You & Me Make Three: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Three (12 page)

He sat still holding her hand as he pondered the issue.
Take her home, or take her to my bed?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her looking out the window as though in deep thought.
Maybe you’re thinking the same thing. What should we do? What shouldn’t we do?

It was close to one in the morning, and he was far from ready for this night to end. Her place was off limits, and he could tell she wasn’t ready for his. As they got closer to her house, they approached what looked like a local park. Shaun asked the driver to turn in.

“What are we doing here?”

“It’s a lovely night. How about a walk?”
I must be losing my mind. I don’t think I’ve ever walked in a park or played in a park. What the hell am I doing here?

“You want to walk here? Are you sure it’s safe?” Morgan looked out the window into the darkness then back to him.

I’m really not thinking this through at all. Can it get any less romantic than bringing a girl to a park and possibly running into a drug deal or some teenagers doing it on a swing?
“No. This is not where I want to take you, Morgan.” He reached around her pulling her close to him. “But I figured the park was safer than my apartment. For you at least.”

Her eyes widened as though she didn’t know how to take his statement. Then she relaxed in his arms and said, “How about a walk around my block where we
both
can be safe?”

Shaun liked that she wasn’t shocked or afraid of him in any way.
A woman who knows what she wants. I like that.
Of course, I’d have liked it better if you wanted to come home with me.

“Your block it is.”

Walking hand in hand around the block made him feel like a teenager who had yet to experience the pleasures of a woman. But he found he enjoyed her company more than he’d expected.
More than I wanted.

“How long have you lived here?”

“All my life, almost. I lived on campus when I went to college and had an apartment for a few years after that. Then after—”

He could tell she was so close to saying it.
Tell me about Walter. I want to hear you say it. It’s the only way to move forward, to deal with the past.

If only he took his own advice. He’d tried to bury all the abuse and neglect from his childhood.
Who am I kidding? It didn’t end when I turned eighteen. It only changed and only stopped the day his father had a massive heart attack. If he were alive today, he’d probably still remind us of what pieces of shit we all are.

He wasn’t going to push her. No different than he didn’t want to be pushed.
Anyone who tried found themselves in a very uncomfortable position.

“I can see why you’d want to raise Tyler here. It’s . . . nice.”

“That’s very kind to say, but I can picture what it looked like where you grew up. I’m sure you didn’t play in a neighborhood like this.”

“You’re right. I didn’t. Playing wasn’t part of our regiment.”

She stopped walking and looked up at him. Her beautiful honey brown eyes were searching his, hoping that he was joking. Sadly he was not. If it wasn’t for the short intervals they were allowed to hang out with the Barrington family, they never would’ve been away from home except for school.

“We had a family we were allowed to visit from time to time. I’m sure it was because my father wanted or needed something from the Barringtons, but we didn’t care. Going there and learning about what normal, loving families do was both a blessing and a curse.”

Morgan touched his arm as she spoke to him.
Do you know what you do to me when you touch me like that? It makes me want to carry you back to the limo and touch you right back. From head to toe.

“Why?”

“It showed us what a real family was like. One where people sat and spoke to each other at a dinner table. They have always treated us like family. Sophie, their mother, still sends each of us a birthday card every year. She’s an amazing woman.”

I can’t help but wonder if our mother had been a part of our lives, would we have had a home life like the Barringtons? Probably not, because our father was still an asshole. No matter how good a woman she was, he would’ve ruined her, just like everything he touched.

“Family comes in many forms.”

“Coming from the woman who was born into a loving family.”

“Yes, I was. One that knew they couldn’t give me what I would need. So they put me up for adoption and Elisabeth and Loras have loved me as their own ever since.”

What the hell, Bennett? Anything else you forget to tell me?
As they walked up the steps onto her porch, he said, “I didn’t know you were adopted.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Shaun.”

Shaun wrapped an arm around Morgan’s waist and drew her up into his embrace. “I look forward to getting to know all there is to know. But for tonight I’ll settle for a kiss.”

He bent and kissed her so gently it was almost painful. He needed her. Wanted to rip her clothes off and kiss every inch of her soft sweet flesh. That would fulfill one need only. With Morgan, there was something more he wanted. He wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but until he figured it out he was going to take it slow.

Just as he convinced himself to go slow, her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Her mouth opened, and her delicious tongue traced his lips and slid inside.
Fuck slow.

His arms tightened around her, pressing her breast firmly against his chest. Shaun took her tongue into his mouth, sucking it as it entwined with his. His free hand ran down her back and cupped her well-rounded ass. She moaned into his mouth, and his cock danced in response.
God, woman, I want you.

As things heated up, an annoying sound interrupted the mood. There was a small dog barking from somewhere in front of the house. He released her slightly and out of the slit of his eye he saw an older woman walking her dog.
Who the hell walks a dog at two in the morning?
He lifted his head and held her gently against him.
And what grown-ass man gets caught necking on a porch by a neighbor? Really! Thirty-one and making out on the porch. What are you doing to me, Morgan? Never mind me trying to get to know you better. I think I better start figuring out who I am.

Turning his attention back to Morgan he asked, “Should I come by at ten?”

She nodded. “I can’t make any promises on how Tyler will react, but if you’re willing to try at the pace he needs, then so am I.”

Shaun walked back to the waiting limo. Nothing about tonight seemed like the usual him. Like Morgan, he couldn’t make any promises. He could only take it day by day.
And today I promised to go slow. But tomorrow is another day.

“I
can’t believe I agreed to this, Mom. So much can go wrong.”

“And so much can go right. I already let Tyler get familiar with the bike; he seems to be in love with it, I think it’s all that chrome. And besides, it’s the same color as the two-seater. It’s like Shaun understood not to change things too much. I really like him, Morgan.”

Mom, aren’t you supposed to see my side of this?
She looked at the clock. It was almost ten, and it was time to have Tyler get his water bottle ready.

It only took one call to wake him this morning, and he was by her side, sneakers on and tied.
Now this is a good way to start the day. I hope it continues when Shaun gets here.

There was no holding Tyler back. He knew what time it was, and he wanted outside. If she tried to stop him and tell him to wait, he would become agitated and take his sneakers back off, and she knew the bike ride would be off the list for the day.

Shaun hadn’t shown up yet, so she assumed he might have changed his mind after the major information dump she gave him. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had second thoughts about whether he wanted to get to know them better. Heck, she’d had second, third, and fourth thoughts all morning. If she weren’t equally scared of calling him and backing out, she would’ve done so earlier.

It was now a few minutes past ten. Tyler was becoming anxious. I
can’t wait any longer.
She went outside with her mom and Tyler by her side. To her disappointment, the limo was nowhere in sight.
He’s not coming.
As they descended the porch steps she saw her dad in the driveway speaking to someone. A smile lit up her face as she noticed it was Shaun, standing there dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt.
Holy shit! That man looks good enough to . . . it’s a good thing I’m riding in front or I wouldn’t be able to keep my eyes off him.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she looked again to see if the limo was down the street, but she couldn’t locate it. Then she saw a Jeep Wrangler with a bike rack on the back. She pointed in that direction.
Yours?

He nodded and said, “I thought I would bring my bike in case the three-seater didn’t work out today.”

Oh, my God. Can this man get any more thoughtful? Please don’t become irresistible. I can’t afford to fall for you.

Loras walked over with Shaun to meet up with them. He stopped to give Elisabeth a kiss on the cheek then Tyler a playful tussle of the hair.

“Hi, Dad. I didn’t think you would make it back home so soon.”

“We got the water main repaired quicker than any of us thought. Guess no one wanted to spend their Saturday digging a new trench and laying pipe.” Loras’s clothes were still wet and covered in mud from whichever water main he’d been working on.

“Good, now you’ll be here to see how Tyler likes the bike set up,” Elisabeth said cheerfully.

“I was telling Shaun about the first time you took Tyler out on that bike. He never wanted to come back.”

“That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he sure was thrilled,” Elisabeth commented.

Shaun replied, “I’m sure he’ll let us know what he thinks about the new bike when he’s ready.”

Morgan could’ve hugged him right then and there.
He really was listening to me last night. This wasn’t a bullshit story just to see if he could get in my pants. Damn I like him. I don’t want to, but I like him.

Tyler ran over to where the helmets were hung, put on his, then ran to the side of the garage where the bikes were stored. At first, they thought he’d go to the two-seater and say “up” as usual, but he stopped at the new bike Shaun had bought. He didn’t climb on, but he didn’t walk away. He stood staring at it.

Morgan walked over and asked, “Do you like this bike? It has three seats. One for Mommy. And the middle one for Tyler, and that one in the back is for our friend, Shaun.”

Tyler stood just looking. Not moving and not showing any emotional reaction one way or another.

“Would you like to take the new bike out for a ride today so Shaun can come out and play too?”

He nodded.

“Use your words, Tyler. Do you want the new bike or the old bike?”

“New bike.”

He was getting excited and wanted to get going. His hands started flying in front of him, and Morgan knew to get him on now, or they might lose the moment. She quickly pulled her helmet on and tossed a spare one to Shaun.

“We have to move fast.” She walked Tyler to the seat in the middle and helped him on while Shaun held the bike steady, then climbed onto the front seat. Shaun took up the rear. “Is everyone ready?”

“Yes,” Shaun answered.

“New bike. New bike,” Tyler shouted as they all started pedaling down the driveway and onto the quiet street. It was nice to have a neighborhood where you could ride without many worries for speeding cars. It was a place where everyone watched out for each other.

As they passed by the postman, he waved and said, “Hello, Tyler.”

Tyler replied, “New bike. New bike.”

This was the same scene for each person they passed. Again and again the same two words. Morgan could picture Shaun rolling his eyes and wishing he was anywhere but on this bike with them.

She wished she could stop and explain to Shaun that Tyler was only repeating the words because of his excitement with the bike. Some days it was repeating a show he watched word for word. It didn’t even matter if it was in English. He said it verbatim, never missing a thing. But what she enjoyed most was listening to him sing after listening to a song played on the radio.
You’re one talented young man. Mommy wishes she had your singing voice. Mine makes the neighbor’s dog howl.

Morgan had taken the front seat as they had a certain path they followed. It took them almost an hour, and that was more than enough time. It provided a great excursion as well as keeping Tyler away from his IPad for a while.

Before she knew it, they were pulling back into the driveway. As soon as the bike stopped, Tyler jumped off, threw his helmet on the ground, and ran to the house. He knew it was snack time, and nothing was going to get in his way.

“Is everything okay?” Shaun asked from the back seat.

More than okay. That was perfect.
“Yes. He knows my mother is waiting inside with something good to eat.”

Shaun bent down and grabbed Tyler’s helmet from the ground and hung it on the wall in the garage, then walked over and reached to take hers as well. She smiled as she handed it to him. It was a small gesture, but if felt nice to have someone, besides her parents, help her in any way.
Some days it’s the little things that matter most.

Each week she relished Tyler’s bike riding time, but this week wasn’t going to be forgotten. She had her parents there as back up all the time, but for the most part, it was just the two of them together. It would be a lie if she said she’d never dreamed of having someone in their lives, but she had never envisioned it coming true. It scared her to death, allowing herself to desire it again. Once the want was there, then the disappointment was sure to follow next. Shaun was proving himself to be so much more than she’d given him credit for.
Maybe more than he even realized by the look on his face
.

He was relaxed and smiling. It was the first time she’d seen him look so comfortable. Normally he was so darn serious as though his mind was running a million miles an hour, but at this very moment, he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.
You should try recreational relaxation more often.

“Shaun, I want to thank you for today. When I saw the bike here yesterday I was so upset, but I see now that I was wrong.”

He arched a brow. “Why did it upset you?”

Because you are doing what his father never has, and it hurts like hell.
“Because you did it without even asking me first. I guess I’m used to being in control, and you’d taken that away from me.”

“It’s just a bike, Morgan. Trust me, you are and always have been in control.”

Oh, I don’t agree with that statement. If I were, I wouldn’t be a single mother right now.
She did find it endearing that he saw her as a strong woman whether it was true or not.

“Would you like to come inside and have something cold to drink?”

“I have a few things I need to attend to. Maybe next time.”

Will there be a next time? Are you planning on making this a habit? Don’t start something that you can’t finish. Remember what I said, Tyler works best with a routine. If you come around here too often, you will become part of it.

“Thanks again for coming. I can’t believe how much Tyler liked his—”

“New bike.” They said the words in unison and both laughed.

“I think we might hear those words in our sleep tonight.” Morgan laughed.

“By the tenth time, I don’t think I heard it anymore. It was like my brain had changed the frequency and blocked it from entering my ears,” Shaun said, laughing softly.

“Wow! I’m very impressed.”
Maybe more shocked. I thought you’d be running for the hills.

“Why?”

“Normally you need to be a parent to acquire such super powers,” Morgan teased him.

She saw him tense slightly at the word parent.
Got to watch what I say. He is far from interested in having a steady girl, never mind being a father.

Morgan was angry with herself for letting the thought enter her mind. If Tyler’s own father didn’t want him, thought it was too much of a burden, then why would someone else who is even more successful want to take on that responsibility?
He wouldn’t.

“Shaun, thanks again, but I better get inside, and you said you had things you needed to do. I’ll see you in the office on Monday.”

She turned and started walking to the house. Each step was pulling at her, making her feel physically ill. It was as though she was putting the gap between them on purpose. A defensive move to protect her heart. Morgan was excellent at it. It just came with one price.
Being alone.

Shaun resisted reaching out to her when she walked back to the house. Everything in him wanted to pull her into his arms and finish what they had started last night. But the rest of the day was time for her to spend with her family. Besides, he had some phone calls to make and those calls required privacy.

He didn’t even bother to change when he headed to the office. He pulled up in front of the building and the security guard came out shouting, “You can’t park here.”

His face changed once he realized who he was barking at.

“Sorry, Mr. Henderson. I didn’t realize that was you. New . . . vehicle?”

Shaun ignored the question, and the guard knew better than push further. He tossed the keys to him and said, “I’ll call when I’m ready to leave.” They didn’t have valet parking, but today they did.

The guard looked at the keys, then back to the Jeep. “Yes, sir.”

The guard wasn’t the only one stunned by the Jeep. It’d been a spur of the moment purchase as he drove by the lot early this morning. That had never been the way he functioned. Everything he did was thought through thoroughly and calculated to optimize the outcome. Spontaneity was so out of character for him.

As a kid, he’d always wanted a Wrangler. To him, it represented freedom. The ability to go anywhere he wanted. He could own any car he wanted, but chose not to. He always had the limo pick him up and drop him off. It was convenient, and that’s how he liked his life. Now he owned a Jeep and had no idea what he was going to do with it.
Maybe someday I’ll do that off-road camping that appealed to me as a kid.
He laughed as he got off the elevator and made his way to his office.
What the hell am I thinking? I don’t even like to sleep on a couch.

He saw a light on in Dean’s office, so he stopped there first. “Shouldn’t you be home with Tessa?”

“Glad you’re here. I wanted to bounce an idea off you.”

Shaun sat on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. “What’s up?”

Dean looked at him. “Maybe I should be asking you that first. I can’t remember the last time I saw you dressed like that. Okay, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed like that. Are all your suits at the cleaners?”