So fucking beautiful. So fucking perfect. All fucking mine.

“Sage,” she breathes, her thighs visibly shaking as I take her in.

Hearing my name leave her mouth and seeing her reaction to my touch, I dive at her pussy, licking and sucking every inch of her. Using my shoulders, I keep her thighs spread wide and focus on her clit while plunging two fingers inside of her. Her moans and whimpers make my cock leak as I flick her with my tongue.

Feeling her pussy tighten around my fingers, I know she’s close, and as much as I wish I could prolong her orgasm, I can’t. If I keep going, I know this will no longer be about me getting her off. “Give it to me.” My growled words against her clit send her over, and her body starts to shake as she comes on my tongue. I keep my fingers planted inside her as I stroke over her G-spot while she comes down from the orgasm, only pulling them away when her glazed eyes open on me. “You feeling better?” I ask.

Her eyes slide shut, and her head falls back as she lets out a puff of air and a laugh before covering her face. “I’m not sure I’m better, but after that orgasm, I think I’ll be okay,” she says, pulling her hands from her face and smiling at me.

Helping her sit up, I take hold of her face and kiss her until her nails are digging into my skin through my shirt. “You sleeping here?” I ask as soon as I pull my mouth from hers.

Her eyes flutter open. “Yes.”

“Good.” I drag her ass from the counter and help her right her dress then wash my face and hands.

“I need my panties.”

“No you don’t.”

“Yes I do,” she argues.

“You don’t,” I deny, moving her toward the front door.

“I’m not having dinner with your family wearing nothing but my dress.”

“No one will know but you and me.”

“Yeah, and then something freakish will happen and my ass will come out and everyone will see e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.”

“Nothing will happen, and sure as fuck no one will ever see your ass but me,” I growl. Just the thought of someone, anyone, seeing her the way I have makes the uncomfortable feeling of jealousy roll through me. “Now come on or we’re gonna be late.” I hold open the door, and she huffs a little but moves past me, grabbing her coat and bag as she goes.

Shutting and locking the door behind us, I hit the key fob to set the alarm and move toward my Caddy, where Kim is already climbing into the passenger seat. I get in behind the wheel and start the engine as she pulls down the visor and starts applying a coat of red lipstick to her lips, making them look even fuller than they already are.

Fuck me, it’s going to be a long fucking night.

Chapter 10

Kim

WALKING INTO THE restaurant hand-in-hand with Sage, we stop at the podium and wait for the hostess, who just walked off with a customer, to come back. “You okay?” he questions, and I look up at him, feeling my eyes get squinty. I asked him in the car if I could have my panties back, but he refused. So now my ass is out—not really, but it feels that way. Like, at any moment, someone is going to be all ‘Oh my God, look at her ass. She isn’t even wearing underwear!’

“I would feel better if I had….” My words taper off when the hostess appears in front of us smiling, and I squeeze Sage’s hand, digging my nails into his skin as I do.

“Table for two?” she asks, and Sage shakes his head.

“Mayson party,” he replies, rubbing his thumb over my pulse.

“Awesome. God, there are a lot of you,” she chirps happily. “Follow me.” Looking up at Sage, I widen my eyes at him as the girl skips in front of us and winds us in and out of tables as she leads us to the back of the restaurant into a private room. “Here you go. Enjoy your dinner.” She grins before disappearing out of sight.

Pulling my eyes from her retreating back, I turn to face the room and feel every inch of me freeze. Everyone is looking at us. Everyone. And I swear they all know I don’t have on any flipping underwear under my damn dress.

“You’re here!” Sophie squeaks, breaking into the silence and pushing back her chair. Coming toward us, she greets me with a hug, then Sage. After her, Nico hugs me but pats Sage’s shoulder. Then it’s pandemonium. Everyone is out of their seats and coming over to say hello or to offer their condolences.

By the time I have hugged every last person in the room, I feel spent, like I need a drink—a drink I can’t have. Settling into my seat with Sage next to me, I’m thankful he’s kept his hand in mine. I need it; I need his strength. The loss of Kelly is getting easier to deal with, but times like these, when everyone’s attention is on me, I’m reminded of what happened and I feel uncomfortable. Honestly, I feel like I shouldn’t be getting their ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ statements. Yes, Kelly is gone, but I lost her a long time ago. Really, I don’t think I ever actually had her at all. Listening to everyone talk about what’s happening in the family, work, or mundane things, I’m thankful when I hear Hope call to me from my other side.

“Kimmy, will you help me color my picture?” she asks, and I look down at her and smile. She looks adorable wearing the poufy blue dress I got her from the Disney Store that is the exact replica of Cinderella’s from the movie.

“Of course I will,” I agree quietly, letting go of Sage’s hand as she climbs into my lap. Pulling her coloring book and crayons over, I rest my chin on her shoulder, and for a few minutes, I get lost in coloring a picture of a butterfly flying through a garden of flowers. I didn’t even know how much the thoughtless action would help loosen me up, but by the time we’re ready to order dinner, I’m relaxed and feeling much better.

“So Ellie was telling us that you girls are meeting with a banker to see if they approved you for your loan,” Lilly says, and I swallow the bite of food I have in my mouth and take a sip of water before I answer her.

“We are. The bank has already completed the basic approval forms, and that all came out okay. So hopefully we will have some good news to share,” I reply, looking at Ellie, who is grinning from ear-to-ear.

“I know it’s in the bag.” She shrugs, and I laugh.

“Have you girls thought of a name yet?” Sophie asks.

I look at her and shake my head while Ellie answers. “We’re still looking for a name. We want something fun and original, but I think we’re waiting to see what happens so we don’t jinx ourselves.”

“That’s smart,” November says, and then she mutters, “What about Mayson’s Hair Salon?”

I don’t frown even though I want to.

“Except Kim’s not a Mayson,” April says helpfully.

“Yet. She’s not a Mayson yet,” Sophie whispers.

“Here, here.” November clinks her glass to Sophie’s then Lilly’s and Liz’s.

My face gets hot, and I feel Sage’s hand squeeze my knee. He wasn’t lying. One minute, things are normal, and the next minute, not so much.

“I think you women need to slow down on the drinking,” December says, rolling her eyes at her mom.

“Well, I know none of my girls are going to get married anytime soon, so I need to get in on the wedding planning somewhere. I was pretty good at it.” November’s eyes widen and sparkle. “Maybe I’ll open my own business. November Weddings,” she muses, and I wonder how much exactly she’s had to drink.

“Babe, you’re not doing that, and stop trying to marry off my girls,” Asher grouches, and the men at the table chuckle while his wife glares at him.

“If I marry Kim, I’m just letting everyone here know that I’m taking her to the courthouse or to Vegas,” Sage says.

I frown at him. “Pardon?”

“I’m not suffering through a wedding or wearing a tux.”

“First of all, we have a long way to go before any of that happens. But when I get married, I will have a wedding. Whatever man I marry will wear a tux, and I’ll be wearing a dress and holding flowers.”

“You’re not fucking marrying anyone else,” he growls, squeezing my thigh. “And there will be no wedding. The dress and flowers are cool. You can have both those things in Vegas.”