Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(29)

“How did you do that?” Maggie whispered. “He hasn’t looked at me like that in months.”

I wanted to tell her to come next door and give me thirty minutes and I’d have him hauling her out to the garage to fuck her up against the wall. But Riley was standing too close and that didn’t seem like something I should say in front of her.

“Sometimes we have to change things up a little to remind men of our best attributes.” I let go of her shirt.

“I like her,” Maggie said.

A few more men came outside, including Dex’s father, Joel. One of the others had to be Dex’s brother. He was a sleeker, more polished version of Dex. The same tall frame with a slightly slimmer build, neatly trimmed hair, and he wore a fitted short-sleeved button down and casual slacks.

Dex came out behind them, dressed in a t-shirt from a band I’d never heard of and jeans with holes in the knees.

If you’d paraded those two men in front of me a few weeks earlier and asked me which one I’d prefer, I would have unhesitatingly chosen the brother.

But now? It wasn’t the fact that the mention of Gillian’s daughter-in-law told me he was married that made my eyes pass right over him. It was Dex. All that rough, tattooed, messy charm made my mouth water.

He was mid-conversation, laughing at something one of the other guys said. He wore those ugly battered flip flops and had a beer in his hand. One of the kids ran over and latched herself onto his leg. Still talking, he patted her head. She squeezed his leg, then ran off again.

That was so not good for my hormones.

Gillian had just said something. Eyes were on me, expecting a reply. I mentally backtracked, hoping a part of my brain that hadn’t been occupied with salivating over her son had heard her.

“I’m a staff writer for Glamour Gal Media.” I was pretty sure she’d asked me what I did for a living. “My column is called Living Your Best Life.”

“It’s so cool that you’re a real writer,” Riley said.

I smiled at her. Her admiration was so touching. “It has its ups and downs but most of the time, it’s great.”

“Nora, I’m sorry, we’re being rude,” Gillian said. “Would you like a drink? I can open the wine or get you something else.”

“How about I go open it.” I offered to take the bottle and she handed it to me. “That way you can keep chatting with your daughters. Would anyone else like a glass?”

“I’m fine for now,” Gillian said. “Angie?”

“If I start drinking now, I’ll wind up in that bouncy house. I don’t think my bladder would appreciate it. But maybe later.”

“I’d love one,” Maggie said. “Although I don’t know if Dex owns wine glasses.”

“I’m sure I’ll find something. Or I can run next door.”

I didn’t know where Dex had gone; he wasn’t in my line of sight as I headed for his back door. A child ran by, brushing against my legs as he darted into the house. Angie yelled for him to say excuse me but it didn’t seem like he’d heard her.

Dex’s house was similar to mine, with a sliding glass door leading into the kitchen. His had stacks of food and drinks ready to be put on ice covering the counters. He had said his family knew how to eat.

I paused. It occurred to me that I hadn’t been inside Dex’s house before.

Curiosity ate at me. I wanted to tiptoe around and see what was inside. Nothing creepy. I didn’t feel the need to check his medicine cabinet or go through his dresser drawers. But I would have loved the chance to wander through the house, see what sort of space he lived in.

I resisted the urge. It would be too tempting to sneak into his bedroom and smell his pillow.

Instead, I started poking around his kitchen, searching for a bottle opener.

“Looking for something?”

Dex stood just inside the open door, his beer still dangling from his hand. Why was that so sexy?

“Wine opener.”

He pointed to one of the drawers I hadn’t tried yet. “Should be in there.”

“Thanks.” I found the opener and removed the capsule from the neck, then started twisting the corkscrew into the cork.

“I guess you met my sisters.”

“I did. They’re nice. Maggie asked if my boobs are real.”

He groaned. “Damn it, Maggie.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t mind.”

“Are they?”

I lifted my eyebrows.

He groaned again. “I don’t know why I just said that.”

The cork came out with a light pop. “Yes. They’re real.”

“Sorry.”

I just smiled. “Do you have wine glasses? Maggie wasn’t sure.”

“Yeah.” He moved to open one of the cupboards. “In here.”

Instead of letting him get them down, I sidled up next to him and reached for a glass. Just a little closeness, a slight brush of my hip against him.

I was supposed to be messing with him but the physical proximity flooded me with warmth. How could he possibly smell so good? It wasn’t cologne, he just smelled like man.

But I was in control of this game. I didn’t shy away from the light touch of our bodies. Just took two stemless glasses off the shelf and put them on the counter. “Would you like any?”