Page 50 of The C*ck Down the Block

I held up a hand. “Do not finish that sentence.”

Lulu interjected, raising her choice higher, a more sophisticated burgundy gown that made me think of holiday Barbie. It was, in fact, what I’d worn to the Adams County Employee Christmas ball last year. “This one is timeless. Elegant. You can never go wrong with a classic.”

I glanced from one dress to the other, biting my lip, then thinking better of it because I’d already had to reapply my lipstick twice. This wasn’t just because I wanted to look good when I got to see Chris for the first time in four days. Four exceedingly long, horny days. Which I did. But I was going to be in the spotlight for most of the night. I hated being the center of attention.

“Chris is gonna think you’re a goddess no matter what you wear. He always has.” Jules was all for this relationship between me and her oldest brother. It was cute.

Lulu chimed in, “Look, the Queen Bees are gonna be buzzing with jealousy regardless. Because you’re you, you’re amazing, and they can’t stand it. So stop worrying about what they’re going to think about what you wear, and I know you are, and pick what you’re going to feel fabulous in.”

I wish Lulu wasn’t right. I hated that I cared what they’d think. I didn’t care what the rest of the world thought. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I was not only fine with how I looked, I loved my body. I was a fricking snack. But one word from Rachel or Amanda or Lacey, and I ridiculously felt like a moldy, old snack that made you wrinkle up your nose when you discovered it in the back of the refrigerator.

Sigh.

“Okay, fuck it. Let’s go bold. The red it is.” I held out my hand for the dress and pretended to ignore Jules’s triumphant grin. Yes, even the Kingman daughter had that competitive streak in her and would take the win.

I slipped it on over my head, and the too expensive fabric did feel amazing gliding across my skin. I turned and said, “Zip me up?”

“Allow me.” Chris walked into the room, his eyes sparkling.

As soon as I laid eyes on him, all the worries I was clinging to vanished. He looked up from checking out the cleavage this dress showed off rather well, our eyes met, and for a moment, the world stopped. His expression was a mix of awe and something deeper, something I hadn’t even known I needed. But I did need him. I might even love him.

He stepped behind me but didn’t immediately zip up the dress. He slowly ran his fingers up my bare spine and kissed my shoulder. Then he whispered in my ear, “If my sister and your friend weren’t here, I’d be stripping this dress off you instead of helping you into it.”

Jules cleared her throat and handed me a pair of golden hoop earrings. “But we are here, so you’re going to have to tell your hormones to cool their jets.”

“Don’t you have some homework to do or something, brat?” Chris acted the part of the put upon older brother, but it was so evident how much he loved his baby sister. Although, she wouldn’t be a baby much longer. She’d turn eighteen this year, and I pitied any guy who tried to ask her to homecoming or the prom.

Jules stuck her tongue out at Chris. “School hasn’t started yet, butthead.”

Chris finished zipping me up, and I did a little twirl.

“You look incredible.” His voice had gone all husky, and I sort of wished we didn’t have to go to this thing tonight. Maybe we could leave early.

“You look pretty great yourself.” I reached up and straightened his already straight tie just because I could.

“Your hot ass boyfriend is giving Brendan Fraser in the Mummy, but in a tux,” Lulu said and then recoiled. “Holy Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Am I bi? Excuse me while I go find my wife and bang her real quick in your guest bathroom.”

Chris was sporting some five o’clock shadow, and it was sexy as hell. I didn’t blame Lu one bit for lusting after him. I certainly was.

“Your friends are weird,” he said. We watched Lulu bolt from the room. “I like it.”

I pulled him closer by the lapels of his jacket. “Aren’t you my friend? Does that make you weird too?”

“I’m more than your friend, chickadee.” He brought his lips down to mine and kissed me softly, but then gave my lip a little bite.

“You too are both gross and cute at the same time. I’m leaving. But Christopher Bridger Kingman, if you mess up Trixie’s hair and makeup that we just spent the last hour on, I will pee in your Cheerios.”

Chris took a step back. laughing, and shoved his hands into his pockets. “She’ll do it. She has before. Granted, she was two, but still.”

We followed Jules down the stairs, because if we didn’t, Chris might have ended up with yellow Cheerios. She gave us a little wave and was out the front door. Probably so she didn’t have to see anymore gross cuteness from us. Lulu and her wife, Mina, were arm in arm, waiting in the living room. Nobody looked as though they had banged or been banged, so I guess Lu’s half a minute of bi-curiousness was over. Mina gave me a wink. “Great choice on the dress, Trix. Sure we can’t talk you into that threesome?”

“Ooh, sorry.” I shrugged and put my arm through Chris’s. “Wish I could, but it appears I’m now taken, girls.”

“Don’t let me stop you.” Chris had that giddy look all men get when presented with the idea of women doing sexy stuff.

I smacked him for it. “That is not what loving boyfriends are supposed to say.”

That boyfriend thing just slipped out. Was he my boyfriend now? What was I, twelve, waiting to ask him if we were girlfriend-boyfriend? We hadn’t defined anything, but we had said we were more than friends. My brain was full-on ready to go into a tailspin of overanalyzing what I’d just said while waiting for his reaction.

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