Chapter 12 #2
Nell groaned against his mouth when he walked her against the door and cupped her breasts with his hands.
His thumbs trailed over her nipples as she reached for his belt.
He dropped one hand to her leg and used the other to open the door into the house.
He reached down and pulled her up so she could wrap her legs around him as he carried her inside.
They made it to the kitchen island before he set her down. “I have to taste you,” Rowan said between kisses that he rained down her neck as his hand shoved her skirt up.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Rowan! I know you’re home. I followed you from the club.”
“Aw, hell,” Rowan cursed, his fingers hooked in her panties.
“Come on, Rowan. Your pregnant sister needs you.”
Nellie was frozen where she sat. She was still hot and needy, but now her brain was trying to work again.
“Your sister can’t see me like this!” Nellie pushed Rowan away and slid from the island.
She smoothed down her skirt and was hauling up the spaghetti straps as Rowan buttoned his pants and tucked in his shirt while looking like a man who’d just been denied his chance at heaven.
“I am so sorry for what’s about to happen,” Rowan said, making her worry even more. “This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with revenge.”
“Rowan, I’m using my key!” Oliva’s voice sang out gleefully.
Nellie froze at the sound of the key in the lock and stared at the lock as it slowly turned.
Rowan strode forward and yanked the door open. “Really? I was too young to interfere.”
Nellie watched as Olivia strode in, stopping to give her brother a kiss on the cheek. “And what about my boyfriend from law school?”
“Which one?” Rowan asked.
“Exactly. You did it to both of them! And don’t get me started on Granger. Just put away all thoughts of that tonight. It’s payback time, baby brother!”
“I’m sorry,” Nell said, confused. “What’s going on?”
“I’m putting your kitty in the cage,” Olivia told her.
“Um, I don’t have a cat.”
“Your flower has been pruned.”
Nellie looked over at Rowan who was groaning. “Did you get me flowers?” Rowan just shook his head as he bit his lower lip.
“Your coochie has floated away on the Chattahoochee.”
“What does the Chattahoochee River—” Then suddenly it all made sense. “Oh! My coochie! Wait, are you muff muzzling me? I thought you liked me.”
Olivia was smiling as she made an X with her arms. “It’s a taco blocko. Not because of you, but for revenge on all the times my brother cock-blocked me.”
Nellie tried not to laugh, but it came out as a snort instead. “You’re telling me all the crap the Morettis were giving Wilder… your brothers actually did to Granger? They weren’t exaggerating? Holy smokes.”
“Not just Granger. All of my dates. So,” Olivia said, sitting down on the couch, “make up a room for me. I’m too pregnant to be sleeping on the couch.”
“You can take my room or the pull-out in my office,” Rowan told her.
“I think your office would be best. That way, there will be no sneaking into each other’s rooms. You’ll have to make it by me to do that.”
Rowan let out a sigh of defeat. “I’ll go make the bed.”
Rowan headed up the stairs and Nellie noticed that Olivia looked like the cat who got the cream, which was what Nellie definitely would not get tonight.
“I promise,” Olivia said, noticing Nellie watching her doubtfully. “I do really like you and your sister. This is all about sibling rivalry. Plus, it’s only one night whereas they did it to too many dates to mention—well, literally every date.”
“And Granger is the only one who didn’t run?”
Olivia smiled and rubbed the small baby bump. “That’s right.”
“Then it sounds to me like your brothers did you a favor. They weeded out the weak men who weren’t completely devoted to you.”
Olivia frowned. “Don’t pull that therapy crap on me.
I don’t care if it led to marriage to the best man for me.
It was humiliating. My brothers made my sixth-grade dance date piss his pants.
Literally. On the front porch, in front of God and everyone.
And one of my college boyfriends, too, for that matter. ”
Nellie snorted again and then covered her mouth with her hand as she shook her head. “You really wanted to marry a grown man who pissed his pants because of your brothers?”
“Stop being rational! This is completely emotional. Don’t be a Debbie Downer.” Olivia was still smiling as they both started giggling.
“If Rowan was the least interfering, who was the most?” Nell asked.
“Damon. Every single date he was the ring leader to scare him away. I can’t wait until he falls in love. I’m going to torture him.”
“How do you feel about it potentially being humiliating to the woman in question?”
“If she’s the right woman, she won’t be humiliated. She’ll be understanding and supportive of another woman. She’ll appreciate the point I’m making even more if they ever have a daughter.”
“How do you—?”
“Rowan, your girlfriend is trying to psychoanalyze me!” Olivia called out.
“Nell, turn away from the light! You don’t want to go into that scary mind of hers.”
Olivia and Nellie broke out into laughter. “Don’t worry,” Nell told Olivia. “I’m not humiliated. I find this bizarre, but funny.”
“Then I guess you won’t be weeded out.”
“You mean my lady garden is weed-free?”
This time it was Olivia who snorted. “Just watch out for the snake.”
“The elusive trouser snake,” Nell said, using her best nature documentary voice, “is found trying to slither his way into the lady’s garden.”
Olivia clutched her belly as they both laughed so hard that tears were forming.
“What’s so funny?” Rowan asked as he joined them, which only made them laugh harder.
“Okay, okay,” Olivia said, dragging in a deep breath. “Nell and I are going to bed. Alone. I’ll see you both in the morning. Remember, Sue Ellen is meeting with her new attorney at my office. We didn’t want anyone seeing her in Charleston and passing information to Ingram.”
Nell stood up and linked arms with Olivia.
Rowan walked over to them and kissed Olivia on the cheek before giving her belly a quick pat.
“Goodnight, Liv and little Fox.” Nell watched, filled with something she’d never felt with another man before.
Desire for more. Not just sex, but this.
Babies, a house, and the casual comfortableness together.
All of it. And she wanted it with Rowan.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.” Rowan quickly wrapped his arms around her and dipped her back, making her slip her arm from Olivia to cling to him. His lips landed on hers with a quick, but very passionate kiss.
“Ew!” Olivia said, smacking his arm. “I do not need to see that.”
Rowan chuckled as he set Nell back on her feet. “Goodnight, ladies.”
Nell headed upstairs as Olivia talked about her plans for Damon whenever he found a woman. She hoped the woman who fell for Damon was strong enough to handle it.