reached out and stroked her face. “I’m kind of defenseless, considering the fact that you’re an absolute knockout.” Leaning forward, he kissed her on the mouth and ran a hand up her leg. Suddenly, his hand stopped and a funny look crossed his face. “What the hell are these?” he said, tugging at her pantyhose.
“Wait. Kevin, those are—”
Too late. Kevin had already grabbed the thin material between his thumb and forefinger and stretched it out from her leg. With a little pop, the pantyhose snagged.
“Whoops.” His face split into a grin. “You didn’t really want to wear those anyway, did you?”
“Shit!” Kristine examined the tear. “Yes, actually. I did.”
They were taking pictures down by Lake Michigan and even though it was only November, the breeze would be icy cold. Clear nail polish might stop the snag, but she had no idea where her nail kit was.
“Great. Now I’m going to freeze. Stop,” she said when he tried to run his hand up her leg once again. “Seriously. It’s going to be . . .”
Kevin reached for her hands and held them. Using the strength of his legs, he guided her toward the bed and gently pushed her down. Leaning in close, he examined the tear. She could feel the warmth of his breath as he studied it, then the heat of his mouth as he pressed his lips over the exposed skin of her thigh.
“Stop,” she said, batting at him. It was futile. Like trying to fight off a bear on a hunt for honey. “Kevin, we have to go . . .”
Slowly, he traced the outline of the tear with his tongue. She felt a slight tingling in her stomach at his touch and a sharp tug as Kevin took the sheer material in between his teeth. Slowly, he ripped them all the way up her inner thigh.
“Kevin, stop,” she groaned, but her commitment to be on time was definitely starting to waver.
It wavered even further as Kevin slipped a thumb under the thin material of her white cotton underwear, found her center and pressed down. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but every time she moved, it just increased the sensation between her legs. Slowly, he lowered his mouth back down to her thigh and lightly bit into her skin.
“This reminds me of the last time we did engagement photos.” He chuckled, reaching for her.
Back when Kristine and Kevin got married, June not only took charge of the invitations, the guest list and the location of their wedding, she also orchestrated the engagement photos. The instructions were precise: The photos would take place at the country club. Kristine was to wear light blue and Kevin was to wear a khaki suit with a light blue tie. Kristine was to look slightly weepy, while Kevin was to stare at her in adoration. Kristine was to lean against him and Kevin was to place a hand on hers. The list went on and on.
The only way Kristine and Kevin got through it was sneaking off to the bathroom and having sex in a linen closet. Kristine had walked out with her hair all askew and June had shrieked in horror.
Kristine smiled at the memory. Stretching out a languid arm, she ran it over Kevin’s back. The material of his suit jacket felt as smooth as water against her fingers. “Maybe this time,” she said, “we should just skip the photos altogether.”
Kevin buried his face in her neck. “If it wasn’t for the fact that our daughter will be there with her fiancé, that is exactly what we’d do.” Sitting up on one elbow, he gave her a wicked look. “I would keep you here and fuck you senseless for the rest of the night.”
“Oh, honey.” Kristine kissed the tip of his nose. “How did you ever get to be such a sensitive guy?”
* * *
Chloe stepped out of the cab, her dress flapping in the wind. June had decided that the engagement photos should be shot on the beach, just off Lakeshore Drive. The skyline loomed in the background, the sun bouncing dramatically off the buildings.
From where she stood, Chloe could see that her parents, her grandmother and Charley were already there. Geoff was nowhere in sight. She was surprised. He had promised to get Mary Beth a sitter and be there on time, since the odds were good that Chloe would be running late. Luckily, she wasn’t. After racing home from a midterm to change into the