Marriage of Inconvenience(Knitting in the City Book #7)(168)
I couldn’t help but laugh at how he said the last part, like it was a promise.
“Kit-Kat,” he began gently, “I think having Everest-sized highs and Marianas Trench-deep lows is just a part of life. But you can’t have one without the other.” Dan pushed my hair from my cheek, tucking it behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my neck before tracing along the bare skin of my chest.
Dan’s gaze followed his hands as he hooked a finger in the bedsheet and tugged, exposing my breasts.
His eyes heated and he leaned forward, holding me up while my hands automatically came to his shoulders for balance.
He placed a soft, wet kiss at the center of my chest and murmured, “If you numb yourself to the valley,” his lips feathered across my breast, moving to its center, “you won’t be able to recognize the peak.”
Dan’s kidnapping was the best kept secret at the party on Sunday.
What wasn’t a secret?
Dan’s oldest sister Mary owned a pink vibrator that went off in her purse while she was in a parent-teacher conference for her kindergartener and she said it was a bomb rather than admitting to the nun that it was a sex toy.
I couldn’t recall a time I’d laughed so hard, or so freely, ever. The story had everyone gathered laughing, even Quinn.
“So, I guess I learned my lesson.” Mary took a sip from her beer.
“I’m so afraid to ask.” Matt, Marie’s boyfriend, wiped his tears of laughter.
“Don’t leave the batteries in the vibrator.” Mary shrugged. “Obviously.”
“Not ‘Don’t take a vibrator to my kid’s school’? That’s not the lesson?” Dan gave his sister a look that was equal parts teasing and indulgent.
She scoffed at him. “What if I need it?”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head.
“What if I’m walking to the art classroom and I—”
Dan’s eyes flew open and he covered her mouth. “Stop talking.”
She laughed silently, her shoulders shaking, staring at him.
When he dropped his hand, she blurted the rest of her question, “—AND I WANT A FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE!”
Dan covered her mouth again and now they were both laughing, staring at each other, him trying to give her the evil eye. The effect was ruined by his barely suppressed laughter, and my snorts of laughter, and Marie’s guffaws.
They were too freaking cute. Seeing the love, respect, and admiration between them warmed my heart. I loved how they teased each other and made each other laugh so easily. I glanced at Marie and she glanced at me, and a little voice reminded me that this is what I had with her, and Janie, and Sandra. It’s what I had with my friends.
Eventually, he released his sister and she wagged her eyebrows. “Ah well, doesn’t matter. We’re moving before Christmas, so she won’t be going to that school anymore anyway.”
“Where’re you moving?”
Mary sighed tiredly. “Dale wants to move us to Cowhampshire.”
“Ah jeez. That’s beat. Sorry.” Dan placed his arm around my back, drawing me close to his side, and I leaned against him. He’d been doing this all day, finding reasons to touch me and hold me since we woke up this morning.
He’d found me in the bathroom after our discussion, brushing my teeth. I’d been debating on what to do about Caleb, how best to annihilate him, when Dan slid an arm around my middle and began devouring my neck. Then his fingers were in my hair, pulling it, angling my head to expose more of my skin. Then his hand around my waist moved into my shirt, and well . . . you know.
“It’s not that bad.” Mary sounded like she was trying to convince herself. “At least the house is big.”
“Where exactly?” Quinn asked.
“Down east.” She shrugged, giving her eyes a half-roll.
Dan scratched his jaw. “Oh. That’s not too far. They got a Dunks?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m not moving anywhere I can’t get my coffee.”
“I feel you.” He smirked. “We’re actually looking at moving to Boston.”
“Get out!” Mary grinned at us both. “Well that’s great, back in the neighborhood, huh?”
“That’s the plan.” Dan returned his sister’s smile. “We’re looking for a house right around here.”
“Where you living now? Renting a place?” Mary took another gulp of her beer.
“Nah. Kat’s got a place we’ll stay in temporarily.”
“Where is it?” She looked at me.
“Duxbury. It’s south of Boston, on the shore.”
Mary let out a low whistle, glancing at her brother while Dan seemed to brace himself.