Chapter 30
“Shouldn’t you be leaving?” Virgil asked.
“Leaving?” I looked up from the computer. “Leaving where?”
“Your baby class. I know Savage is out of town, but I’ll go with you if you want.”
My lip wobbled.
“Oh no, don’t. Please God, don’t cry!”
“Okay.” I bit my lip and took a few deep breaths. When I was under control, I said, “Savage got the baby class postponed because he didn’t want to miss it.”
“The powers of persuasion,” Virgil said with a grin. “I wish I had that. You want to go to dinner with us after work?”
“I was going to have dinner with my friend—my neighbor from across the hall,” I said. “But I’ll ask her if she wants to join.”
“Oh, she’s the one who drove you to work this morning?”
“Yep.”
A prospect had showed up on my doorstep, courtesy of Savage, but I’d rejected his offer.
The front door jangled as it opened, and Cozy walked in.
“Speak of the devil,” I remarked.
“You were talking about me?” Cozy asked.
“Yeah.” After introductions were made, I said, “Virgil is inviting us out for dinner.”
Cozy nibbled on her lip. “Oh. Yeah, I guess we could go out.”
“You don’t want to,” Virgil said. “That’s okay. I won’t be hurt if you guys bow out.”
“No, it’s just . . .” She looked at me. “You promised me a home-cooked meal and I was really looking forward to it.”
“What were you gonna make?” Virgil asked.
“Country fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade sourdough biscuits.”
Virgil blinked. “That sounds better than going out.”
“Hey, why don’t we just do dinner at my place?” I suggested. “You and Roman can come over. I’ll call Jazz and Brielle. Let’s make it a party.”
“That means Homer too,” Virgil said.
“The more the merrier.” I smiled and looked at Cozy. “You good with that?”
She beamed. “Very good with that.”
“Who’s good with what?” Roman asked, appearing from the back.
“Evie offered to cook dinner instead of going out tonight. Her baby class was postponed so we’re going to her place,” Virgil explained.
Roman didn’t reply to Virgil’s statement. When the room went silent, I looked over at Roman and saw that he was watching Cozy.
Then I glanced at Cozy; she was staring at Roman.
I eyed Virgil, who raised his brows.
“Uh, Roman, this is my neighbor, Cozy. She lives across the hall from me.”
When Roman didn’t reply, I said to Cozy, “Cozy, this is my boss, Roman.”
She didn’t reply either.
“What’s going on?” Virgil stage-whispered to me.
“I think they’re performing a mating ritual,” I stage-whispered back.
“What can we bring?” Roman asked suddenly, not taking his eyes off Cozy.
I opened my mouth to reply when Cozy said, “Beer. Bring beer.”
“Dessert?” Roman asked, his voice raspy.
Cozy licked her lips. “Chocolate . . . anything.”
Virgil looked at me and grinned. “My parents are going to be so happy.”
“We’re terrible friends,” Virgil said.
“The worst,” Cozy agreed.
“We literally just let a pregnant woman cook us dinner while we sat around and talked,” Roman added.
“She told me I was doing it wrong,” Virgil said. “I tried to help.”
I was supine on the couch, my lids drooping in exhaustion, but a smile spread across my face. “I derive a great deal of joy from cooking for people I care about.”
It turned out dinner was a smaller party than anticipated. Jazz and Homer were too busy seducing each other to want to spend time with anyone else and Brielle’s excuse had been cryptic and mysterious. My antenna was up that she’d met a man and didn’t want her brothers to know, and being a loyal friend, I didn’t tell them my thoughts.
Roman and Cozy hadn’t been able to take their eyes off each other all night. At some point, the staring at one another had turned into talking, then into teasing, and finally into open flirting.
“You guys cleaned up the kitchen,” I said. “For that I’m grateful. Nothing worse than cooking and then also having to do the dishes.”
“When does Savage get back in town?” Virgil asked.
“A week to ten days,” I said. “I want to get my license before he gets back and settle into my new apartment.”
“New apartment?” Roman asked. “Where are you moving to?”
“Brooklyn offered us the apartment over the bakery,” I said with a smile. “She’s having it deep cleaned and then she said I could move in.”
“Shouldn’t take a lot of time,” Virgil said. “You don’t own very much.”
I glared at him.
“What?” he demanded. “You don’t. This place came furnished.”
“And Brooklyn’s place comes furnished too.” I shrugged. “It’ll definitely make moving easy.”
“Savage sent her flowers,” Cozy stated. “The marigolds.”
“No way,” Roman said.
“Way,” I said with a laugh. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”
“Gorgeous,” Roman repeated. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Right? Savage was so unlikely to take a wife,” Virgil quipped. “But I like you guys together.”
“I’m not his wife,” I stated. “But I am his Old Lady.”
“What?” Roman asked in shock. “When the hell did that happen?”
“Several days ago. A week, maybe. I don’t know. Time is a blur right now,” I said.
My phone pinged with a text. It was Savage—and it was dirty.
I made a noise. Cozy was looking at me with a raise of her brows.
“So, dessert?” I asked.
My phone pinged again. And again, and then again.
“Someone doesn’t want to be ignored,” Virgil said.
“Ten bucks it’s Savage and he’s missing her,” Roman said.
Virgil scratched his jaw. “In that case, I think I’ll take off.”
“Hmm. Yeah, me too.” Roman looked at Cozy.
Cozy nodded. “Yeah, I’m too full for dessert.”
I frowned. “You were the one who told Roman you wanted dessert in the first place.”
“You eat it,” she said.
“It’s an entire cake,” I said. “I can’t eat it all.”
“It’s only six inches. You can definitely eat it,” Cozy said.
“Don’t make a joke,” Virgil muttered. “Don’t make a joke.”
“Joke?” I asked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Stay sheltered, kid.” Cozy rose from her seat and hugged me, whispering, “I’ll have my phone on. Call if you need a late-night buddy because you can’t sleep.”
“Thanks.” I pulled back.
“Thanks for dinner.” Virgil gave me a one-armed hug. “We need to do it again soon.”
“Yeah.” Roman shoved his brother playfully. “So you don’t have to cook.” He embraced me. “It was great.”
I saw them to the door and locked up behind them, but not before I saw Roman and Cozy step closer to each other.
I pressed a few buttons on my cell and a moment later, Savage answered.
“Babe,” he greeted.
Delicious pleasure curled through me.
“You have my attention,” I purred.
“Are you in the bedroom?”
“No.”
“Well, go in there and then get on the bed. I’m calling you back because I need to see your face.”
The line went dead.
A thrill shot through me as I nearly ran to the bedroom and then settled myself on the bed.
My phone rang again, and I answered it. Savage’s face filled the screen. He was lazing against the headboard and his chest was bare.
“Not fair, babe. You’re seeing me, but I’m not seeing you.”
I angled my phone and propped it against the lamp. Then I whipped off my shirt.
“Fuck, I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” I croaked.
“Touch yourself. Let me see.”
I cradled my breast in my hand and grazed my thumb across my nipple. It puckered quickly.
Savage’s eyes heated. “That’s it.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m wrapping my hand around my hard dick.”
A pulse throbbed between my thighs.
“I’m leaking. At the thought of your warm, wet mouth. Of my fingers plowing through your hair while you’re on your knees. How do I taste?”
“Perfect.” I licked my lips as my fingers went to the button on my jeans. I quickly shucked them off. “Salty and delicious.”
“Are you touching yourself? Are you wet?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Slide your fingers into your panties, Evie. And tell me.”
Biting my lip, I did as he commanded.
I wasn’t wet. I was gushing. Only I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. I moaned instead, my eyes closing.
“Show me your fingers, Evie.”
My eyes popped open, and I removed my fingers from my panties to hold them up to the screen.
“Taste yourself.”
With but a moment of hesitation, I then stuck my fingers in my mouth.
“How do you taste?”
“Not as good as you.”
His grin was wicked. “When I come in your mouth, are you gonna swallow me down all the way.”
“Yes. ”
I stuck my hands back into my panties, playing with myself while Savage’s filthy, erotic words spun a spell between us. Our eyes remained locked on each other; our breaths hitched. And when we came, we came together.
My heart thundered in my chest and despite the distance between us, I felt close to him.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he growled. “All flushed and pink. Can’t wait to come home to you and taste you myself. Sleep well, babe. I know I will.”