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Chapter 10

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“If you hurt her, we’ll kill you.” January, flanked by Laney, Sweet Louise, and Nina, blocked Dane’s path to the house. “Understand?”

“Yes.” He felt nauseated at the thought of hurting Susie, but deep down, he knew that he would. His life might have seemed nice and beautiful on the outside, but inside, it could get pretty damn ugly. Kindness didn’t exist in Hollywood. He wouldn’t let fame take her soul too.

“Good. Now that we’re on the same page, here you go.” Sweet Louise opened her purse and took out a box of condoms. “Use them in good health.”

“Um …” He wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t a sure thing that he and Susie would have sex. He scratched the back of his head and looked anywhere but at the condoms.

“Don’t go all shy now. We know for a fact that Susie doesn’t have any in her house, and we can’t count on you to provide them. So here.” Sweet Louise grabbed his hand and placed the box in his open palm.

“For someone who’s supposedly dated and presumably slept with some of the most beautiful women in the world, you sure are prudish.” It was Nina, if memory served. She was the pilot who was on Susie’s triathlon team.

He opened his mouth to deny needing them and then shoved them into his back jeans pocket and nodded. “Thanks.”

This might have been one of the strangest days he’d ever remembered having.

“Make sure she has a good time.” January shifted the baby she was holding to her other arm. “That’s an order.”

“Got it.” He could feel his face heat up. He’d never remembered blushing before. If Rachel could only see him now.

“Oh look, we embarrassed him. That’s so cute,” Laney cooed. “Now, I’m a doctor and I’m with a professional football player, so if you need for me to explain sex, I’m happy to help.”

“Oh God no.” January put her hands over her ears. “Trust me, you don’t want to get her started. She’ll go into detail and use the correct medical terminology for body parts. Don’t ask, I’m begging you.”

“I think I’ve got it covered.” He liked Susie’s friends. It was clear that they loved her.

“Did you tell everyone yet?” Devon, Laney’s partner, put his arm around Laney.

“No, I was just about to get to that.” Laney kissed him on the cheek and then turned to Sweet Louise. “It turns out that we have some condom-related news ourselves. We’re pregnant.”

Sweet Louise stopped, her eyes went huge, and she turned to her son. “Did you just say that we’re having a baby?”

There was so much hope and love in that sentence that Dane wanted to remember her reaction just as a character study.

“Yes. We’re expecting … twins.” Devon bounced up and down on the balls of his feet like a kid waiting to open his presents on Christmas morning.

Sweet Louise bent over and kissed Laney’s flat stomach. “Hi, sweet babies, I’m your grandmother. Y’all stay healthy and happy inside so I can spoil you rotten after you’re born.”

“That’s so sweet, but babies can’t hear until eighteen weeks.” Laney patted her mother-in-law’s back.

“Well, that’s just average babies; my grandbabies are geniuses, so they can hear me right now.” Sweet Louise’s tone suggested that she knew she was right and anyone who disagreed would be hung by the neck until dead.

“More babies. I want a baby.” Nina put her arm around Laney. “Lanes, you’re having two, that’s one more than you need. You should give me one.”

“Yeah, not going to happen.” Devon put a hand to Laney’s stomach. “These are all mine.”

Dane smiled at what he hoped were his new friends. He’d never met people so kind and genuine. They honestly loved each other. There were no ulterior motives or selfishness. They just wanted their friends to be happy.

“Look, we’re scaring the new guy.” January pointed to Dane.

“Sorry, you guys are just so much fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve met normal people.” He held up a hand. “I know that doesn’t sound like a compliment, but believe me, it is.”

Sweet Louise straightened and put her arm around Dane. “That’s just sad.” She steered him in the direction of Susie’s house. “Now, go in there and make me some more grandbabies. I’m not getting any younger.”

He hoped she was kidding.

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted her.

“That’s my boy.” Sweet Louise led him to the front porch. “Tell Susie we love her and we’ve cleaned up everything outside. We even rolled the trashcans down to the street because tomorrow is trash day.”

“Thanks.” On impulse, he hugged the older woman. “I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but I wish you were my mother.”

Sweet Louise patted his back. “Hon, that’s so nice.”

He let go and stepped back. He wanted these people in his life almost as much as he wanted Susie in his life. It felt like he’d known her and all of them forever.

He waved as they walked to their respective cars. Rachel was the only person in his life who loved him as much as these people loved Susie.

The sun began its descent below the horizon, and the sunset put a Hollywood movie sunset to shame. The sky looked like it was on fire with deep pinks, oranges, and purples.

“One of my favorite times of day.” Susie hobbled up beside him.

He put his arm around her. “I ordered up a dramatic sunset just for you.”

“Did you order it early this morning with the telepathy you used to summon up a replacement car?” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Actually, these colors are present all day long, only we can’t see them because the light wavelengths are shorter. The longer wavelengths let us see the colors.”

“That’s actually interesting.” He didn’t mean to sound surprised.

“I’m chalk full of interesting, but probably useless, information. Like, the sun actually sets a minute before we see it go down. The sunlight we see right before it sets is getting bent around the horizon by refraction.” She sighed. “Even though I know what causes a pretty sunset, I still think it’s pretty.”

“I wish I could stay here forever, but I have to go home in the morning.” His face heated. What had Susie done to him? Now he was a blushing fool.

“I figured as much.” She sighed again. “I know about the condoms. Sorry to embarrass you. They mean well.”

“They love you. You’re lucky to have friends that care so much about you.” He pulled her in tighter.

“I am, but sometimes that friendship is a burden.” She laughed. “I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to seduce you, but I have to warn you, when God handed out the seduction genes, I must have been playing Candy Crush on my phone. Any suggestions?”

“Lingerie is always a nice idea.” He loved that she was so straightforward.

“Yeah, here’s the thing. I do have a pantie drawer. It might be bumped up to lingerie if I could find the lace merry widow I wore in my college roommate’s wedding, but it’s been MIA for almost a decade. I go for comfort over style. Trust me, you’re not going to be impressed.” She made her eyes wide and waggled her eyebrows at him. “How’s this for a smoldering look?”

“That’s more of an I-just-accidentally-ran-over-Bambi’s-mother look. Watch and learn.” He shot her his best I-want-you look.

“Wow.” She fanned herself. “That’s pretty impressive. You probably practice that in the mirror.”

He winked.

“You do practice that in the mirror.” She clapped. “Teach me. Teach me.”

Something stung the back of his neck. He slapped at the mosquito.

Susie slapped her left cheek. “I’m about to show you the ancient Southern secret for getting rid of mosquitoes.”

He slapped the top of his right hand. “I can’t wait.”

She nodded toward the house. “We go inside.”

He opened the door for her. She hobbled inside the house and he followed her.

“Got it.” He shut the door behind him.

She stood at the mirror over the front hall table. “Teach me the smoldering look.”

“Okay, close your eyes halfway, tilt your chin down and to the left, now look up at me from under your lashes.” He watched her through the mirror.

She did as he directed.

He shook his head. “Looks like you just ate some bad Thai food.”

She sucked her cheeks in and arched one eyebrow. “How about now?”

“Looks like plastic surgery gone wrong.” He grinned.

She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. “This is it, I know it.”

He laughed. “There you go. Now that’s sexy.”

“So, lingerie and smoldering looks are out. What else have you got?” She hobbled to the sofa and sat.

“Honestly, all you have to do is look at me and I’m yours.” It sounded corny, but it was true. He was attracted to her—more than he’d ever been attracted to anyone else.

“Really? That’s both lame and sweet.” She patted the seat next to her. “I’m looking at you.”

He hopped over the sofa like he was sliding over the hood of a car in some cheesy action movie. The condoms crunched in his back pocket. He pulled out the smooshed box. “They gave me a box of twelve.” He held up a hand. “Fair warning, they may have overestimated my abilities.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.” She winked.

“That’s not funny.” He sat back and laced his finger behind his head. “I’ve never had any complaints before.”

“Just so you know, they’re going to want a play-by-play, so you should make it memorable.” Her brow scrunched up. “Now that I think about it, we’ve both been out in the sun all day, maybe a shower would be fun.”

“Nope.” His hand went to her hips and pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling him. “Sofa sex now and shower sex later.”

“What do you have in mind?” She looped her arms around his neck.

“How’s your foot?” He glanced down at the navy-blue boot.

“It’s fine.” She tilted her chin up and looked down her nose at him. “Try this for smoldering.”

“Looks like you have one glass eye. It’s creepy.” He admired her commitment. He pulled at the collar of her shirt. “I think you’re wearing entirely too many clothes.” He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. His eyes went to her breasts. They were a solid C-cup and looked like they were real. “Nice.” He cupped them. His mouth actually watered. “They’re real?” He hadn’t meant to sound so amazed.

“Yep, other than pierced ears, I only have one other body modification.” She unbuttoned her jeans. “Look away from the giant underwear. It’s laundry day.”

“I’m a guy. I’m too busy imagining what’s under it to even notice you have on underwear.” He pulled her jeans and underwear down her hips as far as they would go.

She leaned up on her knees and he pulled them down her thighs.

At the top of the cleft between her legs was a small, short patch of black hair. He loved that she wasn’t completely bare.

“Now, about that body modification …”

She took his hand and placed his index finger on her clit. There was a tiny metal bar with a ball on either end. He moved it back and forth. He wanted to see it and taste it. He wanted to roll it around with his tongue.

Her eyes closed and she moved against his hand.

He swallowed twice before he could speak. “Forget about smoldering looks, next time lead with this.”

“I thought it was better to show you.” She slid the straps of her bra down her arms, reached behind her, and unclasped it. It fell to the floor.

He dipped a finger inside her. She was warm and wet. He almost lost himself. He promised himself that he would take his time, but he didn’t know whether he could keep that promise.

His mouth went to her breast as he suckled her left nipple.

Her head fell back. “That feels good.” She continued to move her hips against his hand.

He increased the pressure and the tempo until her body tensed and then went slack.

Her hand went to the button at the top of his jeans and unbuttoned it. She pulled down the zipper and snaked a hand inside his underwear.

She glanced down. “Are these the Bad Ass Boxers you’re wearing on giant billboards all across the world?”

“I won’t sell anything I don’t personally use.” He covered her hand with his, showing her the rhythm he liked.

His head fell back against the sofa as she stroked him. He slid two fingers inside her and mirrored the rhythm inside her. His eyes closed as she worked him. The pleasure and the agony of holding back his release was sweet ecstasy. His muscles tensed and all he wanted was to be inside her.

Reluctantly, he batted her hand away, set her off of him, and grabbed for the condoms. She got to the box first, pulled out a foil packet, ripped it open with her teeth, and slid it down his shaft. She kicked off one leg of her pants and straddled him, taking him in to the root.

His thumb worked the bar at her clit as she rode him harder and harder. He gritted his teeth, trying to control his response. He wanted to send her over the edge one more time before he followed.

He licked her nipples as he increased the pace of his thumb. Her hips hammered against his hand, taking him deep and then sliding up to the head and down to the root, repeating over and over again. The muscles in her body tensed, tightening around him. She drove harder and faster until she went liquid against him. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down hard on his cock over and over again. His release bordered on violent as he drove into her one last time.

She rolled to the right and pulled him down on top of her.

He seemed to be completely boneless. He couldn’t remember being boneless before.

He rolled off of her and pulled her into him.

“Sofa sex … check. How long till shower sex?” Her fingers traced the vertebrae of his lower back.

“Are you trying to kill me?” But what a way to die.

“Nope, just maximizing my sexual opportunities. In my life, third-party generated orgasms don’t come around all that often. I need to have a whole bunch tonight so I can store them up.” She thought about it for a second. “The first party is me and the third party is you, so is there a second party?”

He laughed and looked around. “I don’t see anyone else.”

“I guess the second party is like being whelmed. You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but you can’t just be whelmed.”

“How about we forget the second party if I promise to make third-party orgasms a frequent part of your life.” Was this a good time to have the monogamy discussion? He racked his brain. He’d never initiated that conversation before. Had prior girlfriends done it on the first date? Did this even count as a first date?

“What’s wrong? You look like you’re trying to figure out a math problem.” She kissed his cheek.

“I just realized that I’ve never initiated the monogamy conversation before. Think now’s an okay time to bring it up?” He grinned. He hadn’t exactly meant to say that, but now that it was out in the open, he couldn’t take it back.

“I don’t know. In my experience, it’s usually not first date material, but since we’re not on a date, maybe it’s okay.” She glanced in the direction of the front door. “I guess I’m going to have to tell all of the men waiting outside my door to go away.” She popped her head over the sofa back and yelled, “The line forms to the left, but try to keep it down until after Dane leaves.”

“You think that’s funny.” He pulled her back down and tickled her.

She giggled and squirmed against him.

“I’m not going to stop tickling you until you agree to monogamy.” He redoubled the tickling.

The giggling got louder. “Okay, okay, I promise not to sleep with anyone else while we’re together.”

He changed the tickling to a back massage. “I promise the same.”

He’d never really cared about monogamy until now.

He wasn’t sure how, but he was falling in love with Susie.

It was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

But was it the best thing that could happen to her?