Page 124 of Sugar & Shadows

“I mean…” I pressed my teeth into my lip, searching for the most tactful way to get my point across. “We need to be friends.”

“Of course. Didn’t we already agree to that? I’d like to spend time with you so we can get to know each other and find a rhythm before the baby comes.”

He was right, of course. Co-parenting would require cooperation and respect. And given our history, we’d need time to figure that out.

But this could go sideways really fast. Already, I’d softened to him, and more than once, I’d found myself fantasizing about sleeping with him again.

I sat up, putting my hands together. Then I dropped them, clutching my thighs. God, I wasn’t giving a presentation. “Um.” I blew out a breath. “I agree. To all of that. But I also think we’ve got to be clear.”

He cocked his head patiently.

I winced. “No romance.” My face flamed. Oh God, that came out terribly. I wanted to smother myself with a throw pillow.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry. No, um, sex.” I avoided his gaze, hands clasped again, this time tightly. “Nothing like that.”

He dipped his chin. “I understand.”

“It would complicate things. And despite how this started…” I patted my stomach. “We can’t risk developing feelings.”

“Right. We’re going to be the best co-parents in history.”

“Yes.” I smiled, hope blooming. “Books will be written.”

“Statues erected.”

“And she’ll have the most amazing childhood.”

Despite how badly I wanted that last part to be true, the rest of the words were hollow, strange. But I had to say them out loud. Establish boundaries.

Was it just me or was he sliding closer?

“You’re right,” he murmured. “We can’t catch feelings.”

The warmth of him soaked into me, reminding my body of what it had been like when he was on top of me. Inside me.

My core clenched. “Yes,” I said softly, my own body drifting toward him.

“No romance.” He angled in so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. “And no kissing.”

“Yeah,” I said, my heart racing. “Not like in the sugar shack.”

“The sugar shack,” he growled. “Don’t make me think about that.”

“Can’t happen again,” I warned.

He crept closer. Our thighs were touching now. “That would be terrible,” he said.

“Awful.” My breathing had gone shallow. “I can’t just go around kissing you.”

“You cannot.” He cupped my chin. “No slipping.”

I nodded, under a spell, unable to look away, my body vibrating with need.

“And I should not do this.” Slowly, he bent in and kissed my jaw.

I shuddered.