Read Online Somebody's Lover by Jasmine Haynes - Free Book Online Page B

thighs, her body bare and beautiful.
    “It was the best,” she agreed.
    Can we do it again? Soon?
    Christ, if he said it, he’d sound
like an adolescent.
    “You better go.” Before he begged.
“You don’t want to be late picking up the boys.”
    She rose to her knees,
straightening her dress, buttoning up. Then she stood, looked at him. “Thank
you, Jace.”
    Rising to her, he closed his eyes,
waiting, aching. Say it won’t be the last time. Please.
    But she didn’t utter a word.
    He opened his eyes to find her
backing away. He wanted her to stay just a little longer. But ten o’clock was
closing in fast. If she left now, she’d make it back to his parents’ with five
minutes to spare. Maybe. She turned at the side of her van, lingered a moment,
then climbed in. Leaning over, she checked her makeup and hair in the rearview
mirror. Fixing herself, wiping away the traces of his lovemaking.
    Then she closed the door, the dome
light went off, and he couldn’t see her anymore as she backed out and turned
the minivan around.
    His heart ached as her taillights
disappeared at the bend in the road.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Taylor had left Jace standing on
the blanket with the moonlight through the trees flickering over his hard face.
Shirtless, his pants over his hips but undone.
    She’d wanted so badly to go back,
to beg for one more time. How could she give up something as wonderful as what
they’d done?
    But she had to. She couldn’t fall
in love with him. What they’d shared tonight was as much as she could ask for.
One glorious week.
    She pulled off to the side of the
road in a dark spot, snapped on her bra, then rolled on her panties. She
couldn’t pick up Brian and Jamey naked underneath the dress.
    Her body was more than satisfied.
Yet something didn’t feel right. Something was missing. Something terribly
important. Maybe if she’d had fifteen minutes more to lie in his arms.
Afterglow. Instead, this felt like aftermath.
    The lights at the Jackson house
were blazing when she pulled into the driveway. Evelyn would have let the kids
stay up since it was Friday, no school tomorrow and because Taylor wasn’t going
to be late. She checked her lipstick once more and smoothed her hair. She found
a blade of grass and pulled it out.
    Closing her eyes, she breathed
deeply and smelled Jace’s clean scent all over again. He said she drove him
nuts. Well, he drove her crazy. She’d done things no mother of two growing boys
should do with her brother-in-law. And she could never ask for it again.
    The kids were bouncing off the
walls when she walked in. Evelyn had been feeding them sodas and cookies again.
    Taylor smiled brightly. “Hey, guys,
were you good for Nana and Grandpa?”
    “Like little lambs.” Evelyn beamed.
    “Yeah, right,” Taylor scoffed. Her
little hooligans? “Time to go, get your things.” Which meant bags of toys,
video games, a couple of battle tanks. Arthur bent on one knee helping.
    “How did it go?” Evelyn asked as
they watched the kids pick up their stuff.
    “Fine. Like I said, it was a
checkup. He’s doing fine.” Was she supposed to meet Brian’s teacher or Jamey’s?
Lord.
    “Bri’s a good boy. He’ll be fine.”
    Brian. “Yeah. He’s going to be
fine.”
    “Jace taking them out sometimes
really helps,” Evelyn added.
    Her heart stuttered, then slammed
in her chest. “Yeah. Jace has been great.” Her mouth dried up, and she couldn’t
look at Evelyn. Why did her mother-in-law bring Jace up now?
    The boys bounced over to her, and
she ruffled each head. “Kiss Nana and Grand-pa goodbye.”
    Arthur gave them each his usual
bear hug.
    “Thanks for having them. We’ll see
you on Sunday.”
    The kids scampered out to the car.
    “That’s a pretty dress, Taylor,”
Evelyn called.
    Taylor looked over her shoulder.
Evelyn smiled. Not her usual big smile, a small one. Almost sad.
    “Thanks.” It was all Taylor could
think of to say.
    First that bit about Jace and the
boys,