Page 89 of I Got You

I glare at him. “Well, I guess we’ll just see about that.”

∞∞∞

I’m tucked in the kitchen with Simone and Gwen, working on shuffling things in and out of the oven while the guys are outside with the kids. The house is quiet except for the soft music I turned on and the subtle conversation between us while we work.

Simone stands next to me, tossing hot rolls into a basket. “Who’s the new kid with Cole?”

“Nick. He’s one of Shane’s guys. He’s a freshman and finding his way. I like to call him Chip. He needs a little love.”

Gwen peeks out the kitchen window. “When he walked through here, he looked like a deer in the headlights.”

“We are a lot. Not everyone can handle us, so we’ll see if he makes it.”

Simone bumps my hip with hers, although it’s more like my ribs because her legs are so freaking long. “Honey, those pants on you are…those are hot. If I’m rejoining the dating scene, I need a pair.”

I laugh. “You could wear joggers, and men would fall at your feet.”

Gwen turns to look at us. “Maggie, those pants and your booty would make any man weep.”

My mouth falls open, and Simone gasps. “Miss Gwen.”

I look down at my fake leather leggings I’ve paired with a cream-colored ballet wrap top that hits just above the high waistline. I’m no supermodel, but these leggings fit like a glove, and I know it. They are a weapon in disguise, and Shane declared war earlier.

“Gweny,” I say, astonished. “You have been hiding a sassy side. Who knew? Please let her out to play more often.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Ladies, I was once young and cute, too. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. If you’re trying to kill that big hunk of a man out there, those are going to do it.”

I’m stunned speechless.

“For real,” Simone adds. “You should be careful. He might swallow his tongue, which is going to be a real disappointment when you finally quit trying to fight it and make out with your husband. Sheesh, I wouldn’t have lasted a day, let alone all this time. I’m getting flustered just thinking about all that pent-up angst.” She fans herself.

I glare at her. We didn’t need to be spilling my almost make-out with Shane.

“There will be no making out. We’re just…friends. It’s complicated.”

Gwen spins around, her hands on her hips, looking at me in a motherly tone. “There’s nothing complicated about it. I’ve seen the two of you. You’re married, and don’t you think it’s about time you both let yourselves see what this can really be?”

I sigh. “It’s not that simple. We have an arrangement and can’t mix things up with…sex. Plus, I want more than that.”

“Who says it’s not more than that?” Gwen asks, like I’m missing something. “Don’t forget I’m around both of you, coming and going, and my eyes aren’t what they used to be, but I can see he cares…quite a lot.”

“He’s still so closed off.” This is not the conversation I was expecting to have today. “Sure, the attraction is raging, at least on my end, but I need more than that. I don’t want to let things go too far, only to find out I don’t really know him. I want him to want to share things with me. I want to know who he is inside and what he’s thinking.”

Simone raises her eyebrows at me. “And have you shared things with him?”

I huff and tip my head to the side, knowing I’ve only given him bits and pieces but none of the big stuff.

“Maybe you need to lead by example,” she says like it’s that easy. “Seriously, those pants might just have him spilling his deepest darkest secrets.”

“See,” I squeal. “That was my dirty little plan. The good ole’ look but can’t touch. Drive him crazy until he breaks.”

Gwen scoffs. “Sweetheart, he’s at least as stubborn as you are, and at this rate, I’m scared about what might combust if the tension gets any thicker. Shane is cool as a cucumber, and you’ve all but set that man’s peace on fire.”

I laugh. “My dad always said my mama was like a firecracker. You just never knew when she might go off. I can’t help it. I come by it naturally.”

As we laugh, the back door opens, and Shane steps in. The kitchen is suddenly silent, and he stops in his tracks. Those thick dark eyebrows pull together, the crease appearing between them like he knows we were talking about him. Then, his eyes find me, and he stares long enough to make everyone uncomfortable.

“What are those?” he asks, and it almost sounds like a growl.

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