Page 13 of My Last Fling
“No more talking,” he says, pushing deeper into me. “The only rule for today is, when you come, you do it loud and messy.”
Desire curls low in my belly and I feel myself grow wetter. He leans forward, his lips barely brushing mine.
“Make me,” I whisper against his mouth.
Chapter 7
Presentday
Layna
With my work schedule and case load, it’s not always easy to make time for myself. It’s why my sister and I decided to make time once a week or so to have lunch or dinner together. We realized how much we missed each other when she moved from Atlanta to Peach Tree nearly two years ago and all her time was taken with getting her business up and running. For almost a full year, I barely got to see my baby sister. It felt strange. For so long, we were all we had. It’s hard to let that go. That’s when I’d decided to move to Peach Tree. It wasn’t only so I could be closer to Piper, but I won’t lie and say it wasn’t a deciding factor.
After I’d moved out of the house she shares with Luke, Piper and I decided we should make time to see each other. So, we meet up once a week for a meal and to catch up. It hadn’t taken long at all for us to bring Harlow in on our outings. Even though I’ve only known Harlow for a year, she fits into our sisterhood like she’s always been there. Now, the three of us have a standing date for dinner or drinks once a week, no matter how busy we all are.
Tonight, the three of us are sitting together at a booth at Peach Tree. I’d wanted to go to the Mexican restaurant or to the diner across town. I’d wanted to go literally anywhere else, if I’m being honest. But I hadn’t been able to come up with a solid reason for avoiding our favorite bar and I’d quickly been outvoted by the others. The truth is, I wasn’t sure I was ready to run into Cole tonight. I haven’t seen him since the other morning when I’d told him we needed to end things. I’m worried things will be awkward, despite our agreement. But thankfully, he’s not working tonight.
We sip our drinks while Harlow fills us in on the renovations that she and Linc are doing on her new house. Well, it’s not new. It’s actually her childhood home that she’d had to sell after she lost her mom to cancer. Linc bought it as a surprise for her and is working hard to restore it to its full glory. Which okay, is pretty damned romantic. Not that I’ll ever admit that aloud.
“You should see the floors,” Harlow gushes. “Original hardwood is so hard to match, but Linc somehow did it. You can’t even tell which areas were damaged.”
“Hardwood floors, huh?” I say. “Is that the new diamond necklace?”
Harlow laughs. “It is for me. He can keep the diamonds. Just give me a spa shower with multi-function rainwater showerheads and I’m a happy girl.”
Piper eyes her. “Let me guess, big enough for two?”
Harlow just grins. “Obviously.”
“Showers are just more fun with a partner,” Piper says as if it’s the most logical statement in the world. “It’s good to have someone to wash your back.”
“Or any hard-to-reach areas,” Harlow says with a wink.
We all laugh, but there’s a small part of me that’s envious of the two women. I’ve never showered with a man. The idea feels more intimate and personal than anything I’ve ever done with previous boyfriends. And what Cole and I had was strictly physical. Showering together felt like crossing a line, though I’m not even sure why.
I shake off thoughts of Cole. That’s in the past. It’s time for me to look to the future. Isn’t that why I agreed to go on a date? To see if I can find what Harlow and Piper have?
“In the interest of full disclosure,” I say, leaning forward across the table.
“You’re such a lawyer,” Piper interrupts with a shake of her head.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Shut up. As I was saying, in the interest of full disclosure, I have a date Friday night.”
I pick up my drink and take a sip. There’s a split second of stunned silence before Piper lets out an excited squeal that nearly pierces my eardrum and causes everyone within thirty feet of us to look our way. Harlow smiles and claps quietly, thankfully showing her excitement with a little less enthusiasm than my sister.
“Stop it,” I say, waving a hand at my sister. She’s acting like I just told her I won a billion dollars in the lottery and bought us a private island to retire on.
“People are staring,” I say through gritted teeth. “Besides, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Oh, it’s a big deal,” Piper says. “You haven’t dated anyone since you left Atlanta.”
I haven’t dated anyone since well before I moved to Peach Tree. I haven’t dated anyone since I met Cole and we started hooking up. It was one of our rules. No sleeping with other people while we were sleeping with each other. There were other rules as well, but that was the big one. It’s why he gave in so easily this morning when I told him I had a date. He knew I was serious about ending things and he respected my decision. I’ve got to admit, I respect him even more for adhering to the rules so steadfastly for so long. It’s admirable. Not that I ever truly doubted that he would. He might be a sexual deviant behind closed doors, but he’s always been a gentleman in all other respects.
“Why now?” Harlow asks, interrupting my musings. “You didn’t seem like you were interested in dating.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m not getting any younger. And I’m forced to listen to you two bragging about your hot boyfriends and your amazing sex lives. Maybe I want to be able to brag, too.”
“Well, you could have had just about anyone in town if you’d acted interested,” Harlow says. “You just never gave anyone the time of day.”