DUKE

The steady sound of a car horn broke our slumbering silence, its rhythm increasing in intensity until it filled the room.

“Holy shit, I overslept.” Last night’s rest was the best I’d had in years, and I attributed it to the adorable bundle of my baby girl nestled up to me beneath the covers.

Orange light filtered through the blinds, casting a warm radiance on the bedroom.

Clover stirred beside me, her face snuggled into the crook of my neck and her arm draped over my chest. “Whaaaaa?” she groaned, pulling the comforter over her head as protection against the bright morning sun. “Too early.”

The Daily Grind was closed today and tomorrow. Even so, I rarely slept in this late. Whoever was busting in on my shut-eye and disturbing the naked love bug at my side was going to have hell to pay.

I strode to the window, yanked the chord on the venetians, and beheld a sight which made momentary panic thrust my heart into gear like a boot inside my chest, trying to kick its way out.

Shit.

Her family.

Here, in Briarville?

I watched as my best friend walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Clover’s mom, and my eyes widened in amazement as his father-in-law got out of the back seat and did the same for his wife. Faith, Clover’s little sister, spilled out from where she’d been sitting on the back bench between her grandparents, wearing a T-shirt which readDitch Dairy.

Clover yawned and slowly opened her eyes, stretching her arms overhead. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the morning light before realizing I was upset.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Notit.Them.Your family.” I touched a hand to my forehead, moving more slowly than the situation required.

Immediately, she scrambled out of bed and cried out in excitement, “They’re here! I can’t believe it!”

She bounced nervously on her toes, and her jutting breasts arched towards the ceiling, her narrow waist accentuated by generous hips and wonderful mouth-watering thighs.

Jesus.

Now was definitely not the time for my lust to be running the show.

Her reason kicked in before mine. “Oh, my goodness. I’m naked in your bedroom. I need to get dressed!”

I took a moment to think, trying to come up with how to handle this extremely delicate situation.

Her face was a mask of worry. It replaced the excitement from moments before with brows that drew together in an agonized expression. The situation was completely FUBAR, and I knew she was as equally aware of it as I was.

I held my hands up in a defensive gesture and forced a laugh to calm her down. “It’s okay. This isn’t some soap opera drama. We’re in control. I’ll answer the door while you get dressed in your room.”

She stopped wringing her hands and took a deep breath, trying to gain control of herself. Stepping away from me, her eyes darted around the room, searching for the dress and silky panties she’d worn last night, and dashed out the door.

“We can’t tell them anything,” she said as a parting remark. “About us!”

I swallowed hard past the tennis ball lodged in my throat, and sagged against the wall as I tried to mask my disappointment, waving down at our guests and gesturing I’d be right there.

She was right, of course. Now wasn’t the time to let my buddy know I was trying to court his daughter. Clover and I needed to see how things played out between us before announcing our relationship to the world.

What if she decided the risk of my relapsing down the road was too great? Besides, I remembered what it was like to be young. Things changed fast between a man and a woman at her age. If things didn’t work out, I stood to lose not only her but also my best friend, her father.

I found a clean pair of boxer shorts and pulled them on. “Down, boy,” I told my eager dick, who was apparently completely unaware of the awkward situation at hand, because he’d seen Clover naked, and it wasn’t even noon yet.

Shit, will I be able to keep from drinking her up with my eyes in front of them?I wondered, pulling a black T-shirt over my head and yanking on a pair of jeans.

Clover popped her head back in the door, wearing a yellow sundress and white sneakers, an outfit which did nothing to quell the swollen state of my cock. Relief was written across her face.