Page 22 of Cougar

I finally feel like I have found people I can let my guard down with. People I don’t have to school my inner crazy for. These women have their own brand of crazy that compliments my own. I was worried about Audrina because she seemed so sad and broken when I opened that door, but as I get to know her more, I realize how perfect she is for Rambo. I am learning more about the men I only saw as brothers in my father’s club or people I saw from time to time. Mom and I never spent a lot of time at the ranch because Dad was worried my curious nature would put me somewhere I shouldn’t be.

I am still always on the hunt for the answers to things I would like to know. I may not be as rabid for information as some people cough, Ashlynn cough.

“Are you nervous about the baby coming?” Ellie asks me, snapping me from my thoughts.

“Not yet. I have a lot of time to be nervous.” I answer, subconsciously rubbing my bump.

“Have you looked for furniture? Cause I think we will need to plan a baby shopping day if not.” Bri says, clapping her hands with drunken excitement.

“We haven’t because her mom has taken over the nursery game.” John’s voice comes up from behind me.

“No! Why can’t you be like normal men and leave us to talk about vaginal cleaning techniques without an audience!” Ashlynn whines as all the other men walk up to be with their women.

“Fucking, Ashlynn,” Bri whispers. At least, I think she thinks she’s whispering.

“Because you seem to always talk them into your drunken antics. Bri is too nice or drunk to tell you no.” Cowboy matches her whine.

John lifts me from my chair with minimal effort and places me on his lap. I see the other men have made the same move, except for Willie. He sat beside Ashlynn on the bench and held her close.

“Why is Abilene taking control of the nursery?” Cowboy asks.

“Yeah, is she going to make it all about pigs?” Rambo asks. “That room was already kinda pink, so it doesn’t need a lot of work if that’s what she wants to do.”

“I think we need to find a bunch of Harley stuff. It’s the first baby boy born in this group. Dillon is gonna be a farmer like his uncle Cowboy, but what if this little dude is gonna be a biker or a mechanic like the cool gang?” Willie poses the question.

“Can you get Harley stuff in baby sizes?” I ask John, and he shrugs.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Willie picking up Ashlynn’s long-forgotten phone from the side of the fire pit. The guys are bantering about talking to my mom about making the nursery black, orange, and chrome—debating on who will brave that conversation. John and I noped out of that obligation fast. She is already so pissed about the doctor’s appointments. We don’t need more to anger that redhead.

“Well, let’s see if we can even get it off the internet before we send someone to their death with Abilene,” Willie says, unlocking Ashlynn’s phone. Before anyone can stop him, he looks down and shrieks like a little girl. He looks at Ashlynn and then the rest of us. “That is not vaginal cleaning techniques!” He starts to gag and looks back at the phone and then at us again. “Unless you are turning our dicks into some twisted bottle-cleaning brush.”

The men look equally scared and curious about what he is looking at. But he would pull it away whenever Ash reached for the phone.

“Do I want to know?” John whispers in my ear. His warm breath washes over my neck, that has been cooled by the night air. It causes me to shiver and my skin to pucker with goosebumps.

“It involves me sharing your not-so-little secret, Ashlynn, alcohol, and the internet.” I snicker as we watch the woman in question chase her mountain of a man around to get her phone.

I can’t help the guffaw that falls from my lips when I see Willie toss the phone at Cowboy and him turning green at the screen before Ashlynn snatches it back.

“Do I need to cancel girls’ night unless there is adult supervision?” Cowboy strains to say. Swallowing down, what I can only assume, is the beer he just powered back, which is now threatening to come back up.

“Only if you want that done to your cock.” Bri says, not so gently elbowing her husband in the gut.

I sit back and laugh at everything going on around me. John has his arms wrapped around me, rubbing my stomach. When the whole crew starts to get wild, he softly sings I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden in my ear.

I know he can sing country music, but hearing him sing this? I’m melting and couldn’t be more thankful that he’s holding me up. I turn my face toward him, and my mouth meets his. The kiss is slow yet deep.

“Take me home, John. I need you.”

I deepen the kiss and start to twist so I can give him more.

“Get a fucking room. Come on, Willie. I need sex.”

I pull back when everyone groans, turning back to them all and laughing. These people are crazy, but they’re now mine.

Ten

Cougar

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