smells delicious, and I hear him bringing in the last bag, stomping his boots to get the snow off of them.
I’ve already got my pajamas and a hoodie on. I’m just standing at the stove with a wooden spoon in my hand, in my little world humming a Red Lemons song to myself.
It happens before I see it coming. His hands brush my hair away from my neck and he levels me with the deepest, most vampire-like kiss he’s ever given me.
I moan loudly, and I’m lucky he’s holding me because my knees knock. His lips make a sucking sound as they pull away from my skin. “How’s dinner going, honey?”
My eyes are wide when I turn around, lips parted.
“What the hell was that?” I breathe.
“What was what?”
“That was the best kiss I’ve ever gotten. I think I…”
I raise an eyebrow. She gets on her tippy toes and brushes her lips against my ear.
“I think I may have just gotten a little turned on.”
I playfully slide my hand down her lower back and palm her ass, then give her cheek a playful smack. “Everything smells so good. I can’t decide which I want to eat first.”
I slide my hand slowly down her stomach, enjoying the feel of her soft skin as I make my way down.
Her eyes roll up in the back of her head when I reach the wet spot between her legs.
“Wet,” I comment.
She nuzzles her head backward, into my chest.
“What were you expecting? The Sahara?”
I pull my fingers out and her shoulders drop.
She asks, “You done?”
I smirk as I lick her juices off of my two fingers. “Just wanted an appetizer. I got it.”
“You tease.”
“So, you’re mad at me?”
“Yeah. I’m mad because you’re the king of teasing me with those devilish kisses of yours.”
“Well, let me show you what else I want to do,” he says, and I giggle as he literally sweeps me off my feet.
Just then, though, we hear a car pull up in front of the house.
“Uh-oh,” I say. “Fun’s over.”
He puts me down and a few minutes later, his mom, dad, his other brother (not the one who lives in Galesburg), and sister come up the stairs and crash inside.
“Granty-poo!” A seven-ish-year-old-girl goes running up to Grant.
“Let the Grant bear get his paws on you!”
She screams in delight as Grant twirls her around, and holds her in his arms with no problem.
“Maya, this is my mom, dad, older brother Cade, and this is my little sister Michelle.”
I shake everyone’s hands, and hug the little one.
“Are you two sure you’re not twins?” I ask him.
Cade laughs. He really is the spitting image of Grant, except with dark chocolate eyes instead of Grant’s cloudy grays.
“I’m not that little,” she protests as Grant puts her down. “See? You can’t even hold me for that long anymore!”
“Oh, I’ll show you!” Grant runs toward her, picks her up and puts her over his head as Michelle squeals with delight. He lifts her up and tosses her on the couch, leaving me with his parents.
Cade and Grant’s dad head downstairs to grab a few things.
“We’ve heard a lot about you, dear,” Mrs. Taylor says.
A chill runs over me.
“Oh, have you?”
She nods. “Our Grant never has been able to have a girlfriend he would bring around us.”
“Oh we’re…not dating.”
“Are you a Gemini?” she asks.
“Uh no. Capricorn.”
“Hmmm. Not dating? All right. I never can get any details out of Grant about his personal life. In any case, now he’s brought at least a friend who is a girl, that’s a start. This smells lovely, by the way.”
“Thanks. I just hope I’ve made enough for everyone,” I say.
“We brought cheese and crackers. Ohh, and wine. Lots of wine.”
Mr. Taylor comes up the stairs and hears Mrs. Taylor as he sets a bag down. “In the Taylor household, we let our children have alcoholic beverages when they turn eighteen. If you’re old enough to be drafted to die for the country, you should be able to have an adult beverage.”
“Mr. Taylor…aren’t you a judge?” I bait.
“Sure am. By the way, Maya, please call me Martin and my wife Nancy. And in answer to your question, sometimes, Maya, there’s a gray area that the law doesn’t cover, but where disobeying is morally preferred. This is one of those times. So. Wine?”
Grant comes back in from playing with his little sister, and smiles at me.
“Who’s ready to eat?”
“Maya, what are you majoring in?” Mr. Taylor asks.
Grant and I make eye contact over the table.
“Maya is