Page 48 of Rest In Pink

“She went to sleep two hours ago. She’s out for the night. And Anemone is in Cincinnati.”

“I don’t care about Anemone, she walks in on us, she can learn a few things.”

His mouth dropped to my neck as he unbuttoned my jeans, flipping open his favorite five buttons with a practiced hand.

I said, “I seriously doubt it. I think Anemone has done everything. Twice.” Then his hand was on my breast, and I love that, and his other hand went deeper, so I stopped talking and unzipped him, and we let our natures take their course, and clothing was shifted, and then he boosted me up on the counter, where I was pretty sure I was going to leave a print since I was wet as hell, and he pushed his body between my legs, and started his usual lick down my stomach, and I fell back onto the counter, reminding myself to Lysol the whole thing before Marianne got in tomorrow, and then I stopped thinking about Lysol and anything except Vince and his magic mouth. And when I was shaking and satisfied, he got a condom out of his wallet and slid inside me, and the next few minutes were the two of us moving against each other like we were trying to destroy each other and coming our brains out next to a very nice buffet.

He slid me off the counter then, holding onto me until I got my balance, and then holding on to me some more which felt so good, and when I could talk, I said, “Mercy, that was excellent, thank you,” and he said “Thank you for dinner, both of them,” and we laughed.

He let go of me, kissing me one last time as he zipped up, and then sat back on the stool while I buttoned. He picked up a slice of roast beef and rolled it into a meat burrito. “So now that that’s over, what’s new?”

I blinked. We talked all the time, what could be new?

“You heard from Cash?” he said, like he was making general conversation.

“He called a day or so ago,” I said.

“Just wanted to chat?”

“He asked me to lunch again, for old times sake. I told him the old times were lousy. He said we could make new memories. I told him I was doing that with you and hung up.” I frowned at him. “Are you worried about me seeing him again or is this something to do with work?”

“Not worried. Interested.” He picked up his Coke as if we were just chatting, no big deal. “I would be worried if you didn’t dislike him so much.”

I shook my head. “That’s not why I keep saying no to him. He was great when I was upset about ML saying my mother was drinking again. He’s always been nice to my mom. He’s Kitty’s son, I can’t be rude to him.”

Vince was silent for a moment. “Then why say no?”

“Because of you, you moron. There was a Cash-sized hole in my life for a long time, and then you came along and busted it wide open because you’re so much bigger than he ever was. You obliterated him. Why would I ever say yes to him while you’re standing right here?”

He was still for a minute, and then he leaned in and kissed me again, different this time, not lust infused, just . . . us, and it was so good, so right, even without the buffet-adjacent oral, that I said, “Spend the night,” and he said, “Okay,” and everything was good again.

I did take time to put the food away and Lysol the counter. I’m not a savage.

SUNDAY

Posted on BurneyCommunityNews on Facebook, Sunday 9AM:

We are still struggling to evict the vile hacker from our community page. If anyone out there is an expert computer person and would like to donate his or her time, we would be very grateful. Our Page Administrator, MaryLou Blue, has asked me to post that she is very serious about her GoFundMe page, and asks that people stop pledging amounts like one dollar and no sense in the support comments. She says that is not support.

Thank you, Faye Blue, Page Administrator Pro Tem

Posted on BurneyCommunityNews on Facebook, Sunday 9:15 AM

BRIEFCASES FULL OF CASH . . . FOR CASH?

The circle is closing, my friends. Soon there will be no place to hide. Let’s get to the heart of the matter. What is Senator Amy Wilcox covering up about her much older, deceased husband? What secret about her husband, Cleve Blue, is Faye Blue trying desperately to keep? Why did Cleve hand Senator Alex Wilcox a cash-filled briefcase years ago? And what does that have to do with the evildoers targeting Burney today? And how is Senator Amy Wilcox’s aide Cashing in on all of this?

Stay tuned for the shocking answers and more thought-provoking questions. Go to BurneySecrets&Lies at ThomasThacker.online and pre-order the forthcoming tell-all e-book on Burney and all its dark secrets, out soon. You will not be disappointed.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The next morning, I woke up late, which I blame on that super-soft bed and the super-soft woman wrapped around me. I dressed as quietly as I could so as not to wake her up. Liz sleeps like the dead, but even so, I wanted a clean getaway.

I was almost to the front door when I heard Peri say, “Hi, Vince,” and I looked through the doorway to the left and saw her and Anemone at breakfast at a big blue dining room table; Veronica the dog was under the table, and a dark-haired woman in an apron was holding a plate of sausage and waffles.

“This is Liz’s,” the woman said, “but if she’s still snoring, it can be yours, Dour Cop,” and Anemone said, “Yes, please, Vince, come in and have breakfast.”

It was an ambush. I knew it was because they’d trained us on those extensively in Ranger School. Both how to plan one and what to do if trapped in one. The school solution is to assault into the ambushers with everything you have. Plus, I was hungry, I’d burned a lot of calories last night, and the sausage smelled good.

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