Page 48 of Mother Pucker

But if she thinks she can be half-in and half-out of this because she’s sure it’s going to end, well, she obviously doesn’t know me very well. I don’t give up easily, and I definitely don’t give up without a fair shot.

The scent of lavender and citrus hits my nose, and I bite back the smile when I see Kai’s arms freshly lathered in the sweet-scented lotion I keep in my bathroom. Clearly, he and his mom have a thing for my toiletries. “Thanks, buddy.”

“Can I go do the puzzle on the coffee table?” he asks, directing his question first to me and then to his mom. “I don’tget a chance to at home since Aunt Dylan finishes them so quickly.”

“Sure,” I respond, watching Kai skip back into the living room.

With him out of earshot, I direct my next statement to Shay. “So, that one scene in the book, though, where Dean and Mala are stuck in a snowstorm and have to share a bed in that motel? That whole scene in the shower had me hot and bothered. And the dude ispierced?!” I cringe, my dick shriveling in on itself at the thought of having something sharp . . .

I’m about to speak again when Shay slaps her palm against my mouth. “Rowan, I swear to God. If you give me any more spoilers, I will re-injure that groin of yours and make sure it’s more painful this time around.”

My shoulders shake as I chuckle under her hand. God, the woman is so easy to rile up, and it’s driving me a little crazy that I can’t just sit her down on the table and bury my head between her legs like the best dessert after a filling lunch. Fuck, she’d be worth the food coma.

My dick strains inside my pants with the prospect of doing exactly that, hopefully tomorrow. “Is that a promise, Doc?”

fifteen

shay

“I swear,Kai was so hopped up on sugar and adrenaline today, he was shaking,” I say, pouring wine into my glass that Dylan got us all that says,Fueled by wine and smut.

I mentally scold myself for having another glass tonight after the one and a half glasses I had at Rowan’s place this afternoon. Just because it’s organic doesn't mean it’s good for my liver.

“Give the kid a break. He was excited to meet his hockey hero today,” Liv says, taking a seat in the breakfast nook, ready to start our book club meeting. She wags her brows at me. “And how about you? Wereyouexcited to see your hockey hero today? Have you banged him yet?”

I roll my eyes, leaning my hip against the kitchen counter. “When would I have time to bang him?”

“True,” she says agreeably before she winks at me. “But I’m sure there will be time for it this weekend.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you guys and Jeena have a separate group chat discussing my love life, because you all seem to be saying the same things.”

“Not me,” Delia adds quickly. “I’m not encouraging you to bang anyone. Most men don’t deserve us.” She looks at Liv and Dylan pointedly. “And though they’ve grown on me, myassessment includes the cranky billionaire and the piece of man candy in the room next door taking care of our kids.”

“I heard that,” Beckett hollers from the hallway. He must have come out from the restroom.

“Go do your job for once, billionaire,” Delia teases. “This is a pretentious-free zone.”

Taking a couple of steps toward us, Beckett looks at Liv, like‘see what I have to deal with’before addressing Delia again, “Well, then, I’m surprised you’re included.”

“Beckett . . .” Liv warns, taking a breath.

Delia’s about to retort when the sound of Kai’s voice has Beckett turning over his shoulder. “Bossman, can you come back? Adeline seems to have woken up.”

Liv’s about to jump out of her seat when Dylan lays a hand on her, shaking her head subtly, making us realize it was her.

Our best friend is not only a universe-loving, aura-reading, laid back momma, but she’s also a world-class ventriloquist. And oftentimes, she uses her talent to throw her voice into another room, mimicking any one of us to confuse the billionaire grump we’re living with.

Like now.

There’s no end to the joy it brings us to see Beckett Langfield confused and rushing toward what he assumes is some disaster awaiting him in the room, when in fact, Dyl just pretended to be Kai and made up an emergency.

The four of us giggle, knowing he’ll figure it out soon enough.

Liv turns back to me after we’ve all wiped the tears from our eyes. “You were over at his place the other night. You never told us about what happened.”

My face flushes as I think about the whole bathtub incident. “Right. Well, somethingdidhappen, but it’s not what you guys might think.”

“No wonder you have this strange mix of pinks and purples around you,” Dylan chimes in, scrutinizing the space around me as if she’s following a fly, before taking a sip of something from her metal straw-cup. “That’s the color when you’re enamored with someone.”

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