CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MONDAY EVENING BODHI and Bridgette sat in her car in front of his house making out like horny teenagers. Willow and Zane had invited them to an impromptu dinner at their house, and Roxie and Dan were bringing Louie with them. Bridgette had stopped by after work to pick up Bodhi, and he’d been devouring her ever since. He took the kiss deeper, and she reached across the seat and palmed his cock.
They’d been insatiable since their trip, and he didn’t want to stop, but . . . “We’re never getting out of this driveway if you do that.”
She yanked the button open and pushed her hands into his briefs. “Mm-hm.”
“Baby.” He groaned and shifted in the seat to give her more room. “You’re not going to believe this, but I’ve never made out in a car like this.”
Her eyes flamed. “How can I stop now, knowing that?”
She lowered her mouth over the head of his cock and used her tongue to drive him out of his mind.
“Holy shit, Bridgette.”
He reclined the seat, and she made a sound that vibrated through him as she stroked and licked and used her hand to intensify his pleasure.
“That’s so good, baby.”
She quickened her pace, then slowed to an excruciatingly erotic rhythm of dragging her tongue along his shaft, followed by a tight stroke of her hand, and finally, taking him to the back of her throat. He slid a hand beneath her shirt, and caressed along her spine. Needing to touch more of her, he pushed his other hand down the back of her skirt, thanking the powers above for whatever forgiving material it was made from. He moved aside her lace panties and dipped into her slick heat, earning a lustful moan as she rocked forward and back, fucking his fingers as she loved him with her mouth. He felt her thighs flex around his hand, and she sank down on his fingers, moaning through her climax while continuing her exquisite torment and shattering his control.
“Bridge—” His hips shot off the seat, and his climax crashed over him.
His body quaked and pulsed, and she stayed with him until he sank back against the seat, sated and spent. She climbed over to his side of the car, curled into his arms like she was ready to settle in for the night, and sighed. He closed his eyes, soaking in every minute they had together.
AN HOUR LATER, after washing up—and getting Bridgette a clean pair of panties that Bodhi couldn’t wait to take off her—they were seated at Willow and Zane’s dining room table having dinner with her family. Ben and Piper had made a few joking comments about Bridgette and Bodhi showing up late, and Louie explained, in his adorably believable way, that they were probably late because they had to take Dahlia for a walk. He then went on to explain that Bodhi had to pick up the dog’s poop with a plastic bag. The boy knew how to break the ice.
Bodhi glanced at Louie, who was wearing the hat Derek Jeter had signed and sitting between his grandparents, across the table from him and Bridgette, totally focused on eating while the adults all talked at once. What was it like to grow up surrounded by all this playful banter and love? He realized how smart Bridgette had been to move back home when she’d lost her husband. Everything she and Louie needed to heal was right there in that room. A twinge of guilt prickled his nerves, because he knew that soon she’d need them again, and that was all on him.
“We should send Piper to Bodhi’s house to check out the quality of his work,” Ben teased, elbowing Bodhi and snapping him back to the moment.
“No, we should not.” Bridgette squeezed Bodhi’s hand under the table.
“What’s the matter?” Piper smirked, setting her eyes on Bodhi. “Afraid he won’t pass muster?”
“You’re welcome to come check out my work anytime,” Bodhi offered.
“But not right before we leave in the mornings, because he’s at our house borrowing sugar,” Louie said without looking up from his dinner.
Bridgette choked on her drink, laughing and coughing, her cheeks flushed. Bodhi patted Bridgette’s back and felt a grin tugging at his lips as seven sets of amused eyes turned in their direction.
He cleared his throat and schooled his expression. “Louie’s right. I can’t find sugar as sweet as Bridgette’s at any store.”
Louie looked up from his meal. “I bet Willow’s sugar is sweet, because she makes the yummiest doughnuts!”
Everyone laughed, sparking conversations spoken in code about baked items, creamy fillings, and desserts eaten before dinner. Bodhi had lived with military guys for long stretches of time, and they had nothing on the Dalton family.
“You boys can thank my Roxie for our girls’ sweetness,” Dan said, eyeing Zane and Bodhi. “She’s got the sweetest sugar of all, and they are her daughters.”
Bodhi’s mother had a good sense of humor, and there hadn’t been many dull moments when he was growing up, but being around this much inherent love and laughter was a whole different world. Dan leaned over and kissed Roxie, tweaking an old sadness Bodhi hadn’t thought of for a while. Was his mother lonely? He’d never thought he was lonely. Not even all the times when Shira had asked about it over the years. But spending time with Bridgette and Louie had taught him what it felt like not to be lonely. He took comfort in knowing that Bridgette and Louie would have enough family to ensure they wouldn’t be lonely after he left. After this week, he and his mother would have even more in common. Would their support for each other be enough to fill the emptiness Bridgette and Louie would leave behind?
The playful banter and laughter continued through dinner. When Zane and Willow got up to clear the table, Bodhi and the others rose to help.
“Can I go watch a movie?” Louie asked.
Bodhi’s instinct was to follow Bridgette and Louie into the living room, but he held back, helping to clear the table instead.
Roxie sidled up to him, looking pretty in another artsy top and a pair of wide-legged pants. The spark of mischief in her eyes reminded him of Bridgette. “I see you’ve been using the lotion I gave you.”
He glanced at the plates covering his hands. “I have, but . . . ?”
She patted her heart and said, “It’s on your sleeve, honey.” She walked away humming a happy little tune.
Talia was right behind her. “You let her give you lotion?”
He set the plates beside the sink. “What am I missing?”
Zane laughed. “Apparently nothing, if you’re using Roxie’s lotions and showing up late for dinner.”
Bodhi felt a hand settle on his shoulder—Dan. Respect straightened his spine.
“Son,” Dan said, “what you’re missing is that my wife has the power to charm love out of anyone, like a flute to a cobra.”
Bodhi froze. Was he that transparent? He’d thought he’d been keeping his emotions in check around others, even if not in his own mind.
“Oh yeah. My Roxie knows her stuff.” Dan walked away.
Ben elbowed him. “Dude, get that look off your face before the girls start planning your wedding.”
“Ben,” Zane said sternly. “Man, you know he’s leaving at the end of the week. Don’t make him feel worse for it.”
“I have to admit, Bridgette has never seemed happier.” Ben patted Bodhi on the back. “But when you leave . . .”
Tell me something I don’t know.
“I hear we’re babysitting your dog Wednesday night.” Zane turned off the water and dried his hands.
“Dahlia?” This, he did not know.
Zane and Ben exchanged an oh-shit glance and converged on him in a huddle that rivaled one preceding a final play in football.
“I fucked up,” Zane whispered.
“As per usual,” Ben teased.
Zane glared at him. “Seriously, Bodhi. I thought you knew. You can’t tell Bridgette I told you about your date.”
“Jesus!” Ben chastised in a harsh whisper. “Dude?”
Zane cringed. “Shit. Well, I already blew it. Here’s the deal.” He glanced over his shoulder at the others talking in the dining room and spoke fast. “Willow and I are babysitting Louie and your dog Wednesday night so you and Bridge can have a night alone. I’m keeping Louie until Roxie picks him up in the morning, so you have more time together.”
Holy shit. Bridgette had planned all of this? A night alone? And she’d even taken care of Dahlia? He glanced around Ben at his beautiful girlfriend, who never failed to surprise him.
“If you tell Bridgette we told you,” Zane warned, “we’ll have to kill you.”
“Dead,” Ben said.
“Body disposed of,” Zane said.
“Like you never existed,” Ben confirmed.
Bodhi chuckled. “You can try.”
Zane and Ben glowered.
“I’m kidding,” Bodhi assured them. “I’ve got it. Christ, you do stick together, don’t you?”
They rose to their full heights and bumped fists, then they turned their fists toward Bodhi. Surprised, Bodhi bumped each of them.
“About time we had another guy around,” Ben said.
“No kidding.” Zane put an arm around each of them and headed for the others. “I love the girls, but it’s like estrogen overload in here.”
Bridgette came into view, standing in the living room with a hand on Louie’s shoulder and talking with Talia and Willow. If this was estrogen overload, he’d happily drown in it.
BODHI WRAPPED HIS arms around Bridgette from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. “How many times did you sneak out of this bedroom?”
She placed her arms over his, laughing softly. She was giving him a tour of Willow and Zane’s house, her childhood home. Her father had dubbed the house the Grand Lady because it sat high on a hill, as if it stood sentinel over the rest of the homes on the street. “You don’t really want to know.”
He turned her in his arms, his eyes fierce, his jaw tense, but she knew him well enough by now to feel the difference between real and feigned tension. This was neither. It was jealousy, and she was loving that particular emotion more than she probably should. It reminded her of their first night together when he’d thought Ben was her husband.
“Maybe a better question would be, what did I do when I snuck out.” She pushed up on her toes and kissed him. “It wasn’t what you think.”
His eyes narrowed, and she whispered, “I never had sex until I went away to college. I’ve only been with four men. Two before Jerry, and you.”
He touched his forehead to hers. “It wouldn’t have mattered, except that you just saved me from having to kill some poor bastard around here.” His lips curved up in a sexy smile. “What did you do when you snuck out?”
“Went to the creek and partied with my friends. Danced to loud music, drank beer they’d stolen from their parents, and dreamed about growing up and getting out of this tiny town.”
“Really? You didn’t love living here?”
“I did love it, but I wanted so much more.” She drew in a deep breath and took his hand, leading him to the window. “I used to look out this window and dream of big cities and all-night parties. I wanted more fun, freedom, and . . . I don’t know. I wanted more in general, I guess. When I went to college, it was like uncorking a shaken bottle. All fun, all the time.”
He touched his lips to hers. “How did you pass your classes?”
She held up her hand, indicating barely with the space between her finger and thumb. “I only completed a year and a few weeks before I met Jerry.”
“Ah, the ultimate freedom.” He held her tighter. “I’m glad you had that. I wish I had known you back then.”
“You wouldn’t have liked me. I was too wild for you.”
“You have no idea what I was like in high school.”
“Please. You were big and broody, like you are now. Only I bet you studied hard and you were the head of the football team, telling everyone what to do. I never liked those types of boys. I wanted long-haired bad boys.”
His lips curved up. “I was as bad as they came.”
“Uh-huh,” she teased, unable to picture him doing anything wrong. “Bad boys don’t work in their mother’s flower shop.”
“Wanna bet?” He rolled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest. “I was well behaved, and I did my schoolwork, but I was a cocky asshole for a while, just the type of guy you would have liked. I didn’t ask girls to go out with me. I’d point to them and say, ‘Friday night,’ and they’d practically fall to their knees.”
Her jaw dropped open. “Seriously? You’re bossy, but I can’t even imagine you treating girls that way.”
“Yeah, well . . .” He tugged her against him. “I’ve got to say something to save face.”
“You were a mama’s boy!”
He tackled her on the bed, tickling her ribs, and she squealed.
“I was a badass!”
“Big, bad Bodhi,” she said between laughs. “The mama’s boy!”
He smothered her face in kisses, and she couldn’t stop laughing. Suddenly Louie raced into the room and dove onto the bed, tickling her, too, and Bodhi was tickling Louie, and they were all laughing hysterically. Bodhi trapped them both beneath him, his arms around them, and collapsed on top of them in a fit of hysterics.
“God, I love you two—” bubbled out with his laughter.
Bridgette bit her lower lip, eyes wide.
A gasp drew her attention to the doorway, where Willow stood with her hand over her mouth, barely covering her smile. Behind her, Zane and the others each wore the same shocked, and happy, expression.
Don’t overthink. Don’t overthink. Friends love each other.
Louie wrapped his arms around Bodhi’s neck, smiling so hard it had to hurt his little cheeks. “We love you, too, Bodhi!”
She met Bodhi’s gaze. Her son’s arms were wrapped tightly around his neck as he rose to his feet. His smile turned to something she couldn’t quite read. Regret? Begging for forgiveness? Anger? If it was the latter, she knew it would only be aimed at himself, and that made her ache inside.
Bodhi didn’t miss a beat. He tickled Louie’s belly, earning another innocent giggle and reminding Bridgette not to make too much out of things in front of him, because Louie was just that—innocent. To him, the word love held a meaning very different from what it meant to her and Bodhi.
It was the man holding him, and the way he was looking at her, that had her stomach tied in knots.
“High five, little dude.” Bodhi held a hand up, forcing a smile that didn’t come anywhere near reaching his eyes.
Louie slapped his hand.
Bodhi turned a genuine smile on her family, who were watching the three of them like they were on the big screen. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag. I totally dig all my new friends.”
Bodhi, the rescuer, had just saved her heart by protecting her son’s.
Bodhi, the man, however, wasn’t fooling anyone else.
Least of all her.