"Would you mind running to the convenience store on the corner and grabbing more ice?" Janice asked my brother, while she set wine glasses on the island in their kitchen. "Oh, and buy some Lemon San Pellegrino's for Cassie. She's addicted to those right now."
With an audible groan, Damian stopped thumbing through his phone and looked up.
"I can go," I said, noticing the exasperated look on my brother's face.
"Either way. But I need one of you to help with the rest of the decorations." Damian jumped up, the relief on his face comical as he practically ran out the door for ice.
"Isn't this so cute?" Janice asked, holding up a stuffed bee.
"Uh, yeah, super cute," I said, feigning excitement.
Cassie and Talon were expecting their first child. This baby shower was unlike any other that I'd attended. Not that I'd been to very many. But the showers I'd been to, consisted of crappy food with even shittier games where people were obligated to guess the type of baby food smeared in a diaper.
Janice had undertaken the planning of Cassie's baby shower like it was a marketing project at her firm. She'd hired one of the best caterers in town and transformed my brother's penthouse into a venue fit for a wedding. Several rows of long tables outfitted with purple and hunter green linen, sparkling silverware, and fine China spanned the living room. Beautiful centerpieces filled with sunflowers complemented the yellow streamers and honeycomb decorations hanging from the ceiling above each table.
The theme was "Sweet as Honey". Which was spot on, since Cassie and Talon were two of the nicest people I'd ever met. Their baby was bound to be as well if genetics played any part in it. The invitations had been in the shape of a beehive, the signature cocktail was a vanilla-infused vodka lemonade, and Janice had personally wrapped dozens of Burt's Bees grab bags.
We both set to work. I was tasked with hanging strings of fake bees over the kitchen island, while Janice tinkered with the antique buffet. Twenty minutes later, Damian returned with bags of ice and Dante in tow.
"How is the decorating coming along?" Dante asked.
"Save me," I mouthed. Dante just laughed and sauntered up to the island, helping me down when I'd finished hanging the last of the bees.
"You look good," he said.
I glanced down at my flared skirt and green blouse. "Thanks. You too." His dark wash jeans and plain white Polo highlighted his lean frame. I'd yet to see Dante in anything that didn't make my heart race. It had only been a few hours since we'd seen each other, but my body warmed like it had been years. He pulled me aside when Janice and Damian started arguing over the best spot for the beehive-shaped cake.
"Are you coming home with me tonight?"
"I thought we could stay here."
"There are things I plan on doing to you that your brother should not overhear," Dante whispered.
My giggle drew my brother's gaze which immediately soured when he saw the guilty blush burning my cheeks. I elbowed Dante and gave my brother an apologetic smile.
"If you would just move in with me, we could spend every night together and wouldn't have to worry about your brother giving us the stink eye."
"I'm not moving in with you," I said, laughing it off. "Come on. I have something to finish before the party starts."
Dante walked beside me with his arm wrapped around my waist. Once inside my bedroom, I picked up the tiny baby booties I had been working on for the last week.
"I didn't know you crocheted," Dante mused.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," I stated with a sly grin.
"Like what?"
I placed my index finger on my chin and paused for effect. "Did you know that I'm a terrible cook?"
"Uh, yeah. You tried to bake cookies for Damian and me once and used cornstarch instead of baking soda?"
"Hey, that's not that weird. They are both white powders, used in baking. Okay. Did you know that in high school I was voted the girl most likely to join the Peace Corps?"
"That's not that surprising, babe," he said, sitting down beside me.
"Oh fine," I grumbled. "What about you? What were you voted mostly like to do?"
"Most likely to join the mile-high club before age twenty-one."
"Are you serious? That was a category at your school?"
"Nah, I'm just teasing you," he said with a chuckle. I elbowed him in the side and then resumed crocheting. "I was voted most likely to play in a Super Bowl."
"Oh," I said, glancing back his direction. Disappointment laced his words, even though he pretended nonchalance. "Does it bum you out?"
"A Super Bowl ring would have been icing on the cake. I just miss playing ball."
I wasn't sure what to say, so I squeezed his hand. I had never excelled at or loved anything the way Dante had football. The loss had to have been devastating.
"Give me something good," he said, forcing a smile. "A secret nobody else knows about you."
I finished the last loop and set the booties in my lap. "Okay, when I was a senior, I told my parents I was going to stay the night at Crissy's. Instead, I took the train to New York City, by myself, and hung out at St. Mark's Bookshop, all weekend long."
He started laughing and flopped back onto the bed. "Oh, my God, is that really the best you got? An illicit weekend in an indie bookshop?"
"Don't be a jerk," I said, slapping his stomach. He grabbed my hand and pulled me on top of him.
"Yet another reason we should move in together. So, I can properly corrupt you."
He played with my hair while I tried to formulate a response. "Janice is pregnant," I blurted out, hoping to change the subject.
"She is?"
"Yep," I said, unable to hide my excitement. I was thrilled to be an aunt again. And this time I would be located in the same city as my niece or nephew.
"Do you think Damian's ready for that?" Concern furrowed Dante's brow, and it reminded me of another reason why I loved this man. His undying devotion to my brother.
"When are you ever really ready?" I said with a shrug.
"I'm ready," he drawled.
My ovaries burst into song before my brain stepped in as the master conductor to cut them off. The topic of kids had never come up, before. And while I'd never shied away from the idea, I was not ready to take that giant step into adulthood.
"Don't look so scared," he said. "I don't mean right now. Although I wouldn't be opposed to practicing right this very second."
He turned my giggle into a gasp when he pushed me onto my back and sucked the delicate lobe of my ear into his mouth.
"Dante, we don't have time for-"
"The party doesn't start for another hour. It's been too long, babe. I need a taste to tide me over." The husky warmth of his words washed over the sensitive flesh below my ear. With a satisfied moan, he sunk to his knees and dragged me to the edge of the bed. He forced my skirt up around my waist.
"Are these new?" he asked, running his fingers along the edge of my pink lace panties.
"Yes," I said on an exhale.
"I like them, but I love what's underneath more." With an impatient growl, he yanked them down my legs.
The soft flick of his tongue against my swollen flesh jolted me upright, but he merely pushed me back down with a steady hand on my stomach.
"Fuck, you taste good," he mumbled as he devoured me whole, taking his time to tease every part of me until I was a writhing and panting mess. I threw an arm over my eyes, shutting out the light and focusing on every worshipful pass of his tongue and the coarse scratch of his stubble on my inner thighs.
"Look at me, babe," he ordered.
I opened my eyes and stared into his. The evidence of my arousal glistened on his mouth and chin. His gaze never wavered as he brought me to a delicious peak and pushed me over, the slap of his tongue and my whimpers of pleasure mingling together.
"Hey, Erica, could you help me with something?" Janice called from outside the door. I bolted upright.
"Be right out," I yelled.
"Fuck," Dante said with a groan, tucking himself back into his pants.
"Sorry. Duty calls."
After I threw on a fresh pair of underwear and fixed my hair, I walked past Dante who had slouched onto the edge of my bed.
"You're mine later," he said, grabbing me by the elbow before I could walk out.
"I can't wait," I said, bestowing a quick kiss. "Are you coming?"
"I wish," he muttered under his breath.