“Hey, did you get my text? I’m really sorry, but I can’t make it tonight. Josh is working so he can’t have DJ. I’ve called my sister but she’s busy. The sitter that someone recommended is already on another job tonight. Anna is out with Ashton for date night. My parents are two hours on a train away, and my usual babysitter has dinner plans with her new boyfriend. I’ve tried everyone, but I can’t find anyone to watch DJ,” she said apologetically, taking a big breath at the end where she spoken so fast.

I smiled at her ramblings; I loved it when she did that. It was like she couldn’t speak fast enough or get enough things into one conversation. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it, we’ll go another time. So, Josh cancelled for the whole weekend?” I asked, praying she’d say no because we were planning on hanging out all day tomorrow as well as the night time.

She sighed. “I don’t know. He’s working tonight, and there’s a possibility he’s working tomorrow but he never commits to anything. He’s gonna call me in the morning. I haven’t mentioned anything to DJ about the Z.O.O,” she said, spelling out the word so he wouldn’t know what she was talking about. “I’m just praying he doesn’t cancel that too, because a certain someone would be crushed.” She gave a hard laugh, full of years of frustration and anguish all because of that same asshole.

I bit the inside of my mouth to stop myself from cussing the guy out. “Okay. So can I see you after DJ goes to bed? Or maybe, if it’s alright with you, I could come earlier and bring takeout?” I mentally crossed my fingers for the last one, because then I would get precious extra hours with her. Maybe DJ and I could finish the war from last night.

“Umm… Sure. Whichever you want.”

I smiled. “Rose, if the choice is up to me, then I’d like to come early. I could bring a pizza. Does DJ eat pizza?”

“Really? You’re not annoyed with me for cancelling?”

“I’ll be annoyed if I don’t get to see you at all,” I teased, only half joking.

She laughed. “Well, we can’t have that.” There was a couple of seconds of silence, where she obviously was thinking through the options. “We both like pizza,” she said finally.

I trapped the phone between my ear and shoulder, freeing my hands and drummed on the table excitedly. “Okay great. I’ll come over in about an hour then? Pepperoni okay?” I offered, trying to sound cool and aloof, but the laughter and the fake whipping noises coming from the guys I was sitting with clearly told me that I hadn’t pulled it off.

“Sure, see you then.” She disconnected the call, and I smirked in Russell’s direction, not even caring that him and the other boys were about to tease the shit out of me.

I practically ran to the locker room, had the quickest shower ever and then dressed and ran to my car with my hair still dripping on the back of my T-shirt. I needed to hurry if I was to get everything and not be late.

When I finally got to her door, I was nervous again. Rosie opened the door wearing a black, high waisted pencil skirt, and a white shirt that she’d tucked into it. I gulped as I looked her over. Did she wear that to school today? Man, I seriously needed to go to this school! Lucky damn kids get to look and listen to that all day long!

“Where are the sexy glasses?” I asked, raising one eyebrow teasingly.

“I didn’t think you could handle those on top of the skirt,” she answered, smirking at me and crossing one ankle over the other as she leant on the door frame.

I nodded. “You’re probably right, I mean, I might have to jump you in front of your son if you get any hotter.”

“And I may have to let you if you get any sweeter,” she answered, biting her lip, smiling.

I definitely liked the sound of where this conversation was going! I beckoned her forward with one finger, wanting her to close the distance so I could kiss her. Her tongue made a tantalisingly slow sweep of her bottom lip as she stepped closer. Balancing the pizza and grocery bag in one hand, I snaked my other arm around her and pulled her flush against me. Her chest crashed against mine, her hands going to my hips, barely touching me but still managing to make my skin feel like it was on fire. I traced my free hand up her back and tangled it into the back of her hair, moving my face forward so my lips were almost touching hers. Her hot, sweet breath blew across my lips making them part unconsciously.

“You’re a damn tease,” I whispered, our lips brushing as I spoke.

Her hands tightened on my T-shirt. “Mmm hmm, but you love it,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed.

She looked like a dream – a beautiful girl in my arms, completely at my mercy, waiting for me to kiss her. She looked so vulnerable and open to me that it made my heart crash in my chest. I was almost proud of myself for getting her to have feelings for me, but mostly I was just proud that I got to call this girl my own.

“I do love it,” I admitted, my voice almost coming out as a growl. My whole body was alight with desire; I could feel my jeans tightening around the groin area as I started to get excited. The effect she had on my body was almost embarrassing. I had barely even touched her, yet I was at the point of begging her for sex. I was pretty sure that another girl would never be able to get me this excited, this quickly.

She made a sound that was a cross between a whimper and a moan, and I couldn’t hold it anymore. I crashed my lips to hers, kissing her fiercely, possessively, showing her with that one kiss that I was her man and that I wasn’t going to let her forget it. She moaned into my mouth as I pushed her against the wall gently, pressing my whole body to hers tightly. How I managed to hold onto the food and grocery bag, I wasn’t sure. I was barely even aware of anything else other than the feel of her lips on mine and her taste on my tongue.

By the time I pulled away and pressed my forehead to hers, we were both a little breathless. The corners of her mouth twitched with a smile as her eyes met mine. She looked a little bewildered, like she had no idea what was going on around us.

“Did that kiss make you forget your own name, or do I need to keep working on it?” I whispered, smirking at her.

“I know it begins with R,” she joked, playing along. “Maybe you could work on it some more later.”

I moaned breathlessly. “Definitely. Anyway, let’s go eat, I’m starving.” I pushed away from her and watched as she took a few deep breaths before straightening her shirt and pushing her hair behind her ear, like she was trying to calm herself down too.

I followed her into the apartment and into the lounge. DJ was lying on his stomach, toy cars scattered everywhere, a little garage off to one side. His eyes lit up when he spotted me. “Nate! I saved you the red one. Momma wanted it, but I told her it was yours.”

“You did? Awesome. Red is my favourite colour,” I answered, handing Rosie the pizza and taking the car that DJ was offering to me. I smiled and looked at Rosie, noticing her expression of disbelief and wonder. “What?” I asked, curiously.

She closed her mouth and shook her head lightly as if trying to shake a thought away. “I… I just… nothing. I’ll just get some plates.” She turned to DJ. “Nate brought pizza for dinner.”

He pumped the air with one fist and muttered a “Yesssssss!” and I couldn’t help but laugh. Kids were so easy to please! I smiled and grabbed the ice-cream out of the bag that I’d bought too, handing it to Rosie. It was Ben and Jerry’s, Chunky Monkey, she’d mentioned it was her favourite the other day.

She looked at me gratefully, a little “Aww” escaping her lips. “Thanks! You know I’m not sharing it though, right? You boys can go without. This is mine!” she joked, pretending to hide it as DJ looked at it with wide eyes.

I handed the bag to DJ with the last thing that I’d bought in there. He took the bag curiously and looked inside before literally screaming with excitement, making both me and Rosie jump. “TOY STORY 3!” he shouted, jumping up and down with excitement as he pulled the DVD out of the bag, waving it in the air in celebration.

Rosie frowned. “You bought him a DVD?” she asked, looking a little unsure.

I nodded. “I thought you were fed up with the other two, you said you couldn’t watch them again without going mad. Plus, he told me that he hadn’t seen it,” I answered, shrugging.

“You don’t need to keep buying him things,” she said, looking at me, shocked. “It’s not necessary, Nate. You know that, right?”

“I know, I just thought I’d get it because everyone should watch that at least once in their life.” I smiled, trying to make light of the situation.

Something crashed into my legs, making me stumble back a step before I caught myself. I looked down, shocked, to see DJ clinging to my legs, hugging me tightly, grinning like he’d had two litres of Coke and a bowl full of sugar.

I laughed uncomfortably, not really knowing what to do as I patted his back lightly. My heart melted in my chest at the attention. I was thrilled that he liked me. I bent down, wrapping one arm around his waist as I lifted him up, turning him upside down while he laughed and squealed.

Rosie hadn’t moved; she was just standing there with her mouth slightly open and her eyes a little watery. “Looks like Momma forgot she was supposed to be getting plates,” I told DJ, digging my finger in his ribs to make him giggle.

She smiled, her eyes so soft and tender that it made my stomach ache. “You really are blowing my mind, Nate Peters,” she said quietly.

“Right back at ya,” I replied.

She grinned and shook her head again before heading to the kitchen. I set a giggling DJ down onto his feet again. He passed me the movie. “Can you put it on? I’m not alloweded to touch the DVD player because I broked the last one,” he said.

“You ‘broked’ the last one?” I queried, grinning.

He nodded, looking a little sheepish and leant forward waving for me to bend down. I squatted down and he immediately cupped my ear with his little hands, checking that Rosie wasn’t there before leaning in and whispering in my ear. “I put one of my toys in there and it got stuck. But don’t tell Momma, I told her that I didn’t do it.”

I bit my lip to stop from laughing, and tried to look at him sternly as I pulled back. “I won’t tell Momma, but make sure you don’t do it again, okay?” I ruffled his hair and stood back up. “Stripes, is it okay to put this movie on now?” I called, looking in the direction of the kitchen.

“Sure,” she answered, walking back in with plates and setting them on the little coffee table while I put the DVD in the player. DJ sat down at the table, tucking into his pizza, watching the TV expectantly. She came back in again with drinks, before she settled down on the sofa, patting the space next to her for me to sit.

I sat down and she immediately shifted, pressing her side against mine. I sighed contentedly and ate, perfectly happy to stay in on a Friday night and hang out with them.

DJ’s eyes didn’t leave the television once throughout the movie. He was glued to it as if it were telling him where you could get a lifetime supply of free candy. Even Rosie seemed like she enjoyed it, her fingernails dug into my leg at the intense parts, her eyes wide and nervous.

When it finished, DJ jumped up and held out the remote control to me. “Put it on again?” he asked.

I smiled and went to restart it, but Rosie cleared her throat making me look at her. “I think DJ should be getting to bed,” she suggested, looking at DJ knowingly. “You know you don’t have time to watch it again, Baby.”

He looked at her with the begging face. “But Mommaaaaaaa!” he whined, almost jumping up and down on the spot. He was seriously good at playing his mom. He climbed onto her lap, hugging her tightly. “Momma, I want to watch it again before Nate takes it home. It’s a weekend, can I stays up?”

I smiled. “I bought it for you, Kid. That’s yours to keep, so you can just watch it tomorrow,” I suggested, shrugging.

His eyes widened. “I can keep it? Forevers?” he asked, looking a little shocked.

“Yep, it’s yours now,” I confirmed. He beamed at me, so I held my hand out for him, grinning as he immediately gave me a high five without me having to prompt him.

“Come on then, Baby. Bed time. Say goodnight to Nate,” Rosie instructed, shifting him onto her hip as she stood up. She smiled down at me, and I couldn’t stop the warm feeling that spread across my body.

“Night!” he chirped over her shoulder as she carried him to the bathroom to get changed. I waved and headed to the kitchen to make a coffee ready for when she was done.

When she came out she plopped herself in my lap again, wrapping her arms around my neck as she kissed me. I kissed her back a little shocked at the force she was putting into it, it was as if she’d been keeping it pent up all evening and was unleashing it all in one go. All of her feelings and things that she’d wanted to say, transmuted through the kiss, it was actually pretty mind-blowing.

When the kiss was over, we talked for a little bit while she just sat on my lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. After a while, we settled down onto the sofa, laying down, just cuddling while we talked. It astounded me every time, just how comfortable it was cuddling with her; I still wasn’t used to it. I loved that feeling of being at complete ease around a girl. I knew I had it bad for her because I was actually interested in what she was saying, instead of just imagining her na**d.

I decided after about an hour of us just talking and joking around, that it was time for me to broach the subject of Josh and our plans for the weekend. “So, do you think Josh will be taking DJ to the zoo tomorrow?” I questioned.