Page 66 of Comforting the Grump

“That was…” I trailed off, searching for words.

“Incredible? Mind-blowing? The best sex of your life?” Ennio supplied, his voice playful. “Also, you owe me a pair of lace panties. They’re not cheap, you know.”

I chuckled, running my fingers through his tousled blond hair. “All of the above…and I’ll happily buy new ones for you. I consider that money well spent. An investment, even.”

As my heartbeat slowly returned to normal, I replayed the night’s events in my mind. The way Ennio moved, the sounds he made, the look in his eyes when he came—it was all seared into my memory. He might have meant it as a joke, but the sex with him was different, though I couldn’t pinpoint why.

We had sexual chemistry, yes, but our connection moved beyond that. We were in sync, somehow, and that was a first for me. A softness spread through my chest that had nothing to do with physical exertion. It was a feeling I wasn’t used to, a sense of contentment, of rightness.

Eventually, Ennio’s breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. I was unable to look away from his peaceful face, illuminated by the soft light spilling from the lamp on the nightstand. He’d quickly become a central part of my life.The thought of not having him around made my chest tighten uncomfortably. Maybe I should create some distance between us?

A thought struck me like a slap to my face. This weekend would’ve been the perfect opportunity to spend some time apart from Ennio. I usually stayed with Tiago and Cas when I was in town, but this time, I hadn’t even considered that. Why not? Why had it been so automatic to go home with Ennio? To sleep in his bed, like we were a…

Like we were a couple.

22

ENNIO

Istepped out of Marnin’s car, my boots crunching in the fresh snow that blanketed Auden’s front yard. We’d had perfect timing with our drive to Forestville, as it had snowed all day yesterday. It hadn’t bothered me since I’d been inside anyway, cooking and preparing all the food for the party.

But the snow definitely added charm to the party. Icicle lights twinkled along the roof line and a large pine wreath adorned the red front door. It looked like a winter wonderland straight out of a Hallmark movie.

As I walked toward the front door, carrying the last tray of deviled eggs, Marnin came up beside me, his arm lightly brushing mine. My heart skipped a beat at the casual contact. God, the smallest touch from him set me on fire. It was getting harder and harder to remind myself that this thing between us couldn’t possibly be going anywhere.

Excited chatter reached us before we even stepped inside. We were far from the first guests to arrive. Auden had been in charge of the decorations—which meant Keaton had done it as my brother wouldn’t know how to make a house this stylish—and it looked amazing and inviting.

A towering fir tree dominated the living room, dripping with silver and blue glass balls, all with the number seventy-five on them. More pine boughs and twinkling white lights were strung along the mantle and banisters, and everywhere, that same number showed up. At least no one would mistake this for a Christmas party.

Curious glances followed us as we entered the house together, followed by the quiet murmur of gossip. Most people here knew Marnin and me, so us arriving together was bound to raise some eyebrows. Heat crept up my neck as I imagined what they must be thinking.

“Ignore them,” Marnin muttered, clearly noticing my discomfort. “Bunch of busybodies.”

I flashed him a grateful smile. “Well, we do make for quite the dashing pair. They’re probably admiring how devastatingly handsome we are.”

Marnin snorted. “Sure, that must be it.” A hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

We found my parents in the kitchen. I kissed my mom, who was busy pouring drinks for all the guests, even though we’d hired some of Violet’s classmates to help out, and then hugged my dad. “Happy birthday, Dad.”

“Thank you, Ennio. And thank you for all your hard work to make this party possible.”

“My pleasure, Dad.”

Then my dad turned to Marnin and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you, son.”

“Happy birthday, Sheriff. You look mighty spry.”

My father’s laugh boomed through the room as he shook Marnin’s hand. “That’s such a clever insult, isn’t it? Nobody uses the word spry to describe anything but old people, so you just effectively called me old.”

Marnin grinned. “Nah, that’s all your imagination.”

“Are you ever going to call me anything other than Sheriff? I haven’t been the sheriff in a long time.”

Marnin shrugged. “You’ll always be Sheriff Frant to me.”

My father slapped his shoulder, his grin broad. It warmed my heart to see the genuine affection between them, especially now that I knew a little more about Marnin’s background.

Marnin turned to me. “Ready to face the firing squad?” He jerked his head toward the crowded living room.

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