Page 26

“ S hit.”

I dropped my mouse on the floor for the third time in the last half hour as I tried to clean up the rest of my files.

My cousins were coming by with my little sisters for lunch, since it was a work from home day.

The sound of my washer singing told me it was time to switch loads, and I ran to do just that.

I didn’t want to clean my bedding, preferring to keep Connor’s masculine scent all over my sheets. But I knew those heifers would climb on my bed and the idea made me pea green with envy.

I just didn’t want to share him with them. Not like that.

Oh my God. I’m being crazy.

But I shrugged and switched the machines, carrying my clean sheets to the bedroom. Connor had left at seven this morning. He had work to do, and really, so did I.

But he’d stayed the whole night. We talked, kissed, snuggled in bed, and ate scrambled eggs in the nude in the kitchen.

And yes, we had sex three more times. The man was a goddamn rock star. He was almost as insatiable as I was.

I was reminded of it every time I moved. My poor pussy was just sore, unused to that kind of attention. But Connor made up for it by kissing it all better before he left with a promise to pick me up at seven for a late dinner.

Apparently, the big man wanted to show me his place.

His onyx eyes had glittered in the early morning sun when he told me about it.

Apparently, he lived about twenty minutes away in Verona. Of course, nerd that I was, I immediately made a reference to Romeo and Juliet .

“You a fan of forbidden romance, Darlin’?”

“I mean, I love romance, sure, and I am a fan of Shakespeare. But those two could have saved everyone a whole lotta grief had they just been honest.”

He’d looked at me strangely then, canting his head before burying his hands in my hair and dragging me to him for a panty-melting goodbye kiss.

I clenched my thighs together, trying to stop my body’s helpless reaction to Connor. Even thinking about him was enough to send me into a wanton spiral.

The doorbell sounded the second I finished putting the last pillowcase on and I went to answer it, letting the girls in.

“Lunch!!!” Lucy shouted as she waltzed off the elevator with a platter of sushi in hand.

“Michaela is sorry she couldn’t make it, but the baby is ‘fussy’ today. I don’t know what that means,” Andrea said, using air quotes.

I just grinned and gave everyone air kisses as they filed into my dining area. It wasn’t really a room , the apartment just wasn’t big enough for one. But it was definitely its own section.

“Hey sis,” Coral, my younger sister, welcomed me with a playful smirk and a hug.

All three of them came for lunch, which was awesome since they’d just started winter break.

“How’s school?” I asked immediately, and all three of them went into gross detail about end of term exams and roommate problems all at the same time.

But that was the thing about family. We all still managed to listen as we shared shrimp tempura and yellowtail jalapeno rolls, along with heaps of delectable tuna and salmon sashimi.

“So, it’s just a month away now. Is everything ready for Drew’s?” Lucy asked, and I nodded.

The truth was, I was completely astounded by the support I’d gotten. Not from my family, because they supported everything that we all did. But from the community.

I’d expected some pushback from politicians and residents. Maybe it was the money my father poured into the city and into political campaigns. In fact, I was certain that was it.

But also, maybe people were tired of the status quo. The news was full of tragic stories that didn’t have to end the way they did, if only someone cared enough to listen and to do something.

It was time for an awakening. For a collective understanding that real progress wasn’t just about advancing technology or amassing wealth.

It was about the well-being of every individual, about creating systems that supported everyone, not just the privileged few.

My mother taught me that.

“Do you have your mission statement for us to go over? That’s why we’re here, right?” Andrea asked, getting down to it.

I almost forgot, but not quite.

“Okay, I am emailing it to you all right now.”

I started clearing the table while they all read individually. Nerves assailed me, but at the same time, I felt very confident about this project.

Drew’s Place wasn’t some pet project. It was everything to me. I wanted their approval and support. But I was only human, so yeah, I was nervous.

“Ooooh, I love this part!” Lucy squealed, then started reading out loud. “‘With Drew’s Place it is my hope for people to recognize that life can only get better, that civilization can only move forward, if we begin to take care of everyone, leaving nobody behind.’ I mean, cuz! Wow!”

“I like this part,” Coral added. “‘I envision of a world where opportunities are accessible to all, where basic needs are met, and where compassion guides our actions.’ Clem, you make it seem less impossible. This is great!”

I grinned, proud of myself. In fact, I felt so good I wanted to share their reactions with Connor. Then I realized I hadn’t even talked to him about this. Actually, it felt like there was a lot we hadn’t discussed.

But in my defense, we were always so desperate to do other things, talking about work hardly seemed important. But if I wanted this thing to be real, then I supposed I should tell him about it.

Tonight. At dinner.

“Okay, so now that we discussed that, let’s talk about your new man!” Lucy interrupted my train of thought.

“Oh my God!”

“Sis, you’ve been holding out on me?” Coral wailed dramatically.

“What? Who said I have a new man?” I gasped, shocked.

But Lucy was standing in front of the basket of clean clothes I’d yet to fold and held up several pairs of underwear.

“Oooh! Busted,” Jade, my youngest sis, said and shook her head.

“Oh my God. Put my underwear down! And so what, you all wear underwear,” I said, grabbing my panties from my cousin’s hand and stuffing them in the bottom of the basket.

“Uh, yeah, we all do. But not you. Those are clearly not ‘Clementine cotton’,” Andrea stated, her eyes wide.

It was true.

Out of all the girls, I was usually the most boring with my underwear collection.

But that was because no one was looking at them but me. Plus, there was that night, at junior prom, when I’d almost lost my virginity to Timmy MacFarlane just to deck the guy when he made fun of what he called my “grandma” panties.

The jerk.

My face burned. And maybe it was Timmy’s fault I was so self-conscious about my panties.

I sure as hell did not try that hard with Steve. But he was an all around asshole, and he didn’t deserve special treatment.

Connor, though. He was a different story. He seemed really into fashion, the way he was always put together so nicely.

Okay, nice wasn’t the right word, more like totally fucking hot. He was like punk rock meets millionaire gentleman meets badass head basher.

I knew the type. Hell, I was raised by one.

Connor Callahan was fire.

Being with him made my body buzz and my soul sing. So yeah, I was putting in a little effort into my underwear game.

So, what?

“Tell! Tell! TELL!” they chanted until they wore me out.

“Okay! Shhhh! My neighbors will complain,” I grumbled and sat on the couch, laundry basket on one side and Lucy on the other.

“Name?” she asked.

“Connor,” I said, biting my lower lip.

“Connor?” Andrea asked, then her eyes went wide. “You mean Connor Callahan who works with ODI!”

“Wait who?” Coral asked next.

“Holy fuck! He is hot!” Lucy said, already having googled the man.

She held her phone up and showed the picture to everyone.

“Where did you get that picture?” I asked, mouth watering at the sight of an unsmiling Connor in a black suit with a deep indigo shirt.

“His website. He owns Callahan Protection Group,” she said, looking at me like I was a moron.

“Oh, yeah,” I murmured, wondering if I did in fact know that. I was sure he mentioned it once.

But in all honesty, I had never bothered to look him up. Why would I when the real thing was so much better than finding out tidbits about his life secondhand?

“Wowza, sis! No capping, the man is hot! But he is kinda old, no?” Coral asked.

“Oh my God. He’s a little older than me,” I hedged and rolled my eyes.

“Try fifteen years,” Andrea said, eyebrows raised as she continued to google the man.

Shit.

“Oh my God! Do you call him Daddy like in Aunt Sofia’s books?” Andrea asked, snorting then pointing when she caught sight of me.

Before I could deny it, the rest of my sisters were giggling and jumping up and down, their fingers waving in my direction.

“She does! She calls him Daddy! Does he call you his ‘good girl’?”

“Shit yeah, he does!” Andrea snorted.

“You do not! OMG! You so do! Yeah, girl, get your Daddy!” Lucy squealed even louder.

“Stop, guys!” I was so embarrassed but at the same time elated.

After everyone calmed down, following the loud thwacking of Mrs. Canning’s broom against her ceiling, I told them a little bit about Connor.

“It’s still new,” I said, my way of explaining why I hadn’t told anyone yet.

“We get it. And none of us will tell, will we?” Andrea said, giving everyone the stink-eye.

“We promise.”

“Our lips are sealed.”

“Good! Besides, if anyone can convince that creep from the office to leave you alone it’s that guy,” Andrea said.

“Wait do you mean the creepy guy Jameson Stoole?” Coral asked.

“His name is Stoole?” Lucy snorted.

“I saw him when I went to bring Daddy some sourdough rolls Mom made this morning.”

“You did?” I asked, concerned.

“Yeah. He stopped me and asked where I was headed. I told him to see you for lunch and he told me to tell you Friday? Said you would know what that means,” Coral said innocently.

“Ew! Cheesy much?” Lucy scoffed.

“He wishes,” I said, shaking my head.

“Sorry, Clem. Did I do something wrong?” Coral asked, she was twenty-two, but a baby when it came to men.

“No, of course not. Jameson is just creepy, and I have no idea what he thinks is going to happen Friday, but I assure you it is not happening.”

“No shit. Okay, so when are you seeing Mr. Stud Daddy Sexy Pants again?” Lucy asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“You are never going to call Connor that again,” I said, shaking my head. “But we’re having a late dinner tonight.”

I bit my lip and giggled along with the girls.

“Oooh! I know! It’s time for a fashion show. Let’s raid Clementine’s closet and help her find the perfect outfit for her date,” Jade said, bringing up memories of one of our favorite pastimes growing up.

My sisters, cousins, and I used to spend hours at one another’s houses, trying on each other’s things, and sometimes raiding our mothers’ closets for mini fashion shows.

Before I could agree or not, my little sisters were already running into my bedroom and jumping on my half-made bed.

“Okay, operation Cottonless Clementine is a go!” Andrea shouted, and I groaned.

I was never going to live that down.

Oh well.

I checked the clock sitting on my nightstand and sighed.

“Hey!” I snapped when someone flung an emerald-green bra at my head.

Just six hours until I’d see him again. I only hoped I’d survive.