“I don’t know if I like you like this,” Legend says as he sinks down into one of the chairs.
“Like what?”
“All happy and smiley and shit. I used to know what to expect from you. Now, I have to guess, and I’m always guessing wrong these days.”
“I was never an angry guy, Legend.”
“But you were always looking for the next best thing. You know why Thumper is so concerned, don’t you?”
“I’m well aware of my behavior in the past,” I mutter, feeling guilty over something I can’t change.
“What are you going to do if your wife asks you for the details of what you were like before she showed up?” Grinch asks, getting right in the middle of my business.
It never bothered me before. I’ve been as open about my life with my friends in the past as I’ve been being with April. If I thought a girl was hot, I’d mention it. If one of the girls who showed up to one of our parties was a great lay, I’d tell them. If they asked if someone gave good head or liked it in the ass, I’d share that information with them freely.
But April is my wife, not some woman who is here for a good ride and a slap on the ass before moving on to the next Cerberus member. I’m not going to delve into my current situation with them, and they shouldn’t expect me to.
“I’ll tell her the truth.”
“In full detail?” Legend challenges.
“Every gory one if that’s what she wants.”
God, I hope she never asks. I don’t want to see the respect she has for me drain from her face.
We tinker around in the garage for a few hours, the New Mexico summer heat getting so warm, we opt to roll down the door and turn on the air conditioning.
The guys drink a beer while I enjoy a cold bottle of water, all the while trying not to think about how April’s nipples would respond if I poured it on her tits or took a drink and swirled my cold tongue on them.
“You’re thinking about her again,” Grinch says.
“Can’t help it,” I return, smiling wide when my phone rings and I look down to see her name flash on the screen.
I see Grinch shove Legend in the arm to get his attention when I answer.
“Hey, baby.”
“He’s fucking toast,” Grinch mutters, but I can see the small smile playing on his lips. The man is happy for me.
“Completely gone,” Legend agrees before turning back to the crankshaft he’s been messing with for the last half hour.
“Do you need me to bring you lunch?”
“I’m actually off work. I was hoping for a ride. Do you know anyone willing to help out?”
“I’ll give you a ride.”
“I bet,” Grinch says with a chuckle as he starts humping the air. Legend’s shoulders shake with laughter, but he doesn’t turn around.
I flip Grinch off and go back to my phone call.
“April?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she whispers.
“That’s a shame,” I say as I walk out of the garage so I can get a little privacy. More silence fills the line. “Are you okay?”
“It’s just… I can’t help how my body responds to you, and I’m standing in the front of the school, feeling—”
“Turned on? Damn, baby. Tell me you’re turned on.”
I rush up the front steps of the clubhouse, swing open the door, and grab the first pair of keys I can reach. I have to use the unlock button on the fob to tell me which vehicle I’m going to be driving.
“I feel something.”
“Like wet heat, baby.”
“Like hunger pains,” she says with as little emotion as she can, but I can tell by the hitch in her voice that she’s hungry for more than French fries.
I notice the dirt and grease on my hands when I tug open the door to the vehicle, but I can’t be bothered by a little grit. I need to see my girl.
I stay on the line with her, the Bluetooth on my phone automatically connecting to the audio in the SUV when I start it. We talk about her day, and how she blames me for being so tired, watching horrifically cheesy videos all day, but there’s a smile in her voice when she speaks.
It takes twelve minutes to get to the school, but she’s standing out in front of the school looking like a wet dream when I pull up.
I don’t worry about stopping in the fire lane since I’m only going to be here a minute. I park, climb out and help her inside, frowning at the dirt I got on her shirt.
After making my way around the front of the SUV, I climb back inside, the scent of her body already permeating the inside of the vehicle.
The second I close my door, she’s leaning across the console and pressing her lips to mine like she’s been welcoming me this way for years. It feels completely natural as our lips meet.