Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,75

but I’m reluctant to pay it any attention.

“I’ve never been anywhere,” he confesses.

“Nowhere?” I ask skeptically.

“Does Wisconsin Dells count?” he asks with a laugh. “My family didn’t really do vacations growing up. Val and I always talked about how we wanted to take one, but then we never seemed to get around to it. And it’s never seemed like much fun to go on one by myself.”

“We—” I cut myself off. “You should go on one. Everyone needs to have at least one memorable vacation.”

“Maybe,” he agrees, not sounding convinced.

“Where would you go if you took one?” I ask.

“I don’t know. At the moment, the only place that really sounds appealing is right here,” he says, snuggling closer.

“Damn, that’s a good line.”

We cuddle and talk a while longer, brief kisses and heated looks weaving their way around the otherwise tame conversation.

“It’s getting late,” he says with a yawn after a while. “I’ll walk you out.”

My heart sinks at the casual brush off. “Okay,” I agree halfheartedly. “Let me go clean up first.”

I slip out of bed and go into the attached bathroom. All of the warm, sexy, happy feelings I was draped in five minutes ago are a distant memory as I stand stark naked in the harsh light of his bathroom, wiping the cum off my stomach with a damp rag.

It’s good he doesn’t want me to sleep over, I reason. Sleeping over now would only make things worse when things end. Yes, we had an amazing day with my family and incredible sex, but that’s all the more reason I need a little distance before I do something stupid like fall in love with him.

Chapter 22

Everett

“That thing must’ve had some next level suction ability because it tore a chunk right out of the drywall when he tried to pull it off. Not that it stopped him from doing the same thing a few more times,” Cole describes a recent wall repair job he was out on, all of us chuckling as he tells us all about the guy who told him without shame that the holes in his wall were caused by the suction of his favorite dildo.

“That’s almost as bad as the ceiling I had to fix last month,” Ollie chimes in. “They didn’t properly secure their sex swing, and as soon as she climbed in, the whole damn ceiling collapsed. Luckily, neither of them were hurt.”

We laugh and trade stories over coffee for another twenty minutes before my phone vibrates in my pocket. I smile into my mug, and slowly back away from the guys, slipping into my office and shutting the door behind me.

Watson: Any plans tonight?

It’s been two weeks since I met Watson’s family, and things couldn’t be going better between us. We’ve had several more dates and talked on the phone almost every night during the week when I had Livi. Not that I don’t love having my daughter, but I’ve been counting down the days until Watson and I could get together again in person instead of whispering filthy promises to each other over the phone.

Everett: I figured it’s time I get around to building that guinea pig enclosure for Livi. It’s going to be part of her Christmas present this year.

Watson: Aw, what a fun Christmas! Need any help building it? I could come over and hold your wood.

I bark out a laugh at the innuendo.

Everett: I was thinking maybe you could be the one who does the drilling…

My heart beats just a little bit faster as I send the message. We’ve fooled around plenty now, but so far it hasn’t gone past blowjobs and dry humping. But aside from fantasies I’ve murmured in the heat of the moment, this is the closest I’ve come to outright telling him I want him to fuck me.

Watson: Be there at 5?

Everett: Can’t wait

Thank fuck for the kitchen I have to get to work renovating today. It’s exactly the distraction I need to keep me from spending the entire day fantasizing about tonight. Not that my mind doesn’t wander a few times while I work, leaving me with an awkward erection and a buzz of anticipation.

Watson and I pull up in front of my house at exactly the same time. He looks cute as hell in a pair of ratty looking jeans and a big, puffy coat to keep him warm from the chill of the December wind.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans,” I muse as I lead him inside. “You