-twenty players. And I wasn’t having it. From now on, when she walked into that building, every one of those fuckers would know to keep their eyes and hands off ‘cause she was mine.

  “I don’t want us to be some dirty little secret, Hallie. If we’re gonna do this, I want everyone to know we’re a couple.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Okay, but I need to talk to Chris first. I’ll do it tomorrow, tell him we’re dating and see how he feels about it.”

  I didn’t think he’d mind or be too surprised, but he was her son, so I had to let her set the ground rules where he was concerned. “I’ve noticed the other guys at the academy checking you out—”

  “Spence, stop. You’re being ridiculous.”

  She had no idea how beautiful she was. She didn’t see the heads turn or eyes widen in her wake. But I did. And I didn’t like it. “I know what I saw.” I curled my hand around her wrist when she started caressing my chest. I couldn’t think straight when she was touching me like that, and I really needed to get this out. “And I want to be clear about one thing, baby... you’re mine.”

  “I don’t remember you being this possessive last time we were together.”

  Her eyes were giving nothing away. Maybe I was coming on too strong, demanding too much of her. But I wasn’t willing to back down. I didn’t want to take it slow. I was too damn old to take it slow. I was crazy about this woman, always had been, and she needed to know.

  “Because I didn’t think I had the right to be.” I lowered my head, my lips barely touching hers. I loved you so fucking much, but I didn’t think you were mine to keep.”

  “I should have been,” she whispered, her eyes liquefying. “I should have waited for you. I know that now.”

  I’d wanted her to but hadn’t thought it was fair to keep her on the hook for the few months of the year we could be together. She’d feared I didn’t trust myself to be faithful when we were apart, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I didn’t want another woman. It had been months before I could even look at someone else.

  My hands were skimming her body, just enough to get her all riled up. “Then it would have been me you married. My babies you had.” I needed her to hear this. She had to know she didn’t deserve what that bastard did to her. “You would never have been left alone to fend for yourself.” I kissed away the tear that slid down her cheek. “Don’t do that, baby. Don’t cry over him. He’s not worth it.”

  “I’m not crying over him. I’m crying because I let you go. I should never have let you go.”

  My heart was cracking wide open. When I’d had to leave her, I’d never thought I’d piece it back together again, but time had healed me. It had gotten easier as months became years, and soon I’d stopped thinking about her all the time. Only once in a while. A flash that reminded me of her and made me smile.

  “I shouldn’t have let you go either.” I curled my hand around her hip. “But maybe it was for the best. If you hadn’t been with him, you wouldn’t have Chris, and I know he means everything to you.”

  “He does,” she said, sniffling. “He wants me to get married again too. I know he does.”

  I chuckled. “Has he told you he wants a baby brother?”

  She covered her face with her hands. “He did not tell you that.” She peeked through her fingers. “He did?”

  “Yeah, he did.” I pulled her hands away from her face. “I think it’s cute. He’d be a great big brother. Did you see him with the younger kids at the academy?”

  She nodded. “I’ve tried telling him it’s not possible for me to, you know, by myself. But—”

  “You’re not by yourself now,” I reminded her, slipping my hand between her legs. “You’ve got me. And I want a baby almost as much as your son does.”

  Her mouth curled into a circle as a puff of breath escaped.

  I could tell I’d shocked her with my bold claim, but it was true. I was ready for a baby, and I wanted it to be with her. “It hit me like a lightning bolt last night when I was talking to Chris,” I whispered, coasting my hand over her breast and down her ribs. “I’d love to be his dad. It isn’t fair that he doesn’t have a man in his life to show him the ropes and—”

  “Stop it,” she said, biting her lip. “You’re gonna make me cry again.”

  “I mean it,” I said, kissing her with a smile. “You deserve someone who loves you more than anything, and so does he, Hallie.”

  “He has me.”

  Her voice was so small, on the verge of cracking, and it tore me apart to see her hurting. But I was glad we could talk about this stuff. After years apart, it felt like we’d never missed a beat. “I know he has you, but he could have me too. You think you could let me love your son?”

  She closed her eyes, the tears free-falling down her cheeks. “When you love a kid, it has to be for keeps, Spence. It’s not like a romantic relationship where you can break up if things don’t work out.”

  “I know.” I didn’t know what made her think I’d ever break up with her, but she was crazy if she thought I’d let her go again. That wasn’t happening.

 
“You say things like that to me, and it makes me…” She shook her head and stared at the ceiling.

  “Tell me,” I said, brushing a strand of hair off her face. “You don’t have to be afraid to say anything to me.”

  “It makes me fall for you all over again.”

  I smiled. “That’s kind of the goal, sweetheart.”

  “I fell in love with you so fast the first time.” She rested her hand on my cheek. “I know you thought it took me a while, but it didn’t. I knew after our third date that I was in love with you.”

  “What took you so long?” I asked, grinning. “I knew after the first date.”

  I’d thought people were crazy when they talked about that love-at-first-sight shit. Then I’d seen her at the concert, and my whole world had ground to a halt. I couldn’t see, hear, or concentrate on anything other than her. My buddies were talking, but I was deaf to them. The girl next to me was flirting with me, but she might as well have been invisible for all the attention I paid her. As far as I was concerned, there had only been one woman in the venue that night… Hallie.

  “You don’t mean that,” she said with a shy smile.

  “Yeah, I do.” I tipped her chin so she was looking at me. “And I mean it now. I’m in love with you.” I hadn’t intended to tell her so soon, but I’d learned a long time ago that holding back got you nowhere.

  She swallowed, looking emotional. “I don’t know what—”

  “Sssh,” I said, kissing her. “You don’t have to say a word, baby. Just wanted you to know how I felt.”

  “Don’t tell me,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. “Show me, Spence. Show me how you feel about me.”

  Chapter Six

  Hallie

  My body felt boneless as I watched him kiss me all over. He was so intent, his eyes closed as his mouth followed my curves, leaving a molten stream in his wake. When his tongue finally slipped between my folds, I was already surging, on the brink of coming. But he took his time, treating me to an act that redefined what it meant to be treated right.