“I want to do a lot of things with you.”
He reached out to wrap his hands around my waist, but I stepped back out of reach, watching his eyes immediately shutter.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship, Garrett. I wasn’t lying that day to Layla. I don’t have the time a relationship deserves.”
His features relaxed. “I know you’re new to the idea, but you don’t have to be in a relationship to enjoy the feel of someone’s skin, Maddie.”
Looking toward the door, I rubbed my palms down my thighs. When had I started sweating? “So, you mean friends with benefits. No feelings.”
His eyes flared as he approached me again, brushing his lips across my cheek. “I promise not to catch feelings if you don’t.”
I shuddered, goosebumps covering my neck and arms. My body had never reacted like this to someone before, and the thought of this man touching me had me wanting to climb to the rooftop and agree at the top of my lungs.
I cleared my throat, then swallowed. I opened my mouth to say something I’d probably regret, only for a light, rhythmic tapping on my bedroom door to pull me back to the present.
Jamie. My kid was here. This is why dating was off limits for me. I couldn’t be thinking about Garrett’s chest, and thighs, and the hardness I’d felt, and fuck. I was in so much trouble. I put a large amount of space between our bodies, turning toward the sound.
“You need something, bud?”
“I woke up on the couch and you were gone.”
I shrank in on myself. And the most self-centered parenting award goes to? “I’m sorry if I worried you, I was going to let you sleep while I took a shower.” Which was kind of true, at least.
“Okay.”
It was silent for a moment, and then I heard the sound of his door. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. When I looked up, Garrett was smiling down at me, his dimples on full display, like he knew exactly what I’d been about to say before the interruption.
“All right, you go jump in the shower and get ready. I’ll make coffee and find some breakfast for J-man.”
A large finger pressed on my lips, stopping the reply from exiting my mouth. Taking his time pulling it back, he pointed to the bathroom. “Shower. I’ll whip something up for you too.”
Satisfied with my silence, he ripped back the covers and wrapped those bulky arms around my miniature dachshund, cuddling her to his chest, and left.
I watched him amble out and pressed a hand to my chest, wondering how much this dream would hurt when it crumbled all around me.
Chapter Twenty
It was Saturday. Another game day. Jamie jogged out of his room in his uniform, cleats hanging from his hands. I looked over his thin, short-sleeve top and blew out my cheeks.
“Dude, you can’t go in that, you’ll freeze. Go get the long-sleeve undershirt I bought you.”
He groaned, throwing his head back and wiggling his body around like an inflatable tube man. But he listened, dropping his cleats to the floor, and trudging off.
I shook my head, turning to the two people standing by the door. Jamie had asked both Garrett and Layla to go today, so we were all piling in and heading there together.
I’d legitimately feared for Aaron’s life when I’d told Layla what had happened that night. She’d nearly clawed my arm off in her haste to snatch my phone and call him. I’d had to tackle her and threaten to give her a wet willy before she conceded defeat. The woman was crazy, but I loved her for it.
She was now leaned over, talking nonsense and rubbing Sadie’s back. My lips tipped up at the sight but faltered when I glanced at Garrett to find him looking at me. It’d been a few days since I’d woken up next to him, and in that time, he’d had dinner with us twice.