Page 8 of Just Say When

“Chloe!” James snorted as she tried to hold back her laugh.

“Just a thought.”

“Well, it’s a disgusting, vile thought,” I grumbled,even as my brain—unhelpfully!—supplied me with a mental image that made me push my thighs together. Hate, unfortunately, was a very arousing emotion.

James poked her needle through the linen fabric, a funny little smile hovering on her lips. “Hmm.”

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing. Just…Adam once told me something about Brax that—” She bit her lip, her eyes sparkling. “I probably shouldn’t repeat it, though.”

“You should definitely repeat it,” Chloe encouraged.

“Let’s just say that according to Adam, he’s the smallest of the Hale brothers.” She leaned in. “And he isn’t small at all.”

My needle slipped and poked the end of my index finger. I sucked the pain, glaring at the fabric. I really wished she hadn’t told me that. I didn’t need to know my ex-best friend had attributes below the belt that matched his ego.

Hannah furrowed her brow. “Isn’t Adam taller than Brax? Not by much, though. I don’t see how an inch more matters at all.”

Chloe, James, and I stared at Hannah in baffled surprise. Then Chloe tipped her head back on a loud bark of laughter. “Trust me, Hannah. An extra inch matters.”

“Not height,” James explained gently. “We’re talking about…” She made a gesture to her lap.

“Dicks,” I supplied.

“Oh.” Hannah pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, blinking her blue eyes like an owl. She considered that for a moment, then shrugged. “No, I stand by my original statement. Size doesn’t matter. An extra inch isn’t going to improve the outcome.”

“What outcome is that?” Chloe asked.

Hannah shrugged again. “Disappointment.”

I sniggered. I couldn’t help it. Disappointment summed up the majority of my sexual encounters, too. Sure, there were outliers. And I was fortunate that none of them were necessarilybad. Just...meh.

“Maybe your expectations are too high,” Chloe said. “It’s those romance books you’re always reading. They give you unrealistic expectations.”

Hannah sniffed. “I hardly think an orgasm is an unrealistic expectation. If I can get myself there in three minutes, he should at least be able to accomplish it in thirty. Basic care and consideration for the person you are literallyinside ofshould not be too high a bar to scale. It’s a foregone conclusion that men will have an orgasm from every sexual encounter. The same should be true for every woman who wants it to be.” She stabbed the fabric with her needle. “The bar is so low it’s a tripping hazard in hell,” she muttered.

That shut us all up.

Hannah was something of an enigma and despitethe fact that she had called Aspen Springs home for nearly three years, I knew her only slightly better now than I had the day she moved here. She looked the part of a librarian, with her blonde hair pulled into a bun and those long skirts she liked to wear. Prairie chic. She was reserved and a little mousy, but I wouldn’t call her shy. When she had something to say, she said it. Firmly.

I cleared my throat. “I’m going to need to borrow one of those books.” Might as well indulge in a fictional man since the real thing was taking its precious time showing up.

Hannah eyeballed me speculatively, lips pursed in thought. I got the feeling she was reading my soul. Then she brightened and snapped her fingers. “I have just the thing. I’ll bring it for you next time.”

“Great.” I wrinkled my nose. “Not one of those Bridgerton books, though. I don’t care about balls and society rules. Give me something interesting.”

Hannah laughed. “Ilovethose books, but don’t worry. I knowexactlywhat you need.”

I opened my mouth to ask for the title so I could look it up and see what I was in for but stopped when I caught sight of Janie hovering in the doorway. “Hey, you came!” I turned to the group. “You all know Janie, right? She bartends at the Painted Cat. I invited her last night, or I would have given you a heads up.”

“No worries. I have supplies.” Hannah bustled over to the cabinet. “Have you ever embroidered before?”

Janie shook her head. “Never.”

“I’ll get you started with a sampler, then. It’s the easiest way to learn stitches.”

Hannah pulled Janie into a corner to teach her the basics.

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