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“A dining table.”
“Okay, great. I gotta say, this is a lot of fun.”
“Hard agree,” I said, following Stef towards the back corner of the shop, where all the dining furniture was crammed. “It’s actually amazing, being able to shop with such a big budget.” I thought about all the years I’d spent scrimping and scraping just to get the bare minimum. Now here I was, about to get a car that was actually younger than me, and a house full of new furniture. Well, not brand new, but new to me. Which just as good.
“Still,” Stef observed, “You’ll miss staying at Wolfe’s.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I already love my new house, but it’s nothing like Wolfe’s, obviously.”
Clearing her throat, Stef grinned at me. “Yeah, it wasn’t the house I was talking about.”
“Oh, right. That.” Fuck, why the hell did I have to blush so much? It was such a dead giveaway.
“Esme?” There was rich amusement in Stef’s voice, and I knew I was caught.
Forcing myself to meet her gaze, I took a deep breath. “I, uh, I sort of offered…”
“Go on,” she encouraged, giving me a knowing look. Her eyes told me she sensed something significant was about to be shared.
“A, um, fuck buddies situation.”
Stef’s eyes widened in surprise, but her lips quickly curled into a wide grin. “Well, well, Esme White, I didn’t expect you to say that! That’s quite the arrangement. Good on you!”
I felt both excitement and guilt, in equal measure. “Yeah, I guess.” I’d been wrestling with the question over the last few days. “I mean, it’s one thing to sneak in a few quick fucks when the kids are in bed. And I kind of talked myself into that by saying it would only happen while we were staying there. Now, though, I’ve taken it up a level, you know?” I chewed on my bottom lip. I’d been judging myself pretty harshly, worried about the kids, like always. Now here I was, laying it out on the table for someone else to look over. It made me nervous. “And it’s only until he’s finished this business deal. When he goes back to Raleigh long term, that’ll be it. I also said, you know, it has to work around the kids.” Twisting my hands together, I let my gaze fall away. “It’s not wrong, is it?”
But instead of judgment, Stef reacted with admiration. “Fuck no, it’s not wrong. Honestly, good for you! You deserve some fun in your life, too.” Stef’s eyes softened with sympathy. “You’re so young, Esme. Way too young to be burying yourself like this. Take it while you can and make the most of it.”
“Really?” I asked hesitantly, relief washing over me.
“Absolutely,” Stef asserted. “And hey, if you ever need some of that hot, sexy alone time with Wolfe, you let me know, and I’ll be around in a flash to babysit.”
“For real?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely. My little jam drop getting some action? I am here for it. I’ll be your ultimate wing girl.”
I grinned back at her, the weight finally lifting from my shoulders. “Thanks, Stef. Your support means the world to me.” I was genuinely touched by her offer. Plus, it eased my mind to know someone I trusted had my back.
“Of course, girl!” Stef exclaimed, looping her arm through mine as we continued exploring the store.
CHAPTER29
Wolfe
Ipulled up to Esme’s rental house, nerves tingling with anticipation. Today was the day of my surprise, but keeping it a secret had been harder than I thought. I stepped out of the car, feeling the weight of the envelope in my pocket - the tickets to tonight’s event. Straightening my shoulders, I walked up the drive, up the creaking porch steps, and knocked on the door.
My heart hitched when Esme opened it and I wished, desperately, that I could pull her into my arms and kiss her. But I couldn’t, of course, so instead, “Everybody get dressed up! I’ve got a surprise!”
Her ocean blue eyes widened with curiosity, and a delighted smile spread across her face. “Really? What is it?”
“Can’t say.”
“I thought you were just coming over for dinner?”
She bit her lip, that irresistible mix of innocence and desire making me want to skip the surprise altogether and drag her off somewhere so I could fuck her. But again, I couldn’t, so I shook off the thought and focused on the task at hand. “Change of plans.”
Her only reply was a narrowing of her eyes and a long, assessing look at me. I kept my face straight and somehow managed not to shuffle my feet like a naughty kid.
The kids all crowded in behind Esme and it was Ariel who spoke first, her expression a freaky mirror of her sister’s. “Where are we going?”