Page 29 of Liberating Love

Me: With what? Aren’t you working?

Delaney: Got off a little early.

Me: Nice.

Delaney: You don’t get off till 5, right?

Me: Yeah.

Delaney: What do you think, blue or green?

Me: For what?

Delaney: New sheets. You kind of ruined the old ones.

Even though he can’t see me, I feel a huge blush crawl up my neck. He purposefully made that sound dirty, I know it.

Me: You’re the one that spilled lo mein all over them.

Delaney: But it was YOUR food in the bed. It’s not my fault I couldn’t wait to pounce on you.

My blush grows deeper as I remember quietly eating my food one minute and the next having Delaney over the top of me, nibbling on my throat and mumbling something about not being able to take my little moans.

Me: Totally your fault.

“You alright over there?” Jovany’s voice startles me so badly that I fumble my phone and drop it on the floor by my feet. “Shit, you okay?”

“Y-yeah. Fine.”

As I reach for my cell, I see Jovany side-eyeing me with a smirk. “Who are you texting over there? You look like a fucking tomato.”

“No-no one.” My eyes widen as I snag my phone from the floor and hit the button so the screen is dark. No way in hell can I let him see my phone. How had I forgotten Jovany was sitting right beside me in the driver’s seat? I’m so fucked. I’m sitting here texting his father about new sheets. Sweet baby Jesus.

“Uh huh, that sounds convincing, A.”

Taking a deep breath, I push all thoughts of Delaney out of my head so I can focus on our case. Or I try to. It doesn’t help that my phone buzzes a million more times in my lap with incoming texts.

“For fuck sake’s, Aiden, just answer whoever that is. They’re blowing up your phone.”

It buzzes again, so I swipe it open without reading any of the new texts and type out a quick response.

Me: I’m at work. Talk later.

Then I sigh and send one more.

Me: Green.

I don’t writebecause of your eyes, but that’s exactly the reason. He’ll look good lying naked on some green sheets.For fuck’s sake, Aiden, get your head in the game here. Jovany is right the fuck there.I push all thoughts of what Delaney looks like naked out of my mind and try to focus on my surroundings as we drive down the street.

I sigh in relief when Delaney doesn’t send any more texts, then I stare at Delaney’s son, worrying my lip. This is so wrong. I’m a horrible person for keeping this secret from my friends. Jameson and Jovany both deserve better from me, but I can’t even begin to find a way to tell them. I don’t want to tell them. I’m pretty sure they’ll murder both of us if they ever find out.

“You sure you’re okay?” Jovany asks as he turns into the diner parking lot, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, but I know he doesn’t believe me.

He hesitates, then says, “We can pick food up and take it back to the office if you’re not up for eating here.”

I send him a grateful smile. “No, I’m good. Let’s go inside to eat.”

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