Page 147 of You're so Bad

“I know what you want to talk to her about, dear. I’ve had plenty of turns around the sun.” But she leans in and kisses me on the cheek. “You make a handsome zombie.”

“And you make one fine-looking old broad.”

She swats me, and Shauna sighs. “Stop manhandling my boyfriend, Nana.”

“She can manhandle me all she wants,” I tell her with a wink. Then I lead Shauna away to an open pocket at the side of the hallway.

“We need to get your grandmother online dating,” I say in an undertone as I push her up against the wall. “Wouldn’t that be fun for us?”

She laughs, her nose wrinkling. “She’d never let us.”

“Who says we have to ask for permission? We can tell her after we’ve made her dates with a few silver foxes.” I lift up my hands. “Her words.”

“Maybe.” She glances at her grandmother through the crowd. “I’m not convinced she needs anyone, though. She’s happy for the first time in who-knows-how-long. And she has us.”

“Nothing wrong with having a little fun,” I say, letting my hand drop to her hip.

“That’s how this started.” She grins at me, her eyes bright. “And now I’m stuck with you.”

“Come on, honey.” I rub her hip. “You don't mind it none.”

She leans in and kisses me, too damn quickly, probably because there are at least a hundred people around us. “I don’t mind it at all. So, Danny’s trying to get someone to give him another shot?”

I explain the Daphne situation quickly, and her eyes light up. “So, Josie was right?”

“Or it may be another cake situation,” I point out. “As in, nothing would ever have happened if she hadn’t stuck her nose in other people’s business in the first place.”

“I don’t know anymore,” she says softly, glancing back at our friends. “She was right about a whole lot. She was right about us.”

“Sure, but any idiot could see I was a goner for you.”

She grins at me. “We’re going to help him, though, right?”

I go in for another feel of her hip, her butt. “We’ll help him the way he needs to be helped, sure. But I’m not convinced Daphne is the right woman for him. Let’s table that for another day, though. I was hoping I could convince you to have sex in the bathroom. I’ve been staring at your ass in those shorts all night.”

She laughs and takes me by the collar. “How did I know you like to have sex in bathrooms?”

“I want you anywhere and any way I can get you.”

“Same,” she says, pulling me down for a kiss. I give it to her good and judging by the way her tiger makeup’s smeared when I pull away, it’s probably all over my face. I hope so, because I’m a lucky man, and I’d like everyone to know it. She takes my hand and leads me toward the staff bathroom—the only one that has a lock.

Maybe Josie’s psychic. Maybe not. But Shauna has a point…she was right about me…and not just about the jail thing. I guess she could be right about Danny too. Except my gut is telling me he has the wrong girl in mind.

I think he needs more of a tiger.

Then again, I can’t understand why a man would want anything less.

“When was the last time I told you I’m madly in love with you?” I ask as Shauna pulls me into the bathroom and shuts the door.

“An hour ago.” She slides a hand under my shirt.

“Well, damn, I’ve been slacking.”

Her hand dips down to my belt, her lips lifting into a smirk. “Yes, you’d better do something about that.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

* * *

---