Page 33 of Sleepover

Chapter 15

Sawyer

Huh. So apparently, without realizing it, I’ve been building this fence for Elle. As soon as I asked the question—Don’t you like it?—even before I found myself waiting eagerly for her answer, I knew.

I’ve been showing off for her.

Two-sided fence? For Elle. Horizontal pickets, with their fidgety fit into the posts? For Elle. Lattice, which has taken me freaking forever to construct one panel at a time? For Elle.

One reclaimed cedar fence, ten times fancier than the situation requires?

For Elle.

Basically, that fence is like a male peacock displaying its tail feathers.

I’m definitely going to have sex with her again.

I probably should have known I was going to go after round two when I got home from Maeve’s right after our alley encounter. I jogged up the stairs—Jonah was sleeping at his grandparents’ house—brushed my teeth, removed my belt, jeans, and shoes, and got into bed. I was expecting to pretty much pass out, what with the whiskey and how hard I’d come—standing up—a mere half hour ago, but that wasn’t what happened.

By all rights, sex should have been the last thing on my mind, except maybe a quick mental review—you know, storing the images up for future spank-bank material.

Instead, I was imagining how it would be if there were a next time.

What would it have been like if I fucked her from behind? Her hands up on the wall? Or bent her over the edge of a bed?

Or, what if we did it lying down? Slow. Face-to-face, so I could watch what her face did when she made those noises. When she pulsed and spasmed around me.

Spoiler: I ended up with my dick out, a palm full of lube, and a chest covered with cum. So in that sense, she was the first woman since Lucy died who got me off twice in one night.

Yes,that made me feel guilty as shit. Which is part of why I made myself put her out of my head for a while after that.

Until she showed up at my front door. Whereupon I got my second strong set of clues that I wasn’t done with her. That I still had designs aplenty on her.

And if that wasn’t information enough, there was the ordeal of hiking in the woods after seeing her with the spatula in her hand.

And watching her go toe-to-toe with McKibben.

Anyway, the point is, now I’ve quit denying what I should have known all along.

I don’t have time to act on my newfound knowledge, though, because just then a familiar car pulls up outside Elle’s house. Madden’s dad’s Camry.

Elle turns to look in the direction of my gaze and sighs heavily. “Wish me luck.”

I watch Mr. Yap step out of the driver’s seat. “Have you tried bacon treats? I hear they’re great for house training.”

She laughs, shoots me an appreciative look, and heads over to her front yard to greet Trevor. There’s someone else emerging from the car now, a tall, willowy, raven-haired woman.

Oh, shit.I have to assume she’s Trevor’s high school girlfriend and fiancée, and my heart picks up in sympathy for Elle.

Elle’s step hitches—she’s seen the other woman, and she hesitates a moment before continuing. She’s got to be feeling pretty miserable right now. Trevor on his own is bad enough, but having your kid picked up by the woman who stole your husband…?

No fun.

I watch through the lattice—stalker-neighbor-style—as the woman approaches Elle with a smile and extends her hand to shake. The other woman is wearing a short skirt and a white V-neck shirt that reveals epic quantities of cleavage. There’s no denying she’s a beautiful woman, but not my type—she looks wound too tight. I know, though, that she’s the kind of woman who makes other women crazy—makes them go home and pinch their invisible belly fat and schedule haircuts and makeovers. I know because that used to happen to Lucy sometimes. She’d come home from the gym or a PTO meeting and stand in front of the mirror and fidget with her hair and look completely defeated.

But you’re beautiful!

Not like so-and-so, though.

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