Page 122 of Barron's Second Chance
"That's more like it," he agreed with a dry smirk. "But, hey, if I can get Sofia to befriend me again, your dad should be a walk in the park."
They both laughed because out of all of them, Sofia had been the prickliest over Barron's re-entry into her life. In fact, Eden was convinced that Sofia onlytoleratedBarron for the discounted drinks he provided her.
"Thank you for coming over here, for taking a chance with me." Barron ran his hand up and down her jean-covered thigh as he spoke.
"Well, you also have your mom to thank for that," she told him with a sheepish smile.
"Mom?" He quizzed, "what did she do?"
Eden watched his firm, strong, tanned hand against her thigh. Happy tingles danced under his gentle caress, and she reached down to stroke his long fingers.
"Eden?"
"Hmm?"
"What did my mom say?"
"Oh! Um..." she gave him an uncomfortable smile, her eyes darting around the room. "She called looking for you. We got talking about us - you and I - and she may have mentioned the time she logged onto your YouTube account and found -"
Barron groaned before she could finish. A red flush crept up his neck and spread over his cheeks. He scrubbed a hand down his face as he avoided eye contact. "I know what you're gonna say. Fuck, this is so embarrassing," he mumbled.
"I thought it was sweet," Eden soothed. She leaned forward and spread her hands across his chest in an attempt to placate him. "It was also the kick up the butt I needed to hear."
"What do you mean?" Barron's face was still slightly flustered in shame.
"I always wondered if you regretted losing me. I know you regretted me finding out the way I did." A snippet of that terrible day played quickly in her mind. But instead of the usual pang of hurt that accompanied the memory, Eden was able to move past the flashback with more ease than she had ever felt.
"But I always wondered if you thought of me over the years. Pined for me. Or whether our forced interaction over the summer was when you realized that you still had feelings for me."
Barron shook his head. "I always loved you. You were never far from my mind. It killed me when you left, killed me to see you posing with all those pretty boys, dating Josh," he rolled his hand in the air as he recounted.
"I was proud of you, don't get me wrong. But I felt like I had no right to disrupt your life. You made it clear that you wanted nothing to do with me, so the least I could do was respect your wishes."
Barron shook his head at the memory. "But it was hard. Shit, was it hard staying away. I avoided New York like the plague. I knew I would try to track you down if I went. So I watched you on your social media pages, watched all your shows - you think I just figured out how to stream Fashion Week when we got back together?" He gave a snort of self-deprecating laughter. "Baby, I've known how to access those shows for years."
Eden's eyes widened at his admission. She was thrilled when Kelly told her about Barron's secret watching habits. But to know that he went further with his desire to be close to her? It fucking floored her. She was overwhelmed with joy.
"Wow," she licked her lips and gave him a coy look. "So you're, like, a full-blown stalker," she teased.
Barron sent her a deadpan, unamused stare which sent her off in a fit of giggles. "As embarrassing as it is for you to find out that way - thanks,Mom -"he stressed sarcastically, "I have no shame when it comes to you. I have no doubt I'd be stalking you for the rest of your life - whether we're together or not."
"As a modern woman, I should feel creeped out, but hearing that just makes me want to jump your bones."
Barron's eyes flared with unrestrained heat at her words.
"We still have things to talk about," he murmured, but at the same time, his fingers started smoothing up her thigh, stroking between the juncture of her legs. She gave a small sigh as she felt the tips of his fingers dance at the edges of her cloth-covered pussy.
"Hmm," she hummed as she stroked his forearm in encouragement. She could see by the tightness of his shorts, by the bulge being strangled by the tight confines, thattalkingwas probably slipping away from his mind.
"Wecouldtalk," she started, because they still had things to discuss, she knew. But she shot Barron a sultry look beneath her lashes. "Or we can do something else with our mouths."
Barron suddenly shifted off the couch before bending to scoop her over his shoulder. She shrieked with delighted laughter as he smacked her behind. "Don't have to tell me twice."
And with that, he strolled towards his bedroom.
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