Chapter 19 #3
Barely able to breathe, he panted for a few breaths, until Jordy screamed, “DAD!”
“WHAT?” Moore snapped back, startling Colleen and eliciting a weird squeak out of his kid.
“Um, uh, can I?”
“What’s the movie?”
He named a psychological horror film. Moore repeated the name to Colleen, who gave a thumbs up.
“Sure.”
“Really?” Jordy’s voice cracked with joy. “It’s okay?”
“Just tell him to call you to come get him if he gets scared,” Colleen whispered.
“Call me if you get scared,” Moore paraphrased, grateful for the advice. “I’ll come get you.”
“You’re the best! Hey, guys! My dad says I can watch! Quit calling me a baby!”
The call ended.
The bed began to vibrate as Moore stared at his phone, utterly perplexed. Colleen was laughing so hard, she sounded like a hyena, and Moore felt like he was living in a Salvador Dali painting.
“Did we just slip out on our friends at the bar to have a mind-blowing quickie and get interrupted by my kid asking to watch a horror film his mom banned him from seeing?”
“Yes.”
“And I just had to negotiate that while still wearing a condom.”
“YES!” she shrieked.
He threaded his fingers in his hair, pulling back on his scalp in disbelief. “Real life can’t get any weirder.”
“Don’t tempt the gods, Moore!” Colleen cackled, nearly falling off the bed as she hooted, her bare ass gleaming in the moonlight.
She rolled away and he caught her, happy to have that ass in his hands.
Again.
“You,” he said fiercely, kissing her laughing mouth, “are perfection.”
“Me? Are you confusing me with someone else?”
“You knew what to say.”
“I knew what he wanted to hear.”
“You're amazing.”
“So are you. Best sex I’ve ever had.”
His hand went to his heart. “Really?”
“Really.”
“And I’m not even playing my A game.”
“You’re holding back?”
“No. More like warming up.”
She got up on her knees and kissed him, hard.
Both of their phones buzzed.
Exasperated sighs filled the air where moans had been two minutes ago. They checked their phones.
Where are you guys? Darts tournament starting.
It was Luke.
“He’s such a spy!” Colleen groaned as Moore went to the bathroom, cleaned up, and began finding his clothes, getting dressed as Colleen did the same. By the time they were finished, they looked like they felt.
Sexed out and ready for an imaginary post-coital cigarette.
“We soooo look like we just banged each other’s hearts out.”
He placed his palm over her chest.
“Nope. Still there. And as big and loving as ever.”
Bzzz
“Do not look at that!” she demanded, grabbing her purse and heading for his door. “Let’s go back to Bilbee’s and get him to shut up.”
“You want to go back?”
“I don’t want to. But if we don’t, it’ll look suspicious, and we’re keeping up the friendship ruse until we tell Jordy, right?”
Pain shot through him, emotional and physical at the same time. He didn’t want to hide anymore.
But he followed her to the car anyhow, climbing in, taking her hand.
“I love... this,” he said slowly, instantly regretting the pull back at the last second.
He wanted to say I love you.
“I love this, too.” Starting the car, she backed up, a smile on her face.
Whew. He hadn’t offended her.
“But,” she said as she turned right on Main Street, headed back to Bilbee’s, “I can’t hide any longer. We have to tell Jordy.”
“Of course.”
“You’re amazing in bed, you know. So responsive,” he said to her as she drove, her expression changing as he said the words.
“You make it easy.”
“Sex should be easy.”
She let out a huffy laugh. “I agree, but it isn’t always.”
“You’ve had a lot of bad sex?” Now he was intrigued.
“I’ve had a lot of no sex. Third Date Colleen, remember?”
“We’re going to break that curse, then,” he joked, her face changing again as she seemed to realize what had just happened.
“Third time. That was our third time.”
Moore held up his hands.
“I’m still alive!”
She pulled into a parking spot close to Bilbee’s, killed the engine, and gave him a stark look. “You are.”
“It’s fine, Colleen. Don’t let other people’s weirdness get into your head.”
“Oh, I know that. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Slicer could tell you. Or Tim Fields. Or–”
Looking around, he made sure no one could see them, then kissed her.
“I’m not them,” he said firmly, ending the conversation by opening his car door and getting out. She joined him and they walked to the main door of the tavern.
“You ready?” he asked, looking in at their friends.
“No, but here goes.”
“Wondered if you got lost and took a wrong turn into Canada,” Luke joked as they rolled into Bilbee’s, hoping they didn’t reek of sex and secrets. Doc Blythe, chatting with Kell by the dart board, gave them a double take.
“I’ll mingle. See you later,” she whispered, putting distance between them, making him ache with the desire to be public. So close. They were so, so close.
But not quite there.
Doc held up his glass, a pint of what looked like a dark beer, and smiled. Moore walked on over and blended in with everyone, his body one live wire, the quickie turning every circuit inside him aflame.
Because that? He wanted more of that. So much more.
A lifetime of more.