Page 77 of Pinch

“That’s terrible advice,” Grizz the Giant complains.

“You’re one to talk!” his petite sister argues.

“Come on.” Haddy catches my arm, pulling me away from the group through a screen door in the center of the dining room.

She doesn’t even try to hide our exit, which I take as a good sign, and I follow her out to a playground facing the bay. It’s enclosed by a fence, but she leads me through it, down to the water, where we take off our shoes and dip our toes in the surf.

“You left your parents on Christmas day to come here?” She squints up at me. “What did you tell them?”

The moon is bright in the sky, and I look up at it then out at the waves tipped in silver. I have no idea what my dad told them.

“My dad said I should be here with you, so I came.”

She stops in her tracks, turning to face me. “You told your dad about us?”

“Yes, and no.” I tilt my head side to side, but I can see she’s worried. “I told him we knew each other from college, and I had strong feelings for you. He said in that case I should be here, with you, and I decided he was right.”

Her chin drops. “You have strong feelings for me?”

“You know I do. I haven’t tried to hide it.”

She starts walking again. I follow her, and we take several steps in silence, the only sound the shushing of the tiny ripples on the water.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Her voice is quiet. “I’ve been thinking about all of this so much, trying to understand how it happened. Based on where I was in my cycle, I should not have gotten pregnant when we were together… although, there have been studies that show females will ovulate if they’re aroused by a suitable male.”

Her scientific approach is too much. “Are you saying I make you ovulate, Princess?”

She looks up at me, wrinkling her nose. “I think it’s possible. I would never have disregarded common sense like that if I hadn’t been significantly aroused.”

“I was pretty horny for you, too. I never have sex without a condom.”

“We’ve been having nothing but condomless sex since Halloween.”

“It’s true.” I give her a wink. “You make me reckless.”

She exhales a teasing scoff. “You don’t need my help to be reckless.”

The return of Sassy Haddy makes me smile. She’s adorable, and fuck, I’m glad I came here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.

“I’m glad I came, too. It helps me understand you better, why you aren’t afraid to do this.”

Her chin lifts, and she looks out at the water. “It’s hard to be afraid of anything in Newhope.”

“I get that. You’ve got this incredible mob of family in your corner, but I can give you something they can’t.”

“What’s that?” A sly grin is on her lips.

Reaching out, I catch her arm, pulling her close. Her hands are on my chest, and I lean down to kiss her. Our mouths seal and part, and I sweep my tongue inside to curl with hers.

A soft whimper slips from her throat, and her bodyrelaxes in my arms. It feels so good. Cupping her chin, I tilt her head so I can kiss her deeper.

Her back arches, and her soft, perfect breasts press against my chest. I groan, tracing my lips to her cheek, closer to her ear. “I can definitely give you that.”

“Hmm…” She takes a step back, her blue eyes stormy. “I’m not sure we can dothathere. Not without getting caught.”

“I bet I can sneak it in.”

“I don’t know, it’s pretty big.”