Page 175 of Destined Lovers

I bite my bottom lip and contemplate how I answer this. I could downplay it, or maybe this is my time to redeem my cool factor from blurting out I was a virgin until I was twenty-nine.

I go for the latter.

“Ummm, your front yard, for starters,” I spit, then burst out laughing at Sadie’s shocked face.

“Get it, girl!” Annabelle leans over to high-five me.

“I’m not sure what to say. I was not expecting that.” Sadie pauses, unsure what to say next. “I thought maybe you were going to say… you know the forbidden area.”

Annabelle huffs. “Sadie, darling, you’re the only one who thinks it’s forbidden. Anal is normal and amazing. Get over it and do it already.”

“It is notnormal.I think your normal is much different than everyone else,” Sadie practically cries. When she sees no one is siding with her, she focuses back on me.

“You were a virgin only a year ago, and you do anal?” she whispers.

So I whisper back, “Yes,” and widen my eyes.

She scrunches up her nose, then looks at everyone else. “All of you have done anal?”

“I haven’t, not because I’m opposed,” Penny chimes in. “Only because my jerk of an ex-boyfriend didn’t know what he was doing.”

“Well, I’m warning all of you,”—she points her champagne to us—“never speak a word of this to Wills. I’m not letting that monster cock near my back entrance.”

“Oh my god, okay, that’s too far,” Evelyn cries, and Sadie covers her face in embarrassment.

“What’s too far?” Wills asks as he walks in with Ethan.

“Nothing,” we call out and start laughing.

Wills narrows his eyes at Sadie, who is chugging her champagne. She better slow down since this is the first time she’s drinking a sip of anything in months.

“I came to tell you all it’s time for dinner.”

“Thanks,” I call, and we all walk outside.

“How are you?” I hear Ethan whisper to Penelope. I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I can’t help it.

“Fine,” she quips.

“Penny,” Ethan chastises. “I asked how are you?”

Oooh.Ethan is a demanding one. That’s kind of hot.

“And, I said fine,” she snaps.

Hmm… I’ve never heard her take that tone before either, and before I can hear anything else, Declan is by my side.

“Hi, birthday boy.” I angle my face up so he’ll kiss my lips.

“Hi, angel,” he whispers. “You look phenomenal tonight, Pip.” He gives me a once-over, runs his hands up and down the curve of my waist, over my hips, then pulls me toward our seat, not taking his hands off me all night.

* * *

I glance around our beautiful yard. The candles are flicking, and music plays softly in the background as we finish our last course before dessert. The weather has held up perfectly, and we’ve had such an amazing night that, on more than one occasion, I’ve laughed until cried. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect night for Declan’s birthday if I tried.

“Should we be spontaneous and book something for next weekend? I’m still breastfeeding, though, and can’t go away for that long. I have a good milk supply, but notthat good.”

Sadie says in reply to wanting to get away for a long weekend since it’s the first time in months that everyone is free at the same time.

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