“Alright, We have a date then,” I murmured, putting my hand on her shoulder, touching her bare skin.

  Her lips parted, and I could see her chest rising and falling faster. “Yes.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

  I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers graze her cheek. “Maybe Caroline will join us.”

  “Yes, I think she will. She likes swimming.”

  “Perfect. Alright, Sofia.” I touched her shoulder again, squeezing gently. “I’ll see you later.”

  She walked away slowly. At her porch, she turned back and waved. “See you later, guapo.”

  I watched her hips sway as she walked through her door. I thought about the warmth of her skin under my fingers, the way her chest had heaved when I touched her.

  She wanted this as much as I did.

  I finished the railing work with a smile on my face, whistling cheerfully. My hands moved almost automatically, drilling and securing, while my mind kept wandering to Sunday.

  But no. That was two days away. Too long. Caroline was going to say so, too. She’d probably try arranging a dinner date for me and Sofia.

  After a final check of my work, I put away the tools and headed for the shower. I needed to cool off, in more ways than one.

  Chapter twenty-one

  Iheard the front door close as Caroline came in. “Ryan?”

  “Out back!”

  I sat on the porch, drinking an Iceberg River — a local beer — waiting for the sunset to come. My hair was still damp from the shower, and a pleasant fatigue had settled over me.

  Caroline’s high heels clicked their way to the porch door. She smiled. “Hey. You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

  I casually pointed towards the river. “Go have a look at the dock.”

  Caroline’s eyes widened. “Ryan, what did you do?”

  I smirked. “Just go over there and see.”

  She narrowed her eyes playfully, taking off her heels. I watched as her bare feet padded over the porch. Her butt swayed beautifully in the tight pencil skirt as she crossed the lawn.

  “Oh my God, look at this!” she called out from the top of the dock stairs.

  She walked onto the platform, running her hand over the new railing. “You fixed everything!”

  She turned to the stairs, descending carefully at first, then with more confidence as she realized how solid everything was. I watched her disappear behind the bank.

  She re-emerged a moment later, crossing the lawn towards me. “You didn’t have to do all this, Ryan.”

  I waved my hand. “It’s a hobby. I like fixing things.”

  “Well, we are paying you back for this— don’t worry. The couple living beside Sofia will be really happy about it, too. Their grandkids visit sometimes, and they’d love to use the dock. I’m sure everyone will pitch in.”

  I shrugged. “I did have ulterior motives, you know. Sofia and I are going swimming on Sunday.”

  Caroline’s eyes widened with delight. “Oh yeah? Nice.” She settled on the chair beside me with a gossipy air. “So? Come on! Tell me about it. What happened?”

  I described our interaction, watching Caroline’s face grow more animated. She nodded enthusiastically as I described how Sofia had checked me out with my shirt off, and how I’d touched her.

  But she became more serious, almost business-like, once I’d finished the story. “You did a good job, Ryan, but Sunday is too far away. We need to set something up before then.”

  “I thought you’d say that. What do you have in mind?”

  Caroline took her phone out of her purse, her thumbs working the screen. “I’m messaging her now. She’s going to cook dinner for you tonight.”

  “She is?”

  Caroline flashed me a devilish smile. “Yes. I was so busy I just completely forgot to buy groceries. I have nothing to cook for you! Sorry, Ryan.”

  “How do you know she’ll say yes?” I said, grinning.

  She rolled her eyes. “She will. I know her.”

  Caroline’s phone buzzed. Her eyes lit up as she read the message.

  “See? She says she’d love to have you over. She’ll be home around eight. That work for you?”

  “Perfect.” I took another sip of my beer. “You’re quite the matchmaker, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, please. Sofia’s been alone too long, and I know she likes you.” She giggled. “She told me she thinks you’re macho.”

  “Macho?” I laughed. “Really? She said that?”

  “Yeah. We were talking about you fixing things around here.” She stood, stretching. “I need to get changed, and you should probably freshen up before your date.”

  She paused at the door. “Just remember to be gentle with her, okay? She might seem confident, but it’s been a while for her.”

  “Don’t worry. I understand.”

  I went upstairs and put on a nice pair of jeans and a fitted black t-shirt that showed off my arms.

  Caroline was in the kitchen when I came down. She’d changed into loose linen pants and a tank top, her hair pulled back.

  She looked me over approvingly. “You look nice. Macho.”

  “Stop it.” I grinned, checking my phone. Quarter to eight.

  Caroline spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “Okay, here’s what you do. Let her feed you. Compliment her cooking. Make sure she knows you love it. And tease her.”

  I slipped my arms around her waist, pulling her towards me so that her stomach and breasts were pressing against me. “I seduced you, didn’t I?”

  She hummed as I kissed her cheek. “Yes, you did, honey. I know you’ll do fine. I just really want this to work.” She paused, smiling. “This is a fantasy of mine.”

  “The three of us together, you mean?” I murmured between kisses.

  “Yes.”

  I cupped her butt cheeks in my hands. “I want to make it come true.”

  She pushed me away with a playful smile. “So be flirty and romantic with her. She needs to feel like she’s being swept away.” She grabbed the bottle of white wine, which we hadn’t opened yet. “Here, take this.”

  “Good idea.” I took the bottle. “And what about you? What are you going to do tonight?”

  She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got a series I’m watching. Just focus on Sofia. I want her to tell me how wet you made her tomorrow.”

  My eyes widened for a second, and I headed towards the porch, trying to stay calm and casual.

  The evening air was refreshing as I crossed Sofia’s yard. The smell of grilled meat wafted through the screen door.

  “Hello!” I slid the door open.

  I could see Sofia moving around her kitchen. “Hi Ryan! Come in.”

  Walking into her kitchen, I saw a plate piled with grilled chicken and sausages. Sofia stood over eggs frying in a pan, and she had rice steaming in a pot. My hungry eyes lingered on the meat.

  Sofia laughed with amusement. “Poor Ryan! Caroline didn’t feed you. You must be so hungry!”

  I smiled at her. She was still wearing the tight jeans and camisole top.

  “How was your day?” I casually approached her, smiling into her eyes.

  My hand rested on the small of her back as I pressed my lips against her cheek.

  Chapter twenty-two

  Iexecuted the kiss so casually that it felt like the normal way we always greeted each other.

  I saw her eyes widen slightly, and her lips parted, but she didn’t move away. She tilted her head slightly and moved towards my kiss.

  “My day was good, thank you. How was yours?”

  “Great. But I’m very hungry.” My hand was still comfortably on the small of her back.

  “Did you bring wine?” She said, looking at the bottle in my other hand.

  I held it up. “Yes. White. You like it?”

  “I love it.”

  My hand moved down slightly so that it was resting on the top curve of Sofia’s backside. She was smirking knowingly. “Don’t worry, mi amor. I have lots of food for you.”

  “Thank you.” I kissed her again on the cheek. Her eyes met mine, but she quickly looked down. I cradled her head, turning her towards me and planting a kiss on her forehead.

  She looked at me with her big, adorable eyes. “Ryan, what are you—” I kissed her lips quickly— they were pillowy and hot — then looked at her eyes again.

  “What are you doing to me?” She whispered.

  I kissed her lips again, my hand moving over her butt— it was incredibly round and pert. She moaned softly as our lips met. The eggs sizzled.

  “Oh my God!” Sofia shrieked, shoving me away and grabbing the spatula. “The eggs are really cooked.”

  “Don’t worry,” I chuckled. “The eggs are fine.”

  “You sit down,” she ordered, pointing the spatula at the table.

  I reluctantly took my hand away from her backside and settled at the table. Sofia busily lifted my plate, her boobs jiggling inside the camisole as she moved around the kitchen.

  “This looks amazing,” I said, watching her stretch to reach the glasses in a high cabinet. Her shirt rode up, showing the brown skin above her jeans and the curves of her hips.

  She set the plate in front of me. “Enjoy.”

  “Are you joining me?”

  “I already have dinner, but I will sit with you. Is my pleasure to watch you eat.”

  “Well, I can do that,” I said, cutting a piece of chicken. It was tender and flavorful.

  Sofia put wine glasses on the table and brought a corkscrew. I opened the bottle and poured her a glass as she sat down.

  She brushed her hair back and straightened her blouse, fidgeting slightly. She seemed a bit nervous. The kitchen felt intimate in the evening light, especially after our kiss.

  We clinked glasses, and I noticed her fingers trembling slightly.

  “Tell me more about your restaurant. How’d it start?”

  Sofia shifted in her seat, her eyes lighting up. “Well, I was always cooking from my home, making food for friends, or the potluck for church.

  “And one day, I saw this little restaurant was closing down, and it was for rent. I always dreamed about owning a business. So, suddenly, I just decided. I quit my job and started my restaurant.”

  “What was your job before?”

  “Nail technician.” She spread her fingers on the table, gazing at her nails with a dreamy look. “People always told me I should start a restaurant, but I couldn’t just quit my job and start a business.”

  “Because of your boys.”

  She nodded. “Uh huh. I was a single mama. It was okay. I didn’t mind working for my sons and taking care of them.

  “But then, six years ago, Miguel — my younger son — moved to Florida… The house was so quiet. That’s when I started cooking for people.”

  “And then you bought the restaurant, what, six years ago?”

  “Four years.”

  “You’ve built that up in four years? That’s amazing, Sofia.”

  She nodded proudly. “I know it’s good. I worked very hard.”

  “Building something from nothing. I respect that.”

  “You understand because you do the same thing with your business.”

  “Exactly. It took me longer, though.” I held her gaze, taking a slow sip of wine.

  She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Ayyy, no! Your business was much bigger than my little restaurant.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. Running a restaurant is incredibly hard. And yours is successful because you put so much love into it.”

  Her eyes softened. “That’s true. I love cooking for people. When my boys were home, I had to cook all the time. They ate so much — like you.” She giggled.

  “You miss them a lot?”

  “Of course.” She pinched the stem of her wine glass, gathering her thoughts.

  “They are very busy. The older one is married. The younger one have a fiancé. They don’t have time for their mama anymore.”

  She let out a small laugh. “Sometimes I think maybe I loved them too much because I didn’t want to let them go. And because of that they wanted to get away from me.”

  “You seem like a great mother,” I said, moving closer and putting my arm around her. “I’m sure your sons love you very much. They’ll come around.”

  She looked into my eyes searchingly. I could see something stirring in her big dark eyes. Recognition, maybe. Understanding.

  “You like being taken care of,” she said softly. It wasn’t a question. “That’s why you like Caroline so much.”

  “Why?” I drawled, somewhat surprised by the turn in the conversation.

  “Because she takes good care of you. She knows how to do it properly.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s part of it. I feel so comfortable here with her.”

  She smiled slyly. “Caroline is smart. She trapped you in her web.” She touched my leg, slowly dragging her finger down it. “Her soft, silky web.”

  “I’m not caught. I just like being there.”

  “Yes, is very luxury, no?” Sofia’s finger was still on my leg.

  “Luxurious. You could say that.” I slid my arm around her waist. “In fact, I think there might actually be two little spiders that caught me in their webs.”

  She tossed her head, smiling. “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah, really. Fuck, you look so good,” I murmured, kissing her.

  Her breath caught. “Ayyy, Ryan, what are you doing?”

  I had one arm around her waist, the other hand on her thigh. She gripped my forearm, her chest heaving.

  “I’m kissing you.”

  We kissed on the lips. She moaned for a second, returning my kiss. Her lips were incredibly soft, yielding under mine. For a moment, she melted against me, her hands clutching my shirt.

  Then suddenly moved away. “Ryan, we shouldn’t be doing this!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you belong to Carolina. I know is probably just a fling, but still…”

  “She doesn’t mind sharing me. She wants to.” I pressed my lips to her neck, just below her ear.

  Sofia’s whole body shuddered. “Yes… She… she told me that.”

  I raised an eyebrow, smirking. “She did, huh?”

  Sofia nodded. “Uh huh. She say, ‘Come on! Why don’t you fuck with him?’”

  I laughed. Her impression of Caroline sounded nothing like Caroline. “Well, there you go. You heard it directly from her.”

  I caressed her thighs and ran my hands over the lovely curves of her waist and hips, kissing her neck.

  She panted for a moment, then gripped my arm again.

  “No…” she whispered, but her head tilted to give me better access. “We shouldn’t…”

  I turned her towards me. Her chest was heaving, lips parted.

  “Why shouldn’t we?”

  “Because…” Her hands fell onto my chest, but she didn’t push me away. “Is no right. Carolina…”

  “Caroline wants this.” I cupped her face, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “She wants us to be together. The three of us.”

  Sofia gasped. “What! You mean, like, how do you call that? A threesome? She didn’t tell me that.”

  I smiled. “Well, that wasn’t what I meant. But… maybe a threesome?”

  “Of course you want that. Is what every guy dreams about, right?”

  I answered with a kiss below her ear. She frowned, but I could see her body softening. I kissed her lips. She gazed at me with glazed eyes, her lips parted as if yearning for more.

  “We’d better clear the dishes,” I said with a nonchalant smirk.

  I placed my dishes in the sink, Sofia shadowed me, standing close. She stretched, back arched, chest sticking out. “Would you like to sit in the living room?”

  I took hold of her waist and gazed down at her eyes. In light of our conversation, I understood her better now. I could practically feel all that nurturing energy and passion overflowing between my fingers as I held her.

  She needed an outlet for it. Needed a man who could appreciate her milfy hotness and all she had to offer.

  Someone who would give her the attention she deserved.

  “Come on,” I said, guiding her towards the living room. “Let’s go sit.”

  Chapter twenty-three

  We settled on her couch. Sofia curled her legs under her, creating a little distance between us. But her body was turned towards me, her eyes kept finding mine in the dim light.

  “So… You think Carolina really wants this?” she asked softly.

  “Why not? She said so, didn’t she? She thinks I can make you happy.” I reached for her hand, which was resting on her thigh.

  Sofia’s lips quivered with a smile. “I know. She told me about… Never mind.” She tittered nervously, covering her mouth.

  “What’s so funny?” I said, grinning. “Are you okay?” I rested my arm on the back of the couch, brushing my fingers over her hair.

  She shook for a moment, giggling, then got control of herself. “I’m sorry. Is just… Don’t you think is kind of crazy? I never do anything like that before.”

  “Neither have I. But why not?”

  She bit her lip. “Imagine what people are gonna think.”

  “You mean like Bill and Martha?”

  “Ayy, no!” She covered her face dramatically. “The whole neighborhood already know about you and Carolina.”

  “And?”

  She peeked at me through her fingers. “Oh my God, they’re going crazy. So much gossip.”

  “Does that bother you?” I moved closer, sliding my arm around her waist.

  “Maybe… No, not really.” She was already falling towards me.

  I brushed her hair back, exposing her neck. “Maybe you like it. The drama of it all?”

  She gasped. “Actually, you know what? I was thinking… this reminds me of the dramas I watch.”

  I smiled. “And that’s good, right? Exciting.”

  “Yes, is exciting. The ladies at church would be jealous.”