Avery laughed hard. “Man, I can relate to that more than you know.” He reached for my empty bowl. “Please let me clean up. I might not be a great cook, but I’m a great dishwasher stacker.”
I handed over the bowl and my water glass. “When you come back, maybe bring us a couple of beers? Ossie and I will be waiting.” I scooted the blanket down to make room next to me for Avery. I even patted the couch, which Ossie thought was me inviting him down—that damn dog.
Avery’s quiet groan of acquiescence was all I needed to hear. While he went to the kitchen, I resituated us on the sectional, moving us toward the end with the chaise cushion instead of the ottoman.
Ossie growled at me as I pushed him away again. “Hey, you’ve got your space, and I’ve got mine. Stay in your lane, dude.”
My sweet dog barked at me and circled the blanket, clearly pissed, before finally settling down. That fat little dog had gottenme through a lot of lonely times, and I owed him a lot, but he wasn’t going to cockblock me.
“Ossie, you’ll always be my bestie, I swear. I think you like Avery, but in a different way than me. Let’s not give him any reason to walk away from us, okay?”
The dog barked as he looked toward the kitchen, so I glanced to see nothing there. “He’ll be back in a minute.”
Ossie settled.
I was anxious, so I stood and walked to the kitchen where Avery was loading the dishwasher and talking to himself. “You promised you’d leave, so go. I don’t need you watching me have sex with your brother. I’m sure you’ll have a critique whether I like it or not.”
I stepped back from the doorway and listened. There was silence for a moment, and then, Avery whispered, “You need to get the hell out of here. Don’t you have something else to do?”
Avery closed the dishwasher and dried his hands, so I returned to the living room and sat down on the couch. Ossie hadn’t moved.
When Avery came back into the living room, he sat down on the other side of Ossie. Whatever conversation he had with himself, I didn’t care. If there was a chance for the two of us to get together, his ramblings weren’t a problem.
Chapter Seventeen
Avery
“When are you going to tell him?”Holly was driving me crazy with her incessant questions. She was also stalking me because she’d been at the dog park and now was at Holden’s house.
“You promised you’d leave Happy, so go. I don’t need you to watch me with your brother. Whatever happens between us. I’m sure you’d critique whether I’m doing it right.” I was trying to be quiet so Holden wouldn’t hear me and think I was nuts.
Holly smiled.“Come on, just a little peek?”
How could Holden not hear Holly’s laughter from the kitchen as she sat on the table while I loaded the dishwasher? “You promised.”
“What makes you think my brother is going to have sex with you today?”Happy’s smirk made me laugh.
“He’s kinda hinted at it, and if that’s what he wants, I’ll be happy to give it to him. Can you let me have this for myself?”
Happy sighed.“Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow. Be gentle with him. I don’t know if he’s ready for you.”She disappeared, and I exhaled.
I grabbed two beers from the fridge and went back to the living room. “Here you go.”
Holden held out his hand to take the beers, placing both of them on the side table before he pulled me onto his lap. I gasped before I giggled.
“You ready for the movie?” Holden settled me in front of him on the large sectional and kissed my neck. I was ready to explode, but I wanted the slow burn... I wanted the romance I’d never had.
“I am. Unless you want to do something else.”
God, I wanted to strip both of us and just absorb his body. He was the most amazing guy I’d ever met.
I didn’t want him because Holly was pushing me toward him. I wanted him because ofhim.
“I’m good to watch the movie...later. We can cook later too. Hell, you can stay here tonight, if you want.” Holden’s hot breath on my neck had my heart racing.
I turned toward him and smiled. “I’m good with later.”
He pulled me along his body and gave me a kiss that I knew I’d never forget. After his tongue moved from my mouth, I stared into Holden’s eyes. “I want you. You’re an amazing man, Holden, but I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.” I meant it.
