12. Lillian
The soundof a throat clearing startles me so bad that I jump mid-kiss, bite Lincoln’s lip harder than is acceptable, and scramble off his lap with so much haste and lack-of-coordination that I knee him in his balls.
Groans of pain from Lincoln mix with cursing from my sister as she ushers Grace quickly back out the door and tells her to wait with Nicky in the car for a second. By the time the screen shuts again, I’ve stood up, have flattened my now dry hair as much as I can, and am tugging the oversized shirt I’m wearing as close to my knees as I can get it.
“Well, well, well,” Kim starts smugly, “brought the party home, huh?”
Lincoln grunts as he stands next to me with a hand cradling his still-hard dick.
“Mozeltov,” Kim grins saucily as she eyes the hand that doesn’t cover his entire crotch. But then her eyes trail up his toned abdomen visible through his shirt, past his shoulders, and land on his absurdly handsome face. The cheeky smile drops in an instant, replaced by an astonished look.
Startled eyes bounce from Lincoln’s face to my own, and I know she knows who he is. They never met, but she’s seen pictures.
“I don’t…” Her mouth opens and shuts, searching for words. “Did you go to that party last night?” She emphasizes ‘party’ like it’s a secret we’re keeping from Lincoln. Keeping him in the dark lest he find out I was signed up for a sex party.
“She went,” he chimes in helpfully, humor in his voice, and draws Kim’s gaze back to his as she pops out a hip and crosses her arms over her chest.
“I was asking my sister, thanks.” Her words are as icy as the look in her eyes. Yeah, she definitely recognizes him. Doesn’t seem like she’s too keen to see the man who caused her sister so much heartbreak in my living room in a compromising position. One too many days catching me swiping tears from my eyes while I put on a strong fa?ade, I suppose.
The way she speaks to Lincoln seems to surprise him. It draws his shoulders back, his face sobers, and he looks at Kim with more trepidation. When he stays silent, obedient almost, I answer my sister.
“We both did. I met Lincoln there,” I offer her as an explanation. She doesn’t stop glaring at him long enough to catch my eyebrows playing gymnastics on my face and telling her to cool the third degree.
“You knew he was going to be there?” she asks.
“No.”
“It was just a happy coincidence, then?” The sarcasm in her voice stops me in my tracks as I consider her question.
From my peripheral vision, I see Lincoln’s hand go up hesitantly like we’re in grade school again. Kim snorts, a smile gracing her lips before she remembers she doesn’t like him.
“What?” Her stern tone sounds more forced.
“Um, well,” Lincoln stammers. It’s my turn to snort, but I do my best to disguise it with a cough. He glances my way before addressing Kim again. “Is that question for me this time?”
Kim rolls her eyes. “Sure.”
“It wasn’t a coincidence.” I knew it.
“Oh?” Interest peaks through her anger, ever the gossip queen. She’s playing like she’s a hard-ass, over-protective sister, but she’s just as eager to hear his story as I am. There is high probability that her and Jim will be whispering about this over a glass of wine—or sparkling water in her very pregnant case—later when Nicky goes to bed.
Instead of answering Kim directly, Lincoln turns to me and says, “I knew you’d be there. Since I ran into you on the street I’ve been, well, keeping tabs on you. Kind of. In a non-stalker sort of way.” That last bit is said with a side-eye toward my sister.
“You knew I’d be there?” I confirm.
He nods.
“So, what was the plan? What if you drew someone else’s name? We’d have fucked other people? Where would we be now?”
Kim interjects. “You randomly drew her name?” Her eyes are lit with intrigue. When Lincoln looks back to her to nod, she composes herself back to an emotionless mask.
“Frasier, there wasn’t a chance in fucking hell of you going to bed with anyone other than me last night.” He’s all cocky confidence.
“Oh, really?” I challenge.
“Really,” he agrees smoothly. “I would have spent double what the buy-in was just to make sure of that.”
Kim’s full-on grinning now as her eyes volley back and forth between me and Lincoln.
“What was the buy-in?” I’m beyond intrigued. Women didn’t have to pay anything to get an invite in.
“Five hundred.” He shrugs.
“Really?” Kim frowns. “That seems kind of low. I thought this was a super exclusive club.”
“Thousand,” Lincoln finishes.
There’s a beat of silence. Both Kim and I absorb the information at the same time.
“What the fuck—” I breathe.
“Holy shit,” Kim mumbles, eyes bugged wide as she stares at him. Lincoln stands there completely unruffled by our astonishment. Like he doesn’t even comprehend how much money that really is.
“You spent half a million,” my voice croaks, “dollars just to get into a club because you knew I’d be there?”
Another infuriating nod. I stare at him, completely at a loss for words. I don’t know whether I want to scream at him, cry, or laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
We all stand in silence for a few more seconds before Kim breaks it. “Well, I suppose that qualifies you for Sunday breakfast. It’ll be ready in ten.”
Mercifully, she heads for the door again, giving me and Lincoln a second alone. The door barely even shuts behind her before it opens again and her head pops in. “Oh, and bring Sunshine’s blanket.”
The slam of the screen is the only noise in the living room now.
“Who is Sunshine?” Lincoln asks quietly.
“Grace’s stuffy,” I reply just as quietly, not looking at him. The room feels charged with too many emotions now. Too many unspoken truths and unasked questions. Truths I’m not ready to face. Questions I’m not sure I want answers to.
“I don’t have to go, you know. To breakfast.” My eyes bounce up to his, and he looks nervous as hell.
“Are you…scared to meet my family?” Mirth enters my voice as he shakes his head before I’ve even finished my sentence. “Oh my God. You are. That settles it. You’re coming.”
A breath falls out of him, and he gives me a one-shouldered shrug with a lopsided grin like it’s no big deal. But his eyes give him away. “After you.”
I head out the door first with a smile on my face.
This should be fun.