Page 120 of In Spades

“Sex with you anywhere is at the top of my list,” I said with a smirk. As we strolled around the side of the house, I reached down and squeezed her ass. “I kinda wanna pin you up against the wall out here and fuck you one more time.”

Kristin snorted. “God, no. Last time I walked out here during poker, Bridget and Chase were—well, I don’t know what I saw them doing.”

Around back, we found our way to the pair of french doors separating Luca’s man cave from the stretch of sand that served as their own private beach. I placed a hand on the small of Kristin’s back as we walked inside.

“There y’all are!” Mel exclaimed, bolting off the couch toward us. “You guys are never late. We almost sent out a search party.”

“Hello there,” Maddie said from her spot on the couch, tapping her fingertips together like a cartoon supervillain. Her tone was downright nefarious. “I was just telling Luca that I’m so glad we put in those security cameras at the front of the property. Facing the tree line. That mess with Erica a while back had us all scared to pieces.”

“Um, what is she talking about?” Kristin asked nervously, glancing between Maddie and Mel.

Maddie smirked. “Technology has come so far. Even in the dark, those cameras get a shot that’s clear as day.”

Oh, shit. And just like that, my heart tumbled out of my ribcage, fell out of my ass, and splattered on the floor.

Hannah Jane was grinning from ear-to-ear. “Turnabout is fair fucking play, sweet cheeks. Remember that time you gave me shit for streaking through the inn in a robe?” She blew a kiss and winked. “We’re even now.”

Steve smirked. From his spot at the poker table he teased, “Might wanna get your shocks checked, Solomon. The way that truck was rocking…”

Bright red color flooded Kristin’s cheeks, heat flashing across her face like a solar flare. She cupped her hand over her mouth as if she might vomit.

I gave her other hand a reassuring squeeze and pulled her into my side.

Luca stuffed a rocks glass full of amber liquid in Kristin’s hand. “They’re just giving you hell, Kris. No one saw anything.”

I didn’t care if he was lying to our faces. I appreciated the lie.

Kristin downed a large gulp of her cocktail. I didn’t blame her. Hell, I was three seconds from beelining for a beer.

“Holy shit, DeRossi!” Kristin said, sputtering. “This is magical!”

Luca clapped, punched his fist in the air, and shouted, “Hot damn!” He jumped and let out a whoop. “You like it?”

Kristin drained half the glass. “I was just giving you shit all those other times. This one, though? Fuck.” She knocked back the rest of it. “I wanna make love to this cocktail. I want to fill a tub with it and bathe in it. What the hell is in this thing?”

Luca snatched the glass from her hand and strode toward the bar, motioning for us to follow.

He narrated the recipe as he mixed a new one. “Three tablespoons of apple butter … two ounces of bourbon … quarter ounce of Fireball…” He put everything in a shaker and mixed it over his shoulder for a few seconds before setting it aside. “…cinnamon sugar rim on your glass…” He ran an orange slice around the rim of the rocks glass, then turned it over into a dish of cinnamon sugar. “…apple butter liquor goes in over ice…” He grabbed a ginger beer from the cooler and popped the top, filling the glass to just below the sugar rim. “Ginger beer on top, and a cinnamon stick and apple slice to garnish.”

He crossed his arms and looked so damn smug. Kristin finally praised one of his cocktails, and he was proud.

“You want one?” Luca asked, turning to me.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Just beer for me.”

“Okay!” Maddie shouted, summoning everyone from their respective conversations. “Thanksgiving’s coming up. Everyone here at noon. Bring whoever you want, just put your headcount in the group text.”

Everyone murmured in agreement.

I wasn’t sure what Kristin and the kids usually did for holidays. Did they travel to see extended family? Did they do the whole ‘friendsgiving’ thing?

She was locked up like Alcatraz when it came to talking about her parents, so we never talked about any other relatives either. Her parents were only a few years older than me, though. Surely, she still had grandparents around.

“Let’s talk rules, people,” Maddie said, clapping to punctuate each syllable.

The poker club shared smirks and stifled laughter, like they were all in the know of an inside joke. I gave Kristin a confused glance. She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, trying her darndest not to laugh.

“All undergarments shall stay on for the entirety of the meal,” Maddie said, pausing to glare at Hannah Jane and Isaac.

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