Free Blocked by Lisa N. Paul

she was with her husband, but it was always her own doing that brought the release.
    “Try something new,” Rori nudged. “Call him.”
    “I’ll think about it,” April conceded as she climbed the stairs and made her way to the master bedroom.
    “Sure, you will.” Rori laughed.
    The women said their good-byes, and April sat on her bed, replaying the conversation in her head. Rori wasn’t wrong, but old habits were hard to break. April chose the option that fell straight in the middle.
     
    * * *
     
    HAVING JUST STEPPED out of another scalding shower, his third of the day, Decker ran the towel over his hair. Is today over yet? He stepped into fresh sweatpants and a tee shirt before heading into Charlie’s room to check on her. He popped her favorite movie in the DVD player, kissed her cheek, and headed into the kitchen to straighten up from dinner. His cell phone danced across the granite countertop as the text icon popped up on the screen.
    Like an athlete on a long distance run, he got a second wind when he swiped the screen of his phone and saw who the text was from.
     
    Dimples: It was my mom, wasn’t it?
     
    He had no idea what she was talking about, but he was smiling for the first time in three days, and for that, he was grateful.
     
    Decker: Hello :)
    Dimples: Oh, hi. So, was it what I said about my mom that scared you away? You can be honest.
    Decker: LOL, do you mean about the orgasm thing?
    Dimples: I knew it!! Shit
    Dimples: I mean, sorry…
     
    She had him standing over the counter, reading her short notes and chuckling like a teenager with his first crush. He looked over his shoulder to make sure his laughter hadn’t disturbed his daughter. While he loved his little girl to pieces, he was craving adult time, and April was the perfect prescription.
     
    Decker: Wait, why do you think I’m scared?
    Dimples: Umm, you never miss 3 days at the gym
    Decker: You noticed, huh ;)
    Dimples: Ahh, so you’re one of those…
    Decker: One of what?
     
    His brows furrowed, but his lips quirked once again. The woman had him confused and delighted all at once.
     
    Dimples: A gratuitous winker.
    Decker: Hahaha, I think it’s just you, April, you make me… winky ;).
     
    Decker laughed as he pressed send. He wasn’t sure what had him more fascinated: April’s immediate responses or her witty replies. Either way, he felt happy in way he hadn’t known in a long damn time.
     
    Dimples: Anyway, you haven’t been there… I noticed. The only thing that changed was me… so I assumed I scared you off
    Decker: Wanna know what I noticed?
    Dimples: ?
    Decker: You called me first ;)
     
    A minute passed then another, and there was no response. Decker stared at his screen, hoping he hadn’t scared her that time. Just as he was about to tap out another text, his phone buzzed in his hands.
     
    Dimples: No, Decker, I TEXTED you. I’ve spent my life looking for loopholes to my mother’s rules, and I figured out that texting was the technicality to the phone call clause. There were no texts when I was younger, therefore, I figure texts are safe for the Os :)
     
    Decker stared at her words. His cheeks ached from the smile that was plastered across his face. April Maddox was different from any woman he’d ever met before, and he needed to know more. He needed to know all.
    That said, there were things he had to share with her as well, the sooner the better. Over the years, he’d learned the hard way that plenty of women out there didn’t want anything to do with a man who had a child. Not that he’d been looking for a relationship—hell, he hadn’t been. Charlie was his baby, his heart, and his first priority. Much to his surprise and disgust, after dating one particular woman a few times before mentioning his daughter, he got the surprise of his life when she threw a toddler-sized tantrum during her explanation of how she hated children and refused to go anywhere near them. Laughing at the irony of her very