The Muse's Undoing

“Casually means I can’t have you showing up when my son is with me—awake.”

“I know. I get it. My bad.” Her gaze drops to my mouth. “Forgive me?”

I take a long sip of wine. “Raven, I think we should cool things off.”

“Ugh. Why?”

“Because I feel like I’m leading you on, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Babe, I know you’ve got a lot going on. You’re a single dad, you have a huge job, you’re still trying to settle in. I’m sorry if I’ve been a lot. I just get excited. I promise—I have zero expectations. I’m perfectly content with the way things are. Swear.”

I frown, trying to discern whether I believe her or not.

“Are you still close with Nicole?” I ask.

“I wouldn’t say close. We text occasionally. She’s got her hands full with Hunter and Vaughn and a full-time job. Sometimes we’ll manage to grab drinks, but we haven’t in—months.”

“So she doesn’t know…”

“God, no.”

“Are you seeing other people?” I ask.

She blushes, and I feel like I fucked up again. Two strikes. Next thing you know, I’ll accidentally propose. “No. Why do you ask?”

“You don’t go to the club anymore?”

“Oh, that. A date took me there—I’m not a member. He just wanted an excuse to get fingered by a guy in front of me. Worst date ever until I saw you.”

She laughs at the horrified expression on my face. “That’s what it’s like out there. I think you’re smart for not wanting to date. And to be honest, it’s why I like our arrangement.”

Arrangement. She sees it as an arrangement. I breathe easier.

“You’re not interested in dating anymore?”

“I want to wait for the right person.” She smiles. “Let it happen organically. I’m not trying to force anything.”

She’s saying all the right things, and I have to admit it’s working. It’s taking my mind off Matthew and putting to rest all my concerns about her wanting too much from me. “So, what do you have planned the rest of the night?” she asks.

“I don’t have anything,” I admit, a victim of my own unfortunate reality.

“Well…since you’re here…”

She sets my wineglass aside, and I allow her to straddle my lap. She runs a hand down my tie and back up. “You look so good in this. Like you stepped right out of the TV.”

She’s hot as she grinds her pussy over my semi, causing it to fill rapidly.

“I can’t stay,” I tell her.

“You said you didn’t have anything…”

“I mean, I need to clean up. Vaughn’s coming—Fuck…” She grinds again, and it makes my brain go numb. Sex makes me so fucking stupid.

“You can clean me. I’m so dirty…”

I glance over at the velvet chaise by the window. She follows my gaze. “Babe, I love the way you think.”

18