Your exclusive sneak peek at Honey Do
NINA
“T hanks for coming.”
I kiss the hot guy’s cheek, intending both meanings of the phrase.
“Thank you ,” he says as his wife pulls me in for a hug.
Her hair tickles my nose as she squeezes me tight. “You’re the most amazing unicorn.” She draws back with a look that’s almost shy. It’s sweet considering we were naked not twenty minutes ago. “This was one of those bucket list fantasies we never thought would happen, you know?”
I do know. It’s not the first time I’ve made a married couple’s three-way dreams come true. That’s a unicorn, by the way—a single female happy to hook up with a couple without seeking commitment of her own.
That’s me—the ultimate unicorn. The rarest of mythical sex creatures.
“We appreciate you making our first time so memorable.” The man loops an arm around his wife’s slim waist, and she twinkles up at him. “Thanks again for everything.”
“My pleasure.” I mean it, since these two delivered so many mind-blowing orgasms, I lost count. “Take care of each other, okay?”
“We will.” The wife gives a chipper little wave as her husband steers her down the hall of my apartment complex.
I watch them go, waving from my doorway as they slip into the elevator and kiss while the doors swish shut. I’m stepping back through my door when the stairwell bangs open and my best friend bursts through.
“Nina!” A grinning Josh lopes over and pulls me in for a hug. “Mmm… you smell like sex.”
I laugh and sniff him right back. His familiar, woodsy scent mingles with hints of a woman’s perfume. “And you smell like your date with whatshername got intimate.”
“There was kissing.” He moves past me into the apartment, beelining it for the fridge. “Not much chemistry beyond that. I declined her generous offer of a blowjob.”
“You did?” I follow him into my kitchen, hard-pressed to think of any reason I’d turn down oral. “Did she have mouth sores or something?”
“Gross.” Josh drags a carton of salsa from the fridge and locates chips in my pantry. Balancing both, he heads for the living room while I fix us a drink. Gin and tonics with lots of lime. I use the extra-tall glasses Josh prefers and find a fresh bag of citrus for the twisted lime garnish he loves.
“I just wasn’t feelin’ it,” he continues as I settle beside him on the sofa. He nudges the salsa in front of me. “Besides, I had to come tell you my big news.”
I gasp and set his drink down hard, sloshing tonic over the rim. “You guys landed the university job.” It’s a project his architecture firm lobbied months to get. There’s no doubt Josh’s charm sealed the deal. “Black & Reed gets to build the new campus medical center?”
“Better.” Josh picks up his glass and motions for me to toast him. “You’re drinking with the new lead architect on the whole damn project.”
“Josh, oh my God!” I throw my arms around shoulders so broad I have to strain to embrace him. It’s so sudden and fierce he holds his glass to the side to avoid spilling it. “Congratulations!” I gush as he laughs. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He’s grinning as I release him and my body registers for the hundredth time how hot he is. My best friend is built like a goddamn underwear model.
Too bad we’ve vowed never to let sex screw up our friendship.
We’ve been besties since Mrs. Traxel sat Josh beside me in third grade art and I promptly taught him to make boobs out of modeling clay.
The fact that we know each other so well is how he reads my face now.
“Holy shit, Neen.” He hoots and clinks his glass to mine. “You got news, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” I bite my lip, not wanting to overshadow his achievement. “It’s good news.” Like that wasn’t obvious.
Josh’s blue eyes spark. “Tell me everything.” He takes a swig and sets down his glass. “I thought you weren’t finding out for another month?”
“Ainslie went on maternity leave early, so there was this emergency meeting.” I’m practically bouncing on the sofa. “I’m officially the youngest partner in the history of Goodrich Publicity.”
“Holy fuck. You rock!” He ditches his drink and grabs me in another bear hug. I’m conscious again of my breasts grazing granite pecs. “I can’t believe we both got great news on the same day.”
I kinda can. For as long as we’ve known each other, we’ve been in sync. We walked together at high school graduation. Moved to Portland within weeks of each other. Even our careers seem synchronized.
Maybe not our love lives. It’s weird how I’m always dating someone right when he becomes single, or he’s in a relationship when I’m flying solo.
But that’s a non-issue.
“I’m proud of us.” I take a sip of my drink as he grabs his again.
“Damn, that’s good.” He takes another gulp. “Did you use that new gin?”
“The one we got in Bend?”
“Yeah, at that place with the cool tasting room that had the big granite counter and all the?—”
“Juniper trees!” I’m tickled he remembers. “Remember that presentation on using the juniper berries for the gin and?—”
“—and they filter it through lava rock.” He laughs at the memory from our weekend friend getaway. “What was the name of that crazy lady in the tasting room?”
“The one with the dog named?—”
“Monkeybutt!” He laughs again. “I can’t remember the woman’s name, though.”
“Gretel.” I love when we mind-meld like this. “God, that was a great trip.”
“Yeah.” As his eyes sweep my face, something unfamiliar flutters in my belly. “So. Who’s the lucky guy? Or gal or… I guess non-binary partner?”
I flutter my lashes. “What makes you so sure I didn’t stay home all evening painting my nails?”
That’s what I said I’d be doing tonight, but Josh knows me well. Naturally, I got antsy and hit the sex club where single women get in free. It’s my favorite form of fun on a Friday night.
He takes my hand and my breath hitches. “Nice nail polish.”
My fingers are bare, of course. I punch his shoulder before withdrawing my unmanicured hand. “What can I say? I felt celebratory.” At Club Rapture, there’s never a shortage of couples looking to spice up their relationship. Just call me the spice girl.
“Let’s celebrate.” I pick up my drink and take a hearty swig. This really is great gin.
“Hang on, I’ve got an idea.” He drains his glass, then bends to rummage through his messenger bag. When he pops up, he’s holding a bottle of my favorite champagne.
I gape at Josh. The stuff runs $500 a bottle and I’ve only tasted it twice. Once with Josh, who’s beaming at me now.
“Where did you get that?”
“The guys gave it to me at the office.” He hands me the bottle. “Seemed like serendipity when I saw the label.”
“Let me grab champagne flutes.” I’m surprised to feel tipsy when I lurch to my feet. Guess I did make those drinks pretty strong. “Want me to bust out some of that gouda you like?”
“Yes, please.” Josh gets up and joins me in the kitchen, where he starts piling crackers on a plate. His hand skims my waist as he moves past me to the fridge. “Okay to cut up this pear?”
“Good idea.”
By the time we’re back in the living room, we’ve both got a happy buzz and a pretty little cheese plate. I even refilled our gin and tonics for when the champagne runs out.
Josh clinks his flute to mine and looks deep into my eyes. “We need a list.”
“You mean our next big career goals?” I take a sip of bubbles, then grab my trusty notepad off the coffee table. “Good idea.”
“No.” Josh sets his glass down and slowly draws the pad from my hands. His fingers brush mine and the force of his gaze makes me shiver. “Not work-related. Just pleasure.”
“Pleasure?” My throat feels funny when I swallow.
“ Your pleasure.” His voice becomes a low growl. “It’s damn time we do something about it.”
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