Page 44 of The Wingman

“Come on, you’re tired.”

“What smells so good?”

Peaches saunters down the hall and she drops to her knees to give her love. “How did you two make out?” she asks and casts me a quick glance.

“We came to an understanding.”

She laughs. “OH, you did, did you?”

Peaches purrs, lifts her tail, and saunters by me.

“And what might that be?” Jules asks.

“That she’s the superior being and I’m here to do her bidding.”

“That pretty much sums up the human-cat relationship.” She stands, and her smile is soft. “Thank you for this.” She looks around, past my shoulders. “It was such a rough day, and coming home to…” Her words fall off and she swallows.

“Come on,” I say, and capture her hand. “Time to wind down.”

A garbled sound catches in her throat as we enter the kitchen. “Oh my God, Rider. Time to wind down? It’s eight o’clock on a Saturday night. What are we, an old married couple?”

I reach for the dish towel and my brain stalls. Jules and me, an old married couple? Settling in early and spending our nights together. More importantly, waking up together every morning.

That’s an insane idea. Totally insane.

And I really shouldn’t like it so much.

“You’re right,” I say. “Do you want to hit the bar after we eat?”

She forces a smile, and her eyes roam my face. “Yeah, great idea,” she says, a false high in her voice. I pan the length of her tired body, the smudges under her eyes. Okay, I get it, she’s taking one for the team, assuming I want to go on the prowl after a game.

“Or…” I begin. “We can eat, and you can have a glass of wine after I pour you a bubble bath.”

“But the bar—”

“Once you’re relaxed, I can carry you to your bed and put my mouth between your legs.”

She exhales and her eyes briefly slide shut like that’s the best idea she’s heard all day. “But don’t you want—”

I drop to my knees in front of her, grip her chair and tug until her legs are wrapped around my waist. “What I want is my mouth on you. Last night.” I grip my hair and tug. “Fuck, man, last night on Skype…”

“It was fun,” she whispers. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

I touch the hem of her scrubs. “Maybe deep inside, you really are a thrill-seeker.”

“Maybe you bring that out in me.”

“Why’s that, Jules?”

Her brown eyes darken. “We’re friends. I trust you.”

My heart speeds up. Goddammit, I don’t take that trust lightly. It took me years to trust and her guard is high because someone hurt her—someone other than her ex.

I lean in, lightly brush my mouth over hers. “Staying in?”

“Yes, please.”

I chuckle.

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