Chapter 34

 

 

 

Afton

 

 

“You, my dear sister-in-law, got laid last night.”

I step aside to give Joel room to enter my home. He comes bearing gifts in the form of coffee and a box from a bakery that makes the best cupcakes in the city.

“I’m going to ignore that,” I say, reaching for the coffee.

“No, no.” He holds the cup just out of my reach. “You get these morsels of delight after you spill the beans about how good the fireman is in the sack.”

I mime locking my lips shut and tossing the key over my shoulder.

He stomps his wing-tipped shoe on the floor of my foyer. “Alright, just nod in agreement, okay?”

I shrug.

“You barely slept.”

I nod.

He squints his eyes. “There was an orgasm or two involved.”

I jerk my thumb up.

“What?” His eyes widen. “Three?”

I jerk it up again.

“Four?” His voice rises to an almost screech. “You came four times last night?”

I spread all the fingers in my hand out and break my silence. “Five times, I think. I kind of lost count.”

“Marry him.”

Snatching the cup of coffee from his palm, I laugh. “I’m not marrying him. We’re having fun.”

“Is this still going on?” Joel glances over my shoulder. “Is he here looking for more? I can get the hell out, and you can fill me in on all the details later.”

I motion for him to step forward. “He left early this morning. He was called to work.”

I was jarred awake when Luke’s phone rang just after six this morning. He answered it immediately while he held me tightly against him.

He didn’t panic or push me away in his haste to get to work.

Once the call ended, he kissed me, told me that he’d be thinking of me all day, and then he got dressed and left.

I felt bereft the second he walked out the door, so I climbed back into my bed and closed my eyes with the hope that I’d dream about everything we’d done yesterday.

Joel breezes past me headed toward the kitchen. “He’s good for you.”

“I know,” I say as I follow behind him.

He glances over his shoulder to shoot me a raised eyebrow. “I’m not talking about the fact that you’ve been deprived of great sex forever, and he’s filling that void.”

I laugh. “I know what you’re talking about, Joel. He makes me happy.”

“And content,” he adds. “You look complete in a Jerry Maguire way.”

I laugh at the reference to one of our favorite movies.

Joel sets the bakery box on the island. When he glances at me again, I notice the instant shift in his expression. “I need to ask about her.”

“Brooklyn.”

“That’s her name?” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Brooklyn is the ex?”

I nod.

He stays silent while he straightens the light blue tie around his neck. He’s dressed to perfection again.

I, on the other hand, opted to wear jeans and a purple short-sleeved sweater. The sneakers on my feet pale in comparison to the expensive shoes Joel is wearing.

“He’s over her,” I say.

Joel clears his throat. “From your mouth to fate’s ears. I hope to hell you’re right because if she swoops back into the picture, that’s a complication neither of us needs.”

I smile because I love that he views this as an ‘us’ situation when it clearly isn’t. “I’m right.”

“Speaking of marriage, “ he starts.

“What?” I hold up a hand to stop him. “Who was speaking of marriage?”

“Me.” He jams a finger into his chest. “When I walked in, and you told me that he’s an orgasm machine.”

“Don’t call him that.”

“I call it as I see it,” he bounces back. “Or as you feel it.”

Holding in a laugh, I look him dead in the eye. “I’m not responding to that.”

“Anyways, “ he drawls the word out slowly. “He’s the type of guy you should be marrying, Afton.”

“I should be eating cupcakes,” I say in an effort to change the subject. “Then, I should be discussing what work I need to do today with my assistant.”

Joel pops the lid of the box open to reveal two red velvet cupcakes. “I need to stay in movie star shape, so these are both for you.”

“Both?” I ask with a hint of giddiness in my tone.

“Or one for you and one for Luke to eat later after he eats…”

“Dinner?” I interrupt with an exaggerated smile. “I’ll save one for him.”

He grins. “Such a couple thing to do. Someone is falling hard and fast for the fireman.”

I shove a piece of the decadent cake into my mouth and chew because there’s no way I can disagree with a word that Joel just said.