Page 52 of More than Need

“The most adorable,” Dawson said if only to placate her. What did that even mean? It probably resembled a bean more than a person at this stage.

“A tadpole that looks like all me and not the idiot that donated his sperm.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Dawson asked with a stifled laugh. “Donatingsperm?” If so, he’d experienced sperm donation frequently over the last week.

“It’s not like he was particularly good in bed,” Sadie said wryly. “What else should I call it? He thrust a few times, grunted, and went to sleep.”

“I do hope that’s not an accurate representation of your sex life,” Dawson said. “Because that’s just sad.” It couldn’t be true. She’d been with Richard for three years, and she liked sex. If it had been that bad, Dawson doubted she’d have put up with the rest of his sparkling personality that whole time.

Sadie made a face. “Let me keep my illusions, please. I don’t want to remember thegoodparts.”

“That’s not how Forest does it,” Darcy supplied helpfully.

“You know,” Dawson said slyly, unable to resist the perfect segue. “I have always been so curious about that. He is… a very solid man. Howdoeshe do it?”

Sadie slapped her hands over Dawson’s mouth and glared at him. Dawson’s stomach dropped uncomfortably. She looked like her brother when she looked at him like that. Almost fucking identical. He wished he didn’t know that.

“Don’t answer that,” Sadie said sternly. “Stop being a perv.”

“I think it’s a legitimate question!” Dawson protested through her hand. Darcy’s husband, Forest, who happened to be captain of the same team that Darcy played for, had been built with those Greek god statues in mind. Not as big as Darcy but still all solid muscles and thick thighs that could absolutely crush a watermelon. Dawson didn’t go for guys that big, much preferring the lean strength of Gideon, and Riley’s toned… all of him.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t be curious or appreciate the effort it took to maintain that kind of body.

Dawson tugged her arm down and blurted, “Is he a top or a bottom?” before she could jump in.

“We don’t have bunks, we sleep on the same bed,” Darcy answered.

Dawson really should have expected that. That was on him.

“Stop it,” Sadie hissed. “Forest will actually kill you, and then who will I get drunk to puke with me through my morning sickness?”

“I really think you need to find a Plan B for that,” Dawson said. His liver could only take so much abuse, and they’d already put it through its paces in their early twenties.

“And what should my Plan B be? Projectile vomiting all over Richard?” She sat back with a thoughtful expression. “Actually, that has merit.”

“I’d vote for it,” Dawson said. In fact, he’d set himself up somewhere nearby so he could record it and put it online for everyone to see. He’d never claimed to not be a petty person. It also meant no more drinking vodka until he couldn’t see straight. Only more bad decisions lay that way.

Sadie huffed and grabbed a yo-yo, taking a large bite, crumbs falling to the corner of her mouth and all over her chest and lap. “I kind of want to punch him in the face. Is that allowed?”

“You won’t get any argument from me.” Dawson plucked the last of her yo-yo out of her hand and popped it into his mouth. “I’ll hold him for you,” he said through his mouthful.

Sadie grabbed another one, unfazed. “I’d appreciate that. You in, Darcy?”

“Fighting gets me a suspension. And a fine.” His forehead wrinkled, and he stared intently at the Yorkshire puddings he’d just pulled out of the oven. “Ten thousand? Maybe half that? Under? They’re worse if you have a lot of them. I don’t have any. Nothing that’s not incidental. I got one when I elbowed that umpire in the face. They didn’t believe me when I said it was an accident. That was six thousand. Wren paid it for me.”

It had been the most satisfying thing Dawson had seen on TV for a long time. Some umpires just needed a good elbow in the face. And Forest had looked like he’d been about to do it with real intention when the umpire had gotten snippy at Darcy as he’d tried to explain.

“As if you’d fight during a game deliberately. But would you do it and cop the fine? For Sadie?”

Darcy nodded. “If you want me to?” he said tentatively.

“I feel dirty, like I’m trying to convince my elderly grandmother to run someone over,” Sadie said, face twisting.“Maybe you can stay home and bake us cookies for when we get back?”

Dawson agreed with that. Best to leave Darcy out of any major wrongdoing. He couldn’t even mention that he knew a cop now. Couldn’t because he got the real title of asshole here. Richard might be a stain on society who’d cheated, but he hadn’t lied to his best friend’s face. Wasn’t sleeping with her brother behind her back. It felt worse because in one night, Dawson had destroyed all of the trust they’d built from their years of friendship. And he kept going back for more.

“I don’t want to stop him from being a father if that’s what he wants—though I’m not convinced he really cares, and we won’t really know until they’re born—but I can’t help but think about the people that they could have had in their life and won’t. And is that my fault?”

Years learning Sadie speak didn’t help him with this one. “What are you talking about?”

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