Page 33 of With Us

“We’ll be inside in a minute to grab drinks.” Tugging my hand again, Theo took a few steps until we were near the corner of the house. He stopped suddenly, backing me up against the siding. “Out of view,” he muttered before his lips crashed onto mine. Cupping the back of my head to protect it, he pushed in tight, his hardness pressing against my stomach.

Just as quickly, he moved back and grabbed my hand again. “I’m thinking we’ll be leaving early.” Even in a low mutter, his voice was husky.

Before I could respond, a little girl jumped over the tall, wooden fence and hit the ground running. Dirt covered her floral dress and smudged her adorable face. “Uncle Theo, come play!”

“I will soon Kit-Kat, but I have to go talk to Uncle Lou first.”

She gave him a toothless grin before turning to me. “Wanna play, too?”

“Sure.”

“Good. My name is Kat and I’m five,” she shouted as she ran back to the fence at full speed. I tensed and opened my mouth to warn her to look out, but she launched herself at it, quickly shimmying up and over.

“That opens, you know!” Theo called out to her.

“Takes too long,” she shot back. The door in the fence swung open. “There you go.” She took off running again.

“I thought you didn’t have any siblings?” I asked as we entered through the now open gate.

“I don’t; she’s my second cousin. But all the younger kids call me their uncle.”

The backyard was much larger than I thought it’d be. There was a swing set in the corner that looked like it belonged in an upscale park. A huge deck extended from the backdoor, with multiple tables and chairs set up. A brick path lead to an impressive garden that took up at least a quarter of the yard.

About fifteen people were there, but it was still far from cramped.

“There you are!” a handsome older man called out, his smile wide and dimpled. He was tall and fit, his gray hair full and wavy. I’d never seen someone the perfect blend of their parents, but Theo was definitely it.

Like his mom, Theo’s dad pulled me into a quick hug. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Very,” I said.

“Dahlia, this is my dad, Lou,” Theo said. “Dad, this is—”

“You must be the pretty Dahlia we’ve been hearing about,” a man interrupted. He looked a few years older than Lou. “Why don’t you go chat, and I’ll finish up on the grill.”

Lou looked ready to throttle the man. Theo looked amused.

I’m guessing this must be Uncle Donny.

???

“Is Uncle Theo your boyfriend?” a small, sweet voice asked as soon as I sat on the couch.

We’d been at Lou and Rachelle’s for over four hours. The non-charred food had been delicious, his family was welcoming, and the day was beautiful.

And Theo was atease.

Every chance he’d gotten, he touched me. Sometimes it’d been casual, a hand on my knee or shoulder. Other times, it’d been intimate, like when he’d slowly tuck my hair behind my ear.

The times he’d been subtle, though, were the worst kind of torture. An incidental graze to the side of my breast. His palm travelling up my thigh, almost reaching the top before stopping. When we stood with his arm around my waist, his rough fingertips would slide under the bottom of my shirt and stroke the skin above my waistband.

My whole body was tense, each nerve ending alive and oversensitive.

A competitive game of bocce ball had been in progress when the gorgeous, clear skies had disappeared, darkening suddenly before down pouring. Almost everyone had rushed inside, but Theo and his dad stayed out to pack things away before they got ruined.

I suddenly wished I was outside, too.

“Shush, Mar, that’s rude,” the girl’s mom, Tina, said, but the damage was done. Everyone in the room, including Tina, was watching me expectantly.

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