Always Delightful: A Romantic Comedy (Always Series Book 1)
Page 9
I refused to let Mom pay for anything and she fought me the entire way. Jack loved watching us argue. He described it as a loud tennis match with words instead of balls.
Since both of us owned a place but there was no way all our shit would work in my condo, I eventually agreed to rent it out and move into his house.
He turned one of his rooms on the first floor into a luxurious office space for me.
It happened to be across the hall from his studio and I had to close my door when I didn’t want to get sidelined by his never-ending lust for my bod.
It was easy to love the extra space and we settled into a routine that enabled us to dance around each other working and living under the same roof.
I’d never lived with a man, he’d never lived with a woman, so it took some adjusting.
Over time, it got better and I only wanted to burn the place down with him in it once a week.
Months of regular sex and bizarre hiking expeditions in the middle of nowhere with my outdoor-obsessed husband-to-be meant I was twenty pounds lighter than the year before.
Fortunately, I hadn’t lost the softness Jack loved. He might’ve started throwing cake at me or something.
I resisted as long as I could but eventually, the rest of my family had to be brought into the loop.
My aunts were suspicious and I was literally the last Andreadis of my generation that didn’t have at least one marriage or kid.
We arranged a huge family dinner. Ava and Kevin were asked to arrive an hour before everyone else.
It was awkward from the moment they walked in.
Neither of our siblings knew how to earn real money so they relied heavily on our moms. They couldn’t budget a dime and often forgot to pay their bills.
I didn’t know how Ava and I shared blood.
I wore a marvelous vintage dress I found online with a sweetheart neckline, seams that mimicked boning, and a flared skirt that made me want to fucking twirl when I put it on.
Pairing the black and white abstract design with a hot pink jacket and my sparkly killer heels from the night I met Jack, I felt fabulous.
For so many reasons.
Our siblings had seen us sporadically since their wedding and never in our homes. We always met at Courtney’s or my Mom’s. We didn’t want their negativity to affect our mojo.
We settled them in the room we used as a library with the moms. I excused myself to get the ice bucket from the extra freezer in the garage.
Jack practically tackled me before I made it all the way out of the house. “Quick grope.”
“We have company, you horny bastard. Don’t you dare mess up my hair or makeup. I’m serious.” I said the words through laughter and he chuckled as he kissed me silent.
When I managed to work his hands off my body, with no small amount of regret, I told him, “Behave yourself. The moms will be pissed if we make either of their other children cry.”
“I’m not the bad guy here. They just beg for it, you know?”
I cupped his face. “Those puppy dog eyes in your stupidly handsome face don’t work on me, Jack. I know your games and am immune to them.”
“Ava knows why we invited them here. She ruined it on purpose announcing her pregnancy. They suck. It’s not my fault they suck but they really, really do, Petra.”
“I don’t care. Not even a little.” I winked. “She’ll spend the next year gaining weight and oozing from her nether regions and we have trips planned to four different countries.”
“You’re right.” He perked up. “Quickie before we deal with them again?”
“Listen.” I stepped close and stroked my palm down his chest. “You do your best to be the bigger person and I’ll let you do whatever you want to me when our company leaves.”
He tilted his head. “Anything?”
“Sky’s the limit. Scout’s honor.”
“You weren’t a scout…”
“The hell I wasn’t. Mom and I sold more cookies by ourselves than any other troop in Florida. You don’t know everything about me, Jack. My word is my bond.”
“Deal.” He took the ice bucket out of the freezer and grabbed my hand. “If you change your mind at any point during the party, we can duck into my studio. I lowered the shades just in case. You’re so unpredictable.”
I snorted. “Keep telling yourself that, babe.”
At the entrance to the den, he murmured, “You’re always fucking delightful, wench.”
Grinning, I said, “Yeah, I fucking know. Let’s do this, Jack.”
About Shayne McClendon
If you’re looking for a story that tugs at your heart, makes you laugh out loud, and sometimes makes you cry so hard you need a giant box of tissues…look no further than books by Shayne McClendon.
She’s a prolific author (more than 8 million words and counting) known for dramatic, steamy, enthralling fiction that will grab you and not let go until the last page.
A nomad at heart, Shayne currently lives in America’s heartland with her dog, cats, and two grown children.
She listens to the voices in her head because their ideas are (almost) always awesome. Coffee consumption is too high, amount of sleep is too low, but the words always feel just right.
Be sure to like her Always the Good Girl Facebook page, or visit her at Always the Good Girl and join for free to get your free story!
Shayne currently has more than two dozen books that range from heart-wrenchingly romantic to captivating non-stop heat. Explore them on the next page!
Also by Shayne McClendon
Dramatic Romances
Completely Wrecked
The Hermit
Sports Romances
Love of the Game
Hart of the Matter
Country Romances
Yes to Everything
Somebody
Gravity
Break Down Here
The Barter System Series
The Barter System
Hudson
Pushing the Envelope
Backstage
Liberation
Radiance
The Barter System Companion – Volume One
The Great Outdoors Series
Sunny’s Heart
Permission to Come Aboard
Permission to Land
Special Delivery
Embrace the Wild
Short Story Anthologies
Quickies – 2014 Edition
Quickies – 2015 Edition
Shayne McClendon – Amazon Author Home