One of the thrills of small-town living, she thought. Her T-shirt order had been delivered to Patience’s store because the delivery guy was already going to Brew-haha, anyway, so why not?
She’d ordered shirts for Fayrene and Ryan, along with the babysitting staff. Each of the kids was getting a shirt, too. She also managed to arrange for a tiny shirt for Caramel, which was going to be wildly cute. But still, now she had another pickup.
“I think the box is going to be too big for me to carry,” she said. “I’ll be by later to pick it up.”
Patience touched her arm. “No way. I’m delivering it to you as soon as I get back to the store. Are you kidding? You have to be running in circles. The whole big party starts tomorrow night.”
“Thank you,” Dellina said. “I owe you, big-time.”
“Are you ready?”
“Nearly. I hope. I’m going to be stuffing goodie bags into the night. I’ve triple-checked everything, I have my lists.”
“You’ll do great,” her friend told her. “I love what you did last year with Charlie’s wedding. That was perfect.” Patience grinned. “Any hints as to what Taryn is planning?”
“She hasn’t said a word to me. Maybe they’re going to elope.”
“No way.” Patience laughed. “Taryn needs to wear a designer gown by some French person we’ve never heard of. She can’t do that if she elopes. She’ll probably talk to you soon.”
“After Sunday,” Dellina said. “I couldn’t handle it before then.”
“I want details.”
“I’m sure we all will.”
Patience walked with her along the street. “So how’s it working with the handsome football players? Sparkage?”
Despite the stress and her exhaustion, Dellina laughed. “Sparkage? Who says that? I’m only working with Sam, and while he’s a great guy, we have a professional relationship.”
Patience’s eyes brightened with amusement. “This would be the same Sam you slept with on Valentine’s Day night?”
“Yeah, that one.”
Patience raised her eyebrows. “I’m not buying the business-only thing, just so you know.”
Because she and Patience had known each other all their lives, there weren’t many secrets.
“We might have kissed, but it didn’t mean anything.” Dellina paused, then grinned. “Beyond the sparkage.”
“I knew it. I really love being right. How’s Fayrene doing? Is she still on that campaign to get Ryan to propose?”
“Yes, and it’s ridiculous. Ryan worships her. She needs to tell him she’s changed her mind.”
“I know, but sometimes it’s hard to say that kind of thing.” Patience shook her head. “Everyone else can see how he feels, but I keep thinking her insistence that the proposal comes from him isn’t about convention so much as fear.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe she’s scared he’s changed his mind. That he doesn’t want to marry her anymore. We all create elaborate stories when the truth is too painful.”
They stopped in front of Brew-haha. “This is me,” Patience said, giving her a quick hug. “Come on inside. We’ll load up the T-shirts and I’ll give you a ride home.”
“Thanks,” Dellina said as she followed her inside the store.
But her mind wasn’t on the party anymore, or even her sister. She kept thinking about what Patience had said about people making up stories when the truth was too painful to admit.
Did she have a story? She was so clear on not wanting to get married because she’d already raised her family. That was true—she wasn’t just saying it. Because if she was, then there was a greater truth. A more painful one. Like maybe she had already lost so much, she was terrified of losing again, and that was why she didn’t want to risk her heart.
* * *
“MOST YARDAGE PASSING,” Jack said, tossing the football to Kenny.
“Regular season or play-off game?” Kenny asked. He caught the ball and then tossed it across the table.
“Regular season,” Sam said as the ball spiraled toward him.
They were in the conference room with a football. When Taryn found out, she was going to hit the roof. Sam wondered why they took such delight in messing with her. She always got them back somehow and yet they couldn’t seem to help themselves. A couple of months ago, a wayward pass had shattered the built-in television. Taryn had replaced the regular milk by the coffee machine with soy milk for over a week. While any one of them could have gone to the store and bought a quart of regular milk, they hadn’t. Instead they’d swallowed the soy and promised to never toss the football indoors again.
“Against the 49ers,” Kenny said. “October 2011. It was raining. We won that game.”
“Because I kicked a field goal with five seconds on the clock,” Sam reminded them. “Three points, gentlemen. The difference between being a god and getting your ass handed to you.”
Their receptionist stuck her head in the room. “Kenny, there’s a young lady here to see you.”
Sam looked at Jack, who was already hooting and whistling.
“A young lady,” he said. “I hope she’s over eighteen.”
Sam chuckled. “Look at you, Kenny. Having them meet you at the office. Afraid to show them where you live?”
Kenny walked toward the door. “Sam, I was going to let you stay at my place while your folks are in town, but you can forget that.”
Sam nearly said that he was staying with Dellina, but kept his mouth shut. No one needed that information. His partners would make too big a deal of it.
They went with Kenny down the hallway to the foyer. At the entrance, the three of them stopped and stared at the two girls waiting there. Because they were girls. Maybe seven or eight years old. One was thin, with bright red hair and green eyes. She was with a blonde girl who wore glasses.
The redhead smiled shyly at Kenny.
“Chloe?” he said, walking toward her. “What are you doing here?”
“Allison and I need your help,” she said. “Allison is making her mom a jewelry box for her birthday. It’s her summer project for the FWM. Her dad was supposed to help her finish it, but he had to go out of town on business. Her mom’s birthday is Saturday. All it needs is painting and then varnish. Can you help us with that?”
She stared at Kenny as she spoke, her eyes wide, her expression hopeful. Jack chuckled.
“Someone’s got a crush,” he whispered. “That’s so cute.”
Which was code for later Jack would torment Kenny about the kid.
Kenny, all six feet four inches and well over two hundred pounds of him, shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Ah, maybe one of your mom’s friends could do it. I’m not good at art projects.”
“It’s not an art project,” Allison said quickly. “The box is made. We just have to paint it. We have money for the paint and varnish. We’d ask Chloe’s mom, but she’s working. You know Chloe doesn’t have a dad, right?”
Sam winced. “She hits below the belt. He’s a goner.”
“Totally destroyed by two little girls,” Jack said admiringly. “You have to respect their tactics. Simple but effective.”
“They’ll be ruling the world in less than a decade.”
Kenny looked over his shoulder. “Could either of you two—”
Jack and Sam were already backing away.
“Sorry, bro,” Sam said. “I have my folks to deal with.”
“I’m busy,” Jack told him.
They rounded the corner, then turned and headed to the conference room.
“It’s nearly lunchtime,” Jack said. “Want to go to Jo’s Bar?”
Sam shook his head. “I’m not sure where my mom is. Let’s order in.”
“Good idea.”
> * * *
BY NINE-THIRTY that night, all the kids’ bags were stuffed and standing neatly in boxes that lined the wall of Dellina’s living room. The T-shirts—a bright yellow that would be easy to spot if anyone wandered off—were rolled and wrapped in ribbon and resting on the very top of the bags. Big name tags hung from the handles. She’d spoken to Fayrene and confirmed the pickup time for the morning. She had rented a delivery van to get everything up to the hotel.
Now, as she worked on the gift bags for the adults, she went item by item, confirming that she wasn’t missing anything. With the women’s bags, she was going to nestle the Tiffany’s box on top. The pretty blue would be an eye-catcher. Dellina had to admit she’d been hoping the store would throw in a buy-ten-get-one-free bonus, but no such luck. There were three extra pairs of the watches, but she suspected Sam had ordered them specifically for him and his partners.
She had just placed the heavy packages at the bottom of the guys’ bags when she heard her front door open. She glanced into the living room and saw Sam walking toward her. He looked pale and shaken.
“The book signing?” she asked.
He pulled out a chair and sank into it. “Oh, yeah.”
“There wasn’t a, um, demonstration, was there?”
“No.” A heavy sigh accompanied the word. “She kept her clothes on and my dad stayed in the audience.” He raised his head. “At first it was fine. She talked about marriage and staying connected, both emotionally and sexually. Then she took questions. A woman who had read her previous work asked about a sexual technique and for the next fifteen minutes my mom explained the importance of clitoral stimulation.”
Dellina sank into a chair on the opposite side of the table. She couldn’t decide if she was happy or sad that she’d missed the event.
“Did that clear the room?” she asked.
“No chance. The women were all nodding and poking their husbands in the arm, as if wanting to make sure they got the importance of the message.”
“Well, sure,” she murmured.
Sam stared at her. “Are you trying to help?”
“Not really.”
He grinned. “Fine. I’ll carry my pain on my own.”
“How can you build character otherwise?” She stood. “Can you talk while I work, because I still have to finish these bags, then go over the schedule one more time.”
“Sure. Let me help.” He rose and moved next to her. “Tell me what goes where.”
She pointed to the list on the wall. “In that order, please. I’ve played around with how to fit everything into the bags without them getting crushed. Then we put them in the large boxes for delivery in the morning.”
Which all sounded so professional when what she was really thinking was how well Sam had known his way around her clitoris that lone night they’d been together. And that while the lessons his mother taught could be embarrassing, they had a purpose. Education was important. Like her learning about her G-spot and how she still wanted to know where it was, exactly, and what it felt like when it was happy.
But those fantasies were for another time, she told herself firmly. Right now she had gift bags to prep and a thousand details to get to before she could sleep.
* * *
DELLINA DRIFTED IN that blissful not-quite-awake semisleep. She’d been up until after midnight, but it had been worth it. When she’d finally gone to bed, it had been with the knowledge that she was as ready as she could be. There was no need to panic. She was prepared for whatever the day might offer.
She opened her eyes and sighed. She’d slept really well. Given the short night, she’d expected to be more tired. But she was energized. As if she’d gotten her full eight hours instead of a mere—
She turned to her clock and screamed. Eight-thirty? Eight-thirty? No! She’d set her alarm, hadn’t she? She was going to get up at six and be ready. Fayrene was bringing the van at nine. They had to be at the hotel by ten. She’d paid extra to have access to the meeting rooms this morning. There was still so much to do.
She jumped out of bed and collected her clothes, then dashed down the hall. She threw herself into the bathroom, slammed the door shut and turned on the water.
In record time she’d brushed her teeth, washed her face and leaped into the shower. She didn’t have time to wash her hair, so she pinned it on top of her head. Wash, rinse and she was out. Naked and dripping, she reached for her towel just as the bathroom door pushed open.
Dellina remembered instantly that she hadn’t locked the door. She’d been too much in a hurry, plus she hadn’t been thinking that she had a temporary roommate. And while him seeing her dripping and naked was embarrassing, it wasn’t the end of the world. He’d seen her without her clothes before.
She closed her hand around her towel, all the while expecting him to apologize and then back out of the room. Only he didn’t. He stared at her with a combination of desire and need that made her legs shaky.
He swore softly, reached for her, swore again, then took a step back.
“The door wasn’t locked,” he said, his voice gritty and thick.
There wasn’t any time, she thought. This was insane. They’d already agreed on ground rules. There were a thousand reasons to say, “Hey, no problem,” and then cover herself. To pretend this had never happened. It was the smart thing to do. It was sensible. It was impossible.
“Sam,” she breathed.
His jaw tightened. For one agonizing second he didn’t move. Then he ripped open his shirt and dropped it to the floor even as he surged toward her. His arms came around her as she clung to him. Then his mouth was on hers and nothing else mattered.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HE CLAIMED HER with a kiss that shook her to her toes. Lips pressed. Breath mingled. Dellina parted instantly and he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. She stroked hers against his, wanting the friction and teasing arousal. But it was difficult to concentrate on his kisses when his hands roamed over her bare, wet body.
He explored her back, then her rear before cupping her curves and squeezing. She arched against him and felt that he was already hard. Very hard. His hands moved around to her front, then up to her breasts. His long, skilled fingers found her already tight nipples and brushed against the very tips.
Wanting burned so hot, she melted. Between her legs she ached as her body swelled in anticipation. She fumbled with his belt and got it open, then undid his jeans and pushed them down.
He pulled back enough to shove off the rest of his clothes. He was already barefoot. He kicked everything out of the way, then dropped to his knees and eased her thighs apart. She barely had time to grab the sink for support before he was holding her open with his fingers and licking the very heart of her.
It was too much, she thought, gasping for air as his tongue moved back and forth against her clitoris. Too good, too soon, too early. But she didn’t want him to stop. Not when he did those little circles, pausing only to suck deeply.
He moved his hands to her hips and shifted her slightly, then raised her left foot so it rested on the tub. She was exposed and waited to feel embarrassed. But before she could summon the emotion, he pushed two fingers deep inside of her and curled them upward. She felt delicious pressure, then an odd rubbing.
It was as if he was caressing her clit from the back. But more than that. Deeper. She pushed down to increase the pressure. She gasped as those fingers rubbed and stroked and his tongue circled. The sensations blended until she was at their mercy, unable to do anything but breathe and feel and then surrender to the inevitable climax that gripped her so tightly she had no choice but to scream her release.
“Oh, Sam!” she gasped as she started to come. “Please!”
He touched her from the inside and the outside, drawing every last quiver until she was spent.
“Condoms.”
The word came out in a near-guttural moan. She opened her eyes and watched him stand. He was hard and shaking and staring at her with an intensity that nearly made her swoon.
The meaning of what he wanted sank in. She turned and pulled open the medicine chest, then handed him an unopened box.
The paper lid went flying. He pulled one out, had it on and her turned back to him in less than three seconds. A heartbeat after that, she was on the counter, her legs spread and he pushed inside of her.
His sharp exhalation told her how close he’d been to the edge and the knowledge made her shiver. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him in closer.
He filled her deeply, making her arch against him. More, she thought hazily. If he did this for a little bit longer, she would come again. If he just—
His hands returned to her breasts. Her nipples were still tight, but so sensitive from her recent climax. When he began to massage them, she nearly told him it was too much. Only then he was rubbing and touching her nipples all the while pressing his fingers in just below them. And he found a spot that connected directly to her very core.
Her eyes flew open and she found him watching her.
“What are you doing to me?” she asked.
He smiled as he pushed in again. At the same time he squeezed and pushed or twisted and—
Who cares, she thought as she lost herself in a second climax. She pulled him in as deeply as she could. Her body convulsed around his. He pumped harder and faster until he, too, came and then they were holding each other and trying to catch their breath.
“Your mother is amazing,” Dellina said when she could speak again.
Sam looked at her and started to laugh.
* * *
“WE ARE SO LATE,” Dellina said as she picked up clothes off the towel rack and ran into the hallway. “Late, late, late.”
Sam knew she was right, but he couldn’t begin to care. Damn, talk about a great way to start the day.
He pulled on his briefs, then his jeans and followed her down the hall. His reward was the sight of her slipping on her bra, then adjusting her breasts. She shimmied into jeans, pulled on a blouse and wrapped it around her. She turned and saw him.
Before We Kiss Page 16
