Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)

DELLINA COULDN’T REMEMBER a more exhausting dinner. It wasn’t that anything had happened, but that didn’t matter. Now that she’d seen the elder Ridges in action, she didn’t know when the next mind-bending statement was going to drop in the middle of the table. The matter-of-fact delivery almost made it worse, because for a second it seemed as if she must have misunderstood.

After the whole Simone debacle, conversation shifted to more conventional topics, but that didn’t mean Dellina could relax. Being braced for the next shocker required exactly the same energy as enduring it. By the time dessert was brought out, she felt as if she’d run a marathon—at least emotionally. Not that she’d ever done the other kind, either, but that wasn’t the point.

“I’m very interested in the history of the town,” Lark said after tasting the chocolate mousse. “The Máa-zib tribe especially.”

“I know the basics,” Dellina told her. “It’s required for all students to learn about how they traveled up from Central America and settled here.”

“The matriarchal aspect is intriguing,” Sam said. “You’d like that, Mom. Using men for sex, then casting their lovers aside.”

Lark shook her head. “I like having your father around. I would never cast him out.”

Reggie took her hand. “I appreciate that, my dear, and share the sentiment.”

“There’s a museum outside of town,” Dellina told them. “There was an amazing discovery about three years ago. A lot of gold jewelry and small statues.”

“We’ll have to go see it,” Reggie said.

Lark nodded. “And isn’t there supposed to be a statue in town? One by Caterina Stoicasescu? I feel as if I read that somewhere.”

Dellina remembered the scandal of the work when it was first unveiled.

“It’s on loan,” she said. “To a sculpture garden in San Francisco.”

Permanent loan, she thought with a grin. If Mayor Marsha had anything to say about it.

“I know her work,” Sam said. “She uses metal. What was the one she made for the town?”

Dellina winced. “It was a, um...”

“A giant vagina,” Lark told him. “I’ve seen pictures. It was beautiful. Caterina truly understands the importance of sexuality. I’m not saying it defines us, but it’s a significant part of our lives. For women, especially. We teach our children to drive, to cook, to balance a checkbook, but we don’t teach them about sex.”

Dellina glanced at Sam, who was staring at his mother with horror. As if he knew what she was going to say next and could neither stop her nor think of a way to escape.

“What they teach in school isn’t enough,” Reggie said. “Birth control is important but what about the rest of it?”

“The rest?” Dellina asked before she could stop herself. “You mean—”

“Pleasure.” Lark smiled at her husband. “Remember when I taught the girls to masturbate?”

He nodded. “It was a beautiful time.”

Sam flinched.

Lark sighed at the memories. “Reggie took Sam away for the weekend. After all, he was a boy and knowing what to do with himself was more easily understood. But the girls didn’t have the obvious cue of an erection. I told them about their clitoris and described some basic techniques.” Her smile trembled slightly as her eyes filled with tears. “They had the whole weekend to self-explore. I answered their questions.” She sighed. “It was a wonderful memory I’ll treasure always.”

* * *

THE REST OF the meal passed in a blur. Dellina was pretty sure there was coffee and tea and more conversation, but she couldn’t get past the rushing in her ears.

After they’d left the restaurant, Lark and Reggie went out to explore the gardens while Sam walked Dellina to her car. As they crossed the parking lot, she turned to him, then came to a stop.

“I was wrong,” she said, staring up at him. “So wrong. I’m sorry. I don’t know how to say it. Your parents are...”

“Indescribable?” he said, his voice only slightly ironic.

“Yes, that and so much more.” She shuddered. “Your dad talking about spelling out words, letter by letter, while he...” She closed her eyes briefly. “I don’t want to picture your parents doing that.”

Sam’s mouth twitched at the corners. “At least now you know about your G-spot.”

Dellina pressed a hand to her cheek. Lark had brought up the subject and she’d made the mistake of expressing interest. Lark had immediately pulled an old receipt from her handbag and had drawn an embarrassingly detailed diagram. She’d then offered to come home with Dellina and show her where it was and suggest various ways to stimulate it.

“Don’t take this wrong,” she murmured, barely able to look at him. “But I never want your mother in the room when I’m having an orgasm.”

“Then we’re in agreement on that one.”

“I just never thought anyone could be like that,” she admitted. “When Taryn and Larissa were talking, I thought they were messing with me. Making her out to be worse than she was. But they weren’t.”

He drew in a breath. “Welcome to my world.”

“No wonder you don’t want them at a hotel. They’d probably go from room to room, asking guests if they need help sexually.”