TAKE TWO_ Who says you can't ma - Heather M. Orgeron Page 0,24
her in my lap when I sit on the swing. “You know what our divorce did to me last time. I don’t want to go through that again.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to.”
“We just—we work really well apart. You know? We’ve become pretty good friends again and for the most part agree where Ellie is concerned. I don’t want to ruin what we have, and I’m afraid this stupid emotional decision to get married is going to do just that.”
“If you keep treating him like the enemy that’s exactly what’ll happen…”
“Wha—”
“Since the morning you woke up in that gorgeous wedding dress in Vegas, you’ve been giving him the cold shoulder and acting like this is all his fault. Don’t forget the idea was yours; he just went along with it. Because he loves you.”
Maybe I have been a little standoffish and rude. “I’m fucking terrified, Hannah.”
“I know you are. Wasn’t there some really wise man that once said, ‘with great risk comes great reward?’ Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone because you’re afraid?”
A lump forms in my throat. “No. I planned to spend it with Ryder, actually.”
“Yeah… ohhh-kay. Go feed that line of bullshit to someone who will believe it. Gotta go, girlie. One of my patients is paging the nurse’s station.”
Liam
Cookie Jar
“What the heck is that?”
“What’s it look like?” Nya rolls her eyes, squatting beside my desk to finish erecting what appears to be a little pink teepee. She’s crouched over, with her ass in the air, and I’ve physically got to hold myself back to keep from grabbing it. God, I can’t wait til we get past all this preliminary bull and she’s mine enough to touch whenever the mood strikes. Trust me, it strikes often. I may never take my hands off of her.
“Uh…a tent? Is that for Ellie’s dolls? Why’s it in here?”
“It’s Beasty’s new bed.”
I nod, fighting the urge to pick at her for spoiling the puppy already. The last thing I want to do is piss her off again, but I’ve got to say I’m feeling really fucking hopeful. If she can fall for this puppy after claiming to despise it, I can’t help but have faith she might fall for me too. “Hey, darlin’?”
She shoves a fluffy white pillow inside of the tent then glares up at me, quirking a brow.
“What exactly is dick struck?”
The color drains from her cheeks. It takes her a moment to compose herself. “Wh-why do you ask?” She resumes fluffing the dog’s pillow methodically, refusing to make eye contact.
“I don’t know…” I lean back in my office chair, smoothing my hand down my white T-shirt, making sure my flat stomach is nicely displayed. “Didn’t sound like such a bad thing when you and Hannah Banana were discussing the idea this morning.”
“So, you’re eavesdropping on my private conversations now?”
“Yes,” I say simply. “Now back to the topic at hand. If… Beasty—” I glance down at the little furball who is suddenly sporting a pink and cream-colored sweater and a matching gold sequin bow on each ear “—is the only thing standing in the way…”
“She’s not,” Nya snaps.
Right.
“So how does this dick striking thing work? Do I just whip it out and dazzle you with it?” I grip the band of my sweats, slipping both thumbs inside and stretch the elastic out a bit to mess with her.
Flustered, she climbs to her feet giving me the evil eye. “This isn’t funny.”
“No?” I ask, rising to stand right in front of her. “So, you and your friend can discuss me like I’m nothing more than a piece of meat, but I can’t?”
She tugs at the hem of her purple sweater, backing away nervously.
I follow her step for step, til her back is literally against the wall. With the knuckle of my pointer finger, I tilt her face up toward mine. Her big doe eyes are glistening and hooded with desire. “I don’t mind,” I rasp, my pulse thrumming out of control, as her breasts heave against my chest. “I’m a little flattered, actually, that my cock has that kind of power over you.”
She draws in a sharp breath. “It—it doesn’t…”
“No?” Leaning in closer, I bring my lips to her ear. “Wanna test that theory?”
She shakes her head, but her fingers are slowly climbing my chest, not stopping to rest until they reach my shoulders.
“No?” I ask again, trailing my knuckles along the back of her arm, not failing to notice the little bumps breaking out across