“You gushed about your man?” he asked with a cocky grin.
“Shut up. You know I did.”
“It’d be hard not to since you’ve got the hottest commodity on the Cape.”
She rolled her eyes, and he laughed at her.
“But the gossip girls have never experienced the hottest couple on the Cape as a couple,” he pointed out. “It’s time to blow their minds.”
She had to admit that after watching most of her friends fall in love, she was excited to share her happiness with them. Her and Justin’s lives were blending together. It wasn’t seamless, as they had hiccups to figure out, like which house to stay at and fitting in all the things they each had going on. But she loved figuring those things out with him, seeing his boots by her door, their clothes mingling in the washer, their toiletries in each other’s bathrooms. She didn’t mind going back and forth between houses, and neither of them wanted to spend evenings apart. She’d spent time in the evenings working on Joey’s album and the boards for each of the animals for the adoption day event at Dwayne’s rescue and reading her book for the book club in Justin’s studio while he sculpted. He was making a special piece for Joey, and the sculpture for the rally was coming along beautifully. She loved watching him pour his heart into the pieces he made. Although the other evening she’d read erotic passages from her book to him while he was working and he didn’t get much sculpting done.
As they neared the yard where the table was set for breakfast, Chloe saw Emery and Serena talking by the kitchen door of the inn. Serena was dressed for work in a pretty blue shift, her Rachel McAdams hair flowing in gentle waves over her shoulders. Chloe hadn’t seen Emery in a while. She and Dean had recently announced that they were expecting a baby in January. Emery taught early-morning yoga classes. She was still wearing her yoga pants and a sports bra, and there was no hint of a baby belly yet. Chloe wondered what Emery would think of the new Chloe, who hung out with bikers and enjoyed it and gave up a modicum of control over her perfectly orchestrated life to fit into Justin’s.
Daphne ran past Emery, following Hadley as she chased Desiree’s scruffy pooch, Cosmos, and Chloe realized that this time next year, Desiree’s and Emery’s little ones would be joining them for breakfast. Everyone’s life was changing so fast. But this time Chloe wasn’t on the outside looking in. Her life was changing, too, in the very best of ways. She glanced at Justin, catching him watching her for the millionth time, and he blew her a kiss. She knew she’d never tire of that.
“Des, they’re here!” Emery called through the screen door. She jogged across the grass and said, “It’s about time you horndogs showed up,” and pushed open the gate to the side yard.
Cosmos sprinted past her, and Justin scooped him up with one hand, balancing the box of treats in the other as the pooch licked his face.
“It’s my fault we’re late,” Justin said with an impish grin. “I had Chloe chained to my bed.” He set Cosmos down and Cosmos darted back into the fenced yard.
Emery hugged Chloe and said, “Then by all means, go back home. We don’t want to cockblock one of our own.”
“I had no idea my sister was so kinky,” Serena teased.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “This is Justin you’re talking to, remember? He’ll say anything. He did not have me chained to the bed.” Although she kind of liked the idea of doing something so naughty with him.
“Well, that’s too bad.” Emery’s eyes lit up and she said, “I have handcuffs if you want to borrow them.”
Justin chuckled and reached for Chloe’s hand. He pressed a kiss to the back of it and said, “I’d never use handcuffs on this gorgeous lady. Silk ties are more our style.”
Great. Now I’ll be thinking about you bending me over my desk and tying me up with silk ties. It was going to be a very long day.
They followed the girls into the yard. Desiree came out of the kitchen door carrying a big bowl of blueberries and strawberries. Her long blond hair had gotten fuller with her pregnancy, and she was all burgeoning baby bump. It was true what they said about pregnant women glowing. Desiree looked radiant.