Foundations - Kate Canterbary Page 0,29

cutting me off with a sharp wave. "I don't know what you just said and I don't think I want to know," he replied. "But you"—he dragged his gaze up and down my body—"you are fucking lethal."

I glanced down at the bodysuit, the knee-high boots, the complete absence of modesty despite being fully covered. "You like it?" I asked.

Riley leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed and his lips folding into a tight line. "Yeah, Alex," he replied impatiently. "Of course I fucking like it."

I dropped the liquid liner into my makeup bag. "Why do you sound unhappy about that?"

He exhaled, and the sound shifted from sigh to growl. "I'm not unhappy," he said eventually. "But let me set some ground rules for this evening. All right?"

"Of course," I said, giving him an indulgent smile.

I knew what was coming. This was how Riley worked, and I loved it. All the growly proclamations, the filthy commandments, the graphic edicts. They only came after he was nudged right into hunger and need, desire deep enough to shake his chill.

"I'm giving you one hour at this party," he said, wagging a finger at me. "One hour. Get your Instagram pics, drink whatever you want, shake your sweet ass all over the dance floor, drive me fucking crazy. But don't even think about arguing with me when I tell you it's time to go."

"What if I'm not ready to leave?" I asked. I was fighting—fighting!—back a broad grin. It was too much fun to rattle Riley when he was busy issuing demands. "What if I want to stay longer?"

"Then we'll see if your exhibitionism extends to sex in public," he replied. His eyes clinked as he smiled, and he dragged his fingertip along his jaw. "Not that I'd mind. I'd love to drag you into a corner." He jerked his chin toward me. "Mess up that hair and makeup. Get under that leather. Fuck you, but not give you what you need. Leave you wet and wanting."

"You wouldn't," I countered.

Riley gave me a placating grin. "I would," he replied easily, and I was beginning to believe him. "I wonder how long we'd stay after that."

11

The Awkward Conversation: A Halsted Family Holiday Bonus Chapter

Will

Christmas Eve

"Just stay there," I shouted over my shoulder as I crossed the bedroom. "I'll handle it."

"It doesn't need handling, Will," Shannon snapped. "I'll get it myself."

"Just stay there," I repeated, turning and holding up my hand to still her. She was standing in the doorway to her walk-in closet, wearing nothing more than a bra, panties, and sparkly silver shoes. If you'd asked me two years ago whether I'd find myself immediately turned on by a very pregnant woman, I would've said no. I didn't have any issues with pregnancy but it didn't rate in my top fantasies. Fast forward to this moment and I was salivating over my wife and furious that we were already late for this holiday party in the city because I needed my hands on her alabaster skin.

"Don't give me that face," she ordered. "It took me five full minutes to get this bra on. I'm not taking it off."

"I didn't ask you to take it off," I replied, my gaze following the rounded lines of my body. "You don't have to take off a damn thing, Peanut."

"Nope," she said, waving her hairbrush at me. "We're already late and I need to find the shrug your mother said I could borrow. We don't have time for whatever you're thinking about right now."

"I can be very efficient," I promised, pointing at her. "Stay right there."

"What you call efficiency some people call unsatisfying," she yelled as I left the room.

"You're not going to be one of those people." I jogged down the back staircase, shaking my head as I went. When I reached the kitchen, I leaned against the island while my mother did something clever with pie dough. "I've come in search of a sweater-type-thing. For Shannon."

My mother glanced up at me, her hands still working the dough. "The shrug?" she asked.

I didn't have time for the semantics of women's clothing. "Yeah," I replied. "That."

"You know," she started, reaching for the rolling pin, "I should've picked up one for her to keep. I knew it would be the kind of thing Shannon would like." She gave the dough a pointed frown. "I'll just have to go back to Banff and get another."

"That's fantastic, Judy," I said. "Until then, where can I find this thing? We're late and