Fate Interrupted Read online

Chapter Six

 

  Dean rested a hand on the long door handle and hesitated, knowing it was too late to bail out now. Evy had probably already seen him through the glass. His heart was beating so fast he could barely breathe. He took a deep breath, wondering what his problem was, and pushed. Soft music drifted over him from above as he stepped inside, the smell of coffee and apple cinnamon permeating the air. The tables were mostly empty, which wasn't surprising at nine o'clock on a Monday morning. Brooke grabbed a blueberry muffin from the glass case and started for the register. She saw Dean and froze. Evy bumped into her from behind, knocking an iced mocha from her hands. They jumped back, dodging the spill as it exploded across the tiled floor. Evy slowly looked up from the mess to her sister, who stood gawking at Dean as he quietly approached the counter. Evy followed Brooke's stoic gaze and her eyes widened.

  When those green eyes fell upon him, everything else faded down a long tunnel that stretched for miles. His blood pounded thickly in his temples, driving the music from his ears and replacing it with a pulsating thud. He crossed the black and white checkered floor on rubbery legs. It was all he could do to keep from tripping over his own two feet. He tried to focus but Evy's hair spilled over her shoulders like chocolate waterfalls and the need to run his fingers through it consumed him.

  "Hi," she said, a tentative smile pulling at her lips.

  He finally reached the counter and rested against it, struggling for breath after the long walk through quicksand. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's all thumbs around here," he said, observing the chocolate colored mess on the floor.

  She smiled in embarrassment. "Her fault," she said, jerking a thumb at Brooke. "She stopped short. "

  A black lady in a pretty dress that masked her weight let out an irritable sigh, her long purple nails drumming against the counter.

  Evy apologized and turned her mesmerizing gaze back to Dean. "Give me one second. "

  "Take your time," he replied, watching her make a new drink and falling in love with the back pockets on her tight fitting jeans. It seemed like months since he had last seen her and he craved more.

  "You look nice. "

  His eyes snapped over to Brooke and slowly lowered to his black sports coat and jeans. "Thanks, got a big meeting today so I figured I'd grab a box of muffins on my way in. "

  "I bet you did," she said coyly, setting the blueberry muffin on the counter in front of the black lady. "No tie, huh?"

  He smoothed his button down and shook his head. "Trying to quit. "

  "I like your style," she grinned, letting her gaze wander to his crotch for a moment. "You married?"

  His eyebrows pulled together. "No. "

  "Kids?"

  "Brooke," Evy softly warned, drizzling chocolate syrup over whip cream.

  "I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with him. "

  "No kids. "

  The lady by the register sized Dean up from head to toe, her nails clicking against the counter. "He's obviously gay. No way a man that good looking is straight. Trust me!"

  Brooke burst into laughter while Dean flushed with heat. "I'm not gay either. Not that's there's anything wrong with that. "

  "Mmm-hmmm," the woman moaned through her nose, taking the new drink from Evy and handing her a ten. "If that's true, I'd handcuff his ass to your wrist before he gets away," she whispered to Evy, loud enough for everyone to hear.

  Brooke laughed again and then grew somber, staring at Dean through wondering eyes. "Take off your shirt. "

  "Brooke!" Evy shrieked, handing the lady's change back. "What is wrong with you?"

  The lady took the change and checked her watch. "I've got time. "

  Dean tugged on his collar. "Is it getting hot in here?"

  "It's about to, sugar!" the lady said, bellowing with laughter.

  Ben pushed through the swinging door, holding Darth Vader's head on a platter. He stopped and followed everyone's gaze. "You must be Steve," he said, carefully setting the head in the glass case and extending his hand. "I'm Ben, Brooke's husband. "

  "Hey, Ben," Dean replied, shaking his hand.

  "It's Dean," Brooke corrected out the corner of her mouth.

  "Oh, Dean, sorry, man," Ben said, glancing at his wife. "You're right; he does kind of look like Bradley Cooper, but way taller. " He leaned forward like he was about to tell Dean an important secret. "Those Hollywood types are always little hobbits in real life. Trust me, I've been to LA. "

  Dean pointed to the Darth Vader. "Is that a cake?"

  Ben followed the point and nodded. "Billy Jefferson's ninth birthday tomorrow. "

  "That is amazing. It looks just like his head!"

  Ben chuckled shyly. "Thanks, man. "

  "Assorted?" Evy asked, holding up an empty pastry box.

  Dean's eyes darted over to her. "That'd be great. "

  "So, Dean," Ben said, folding his beefy arms across an Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt. "You from around here?"

  "Born and raised. "

  "Hey, do you know if that Jeffrey Dahmer tour is still going on anymore? I can't find out much about it online. "

  "And that's my cue," the black lady said, grabbing her blueberry muffin and drink. "Thank you, ladies," she sang out.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Johansen," Brooke and Evy said at the same time in airy voices.

  Brooke watched Mrs. Johansen disappear outside and turned to her husband. "Ben, stop being so creepy!"

  "What? I'm just trying to catch up on my Milwaukee history. "

  "Then go to a brewery," she snapped.

  Ben turned to Dean and rolled his eyes.

  Dean laughed. "I'm not exactly sure about the tour," he said, watching Evy fill his box and wanting to return the favor.

  "Huh," Ben muttered. "We did the Charles Manson tour last year in LA and it was insane. "

  Dean lifted his brow. "I bet. "

  "It was like you could still feel their ghosts at those houses," Ben whispered, shivering with the chills. "You believe in ghosts, Dean?"

  Dean's eyebrows drew together. "Ummm, well, one time my TV turned on in the middle of the night. "

  Ben's eyes widened. "I've got an EVP recorder. You want me to come by sometime?"

  "EVP?"

  Ben nodded. "Electronic Voice Phenomenon. "

  Dean swallowed dryly.

  Evy pushed past Ben and came around the counter. "Let's go outside. "

  "We should grab a beer sometime, Deano," Ben hollered over the counter. "I'll take some readings!"

  Dean shot a hand into the air, following Evy out front where four tables and chairs made up a small sidewalk cafe. She set the pastry box on a table and pulled out a white chair. He took off his jacket and sat down, watching the breeze tickle her hair.

  "Wow, that wasn't embarrassing or anything. "

  "He seems like a good guy. "

  "He needs to stop asking people about that Jeffrey Dahmer stuff. Even I know it's a sensitive subject around here. "

  "Well, he doesn't seem like the type to be as interested in the Fonzie statue. "

  She giggled softly. "You're right. "

  "So are Brooke and Ben from Des Moines as well?"

  Evy nodded.

  "What brought em here?"

  "Ben was a tattoo artist with this huge guy named Hicks at a parlor in Des Moines. Hicks is originally from Milwaukee and wanted to move back home to open his own shop with his cousin and Ben as partners. Ben was soooo excited about it. "

  "No wonder his cakes are so detailed. Guy's got skills. "

  "Yeah, Ben is incredible, and they found the perfect spot right here in downtown, but Hicks ended up getting into a bar fight the night before they were supposed to sign the lease. "

  "Uh-oh. "

  Evy nodded grimly. "He's still got three years left to serve in prison. "

  "Wow, he must've messed someone up pretty good. "

  "Smashed a pint glass into some guy's face over an argument about football. "
>
  "Holy shit. "

  "Poor guy had to have a hundred and forty stitches and several rounds of reconstructive surgery. "

  "What happened to the tattoo shop?"

  "When Hicks went to prison it fell through. "

  Dean cocked his head to one side. "So Ben opened a dessert bar instead?"

  "Well, Sugars had been one of the places they had looked at for the tattoo shop but it had a kitchen they didn't need. Meanwhile, Brooke had always wanted to start her own bakery and Ben immediately thought of this place. " Evy gazed at their reflection in Sugars' front window and smiled. "He said he kept seeing her baking brownies in that kitchen. And when the dessert bar aspect came into play they found something they could enjoy doing together, like it was meant to be. "

  "He must really love her. "

  Her hand found his on the table. "It was such a romantic thing for him to do. "

  He squeezed her hand and stared into her eyes. "Would you settle for a dozen roses?"

  She wrinkled her brow and laughed. He wanted to kiss the nape of her neck and work his way up to those luscious lips. They called to him without speaking and all he could think about was getting her alone and putting his hands all over her. She grinned as if reading his mind and dropped his scorching gaze. He waited for her eyes to find their way back to him, knowing it wouldn't be long. She wrung her fingers on the table in front of her and looked back up, making his heart stutter.

  "Hey, what're you doing tonight?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.

  She blinked at him. "I'm not sure. Why?"

  "Let me take you out to dinner. "

  She twirled a lock of hair around a finger, his brown eyes and messy hair awakening something inside of her she never knew existed. Never before had she felt such heat make her body tremble. Her sister was right, there had to be something wrong with him.

  "Just you and me this time, and nothing too fancy. "

  She nodded before she even realized she was doing it, unable to resist him in any way, shape, or form. It was way too late for that. "What time?"

  ***

  Dean checked his watch and softly knocked on Evy's front door. Silence answered him. His senses felt heightened, like a vampire. He could hear his heart banging against his chest. He shifted in his stance, trying to see through the heavy wooden door like he had x-ray vision. It was so quiet. Too quiet. He found himself wondering if she was even home, wondering if she had changed her mind. He stared at the peephole looking back at him. It looked like a light was on in the living room so he raised his fist to knock again.

  The door opened with a loud crack as the swollen wood freed itself from the jam. He flinched with the noise and dropped his hand to his side, trying to act cool. Her warm smile and perfume washed over him. The front of her satin tank top was tucked into a pair of jeans that complimented her hips. His eyes traveled the length of her legs to the painted toes peeking out from some dark blue high heels. His heart responded accordingly, sending palpitations running amuck.

  "You look. . . beautiful. "

  She opened the door all the way and stepped off to the side. "Thank you. So do you. "

  He stepped inside, scanning every inch of the place like a crime scene investigator, wanting to know everything about her he possibly could.

  "Well, you passed the first test," she said, shutting the door and locking the deadbolt.

  "And what's that?"

  "You're not a vampire, because I didn't invite you in. "

  "Yeah, but you swept your hand out, which I think, technically, counts as sign language. "

  A red tongue wet her lips as she sashayed into the kitchen, her heels lightly clicking across the tiled floor. "No biting. "

  "Well, you're no fun," he replied, examining some framed pictures for clues. "This is a great place. "

  "Thanks," she said, coming back into the room and handing him a cold bottle of beer. "Have to park three blocks away but it has its charm. "

  "And you can see the lake. "

  She followed his gaze out an eastern facing living room window. "Barely," she laughed, taking a quick sip of red wine and heading into the bathroom. "Give me two minutes. "

  "No hurry," he said, running his hand along the hand carved woodwork adorning waist high built-ins dividing the quaint dining room from the kitchen. He bent for a closer inspection of her books and a picture of her and Brooke with what must be their parents. Their mom had the same dazzling green eyes, all of them stretching smiles from ear to ear as boats whizzed past in the background. "Your parents must be really proud of you and your sister. "

  Her head popped out of the bathroom. "They are, but they wished we would have stayed closer to home. "

  He glanced over his shoulder and their eyes locked with some invisible bond, stronger than anything he had ever felt before. Her gaze ran down his long-sleeved button down to his jeans and boots. He thought he heard her sigh but wasn't sure. She blinked like she had just come to and ducked back into the bathroom. He gravitated toward her, dying to know what she was doing in there, needing just one more glimpse.

  He came around the corner of the small bathroom and leaned in the doorway, the smell of hair spray and lotion hanging in the air. He quietly watched her brush makeup onto her cheeks, each gentle stroke drawing him in closer.

  She jumped when she saw his reflection in the mirror and clapped a hand over her chest. "Oh my God, you scared me," she chuckled. Her eyes fell to the sink and a gasp escaped her. She slid a compact-sized package of birth control pills into a drawer and slammed it shut, flushing with color the makeup could not hide.

  "Sorry," he said, taking a sip of beer while his eyes ravaged her entire body. "But I think you're messing with perfection. "

  She smiled at him in the mirror and set the brush down on the sink without looking, her eyes piercing him with something he could not read. She turned to him and shut the light off, her scent lighting him on fire. "All done. "

  He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to him. This time he definitely heard a sigh. Her soft body pressed up against his, her perfume enflaming his senses. They gazed into each other's eyes, the air charged with beauty products and expectations of things to come, only breaking eye contact long enough to study each others' lips. Less than three inches of space stood between him and what he wanted and it was no match.

  "I've been waiting to do this all day," he whispered, pushing his mouth onto hers, tasting the sweet red wine on her lips.

  Evy took a startled step back and then threw her arms around his neck, sucking him into her mouth. Her eyes closed as her wet tongue flicked against his. He pushed her back into the bathroom and set his beer on the counter, cupping her face in his hands and gently directing her movements to mirror his own. Dean pressed his pelvis into her, forcing a light groan from her soul, which strengthened his resolve.

  Evy parted for breath and staggered backwards, staring at him in wild wonder, her chest heaving beneath her shiny top. She glanced at his silhouette in the mirror and shrank against the shower door. "What is this?"

  The fear on her face filled him with doubt, making his heart flutter. "What is what?"

  Her voice shook when she talked. "Whatever you're doing," she whispered.

  He studied her with grave eyes, no intentions of going back now, and pulled her into his arms. Their faces jerked to a stop inches from one another. His fingers ran through her soft hair as her unmatched beauty sent tremors of anticipation shooting down his spine. He leaned in and kissed her softly, forcing himself to stop before he drained her.

  "We should probably go. "

  She swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling. "Okay. "

  He let her pass by, inhaling her fragrance that enveloped him like a mystical spell, and followed its trail into the living room. She took some lip-gloss from her purse and carefully ran it across her lips. His tongue swept across his own lips, his appetite getting wetter.

  "So, where are we going anyway?" she
asked, dropping the tube back into her purse and slinging the brown leather bag over her shoulder.

  Her attempt at small talk made him grunt. "My favorite pizza joint just around the corner. You hungry?"

  Her eyes swept over to him as she blindly straightened her hair in front of an imaginary mirror. "I could eat. "

  Dean nodded and followed her out into the brightly lit hallway where she stopped to lock the door. When she turned back around he pushed her up against the door and kissed her again. She didn't resist. Couldn't resist. He explored her soft curves, pouring buckets of blood into his stiffening manhood. He broke their kiss to gasp for air and forced her eyes to meet his. They spoke without talking, communicating in a language more reserved for the wild.

  Their lips gravitated back together. He tilted her head to the side and trailed down her jaw line, whispering her name in her ear before nibbling at the soft spot in her neck. The smell of her skin and hair intoxicated him with an unbridled desire that overwhelmed his control. She trembled against the door, unable to fight the hidden pull between them.

  Dean pressed against her as she ran her hands down his muscular back. He paused to find her glassy eyes, their chests heaving against each other. "If I don't stop myself now we're going to miss dinner" he whispered.

  "I'm not hungry. . . for food," she said faintly, her nipples poking through her top.

  Her words bolstered the stir in his pants. He took a deep breath before forcing his mouth onto hers and pinning her arms to the door. She squirmed beneath him, desperate to put her hands upon his body, but he wouldn't release her, letting his mouth have its way with her instead.

  "Well, at least somebody's havin a good night round here," a gray bearded man said with a grin as he squeezed past.

  They watched him disappear out the front door into the night, their mouths hanging open. Evy turned back to Dean, her hungry eyes sparkling like distant planets. She glanced down at the bulge in his pants and bit her bottom lip. In a flash, she spun on her heels and turned back to the door. He nibbled on her neck and cupped her breasts from behind, rubbing the slippery fabric against her erect nipples as she fumbled with the lock. He pressed his hardness against her rear end, loving the way he fit into her delicate curves. The door clicked open and they spilled back inside. He kicked the door shut with his foot and pushed her into the bedroom, kissing her the entire way.

  They stopped in front of her bed, its white sheets and pillows as fluffy as a lazy cloud, kissing passionately as their hands explored each other like ravenous teenagers. Evy quivered beneath his touch as his hand slid up the small of her back, caressing every inch of her silky skin along the way. The voltage between them was palpable, enough to light an entire village.

  She pulled his shirt over his head without wasting time with the buttons. Her fingers raked trails across his chest, reading his strapping curves like brail. His fingers traced along her sensitive sides, making her pull away and laugh. The metal clasp on her bra easily surrendered with a sinuous snap of Dean's fingers, a light moan bursting from her as he freed her lovely breasts. He slipped her top and bra over her head in one fluid motion and tossed them across the room where they could no longer impede his needful progress. Shadows caressed her curves, demanding discovery. He took her breasts by surprise and she moaned his name out loud.

  Evy gasped when he pushed her onto the bed, falling backwards with a soft bounce. Dean stood over her, breathing hard like he had just finished the Boston Marathon, a storm of emotions flooding his senses. He stared at her like a shocked school boy, savoring what was yet to come. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. "

  In the faint light spilling in from the living room, Evy's eyes roamed his rigid stature like wild horses, following the trails of the hardened muscles carving throughout his torso. She never dreamed anyone could look so gorgeous, like a Greek god found only in books and movies. She pulled him to her by the waist of his jeans and their lips reconnected like long lost friends. Dean inhaled her deep into his soul, pressing against her in the shadowy light, needing every drop he could take. She fumbled with his jeans, desperately twisting the top button in all directions until it finally relented.

  He swallowed loudly. "I don't have a condom. I didn't think we would. . . "

  "I'm on the pill," she said in a sultry whisper. "I've only been with one person and was tested after it ended. "

  "I've never been with anyone without a condom," he panted, staring into her eyes while caressing her cheek. "Are you sure you. . . "

  She cut him off by healing their broken kiss and cupped his ass with both hands. His lips trailed off to nibble an earlobe and she groaned as he rubbed against her. "Dean," she whispered, writhing beneath his touch. "This is. . . "

  Her words died as his teeth found a nipple and bit down with force. She threw her head back into the pillow and moaned louder, pulling at fistfuls of his hair. Dean sucked on her nipples, circling them with his tongue as he snatched her high heels and slid them off, producing one soft thud after another as they hit the floor. Her jeans were quick to follow, exposing a pair of red lace panties that nearly made his heart stop.

  "So beautiful," he whispered, letting the jeans slip from his fingers to the floor.

  She watched the fire leap higher in his eyes when her legs parted, and it made her even wetter. Dean ran his fingers along the inside of her leg, pushing her panties aside until finding her creamy center. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Evy arched her back as he rubbed circles into her clitoris, driving her wild. A finger slipped inside and she cried out, desperate for more. The room spun. She yanked on his hair and screamed for mercy as he sent another finger in to join the first. Her body shook like an earthquake. She was so wet and didn't know how much more she could take.

  "Dean," she gasped, pulling him back up by his hair. She found his untamed eyes, not believing it could be like this, needing to become one with him, like pieces of liquid metal melding together. "I want you inside me," she said softly, ripping his jeans off like wrapping paper on a Christmas morning. She leaned back, her eyes widening in surprise as his stiff cock twitched in the air, reaching for her with a desperation she had yet to witness. Dean slid her panties past her feet and threw them over his shoulder without looking. Her pulse raced as they took each other in, the flames in his eyes making her purr with satisfaction.

  He pinned her wrists to the mattress. She fought him for a few seconds before pulling her knees back and drawing him inside of her with her heels. Her eyes widened with the fleshy incursion, an audile groan spurting from her lips.

  "Evy, you feel so good. " he whispered into her ear.

  She could see his pulse thumping in his neck with each gentle thrust. Her entire body shuddered, her wrists pinned to the mattress.

  Dean pumped harder and she trembled against him like a leaf. He pushed up, digging deeper, sending white explosions blasting against the back of his eyelids. Evy snapped her head to the side and gave him every velvety inch he desired, which he gladly accepted with greedy thrusts. She wrapped her legs around his back, locking him in as she tumbled head first into an earth shattering ecstasy she had deprived herself of for far too long.

  "Don't stop," she moaned, tightening her muscles around his unforgiving cock.

  He plunged deeper, making her cry out to the ceiling. She tried to free her hands but he wouldn't release them. Her body tensed as his hips worked harder, faster. It was too much, had been too long. She arched her back and screamed his name, her body convulsing with jerky spasms. He clenched his teeth and exploded, emptying himself into her with pulsating bursts, his raw groans filling the room. Evy pulled him close, draining him into her.

  They stared into each others' eyes with their chests swelling, his arms trembling like her legs, an electric current binding them together. He finally released her wrists and stared at her like it had been his first time. He smiled, gently tracing her lips with a finger before lowering his mouth to hers and
softly kissing her again. She wrapped her throbbing arms around his back and pulled him deeper inside of her.

  He stroked her hair with tender affection.

  Her eyes peered deeply into his, searching for answers to something so unexplainable it bordered upon paranormal. "What was that?"

  He slowly shook his head. "I don't know, but whatever it was I want to do it again. "

  A wry grin spread across her flushed cheeks as she worked her wet lips around his already stiffening pipe. His breath came faster. He pushed his lips into hers and pumped harder. She pulled away, struggling for breath as he regained his girth and slammed it home with an insatiable force. More blinding blasts shot through her field of vision. She ran her hands down his chest as he lifted himself up and lit the room on fire with a passion that refused to burn out.

  ***

  Evy poured dark coffee into a glass mug and glanced behind her to see if Dean was watching. He sat at her small dining room table, chewing with his mouth closed and that look in his eyes. Her insides twisted as sultry images of last night pushed to the forefront of her mind. It had never been like this with Richie. Not even close. She felt like she was looking down at Dean from above with her back resting comfortably against the warm ceiling. Nothing had taken her this high before and, like all drugs, she would need more.

  She blew on the mug, sending wisps of steam spiraling into the air. "So what do you think?"

  He swallowed and cleared his pallet with a gulp of cold orange juice. "You should be selling these at Sugars. "

  She smiled and took a careful sip of the black brew.

  He pointed a thick looking corn dog at her, holding it by its stick. "Waffle dogs?"

  She nodded and batted her lashes, hoping to arouse him into another flourishing round of love making that would leave them sweaty and famished. With the table hiding his black boxer-briefs, he looked completely naked. She tipped her mug back and took another cautious sip.

  He shook his head, dipping the jagged end of the waffle dog into a small bowl of warm maple syrup. "This is definitely the greatest thing I've ever had," he told her, taking another voracious bite.

  "You're just saying that. "

  "No, I'm serious. Waffle dogs are my new favorite thing. " He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes lowering to molest the breasts barely hiding beneath a thin camisole. "Well, second favorite anyway. "

  "Some people call them pigs in pancakes. "

  He took another bite and moaned his pleasure. "The sausage is huge," he said with his mouth full.

  Her tongue swished across her lips, remembering the way his sausage had reached for her last night.

  "Where do you get them? The store always has those little Hormel links or Jimmy Dean rolls. "

  She blinked, trying to remember what they had been talking about but only seeing him buck ass naked with that fire in his eyes. "Wholesaler through work," she finally spit out. "Having the best links is the key to the whole thing. "

  He washed the bite down with more juice and winked. "That's what I hear," he mumbled, chasing the juice with a sip of hot coffee.

  She tilted her head back and laughed. "Oh yeah, and who told you that? Your ex-girlfriend?"

  The waffle dog hovered in front of his open mouth, his teeth on the brink of biting down. "No ex-girlfriend," he said, sinking his teeth into the sweet and salty goodness.

  Her thin eyes evaluated his statement over the rim of her mug.

  "The statute of limitations ran out on that one. "

  Evy arched a puzzled eyebrow at him and sat down at the small kitchen table, watching him devour his food like he had devoured her last night. "Wow, you are really hungry. "

  "Sorry," he said, covering his mouth. "But we skipped dinner and went straight to dessert. "

  A sinister grin slithered across her face as she ran her toes up his shinbone, her eyes silently pleading with him to take her on the table. Take her and prove that she was his and he was hers.

  Dean swallowed and took a break to sip on his coffee. "What about you?"

  "What about me?"

  "Who was the one person?"

  A perplexed look slipped over her face like a Halloween mask.

  "Last night you said you'd only been with one person. "

  "Oh," she mumbled, dropping his gaze. "Did I say that?"

  "So it wasn't true?"

  She looked back up. "No, it was true. We were engaged, until I found out he had cheated on me. "

  Dean's brow folded in disbelief. "When was this?"

  "A year ago. "

  He snorted. "No wonder you moved away. "

  A tight lipped smile cut across her face as she shifted in her chair.

  Dean could tell she was uncomfortable talking about it but his curiosity got the better of him. "How long had you been. . . dating?"

  She ran a finger around the rim of her mug, reluctant to relive any of the past. "Almost twelve years. " Her eyes jerked up to gauge his reaction. "Since my sophomore year in high school. "

  Dean's jaw dangled in the air. "Seriously?"

  "Richie was a junior when we met and, at the time, I thought he was the one but," she trailed off to inhale a deep breath, "I couldn't have been more wrong about that. "

  Dean shook his head, not understanding how someone could ever cheat on a girl like her. She had it all - the brains, the looks, the sense of humor, the cooking skills. It was baffling to say the least. "How close were you to marrying this moron?"

  "Three weeks. "

  His eyes bulged from their sockets, realizing how close he had come to never even meeting her. "Who does that?"

  "Right?"

  "Well, thank God for small miracles. "

  Evy laughed lightly. "Didn't seem like a miracle at the time. "

  An awkward silence fell over them as Dean studied her through narrow eyes. "I should send Richie a thank you card. "

  She laughed and softened her eyes. "You're sweet. "

  He finished his orange juice in one chug and set the glass back down, his piercing gaze bobbing from her green eyes to the full breasts resting on the table. It took everything Evy had to keep from pretending to drop a fork just to sneak a peek under the table. She sent her foot in instead, running her toes up the inside of his leg to find him already getting hard. A playful smile danced across her cheeks.

  He smiled back with that sparkle in his eyes she had been searching for. Mission accomplished. Her foot pressed against the erection trying to escape out the side of his boxer-briefs. He reached beneath the table and massaged her leg as her foot worked him over. He bent lower and ran his hand up her thigh, sending tingles shooting through her body.

  "Don't bite off more than you can chew. "

  "Don't worry, I saved room," he said, finding her soaking wet.

  She closed her eyes and clutched one of her breasts, a light whimper slipping from her lungs.

  His fingers slipped beneath her panties and traced her swollen lips before slipping inside. Her foot rubbed harder and he thought he might explode.

  A rap at the door made him bump the table and knock over his empty juice glass. He righted it as a frown took Evy's face.

  "Who the heck is stopping by so early?" she mumbled, looking to the door.

  "Ignore it," Dean replied, getting up and coming around the table, a circus tent in his shorts. He spun her to the side of the chair and dropped between her legs, sliding her panties to her ankles in the blink of an eye.

  She ran her fingers through his hair as he bent her knees back and took her into his mouth, flicking his tongue against her clitoris. "Oh my God," she moaned, spreading wider for him.

  Another knock at the door, this one much louder, rattled the wall.

  "Evy, it's an emergency!" Brooke yelled through the door.

  Evy sighed, her shoulders dropping.

  Dean looked up with a frown.

  She pressed her lips together and lowered her legs. "I should probably see what she wan
ts. "

  He pushed himself up with a deflated sigh.

  "You better hide," she said, squeezing his bulge and pulling her panties back up.

  He watched her butt wiggle as she scurried to the door.

  "I know you're in there, I saw the peephole get darker," Brooke said, looking into the peephole with one large eyeball. "Come on, Evy! I'm on my way into work and I need your keys. Ben took mine by accident and I can't get a hold of him. "

  Evy glanced back at Dean who was already shutting the bathroom door behind him. She took a moment to collect herself and opened the door a crack. Brooke barged in without waiting for an invitation, her brow creasing. "Geez what took you so long? And why is your face so red?"

  Evy shut the door before anyone could walk by and see her in her underwear.

  Brooke stopped and turned. "Were you masturbating?"

  "I just woke up," Evy replied, smoothing her hair and then grabbing her spare keys from an old desk drawer.

  "Why are their two cups of coffee on the table?"

  Evy dangled the keys in front of her. "Because I'm thirsty. "

  Brooke inhaled sharply and covered her gaping mouth with a hand. "Oh my God, you had sex with Dean, didn't you?"

  "No!"

  "Yes, you did!" she exclaimed, investigating the apartment for signs of fornication. "Evelyn Burnett! It's written all over your face!"

  Evy stifled a laugh.

  "You dirty little whore! I thought I told you to always go to his place. What time did he leave?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Evy said, planting the keys in her sister's hand.

  Brooke's face grew somber. "Just tell me one thing. Does he have a big cock? I deserve to know, Evy. I'm your sister. "

  Evy laughed sharply, her jaw dragging on the floor. "What is wrong with you?"

  Brooke stepped into Evy's personal space, sharpening her gaze to a razor's edge. "Is it bigger than a French baguette?"

  "You know what, Brooke?" Evy said, going around her into the kitchen. "You need some Orbitz to clean up that mouth of yours up. "

  Brooke followed. "Did he go down on you?"

  "We are not having this conversation. "

  "How many times did he make you cum?"

  Evy snatched up her mug of Joe and wrinkled her nose.

  Brooke stared blankly at her. "It was multiple times, wasn't it?"

  Evy rolled her eyes and took a drink while Brooke grabbed a waffle dog from a plate on the stove.

  "Was it bigger than this?" She raised the waffle dog along with her eyebrows.

  "Don't you have to open the store?"

  "It can wait. " Brooke bit down and started chewing. "So?"

  "So, what?"

  "So. . . did you blow him?"

  "Will you please stop?"

  Brooke tilted her head. "Oh honey, please don't tell me you let him cum in your face. That is so degrading. "

  Evy stared at her in disgust, silence stretching across the room.

  A light noise from the bathroom made Brooke's jaw come to a screeching halt. She swallowed hard and slowly turned to the bathroom. "Oh my God," she whispered dully. "He's still here. "

  "I told you to stop talking like that. "

  Brooke cringed and quietly set the waffle dog back on the plate. "You should've told me," she hissed.

  "I tried!"

  "When?"

  "When you started talking," Evy said, taking Brooke's arm and ushering her to the front door.

  Brooke glanced over her shoulder, hoping for a sneak peek. Evy opened the door and Brooke stopped and turned in the doorway.

  "Do me a favor," she whispered, craning her neck to see around Evy. "Send me a picture of it. I swear to God I won't show it to anyone. I promise. "

  Evy used the door to nudge Brooke out into the hall.

  "I have to know what we're dealing with here," Brooke pleaded, fighting against the door. "Do his balls hang low?"

  Evy's face soured. "Goodbye, Brooke," she groaned, pushing harder.

  "Can ya tie em in a bow?" Brooke spit out just before the door shut in her face.

  A weary breath oozed from Evy's lips. She leaned her forehead against the cool wood, trying to figure out how they could possibly be related. The bathroom door cracked open behind her. She turned around and gasped.

  Dean crossed his arms and shook his head, his penis swinging in the air. "French baguette," he muttered under his breath, making Evy giggle.