Page 68 of I Knead You Tonight

Not because I don’t like beer, but because I’m a little afraid to drink with Winston around.

I don’t trust myself around him.

Not after our kiss.

“Come on, live a little. Your kiddo is napping and there are plenty of people here to help watch him. It’s been way too long since you’ve relaxed and let loose. At least haveonebeer with me.”

I stare longingly at the booze, my nervous system already craving the cooldown it will provide.

She’s right. I could use something to dull this constant edge I seem to be on.

“Fuck it.” I grab the beer and crack it open, tipping the sweet liquid back and loving the way it slides down my throat.

“That’s my girl!” She clinks her bottle against mine. “Cheers! Now tell me how it’s going living with my brother. He seems grumpier than usual. Are you not putting out to pay for your stay here?”

The beer I just took a swig of goes flying from my mouth at her words.

“Wren Amanda Daniels!”

She wipes her face off. “First, that was disgusting. Second, what? What’d I say?”

“Me and Winston.” I shudder. “It’s gross.”

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, leaning against the counter, peeling at the label on her bottle. “At least tell me you’re sleeping with Sully.”

“Does Foster not fuck you enough? Why do you seem extra horny today? That’s usually my role in our friendship.”

“Foster fucks me just fine.” She shimmies her hips, waggling her brows. “I don’t know what’s up with me. I’m just feeling frisky lately, like everything Foster does turns me on. I think it’s the whole upcoming nuptials thing. It’s making me all hot and bothered knowing I’m finally going to be Mrs. Foster Marlett.”

“Are you even allowed to say ‘finally’ when it comes to Foster? You spent years and years completely blind to the fact that the man is head over heels in love with you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbles. “Don’t remind me of my shortcomings. I am well aware of the years I spent away from him. We also got a fun reminder of it last week when we met with the financial adviser.”

“Did it not go well?”

“I mean, it did. It was just an hour of us sitting there having to listen to how badly his ex-wife screwed up his credit. He’s going to be repairing it for a while still. I had to co-sign on a few things for him, and I could tell it made him uncomfortable to have to depend on me.”

“Well, he had better get used to it.” I shrug. “Marriage is a partnership and sometimes you gotta lean on each other a little bit, especially when you don’t want to.”

Wren snorts. “You aresonot the one to be giving out leaning advice. You’ve been complaining about Winston left and right when he’s going out of his way to help you and Riker right now.”

I frown. “I don’tmeanto complain. It’s not that I’m not appreciative.”

“I know that.”

“It’s just… Well, it’s hard for me, ya know? I’ve been on my own for so damn long and I’ve always had to fend for myself. It’s difficult for me to let anyone else in and help me out.”

“I get it,” she says. “I didn’t want Foster to help me before either, but I’m glad he did. It made us stronger, in a way.”

“How are you both so stubborn? Is that a twin thing?”

“I prefer the term strong-willed.”

I grin. “I’ll have to throw that one Winston’s way next time he calls me stubborn.”

“NowthatI find hilarious.” She grabs a carrot stick from the tray I have prepared, dunking it into the tub of ranch I set out. “Winston calling someone stubborn is like a trashman saying the trash doesn’t stink. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

She pops the carrot in her mouth, crunching loudly.

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