“Do you like that?” he whispered against her mouth.
“Yes.” The word was barely more than a breath, and she arched her hips into his touch.
He switched his kisses from her mouth to her breasts, alternating between licking and gently sucking on her nipples as his fingers slid inside of her, making her gasp. It was too much and she dug her nails into his shoulders as her climax shook her body. He didn’t stop touching her until the tremors ceased, and then he kissed her again, harder this time.
“Damn,” she said when she could breathe again, and he chuckled.
She tried rolling him to take the upper hand, but the space wasn’t big enough for either of them to stretch out and he was stronger. Laughing, she pushed at his shoulder while hooking her leg over his hip, but it didn’t work.
“This week has toughened me up,” he said as he resisted. “You won’t win.”
Changing tactics, she slid her hand between their hips and curled her fingers around his erection. His body jerked, and she laughed when his muscles gave up resisting and they flopped over.
Now she looked down at him, as he had at her, while she stroked him. “Do you like that?”
Judging by the blush over his chest and the way his hand kept clenching and unclenching the corner of the pillow, he liked it a lot. “You are hell on my self-control, woman.”
“I don’t remember asking you to control yourself.”
He reached out his hand and fumbled with the clothes until he came up with his pants and pulled a condom wrapper from the pocket. Liz felt her body grow hot in anticipation as she released him.
Once he’d covered himself, Drew hauled her up and over his body. He kissed her, his tongue dancing over hers as his hand tangled in her hair. She moaned against his mouth when he reached between them and guided himself into her.
Liz rocked, slowly taking more of him with each rise and fall of her hips. He kept on kissing her, his fingers tightening in her hair almost to the point of pain as he pushed up into her.
“So sweet,” he murmured. “So sweet and hot.”
She sat up, wanting to see his face, and he grabbed at her shoulder. “Don’t hit your head on the roof.”
Laughing, she rested her hands on his chest and moved her hips in a small circular motion. “Again, such a gentleman.”
Groaning, he thrust upward hard, his hands cupping her breasts. “God, that feels good.”
Yes, it did, and Liz sped it up a little as he squeezed her breasts. But Drew had other plans and she found herself under him again. The pillow was shoved out of the way, but she didn’t care. He put his hands behind her knees, lifting her hips so he could drive into her.
She sucked in a breath as his strokes came hard and fast, his fingertips biting into her skin. Pressing her fingers into his thighs, she bit down on her lip to keep from screaming as the orgasm racked her body. Drew drove into her, his muscles quivering as he neared his own climax.
He growled her name as he came, dropping her knees and grasping her shoulders for leverage as he rode out the wave with stroke after stroke until he collapsed, panting, on top of her.
She ran her hands up his back and held him to her, loving the solid, heavy sensation of his body crushing hers. Kissing the spot between his earlobe and his hairline, she stroked his hair as they caught their breath.
“That was so worth the paint on the side of my truck,” he said as he rolled off of her.
“I think half the state’s mosquito population is pressed against the windows watching us.”
He chuckled and rested his hand on her hip. “With all your delicious skin on display, the rest of them will be along shortly.”
“Whatever you do, don’t open the doors or the windows or they’ll find nothing but our skeletons.”
“We’re not going anywhere. In a few minutes, I’m going to start the engine to cool it off in here. Then I’m going to have a drink of water and give those mosquitoes another show.”
She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand. “You only had two condoms. A double header means you have none.”
“If we should find ourselves with privacy again before the trip’s over or I get so desperate I drive to a drug store, there are plenty of games we can play without that piece of equipment.”
“Then start your engine, Chief Miller, and let’s play.”
* * *
If Drew thought driving out of the campground with Liz was awkward, it was nothing compared to how conspicuous he felt driving back in. He could see by the smoke that the grills were fired up, and the family was all gathered together to get ready for supper.
“Great timing,” he said, navigating the dirt roads up to their tents.
“I’m starving.”
He realized she didn’t feel as self-conscious about the whole snuck-off-to-have-sex thing as he did and tried to relax. After parking the SUV next to his tent, he decided to leave the sleeping bag and pillow in the back until later. Preferably until after dark. Whether the others had guessed or not, there was no sense in advertising what they’d been up to.
“Smells like chicken,” Liz said as she climbed out. She took his hand as they walked down to join the others, giving it a squeeze.
“Hey, Liz, you’re just in time,” Terry said when everybody called out a greeting. “Can you help me with this coleslaw?”
And just like that, she was gone, leaving him to mill around with her family.
“So, Chief,” Ryan said. “How’d that very important police business go? Get it all...conducted?”
Funny guy, that Ryan. “Conducted very well, thank you.”
Bobby tugged at his shirt. “Did you get to put handcuffs on anybody?”
Mitch, who’d been mid-swallow from a can of soda, choked. The other guys started laughing at him, which earned them glares from the women until Josh finally pounded him on the back and Mitch got himself under control.
“No handcuffs,” Drew told Bobby. Then he looked at his friend over the top of the boy’s head. “This time.”
Mitch flipped him the bird from behind the soda can, which made him laugh. It was going to take more than a cranky Kowalski to get under his skin tonight. Once he got his hands on that grilled chicken and coleslaw, Drew was going to be fully satisfied in every possible way. He knew it was temporary. He’d be itching to have his hands on Liz again in no time because, if he ever did get his fill of her, it wasn’t going to be for a long, long time. But for right now, he was a happy man.
“Will you play ball with me?”
He looked down at Bobby, who was holding a tennis ball and smiling sweetly up at him. “Are you talking catch, or some kind of tennis ball of doom game that will leave me dying for a tube of muscle rub and a hot tub?”
“Just catch.”
He wasn’t sure he believed the boy, but the other kids were either helping with dinner or reading. Even if the game got rowdy, he could probably survive a one-on-one with a little kid. Maybe.
They moved out into the dirt road for space and Bobby lobbed the ball to him. Drew stepped in to catch it and then threw it back. They fell into an easy rhythm that reminded him of very long ago days when he’d done the same with his dad.
Last year, it had been the baseball glove he’d found in the garage that led to the end of his marriage. It had gotten him to thinking it was past time for him to have his own little boy to play catch with and he’d told Mallory that. She’d tried to put him off again and, for the first time, he’d really pushed. That’s when she told him she’d never wanted to have kids and was afraid to tell him or she’d lose him.
Now he was starting over and, as Rose called for them to go and eat, he felt a little less satisfied than he had only twenty minutes before.
Chapter Fifteen
The day bef
ore the Maine half of the family had to go home, Rose and Aunt Mary made it clear there would be family activities, not everybody going in different directions and doing different things. Once dinner had been eaten as a group, the guys could go ride if they wanted, but everybody was grounded until then.
Liz didn’t mind. She spent a little time after breakfast cleanup doing her last load of laundry and then, after dumping it in her tent, she took a leisurely walk in search of others. She was almost to the screen house when Brian went by her, struggling to drag a cooler through the grass by one handle and, curious, she went and grabbed the other end to help him out. Or maybe to make sure he didn’t have his little brother stuffed in it. “What’s in the cooler, kiddo?”
“Drinks and ice.” The poor kid was panting. “It’s time for the Annual Kowalski Volleyball Death Match Tournament of Doom.”
“The what?”
He repeated it, but it didn’t sound any more appealing the second time around. She couldn’t very well drop her end of the cooler and run off, though. The thing was even heavier than it had looked.
“I guess every sport needs cheerleaders,” she said brightly.
“You have to play.”
Great. “Can’t you just call it volleyball? Does it have to be a death match tournament?”
“Of doom. It’s more fun when it’s a death match tournament of doom.”
It took nearly half an hour to get everybody in place and it was too highly organized for Liz to slip away without anybody noticing. Chairs were lined up along the edge of the playground, close enough to the trees to catch some shade. Andy and Rose were playing, as was Uncle Leo, but Mary was sitting out so she could help Brianna cheer. Emma got to sit out because of Johnny, and Paige was, of course, excused from all activities involving doom thanks to her pregnancy, which was probably the worst-kept secret the family had ever not kept.
Everybody else, even little Lily, who was trash-talking her family members across the net like a pro in her squeaky little voice, was on the field. It started out fun enough, but it didn’t take long for their competitive natures to kick in and the game got fierce.
Kevin, who was hovering over his daughter like a linebacker, lifted Lily into the air and they both laughed when she hit the ball back over the net hard enough to get it by Rose.
“Score!” the little girl shouted.
They all laughed as they rotated positions. It was Liz’s turn to serve and she got it over the net, though just barely. Since she hadn’t played volleyball since high school, she considered it quite the accomplishment. Sean popped it up in the air and she sucked in a breath as Mitch launched himself in the air and slammed the ball back, right at Drew.
Drew turned so it slapped his shoulder instead of his face since the velocity was so high he’d never return it, and Liz heard the gasps around them. Fierce was one thing. Nobody was supposed to get hurt.
She watched Drew shake it off, picking up the ball and tossing it over the net to Beth, whose turn it was to serve.
But in the next volley, Drew had the opportunity to spike the ball back at Mitch. He didn’t hit him, but Mitch’s awkward attempt to save it made the rest of them laugh as he hit the grass. He came up red-faced.
“Time out!” Mary called from the sidelines. “Time for everybody to hydrate.”
Liz was thankful for the cooling-off period her aunt had obviously seen the need for, but she didn’t think it would be enough. There was a lot of laughter and teasing as they drank, but the two guys stood on opposite sides of the group, drinking their water in silence until it was time to go back to the game.
There were some whistles and catcalls in the audience as Drew and Mitch both peeled their damp T-shirts over their heads, but Liz saw it for what it was. She wouldn’t be surprised if they started grunting and pounding their chests. Maybe pawing the ground. Idiots.
The two men engaged in a stare-down while they waited for their teams to get into position, and Liz wanted to cover her eyes when she realized it was Mitch’s turn to serve. Drew’s body was tense and ready for whatever her brother was going to dish out to him but, before anything could happen, Liz broke position and went to Drew. She put her hand at the small of his back so he looked at her.
“Stop,” was all she said.
The ferocity cleared from his expression and she felt the tension leave his back. “I’m not doing all the work here. I think it’s time for Bobby to make a big play.”
Everybody chuckled as Mike and Lisa’s youngest flexed his muscles, posing for the cheering section on the sidelines. Before going back to her position, Liz made eye contact with Mitch and was pleased to see he looked a little chagrined.
The rest of the game—or death match tournament of doom, she reminded herself—passed in a blur of sweat, shouts, laughter and curse words that morphed halfway through being spoken into non-curse words that didn’t fool anybody. The littlest ones and the older folks wandered to the sidelines as the volleys went on, but there was no quitting until the boys were done.
Finally Mitch’s team scored the winning point, although Liz wasn’t sure the scoring system was entirely accurate, and they all walked over to the shade and collapsed in the grass.
Liz flopped down next to Drew and rested her head against his shoulder while handing him one of the water bottles she’d grabbed as they passed the cooler. “Here. Drink.”
Danny, Mike and Lisa’s second son, pointed his drink at them. “Hey, you guys are both really tall. Your kids will be great at volleyball.”
Liz felt the heat blooming on her cheeks as an awkward silence greeted his words. Talk about zero to sixty.
“Depends on who they inherit their skills from,” Drew said. “If you know what I mean.”
Danny gave Liz the side-eye and then nodded. “Good point.”
Liz slapped Drew’s knee. “I’m not that bad.”
“Honey, you’re not that good, either.”
Everybody laughed and, even though it was at her expense, it felt good to hear it and she hoped the better mood carried through the rest of the day. She really wanted, when everybody went their separate ways, for it to be on good terms. Or at least not bad ones.
* * *
As Mary had promised, once they’d eaten their last barbecued dinner as a family, the adults were free to go for a ride. After a very long day that included the pool, a water gun war and various other sports events of doom, most of them were content to sit by the campfire and supervise s’mores. But a few of the guys were going out.
Drew wasn’t quite sure where he stood. Things had become more normal between him and Liz’s family over the course of the day to the point he’d been pretty comfortable during dinner. But in a group made up of Joe, Kevin, Ryan, Josh and Mitch—with no women playing peacemaker—he might not be as welcome.
“You in, Miller?” Mitch barked as he walked by. “Five minutes.”
Good enough. He grabbed his gear and was ready to go by the time the other guys were. They all stopped on their way to the four-wheelers to kiss their women, so he did the same.
Liz was breaking chocolate bars into s’mores-size pieces in preparation for the evening when he stepped up beside her and kissed the side of her neck.
“I’m heading out.” He snagged a piece of chocolate and popped it in his mouth.
She slapped his hand. “Those are only for people having s’mores. And don’t forget, if you get too close to the other guys in mud, they will roost the hell out of you.”
Since he had no desire to come back covered from helmet to boot in mud thrown off their tires, he made a mental note. “Maybe I’ll roost them.”
“They’re not that easy to catch off guard.” She lifted her finger to the corner of his mouth and swiped at it. “Chocolate.”
“Let’s go,” somebody yelled.
�
�I’ll be back.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her goodbye.
Once they were clear of the campground, Kevin—who was in the lead—kicked it into high gear and they tore through the woods. Whenever they had to slow down for tricky terrain, Drew made sure he left enough space between him and Ryan so he wouldn’t get wedged in behind him in a mud puddle.
Eight miles out, he saw Kevin’s taillights get squirrelly through a break in the trees and then pull hard to the right. They all pulled in behind Kevin, who’d gotten his four-wheeler as far off the trail as he could.
“Think I punctured a tire,” he said.
“I’ve got a kit,” Joe called from the rear.
After inspecting the tire, the puncture was found and Joe opened up the plug kit. “This is going to take a while.”
Drew tossed his helmet and gloves on the seat of his four-wheeler and grabbed a water from the storage box. He also found a candy bar and it made him smile to imagine Liz sticking it in there for him while he was getting ready.
Mitch walked over to stand next to him, mirroring his position of leaning against the ATV. “Heading home tomorrow.”
“Yup.” Drew took a swig of his water.
“I’ll spend a couple of days at home playing catch-up on paperwork and email and shit, then I’ve got jobs to check on in San Antonio and Philadelphia. Back to the grind, I guess.”
“We’ll be getting ready for Old Home Day.” Drew hated the stilted conversation and the awkwardness between them.
“I’m probably going to miss it. Paige is a little disappointed, but it was more important to her I take this entire week off.”
“It’s a busy day for the diner, so she might work, anyway.”
Mitch shrugged. “Probably. She might go in and help out Liz and Ava if it’s busy.”
“They asked the ATV club to ride in the parade to celebrate the trails opening, so they might be even busier than usual.”
“Yeah. So...about Liz.” Mitch stole Drew’s water and took a long sip before handing it back. “Needless to say, walking in like that was a shock. You and her together didn’t make any sense in my head. But now that I know and I’ve watched you guys be around each other, she seems happy. You guys look like a couple and it’s less weird.”
Love a Little Sideways Page 17
