Sugar Daddy Wanted: Now Accepting Applications (7 page)

They’d probably love it.
Grayson certainly had enough to keep them occupied for their weekend stay.

Kerry studied the man sitting across the table from her. If she presented it the right way, her boys might be open to the idea and not be hurt if Grayson left their lives.
If? It’ll be a when!

She didn’t want to grow old alone either, but an arranged friendship was new, even for her. Then again, what did she have to lose? It’s not like she had any other prospects, and this would be a fresh approach to a relationship. In the process, she might make a new friend.
Or more.
It didn’t mean she had to move in with him. If they hit it off, they could date traditionally.

A relationship with him?
Unconscious of the action, she licked her lips. Did he keep in shape? What did his body look like under that tailored suit? Recalling the sensation of his lips on hers made her wet between the thighs.

All lust-filled or romantic thoughts were pushed from her mind as she downed the remaining champagne from her glass. She wouldn’t jump into bed with him until she’d gotten to know him better.

In a weird way, what Grayson proposed was very selfless on his part—a no-strings attached weekend with the offer of more should she want it. And the more had nothing to with sex, love or romance, only the chance for her to provide a better future for her children. It was a win-win for her. In return, he only asked they grow old together if they liked each other.

It’s the sweetest offer a man has made to me in a long time. Sad, but true. And if it doesn’t work, there will be no hard feelings.

Before her brain could come up with a million reasons not to, she stuck her hand out toward Grayson. “You have yourself a deal on one condition.”

He grasped her palm, squeezing. “And that is?”

“We see how it goes. I make no promises beyond that.”

“Agreed.” His sexy grin lit her panties on fire. The idea of growing old with him could have its merits.

“You boys have everything you need for the weekend?” Kerry walked toward the front door, rolling suitcase trailing behind her.

Duncan tossed his bag on the floor by the door, sticking a Blue Bombers ball cap on his head backward. “Why are we going to this dude’s place?”

“Change of scenery,” Kerry said, too brightly, even for her. She flicked an imaginary piece of lint off her burnt orange sundress and adjusted the sleeves on her black sweater. Everyone had dressed for the warm day.

Duncan rolled his eyes. “We’re not even leaving the city.”

“Grayson is…a friend,” she went on. “He has a huge house and thought we might like to visit.”

“He thought wrong,” Duncan muttered.

Kerry shouldered her purse and slipped into her strappy sandals, throwing him an admonishing look. “It’s for two days. You’ll survive. Besides, who says we won’t have fun?”

Duncan raised a hand. “Uh…I do?”

“Come on,” Kerry cajoled, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. “It
will
be fun. Keep an open mind.”

He rewarded her enthusiasm with another eye roll.

“Duncan, please—”

Interrupting her, he said, “If this guy is such a good friend, how come we’ve never heard of him?”

“He’s someone I met through work,” Kerry said, thinking fast. “He’s a lawyer and he told me about his house and invited us to stay with him to relax a bit.”

“Don’t be such a jerk,” Cohen commented, shouldering his way past his mom. He adjusted the waist band on his shorts. “He has a freakin’ pool and a home theatre. Who says we even have to speak to him if we don’t want to?”

“Neither one of you will be rude to Mr. Nichols,” Kerry warned. Placing two teenagers in a situation out of their element would garner resistance, which she’d expected, but she’d hoped they would embrace the adventure. Grayson had emailed pictures of his theatre and pool in an attempt to entice the boys. “You’ll both be on your best behavior, are we clear? Did you pack your swimsuits? Underwear? Changes of clothes?”

Both boys nodded and spoke in unison. “Yes, Mom!”

Cohen heaved his duffel over his shoulder, huffing out a breath. Kerry noted the pink of his cheeks and squinted at him, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. “You feeling okay, little man?”

Her youngest gave a shrug, wiping a hand down the front of his yellow T-shirt. “Yeah. Why?”

“You feel a little warm.”

“I’m tired, but there’s no way I’m missing going to Mr. Nichols’ place. I want to be able to brag about the pool and movie theatre when I go back to school Monday.”

“Well, that’s a better attitude.” Kerry smiled at his enthusiasm.

A knock at the door caused all of them to turn their heads in the direction of the sound. Kerry huffed out a breath. “Our ride is here.”

“Our ride?” Duncan raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Cohen’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Like a limousine?”

“I don’t think so, but why don’t we go outside and see?” She opened the door to see Grayson’s driver standing there looking sharp in a well-tailored grey suit.

Davis tipped his hat in greeting. “Ms. Roberts—lovely to see you again.”

“Hello, Davis,” she responded with a smile.

“You know his driver?” Duncan’s eyes narrowed at the two adults.

Kerry ushered the boys out the door and locked it behind them. “Davis drove me to my dinner date with Mr. Nichols the other night.”

“You went on a
date
with him?” Duncan’s tone and facial expression suggested she’d sprouted two heads.

“It wasn’t a
date
date,” she replied. The boys shuffled out the front door, and Kerry locked up after them.

“Holy shit,” Cohen exclaimed. “He did send a limousine!”

“Watch your mouth,” Kerry admonished.

“Mr. Nichols thought you might find it fun,” Davis said, a smirk quirking up a corner of his mouth.”

“Woo-hoo!” Cohen whooped with joy. “The guy’s got two pools, a movie theatre in his house and sends a limo to pick us up. Mom, I say date him.” Without further comment or care, Cohen made a mad dash to the limo, his duffel bouncing along behind him. He tore open the passenger door, wiggled his butt in a victory dance, and dove inside.

“I guess he doesn’t need me to carry his bag,” Davis commented. “May I help you with yours?” He held out an expectant hand to Kerry.

Kerry chuckled. “I’ve got it, thanks.”

“Kids,” mumbled Duncan, hiking up the strap of his backpack. “Nah, I don’t need help.”

“Very well then. After you.” Davis gestured toward the car.

As they strolled to the vehicle, Kerry laid a hand on Duncan’s shoulder. “Look—I know this might seem weird, but I think it’ll be fun this weekend.
You
might have fun if you give it a chance.”

Duncan grabbed hold of her forearm and stopped her in her tracks. “Be straight with me,” he demanded.

Kerry gave him a questioning look. “Okay. Shoot?”

“This guy a Sugar Daddy? I was only kidding, you know.”

Davis coughed. “I’ll wait in the car.”

Kerry waited for Davis to enter the vehicle and close the door before speaking. The tough guy posture her son held didn’t belie the flash of apprehension she saw in his eyes. Her boys always acted tough, but they had sensitive hearts. She hadn’t been the only one hurt by Isaac’s disappearance from their lives. Change was always difficult. She understood Duncan’s fears—he worried Grayson might become a part of their lives. With any change, especially of the relationship variety, the possibility of hurt was always present.

Her heart went out to her oldest son. She’d always wished their father had stepped up to be more involved in the lives of his kids. Being both the mom and dad to two growing boys had always presented its challenges for Kerry. “Grayson isn’t a Sugar Daddy. Do you really think I’d do something like that?” She wasn’t sure
what
she was doing, but her son didn’t need to know that. All she knew was she needed a change—to experience something different—which is what Grayson offered. When she’d told Heather about Grayson’s proposal, she’d told her to go for it. Two days at a friend’s place—nothing more, nothing less.

Duncan thought a moment before shaking his head.

She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “He is a friend and he invited us to spend a weekend with him. I didn’t think it would hurt to shake us out of our regular routine for a couple of days.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with our routine,” Duncan insisted.

Kerry ducked her head to look in his eyes. “I didn’t say there was, but why can’t we do something different for a change?” Staying with a near stranger for a weekend with the intention of seeing how they all got along, with the offer to move her family there permanently, was about as different as they could get.
Oh, God. What am I doing?

A mother-son stare down ensued. An intelligent teenager, Duncan knew there was more to the situation than met the eye. His eyes narrowed, yet his expression softened. “You deserve better than Isaac or...” His voice trailed off and he swallowed hard. “Or Dad. You said you didn’t need anyone but us. I’ll take care of you, Mom.”

Tears sprang to Kerry’s eyes.
Well.
She hadn’t realized her eldest son had even thought of such a thing. It showed how much children were affected by their circumstances, and how parents weren’t fully aware of how their kids viewed the world. “Duncan, you are my son. I take care of you, not the other way around.”

“Yeah, but I’m older now,” he said, his voice hoarse. Straightening up to his full height of five-foot seven, he looked down into her eyes. “I can help out more.”

“So, why don’t you?” she teased, nudging him with her elbow. “Clean your room when I tell you to.”

“Mom,” Duncan groaned.

“Listen—I don’t date to find someone to take care of me.”
So, what are you doing with Grayson?
Kerry ignored the unspoken question in her mind, and poked Duncan in the shoulder. “I date to try to find someone to share my life with. There’s a difference.”

“You already share your life with us,” he stated.

“And I’ll always love you.” Kerry squished him in a hug, then held him away at arm’s length. “How about—I stop dating altogether if you stop seeing Kate?”

Duncan’s eyes widened with surprise. “Oh, I get it. Never mind.”

“Good,” she quipped. She cocked her head toward the car. “Now get in. We’re going to have some fun.”

Duncan groaned and slid into the limousine next to his brother. Kerry released a sigh, and took in the view of the exterior of her home, wondering how different her house was from Grayson’s.
Am I doing the right thing? Am I being blinded by the offer of providing for my kids, that I can’t see how much this could hurt them? Or do I like this guy?
She couldn’t explain what compelled her to see this visit with Grayson through.

Glancing inside the vehicle at her boys, she felt blessed they were comfortable talking to her about serious issues. Until today, she’d never realized how much Duncan wanted her to be taken care of.
What do I do about that?

Davis exited the vehicle, took Kerry’s suitcase from her and deposited it in the trunk. Kerry settled into the seat across from the boys. Duncan stared out the window while Cohen bopped along on a tune he listened to through earbuds attached to his iPod. She reminded herself this was one weekend. Two days of seeing how someone else lived. There were no strings attached. They’d all have fun, and once the weekend was over, everyone could part on good terms.

One weekend of fun.
That’s it.

Kerry fastened her seatbelt as the limo backed out of the driveway. If it really was no more or less, why did she have the strong sensation life as she knew it was about to change?

* * * * *

“Welcome,” Grayson said as Kerry and the boys exited the vehicle.

Cohen’s mouth dropped open and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Holy shit! This is your house?”

Kerry frowned at her son. “Watch your mouth…”

Cohen usually wasn’t so potty mouthed. Once again, she noted the increased pink in his cheeks.
He must be fighting something,
she mused. She hoped whatever germs his body fought wouldn’t put a damper on the weekend.

“Sorry,” Cohen apologized.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Duncan put in.

“Duncan…” Kerry threw a warning glare his way.

Grayson chuckled. “It’s all right. If I were them, I wouldn’t want to hang out for a weekend with someone I didn’t know either.” He placed a hand on Kerry’s shoulder. “How are you?”

Kerry felt her cheeks heat at the attention. “Fine. And you?”

“Great,” Grayson replied. “I’m glad you could all make it.” With a grand sweep of one arm, he gestured at his home. Flower gardens abounded. Trees and shrubs lined the walk and front of the house. “Let me give you a tour and I’ll show you to your rooms.”

The boys trudged up the walk ahead of them.

“Wait.” Kerry took hold of Grayson’s arm and studied him for a moment. “There’s something different about you.”

Straight, even white teeth flashed when he grinned.

Her eyes bugged out of her head, and she reached one hand up. “You shaved!”

“And in about five minutes, the scruff will be back,” he muttered.

Kerry stared into his eyes, belly fluttering, toes tingling. “Good,” she whispered.

Grayson took hold of her hand and led her up the sidewalk, bending to speak into her ear. “Thank God you like beard. Much easier to maintain.”

“And much more rugged.” She giggled, causing her boys to turn in their direction. Dropping Grayson’s hand, she waved and smiled at them. Davis opened the front door for them, and the two disappeared inside.

“Either way is fine, but…” Her voice trailed off when Grayson gripped her hand again, tugging her close.

He rubbed his chin against her cheek. “But the stubble would feel better down between your thighs, wouldn’t it?”

Stepping away, she gasped and swatted him in the ribs. “Incorrigible!” Spinning on her heel, she dashed up the walk.

“But you didn’t say no,” he called after her.