Free Sample
Preview from chapter one
They moved into the living room, the book lying forgotten on the couch. She sat down in the chair, her legs crossed, watching as he fidgeted nervously. "You can start whenever you're ready, honey," she said, her voice soothing, yet filled with a seductive undertone that sent a thrill through his body.
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The distant hum of a lawnmower droned through the open kitchen window, the warm scent of freshly cut grass mingling with the aroma of chocolate cake baking in the oven. On the counter, a stack of colorful gift-wrapped boxes, each one holding a piece of her son's adulthood, beckoned her closer.
"Mom, can you help me with this?" James's voice echoed from the living room, pulling her from her thoughts. She wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron and walked in to find him struggling with the knot of balloons they'd bought to decorate for his birthday party.
At the sight of him, her heart swelled with a mix of pride and a hint of nostalgia. He'd shot up over the last year, his boyish frame now filled out with the muscles of a young man. She couldn't believe he was already 18. The years had flown by, and she felt a sudden urge to hold onto him, to keep him her little boy forever.
But the glint in his eyes as he looked up at her told her that wasn't possible. There was something new in them, something... hungry. He was growing up, and she could see the curiosity in his gaze as it flickered over her body, taking in her tight jeans and low-cut blouse. She felt a flush creep up her neck and realized she'd been standing there, staring, for longer than she meant to.
"Let me take care of that," she said, her voice a little too high. She stepped closer, taking the balloons from his grip. "You go get cleaned up. Your friends will be here soon."
James nodded, his eyes lingering on her a moment longer before he turned and headed down the hall. She watched his firm backside, the muscles playing under his shirt as he walked away. It was the first time she'd noticed the way he filled out his clothes, and the thought sent a shiver down her spine. Quickly, she turned back to the cake, focusing on the task at hand. But her thoughts kept drifting back to him, to the way his body had changed, to the way he looked at her.