Page 7 of Reunion
“Shay already paid for everything, so you’re good to go. Tucked the itemized receipt into the bottom for her.” Ace indicated it with a flick of his index finger.
“Great, thank you so much.” God, I sounded prim. Ifeltprim.
Dane reached for the box at the same time I did with a murmured “Let me,” so I did.
“Need anything else tonight, or are you all set?” Ace’s brows arched gradually as he looked me over. It kind of felt like that gaze was burrowing under my skin, seeing right through to the filthy parts of me—the ones that wanted to be shameless and brazen but had always been held in check. I thought of that silicone sleeve with the mouth and the nubby insides. That tiny bunched hole and how good it’d probably feel around my cock. Better than my hand, at least. Maybe I could find it online.
I shook my head. “All set.”
The cabbie gave the box a curious glance as Dane slid it into the middle seat and followed it inside. “Bachelorette party? Or maybe bachelor party?”
“Neither. Just a kinky sister-in-law who is apparently way too comfortable with her wedding party,” I replied, missing the press of Dane’s knee to mine now that the box was between us.
As we stopped in front of his apartment building a few minutes later, he extended his phone toward me. “Put your number in and I’ll text you back so you’ll have mine. Just in case you need anything while you’re here. Shay said your parents’ house is filled to the brim with family.”
“Yeah, I got the boot. But that’s probably a good thing. Grandma Merkle alone…” The woman was a handful.
“She caught me at the bar earlier.” Dane gave me a knowing grin. “She has strong opinions about footwear.”
“She has strong opinions about everything.” I chuckled as I punched my number into his phone, handed it back, then silenced mine as he sent me a text with his.
Dane opened the door but lingered inside the cab, gaze roaming over me. “Don’t eat the hotel breakfast—go right across the street to Chester’s. It’s not free, but it’s ten times better.”
There was absolutely nothing provocative about the suggestion, but the way my pulse responded to the directness in his tone and the way he was staring at me, he might as well have said he was about to take me up to his place and strip me down.
“Okay. Thanks,” I managed and damn near asked if he wanted to join me. Instead, when he started to slide toward the open door, I blurted out, “Why didn’t you leave with Chase? I saw you dancing together. He seemed into it.”
“You seemed into him. I wasn’t.” Dane didn’t miss a beat or seem to think my question was weird or rude, which it was. “And if I’m honest, I’m exhausted from the day or I’d invite you up for a drink. Catch up.” He quirked a smile as he reached inside the box between us and pawed through the tags until he found what he was looking for. His bag looked like all the others, except that tucked under the ribbon binding was an additional thin black nylon bag. He waved it at me. “I’ll go ahead and take mine. Save Shay a delivery.” He exited the car only to duck his head inside again. “A watermelon was only the first of many fruits sacrificed in my quest to get off. Just so you know.”
I snorted in disbelief, then laughed. “Gives a whole new meaning toplaying with your food, huh?”
“Food can be great fun.” He winked at me and slammed the door shut.
I met the cabbie’s boggled gaze in the rearview mirror sternly. “Do you really want to know?”
“I think I’d better just say no.”
“Good call.”
* * *
Cole:You sent me to pick up sex toys for your wedding party!
Aaron:That’s what family is for. They do your dirty work.
Cole:Punny.
Cole:And I didn’t even get one!
I’d checkedthe box three times, but there was no tag with my name, no cellophane bag of mystery sex toys. Not even a damn gift card. I was surprisingly disappointed.
Aaron:I wasn’t about to pick out sex toys for my brother.
Shay:I would have!
Shay:But Aaron said no. Pout.
Aaron:You’re looking in all the bags, aren’t you?