A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(20)

The other guy was looking at me with disinterest, turning back to Lump. “She might be taken, but what’s your story, darlin’? Wanna take a ride?”

“She’s off limits.” Adam stepped behind Lump, whisking her hair over her shoulder to put his hand softly on the back of her neck. I could see goose-pimples break out over her skin as she leaned back into his body. Adam moved his hand to her shoulder to allow the increased bodily contact.

“Says who, you Dunn?” The guy wasn’t backing down.

“Yeah, says me. And says the lady leanin’ up against me.”

The guy did, in fact, notice that Lump was overly content with the contact. The move had been made, and Lump was proving she was happy with the outcome.

“There a problem?” Alas, my knight in shining armor had arrived.

“We got a pissing contest here, boys?” Came Ty behind him, in good humor, as always.

William snaked his arm around my waist. Ty stepped up next to him, nodding to the guy that had already backed off.

“Hey Davies. Nah man, there’s no problem,” the guy that backed off me said, “We didn’t know they were with y’all until a couple minutes ago. Can’t blame a guy for wantin’ a shot with the prettiest girls in here.”

“No worries, man.” William blew it off. “You gonna head out to the practice bulls any time soon?”

“Ah, don’t know. Haven’t been on a bull in a while. Good to meet the gal that fooled that ol’ coot, though.”

William gave me a squeeze. “Yeah, she kept my competitors from claiming ‘im.”

As they kept talking about the bull, I noticed the other guy had wandered off, leaving Adam and Lump in their own world.

Lump’s whole body leaned back into Adam, her head leaned back to rest on his collar bone. He ran a large hand along her stomach, his other arm across her chest, bringing her in closer.

Lump responded with eyes closed, angling her face toward his neck, her hands reaching back, along his thighs, to bring his lower half harder against her backside. She softly nuzzled his neck, kissing him gently, ready to make the plunge. As Adam turned her body slowly, she lifted her chin, eyes hooded, lips seeking.

“Next time I would like to say you’re taken. If you don’t mind,” Adam said softly. He ran his fingers down the side of her face in a soft caress. His hand continued, down her neck, over her shoulder, then lightly across her cle**age.

Lump smiled, her ardor rising, her eyes fluttering at the contact. She nodded slowly, tracing up his chest with her palms.

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips as he leaned down, pulling her up slightly, touching his lips to hers in a teasing kiss.

“Told you so. Now quit peeping,” William said next to my ear.

“Just fodder for my inner romance novel,” I responded as I felt myself turn red and snuggled into him. He led me back to the table, leaving Adam and Lump kissing, now slightly more eager.

Sometime later the countdown began. Our table stood, looking out over the dance floor below. There was a Times Square ball that was dipping toward the New Year.

“Happy New Year!” we all shouted, William lifting me merrily and kissing me soundly.

Moose leaned in to give me a quick kiss as William kissed Jasmine. Ty was next, Candace got a hug. As I was turning to find Lump, I was whisked up and turned haphazardly into Adam’s arms. With a smile at my confused face, he gave me a big smack on the lips and hugged me tightly, my legs dangling.

Next he bear-hugged William, breaking apart to clap him on the back like the happiest man alive. Lump was equally so, but a titch more refined about it.

We all laughed and cuddled into our partners as the dance floor got moving again.

Chapter Five

“It’s time, Jess,” William said as he beside me with a cup of coffee.

It was a balmy Saturday morning in mid-April. We had a lot of nothing to do, him deciding to take a whole weekend away from any kind of work.

He’d also just finished telling me that he’d be gone for the next three weeks, getting a new branch up and running. Which I took with a nod and a sigh. I figured—there’d been talk.

I looked out the window, thinking outside was definitely a good idea, but not excited about the prospects of getting dressed. I decided to stall.

“Time for?”

“You to move in.”

My heart fluttered and butterflies filled my stomach. I also felt a little sick.

This conversation again. Not again.

I wanted to live with him. I loved him. I never wanted to leave him.

There were just two glaring problems holding me back. One, Gladis’s health was starting to decline. She tried to hide it, but she wasn’t doing a bang-up job. Plus, Lady was beside herself worried, which meant she mothered Gladis more.

If lived elsewhere, not even at the cottage three nights a week, something might happen and I wouldn’t be there. My dad had died in a darkened hospital room between my visits. I wouldn’t lose another person like that. I wouldn’t.

The other problem was the skew in compromise. It was William’s house I’d move to, which was bought and paid for. All his stuff filled the rooms, and his routine was practical and concise, putting his keys “where keys go” and his shoes “where shoes go.” There wasn’t a lot of room to start a new life together when I was joining his already established residence. We wouldn’t even remotely be on equal footing.