Page 6 of Knocked Up

“I’ll check that out,” I say, pouring us both a glass of water. “Until then, I’ll be fantasizing about the guy at the bar… who has millions of dollars he can’t wait to spend on me.”

Zoe laughs. “Me too. I’m pretty sure the next guy I talk to is going to be a billionaire with yachts in every country and a kink for watching me spend his money.”

I plunk down on the couch and lift my legs slowly, laughing. “Oh my God, yes.If he doesn’t have a kink for watching you spend all his money, he isn’t really a billionaire.”

Zoe grabs a bag of chips from the cupboard and unbuttons her skirt before settling into the chair I had her grab me off the curb on Main Street a few months ago. It isn’t so bad, really, though the torn edges and distinct stench of cigarettes is a far cry from the Italian leather I’d been sitting on my entire life. “Maybe we should move in and raise the baby together. I mean, you’re gonna need the support, and truthfully, I know I’m going to be alone forever. So, I might as well help you out. First order of business… get rid of this chair.”

“Zoe, you’re not going to be alone forever. You’ll match with someone, and y’all will be totally in love doing all the things people do when they’re in love. Owen and I would only hinder your chances.” I lean back on the couch and stare up at the ceiling fan whirring above us. I really should clean it. I can see dust hanging off the edges. That can’t be good for my health, or the baby’s. Come to think of it, I need to do a lot of things to this place. I’ve been meaning to paint for ages, I still need to put the crib together, and this place seems to have something in every nook and cranny. “Hey, tomorrow after the playground thing, are you free to help me get some nesting done? I have a bazillion things to do.”

“Shit, I can’t tomorrow. I’ve got a date withFisherman48. Apparently, he’s a ninety-two percent match.”

“Ninety-two?” I grin and take a sip of water. “Damn! He sounds… almost perfect!”

She laughs hard as she grips her glass. “We’ll see.” She grabs the remote off the end table and powers on the television.As she searches through it for something good to watch, she says, “I’m not into fishing at all, so I don’t know how we’re a good match.”

“I mean… if you guys match on everything else, you could learn to fish, right?”

“I guess.” She shrugs and pops a chip into her mouth, avoiding more conversations about how she’s seeking perfection as she points toward the television with excitement. “Oh, it’s the new Jennifer Aniston movie! It’s supposed to be good. Can you stay up long enough to finish it? I think it’s like two hours long.”

I nod, knowing full well the second she presses play, my eyes will close, and I’ll drift off to sleep, though I think we both know me well enough to know this. Trouble is, when my eyes close this time, all I see is Cyrus. His big, square hands. His tall, thick frame. His inked-up biceps flexing. The gentle way he kissed the top of my head. The strength of his soul as he held me.

My clit throbs as I sink into another fantasy, a more domestic one. The two of us with multiple children, a little red cabin on a hill, a clothesline full of clean clothes blowing in the breeze, and dinner on the grill. People say sexual fantasies are dangerous, but I beg to differ. This one might be the most dangerous of them all.

Chapter Four

Cyrus

The police station is dead quiet except for the few men I know on duty and myself.

“I think you can uncuff me.” I raise my brows as I stare toward my buddy Brooks. He plays police officer and town planner. That’s small-town life for ya. Most folks pull double duty. We’ve got ranchers working at feed stores and shop owners that do mining on the weekends. Why wouldn’t the cops also serve as town planners?

Brooks and I met in grade school, and we’ve been best buddies ever since.

“Nah,” he grins, “I like seein’ you like this. Besides, you still owe me twenty-five bucks from that bet we all made on the baseball game last month.”

“You want twenty bucks?” I roll my eyes. “Pull out my wallet.”

“Twenty-five,” Brooks grins widely, “don’t insult me. What are you doin’ punching guys, anyway? That’s not your thing.”

“He was attacking this girl. I… you really going to hold me here?”

“Kid’s pressin’ charges.” He leans back and widens his shoulders.

“You know me, Brooks. It was in defense of the girl. There were witnesses. Talk to Mullet. He was helping at the bar. I’m pretty sure he saw everything.”

Mullet was the longtime owner of the bar, and though he’s not there full time anymore, he shows up more nights than not. I’m sure he had to be there.

Brooks looks at me for a long minute before unlocking the cuffs. “You owe me.” He holds his palm out flat as though he’s waiting for his twenty-five bucks.

This guy.I roll my eyes and grab out my wallet from my back pocket, tossing the cash in his hand. “This kid’s a fucking menace. You should have him arrested. He was the one causing a scene last night.”

“This is the twenty-two-year-old girl you’re both fighting over, right?” Brooks turns back toward his computer and sucks the back of his teeth. “Do you think, and I’m just spit balling here, that maybe you need some company? Now, I’m sayin’ this as your friend, cause I love you, you’re my bro, but I think you’re lonely.”

“Listen,” I stand from the chair next to his desk, shaking my head with a playful grin, “I ain’t been lonely in years. We talked about this. Side note, you should take your own damn advice.”

“Probably should,” he groans. “Either way, I gotta get to this meeting over at town hall. Some woman’s coming into petition for a playground. It’s a waste of time but there’s no assistant right now. Lately we’ve got volunteers agreeing to every meeting requested.” He rolls his eyes and walks through the station with me. “You should really let this thing with the girl go. She’s too young, man.”

I roll my eyes and hang my head, trying not to show the shame I have for the amount of jerking off I did to thoughts ofher last night. Her round breasts, her pretty green eyes, the way she felt in my arms.

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