Empty Net
Page 41
“Yeah, they are,” Audrey said breathlessly.
This was going to be hard. She needed to stay at arm’s length with Tate. He was so young; he’d hardly lived his life yet. He hadn’t found that young woman who he would love forever and make sweet babies with. Audrey needed to find someone who was her age, with no children, who really wouldn’t care if she couldn’t have kids. Not someone who obviously wanted kids and actually thought they were cute! She should have never agreed to this friendship. Because friendship wasn’t the only thing Audrey wanted.
She wanted to get naked with him.
Tate was too gorgeous for words. The white button-up shirt he wore was unbuttoned quite a bit, showing off the wings of one of the black birds that adorned his chest. His big hands held baby Posey with the ease of a man who knew what he was doing with a baby. As always, Tate’s eyes were the best part. She didn’t know how many times she had gotten lost in them, but in a way she didn’t mind. Audrey honestly wanted to get lost in his eyes, his arms, his kisses, hell, anything. She just wanted him.
Such a bad idea.
Inwardly groaning and wishing like hell that Piper hadn’t left, Audrey placed a kiss on Shelli’s curly head. But then she looked to her right and froze in place. It was as if a needle had screeched across a record as Audrey’s eyes met Levi’s. She hadn’t seen him since the morning after Fallon’s wedding, and she had ignored every text he had sent. But seeing him now brought back to the surface all the feelings that she had been trying to bury.
Looking scrumptious in a tight black Ed Hardy t-shirt with fitted jeans and his black hat tilted to the side, Audrey couldn’t help but wish she was beside him. Levi’s mouth curved into a wicked grin, as someone moved into his arms and he placed a kiss along her temple while still keeping eye contact with Audrey. Audrey froze, but unlike last time, the air rushed out of her when she recognized the girl as Elli’s assistant, Janet.
Angry tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Janet wrap her arms around Levi’s neck, taking his mouth with hers. Audrey had no problem with Janet, she was a nice girl, but Audrey didn’t understand how Levi could think that Audrey was fat when Janet was twice her size. She looked a lot like Audrey; dark brown hair flowing to her bottom, a round face, big br**sts. The difference was that Janet had blue eyes and was wider in the middle then Audrey.
It wasn’t fair.
Levi sent Audrey one last grin before wrapping Janet in his arms and leading her down a hall to the living room. Audrey took in a deep breath, begging her tears to stay at bay. She could not cry at Elli Adler’s child’s birthday. That was wrong on so many levels. Word would get back to Fallon and, oh God, Levi. It would be an epic failure on her part. She had to keep the tears in. She couldn’t do this. Not here.
“Audrey, you are really beautiful.”
Glancing up to see Tate uttering the words that every girl needs to hear did it. The next thing she knew she was handing Shelli off to him and rushing to the bathroom so that no one saw her cry.
***
Tate had no clue what he did to make Audrey cry, but he found himself waiting outside the bathroom for Audrey, with both of Shea Adler’s daughters in his arms. Shelli was babbling while smacking Tate in the face, and Posey was snuggled close in the nook of his arm. He wished he could go find Elli or Shea, but he didn’t want to miss the chance of seeing Audrey when she came out. He had to know what he did.
Telling Audrey that she was beautiful wasn’t the plan. The words just poured out of him. Tate loved her kooky style and today was no different. She looked amazing in a blue dress that was really tight along her hips and thighs. The top was made of a sheer white flowing fabric that dipped down, showing off her impressive br**sts. His mouth watered at the sight of her. She was delectable and he would have loved any excuse to rip the dress off her.
Tate wished like hell that someone would come and get these two beautiful girls. He felt like a dirty, dirty pig, holding the two girls with a hard on begging to be released. He couldn’t help it. Audrey did it for him. He loved when she was all jazzed up and even more when she was wearing little bitty shorts and a sexy little tank, setting things on fire. She was, honestly, so f**king hot, he couldn’t take it.
Tate had enjoyed spending time with her the night before, especially the conversation that happened after they put Aiden to bed. He figured he was wearing her down. Asking to be friends, and her agreeing, was one step closer to her seeing that he was the guy for her. They could be great together if she wouldn’t over think it. He liked her a lot, and he was excited to see what would happen between them. He couldn’t wait for that moment when his lips would be able to meet hers again. He had been dreaming about it for weeks now.
He really didn’t understand how he had become so smitten with Audrey so quickly. Was it spending last night with her around the fire? Or was it when they went to the hockey game and shared cupcakes? Or did it really go back to their first meeting? Once they were in that hotel room, all walls were down. It was just two people who wanted each other and nothing else. Tate could still feel her body against his, the softness of her curves in his hands, her lush lips against his. With a groan he banged his head against the wall.
This was not helping the situation in his pants.
Still leaning against the wall, he took in a deep breath as Shelli continued to run her tiny little fingers through the coarse hair on his jaw. He usually didn’t allow a beard or mustache to grow, but the Assassins’ charity was doing a fund raiser for prostate cancer. All the guys on the team were growing out their mustaches for donations. Tate wasn’t having much luck with the mustache so he decided not to shave at all and hope for the best. He basically had a neck beard, and that was all.
This was going to be hard. She needed to stay at arm’s length with Tate. He was so young; he’d hardly lived his life yet. He hadn’t found that young woman who he would love forever and make sweet babies with. Audrey needed to find someone who was her age, with no children, who really wouldn’t care if she couldn’t have kids. Not someone who obviously wanted kids and actually thought they were cute! She should have never agreed to this friendship. Because friendship wasn’t the only thing Audrey wanted.
She wanted to get naked with him.
Tate was too gorgeous for words. The white button-up shirt he wore was unbuttoned quite a bit, showing off the wings of one of the black birds that adorned his chest. His big hands held baby Posey with the ease of a man who knew what he was doing with a baby. As always, Tate’s eyes were the best part. She didn’t know how many times she had gotten lost in them, but in a way she didn’t mind. Audrey honestly wanted to get lost in his eyes, his arms, his kisses, hell, anything. She just wanted him.
Such a bad idea.
Inwardly groaning and wishing like hell that Piper hadn’t left, Audrey placed a kiss on Shelli’s curly head. But then she looked to her right and froze in place. It was as if a needle had screeched across a record as Audrey’s eyes met Levi’s. She hadn’t seen him since the morning after Fallon’s wedding, and she had ignored every text he had sent. But seeing him now brought back to the surface all the feelings that she had been trying to bury.
Looking scrumptious in a tight black Ed Hardy t-shirt with fitted jeans and his black hat tilted to the side, Audrey couldn’t help but wish she was beside him. Levi’s mouth curved into a wicked grin, as someone moved into his arms and he placed a kiss along her temple while still keeping eye contact with Audrey. Audrey froze, but unlike last time, the air rushed out of her when she recognized the girl as Elli’s assistant, Janet.
Angry tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Janet wrap her arms around Levi’s neck, taking his mouth with hers. Audrey had no problem with Janet, she was a nice girl, but Audrey didn’t understand how Levi could think that Audrey was fat when Janet was twice her size. She looked a lot like Audrey; dark brown hair flowing to her bottom, a round face, big br**sts. The difference was that Janet had blue eyes and was wider in the middle then Audrey.
It wasn’t fair.
Levi sent Audrey one last grin before wrapping Janet in his arms and leading her down a hall to the living room. Audrey took in a deep breath, begging her tears to stay at bay. She could not cry at Elli Adler’s child’s birthday. That was wrong on so many levels. Word would get back to Fallon and, oh God, Levi. It would be an epic failure on her part. She had to keep the tears in. She couldn’t do this. Not here.
“Audrey, you are really beautiful.”
Glancing up to see Tate uttering the words that every girl needs to hear did it. The next thing she knew she was handing Shelli off to him and rushing to the bathroom so that no one saw her cry.
***
Tate had no clue what he did to make Audrey cry, but he found himself waiting outside the bathroom for Audrey, with both of Shea Adler’s daughters in his arms. Shelli was babbling while smacking Tate in the face, and Posey was snuggled close in the nook of his arm. He wished he could go find Elli or Shea, but he didn’t want to miss the chance of seeing Audrey when she came out. He had to know what he did.
Telling Audrey that she was beautiful wasn’t the plan. The words just poured out of him. Tate loved her kooky style and today was no different. She looked amazing in a blue dress that was really tight along her hips and thighs. The top was made of a sheer white flowing fabric that dipped down, showing off her impressive br**sts. His mouth watered at the sight of her. She was delectable and he would have loved any excuse to rip the dress off her.
Tate wished like hell that someone would come and get these two beautiful girls. He felt like a dirty, dirty pig, holding the two girls with a hard on begging to be released. He couldn’t help it. Audrey did it for him. He loved when she was all jazzed up and even more when she was wearing little bitty shorts and a sexy little tank, setting things on fire. She was, honestly, so f**king hot, he couldn’t take it.
Tate had enjoyed spending time with her the night before, especially the conversation that happened after they put Aiden to bed. He figured he was wearing her down. Asking to be friends, and her agreeing, was one step closer to her seeing that he was the guy for her. They could be great together if she wouldn’t over think it. He liked her a lot, and he was excited to see what would happen between them. He couldn’t wait for that moment when his lips would be able to meet hers again. He had been dreaming about it for weeks now.
He really didn’t understand how he had become so smitten with Audrey so quickly. Was it spending last night with her around the fire? Or was it when they went to the hockey game and shared cupcakes? Or did it really go back to their first meeting? Once they were in that hotel room, all walls were down. It was just two people who wanted each other and nothing else. Tate could still feel her body against his, the softness of her curves in his hands, her lush lips against his. With a groan he banged his head against the wall.
This was not helping the situation in his pants.
Still leaning against the wall, he took in a deep breath as Shelli continued to run her tiny little fingers through the coarse hair on his jaw. He usually didn’t allow a beard or mustache to grow, but the Assassins’ charity was doing a fund raiser for prostate cancer. All the guys on the team were growing out their mustaches for donations. Tate wasn’t having much luck with the mustache so he decided not to shave at all and hope for the best. He basically had a neck beard, and that was all.
