Page 19 of I Found You
“Do you have anyone who could babysit?”
“Ha. No. Definitely not.” She tucked that lock of hair away, finally looking at me. “Thanks for the invite though.”
I managed to get the rest of the house finished after lunch. It would need to dry out for a few days before I could start scraping the loose paint. I had rolled up my Tyvek suit to dispose of it in the trash. Finding my shirt plastered to my chest, I took that off too.
“Hey,” I called as I opened her back door, “do you mind if I wash up a bit before I leave?”
Maeve peeked her head out of the kitchen, Jane resting against her chest in the carrier. She took her time devouring my abs and chest before she made the way up to my lips. I almost didn’t want to break whatever spell had her entranced. I liked the way she was looking at me. A lot. But I did need to get going if I was going to meet Luke for that beer. I stillneeded to shower and change.
“Maeve, eyes up.” A sly smile tugged at my lips. Her gaze shot to mine in an instant, and her jaw snapped shut. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and dragged her teeth across it.
“Yeah, of course you can,” she said breathlessly.
Her bathroom was small but clean. I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my face. I would have used my shirt as a towel, but it was soaked through with sweat, so I left it hanging from the pocket of my jeans, where I had tucked it. I opened the closet, hoping to find a clean hand towel. What I was not expecting to find was a sex toy. It was still in its box, so I picked it up to look at it closer, a shit-eating grin plastered on my face. A slim vibrator with a remote control.
My Maeve is a dirty, dirty girl.This was a surprise.
Well, not my Maeve. She wasn’t mine. I didn’t even know where that thought came from.
I put the box on her bathroom counter though, just to fuck with her.
* * *
Harpoon’s on a Saturday night was always a good time. I grabbed a high-top table and nursed my beer while I waited for Luke. A pretty little blonde sidled up next to me and took a seat at my table.
“You look bored. Are you here alone?” she asked. Her makeup was expertly applied, making her pale blue eyes pop. She wore short jean shorts and a cropped top that looked tome like a bra. Her hair was styled in perfect waves and trailed down to the middle of her back.
“I’m alone for the moment. Meeting my brother here in a bit. Why? Are you looking for company?”
I had no reason not to chat up this brazen woman. She was beautiful, clearly confident, which was always attractive.
“Oh my, two of you? Now I’m going to have to hang around just so I can see this,” she said coyly as her tongue darted out to wrap around the straw in her glass.
“Sorry, darling. He’s married.”
Luke walked in just then with Seb following right behind. “But it looks like you’ll have some options anyway,” I told her.
After they each got their drink from Ronnie, they came to join us.
“Wyatt, who’s your friend?” Seb asked as he pulled up a chair on the other side of her. He was as single as they came and didn’t struggle for female attention. He was a big dude, broad and muscular. His tattoos ran the length of his body. The ladies seemed to love it. I just had my upper arm and part of my chest inked, and it’d helped me seal the deal multiple times.
It struck me that I didn’t know her name as we hadn’t made any introductions. After greeting the guys, I waited for her to introduce herself.
“Candace,” she said, smiling at the group. “I’m actually meeting a few friends here too. Why don’t we join you?”
“The more the merrier, Candy.” Seb smiled back at her.
“No,” she said with a laugh. “You’re hot and all, but that’s a no go for me.”
We all laughed at that. Her friends, Shana and Rachel, joined us a while later. The conversations kept flowing, right alongwith the liquor. One of the ladies had us order round after round of shots. Seb was flirting with one of them—Rachel, I think. Candace seemed to have taken a liking to me. She stayed by my side all night, getting more and more touchy-feely as we continued to throw back the booze. Her hand was on my upper back, drawing circles on the back of my neck.
She leaned in to talk into my ear. “I’m just going to run to the bathroom, but maybe after that, we can take off somewhere quiet.” She didn’t wait for a response before getting up. Luke stumbled over from the other side of the table to take her vacated seat.
“Fuck, Wyatt. I can’t drive like this. I thought I was just coming out for a beer or two.” He looked panicked. None of us were in a position to drive home. Luckily, I lived within walking distance, but Luke lived on the other side of town.
“Can you call Jules for a ride?”
“I can’t call her. It’s too late. She’d fucking kill me.” With his head in his hands, he scrubbed his face hard. Like he was trying to remove a lot more than one night out drinking with his brother and his best friend. We’d had women around us all night, which Jules wouldn’t have been very happy about, but Luke was the most loyal person I knew. He never once crossed a line with any of them, never gave them the impression that he would welcome any advances.
