The Real Deal

His hands thread into my hair, and he murmurs, “Let me make you come.”

I fall onto him, letting him guide me, letting him move me up and down as he makes sure he hits me where I need his touch most. Pressure builds low in my belly. Then it tightens, and tightens, and climbs higher up my thighs. The tension is exquisite, and it centers between my legs, an ache that bursts forward, like an explosion of pleasure. I crash over the edge, falling to pieces. Melting into him. I bring my mouth to his neck, biting and kissing and burying all my sounds in his skin.

In a second, he flips me over to my back, rises up on his knees, and pounds me wildly, hard and deep and fast until he collapses on me with a beautiful groan in my ear. “Amazing,” he whispers.

I run my hands down his sweat-slicked back. “Well, you do come with the promise of Satisfaction Guaranteed.”





Chapter Forty-three

Theo

The fifth day

The sun streams through the kitchen window the next morning as I stride up to her father. He’s whisking eggs in a skillet.

“Mr. Hamilton,” I begin, since I need to set things right with her dad. April told me that her parents know how we began. I want him to know what we’ve become. “I meant everything I said yesterday morning.” He looks up from the pan, waiting for me to continue. “I do care deeply for your daughter. I love her, and her happiness means the world to me. And I will also do everything to bring her back here as often as I can steal her away from the city.”

He nods several times as he cooks. “I meant everything I said, too. Look out for her, don’t hurt her, and make her happy.”

“That’s a promise.”

He gives a crisp nod, a sign that we’re all good for now. I start to leave, but he calls out. “Theo.”

“Yes, sir?”

He laughs. “You don’t need to call me sir. Mr. Hamilton or Josh is fine.”

“I’m not sure I can do Josh, but I’ll try for Mr. Hamilton, sir.” I laugh, realizing my faux pas.

He laughs, too. “We made a few small tweaks to the final round of the scavenger hunt. There’s a new item on your list.” He lowers his voice. “I’d appreciate it if you can make sure April finds it.”

He reaches into his back pocket with his free hand, gives me the new sheet of paper, and then tells me where the item is hidden. I smile when I see what it is.

“I can do that, sir.” I correct myself. “Mr. Hamilton.”

“You have time. You’ll get there. Oh, and I’ve been meaning to ask if the rest of your team from last night is still joining you.”

That’s a good question. I took off so quickly, I never gleaned a clear answer from Heath and Lacey. That might also have been on account of them face-sucking most of the evening.

“You looking for us?”

The question comes from Heath, who strolls into the kitchen freshly shaven and with wet combed hair.

“You made it back last night,” I say, stating the obvious.

“Of course I did. Your woman was nice enough to book a room for us at this fantastic inn. I wasn’t letting it go to waste. Slept like a baby. Besides, we have a scavenger hunt to win.”

*

I tell Heath and Lacey to wait on the street outside April’s parents’ empty home. They listen, since they have more face-sucking to do, it seems.

“I can’t believe you’re seriously trying to sneak off for more tree house nookie,” April says to me as we walk through her backyard toward the lake.

“Trust me, I’d like nothing more. But that’s not why we’re here.”

She snaps her fingers in an aw shucks gesture. “We could try,” she suggests.

“I’ve turned you into an addict.”

“You have. You should give me my fix.”

I gesture to the steps leading onto the dock. “Patience, cupcake.”

She steps onto the dock. “Okay. What are we looking for here?”

“Right behind you.” I point to the wooden slats on the dock, and she turns around.

“That’s odd.” She kneels and picks up a small wooden object. A cutout of a cat. But not just any cat. It’s a cheetah cutout. She gasps. “Oh my God.”

She shows it to me. It’s simple, carved quickly overnight by her father. But it gets the point across. Especially the words on the bottom, written out. She reads, “‘We are so proud of you. Congrats on the gig! Love, Mom and Dad.’”

She looks at me, blinks, trying to process this small gift from her parents, a gesture to show they get her. But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand.

“What gig are they talking about? Is it the Sporting World one?” I ask, crossing my fingers in hope for her.

“Yes, isn’t that crazy?” she says, her voice full of awe. “I found out last night. I forgot to tell you when you returned, since I was so busy kissing you.”

“And other things with me,” I add.

Her eyes drift to the cheetah again. “I guess my dad made this for me.”

I wrap her in a huge hug, picking her up so her feet don’t touch the ground. “I knew you’d land the job.”

“Thank you for believing in me.” Her arms circle around me, and she holds on tight. “I love this cheetah. I love that they did this.”

“They wanted me to make sure you found it.”

“I don’t think I would have without you.”

“Pretty sure that’s safe to say.”

When I set her down, I kiss her again. It’s hard not to.

I take her hand and we leave the yard to rejoin my brother, Lacey, and the rest of the crew back at the inn for the end of the events.

It occurs to me as we walk onto the lawn at the Sunnyside that I haven’t thought about winning it all since last night. It occurs to me, too, that I don’t actually care.

That’s a good thing.

*

Heath hauls a wooden box to the middle of the lawn while I carry a crown made of paper boats. I set the crown on a picnic table as my brother positions the box at the edge of the lawn.

“How’s this look?” Heath calls out.

April’s dad gives a big thumbs-up. “Nice work, Heath,” he says, then turns to the beefy triplets to ask their help in rearranging the chairs.

He’s enlisting everyone now, not just calling on me. I didn’t mind helping, but I’m glad he’s no longer testing me. I have a feeling I’ve passed his test, and I’m so damn grateful.

Heath joins me and drapes an arm around me. “Family is crazy.”

I nod, laughing. “Sure is.”

“But I kind of like it.”

“Yeah, I kind of like it a lot.”

A few minutes later, April’s mom marches to the wooden box, Carol by her side.

Carol brings the megaphone to her mouth. “Ladies and gentlemen of the Quadrennial Hamilton and Moore Summer Lawn Olympics and Games. The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here. You’ve played valiantly. You’ve competed intrepidly. And most of all, you’ve had a blazing good time. Right?”

Arms rise in the air. Voices whoop. Kids shimmy. And April winks at me, mouthing the best time.

“And it is with great honor and pride that this year I pass the statue from my family to my good friend Pamela’s,” Carol says, reaching to the grass for the team trophy and handing it to April’s mom. “Oh, wait. I’m sorry. Did you think your husband might want to pet it instead?” she deadpans, and Pamela laughs, clutching the trophy.

“That’s what he’ll do with it. Maybe even sleep with it under his covers until next year,” Pamela says.

I raise an eyebrow at April. “Is this yearly?”

“It used to be every four years. Looks like we have some eager beavers.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice April’s dad standing on the grass a few feet away, squinting as the sun shines overhead, bouncing on his toes. The dude is eager to claim his prize. “Go get it, Mr. Hamilton,” I say. “You’ve earned it.”

He meets my gaze. “Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for taking care of my daughter.”

“Anytime.”

As he strides to his wife, an odd sensation courses through me. One that I can’t quite name at first. Then it settles into my chest, as I realize it’s belonging. Like I’m part of this crazy group of family and friends.

It’s a damn good feeling to belong.