Page 93 of Game Change

“Mmhmm,” she moans. I slide another finger inside and finger fuck her against the kitchen island. Her juices ooze out, and I add pressure to her clit with my thumb. She throws her head back and softly calls my name. I add more pressure and she comes all over my hand.

It takes her a few minutes to come back to earth, and when she finally opens her eyes, she looks at me. “And you have problems with this brother?” I nod. “Are you sure you want to go?”

“I do care about the rest of the family, and I want to see Lisa and her kids.”

“What if the vibes are off, or they don’t like me?”

“They won’t have any problem with you, but if you’re uncomfortable, we will leave. No questions asked. Please?”

“Fine. I’ll come,” she says.

“You sure did, Honeybee,” I grin. I pull my fingers out of her and out of her pants. I hold her stare as I lick my fingers.

“My turn.” She pulls my boxers down and gets on her knees.

“Fine,” she says again minutes later. We’re now lying on the floor in her kitchen. My boxers are still around my ankles, and after I came in her mouth, I dramatically dropped to the floor and pulled her down with me. “I’ll be civil to Heath until he does something to piss me off.”

“Well, that civility will last for about two minutes.”

“But I don’t need to attend—”

“I want you to come with me,” I say. “You’re important to me, and I want my family to get to know you. I’ve been away a long time, and I promised Lisa I’d make an effort.”

“Or,” she says, “I can be here waiting for you when you get back. Wearing something sexy or nothing at all. Your choice.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “And pie.” She wiggles her brows. She nips my earlobe and whispers, “Pie.”

“I choose you wearing nothing at all. You can bake the pie in the morning and eat it off my body when we return.” I slide my hands down her back and rest them on her ass. “Compromise.” I pull her closer. “I want you to come with me.”

She looks into my eyes, and I hold her stare. I wish I could read her mind, but I’m sure she’s weighing the pros and cons of an evening with my family. She sighs, rolls her eyes, and again says, “Fine.”

I bend down and kiss her.

I stop in the long driveway, and my phone dings for the millionth time. I already know it’s Heath, and from Brynne’s eye-roll and loud sigh, she must know it, too. He’s been texting me all day about this dinner. He texted pictures of himself wearing several outfits and asked my opinion. In each one, he had a different cardigan.

Only three cars are in the driveway, but other family members may be parked in the garage or in the driveway of one of the other houses on the property.

This April day is mild, and it’s still light out. Brynne rolls down her window, sticks her head out, and whistles. “Wow,” she says. “Fancy.” She clears her throat, rolls up the window, and wipes her hand on her black pants. “How formal are these dinners?” she asks.

My phone buzzes again, but I ignore it.

“It can be anywhere from a formal sit down to a buffet dinner.” What I don’t say is that even the buffet dinners are formal. There are servers to put the food on your plate and carry it to the table, where you will have a place setting with your name. From then on, servers will be standing in the background, ready to refill your glass, take drink orders, or get more food from the buffet.

I put my hand on her lap. “Relax. It’s just dinner with my family.” She looks at me, then looks away. “What is it?”

“I wish I had a family to introduce you to. I think my mom and stepdad would have liked you.” Her eyes suddenly fill with tears, and I pull her into my arms. “I’m happy that you have a family, but it’s times like these I remember that I’m alone in the world.” She starts to sniffle, and I feel a tear land on my hand.

“Honeybee, you’re not alone. You have me.” That makes her cry harder, and I hold her until her tears subside. I grab her purse and pull out a packet of tissues to dab her eyes.

“And now I’ve made this about me when it’s about you and your family. I’m sorry. I’m no better than Ashley,” she sniffles.

“This is about us. And who is Ashley?” The front door of the house opens, and Heath comes running out. He has Archie in his arms, and Milly runs behind him. I get out of the car, but the kids practically tackle me before I get to Brynne’s side. She lets herself out and watches with a sad smile while my nephews and niece hug me.

“Uncle Paddy, look.” Milly points at her red Crocs. “Mom got you one, too, so we can match.” I pick her up and kiss her cheeks.

“It’s about time you got here. Uncle Colin the First has been pacing waiting on your arrival, but he let me order a bunch of stuff with his credit card.” He elbows me in the ribs. “It’s the right thing to do since I can’t access my trust fund yet.” He will blow his inheritance on cashmere robes, couture cardigans and skin care routines.

“Hi,” Milly says, waving at Brynne.

“Hi, there,” Brynne says, finally smiling.

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