The Predicament (The Propositio Katie Ashley

background image
background image
background image

FBI Anti-Piracy Warning: The

unauthorized reproduction or

distribution of a copyrighted work is

illegal. Criminal copyright infringement,

including infringement without monetary

gain, is investigated by the FBI and is

punishable by up to five years in federal

prison and a fine of $250,000.

background image

Advertencia Antipirateria del FBI: La

reproducción o distribución no

autorizada de una obra protegida por

derechos de autor es ilegal. La

infracción criminal de los derechos de

autor, incluyendo la infracción sin lucro

monetario, es investigada por el FBI y

es castigable con pena de hasta cinco

años en prisión federal y una multa de

$250,000.

background image

eBook formatting by

Indie Pixel Studio |

www.indiepixelstudio.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book

may be used or reproduced in any

manner whatsoever including Internet

usage, without written permission of the

author.

background image

DEDICATION

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

background image

EPILOGUE

background image

To my readers—thank you for loving

the characters of The Proposition. Your

love has blessed my life in more ways

than I can ever say, and I thank you from

the bottom of my heart.

background image

As she sat in a leather chair beside the

crackling fireplace, Casey Rossi gazed

down into the diminutive face of her

drowsy-eyed daughter. After glancing at

the clock on the mantle, Casey smiled.

“Hang on, Liv. Just ten more minutes

until Daddy walks through the door to

see you.”

Olivia widened her dark brown

eyes as she appeared to be

background image

contemplating Casey’s words. But then

the overwhelming desire to sleep won

out. With her eyelids drooping, she gave

a yawn and then snuggled closer against

Casey’s chest. Considering keeping a

sleeping baby awake was the equivalent

of skipping through a landmine, Casey

let Olivia drift off. Nate could wake her

up if he wanted to and then deal with the

repercussions.

Instead of turning on the TV or

catching up on work emails, she merely

stared at the perfection that was Olivia.

Watching her daughter sleep had become

background image

one of her favorite pastimes. It amazed

her that she never seemed to tire of

doing it. Each time she did, she noticed

something different about Olivia’s tiny

features—the way the double dimples

she had inherited from her father never

faded even when she wasn’t smiling, the

way her dark little brow furrowed from

time to time as if she was having some

sort of baby dream. Everything about

Olivia was enthralling, which never

ceased to surprise Casey.

After all, she had never been a

baby person. When she was growing up,

background image

the only baby she had really ever been

around was her kid sister, Carlee. She

sure as hell didn’t do any babysitting

when she was a teenager. For a long

time, she hadn’t even planned on having

children. But then a 6’5 stud with a heart

of gold came into her life and changed

her mind…although she put up a hell of a

fight for a long time.

As she eyed the sparkling

diamond on her left hand, Casey thought

of the many years it had been on her

finger. It had been over a decade since

she had literally bumped into Nate Rossi

background image

at a Starbucks in downtown Atlanta. Her

iced mocha had drenched the front of

Nate’s jeans, making it appear like he

had pissed his pants. Thankfully, his

steaming hot cappuccino had stayed put

in its cup, and he had good-naturedly

found the incident amusing, rather than

being angry like she probably would

have.

Coming off a two month fling with

an out-of-work musician, Nate was just

the kind of guy she usually ran from.

While he was panty-melting gorgeous,

he didn’t exude the personality of a

background image

player. Even at twenty-three, he had his

shit together where at twenty-one, she

was still giving her parents grey hairs

about the outlook of her life. She’d

dropped out of college once and then

changed her major twice. It was after her

parents last “come to Jesus” sit down

with her that she had enrolled at Georgia

State University to do something with

marketing or public relations. At least

that’s what she had assured her parents

that their tuition money would be paying

for.

Normally she would have

background image

apologized profusely and then gotten the

hell out of there, but something about

Nate’s dark chocolate eyes, the Tom

Selleckesque double dimples in his

cheeks, and his sincere smile made her

take him up on his offer to have dinner

with him. This was of course after he

insisted on buying her another iced

mocha.

And at dinner that first night, she

knew she had met the man she wanted to

marry…just not at that moment. The

thought scared the hell out of her, but at

the same time, she didn’t want to run

background image

away. For the first time in her life, she

wanted to see things through with a

decent man. Nate truly brought out the

best in her. He knew just how to smooth

her rough edges while slightly taming

her wild-child side. They were the old

adage of “she made him want to be a

better man” in reverse.

With her free hand, Casey reached

over to pick up the picture sitting on the

table next to her. She and Nate stared out

of the sterling silver frame with

genuinely happy smiles on their faces.

The picture was of the two of them on

background image

their wedding day along with their herd

of bridesmaids and groomsmen. The

lone redhead in the group caught Casey’s

eye and made her smile.

It was through Nate she met her

best friend, Emma Harrison. Another

life-time ago, Nate’s med school roomie

had been a hell of a nice guy named

Travis. After spending a few nights

hanging out with him at the apartment,

Travis insisted that she needed to meet

his high-school sweetheart and fiancée,

Emma. Just like that first dinner with

Nate, Casey knew the moment she met

background image

Emma that she had met a best friend for

life. It didn’t hurt that the two shared a

major and even some classes. Of course,

Casey often found herself corrupting the

shy, sweet girl, but at the same time,

Emma had the same affect as Nate and

tempered her outrageous antics.

But it had been tragedy that

bonded their friendship even deeper than

she could have ever imagined. Travis

had been killed in a car accident just a

year before his and Emma’s wedding.

Casey immersed herself in the role of

comforter for both Nate, who had lost

background image

his best friend, and to Emma, who had

lost the love of her life. Those dark,

agonizing days, weeks, and months had

moved them all past friendship into a

family.

The rumbling sound of the garage

door rising up had Casey popping out of

her chair. Olivia grunted softly in protest

at being jostled as Casey padded across

the hardwood floors to the kitchen. Just

like clockwork, Nate arrived through the

door at seven forty-five. Before Olivia

came, he made it home much earlier, but

now after his shift ended, he grabbed a

background image

quick shower in the doctors’ lounge to

wash away any germs before being

around the baby.

A beaming smile stretched across

his lips at the sight of her. “Hey

gorgeous,” he said, as he pulled her

close to him. Even though she had shed

her work clothes for a ratty sweatshirt

and pair of leggings, Nate had the ability

with one look and a few words to make

her feel like a million bucks and wearing

the finest couture.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her

face against his chest and inhaledhis

background image

comforting, familiar scent of Dior

cologne and fresh soap. “How was

work?” she asked, as she pulled away.

In the past, she would have been

pissed at him ignoring her question. But

in this case, she had to smile at the way

he was staring adoringly at Olivia’s dark

head. Without pressing him for

information, she gently passed the baby

into his eager arms.

Olivia only stirred slightly as she

settled against Nate’s broad chest. “Hey,

baby girl. How was your day? Did you

have fun with Nana?” Nate crooned

background image

softly.

Since Casey had returned to work

a few days a week, Nate’s mother had

been keeping Olivia. While Emma had

been happy to quit work to be a full-time

mom, Casey knew she would never be

able to give up completely on her career.

After initially having a rough start

settling on what she wanted to do in life,

she adored her job. She dealt with the

obligatory “mommy guilt” of working,

but she knew that Olivia was in the best

hands with Nate’s mom. The retired

kindergarten teacher was already itching

background image

to start lessons with Olivia.

“She did. She had her first taste of

some applesauce.”

Nate’s brows rose as he

momentarily tore his gaze away from

Olivia. “Did she like it?”

Casey smiled. “She did—at least

what she actually ended up getting in her

mouth.”

A hearty chuckle rumbled through

Nate’s chest. “My baby girl is growing

too fast. First it’s food, and then it’s—”

“Dating?” Casey teased.

Nate’s expression became pained

background image

like he’d been sucker punched in the gut.

“God forbid.”

With a smile, Casey mused,

“Between you and Aidan, I don’t think

Caroline and Olivia will see the light of

day outside of a convent.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nate

replied with a wink.

Casey rubbed Olivia’s plump

cheek. “Don’t worry, Liv. I’ll save you

from your Daddy’s overprotectiveness.”

Tilting her head thoughtfully, she then

added, “But not if you want to take too

much after me.”

background image

Nate threw back his head and

laughed, which startled Olivia awake.

Instead of crying, she just eyed her

parents curiously before lifting one side

of her mouth in what Casey loved to joke

was a pity smile. “I’m pretty sure that

little smirk is all yours, babe,” Nate

teased.

“Then we’re in serious trouble.”

Using his free hand, he smacked

her playfully on the behind. “I guess I

better get this wee one upstairs and into

bed,” Nate said.

Casey didn’t bother asking him if

background image

he was hungry. She knew he scarfed

something down on the way home so that

all of his time could be devoted to

Olivia. “You head on up, and I’ll grab

her bottle.”

“Thanks, babe,” Nate said before

bestowing a kiss on her cheek.

The corners of her mouth turned

up with pleasure as she listened to Nate

chatter to Olivia on the way up the

stairs. Casey then went into the kitchen

to grab the bottle of milk she had

pumped earlier. Letting Nate do the

before bed bottle was one way she was

background image

able to make him a part of Olivia’s

feeding schedule.

When she got to the nursery, she

found Nate at the changing table. As he

blew raspberries on Olivia’s bare

tummy, she giggled and kicked her legs.

“She already needed changing again?”

Casey questioned as she sat the bottle

down on the table beside the glider.

“Someone had a massive blow out

in her diaper on the way up the stairs.”

Casey giggled as she came to

Nate’s side. “Good going, baby girl.

Save those for Daddy.”

background image

Olivia grinned at Casey while

Nate only shook his head. After he put

on a fresh diaper, he buttoned up

Olivia’s pink and white sleeper. Turning

to Casey, he said, “I’ve got it. You go on

and do what you need to do.”

Leaning up on her tiptoes, she

planted a kiss on his lips. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Casey then kissed Olivia’s cheek.

“Love you, too, Livvie Boo.”

At Olivia’s little coo of a

response, Casey’s heart melted. When

she got to the doorway, she glanced back

background image

one last time at Nate and Olivia. Some

nights she loved to just hang around and

watch the two of them interact. It

might’ve meant not getting to watch a

little TV or read, but it was well worth

it.

But not tonight.

Tonight she was a woman on a

mission—a seduction specific one. She

wouldn’t think about the laundry piling

up around the washing machine or the

dirty dishes in the sink. No, they could

all go fuck themselves for all she cared.

She was going to have some mind-

background image

blowing sex—the kind she and Nate

used to have pre-Olivia.

Over the last week with sex being

MIA, Casey came to realize how

different things were for her and Nate in

the bedroom. Even after all the years she

and Nate had been together, she could

still count on sex being a consistent four

to five times a week. And they weren’t

just “let’s get it over with” quickies

before bed either.

Ever the patient and understanding

husband, Nate hadn’t been the first one

to initiate sex post Olivia’s birth. During

background image

her healing time, she had thrown him the

obligatory bone, so to speak, for his

boners in the form of either hand or

blowjobs. In the end, she had been the

one eager to get intimate again after her

doctor cleared her for action.

When the first few times weren’t

as toe curling as before, she chalked it

up to her being tired, to postpartum

hormones, to Olivia being in her

bassinet next to the bed. She even went

as far to blame it on the fact it was a full

moon—anything not to have to question

that something was wrong. But as time

background image

passed and things didn’t improve, Casey

didn’t just worry—she began to panic.

Sex had defined who she was

ever since she lost her virginity at

sixteen. She hadn’t been stereotypical

girl pressured to give in to some horny

guy. She had been equally as horny as

her boyfriend. Once she’d had her first

taste of sex, she wanted more and more.

Before she had someone like Samantha

Jones on Sex and the City to relate to,

she sometimes wondered what was

wrong with her that she had such a

healthy libido compared to some of her

background image

friends.

By the time she and Nate got

together, she could no longer count her

sex partners on one hand. While he was

far more conservative about sex, Nate

had always enjoyed and appreciated her

voracious appetite. They were the

perfect couple physically and

emotionally.

Just not anymore…at least not

physically. But that was going to change

tonight. Over the last two days of

mulling things over in her head, Casey

had worked on a strategy. She had

background image

approached taking back the heat with as

much tenacity as she would project at

work. So what if she was exhausted

from starting back to work coupled with

Olivia’s up and down nighttime

schedule? That didn’t mean she couldn’t

have some hot, sweaty sex with her

husband.

She practically sprinted across the

hall to their bedroom before dipping

inside her walk-in closet. With lips

pursed in concentration, she began

rifling through her lingerie section. Some

women might have a drawer or two

background image

devoted to the naughty, but not Casey.

She believed in dressing to impress on a

daily basis, so it only made sense to take

that same motto to the bedroom.

There was a little bit of

everything—lacy bustiers with matching

panties, racy teddys that left little to the

imagination, and even some naughty

themed costumes. Tonight called for

something a little daring...maybe

something a little nostalgic to recapture

the old fire.

“Oh hell yes,” she murmured at

the sight of her slutty nurse’s costume. A

background image

little role-playing never hurt, and Nate

always got a big kick out of her wanting

to play doctor on the doctor.

After grabbing the costume on its

hanger, she headed into the bathroom to

change. Once she shed her leggings and

GSU Alum sweatshirt, she started to put

on the skimpy white uniform.

“Umph,” she grunted as she

writhed and wriggled beneath the

material. Having to use exertion to get

outfitted for sex was a new experience.

She usually saved all the huffing and

panting for the act itself. Although she

background image

had lost most of her pregnancy weight,

there was still a pesky five to ten pounds

that kept hanging around no matter how

hard she dieted or worked out. While it

seemed to even out in her clothes, the

same couldn’t be said for the skintight

lingerie.

Once she had wrestled the fabric

across her back, she reached for the

zipper. She should have anticipated that

it wouldn’t come up as easily as it once

had. She had to tug and jerk it to get it up

over her hips. But that was a piece of

cake compared to what happened when

background image

she reached her boobs. “Mother…

fucker,” she grunted as the teeth of

zipper cracked and popped over the

track. Yeah, her normally C cup breasts

had gotten enormous since she was

breastfeeding Olivia, but it wasn’t like

she had turned into Dolly Parton or

something.

When the suit was finally zipped,

she let out a sigh of relief. Standing in

front of the lighted mirror, she twirled

one of Nate’s old med school

stethoscopes between her fingers while

turning from side to side. As she

background image

surveyed her appearance, her lips pulled

into a frown. She didn’t feel like the

sexy seductress she usually did. Was it

the way her milk-laden breasts made the

dress’s zipper pull too tightly across the

chest, or was it the post-baby pooch

around her middle? Whatever it was, she

sure as hell wasn’t liking it. She had

never, ever felt unsexy before.

Her thoughts were interrupted by

a high-pitched squeal. After striding

over to the doorway, she cautiously

questioned, she strode over to the

doorway. “Everything okay?”

background image

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Nate

replied in a humorous tone.

“If you’re sure.”

“Positive, babe.”

Within a few seconds, Olivia

quieted down, so Casey went back to the

bathroom to touch up her hair and

makeup. After a day at work and then an

afternoon with Olivia, she could have

used another shower, but she didn’t have

the time. Much to her dismay, the voices

of self-deprecation about her appearance

didn’t stop even after her full lips

shimmered with gloss or her dark hair

background image

fell in waves down her back. In the end,

she felt like she had just painted the pig,

or she was the equivalent of Jabba the

Hut styling too tight lingerie.

She was just about to lose her

nerve and throw in the towel, or in this

case the stethoscope, when she heard

Olivia’s door close. “Oh fuck it,” she

muttered before hurrying out of bathroom

and into the bedroom.

At the sight of Nate in the

doorway, she lunged forward and threw

herself into his arms. He hadn’t

anticipated her, and they both went

background image

staggering back into the hallway. “I

guess you’re glad I’m coming to bed,

huh?” Nate asked.

“Oh yes. But not to sleep.”

“And here I was thinking that’s

what we did in there,” he replied, his

voice vibrating with amusement.

She eased back in his arms.

Running her fingers through the strands

of his dark, curly hair, she said, “If

sleeping is all you remember us doing in

there, I think you need your head

examined, Dr. Rossi.”

When Nate’s dark eyes flared

background image

with desire for her, it instantly silenced

all the chattering voices of doubt in her

head. “God, you’re sexy as hell in that

outfit.”

“Really?” she asked, her cracking

and betraying her false bravado.

“Oh yeah.” He dipped his head to

capture her lips with his. The kiss sent a

tingling from her head straight between

her legs. He had always been able to

make her weak in the knees with just a

kiss, and after all their years together, he

still had the gift.

When he finally broke the kiss,

background image

both of their chests rose and fell in harsh

pants. “So you’re up for a head

examination, Dr. Rossi?”

“Mmm, hmm.”

Casey slid one of her hands down

Nate’s chest past his belt to cup his

growing erection. “I think this head

needs my immediate attention. Don’t

you?”

“I’d like that very much, Nurse

Casey.” Shooting her a sexy grin, he

added, “I leave myself in your capable

hands.”

While she kept stroking him over

background image

his slacks, she used her free hand to

unbutton his shirt. Once she had it open,

Nate helped her by sliding it off his

shoulders and letting it drop to the floor.

She then turned her attention to freeing

his cock that was straining against his

zipper.

After sliding his pants and

underwear over his hips and down his

thighs, Casey couldn’t help standing

back and admiring Nate’s body. He kept

himself in fabulous shape. She traced his

washboard abs with her fingers, causing

them to tighten at her touch.

background image

“Your examination methods could

use some work, Nurse Casey.”

Tilting her head at him, she

questioned, “You don’t like the care I’m

giving you.”

He smiled. “That’s just it. You’re

killing me with the teasing.”

“By all means, please tell me how

to do my job. I want to take care of you,”

she urged. It was more of a challenge to

him since he usually wasn’t the dirty

talker in the bedroom—that was usually

her job.

“I want—no I need you to put

background image

your hands and mouth here.” He brought

her hand back to his dick, which

throbbed under her fingertips.

“I’m so sorry. Let me take care of

that for you right away.” She guided him

over to the bed before placing both

hands on his shoulders and playfully

shoving him back to where he fell down

onto the mattress. His hooded eyes

stayed on hers as he pushed himself up

in the bed, giving her the room to kneel

over him.

While he might’ve given her all

the room she needed, the fabric of her

background image

nurse’s outfit didn’t. It took two tries

before she was finally able to get up on

the bed. Cursing inwardly, she swore

she would burn it the minute she got free.

Bending down, she brought her

lips to his. When Nate widened his

mouth, she darted her tongue inside,

dancing hers along with his. Knowing he

was dying of anticipation and probably a

case of blue balls, she decided to

prolong his agony a little. After all,

delayed gratification usually made the

most mind blowing orgasms, and she

wanted more than anything to give him

background image

that.

She started kissing a trail over the

stubble on his chin, down his neck

across his bobbing Adam’s apple to his

chest. While some women hated chest

hair and would have encouraged Nate to

wax, she happened to rather like the dark

dusting across his chest and stomach. Of

course, she had to draw the line with

back hair, which a lot of the Italian men

in his family had.

When his erection bucked against

her stomach, she teasingly rubbed

against it, giving him a little friction. “I

background image

think I’m going to have to report you to

the charge nurse,” he rasped.

Casey grinned as she flicked her

tongue across Nate’s pebbling nipple.

When she drew back, she blew air

across it, causing Nate to suck in a harsh

breath. “At least I’m not making you

beg.” She cocked her brows at him.

“Yet.”

“I’ll make sure to remember this

when it’s my time to play doctor.”

His words coupled with the dark

look glittering in his eyes sent a shiver

down her spine and a shot of heat

background image

between her legs. Wanting to get to that

moment, she decided it was time to get

down to business. When she took him

into her hand, he groaned and arched his

hips off the bed.

After taking him deep inside her

mouth, she bobbed her head up and

down, alternating between fast and slow.

Call her crazy, but she was one of those

strange women who actually liked giving

blowjobs. She wasn’t necessarily

someone who thought it was better to

give than receive, but she loved nothing

more to have Nate groaning and writhing

background image

with the pleasure she was giving him.

With her nurse’s uniform starting

to cut off the circulation around her

middle, she was forced to momentarily

let Nate’s cock fall free from her mouth

as she shifted from sitting on her knees

to lying down beside him.

Closing her eyes, she lay her

cheek against Nate’s thigh, which still

gave her easy access to stroke and lick

him. She found the position a lot more

comfortable than she had imagined. It

was downright cozy. Why hadn’t she

thought of doing him like this other

background image

times? Before she realized it, her hand

began to slide slower and slower on his

shaft.

“Casey?”

“Hmm, what?” she murmured

drowsily.

“Um…I think you fell asleep.”

“Huh?” What the hell was he

talking about? Of course, she had fallen

asleep. I mean, they were in bed after

all. Her eyelids flicked open to take in

her surroundings. To her surprise, she

not only found herself eyelevel with

Nate’s dick, but she had it in her hand.

background image

Her gaze left Nate’s deflated

erection to stare up at him. Propped up

on his elbows, he wore an expression of

amused concern. “You just fell asleep in

the middle of giving me head,” he

replied.

Holy shit. She had seriously just

dozed off…with Nate’s dick in her hand.

How the hell was that even physically

possible? Maybe she had passed out…

maybe she’d had a stroke or something

while she was stroking him. I mean, she

couldn’t possibly have checked out

voluntarily in the middle of a sex act.

background image

A fiery mortification burned its

way over her body causing her skin to

feel inflamed and not in the good, erotic

way. Her lungs screamed for the air that

she couldn’t seem to bring into them

while her stomach lurched and churned.

“Babe?” Nate questioned. He rose

up to a sitting position and reached for

her.

The moment he touched her, she

scuttled away from him so fast that she

ended up falling off the end of the bed.

“Ow!” she cried as her ass smacked

against the hardwood. Of course she had

background image

to fall off the end and not the side where

the ton of throw pillows would have

been to cushion her.

“Jesus, are you all right?”

When she stared up into Nate’s

concerned face, her already overwrought

emotions went even more haywire. For a

second, she wished he was mad or

frustrated at her for what had happened.

But considering the goodhearted guy

Nate was, he was worried about her

feelings…and her soon-to-be bruised

ass.

“I have to get out of here,” she

background image

blurted as she lunged to her feet.

“Casey, it’s okay.”

“No. No, it isn’t.”

“But I’m not mad. I swear,” he

said.

Sprinting into the bathroom, she

eyed the pile of clothes she had shed a

half an hour ago. The tight as hell nurse’s

costume would take too long to wrangle

out of, and she needed to be out of the

bedroom and house. Like five minutes

ago.

She snatched her terry cloth robe

off the hook and jerked it on. As she was

background image

frantically tying the belt, Nate appeared

in the doorway. “Babe, let’s talk about

this.”

She couldn’t bear to look at him.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. Not right now.”

After she blew past him and

started out of the bedroom, he called in

surprise, “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“I just need some time to myself,”

she replied in a low-tone as she went

past Olivia’s closed door.

“Where the hell are you going to

go at this hour?”

“I don’t know.”

background image

It wasn’t a second before Nate

was at her side. He tugged gently on her

arm. “Casey, I don’t want you driving

when you’re upset like this.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Case—”

When she reached the bottom of

the stairs, she whirled around and held

up her hand. “Please, Nate.”

The pained expression he wore

told her how much he wanted to argue

with her, but instead, he clamped his lips

together. Crossing his arms over his

chest, he said, “Fine. Just promise you’ll

background image

be careful.”

“I will.”

She didn’t have to tell him to take

care of Olivia—that was a given.

Instead, she grabbed her keys and

hurried into the garage.

She had told Nate she didn’t know

where she was going, but that wasn’t the

truth. There was only one place—one

person—that could make her feel even

the slightest bit better at the moment. She

had to see Emma.

background image

After careening into the familiar

driveway on two wheels, Casey

screeched her SUV to a halt just before

dinging the garage door. Not even

bothering with her phone or purse, she

flung open the car door and sprinted up

the flower-lined front walk. She

gathered up the hem of her bathrobe to

pound up the porch steps.

Just as she reached for the

background image

doorbell, she quickly recoiled her hand.

Considering how late it was, she didn’t

dare ring it for fear of waking Noah and

Caroline. Instead, she started banging

out a steady rhythm like Morse code on

the wood. It took a few moments before

the porch light flicked on, and the door

swung open.

Standing before her with a

bewildered expression etched on his

handsome face was Aidan Fitzgerald.

Barefoot and shirtless, he sported a pair

of orange and green checked boxers—a

subtle nod to his Irish heritage. In one

background image

hand was a longneck Corona and in the

other was a baby monitor.

His blue eyes widened as he took

in her disheveled appearance. When he

opened his mouth, she held up a hand.

“Out of my way, douchenozzle. I need to

talk to Em.”

Aidan didn’t protest as she blew

past him through the front door. Nor did

he give her any grief about calling him

“douchenozzle”. While she had first

used it as a derogatory term against him,

it was now a more endearing nickname

between the two.

background image

Craning her neck down the hall,

Casey questioned, “Em?”

“She’s not here.”

Casey whirled around. Placing

her hands on her hips, she demanded,

“Where the hell is she?”

“Down the street at Becky’s for

Book Club.”

Casey grimaced. In her turmoil,

she had completely forgotten that

Wednesday night was Book Club. More

accurately it was “a kid free night

hanging out with the girls while the wine

freely flowed”. Casey would have been

background image

there herself if not for Nate’s work

schedule.

At the prospect of not getting to

unload her traumatic troubles on her

bestie, Casey stomped her house-shoed

foot like a petulant toddler.

“Motherfuckingshitdamnhell!” she

screeched.

Aidan snorted in amusement at her

cursing. After crossing his arms over his

chest, he asked, “What could have

possibly happened that warranted a

‘motherfuckingshitdamnhell’ situation?”

Gazing into his amused blue eyes,

background image

Casey did something she rarely, if ever

did—she burst into tears.

Through her blurry vision, she

almost laughed at the look of horror that

stretched across Aidan’s face. As he

shifted on his feet, it looked like he was

debating tearing out of room and

sprinting down the street for Emma. That

was something the Old Aidan from three

years ago would have done—the one

who broke out in a nervous sweat at the

sight of any expression of female

emotion. But thankfully, Emma had

changed all that.

background image

The New Aidan gave her the

sweetest, sympathetic look. “Oh hell,

Case, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased

you. It’s obvious from your...” He

motioned at her attire. “look that

something is wrong.”

“No. It’s okay,” she reassured, as

she swiped the mascara stained tears

from her cheeks.

Placing a hand on her back, Aidan

instructed, “Come over here and sit

down.” With expert precision, he guided

her through the maze of baby

paraphernalia littering the living room

background image

floor.

When Casey sank down onto the

couch, her ass emitted a high pitched

squeak. She quickly reached under her to

jerk out a fluffy pink toy. A smile played

at her lips because her Olivia had one

just like it. In spite of it being annoying

as hell, it was the four month old’s

favorite.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Aidan asked, as he sat down beside her.

Groaning, Casey tossed the bunny

to the side. “It’s too mortifying.”

Aidan nudged her knee. “Come

background image

on. Nothing can be that bad.”

Oh fuck yes it can. Staring down

at her hands, Casey decided to bite the

bullet and tell Aidan the truth. As the

flashback played in her mind, she

pinched her eyes shut. “I kinda dozed

off…” She swallowed hard. For a

moment, she felt as bashful as Emma

was when it came to talking about sex. “I

dozed off for just a second while doing

a…job.”

When she dared to look at Aidan,

his blond brows were scrunched in

confusion. “You fell asleep at work?”

background image

Rolling her eyes, Casey then

grunted in frustration. “No. Not at

work.”

“Then what—”

“I fell asleep while blowing Nate,

okay!” she blurted.

Her words had the same effect on

Aidan as if she had slapped him. He

shook his head back and forth like he

was trying to wake himself out of a daze.

For the next few seconds, he just stared

ahead without blinking.

Throwing up her hands, Casey

demanded, “Well say something,

background image

dammit!”

“Motherfuckingshitdamnhell,”

Aidan muttered.

“Thanks for making me feel so

much better,” she snapped.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…wow.”

Rubbing her fingers along her

temple, she said, “Once again, you’re

not helping.”

“Yeah, well, I’m really sorry. It’s

just it’s one thing for you to come

barreling in here, looking like someone

was killed or something, and then you

drop that kinda bomb on me…It’s going

background image

to take me a little while to recover.”

“Well, I’m sorry if my threshold

for patience and understanding is a little

thin. Catch me on a day when I haven’t

just fallen asleep giving oral sex.”

Aidan made a strangled noise.

When he recovered, he questioned, “I’m

still not completely grasping how that is

even possible?”

A frustrated growl escaped

Casey’s lips. “I don’t know exactly. It

just is.”

“You didn’t like…” Aidan

swallowed hard and shifted on the

background image

couch. “Bite him. Did you?”

Casey rolled her eyes. Leave it to

a man to be only concerned with the all

mighty dick in the story. “The last thing I

want to do right now in my frame of

mind is get technical with you, but if you

must know, Nate and his dick are

unscathed. I didn’t have him in my mouth

when I dozed off.”

Aidan exhaled what could only be

described as a sigh of relief. When she

glared at him, he held up his hands.

“Sorry. I needed to put that worry to

rest.”

background image

“Ugh, you men and your precious

Penis Brotherhood.”

Leaning forward on the couch,

Aidan picked up his phone. “Don’t you

dare call Nate and let him know where I

am!”

“I’m not. I’m texting Emma to

come home. I’m am so not the person for

this situation.”

Casey shook her head. “I don’t

want to interrupt book club.”

Aidan snorted. “Like I don’t

realize there’s no real reading involved,

and it’s a just a means for her to have a

background image

kid free night with the girls.”

Widening her eyes, Casey said,

“You know?”

“Yeah, I know. I just play dumb to

save face. As much as she does for me

and the kids, she deserves three hours to

herself.”

“That’s pretty damn considerate of

you, Douchenozzle,” Casey said.

“I have my moments.” Nudging

her knee again, he said, “So let me have

a moment to play the sensitive, caring

guy friend. Tell me exactly what

happened.”

background image

After studying the earnest

expression on Aidan’s face, Casey

decided she might as well open up. Once

she had drawn in a ragged breath, she

purged herself of the story from start to

finish. She didn’t look at Aidan until she

was done. She hadn’t wanted whatever

facial reactions he had to interrupt her

train of thought.

When she finally dared herself to

tear her gaze away from wringing her

hands, she found him to be staring

earnestly at her with a concerned,

contemplative look on his face.

background image

Thankfully, he didn’t appear to be

feeling his original shock and horror.

Breaking the silence between

them, she said, “So tonight was

supposed to be perfect—I was supposed

to get my hot sex life back. Instead, I fell

asleep in the middle of giving oral sex,

threw a psycho fit, and ran out on my

poor husband.”

“I can see why you had the

reaction you did.”

“You can?”

Aidan nodded. “Forgive me for

pointing out the obvious, but you just had

background image

a baby four months ago. All aspects of

your life are turned upside down,

especially your sex life. Change is hard

regardless the circumstances, but then

when you throw in all the post-

pregnancy hormones, it makes for an

emotional shit-storm.”

Casey blinked a few times as she

took in his words. Either she was farther

gone mentally than she thought, or Aidan

was making good sense. “Okay, I gotta

be honest and say that you’re slightly

wigging me out with the words of

wisdom. It’s not like you…well, maybe

background image

it’s not like the old you.”

Aidan’s bare chest rose and fell

with a chuckle. “Just calling it as I see

it…and felt it.”

“I didn’t realize you went through

anything like that.”

With a wry smile, Aidan said,

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s hard to imagine me

ever being that deep.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she

argued.

“I know. I’m just teasing you.”

“So what happened with you?”

Aidan drowned the last of his

background image

beer. “Well, obviously I didn’t have the

hormones, but Noah’s birth was a real

transition for me. Sure, I was so fucking

happy to have him and to have Emma,

but in the course of a few months, my

life was completely unrecognizable. And

that wasn’t my previous wild and crazy

life—that was just the life I built with

Emma as husband and wife. Then there

were three of us—one being completely

dependent on us for survival. I was

scared out of my fucking mind that I

wasn’t going to be the father that he

needed—that after screwing up before, I

background image

would screw up again.”

“How did you get through it?”

“By talking to Pop and some of

my brothers-in-law—you know, people

who had fought their way through the

trenches of fatherhood before.”

“I see.”

“But even if you talk to all the

women in your mommy group, you still

have to communicate what’s going on in

your head to Nate.”

Casey winced and rubbed her

eyes. “He has to already think I’ve lost

my damn mind.”

background image

“Knowing Nate like I do, I’m sure

that’s the last thing on his mind.”

“Like you wouldn’t be slightly

concerned about Emma’s sanity if she

had run out on you like I had?”

“Well, maybe a little,” Aidan

admitted.

“I rest my case.”

Aidan’s expression became

suddenly grave. “Okay, I’m going to tell

you something—something not a living

soul besides Emma knows. And I’m only

telling it now so that you can feel a little

better about what happened.”

background image

With Aidan’s tone and body

language, Casey couldn’t help leaning

forward expectantly on the couch. “What

is it?” she questioned in almost a

whisper.

After doing a nervous pop of the

knuckles on his hand, Aidan cleared his

throat. Whatever he was about to tell her

seemed especially painful. “This one

time when Noah was about two months

old…” He swallowed hard. “Emma fell

asleep when I was going down on her.”

Seconds crept by as she could

merely stare at him, blinking. If her

background image

situation hadn’t been so bleak, she

probably would have busted out

laughing at the absurdity of it all.

“Aidan, while I appreciate you

trying to commiserate, I can tell you

from a woman’s perspective that’s really

not a bad thing.”

Aidan’s blue eyes widened. “Are

you fucking kidding me? Putting your

wife to sleep during a sex act is never,

ever a good thing.”

“But oral for a woman can be

very relaxing—sometimes an orgasm is

just what we need to get the best sleep of

background image

our life.”

He shook his head furiously from

side to side. “Oh hell no. It’s not

supposed to be this—” He closed his

eyes, lolled his head to the sound, and

made exaggerated snoring sounds.

“But—”

“It’s supposed to be this!” Rolling

his eyes back in his head in mock

ecstasy, he then mimicked the high-

pitched voice of a female as he moaned,

“Oh God! Oh God! Yes, yes, YES!”

Casey snorted back a laugh, which

earned her a frustrated grunt from Aidan.

background image

“Last time I ever tell you something to

make you feel better,” he grumbled

before hopping up off the couch.

As she watched his retreating

form stomp away, Casey sighed and rose

up herself. She followed him into the

kitchen where he had his head stuck in

the fridge. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled back to eye her around

the side of the fridge door. Waving a

longneck at her, he asked, “Want one?”

Her mouth watered in

anticipation. “I really shouldn’t.”

“Pump and dump. You’ve earned

background image

it.”

A laugh escaped her lips. Who

would have ever thought Mr. Manwhore

Fitzgerald would understand all the ins

and outs of breastfeeding? “Okay. You

twisted my arm.”

Always the gentleman, he popped

the top off before passing the cold bottle

to her. Holding his bottle, he clinked the

neck of hers. “To great sex.”

With a groan, she repeated, “To

great sex.” After taking a long, foamy

swig, she leaned back against the

counter. “Just for the record, your

background image

reputation as the ultimate lover has not

waned one bit in my eyes because of that

story.”

Aidan grinned at her over the top

of his longneck. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” After

nibbling his bottom lip a tad bit

nervously, he added, “And it was only

that one time.”

Casey bit back a smile. “I believe

you.”

“Good.”

Aidan’s phone began to ring.

background image

When he picked it up, he glanced at her.

“It’s Nate.”

Sitting the beer down on the

counter, she waved her hands back and

forth. “I don’t want to talk to him.”

With an exasperated look, Aidan

answered the call. “Hey man.” Although

Nate couldn’t see him, Aidan bobbed his

head. “Yeah, she’s here, and she’s fine.”

Nate must’ve asked about talking to her

because Aidan grimaced before

scratching the hair at the back of his

neck. “Um, she really doesn’t want to

talk to you right now.”

background image

If she tried, she could almost

picture Nate at home, pacing around

their bedroom—his dark brows

furrowed in worry. His hair was

probably disheveled from jerking his

fingers through it, which was one of his

nervous quirks. The thought that she was

the source of that worry caused an ache

to burn through her chest.

“Tell him I’m on my way home,”

she blurted.

Aidan’s brows rose, but he didn’t

question her. “She’s coming home.”

Once again, he bobbed his head. “Yeah,

background image

I’ll make sure she gets to the car okay.”

Tears stung Casey’s eyes when

she thought of how concerned Nate was

for her. God, she loved that man with all

her heart and soul. The last thing in the

world she ever wanted to do was hurt

him. Humiliation once again stung her at

the way she had overreacted. Man, she

could sure manage to fuck up a situation,

couldn’t she?”

As soon as Aidan hung up the

phone, it dinged signaling a text. After

glancing at it, he said, “That’s Em. She’s

on the way home. You sure you don’t

background image

want to wait for her?”

Casey shook her head. “I need to

get to Nate—to make this right.”

Aidan patted her shoulder. “It

wasn’t ever a wrong, Case.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so. But I’m glad you’re

going home. Nate sounded pretty

desperate.”

“God, I was such a heartless bitch

to run out on him like that,” she

lamented.

“You were just doing what you

thought was best in the moment. If you

background image

had stayed, you might’ve said something

you would have regretted.”

Casey stared at Aidan in surprise

as she weighed his words. After shaking

her head, she questioned, “Whenever did

you get so wise, douchenozzle?”

He laughed. “Becoming a husband

and father was the jumpstart to maturity I

desperately needed.”

She reached out and patted his

cheek. “It looks and sounds really good

on you.”

“Thanks. That means a lot coming

from you.”

background image

“You’re welcome. And thanks for

listening to me.”

“Anytime.” With a wink, he

added, “But if it’s all the same, I really

hope Emma’s home the next time you

have a crisis.”

Casey snickered. “I’ll keep that in

mind.”

Picking up the baby monitor, he

then proceeded to walk her out to the car

just as he had promised Nate. He went

as far as to open the car door and shut it

back. She waved at him before cranking

up. As she backed down the driveway,

background image

she thought how lucky Emma was to

have Aidan. What had started out as a

proposition had turned into so much

more.

Although there were a million

things she wanted to say to Nate, she

didn’t pick up the phone. What she

needed to say should be said in person.

When she pulled into the garage, Nate

stood waiting for her in the doorway.

He’d thrown on a pair of boxer shorts,

but besides that, he was exactly as she

had left him.

From his body language, she

background image

could tell he wanted nothing more than

to bound out to the car and take her into

his arms, but he wouldn’t let himself. He

was giving her the space he thought she

needed. Just when she thought she

couldn’t love him more, she did.

She flung open the car door and

sprinted to his side. For the second time

that night, she threw herself into his

arms. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,”

she murmured against his neck.

He rubbed comforting circles

over her back. “You don’t have to

apologize.

background image

“Yes, I do. I acted like a crazy

shrew.”

Nate’s chest rumbled with a good-

natured chuckle. “You had your

reasons.”

“Not good ones.”

He brought his hands to her

shoulders and gently eased her back.

Staring into her eyes, he smiled. “Let’s

don’t play the blame game anymore,

okay? It’s late, and we both need rest.

Let’s spend the time we have working

things out about about what happened

earlier.”

background image

Casey groaned. “Why do you have

to be so good at communication?”

“Just one of my many gifts,” he

teased.

As he started to pull her into the

house, she stopped him. When his brows

rose in surprise, she said, “I love you,

Nate. More than I can ever say or show

you.”

A pleased expression flooded his

face. “I love you, too, babe.” He then

wrapped an arm around her shoulder and

guided her into the house.

background image

The next morning before work Casey

found herself pulling into the parking lot

of her favorite coffee house. She eased

her SUV into a space next to Emma’s.

After what had happened the night

before, an emergency girls’ meeting had

been called. To ensure that they were

able to speak as freely as they needed

considering the subject matter, Emma

had left Caroline and Noah with Patrick

background image

while Casey had dropped off Olivia at

Nate’s mom’s house an hour earlier than

usual.

As she stepped inside The Grind,

Casey inhaled appreciatively of the

tantalizing smell of roasted coffee. She

had loved the illicit substance before

Olivia’s birth, but she had practically

been mainlining it to her veins during

work hours to keep herself awake. Even

though pumping and dumping was a pain

in the ass, it was a necessary evil to

keep her beloved coffee.

After she inched forward in the

background image

line, she craned her neck around,

searching for where Emma was sitting.

Casey spotted her in the far corner.

Always the punctual one, Emma had

arrived early and snagged one of their

favorite spots—an overstuffed couch

and table. Like Casey, her appearance

was a little more thrown together these

days considering Caroline and Olivia

were only a day apart, and then Noah

was twenty months. But if there was

anyone who could make motherhood not

only look easy, but a walk in the park, it

was Emma.

background image

Once she had her venti Vanilla

latte, Casey headed over to the table.

When Emma caught her eye, she popped

off the couch like a Jack in the Box and

opened her arms in an inviting hug.

With a roll of her eyes, Casey

snorted and held up her coffee free hand.

“Jesus, Em, would you stop being so

melodramatic? I only fell asleep during

a blowjob.”

Emma shook her head. “You can

play it off all you want, but I know you.”

“Is that right?”

Jerking her chin up, Emma

background image

replied, “Yeah, it is. You hold three

things sacred in your life—your family

and friends, your career, and your sex

life.”

Casey gave a grunt of frustration

before sinking down into the soft

cushions of the plush couch. “You do

know me too well.”

“I would be a pretty lousy bestie

if I didn’t,” Emma replied, with a

teasing smile.

“True,” Casey murmured before

taking a steaming gulp of her coffee. She

couldn’t help laughing when she saw the

background image

longing look on Emma’s face. “You

know, you can always pump and dump

like I do,” she suggested.

Emma sighed as she swished the

cup that held her Passion Tea Lemonade.

“I know. It just seems like even the least

amount in my bloodstream has Caroline

wired for hours. It never seemed to

effect Noah.”

Casey grinned. “I think it’s more

that Caroline is going to be a little

firecracker and take after her Aunt

Casey.”

Emma laughed. “That’s true. She’s

background image

already way more outgoing and social

than Noah was, and he hammed it up

most days for kisses and smiles.”

“So far so good that Liv seems to

be taking after Nate personality wise,”

Casey mused.

They were momentarily

interrupted by Emma’s phone dinging.

After glancing down at it, Emma smiled.

“Megan’s here.”

“I thought she was working

today.”

“She is. She’s just popping over

during her break.”

background image

Great. The fact that Emma had felt

the need to invite Megan made what had

happened last night seem even more

horrific. Swallowing another gulp of

coffee, she said, “Please tell me you

didn’t invite Connor, too.”

Emma’s cheeks tinged pink. “He

couldn’t make it this morning. But he

sends his love and support.”

Casey groaned as she sat her

coffee down. “Jesus, Em. You’re

seriously making feel like a real nutjob,

you know that?”

“That wasn’t my intention at all. I

background image

just wanted to be supportive,” Emma

argued.

Megan pushed through the front

door and made her way through the

crowd. Outfitted in a pair of pink scrubs,

her long, blonde hair was swept into a

ponytail. “Hey guys,” she said with a

bright smile. As she sat down across

from them, the enormous diamond

wedding band on her left hand caught the

light and almost blinded Casey. After

marrying the handsome and dashing

Alpesh “Pesh” Nadeen two months ago,

Megan exuded the perfect picture of a

background image

happy newlywed.

“Damn, Miss Newlywed and

Oversexed, I’m practically getting a

contact orgasm from sitting across from

you,” Casey joked.

While Emma’s eyes widened at

the comment, Megan only grinned. “I

have to say I’m a very satisfied woman.”

“Yeah and I hate you,” Casey

replied sullenly.

Megan’s brows shot up in surprise

at the change in Casey’s tone. “What?”

Attempting to diffuse the situation,

Emma slid an iced mocha across the

background image

table to Megan. “I went ahead and got

yours.”

“Thanks,” Megan replied, before

sucking a large gulp out of the straw.

After she swallowed, her gaze flicked

between Casey and Emma. “Okay,

seriously, what’s up?”

“Emma didn’t tell you already?”

Casey questioned.

Megan shook her head. “Nope.

Just that we needed an emergency girls’

summit.”

Casey rolled her eyes. “Really it’s

nothing.”

background image

“Case,” Emma implored.

Refusing to look at Emma, Casey

said to Megan, “Em’s just overreacting.

You know, I never got to hear all the

details on the Paris honeymoon.”

Emma wagged one of her fingers

in Casey’s face. “Oh no. Don’t even try

to change the subject,” she warned.

“Em, I—”

“Did you or did you not show up

to my house at nine o’clock last night

wearing your bathrobe where you

proceeded to cry on my husband’s

shoulder?” Emma demanded, tapping her

background image

shoe.

“Yes,” Casey grumbled.

A triumphant look flashed in

Emma’s green eyes. “I rest my case.”

After glancing curiously between

the two, Megan asked, “Once again I’ll

ask, what’s up?”

When Emma opened her mouth,

Casey shook head. “It’s my story. I’ll tell

it.”

“By all means.”

Casey had hoped after talking to

Aidan it would get easier telling what

had happened. But she soon found that

background image

wasn’t the case. In the light of a new

day, her whacked out reaction seemed

even more insane, not to mention it was

still mortifying that she had actually

fallen asleep during a blowjob.

Once she finished with every

mortifying detail, she gaged Megan’s

face for a response. With blonde brows

furrowed in confusion, her mouth hung

slightly open. “Wow,” Megan murmured.

Casey snorted. “That seems to be

the unified consensus.”

Emma shook her head. “That’s not

what I said when Aidan told me.”

background image

Crossing her arms over her chest,

Casey countered, “Oh really. Just what

did you say?”

“If you must know, I said, ‘Poor

Casey’ because I knew how devastating

it had to be for you.”

“Seriously? You weren’t the least

bit confused about how I managed to do

it? Like was Nate’s dick harmed if I was

blowing him?”

“No because Aidan was pretty

thorough when he told the story,

especially when it came to the fact that

Nate was…you know, all right down

background image

there.”

Rolling her eyes, Casey muttered,

“Fucking Penis Brotherhood.”

“What?” Emma asked.

“Nothing.”

Megan leaned forward on the

couch. “Look, at the end of the day, shit

happens. What happened to you could

have happened to any one of us--” When

Casey started to protest, Megan shook

her head. “There isn’t a woman out

there, who if she’s honest, hasn’t had

something mortifying happen in the

bedroom.”

background image

“Oh really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Casey’s brows rose in challenge.

“What’s yours?”

Paling slightly, Megan shifted on

the cushions. “Well…there was this one

time I farted in a guy’s face when he was

going down on me.”

“No you didn’t!” Emma

questioned in horror as Casey snickered.

Megan nodded. “I was a freshman

at UGA. I was up on a kitchen counter at

this guy’s apartment I’d been crushing

on. He was on knees below me. In my

background image

defense, he had a death grip on my sides

and was squeezing the hell out of my

stomach.” Closing her eyes, she shook

her head. “Needless to say we never had

sex, and he never called me after that.”

“Oh my,” Emma murmured.

“Thank you for that,” Casey said.

With a laugh, Megan replied,

“You’re welcome.”

When both Casey and Megan

looked to Emma, her face turned blood

red. “Do I really have to?”

“Yes,” they both answered in

unison.

background image

Staring down at her hands, Emma

practically whispered, “Once when

Aidan was going down on me, I fell

asleep. He didn’t realize it until he heard

me snoring.”

Casey busted out laughing at the

absurdity of hearing a repeat of the story

that haunted Aidan. When she continued

to laugh, Emma straightened her

shoulders in a huff. “Well, I don’t think

it’s that funny.”

After wiping her eyes, Casey said,

“No, it’s not. It’s more the fact that

Aidan told me the same story last night.”

background image

Emma gasped. “He did?”

Casey nodded. “He was trying to

make me feel better. You know, like a

‘We’ve all been there falling asleep

during oral sex’ kinda thing. It surprised

the hell out of me that he admitted it.”

“It surprises me, too. I mean, men

have such fragile egos when it comes to

sex, and while Aidan might put on a

good front, he is very sensitive about his

abilities as a lover and in turn, what that

says about him as a man,” Emma

replied.

“I might not have a dick, but trust

background image

me that I feel his pain. Sex is something

I’ve always been good at.”

With a shake of her head, Megan

argued, “And you still are. You had one

slip up. It’s not a game changer in any

way.”

Emma nodded. “Megan’s

absolutely right. Aidan felt way worse

than he needed to about what happened,

and he did for a long time. Just like with

you, there were outside forces at hand. I

had just gone back to work after having

Noah. I was emotionally and physically

exhausted. It felt so good that I just got

background image

way too relaxed. But in no way did it

mean that Aidan was a lousy lover—his

track record over the years totally

disproved that one. Just like yours

does.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“No. Deep down, you know I’m

right—you’re just too stubborn to admit

it,” Emma teased.

Casey laughed. “Fine. You’re

right, and I’m wrong.” Holding her fist

triumphantly in the air, she declared

rather loudly, “My name is Casey Rossi,

and I’m fantastic at fucking!”

background image

At her exclamation, a few people

turned to stare in their direction.

“Seriously, Casey,” Emma muttered, her

face flushing crimson.

Megan and Casey merely laughed

at Emma’s embarrassment. Once the

people turned back around, Emma

cleared her throat. “Bottom line is you

just have to stop being so hard on

yourself. You just had a seismic shift

happen in your life. Things are never

going to be the same both for the good

and for the bad.”

“I know. It just doesn’t seem fair

background image

that getting something as wonderful as

Olivia means having to lose something.

It shouldn’t be an all or nothing thing.”

Emma shook her head. “It doesn’t.

You just have to adjust a little.”

“Is that what you do now that

you’re a mom?”

“Yes and no. When Noah was

born, my attitude about having sex was

completely different than it is now.”

“Because you just had him, rather

than having Caroline, too?”

“No, it wasn’t because I was less

stressed or less tired because there was

background image

just one child to care for.” Emma

grinned. “Well, three if you count

Aidan.”

“So if it wasn’t the kid factor,

what was it?” Casey questioned.

Emma thoughtfully twirled the red

and white striped straw in her cup.

“Aidan and I were still newlyweds

when Noah was born. I guess I felt a

little pressure to make sure he was taken

care of sexually. You know, considering

the strength of his sex drive.”

Casey grinned. “Yes, the force is

strong with that one.”

background image

“Ew,” Megan replied, but then

laughed in spite of herself.

“I guess I just felt I owed it to

him, and that wasn’t a good way to feel.

It also meant the sex wasn’t that great

either because my heart wasn’t in it. It

wasn’t long before Aidan figured out

what was going on.”

“He really has come a long way in

the emotions department. Like quantum

leaps,” Casey mused.

Emma laughed. “I know, right?

Once he confronted me and I admitted it,

he really stepped up his game to make

background image

me want sex again, which was amazing.

Sure there were still nights when it was

just a wham, bam, quickie—”

“Once again, ew!” Megan

interrupted, covering her hands with her

eyes.

Casey patted Megan’s knee. “I just

want you to know that I really appreciate

you supporting me right now, even

though it means hearing about your

uncle’s sex life.”

Megan peeked through her fingers

at Casey and grinned. “You’re

welcome.” She then nodded at Emma.

background image

“Go on and finish.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Anyway, since having kids, sex

is something I chose to prioritize. I’m

sure a lot of women wouldn’t agree with

me, and that’s okay. We each have to do

what is best for us and our marriages.

Do I feel sexy and alluring most days we

do it? Hell no. But in the end, Aidan

makes me feel beautiful no matter what.

And thank goodness we have better

communication since Caroline was

born.”

background image

“After last night, we’re good on

communicating. Now it’s just actually

finding a way to bring the heat back.”

Casey then turned to Megan for her

input. “How did you feel when you had

Mason?”

“I’m probably not a lot of help

considering I was single. Overall, sex

was pretty low on my to-do list.”

“Totally understandable,” Casey

replied.

“But I do remember that after the

insanity of the first six weeks when my

hormones started evening out, I did have

background image

moments where I wanted sex.” Megan

furrowed her brows. “Funny thing was it

was at the most bizarre times—like

during Mason’s mid-afternoon nap. I’d

be watching television and see some

sexy as hell guy, and suddenly I was hot.

In that moment, I would have jumped the

next available penis that walked by my

house—even if it was the ancient Mr.

McMurray across the street.”

Casey snorted at the thought. She

had had the pleasure of meeting the

decrepit neighbor at Mason’s baptism

party. “Man, post pregnancy hormones

background image

are a bitch, aren’t they?”

“Here, here,” Megan said, raising

her cup in a toast while Emma nodded

vehemently in agreement.

“So we know how you feel about

the situation, but you never told us

exactly what Nate said?” Emma

questioned.

Casey huffed out a defeated

breath. “You know Nate. He’s honorable

and chivalrous to a fucking fault.”

Emma nudged Casey’s knee. “You

say that like those are bad attributes for

him to have.”

background image

“I just meant that I wished he’d

gotten pissed off at me, rather than being

so understanding.”

“What happened when you got

back home?” Megan asked.

“We had a long talk about the

crazy shit I’ve been feeling about our sex

life. Of course, he doesn’t seem to think

things are as bad as I do, but then again,

I’ve always been more sexual than he

has.”

Megan took a thoughtful swig of

her drink. “It sounds like you’re missing

more than just the physical act of sex.”

background image

“Trust me, I’ve been pretty

horny,” Casey argued.

“And you’re getting satisfied

physically with the sex, right? Like you

come?” Megan questioned.

Casey nodded. “Always.”

“If you’re having a release, then

your physical needs are being met.

There’s something deeper going on.”

“Interesting.”

“It’s like you’re searching for the

emotional connection you’ve found

through being physical with Nate.”

Pondering what Megan said,

background image

Casey replied, “Hmm, I can see what

you mean.”

“Have you ever tried Tantric

sex?” Megan asked.

“That weird marathon sex shit

Sting and his wife do?”

Megan laughed. “Yes and no. It’s

probably well-known because of them,

but there’s so much more to Tantric. It’s

about connecting on an emotional level

before you even touch each other

physically. Then when you do come

together, it just heightens every feeling.”

Casey gave Megan an amused

background image

smile. “I see the good doctor is really

packing the punches in the bedroom.”

“Trust me. Pesh could be the

poster boy for watch out for the quiet

ones.” Closing her eyes in exaggerated

bliss, she added, “Tantric sex really is

amazing. There’s something about the

withholding that makes it sizzle in the

end.”

“Sounds like something worth

trying,” Casey said.

“It’s not for everyone, and it’s not

something you can just halfway do. So

you need to make sure you have an

background image

afternoon or evening to devote to it.”

Wrinkling her nose, Casey said,

“That’s going to be a little tough with

Olivia.”

Emma shook her head. “No, it’s

not.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m going to take her for

you.”

Casey widened her eyes in shock.

“You are?”

“Of course.”

“While I really appreciate the

sentiment, I can’t ask you to do that.”

background image

“Why not?”

“Because you have enough on

your plate with your own two kids.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Like

Olivia would be so much trouble that I

couldn’t handle her.”

As much as she wanted to say yes,

she hated to take advantage of Emma’s

kindness, and in turn, Aidan’s. They’d

both been so good to her about what had

happened.

Sensing Casey’s hesitation, Emma

said, “How about this? I take Olivia for

one day, and then you can take mine to

background image

give me and Aidan some alone time?”

“I like that idea a lot,” Casey

replied.

Emma laughed. “I’m not sure why

considering you’re getting the short end

of the stick considering I have two kids

to your one.”

Before Casey could argue, Megan

said, “How about I help you out the day

you have Noah and Caroline? We can

pool our resources. Mason is great at

entertaining Noah.”

Casey smiled. “Sounds like a

plan.”

background image

“Good deal.” Megan then glanced

at her phone. “I gotta get back to work.”

“Yeah, I need to get to work,”

Casey said.

“Feel better?” Emma asked.

“Tons.”

“I’m glad.”

“I can’t thank you guys enough for

talking me down from the ledge,” Casey

said.

“That’s what friends are for,”

Emma replied as Megan nodded in

agreement.

“Will you be around to answer

background image

any Tantric questions I have?” Casey

asked Megan.

“Of course. Anything you need.”

“Thanks.”

As Casey started for the door, she

felt a renewed sense of purpose in her

step. She had a plan to recapture her

bedroom heat, and it started with getting

her Tantric freak on.

background image

Five days after her emergency girl’s

summit with Emma and Megan, Casey

stood in the middle of her bedroom

ready to execute the next step of her

seduction plan. Gazing around the room,

she eyed the work she had done with a

critical eye. She had spent her last

several lunch breaks pouring over some

of the Tantric sex books that Megan had

recommended. She had highlighted and

background image

studied the parts on the importance of

breathing. While making mental notes

about some of the suggested positions,

she tried to envision the ones Nate

would feel the most comfortable in, but

also the ones that wouldn’t make her feel

like a tremendous fat ass.

She had also learned that one of

the biggest steps was to transform their

bedroom into a “sacred spot for

lovemaking”. Apparently to achieve

such sacredness one need not hire a

Hindu priest for a blessing. Instead, she

merely needed to add some fresh

background image

flowers, light some scented candles, and

break out the long forgotten pair of silk

sheets. She had also stocked up on some

aromatherapy oils. She was ready and

willing to take out all the stops to ensure

her afternoon was a success.

When Nate left to grab a quick

work out, she had taken Olivia over to

Emma’s. Although Casey had tried

talking her out of it, Emma remained

firm in her resolve to help out.

Considering it was a Saturday afternoon,

Casey had thanked her and Aidan

profusely. After watching the babies

background image

play together on a pallet on the living

room floor, Casey had a hard time

leaving. With a roaring fire going and

Chinese takeout littering the coffee table,

the room was so inviting, especially

with baby chatter echoing off the walls.

Aidan and Emma lounged on the couch

in their most comfortable sweats and

yoga pants.

But she managed to pull herself

together and give Olivia a kiss goodbye.

The moment she had arrived back home,

she’d torn up the stairs and started a

frenzy of preparation. One aspect was

background image

changing into a comfortable piece of

lingerie. While the silk nightie was sexy,

it also gave her room to breathe. She

sure as hell wasn’t going for anything

like the nurse’s costume from the other

night.

She had just finished lighting the

last of the candles lining the floor along

the bedroom walls when she heard

Nate’s car pull in the driveway.

After the garage door shut, Nate

called, “Babe?”

“I’m upstairs.”

Nate appeared in the doorway

background image

with his gym bag slung over his

shoulder. Thankfully, he’d taken the time

to shower and change before coming

home. Not that she didn’t enjoy when he

was a sweaty mess. She just preferred

being the one to make him perspire.

Although what she had done to

their bedroom was a surprise, their

sexdate was not. After her coffee date,

she had told him that she was planning

time for them to be alone.

At the sight of the bedroom

illuminated in candlelight, Nate’s eyes

widened. “Wow, you really went all

background image

out.”

She crossed the room to stand in

front of him. “I hope you don’t mind, but

I wanted us to try something a little

different today.”

Pulling her into his arms, he

smiled down at her. “Of course I don’t

mind.”

“Even if it seems a little…

strange?”

Nate chuckled. “Should I be

scared?”

Casey grinned. “Of course not.”

Tilting her head at him, she asked,

background image

“Have you ever heard of Tantric sex?”

“The ancient Indian practice of

using energy through sex,” he rattled,

sounding like a textbook.

“I should have known you would

know, Mr. Smarty Pants.”

“You know you love my big

brain,” Nate teased.

Nodding, Casey said, “Oh yes, it’s

my second favorite big body part of

yours.”

As Nate nuzzled her neck, he said,

“Remind me what your favorite one is.”

“Mmm, your big ass feet.”

background image

Her smart answer was rewarded

with a resounding smack on the ass.

“Fine, fine. You’re fantastically huge

dick.”

“That is more like it.”

Casey pushed herself out of

Nate’s arms. “Okay enough of that for

now. We need to get busy.”

An amused look twinkled in

Nate’s dark eyes. “I thought we were.”

Wagging a finger at him, Casey

said, “Today is all about Tantric.”

“Yes ma’am.” After giving her a

mock salute, he asked, “Where do we

background image

start?”

“With some dancing.” Picking up

the remote to the iHome, she turned on a

little T.I. to get the blood really pumping.

Tilting his head, Nate eyed her

curiously. “What? I’m supposed to dance

like I’m at a club?” he questioned.

“No. It’s like this. Stand with your

legs hip-length apart.”

Nate’s brows furrowed in

confusion. “How am I going to dance

like that?”

“Like this.” Casey then illustrated

what she had seen in the book, which

background image

was basically a full body shake of your

arms, legs, and ass. When the corners of

Nate’s lips turned up, she demanded,

“What?”

“I was just thinking if I saw one of

my patients doing this I would swear

they were having convulsions.”

She momentarily stopped shaking

to smack Nate’s arm. “Not funny.”

Jerking her chin at him, she said, “Come

on.”

Rolling his eyes, Nate began to

mimic her movements. After a few

seconds, he asked, “Exactly why are we

background image

doing this?”

“It’s supposed to let out all the

tension in our body. Once the tension is

gone, we can allow more pleasure in,”

she replied.

“And how long does it take to

achieve that?”

“Just a minute.”

“Thank God.”

After a minute had passed, Casey

turned the music from rap to a sensual

Indian relaxation song. “Okay. Now it’s

time for us to breathe and rock.” Taking

Nate’s hand, Casey led him over to the

background image

bed. “Have a seat,” she instructed.

“With my clothes on?”

Casey nodded. Quoting one of the

books, she replied, “We have to get

emotionally naked before we can get

physically naked.”

“If you say so.” After climbing up

onto the mattress, Nate shifted himself to

the center of the bed. For a brief

moment, Casey had a flashback of

earlier in the week when he did the same

thing the night of the disastrous blow job

episode. She quickly shook her head and

shook herself free of the memory.

background image

“Okay, cross your legs Indian

style.”

As soon as he finished, Casey got

up on the bed and crawled over to Nate.

Once she reached him, she eased onto

Nate’s lap to where they were face to

face.

Staring into her eyes, Nate

wrapped his arms around her. “I like

this.”

“No touching yet.”

“Seriously?”

“First we have to become one

through our breathing.”

background image

With a resigned sigh, Nate let his

arms fall away and rest on the mattress.

“So exactly how are we supposed to

breathe?”

“We’re supposed to take each

other’s breaths in. Like I breathe out, and

you inhale. Then vice versa.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Nate

remarked.

“While we’re doing it, we’re

supposed to stay even further connected

by gazing into each other’s eyes.”

“I can do that.”

Casey leaned forward on Nate’s

background image

lap. Ignoring his hardening cock beneath

her, she brought her lips to where they

were almost touching his. As he opened

his mouth, she breathed inside. The

intensity burning in Nate’s eyes sent a

shiver down Casey’s spine. Megan was

right—this Tantric shit was pretty epic.

Then the moment was abruptly

broken when Nate’s expression changed

from desire to concern. He inhaled

sharply. "Do you smell that?"

Casey widened her eyes. "I know

you’re not trying to say I have bad

breath!"

background image

With a jerk of his head, Nate then

replied, “No. Nothing like that.”

“Then what.”

“I thought I smelled smoke.”

Grinning, Casey teasingly asked,

“Are you getting so hot with anticipation

that you think you smell a fire?”

Nate opened his mouth to say

something when a small explosion went

off across the room. Both of them jerked

their attention to the balcony’s French

doors where orange flames licked and

danced their way up the frilly drapes.

“Holy shit, the curtains are on

background image

fire!” Nate exclaimed.

Nate grabbed her by the waist and

threw her off his lap. “Oomph,” she

muttered, as she bounced on the

mattress. As she was pulling herself up,

Nate scrambled off the bed. He

fleetingly eyed the flaming curtains

before sprinting into the bathroom.

Throwing herself into action,

Casey hopped down and grabbed her

robe off the end of the bed. She started

beating down the flames with the fabric.

Nate reappeared with a bucket full of

water. “Get back!” he commanded. The

background image

moment she dipped to the side he doused

the remaining flames with water, sending

a loud hiss throughout the room.

Once the fire was out, they both

stood huffing and panting as they tried to

catch their breath. After she felt she

could breathe again, she gazed around,

surveying the damage.

“Damn,” she muttered. They

would have to repaint considering parts

of the once khaki-colored wall were

now an attractive soot-stained black.

The flooring in front of the door would

have to be replaced as well considering

background image

there were burned out holes in it. It was

to go without saying they would need

new window treatments since the old

ones had been turned to ash.

“I’m not sure how we’ll explain

this to the insurance company,” Nate

mused.

Casey groaned. “It’s all my fault. I

was too caught up in making the

bedroom into a Tantric temple that I

didn’t realize I put the candles too close

to the drapes.” She shook her head.

“Guess it’s safe to say that sure as hell

didn’t go as planned.”

background image

Nate laughed. “I would disagree.

You wanted to put some heat in our

bedroom, and a house fire is one way to

do it.”

Swatting his arm, she replied, “Oh

whatever.”

They stood there for a few

minutes just staring at the mess. “What

now?” she finally asked. After all, they

had a whole Olivia free afternoon to fill.

Part of her wondered if they should try

to make love just to do it, or if they

should call it a day. Considering the

acrid smell of smoke still lingering in

background image

the air, they would have to use their

imagination on where else to do it.

“We could catch up on some

sleep, or we could order in some

Chinese, watch some Netflix and just

veg out,” Nate suggested.

“That sounds good.”

“Or…”

“Or what?”

His dark eyes stared into hers.

“We could go get Olivia and spend the

rest of the day with her. Maybe go out to

eat and take her for a walk in the park?”

Casey reached out and cupped his

background image

cheek. “I like that idea a lot.”

Nate grinned. “Good.”

For the second time that day, he

sprinted to the bathroom. “I’m going to

change. I probably smell like smoke,” he

called.

She nodded. “Me too.”

When she eyed the soot blackened

wall, she shook her head. Once again,

her sex life had gone down in flames,

and once again, she wasn’t sure how in

the hell she was going to fix it.

background image

A week passed without any

improvement. She got slammed with

back to back projects at work, and Nate

helped out one of his doctor friends by

taking their shift, which resulted in

nothing but sleep happening in their bed.

While the setback was disheartening,

Casey wasn’t giving up. She had

decided to view the time as a way to

recoup and recharge and come back with

background image

a better strategy.

Thursday night found her sitting

around Aidan and Emma’s dining room

table as she bounced Olivia on her knee.

Earlier that day, Emma had called to

invite her for an impromptu dinner.

Thankfully, it was not another meeting

about her dying sex life. Instead, they

were all there to support their friend,

Connor, and his husband, Jeff, in their

adoption journey.

As she balanced Olivia on her

shoulder, Casey rifled through her work

bag. She pulled out a manila envelope

background image

and passed it across the table to Connor.

“Here is Nate’s and my recommendation

letter. I had him do a separate one to

lend his medical expertise to.”

Connor beamed as he took it into

his hands. “Thank you. And tell Nate

thanks for taking the time to do one

himself.”

“He was happy to do it.”

“We all are,” Emma said, as she

reached over to squeeze Connor’s hand.

When she pulled back, Jeff gave

Emma a sheepish smile. “Out of

everyone, I’m surprised that you didn’t

background image

say no.”

Emma’s green eyes widened in

surprise. “Why ever would you think

that?”

“Because I didn’t want Connor to

have a baby with you.”

“I could never, ever say no to

Connor’s and your happiness because of

a grudge.” Glancing over at Aidan, she

winked. “Besides, it all worked out as it

should have.”

“Here, here,” Aidan said as he

raised his wine glass.

Sorting through the paperwork,

background image

Connor said, “I think that’s everything

we need from you guys. Now that we

have all the recommendation letters, we

can move forward with the agency.”

Casey smiled. “That’s so

exciting.”

Connor nodded. “To think that this

time next year we could be parents…”

His eyes closed as a hopeful expression

came over his face. “It’s just amazing.”

With a grin, Casey said, “There’s

always surrogacy, too. I mean, between

me or Em, we could pop you a kid out,

I’m sure.”

background image

Emma groaned. “Speak for

yourself.”

Connor and Jeff laughed. “While

we appreciate the offer, we really want

to give an unwanted child a home,”

Connor said. After he wrinkled his nose,

he added, “Jesus, that sounded

rehearsed, didn’t it?”

“No. It just sounds like something

which you’ve given a lot of thought to,”

Emma replied.

Connor smiled. “We have.”

“Well, any child would be lucky

to get you guys for parents,” Aidan said.

background image

“Very true,” Casey agreed.

As she rose out of her chair,

Emma asked, “Who wants some

dessert?”

Aidan rubbed his stomach. “I

think I’m too stuffed.”

Cocking her brows at him almost

in a challenge, Emma said, “It’s

Grammy’s Strawberry Delight Cake.”

Her statement sent Aidan’s blue

eyes flashing with pleasure. “Well, then,

I think I could try a little piece.”

Emma laughed. “I thought as

much.”

background image

“I’ll clear while you get it ready,”

Casey suggested.

“Here. Let me help,” Connor

added.

Once she handed Olivia off to an

eager Jeff, Casey started gathering up the

dirty dishes. As they started through the

alcove to the kitchen, Connor asked, “So

what’s been going on with you?”

With a shrug, she replied, “Oh,

you know. Same old same old.”

After Connor sat the plates in his

hands down by the sink, he gave her a

no-nonsense look. “Hmm, so the same

background image

old shit warrants an emergency girls’

summit?”

Not really wanting to take a trip

down memory lane with him, she rolled

her eyes. “Just Emma overreacting as

usual,” she replied, before heading back

into the dining room.

She should have known she

wouldn’t be able to dissuade Connor so

easily. He caught up to her the moment

she reached the table. “Come on, Case.

What’s up?”

Aidan shifted Caroline on his

knee. “You didn’t tell him?” he asked.

background image

Before Casey could protest,

Connor’s eyes widened. “You mean

Aidan knows, and I don’t.”

“It’s not some conspiracy against

you, Connor,” she argued.

“Just because I couldn’t make it

that day doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get to

know.” In her hesitation, he added,

“Seriously. If you don’t tell me, I’ll just

ask Emma.”

“Fine. If you must know, I fell

asleep giving Nate a blow job.”

The wine goblet Connor had just

picked up slipped through his fingers

background image

and smashed onto the dining room floor.

Without even looking at the broken glass,

he questioned, “W-Wait, what?”

“Em, bring the broom and

dustpan. I just freaked Connor out with

my narcoleptic oral sex story, and now

we have a cleanup on aisle three,”

Casey called in an amused tone.

Poking her head in the doorway,

Emma peered curiously around. “One

second,” she replied.

“I’m sorry for overreacting. It’s

just…wow,” Connor said.

Casey laughed. “Yeah, I know.”

background image

When she gazed over to gage

Jeff’s reaction, he shook his head. “Oh

no. Leave me out of this one.”

“Thanks.”

Connor pulled out a chair and

eased her down into it. Then he sat down

beside her. “Okay. Tell me everything.”

Holding up her hands, Casey said,

“Seriously, do we really need to talk

about this right now?” As Olivia grinned

at her across the table, she added, “Call

me crazy, but it’s kinda weird talking

about it in front of the kids.”

“Why don’t I take them into the

background image

living room?” Jeff suggested.

Aidan nodded. “Sounds like a

plan.”

“Traitors,” she muttered under her

breath.

Rising out of his chair, Aidan

said, “Normally I wouldn’t pressure you

to talk, but after what happened the other

day, I think it might help.”

“There’s more?” Connor

questioned.

Casey exhaled loudly. “Oh yeah.

There’s more.”

“Damn,” he murmured.

background image

“Yep. Pretty much.”

They were momentarily

interrupted by Emma arriving with the

broom and dustpan. After Aidan had

helped get the kids and Jeff settled in the

living room, he took his seat just as

Emma brought the cake in. Although she

probably shouldn’t have indulged, Casey

needed a little sugar to fortify her

strength to unload the continuing sad

saga of her sex life.

She finished up the last sordid

detail along with the last bite of

strawberry cake. Connor had sat in rapt

background image

attention, nodding along through some of

the parts while cringing at others. At the

very end, he shook his head. “Man, that’s

rough.”

“Yup,” she murmured.

“But as I’m sure the others have

said before me, I can promise you it isn’t

as bad as you think.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “When you have

something as strong as you and Nate do,

it can’t be lost so easily. It’s still there.

You just have to have a little patience.”

She grunted as she licked the icing

background image

off her fork. “You should know I’m the

last person in the world to have any

patience.”

“You’re just going to have to try. I

mean, I haven’t had a child yet, nor will

I have the hormones when I do, but I do

know that all relationships and

marriages go through sexual spells.

Sometimes it’s just a lesser season for

you.”

“Ugh…I guess.”

“And getting yourself all worked

up over it doesn’t help matters. You just

have to take a deep breath and relax.”

background image

“The last time I did that I almost

burned down my bedroom,” Casey

quipped.

Laughter erupted around the table.

When it died down, Aidan leaned

forward in his chair, a contemplative

look on his face. "Maybe it's the

bedroom."

Casey furrowed her brows in

confusion. "Huh?"

"Like the issue is with the

bedroom, the place, not the sex itself."

Tilting her head, Casey paused to

let Aidan's words sink in. In Casey’s

background image

silence, Emma glanced between her and

Aidan. "What could possibly be wrong

with their bedroom?" she questioned.

“Besides the destruction by my

pyrotechnic candle lighting skills?”

Casey mused.

Emma laughed. “I thought you said

the walls were repainted two days ago

and the new window treatments are

being delivered tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So then what’s wrong with it

physically or emotionally?” Emma

asked.

background image

"I'm not saying there's something

wrong with it, just that to spice things up

she might want to look somewhere

different,” Aidan replied.

Emma crinkled her nose. "Like a

hotel?"

Aidan grinned at her. "You say

that like it’s a bad thing. If memory

serves me well, the first time we were

together was at a hotel."

A blush of pink tinged Emma's

cheeks. From the way she cast her eyes

down, Casey knew she was having an

elicit flashback. Aidan seemed to

background image

appreciate her reaction. Taking her hand,

he pulled her out of her to chair and

eased her down on his lap. As his hand

drew circles on her back, Casey

chuckled to herself that Aidan and Emma

would most likely be making use of their

bedroom as soon as the kids were

asleep.

“So you’re advocating we go

away somewhere to rekindle the heat?”

Casey asked.

Tilting his head thoughtfully,

Aidan replied, “Not exactly.”

“Then what?” Casey asked.

background image

A devious glint burned in his blue

eyes. “Consider a public place.”

“That’s not exactly a first for us,”

Casey admitted.

With a shrug, Aidan replied, “It

doesn’t have to be about trying

something new. In fact, I think part of the

problem is you’re getting too caught up

in the planning and execution. You just

need to throw caution to the wind and go

balls to the wall.”

Casey thought about Aidan’s

suggestion. “Hmm, like a sneak sex

attack at the hospital?”

background image

Aidan bobbed his head. “I like

that.”

Connor cleared his throat. Smiling

slightly, he asked, “Are you sure you

want to be taking advice from him?”

Aidan huffed indignantly. “Excuse

me? Considering my reputation, I think

anyone would be thrilled to have me

dispensing sexual advice.” His comment

earned him a smack from Emma. “Ow,”

he muttered.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Don’t be throwing around your former

reputation in front of me, or you’ll be

background image

needing some sex advice of your own.”

Casey and Connor busted out

laughing. “Burn, Douchenozzle,” Casey

replied.

Aidan merely grinned. “Sorry

about that. I got a little carried away.”

“I’ll think about letting you make

it up to me later,” she replied, with a

wink.

“Angel of mercy,” Aidan teased

as he nuzzled her neck.

After pushing Aidan away, Emma

turned to Casey. “Are you really serious

about doing a hospital sneak attack?”

background image

“Sure. Why not?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I

guess the aspect of it being Nate’s

workplace makes it seem a little…seedy

and sordid?”

Wagging a finger, Casey argued,

“Ha, like you and Aidan didn’t get busy

in his office.”

While Aidan snickered, Emma’s

face flushed. “That was only because I

was ovulating, and after taking my

temperature, that was the optimal time to

have sex for conception.”

“Yeah, yeah, so you claim,” Casey

background image

teased.

“Fine. Go bang your husband all

over the fourth floor. See if I care,”

Emma huffed.

“Speaking of my office, maybe

you should come by sometime?” Aidan

suggested as he wagged his eyebrows.

Emma rolled her eyes as she

pulled herself out of Aidan’s lap.

“You’re all impossible. Now if you’ll

excuse me, I’m going to make sure my

children haven’t terrorized Jeff into no

longer wanting kids.”

Casey laughed. “I’ll come with

background image

you. It’s time I got Olivia home for her

bath and bed.” After standing up, she

winked at Aidan. “Thanks for the

advice, oh mighty Douchenozzle.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know

how it works out.”

“Call me Pessimistic Paul, but I

don’t have a good feeling about this,”

Connor said.

“Me either,” Emma agreed.

Casey grinned. “Ha, then I’ll just

have to prove you both wrong.”

background image

After easing her SUV into a spot in the

parking garage, Casey threw a final

glance at her reflection in the rearview

mirror. “Hmm, a little more lipstick,”

she murmured, before digging her

makeup bag out of her purse. Once she

fished out her favorite gold tube, she

colored her lips a darker red. She

puckered them and made a kissy face at

the mirror. “Nice.”

background image

Operation Sneak Attack Sex was

about to commence.

The instant her office clock hit

eleven, she’d grabbed her carefully

packed bag out of her closet and hurried

into her bathroom. Thankfully, her job as

Vice President of Marketing meant she

had one of the few offices with a private

bathroom. She was certainly going to

need a little privacy today.

First, she took out a sexy pair of

black lace stockings and a garter belt.

Once she had them on, she put on the

black and white lace panties that looked

background image

demure but were conveniently crotch

less. Then she put on the matching corset

top. To ensure another nurse’s costume

mishap didn’t happen, she had used her

lunch break the day before to go

shopping for a size larger than she

usually wore.

Standing back from the mirror, she

appreciated her appearance. “Looking

pretty sexy there,” she murmured. After

quickly reapplying some makeup and

fluffing out her hair, she pulled on her

black, ankle length rain coat that if it had

been brown, would have made her look

background image

like a detective in a trench coat.

After grabbing her purse and

phone, she headed out of the office. She

then made the twenty minute drive over

to Nate’s hospital, in a break-neck

fifteen minutes. Drawing her shoulders

back, she stilled what little nerves she

had and got out of the car.

When she reached Nate’s floor,

she drew in a breath and stepped

confidently off the elevator. She was

secure in the knowledge that in just a

few minutes she would be giving Nate

the surprise of his life. Just the idea sent

background image

tingles up her spine and heat between

her legs.

She paused at the nurses’ station.

“Hi, Mrs. Rossi, how are you?” Amelia,

the charge nurse, asked. Most of the

nurses knew her from the holiday

parties.

“Good, thanks you. Can you tell

me where my husband is?”

“I think he just stepped inside a

patient’s room. Would you like me to

have him paged?”

“No, no,” Casey said a little too

quickly. At Amelia’s raised brows, she

background image

said, “I wanted to surprise him.”

“Ah, I see. I think he’s in Room

415.”

“Thank you.”

Ignoring Amelia’s curious

expression, Casey turned and started

down the hall. When she finally reached

room 415, Nate was just stepping out. At

the sight of her, a pleased but confused

look came on his face. “What are you

doing here?”

Without answering him, she

demanded. “Where’s the doctors’

lounge?”

background image

His brows furrowed. “Down the

hall. On the right,” he answered almost

robotically.

She grabbed his hand and then

proceeded to drag him down the hall,

which considering his size and build

was no easy feat. “Casey, what’s going

on?”

When they reached the door, she

grabbed him by both sides of the face

and jerked him down to where she could

lay one on him. Once they were both

breathless from her kiss, she pulled

away. Taking a step back, she untied her

background image

raincoat and flashed him.

His dark eyes bulged as his jaw

dropped to his chest. “W-What the

hell?”

“Now that I have your undivided

attention, I want you to obey your

Hippocratic Oath by giving me the best

care possible.”

Dumbfounded, Nate replied, “You

want me to what?”

She giggled. “Just how plain do I

have to make it, Dr. Rossi?”

“I don’t know,” he muttered.

“If it’s not abundantly clear, I

background image

came here for you to fuck me.” When she

tried the door on the doctors’ lounge, she

found it locked. Eyeing the card reader

on the wall, Casey then jerked Nate’s

keycard off the lapel of his white coat. “I

want you right here and right now.”

When she slid the card into the

reader, it beeped approval and entry. As

she shoved Nate inside, he shook his

head. “Wait, Casey, not here—”

“Yes. Right here and right now.”

Reaching for his pants, she tugged on his

belt. “Let’s get that fabulous cock out so

you can fuck me until I scream.”

background image

It was then she noticed Nate

appeared to be frozen in place. Gazing

up into his face, she saw he was staring

past her. Whirling around, her eyes

bulged in horror at the sight of five

interns sitting scattered along the

couches. “Holy shit,” she muttered.

While most of the group sat open-

mouthed with pens hanging in midair

above their clipboards, a blond rose to

his feet. With an amused smirk, he

brought his hands together and started

clapping. “You go, Dr. Rossi. Get ya

some!”

background image

Laughter broke out at his outburst.

“Oh. My. God,” she moaned, as a fiery

mortification burned her cheeks. She

snatched the lapels of her trench coat

shut and furiously wound the belt tight.

“Go back to your fucking

paperwork, Farnsworth,” Nate growled

before he grabbed her arm and led her

into the adjoining room.

Once again, she moaned, “Oh my

God.”

“I’m sorry babe, I tried to tell

you.”

She knew she couldn’t blame him.

background image

He had tried, but she was too focused on

her master fucking plan that she hadn’t

listened to him. Great, not only had her

plan gone down in flames, but she had

embarrassed Nate in front of his interns.

“I’m sorry.”

When she expected to find the

usual understanding Nate, she got a big

surprise. With a somber expression,

Nate said, “Casey, this sex obsession

nonsense has got to stop.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“No. Not until we’ve recaptured

background image

the heat,” she pleaded helplessly.

Nate shook his head adamantly.

“It’s too much. It ends now.”

Casey threw up her hands. “What?

You don’t want to have sex with me

anymore?”

“Of course I want to have sex

with you.” He motioned to her trench

coat. “But not like this. Nor with all the

other over-the-top antics you’ve been

pulling lately.”

A strangled cry escaped Casey’s

lips. “’Over-the-top antics’? That’s what

you think of what I’ve been doing?

background image

Jesus, Nate, I’ve been busting my ass

trying to please you, and that’s what you

have to say about it?”

“It’s never been about me,” Nate

said in a low voice.

“Excuse me?” Casey demanded.

Nate chewed on his lip in his

hesitation. “This is all about you and

your insecurities.”

“You asshole!” Casey shrieked.

“I’m sorry, but deep down, you

know it’s the truth.”

Ignoring him, Casey pushed past

him as she started for the door. “Casey,

background image

wait. We need to talk about this.”

“Fuck off,” she called as she

stormed down the hall to the elevators.

After slamming her hand against the

down button, the doors opened up. She

then punched the lobby button. To her

frustration, Nate ducked inside just as

the doors were about to shut.

Jabbing a finger at him, Casey

hissed, “I am not talking to you right

now.”

“Oh hell yes, you are.”

Casey opened her mouth to protest

when Nate turned and hit the emergency

background image

button on the elevator pad. The car came

to a screeching halt, causing both of their

bodies to shudder. “What the hell do you

think you’re doing trapping us in here?”

“When I said we were going to

talk about this, I meant it, dammit.

You’re not getting out of my sight until

we make things right.”

Sneering at him, Casey replied,

“Good luck with that one.”

With his hips, he pinned her to the

wall. Taking her arms in his, he placed

them over her head. “Now you listen to

me. I love you—I have since the moment

background image

I saw you in Starbucks. Over all those

years, we’ve had some ups and downs,

but for the most part, it’s been good.

Correct?”

“Correct,” she grudgingly

growled.

“We’ve been a good team—we’ve

learned to give and take from each other

and work through our issues as a team.

Correct?”

“What does this—”

Now it was Nate’s turn to growl.

“Answer the fucking question.”

“Correct, Asshole!” she snapped.

background image

“We’ve gone on some amazing

trips and seen cool places, had a

beautiful wedding and then honeymoon

in Italy, and we’ve had wonderful times

with our family and friends. Correct?”

“Correct.”

“During all those years, we’ve

also managed to have some scorching

hot sex. Correct?”

Her anger receded a little as she

wondered where he was going with this.

“Yes,” she murmured.

“So when you look back over all

those years together, what’s the first

background image

thing that comes to your mind?”

Closing her eyes, she let her mind

momentarily drift. When she pictured

them, their years of dating, engagement,

and marriage, she saw one thing—and it

wasn’t sex. It was the two of them

smiling and laughing over the little

things.

Tears pinpricked the back of her

eyelids. “Oh Nate,” she murmured.

His fingers came to grip her chin,

and she opened her eyes to gaze up into

his. “It wasn’t the sex you saw, was it?”

When she gave a quick jerk of her head,

background image

Nate sighed. “Then why can’t you see

what we have is good, and you don’t

need to fixate on whether we’re having

mind-blowing sex 24/7?”

“I’m afraid,” she whispered.

“Afraid of what?”

Once again, she gave a jerk of her

head. Although she was used to telling

him everything, she couldn’t seem to

bring herself to say this aloud. She

hadn’t been able to voice this worry to

anyone, not even Emma. Somewhere in

her fucked-up head she thought that if she

acknowledged it into words then it could

background image

really happen. So it had stayed festering

in her mind.

The intercom in the elevator

buzzed. “Everyone okay?”

“No,” Casey muttered as Nate

replied, “Yeah, we’re fine.”

“We’re checking the system and

should have you out in a minute.”

“Thanks,” Nate replied. He stared

intently at her. “Please, Casey. We don’t

have a lot of time.”

As she stared into the face of the

man she loved with all her heart, her

resolve began to waver. She didn’t want

background image

to carry around the burden anymore.

Swallowing hard, she finally uttered the

thought that had been plaguing her. “I’m

afraid that without the hot sex, you’re

going to find someone else and leave

me.”

Nate’s dark eyes bulged. “Have

you lost your mind?”

She snorted as she swiped the

tears from her cheeks. “Yes, I think it’s

safe to say that I’ve officially gone over

the edge.”

“No offense, but you would have

to be a little off to think I could ever

background image

leave you.”

“But don’t you see? You’re the

one who is a catch in our relationship—

you always were. You’re sweet, smart,

and hot as hell. Any single doctor or

nurse on this floor would kill to have

you—hell, the married ones too I’d

wager.” Tears welled in her eyes again.

“They could give you something I can’t

—something new.”

“Is that why you’ve been forcing

all the crazy stuff on us?”

“Yes and no. Don’t get me wrong.

You know how important sex is to me,

background image

and I selfishly wanted more heat.”

“I don’t think that’s selfish at all.

You have needs, and I always want to

meet them.”

“And you do—you always do. I

guess, it’s just after having Olivia, I was

afraid you might get bored with me.

After I’d finally given you the child you

always wanted, you might not need me

anymore. You might begin to realize that

you’d been saddled with Crazy Casey

for way too long, and that the sexy nurse

with the gravity defying breasts and no

pregnancy stretchmarks could make you

background image

happier.”

When he chuckled at her

summation, she gave him the stink-eye.

“I’m sorry, but I can promise you that’s

last thing I’ll ever think or do.”

“I’m sure a lot of men promise

their wives that, and then they change

their minds.”

Nate cupped her cheeks with his

hands. Shaking his head, he said, “This

is me we’re talking about. That’s not

who I am or who I ever was. Deep

down, you know that.”

As she stared into his eyes that

background image

shone with love for her and only her, she

realized what a fool she had been. “Yes,

I do,” she whispered.

“Babe,” Nate crooned as he

pulled her into his arms. When she felt

his arms tighten around her, she let her

emotions truly go. As she wept

inconsolably, Nate rubbed circles across

her back while whispering words of

love in her ear.

“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry,” she

murmured over and over.

“It’s okay.”

“No. It isn’t. I’ve been such an

background image

idiot.”

He gently eased her back to look

at him. “How about I think of some way

you can make it up to me?”

She smiled. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Good. Now shut the fuck up, and

let me kiss you.”

For once, she did exactly as she

was told. Just as Nate thrust his tongue

into her mouth and deepened the kiss, the

elevator doors popped open. But it was

the sound of applause that caused them

to jerk away from each other. Once

again, they were faced with an audience

background image

—thankfully this time it wasn’t Nate’s

interns. Instead, it was a few of the

nurses and doctors Nate worked with.

“I better get going. I’ve caused

enough trouble for today,” she said

sheepishly.

Nate laughed. “I’ll see you at

home.”

She nodded. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

After giving him a quick kiss

goodbye, she headed off the elevator

into the lobby. Although the day hadn’t

turned out like she’d planned, she

background image

couldn’t wipe off the goofy, satisfied

smile on her face as she walked out to

the parking garage.

background image

A few days after her come to Jesus with

Nate, Casey was immersed in her latest

work project when her cell phone

dinged and interrupted her train of

thought. Although she was prepared to

ignore it, she glanced down to make sure

it wasn’t Nate’s mom calling about

Olivia. When she saw it was Nate, her

brows rose in surprise since it wasn’t

like him to call during the day.

background image

Picking up the phone, she said,

“Hey babe. What’s up?”

Without his usual friendly

greeting, Nate questioned gruffly, “Are

you alone?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Is the door to your office opened

or closed?”

Her gaze flicked over to the

doorway. “Um, it’s half open.”

“Good. Now I want you to do

everything I say. No questions asked.

Got it?”

Her heartbeat thumped noisily

background image

against her breastbone. “Nate, what the

hell is going on?”

“I said no questions.” Before she

could protest again, he said, “You’re

wearing that tight, red skirt I like, aren’t

you?”

Her mouth gaped open. “Yes.”

“Good. Staying right where you

are, I want you to spread your legs as far

as they’ll go.”

She sucked in a sharp breath.

Holy shit. Nate was calling her for

phone sex in the middle of the day? It

was almost too good to be true. Although

background image

she desperately wanted to ask what had

gotten into him, she didn’t want to piss

him off and make him hang up.

After widening her thighs, she

said, “Okay. What now?”

“Take your hand and place it on

your calf. Then slowly trail it up your

legs until you almost get to your pussy.”

A shudder went through Casey

hearing both his command and the use of

the word ‘pussy’. Obeying his command,

she slid her hand up her calf and up her

thigh. She stopped just before she

reached her underwear. “Okay,” she said

background image

in a ragged breath.

“Do you want to touch yourself?”

“Mmm, hmm,” she murmured.

“Then start stroking yourself—but

only over your panties.”

Casey didn’t have to be told

twice. She ran her fingers over her hot

center, rubbing her clit over the lacy

fabric. Wetting her lips, she let her head

fall back against the headrest of her

chair. As she closed her eyes, her breath

began to come in harsh pants. It had been

a long time since she had touched herself

like this, and it sure as hell hadn’t been

background image

somewhere like her office. All those

factors made her feel so wanton and

made what she was doing to herself feel

fucking amazing.

“Does that feel good?”

“Yes. Very good.”

“Now slide one finger inside

yourself.”

She couldn’t bite back a moan of

pleasure when she answered his

command. Her hips rose and fell at the

penetration while she kept rubbing

herself. “Oh God,” she murmured.

“Are you wet?”

background image

“Drenched.”

“Good. Now use two fingers on

yourself.”

“Gladly,” she replied, as she

thrust another finger deep inside herself.

“Does it excite you thinking

someone could be watching you pleasure

yourself right now?”

A shiver ran from the top of her

down her spine, causing her to tremble.

“Yeah.”

“Would you deny yourself coming

if you saw someone watching you?”

Considering how close she was

background image

getting, she didn’t give a fuck about

putting on a show. She just wanted to

come. “No.”

“Aren’t you a naughty girl?”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” she panted, as

she lifted her hips harder and faster

against her hand.

“Do you wish it was me?”

“Oh God yes. Your fingers, your

lips, your tongue…” She shuddered.

“Your dick.”

“Would you let me fuck you on

your desk? Spread your legs wide and

bury myself inside you?”

background image

“Mmm, yes.”

“Can you wait to come until it’s

around my dick as it’s pumping inside

you?”

“No...” She shook her head. “I

mean, yes. I’m just so close.”

“Would you like for me to let you

come?”

“Yes.”

“Then beg me.”

Casey was momentarily taken out

of the moment by Nate’s command. It

was so unlike him, and that drove her

absolutely wild. “Please.”

background image

“Please what?”

“Please, Nate. Please let me

come.”

At the sound of the door slamming

shut, Casey bolted upright in her chair.

Her eyes widened not at the sight of her

boss or one of her coworkers. It was

Nate.

Without taking his eyes from hers,

he took his cell and ended the call. In her

shock, she had dropped her phone and

had no idea where it went. Still unable

to speak, she watched as he turned

around and locked the door behind him.

background image

The click echoed through the room and

made her shift in her seat.

As he started over to her, she

asked, “W-What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to be able to watch you

as you came.”

She sucked in a harsh breath at his

words. Although she had a million

questions for him, she bit down on her

lip to keep from asking them. With an

ache between her legs, she wanted to see

this through.

“I didn’t tell you to stop touching

yourself, did I?”

background image

“N-No,” she stammered. This

authoritative side of him had her

completely tongue-tied.

“Are you still wet?” When she

slowly nodded her head, he asked, “Do

you still want to come?”

“Yes. Desperately.”

“Then I’ll let you.” At her sigh of

relief, he held up a hand. “But not yet.”

“What?”

“Take off your shirt and bra.”

At his command, she rose out of

her chair. Her trembling fingers made it

difficult to get the pearl buttons on her

background image

blouse loose. Nate’s hooded eyes

glittered with desire as he watched her

slip the silky material off her shoulders.

Her arms reached back to unhook her

bra. His eyes flared when her breasts

were bare and the cool air and her

desire pebbled her nipples.

“Now your skirt.”

Her eyes widened. “You want me

naked?”

“Yes.”

She quickly unbuttoned and

unzipped her skirt and slid it down her

thighs. Once it joined her top and bra on

background image

the floor, she straightened up and looked

at Nate. “Now your panties.”

Oh God, she was going to be

completely naked in her office with her

coworkers just a few feet away. She

stripped off the lace and stood trembling

before him. “You’re so beautiful and

sexy, Casey,” he said with adoration in

his voice.

“Thank you,” she replied, her

voice barely a whisper.

“Now get up on the desk,” he

commanded.

It took a moment for her to

background image

process his words. Pushing aside her

laptop and paperwork, she then

scrambled up on the desk. Nate came

around the side and eased down in her

chair. Taking her legs, he pushed them

wide apart. Her breath hitched as the

cool air hit her scorching center. “Mmm,

you are wet,” Nate said, as he gazed at

her.

“It’s all because of you,” she

admitted.

“And I’m hard as a rock because

of you.”

Casey’s gaze momentarily left

background image

Nate’s to stare down his lap. Oh God, he

was hard as a rock. She rubbed her

thighs together, desperate for some

friction to ease the ache between her

legs.

“Touch your breasts,” Nate

commanded.

She flicked her eyes to his. Once

again, she did as she was told. When she

held her breasts in her palms, Nate said,

“Squeeze them hard.”

When she did, her nipples grew

even harder. Nate automatically noticed

because he said, “Pinch your nipples.”

background image

A gasp escaped her lips as she

rolled the sensitive buds between her

fingers. Just as she was about to worry

that the stimulation was going to have

her breastmilk leaking, Nate took her

hands from her breasts and put one

between her legs. “Now make yourself

come. And keep your eyes on mine at all

times.”

Casey happily obeyed by slipping

two fingers inside herself. She began

rocking her hips as she stroked her clit.

Just watching Nate watch her was

enough to send her over the edge. As she

background image

felt her walls tensing around her fingers,

she closed her eyes and cried out his

name. Her hips continued to pump as she

rode the waves of the intense orgasm.

When she opened her eyes, Nate

loomed over her. Grabbing her by the

hips, he dragged her to where her ass

hung on the edge of the desk. His pants

were down around his ankles with his

erection jutting proudly out. Although

she wanted nothing more than him to

bury himself inside her, she pleaded in a

ragged breath, “Taste me.”

“Gladly.”

background image

He dipped his dark head and

licked his tongue up and down over her

clit. Not caring about whether her

coworkers could hear her, she shrieked

with pleasure. As he sucked and nipped

at her center, she pumped her hips

against his mouth.

Just as she was about to go over

the edge again, he drew back. When she

moaned with frustration, he smiled at

her. “I want you to come around my dick

this time.”

“Well, when you put it that way,

how can I refuse?”

background image

Taking one hand off her hips, he

then guided his cock to her center. He

drove her wild rubbing himself against

her wetness. Just as she was about to

protest, he plunged himself deep inside

her, causing them both to grunt with

pleasure.

“Oh Nate,” she murmured, as he

set up a punishing rhythm. The sound of

their harsh breaths and moans of

pleasure coupled with their sweat

soaked skin slapping together echoed

through the room. As she climbed the

wave of pleasure, she had to fight the

background image

tears that stung her eyes. This was what

she had been searching for. She’d finally

gotten it because of Nate.

When he reached between them to

stroke her swollen clit, it pushed her

over the edge. She gave in to the most

satisfying orgasm she’d had in a long,

long time. Nate followed soon after her,

spilling himself inside her as he said her

name.

As she lay there, stroking his

back, she couldn’t help murmuring,

“Thank you.”

Nate pulled his head up to smile

background image

at her. “There’s no need to thank me.”

“Yes, there is, and you know it.”

“So you like my sex sneak

attack?”

She gave him a lazy grin. “Oh yes.

Very, very much.”

“Just wait until you see Round

Two.”

Her eyes widened. “There’s a

Round Two?”

“I have the rest of the afternoon

off. I’m going to spend it fucking you all

over this office. I think I’ll do you up

against the window next…with the

background image

blinds open.”

Casey gasped. Taking his face in

her hands, she demanded, “Okay, who

are you and what have you done with my

husband?”

Nate chuckled. “Maybe you’re

wild side has rubbed off on me.” He

cocked his brows at her. “Are you

complaining?”

She furiously shook her head from

side to side. “Nope. No complaints from

me.”

“Good. First up, I think it’s time

you finished what you started.”

background image

“Huh?”

He flashed her a wicked grin. “I

believe you owe me a blowjob.”

She laughed. “Yes, I believe I

do.”

background image

Casey hopped down off the ultrasound

table. In her hands, she held the grainy

image of hers and Nate’s second child.

As she stared at the tiny, twenty week

baby, she beamed as she read the words

typed out on the picture. “I’m a BOY”.

She hurried out of her OBGYN’s

office and headed straight for the

background image

hospital. Since Nate hadn’t been able to

get off for her last few appointments, she

had decided not to tell him about the

gender ultrasound today. She hadn’t

wanted him to feel guilty about missing

out.

The last year had seen a lot of

changes in their lives. Olivia was a

precocious sixteen month old who had

mastered walking like a pro and was

now talking up a storm, although Casey

didn’t know what the hell she was

saying most days. Of course to Olivia,

that jibberish made perfect sense.

background image

Just like she and Emma had

hoped, their daughters were the best of

friends. It was seeing Noah and Caroline

interacting that had finally worn down

Casey’s resolve about when to have

more children. It wasn’t just about the

fact they weren’t getting any younger, as

Nate loved to remind her. And while

Nate would have loved a house full of

kids, she was pretty sure they would be

stopping with two.

And just like with Olivia, she and

Nate had a lot of fun trying to conceive.

Even though she was anxious to get

background image

pregnant, she was glad it took a little

longer this time around. Things were

still good between them in the bedroom.

It wasn’t always mind blowing and life

altering, but she had no complaints. Most

of all, she appreciated the free flowing

communication they had to make sure

everything was good emotionally and

physically between them. She had

learned so much and grown a lot since

Olivia’s birth. She knew when this baby

arrived she would be a lot more

prepared not just about motherhood, but

about being a wife.

background image

After finding a spot in the parking

garage, she headed inside. She took the

elevator up to the 4

th

floor. She waved

hello to several of Nate’s colleagues. At

the nurses’ station, she found out where

he was and went in search of him.

When she turned the corner, she

saw him at the end of the hall. He and

another doctor were conversing over a

medical chart. She tapped her foot

impatiently as she waited for him to

finish. Finally, the other doctor nodded

and walked off.

A smile lit up Nate’s face at the

background image

sight of her walking towards him. “Hello

my love.” He pulled her into his arms

and planted a kiss on her lips.

“Hi there.”

“What brings you here during

work?” Suddenly, he pushed her back,

his brows furrowed. “You’re not sick,

are you?” Before she could respond, he

demanded, “Is Olivia okay?”

“We’re both fine, Mr.Worrywart.”

Nate exhaled a relived breath.

“I’m glad to hear it.” The fear in his eyes

was replaced by amusement. “Are you

here for another try at a sex sneak

background image

attack?”

Casey busted out laughing. “I can

safely say hell no to that.”

“Pity,” Nate replied with a wink.

“Hmm, are you being a naughty

boy today?”

“Maybe.” After playfully

smacking her bottom, he asked, “So what

brings you here.”

“I did go to the doctor today.”

“Oh?”

She nodded. Taking the picture out

of her purse, she handed it to him. “It’s a

boy.”

background image

As he gazed at the image, Nate’s

eyes flared with a mixture of pride,

pleasure, and love. “A boy, huh?”

“Yes. A very healthy boy who is

measuring off the charts since he gets his

height from his father.”

Nate chuckled. “At 5’9, I’d hardly

call you vertically challenged.

“Whatever you say.”

Once again, Nate pulled her into

his arms. “Oh babe, this makes me so

happy. We’re so blessed. A beautiful,

healthy daughter and a son on the way.”

When tears blurred her eyes, she

background image

silently cussed her pregnancy hormones.

“I know. We are.”

A voice over the intercom

interrupted their moment of elation. “Dr.

Rossi, you’re needed in room 416.”

Nate groaned. “Fucking duty

calls.”

She laughed. “It’s okay. I need to

get back to work too.” She planted a kiss

on his lips. “Don’t forget to come over

to Aidan and Emma’s after work.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Casey smiled since she knew Nate

was just as excited as she was to meet

background image

Connor and Jeff’s daughter, Lily. They’d

gotten the call three weeks ago that

through their agency, a young mother in

Kansas had chosen them to give her baby

to. They’d dropped everything and gone

out there to be there for the birth. They’d

just arrived back home, and everyone

was anxious to meet the newest member

of the family.

After giving Casey one last kiss,

Nate bent down and kissed her belly.

“Bye, son.”

The gesture once again sent tears

to Casey’s eyes. As she swiped them

background image

away, she heard Nate’s words echoing in

her ears. Yes, they were very, very

blessed.


Document Outline


Wyszukiwarka

Podobne podstrony:
Call Off The Search Katie Melua [2003]
Immortals 04 The Gathering Jennifer Ashley
Immortals 01 The Calling Jennifer Ashley
The Proposition 2 The Proposal
Get off on the Pain Victoria Ashley, rodziały 0 5
The Proposal
Response to the Proposal for a Virus database
Haisch et al Advances in the Proposed Electromagnetic Zero Point Field Theory of Inertia (1998)
J Lynn 2 5 The Proposal E
54 767 780 Numerical Models and Their Validity in the Prediction of Heat Checking in Die
Engle And Lange Predicting Vnet A Model Of The Dynamics Of Market Depth
A Roadmap for a Solution to the Kurdish Question Policy Proposals from the Region for the Government
blake ashley the billionaires desire
Laurann Dohner Riding the Raines 01 Propositioning Mr Raine
Katie Melua The Closest Thing To Crazy Sheetzbox
The Mammoth Book of Comic Fanta Mike Ashley
SHIMAZU Naoko Japan, Race and Equality The Racial Eguality Proposal of 1919
The Problem of Internal Displacement in Turkey Assessment and Policy Proposals
Design the Remote Control System With the Time Delay Estimator and the Adaptive Smith Predictor ge2

więcej podobnych podstron