“WHY IN THE WORLD DIDN’T I ask Richmond if I could bring CJ to work with me?” Kayla spoke out loud to herself, standing inside CJ’s cluttered room, overflowing with trucks, books, and toys.
“I don’t know why,” CJ said on a shrug.
Snickering, she hadn’t meant for CJ to answer her. “You’re too funny, little fella.” Hefting him from the mattress into her arms, she kissed his forehead and walked to the bathroom to give him a bath. “You almost caused Mommy to not get a job today. The next time you want to go outside, you need to get permission, okay?”
CJ nodded. “Okay, Mommy.”
She lowered CJ to the floor next to the tub and turned the nozzle. Water poured from the sprout and began filling the tub. Crouching beside the tub in front of CJ, wild, lusty thoughts of Richmond entered her mind. She could still feel the warm grip of his firm handshake, causing tingles to now spiral through her system.
Broad shoulders, rock solid chest, and pert nose, Richmond’s body had looked solid, and oh so masculine. Dashing brown eyes, black hair cut close to his scalp, every time his sexy mouth had moved today, her labia had fluttered between her legs. Her nipples had tingled. Butterflies had twirled her stomach like a high school aged girl. No man, not even her ex-husband Carson, had ever made her feel so hot and bothered while in his presence like that.
Imagining Richmond trailing a finger over her lips, Kayla closed her eyes and let her mind drift to Richmond.
I bet he makes good, good loving. Bet he’s tender and gentle when he makes love to a woman. Takes his time sucking sweetly on her breasts. He probably flicks her clitoris with the tip of his tongue, like a soft caress.
“Wake up, Mommy.” CJ shook her shoulder.
Kayla’s eyes sprang wide open. I can’t get my boss off my mind. Ooo, Lordy. Aroused, she turned off the faucet and stood. The doorbell rang. I wonder who that could be. “Take off your clothes, CJ, and get in the tub.”
Wearing her light pink lounge shirt with matching bottoms, Kayla walked barefoot through the living room and headed toward the front door. Wondering who in the world would be visiting her so late in the evening, she placed an eye over the peephole.
What is he doing here? How does he know where I stay?
Blue-eyed Jason stood on her front porch, wearing a red checkered shirt and navy denim jeans.
“Who is it?” she asked, wondering why on Earth Richmond’s employee would be coming to her home this time of night.
“It’s me, Jason. You accidentally left your cell phone in my car when I took you to pick up your car earlier.” Apprehensive, Kayla cracked open the door. Standing tall on the other side of the screen door, Jason held her cell up to his chest level, his mouth easing into a grin. “Hope it was okay to stop by without calling. But if you’re anything like me, you feel lost without your cell.” A buzzing wasp flew in circles around the porch light in the ceiling.
This could’ve waited until tomorrow, Kayla thought, pushing open the creaking screen door.
Just as she reached for the phone, a loud wail resounded throughout her home. She gasped and took off running for CJ’s room.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Scurrying down the hallway, CJ’s boisterous screams caused Kayla’s heart to thunder like a bad storm inside her beating chest.
Alarmed, she ran inside the bathroom to find CJ lying on the floor, writhing in pain, gripping his arm. The radius bone in his arm pushed hard against his red, bruised skin, looking broken. Ohmygod. Ohmygod.
“What happened, CJ?” Gathering him in her arms, tears slowly made their way down her cheeks.
“Whaaa! Whaaa!” CJ’s feet kicked wildly on the tile floor.
Jason rushed inside the bathroom, dropped down next to CJ, and examined his arm. “I think he fractured his arm. Did you jump or fall?” Crying, CJ nodded. “We need to get him to the emergency room.” Jason hefted CJ in his arms and hustled outside, with Kayla running behind him.
Fifteen minutes later, Jason sped his Camaro up to Hilton Head Regional emergency room. He threw the gear in park, hopped out of the car, and jogged around the rear of the vehicle.
Kayla sat in the back seat, cuddling CJ to her chest, crying her eyes out. “It’s going to be okay, CJ.”
CJ’s brown face had turned a dark crimson. “It hurt,” he cried.
Kayla rocked her son. “I know. Mommy knows it hurt. The doctor will give you some medicine to make it feel better.”
Jason flung open the back door, hefted CJ from her arms, and hastened inside the emergency room up to the registration circulation desk. CJ’s boisterous screams infiltrated the spacious area packed with sick patients.
“Come this way,” the nurse said, leading them through a set of double doors, down a long hallway, then into an empty room. Jason lowered a wailing CJ to the hospital bed. “The doctor will be with you shortly.”
Kayla climbed on top of the hospital bed next to CJ to hold him. “Shortly. How long?”
The nurse tilted her head. “Someone just had a heart attack. But it shouldn’t be too long. I’ll be right back with some ice and pain medicine.”
Guilt spread through Kayla’s bones as she sat on the bed, holding her sobbing son. She should’ve never left him alone. “This is my fault.”
“No, Kayla. This is my fault. I should’ve never showed up to your house so late in the evening, especially without calling first.” Jason sat on the other side of CJ, draped an arm around her shoulder, and squeezed. “I’m going to somehow, some way make this up to you and CJ. Best believe it.”
Holding her as if he’d known her his entire life, Jason lay his head on top of Kayla’s. Discomfort rose in the pit of her stomach and roiled.
Putting his head on mine like he’s known me his entire life, something about him makes me so uncomfortable.