Page 80 of Love Expert

Pushing up onto his elbow, Jeremy glances past me. “You awake, Dad?”

“Mmhm. And we can’t all sleep in here every single night,” he repeats, his words a mumbled droll. “Cos I’m alllll the way over on the edge. My butt is cold because you two have all the blankets.”

Giggling, Jeremy flops down again and burrows into my arms. “His butt is cold.”

“Maybe we should ask Santa to bring him fleecy pyjamas for Christmas then, huh?” I swipe the tickle he put beneath my nose and draw a deep Caster-scented breath. This feels nice. It feels alarmingly similar to the way I felt lying between my mom and dad a long time ago. And because that thought comes to me, a nasty, cruel whisper follows right after.

This is Aria’s life. Not yours.

“You have school today?” I trail my fingers through Jeremy’s hair and earn his purring delight. “Nine o’clock?”

“Yeah. But if my dad puts spikes on the road and stops all the traffic, I could probably stay home with you.” He flashes a bright smile. “That would be way better.”

“No spikes.” Billy slurps back on a line of dribble he’s too tired to manage, and because he’s still dozing, he cinches his arm around my stomach and crushes me closer. “School for you. Work for me. Baking for Maggie.”

“Baking?” I attempt to twist in his arms. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard all that talk last night about the illicit donut operation currently happening on my own property.” He licks the back of my neck, expertly hidden from his son’s view. “I’m not the cop who’ll shut this thing down. But Iamthe cop who’ll demand his cut. Or else.”

I snort and meet Jeremy’s eyes, rolling mine to steal a small giggle from his throat. “They have a name for those cops, ya know? And I don’t have time to bake today.” Memories of last night’s stressors march through my mind. I’d escaped them for a little while, at least. “I have to work.”

“Why do you even have to work anyway?” Jeremy whines. “Molly’s mom doesn’t work, cos Molly’s dad does, and he takes care of her with his money.”

“Well, that’s nice for Molly’s mom, isn’t it?” I tickle his elbow. “I’m not Molly’s mom, though.”

“No, but my dad works and takes care of me. I could get a job too, if you need me to. Then you would have even more than Molly’s mom. You would have my dadandme taking care of you. That’s loads, right?”

“That sure is a lot.” I push up between them both, setting my hand on the bed for stability and absorbing the grumble of Billy’s unhappiness because I’ve moved. “But I prefer to take care of myself. And even if I havemore men in my life willing to take care of me than Molly’s mom has, I also have a house. Two houses are a lot for one policeman and his eight-year-old son to look after. So I think I’ll pay for mine, and when I have time, I’ll slip more donuts through the fence.” I drop a sneaky kiss on Jeremy’s forehead, then I climb out of the bed and earn double grumbles of unhappiness when the blankets shift and tug the cold air in.

“Magnolia.” Billy blindly reaches out for me. “Come back.”

“Can’t.” I’m covered all over with Billy’s shirt and my boyleg panties, but I still snatch up my pants and stab my legs inside. I jump in place and whip the material up, then I snatch my bra from the end of the bed and do that thing girls learn how to do by around eighth grade—slide it on and fix the straps without taking my shirt off at all. “I’m on shift at ten o’clock, so if I want to make it on time, I have to get moving now.”

“Shift?” Billy cracks one eye open and studies me through long lashes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I have to be with my clients at ten.” I spin on my heels and avoid the astute detective’s study. “My client is in Barlespy, which means I have to drive. I’ll be there most of the day, then I have a meeting at my house at seven.”

“Tonight?”

“Yep. Tonight.” I snatch up the shirt I wore last night and charge into the hall. My bikini on the weekend exposed more of my chest than my bra does, but taking Billy’s shirt off and trading it for the other, all while Jeremy watches is just… it’s too much. It’s insanely disrespectful. So I duck into the bathroom and make the exchange. I catch my reflection in the mirror, my messy hair, frizzy from last night’s storm, and my swollen lips, more swollen than usual.

Billy left marks on my neck last night; not the kind from his teeth and tongue, but a gentle red grazing, because of the way his stubble scratched my skin.

Drawing a shuddering breath, I trail my fingertips over his work and swallow the nerves slowly clogging my throat.

Good one, Maggie. Sleep with my client yousworeyou’d find love for… Twice.

Real professional.

“I’m coming in, Magnolia.” Billy doesn’t even give me the benefit of knocking on the bathroom door before he steps in and closes it at his back. He wears sweatpants, but no shirt. His chest swells that way it always does right before we argue, and his eyes burn against the side of my face. He flips the lock on the door and folds his arms. “What’s wrong?”

I spy a half-full laundry basket sitting by the bathtub, so I ball his shirt and toss it in, then I turn back to the sink and flip the tap on. Anything to keep my hands busy. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“You were relaxed, and then your heart started sprinting.” He lifts an inquisitive brow. “I was listening the whole time. I can’t think of anything you and Jeremy talked about that could’ve made your mood change the way it did, which means whatever happened, it was inside your head. If you speak it, I might be able to help.”

This isn’t my life, Billy! This isn’t my home. This isn’t my family.

“I have to work. It’s really that simple.” I fold over the sink and splash water onto my face. I scrub the icy liquid over my eyes and get a little into my hair. But that’s okay, because I was planning to wash my hair just as soon as I got home and had a proper shower anyway.