Page 14 of On the Wild Side

“Now that you’re here,” Erin says as she crosses to the kitchen, “we can all dish up.”

“You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Erin assures me as she walks by. Remington joins her to help, and I’m stuck here in the dining room with Abbi and three kids.

“How have you been?” I ask her, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“Doing well,” she replies with a nod. “And you?”

“Fine, just fine. Been busy out here, what with the sh—crappy weather.”

Her lips tip up in a grin. “Same, actually. When there’s snow, there’s mud, and I’ve been getting a lot of calls for cleanings lately, so my team has been busy.”

I nod and rock back on my heels. “Makes sense, I suppose.”

“Boy, grown-ups are boring,” Johnny mutters and rolls his eyes, making me smirk.

“It’s ready, everyone,” Erin announces, and we get to work making plates for the kids, and then ourselves, and settling at the long dining room table. As luck would have it, I end up right next to Abbi, and throughout the entire meal, I’m hyperaware of her scent, her warmth, how she moves, and the sound of her voice.

Fuck me, I’m so damn attracted to her, it’s as if I’m a magnet and she’s the north pole.

Finally, dinner’s done, and the dishes are cleared, so I can say my goodbyes.

“When will I see you again?” Daisy wants to know as I hug her goodbye.

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll see you during the holidays,” I assure her. “We always have parties and stuff, right?”

“Yeah, okay.” She kisses me on the cheek and then runs off to play with Holly. I guess the two girls are having a slumber party here tonight.

And that means that Abbi will be home alone. All freaking night.

Erin and Abbi are huddled together by the front door, and I decide that I’ll walk Abbi to her car. It’s already been a full evening of torture, so we might as well just carry on the vibe.

“I’ll walk you out,” I offer, and Abbi smiles and waves at the family.

“Be good, Dais. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Mom!” Daisy hardly spares her mother a glance.

“I’m glad that she loves being here so much,” Abbi says when we’re walking down the steps to the driveway. “At first, I was afraid that she’d want to come home in the middle of the night, but she’s totally comfortable here.”

“She knows she’s welcome,” I reply as I press my hand to the small of her back.

As we get closer to her car, Abbi almost slips, and as she rights herself, something falls out of her bag onto the snow below.

“Shit,” she mutters as I bend down and retrieve…adildo?

I hold it up, staring at it and then at her.

“Don’t tell me you’reborrowingthis from Erin.”

“Oh, my God, no!” She reaches for it, but I hold it out of her grasp. “Give that to me, Brady.”

“I’m intrigued.” I eye it again. It’s big. And teal. “Why is it so colorful?”

“I don’t know. Don’t be a child and give that to me.”

I shake my head and press the button, but nothing happens. “It’s broken.”

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