by Taryn Quinn
“Flattering yourself a bit, but not altogether untrue.” Lips twitching, she looked at the puddle of water on the chair beside her. “Think you’ll have to sit in the wet spot.”
“I hate you right now.”
She rolled her tongue over her mouth, and it was a miracle I didn’t embarrass myself. “I’ll make it up to you later. Promise. Besides, do we really want this table to be where we take that next step?”
“Yes.” I dropped my forehead to hers so my breath ghosted over her lips. “It won’t take long. Probably three minutes.”
Her laughter as she tugged on my tie—and simultaneously rubbed her knee against my dick—could’ve sustained me through the darkest winter, even if she was now my mortal enemy. “With an offer like that, we’ll have to eat fast.”
Eleven
There was no way on God’s green earth the first time I had sex with Jared would be while I was wearing this underwear. I could not. He’d mentioned sucking on me and moving down and yeah, no, I couldn’t.
The sucking though? That I was okay with. He could suck every freaking part of me and I’d just lay there and enjoy it like the sex glutton I couldn’t wait to be.
But I hadn’t been kidding about Jared stealing my only sex-worthy pair of undies. Sure, I had this kickass strapless bra—and thank heavens for that—but the matching panties were long gone. The pair I had on were serviceable, but they were plain white cotton boy shorts, only acceptable with this skirt because it had a ton of pleats and was dark plaid so lines weren’t as visible.
Hey, my life as a seductress was just getting off the ground. I wouldn’t be caught without proper panties again.
Which was how in between passing Erica’s legendary sweet potato casserole and reaching for the peas and onions that I leaned over to Frankie and whispered a question I’d never expected to need to ask.
“Do you have some new panties I can have?”
“What!”
Many pairs of eyes turned our way as my sister grabbed her glass of water. Coincidentally, hers had been the spilled one, but we’d refilled it and dried the chair well before we all sat down. She tossed it back and waved off the stares while I tried not to giggle behind my napkin.
On my other side, Jared pressed his thigh against mine and my laughter quieted quickly. His tree-trunk thighs had never reminded me of his personal weapon before, but after our grab-and-grope session before dinner, I’d probably never think of anything else.
Even now, my thoughts had veered from panties to Frankie being embarrassed to dick-dick-dick. The last part in flashing neon.
Conversations resumed as the baby playfully banged on her high chair, smushing the few peas she’d been given into the plastic. I sent her a smile and she looked up at me, halfheartedly lifting one of the peas.
“Oh my God, no way.”
Alarmed, Jared glanced at me. “What? Another bathroom emergency?”
I nudged him and he looked toward his genius baby—who then flicked the pea away like a bug onto my mother’s prized antique rug.
Without pausing her conversation with my prodigal brother, my mother bent down to pick up the pea and put it on Samantha’s tray. Only for her to push it off again. My mother repeated the move twice more before Samantha tried to lift it toward her face again.
I tapped Jared and leaned over his lap—which hi, dick-dick-dick—to snatch the pea out of the baby’s hand. “No, Sami, not from the floor. Here, you can have one of your daddy’s.”
I took one from his plate and gave it to her, which she promptly flung away. My mother, Jared and I all laughed.
Until I slid back into my seat and noticed Jared was all soft-eyed and gazing at me as if I was Mother Theresa.
Suddenly self-conscious, I rubbed my cheek. “What?”
“You’re such a natural mom.”
The words doused icy water on my anticipatory mood. I tried to shake off the chill that stole over me. Not today. “No, I’m not. She’s just sweet.”
“So are you.”
I frowned and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Are you buttering me up to get laid? You don’t have to. I’m a sure thing.”
His grin was slow and sly. “You, Regina Maria Ramos, are anything but.”
After one hell of a start to the dinner courtesy of my best friend, conversation and laughter flowed smoothly among the family and friends in attendance. Mason, in particular, seemed amused the entire meal. Jake was at the firehouse because of an unexpected issue so Mason and Erica were trading stories about running a bar and restaurant.
Jared’s dad was making conversation with my abuela and my Uncle Ernesto, although every now and then, he’d shoot a puzzled look at the baby and then at Jared. I imagined that would be quite a conversation later. The elder Brooks owned a floral shop and was the opposite of a hardass, but his son showing up with a baby—even at thirty-three—must’ve been a shock.
Frankie hadn’t looked up from her pile of steamed carrots since I’d asked her for panties—hey, she was an inveterate shopper, she could’ve bought some new ones she hadn’t worn yet for her trip here—and Gabby was texting sneakily under the table.
Jared and I were keeping things clean. Mostly. We didn’t talk much other than commenting on Samantha’s fascination with peas, but we exchanged a lot of long looks. I found reasons to lean over him for the salt or pepper or whatever else came to his end of the table, usually so I could rub against him in some inappropriate way. Once, my nipple had dragged over his arm, and he’d nibbled my earlobe while pretending to whisper to me, sending a jolt straight to my clit.
The bastard had known my reaction too. He’d shot me a heavy-lidded look and licked his lips and I’d deliberately looked at his groin to give him some payback of my own.
Still locked and loaded.
“I’m sorry about not making your pie. I’ll give you something else to eat though.” I fluttered my lashes. “Depending on your preferences.”
He growled, pressing his fingers into my upper thigh dangerously close to where I was warm and wet for him. “I’m a messy eater, Bee.”
Those words shouldn’t have been hot, but in this context? I definitely got warmer and wetter.
I wiggled around on my seat like a child waiting for recess. Except my play break would include me on my back with my toes pointed toward heaven.
“So, this is new,” my older brother said sometime later as we were all devouring thick slices of pie in every flavor imaginable, except pecan. My crustless pumpkin disaster had ended up in the trash where it belonged.
I was digging into my apple crumb slice with the requisite scoop of vanilla ice cream, so I didn’t realize immediately that Damien was talking to me.
Us.
“I know I’m not home very often these days, but I didn’t know you two were dating.” He circled his finger between Jared and I.
We exchanged glances before I said brightly, “Just hoping to do the naked tango at this point, but if you want, I’ll put you on the email list for further notifications.”
Jared gave Damien a tight smile. “Welcome to my life.”
My brother chuckled. “Good luck, brother.”
The evening stretched on with the usual football games and hijinks, although rubbing my pregnant sister’s achy back was a new addition as she complained about Braxton Hicks contractions.
As I was gathering my things to leave with Jared and the baby, my mother pulled me aside to give me a doggy bag of leftovers.
On top of the tin of mashed potatoes was a condom.
A peal of hysterical laughter rang out. It took me a second to realize it was mine.
“Just in case you aren’t prepared, mija.”
I sighed. “I haven’t been a virgin for years. I know how to take care of myself. Also, seriously, chill out. He’s your boss. Stop giving me a complex, okay?”
“I’m not trying to. I just want you to be careful. You think you’re indestructible, but no one is, especially in matters of the heart.�
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“Hardly. And he won’t be indestructible either if Daddy keeps eyeballing him.”
My mother waved that off. “You let me handle your father. He trusts my judgement.”
“And now you’re overjoyed about Jared and I after years of giving us grief?”
“I did no such thing. You’re my precious baby,” she framed my face in her hands, “and no one will ever be good enough for you. I suppose the sheriff is a better candidate than most, even if he’s a much older man.”
I rolled my eyes. “Nine years isn’t much older, especially if you factor in most men’s basic immaturity. Besides, you basically told us to hop on the table and get the deed done.”
“Well, it is a day of giving thanks.”
I blinked. Blinked again. “Did the mothership body-snatch you when I wasn’t looking?”
But she didn’t smile. “I know you’ve been hurt. But I know even more that he’s who you want.”
I lowered my gaze to the condom inside the bag. Little did she know I had no intention of using one. “Yes,” I said quietly. “He’s the only one I want. He has been for a very long time.”
“Are you ready to be a mother?”
God, how often would I have to hear stuff like this? Each time burned like acid.
“I’m ready to be with him, in whatever form that takes. Sami’s part of the picture. She’s part of him. So,” I took a deep breath, “I guess she’s part of me too.”
“Bee.”
I wasn’t surprised he was standing behind me. Or that my mother slid away as if we’d never had our conversation at all.
For once, he didn’t make a joke or wisecrack, just adjusted his hold on Samantha in her carseat as he leaned over to kiss me gently on the lips. That was still so new and wonderful, somehow even more so with the babbling baby between us.
He cupped my cheek as we drew apart. “I never wanted anyone but you.”
Twelve
I couldn’t speak.
“I swear, Bee. If I could go back—”
“No. Don’t say that.” Heat burned behind my eyes as I skimmed my fingers over Sami’s rosy cheek. Her nickname was new, but it fit. All of this fit so well, the edges sliding into place as if they’d just needed a nudge. “If you could go back, you’d do the same thing again because otherwise, you wouldn’t have her.”
No matter how many times he claimed to wish I was her biological mother, that wasn’t possible for more than one reason. Samantha’s existence was a blessing.
And maybe someday, I’d stop feeling less than every time I wished I could’ve taken that faceless woman’s place.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he leaned down to press his lips to mine once more. “Thank you.”
I needed desperately to lighten this moment. It was lovely and long overdue, but the weight on my chest wasn’t conducive to orgasms aplenty.
“Your thanks isn’t necessary, but I’m open to being repaid with your tongue.” I gave his tie a tug before I took the car seat from him and headed out the door onto the porch.
The night was frosty with a sprinkle of stars among the dark clouds overhead. I made it to the Jeep before Jared lightly bumped his hips against me and pressed a kiss onto my bare shoulder. “Where’s your jacket?”
“Home. Forgot it.”
Shamelessly, he slid his big hands up to cover my breasts. I shuddered. My nipples might as well have been skewers right now. “I’ll keep you warm. But take this anyway.” He draped his coat over my shoulders before opening the backseat to do the honors with the carseat.
All the while, Samantha watched us with knowing eyes. I hoped not too knowing. I didn’t want her scarred for life.
“How’d you learn to do that?” I clutched the lapels of his coat as I watched him secure Sami into place surprisingly efficiently.
“YouTube,” he admitted as he ducked his head back out. “And many, many tries. She probably wished she could curse at me in Spanish just like you did today.” He grabbed my hip and pulled me against him. I may or may not have rubbed against him accidentally on purpose. “Did I mention that was fucking hot?”
“You’re just horny. If I called you a chulo, you’d tear a hole in your pants.”
“Depends. What does it mean?”
I smirked as I juggled my purse and the bag of leftovers to open his door. He’d have to bring me back for my car later, thereby making it super obvious to my entire family I’d gone home with him. But who hadn’t figured it out yet anyway?
“A pimp, among other things,” I said, climbing in and closing my door before he could.
He shook his head at me, rounding the hood to the driver’s side while I giggled.
As soon as he got behind the wheel, he dipped his head back against the seat. “I barely had a minute to talk to my dad. I tried to explain without lying or enhancing, but he’s a different sort of guy.”
“What do you mean?” I set my belongings on the floor. “Your dad is nice.”
“He is. So much more than I am. He didn’t understand how I got into this situation.”
“I’d say it’s pretty understandable. Happens all the time.”
His lips quirked. “Yeah, but not with guys like him. I don’t think he has any concept of a weekend fling.”
“Sure you’re not wearing rose-colored glasses in his direction? He may be your dad, but he is a dude.”
“Not all men think of sex first.”
“Hmm.”
“Really. Guys come in all varieties, just as women do.”
“Hmm,” I repeated.
“Moose,” he said simply. “He was in love with Vee from the beginning. I guarantee sex wasn’t his primary objective.”
“I never said it was always the primary, but c’mon, man. You gotta give me top three.”
“Not with my dad. My mom was the only woman he ever loved.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “He tried to date a few times after she left, but it never stuck. Eventually, he opened up his flower shop, and I think that was a way for him to still feel connected to her.”
I was quiet for a moment, picturing Mr. Brooks tending to his flowers as I’d seen him do so many times. Not only did he have his store, his garden at home was one of the best around.
To think he might’ve cultivated that love because of one he’d lost tugged at my chest.
“He asked me if I was okay. If he could do anything for me.” I tugged my skirt into place before putting on my seatbelt. “He told me he was going to send me a bouquet with Amaryllis. He didn’t say why. I know they’re a Christmas flower—what?” I asked when Jared’s gaze cut to mine.
His shoulders drooped as if he’d been carrying a heavy weight for far too long. “That was the flower he always gave my mom. Pink and showy. They’re more for the holidays, but that Greek word means to sparkle, and he said she glowed brighter than any bloom. He put them all over the house. It’s one of the things I remember most about that last Christmas with her.”
I reached across the front seat and covered his hand with my own on his thigh.
“Sorry. I’m not exactly setting a mood here, huh?” He released a dry laugh. “Can you tell that I’m out of practice?”
At once, his past tried to intrude. I tried to push it away, but he knew.
“Someday, I hope you won’t think of her as much. I promise that you think of her way more than I do.”
I glanced into the backseat. Samantha’s little head slumped to the side as she dozed. We were lucky she seemed not to mind talking around her while she slept.
Hopefully, I wouldn’t disturb her peace with this revelation.
“I have a date with Caleb for the tree lighting,” I blurted.
With the craziness of the day, I hadn’t even given it a thought. Guess that proved exactly how much it mattered to me. No offense to Caleb, but I was already involved with someone else.
Finally.
Jared stared at me. “What?”
“He asked me the other night when I w
as working before you called and wanted me to come over. Why I asked if you had spies in the diner. You always seem to know if a guy’s showing me some interest, even when you’re not there.”
Jared tightened his fingers around the steering wheel. “Yeah, and that isn’t fair.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s not even a real date. I just knew playing house was dangerous, and he asked when I thought a little distance would be better for us both. We were crossing lines, and I didn’t know if you really wanted to cross them, or just wanted a babysitter. And hey, I look decent in a tight T-shirt, so bonus.”
“While I’m not disputing that at all,” his heated gaze lowered to my top, hidden mostly by the lapels of his coat, “I wouldn’t do that to you. Having you there has always felt good. Right. I wanted to tell you that after you decorated the house, but you insisted we needed distance.”
“I thought it was best.”
“It’s not best.” His hand coasted up my bare thigh, his blunt-tipped fingers slipping under the hem of my skirt so seductively I shuddered. “I like having you with me, Bee. But I have no right to beat my chest where you’re concerned. As much as you’ve always felt like mine, I have no hold on you that way.”
“You don’t?” My voice came out much softer than I intended.
It wasn’t as if I wanted him to rage. But I didn’t know what to make of this new calmer, gentler Jared. Some twisted part of my brain had enjoyed when he went all caveman, even as the rest of me protested.
“Don’t get me wrong. I want to. I want so much.” He glanced at me as I unclicked my seatbelt and let his coat drop. “But I have no right to demand it or to—oof.”
I clambered over the console into his lap and slid my hands into his hair. “Tight squeeze in here, but sometimes it comes in handy being small. I have some demands of my own.” I scraped my teeth over his lower lip as his gaze roamed my face. “They start with you getting this Jeep on the road, so I don’t unzip your pants and find out what you’re working with in my parents’ driveway.”
His laughter rumbled into my mouth as his wide hands skimmed up the backs of my thighs. “What the fuck?” He glanced down between us as if he couldn’t believe what he was feeling. “You’re not wearing underwear?”
