Page 5 of Liberating Love

Grabbing the container of brownies I brought with me, I knock on the door and my smile grows when Gavin answers. I pull him into a hug before Gav’s boyfriend, Drix, comes up behind him.

“Please tell me those are your brownies,” Drix says.

I smile and hand him the plate, saying, “I didn’t want to take food without contributing something.”

He gives me a one-armed hug, thumping my back, and Drix’s twin brother, Holden, comes over, trying to steal the brownies away. I don’t know why these guys are so obsessed with the brownies I make—I make them from a box and I don’t do anything special to them, at least not that I notice—but they’re always acting like I’m a gourmet chef.

Drix says, “Get your own.”

Holds pouts, his bottom lip poking out as he says, “He said he wanted to contribute something toward the meal which we’re having in my house which means you have to give it to me.”

“Actually”—Jameson sneaks between them and snags the container—“it was my house first, and this is as good as a welcome home party for my dad, so I say I get them.” He starts walking away and calls out, “Hi, Aiden.” And I hear him talking in the other room. “Dad, you have to have one of these brownies.”

“Can you believe him?” Holds asks Drix as I watch on in amusement.

“A, come meet my dad,” Jameson calls from the table. Jameson’s dad was just released from prison, and I’m excited to meet him. Jameson talked about him a lot when we were partnered together and out on patrol. He sounds like a really great guy that was given a crap deal in life.

I follow Holden into the dining room with Gav and Drix behind us. Jameson is all smiles as he introduces me to his father. I follow his line of sight to the man sitting at the table. The man that—now that I see them next to each other—looks like an older version of Jameson. Dark hair with silver streaks, green eyes, handsome as hell, muscular, and… Oh. My. God.Holy. Shit. Oh. My. God. What. The. Hell? No no no no. This cannot be happening!

Jameson’s voice breaks through my internal freak-out. “A, this is Delaney. Dad, this is Aiden. He was my partner for a few months while Drix was recovering…”

Jameson keeps speaking, but I can no longer focus on his words because I’m frozen to the spot. Oh my god. No.No.This isn’t happening. How could… Why is he… How is “The Old Man”Delaney Fox? How is it possible that I’ve seen thefatherof one of the best friends I’ve ever had naked?

When my eyes meettheOld Man’s green ones, a shit-eating grin crosses his lips, but after scanning my shell-shocked face, he quickly schools his features.

Drix breaks the panic attack threatening to grab me and asks, “A, are you okay?”

No, no I’m not.As soon as I look at Drix, I feel my face heating up like a freaking volcano. My pale complexion works against me when I’m nervous, anxious, mad, or basically any kind of emotion. It’s like putting a damn spotlight on what I’m feeling at any given moment. I stammer out, “U-uh-um, yeah. Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay? I just remembered…” I wave my arm around like a crazy person, trying to gesture toward the front door. “I gotta go.” I can’t be here. Not after last night. I turn to leave, but Drix grabs my arm to stop me.

“You just got here,” he says.

Holds says, “You can’t go without your food.”

Old Manstands from his seat, walking toward me, and I can feel my blush turning a deeper color red—who knew that was even possible?—and I’m not even facing him yet. Old Man, no,Delaneysays, “Please, we were waiting for everyone to arrive to toast and tell what we’re thankful for. Plus, you didn’t give me a chance to”—there’s a slight hesitation—“meetyou.”

I slowly turn back towardJameson’sfatherand say, “Yeah, sorry.” Against better judgment, I hold my hand out for him to shake—as if this is the first time I’ve ever touched him.Oh god, don’t think about it.“It’s nice to meet you, sir... Mr. Fox… Jameson and Jovany’s dad.” I dart my eyes back up to meet his, and I’m pretty sure it’s a mistake because all I can think about is how hungry those pretty greens looked last night when he—Nope. Not going there. Ever. Again.

He’s Jameson’s dad.

Delaney—notOld Man, he’s the guy that did things to me last night,Delaneyis Jameson’s father, yep, that’s what we’re going with—holds onto my handwaylonger than he should before finally releasing me. And I choose to ignore the way my hand tingles or the way his thumb brushes over my skin in a gentle caress before he finally releases me.

Nope, not thinking about that at all.

Delaney’s other son Jovany shows up, and I want to puke. I work with this guy. I don’t know him well, and he’s never been especially kind to me, at least not until the last few months. I can’t even imagine how he and his cousin and uncle would treat me at the precinct if they knew I fucked his father.

Never, ever say that again, Aiden!

The entire time I’m here having dessert with my friends, I can hardly pay attention to a word anyone says. No matter how hard I’m trying, I can’t stop sneaking glances at Delaney, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s doing the same to me.

When everyone goes around the table saying what they’re thankful for, Delaney takes it up a notch andwinksat me. I’m pretty sure no one saw it—thank god—but I feel all the color drain from my face. Jameson canneverknow. Not ever. No one can ever find out what happened between us. In fact, I should bleach my brain and pray for amnesia because no. It’s Jameson’s dad, Jovany’s dad. Oh god, if they ever find out, they’re going to kill me.

As I make my getaway with a million containers of leftovers in tow, my heart sinks into my stomach. How can I ever be around these guys again knowing what my friend’s dad looks like naked? What he looks like when he orgasms? How his muscles contract and pull as he fucks me into the mattress?

Oh my god. I feel like I’m going to throw up as I toss the leftovers in the back of my car. I slide into the driver’s seat, take a breath, and sink down until my head is on the steering wheel. I need to calm down for a few seconds before I drive home because my nerves are so frazzled, I’m afraid I might cause an accident.

A knock on my window makes me jump, and when I look up, my heart gets another surge—I didn’t even know it could beat that fast.

Delaney is bent in half, peeking at me through my window. He’s just as gorgeous as I remember from last night, but I know it’s wrong to even think that.

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