Page 29 of Sipping Seduction
“You want me to put a movie on? I can make some popcorn,” Evan offered.
That sounded like just what I needed. If I tried to go to bed, I’d probably lie there for hours, processing through every second of the evening I’d spent with Andrew.
“That sounds good. I’ll probably fall asleep though,” I warned.
“Wouldn’t be the first time you started snoring on me during a movie.” Evan patted the couch near Pete the Dog’s head. “Come on, dog. Make room for Frannie.”
“I’m going to change first. A movie means I get to wear my pjs, right?”
“Absolutely. Bring on the fugly flannel pants.” Evan got up to head to the kitchen. He must have been sitting for a long time because his limp was more exaggerated than usual. He tried to hide it, but I could tell his leg was bothering him.
“Want me to get it?”
“Hell no. You go get comfortable, and I’ll make the popcorn. I’ll even do it on the stove the way you like it. Butter and salt, right?”
“Right. Thanks, Ev. I’ll be back out in just a minute.” I was used to dressing up for work, but couldn’t wait to slip on my cozy, comfy pajamas and curl up on the couch.
I flipped on the light and closed the door behind me as soon as I entered the bedroom. My clothes hadn’t been unpacked yet, so I lifted the suitcase onto the bed so I could find my ugliest pair of pajama bottoms. The suitcase wouldn’t sit flat. There was something underneath it, though I hadn’t seen anything when I set it on the bed.
I turned it onto its side and felt around on the colorful comforter. My fingers touched a chunk of something rubbery. If Pete the Dog had chewed up another one of his indestructible toys on my bed, he was going to spend the night on the floor.
But it wasn’t a chunk of chew toy. It was the remains of my Magic Mick. Oh no, no, no, no. My cheeks froze. Ice slithered through my veins and my whole body went cold. I’d hidden Mick in a safe place. How did he end up in pieces in the middle of my bed? I turned toward the closet. Instead of finding the moon pie box on the shelf, it was empty.
How had Pete the Dog reached the closet shelf? I’d never seen him jump that high. Then I looked down. The remains of my moon pie box sat on the closet floor. Maybe hiding my vibrator in a box that used to hold chocolatey treats hadn’t been such a good idea. Still, I couldn’t figure out how the dog had reached the box in the first place.
Oh my god. What if Evan had seen it? The ice on my cheeks gave way to a blazing heat. If the dog had chewed up my vibrator in front of him, surely he would have said something when I walked in the door. That was the kind of incident Evan lived for. He’d be able to tease me about it until the day he died.
Based on how hard my heart thumped in my chest, I might be the one dying first. I wasn’t sure what to be more upset about… the possibility that Evan might have found what I’d been hiding in the closet, or the fact that I’d just lost the only thing that had ever been able to bring me to a toe-curling orgasm.
My heart raced, my cheeks burned, and my mind spun completely out of control. I took a deep breath to pull myself together. If Evan had found my vibrator, he would have started teasing me about it as soon as I walked in the door. It was probably safe to assume the damage had been contained to my bedroom. I could figure out how to find a replacement for Magic Mick after I’d had a good night’s sleep. Maybe if things continued to progress with Andrew, I wouldn’t have to find a replacement at all.
Feeling much more settled, I felt around on the comforter until I’d found every last piece of what used to be Magic Mick. I sealed them in a zippered pouch and whispered a thanks for all the joy he’d brought me over the years before I laid him to rest in the bottom of the trash can. Then I slipped on my ugliest flannel pj bottoms—the ones that looked like a unicorn had thrown up all over them with rainbow stripes and black polka dots and distorted images of My Little Pony knockoffs.
I grabbed a pillow and went out to the family room, bracing myself just in case Evan had been biding his time before he launched into teasing me about my plastic pleasure stick.
CHAPTER15
Evan
Sittingon the couch next to Frannie felt better than coming home after being away for years. While she’d been changing into her pajamas—and discovering Magic Mick’s untimely demise—I’d scooted Pete the Dog off the couch and popped enough popcorn to feed an entire movie theater full of folks.
Now a cheesy rom-com played out on the screen in front of us. She’d fallen asleep before the opening credits had finished scrolling across the screen, and I’d spent the past forty-five minutes staring at her instead of the movie.
Getting to be this close to her without having to be careful of my every move was a rare treat. Usually, I had to hold myself in check. I didn’t want to give my feelings away by holding her in a hug too long or accidentally reaching for her hand. Now, with her head resting on my shoulder and the scent of her shampoo filling my nose, I was in heaven.
She had to have seen the ripped box and ruined rubber when she’d gone into the bedroom, though she hadn’t given me any indication there was something wrong when she came back out. Hopefully, my plan had worked, and she’d be blissfully unaware of the part I’d played in her losing her toy.
I ran my fingers over the hair that had fallen out of the knot she’d piled on top of her head. Our future could be full of moments like this once I told her how I felt. That also assumed, of course, that she’d feel the same way about me. I knew Frannie was actively looking for a husband. I could strangle her dad for putting pressure on her. Not only had she taken care of her mom before she passed, but she’d also become the primary caregiver for her dad. True, he lived in a facility where they handled his day-to-day needs, but Frannie was his person. She was the one he called when he needed emotional support. I’d seen the toll it had taken on her, and I refused to be another problem she needed to solve.
She shifted closer, burrowing into the space between my arm and my side. A contented sigh escaped her lips, and she relaxed against me. I’d give anything for more moments like this.
Pete the Dog scratched at the back door. I’d let him out an hour ago when I made the popcorn. There was no reason he should need to go out again so soon. I ignored him, focusing on the way the beaver quilt over Frannie’s chest rose and fell with each breath.
The dog let out a low whine and scratched again. If I didn’t want him to wake Frannie up, I needed to go let him out. Being careful not to wake her, I slid out from under her and eased her upper body down onto the couch. She pulled the quilt tighter, but didn’t open her eyes.
She needed to sleep. Having to pack up everything she owned while still working the day job and checking in with her dad had been stressful. Now that she was with me, I’d try to keep her life as stress-free as possible. Frannie wasn’t the kind of woman who needed a man to take care of her, but if she’d let me, I wanted to do what I could to make her life easier. Starting with letting the damn dog out again.
When I came back to the family room, she hadn’t moved. I didn’t want to risk waking her, so I eased her feet up and sat down on the other end of the couch. Didn’t matter what part of her I was touching, I just craved the connection. With her feet in my lap, I focused on the movie. Some chump was trying to convince the love of his life to give him another chance.
