“I just ate a whole crab, half a plate of fries, half a sundae, and had to unbutton my pants in front of you when we got home. What on earth makes you think I want to be tossed around?”
“So, this, me pressing into your stomach is better?”
“Could be better positioning.”
“Let go,” I say.
“Oh, right, yes.” She unloops her arms from around my neck and I lift off her. “Now, would it be too much to ask of our short-term companionship to have you strip me down and put my pajamas on?”
I glare at her. “Babe, if I’m stripping you down, I’m sure as fuck not putting anything back on you.”
She rubs her stomach. “Oh yeah? You’d want a piece of this?”
“Oddly, I find it intriguing.”
“Standards, JP . . . standards.”
I shrug. “I have none.” I walk toward her bedroom door. “Are you going to be able to manage on your own?”
She heaves a large sigh. “I believe so. It might take me a hot second to gather myself but, yes, I’ll persevere.”
“Okay, then . . . good night.”
“Good night . . . Jordan Preston.”
I grip the doorway and look over my shoulder. “It’s Jonah Peter.”
A slow, sexy smile passes over her lips before she says, “Good night . . . Jonah.”
“Good night, Kelse.”
Breaker: Are you dead?
JP: You know damn well I’m not dead and you know damn well I don’t want to talk about it.
Breaker: Dude . . . a carousel? A bib? Kelsey texted Lottie, who showed the pictures to Huxley, who clearly sent them to me. She really has you by the balls, doesn’t she?
JP: I said, I don’t want to talk about it.
Breaker: No way in hell am I going to let you drop this. What the hell is going on?
JP: Absolutely nothing.
Breaker: Did you go out on a date tonight?
JP: No, we went out as short-term companions.
Breaker: Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
JP: Unless you have something productive to talk about, you can go to hell.
Breaker: I’m being serious. You’ve crushed on her ever since you met her, so what’s going on? You trying to start something?
JP: No. It was a simple outing. We have nothing to do here, so she asked me to do touristy things with her. I did. That’s it. When we got back to the penthouse, she burped, and I had to drag her by her feet to her room because she was so full. Trust me, nothing is going on.
Breaker: But do you want something to happen?
JP: Why are you acting like a gossiping mom right now?
Breaker: I just worry about you. You’ve been different lately. I want to make sure you’re okay.
JP: If I’ve been different, it has nothing to do with Kelsey.
Breaker: What does that mean?
JP: Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Listen, I’m tired and I have an early meeting tomorrow with Jeremiah over at The Wharf.
Breaker: Okay, but you know I’m here for you if you need to talk. Huxley might be occupied, but I’m not. You can rely on me.
JP: Thanks. I’m good, though.
Breaker: Good. Also . . . if you have feelings for her, man, go for it.
JP: Get a life, Breaker. Night.
Chapter Thirteen
KELSEY
Meant to Be Podcast
Huxley and Lottie
Kelsey: Welcome, listener, to the Meant to Be Podcast, where we talk to madly-in-love couples about the way they met. Huxley and Lottie, thank you so much for joining me today. Please, tell us how you met.
Lottie: It’s about freaking time you have your sister on this podcast. We should’ve been your first couple.
Kelsey: You weren’t a couple when I started this podcast.
Lottie: That’s an annoyingly good point, but still, took you long enough. We, by far, have the most interesting story out of anyone out there.
Huxley: Might want to tone it down a bit.
Lottie: Huxley is nervous he’ll lose credibility if we tell our story, but I told him, it just shows how you’re a really good businessman. Isn’t that right, snookums?
Huxley: Laying it on thick, are we?
Lottie: The listeners need to know how in love we are.
Huxley: You never call me snookums.
Lottie: What I call you isn’t probably podcast-approved.
Huxley: You call me by my name.
Lottie: Really? Because I think I call you “oh God” more often than not.
Kelsey: And this is precisely why I haven’t had you on the show. This was a bad idea.
Lottie: No, it wasn’t. We’re in love. We’re getting married. Don’t turn off the chat. Kelsey, don’t turn it—