Page 77 of Average Joe

I didn’t have to claim her mouth; the little firecracker offered her lips freely, moaning her surrender. If that woman wanted to kiss me into oblivion and tease me to death, I’d die a happy man.

And die I did. Once on the La-Z-Boy. Twice in my bed.

When I woke alone the following morning and rushed to the window to watch Marley head out for work, the ache in my chest was present, but damn if my cheeks didn’t hurt from smiling.

Marley

My smile lingered all morning, my cheeks aching from overuse. My nerves, though, remained in a constant state of agitation as if allergic to the giddy emotions. Despite numerous attempts, I could not wipe last night’s dinner and sexcapades from my memory. Hell, I couldn’t even tuck them behind a dusty shelf. For the past week, Joe had treated me like a queen while he fed me, then adored me like his favorite fantasy for the rest of the night.

A twinge or ache reminded me of our erotic workouts every time I moved. A girl could get used to such treatment, and what an unsettling thought.

Lilly stood at the closet, ruffling the tulle of her pink mini tutu, her tan ass cheeks on full display. “So you boink. He rolls out of bed and heads home?”

I wore a mesh minidress with a lacy thong to cover my cooch and sequined pasties to cover my nips. “I roll out ofhisbed and head home. Big difference.”

She stared at me through the mirror. “He hasn’t been in your place yet?”

“No,” I admitted, avoiding her glare and focusing on our IG posts for the day. We’d hit ten thousand followers two days ago, and I wanted to keep building momentum. I hadn’t told the girls that I’d hired a professional photographer to come in once a month and get shots so that they could focus on work and not on taking their own pics. Not that the selfies they posted were lacking—they were gorgeous, really—but professional photos would up our game and keep those curious customers driving through our stands.

“Why not in your bed?” Lilly asked, applying tape to her lacy pink bralette to keep her breasts from spilling out.

She would never understand, but I explained anyway. “Because then Joe would know about Dylan, and then we would have to talk. Talking leads to feelings, and feelings lead to relationships.”

“Well.” She pointed a perfectly manicured finger my way. “There, you’re wrong. Onlymutualfeelings lead to relationships.” She fanned a fake eyelash, attempting a wink. “Maybe he doesn’t like you all that much.”

Joe liked me.

I liked Joe so much that I didn’t want him to be the next man to crush me.

Lilly tapped her acrylics on the counter, lips curled in contemplation before suggesting, “You could put the pictures of Dylan away.”

“No. Absolutely not.” I shook my head in defiance. Dylan was my life, and he’d hurt me more than any man ever had, but he was and always would be my reason for getting up every morning.

Sadness consumed me, the smile fading, the ache penetrating my bones. If I granted that pain more than a breath, I’d be useless for weeks. Desperate for a subject change, I teased, “Besides, Joe has a nicer bed than mine. He also has a great couch. Perfect height for bending me over.”

Lilly laughed, fluffing her hair. “Oooh, do tell.”

“His kitchen table is pretty damn sturdy.” I closed my laptop and turned to face my favorite employee.

“Gross.” Her button nose scrunched.

“Don’t get me started on the garage. Seriously, who knew how versatile a workbench could be?”

Lilly smacked my ass and gestured toward the security screen. “Enough of the dirty details. Here comes your best friend.”

I threw my sweatshirt over my head, slid open the window, and waited for the smug face to appear as the tinted glass lowered. “Hey, Harper.”

He wore a navy blue dress shirt and more cologne than should be legal. “Marley.”

“How’s your morning?” Ugh. The fakery was exhausting.

“Better now that I’ve seen my favorite girl,” he said to my breasts, his throat thick like he’d sucked down too many cigarettes before his visit.

“How sweet.” I played nice, but not too nice, offering only a halfhearted smile. “We’re not open yet. What do you need?”

“I was thinking about your unfortunate accident.” A long pause. Harper’s left brow raised just a smidge before he finished with, “You know, the fire.”

My arm hairs stood at attention. “Appreciate your concern.”

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