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I groaned with relief, thrusting with every pulse, coating her slick walls. Claiming her. Owning her. She was fucking mine
“Jensen Lakes is the most charming, charismatic demon you’ll ever meet. Keep your wits about you, or he’ll have your panties in his pocket and you’ll be thanking him for the pleasure of being a one-night stand he’s already forgotten before you’ve gathered up your clothes and limped out of his room.”
Good god, his accent. He’d grown up in London and that accent of his was a deadly weapon. I wondered how he managed to get it through customs. Sweet-talked the customs agents, probably.
“Is his dick game that good?” Nora asked. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. “It’s not just that, although our physical encounters have been…” “Satisfying?” Sophie offered. “Exciting?” Every asked. “Mind-numbingly hot?” Nora said. “Yes, all three.” Nora’s lips curled in a smile. “Good for you, sweetie.” “But you don’t hate him anymore?” Sophie asked. I sighed. “No. Not at all.” Nora clicked her tongue and shook her head. “There goes another one.”
I stared at the vet assistant. Had she really just said that? I opened the pet carrier door. I needed to get us out of here before Hazel got going on what I was sure would be a well-researched defense of her cat’s size. But she didn’t. I glanced at her and couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. She chewed her bottom lip and her eyes were red-rimmed, shining with tears.
“Hazel doesn’t ignore his needs. She’s an amazing cat mom. She probably has his entire medical history memorized. She takes good care of him and the fact that he’s fluffy doesn’t give you the right to make her feel bad about his size.” The vet assistant’s eyes widened, like she was shocked she’d been called out for being a dick. “Sorry.” “You should be sorry. Now get out so we can get Erwin home. You’re making him worse.” She glared at me, but I didn’t give a shit. Ignoring her as she left the room, I reached out to scratch around Erwin’s ears. “Thank you,” Hazel said, her voice soft.
Seeing him made me crack a little smile. I still felt the warm glow of gratitude for the way he’d helped me with Erwin. I’d brought him blueberry muffins this morning as a thank-you. Two empty muffin cups sat next to his keyboard. It would appear he’d enjoyed them.
His brow furrowed as he patted his coat pockets, presumably looking for his keys. “They’re in your pants pocket,” I said. I’d seen him slip them into that pocket before we left his office. He located them and gave me a sheepish grin. “Thanks. I lose my keys a lot.” Why was he so cute? I didn’t understand why his absent-mindedness was so appealing. The men I’d dated in the past, including my ex-husband, had generally been organized and meticulous. No un-tucked shirts, missed buttons, or disheveled hair. I couldn’t remember any of them losing something as important as their car keys. Before
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He backed out of the parking spot and I had the fleeting thought that it was inexplicably sexy the way he put his arm over the back of my seat and looked behind us as he drove in reverse.
Nora: I’m sure Corban is great. Maybe he’s even amazing. His dick makes Hazel happy, so that makes me happy. But this is a girlfriend thing. And if you’re not a girlfriend, doing girlfriend things is dangerous. I’m just looking out for her.
“How is she?” Corban asked. “They’re both great. Molly was amazing.” Corban raked his hands through his hair again. “Oh thank God. Can we see them?” We? Did he mean we, as in also me? Uh-oh.
The fact that I remained standing and didn’t melt into a puddle on the floor was a miracle rivaled only by the miracle of new life sleeping in Corban’s arms. My knees were in danger of buckling and my heart felt as if it would burst right out of my chest. A breathtaking surge of emotion consumed me from within. Awe, happiness, and gratitude that I was here to witness this moment, mixed with a dose of lust so potent my cheeks flushed hot. I had never been more attracted to Corban Nash than I was seeing him gently cradling his newborn niece.
Corban rubbed my back while I stared down at the baby, unable to look away. I’d always wondered if I lacked the natural biological instinct to procreate, since I’d never been one to gush over babies. But holding Kate in my arms ignited a tiny spark inside me. A little flare of desire I’d never felt before. It was all quite overwhelming. After a moment, I carefully passed her back to Corban. Watching him hold her, gently swaying from side to side, only made the feeling stronger.
“Can I help you?” I moved my chair back in place and sat down. I had no idea who this guy was, but he looked pissed. “Are you Corban Nash?” His voice was cold, almost monotone. “Yeah.” “The Corban Nash who’s sleeping with Hazel Kiegen?” I raised my eyebrows. What the hell was going on? “Who are you?” “I asked you a question.” “And I answered with a question, but I’ll elaborate. Who are you that you think Hazel’s personal life is any of your business?”
“Shepherd Calloway.” Why did that name sound familiar? “How do you know Hazel?” “None of your goddamn business.” He didn’t make any aggressive moves—he barely moved at all—but the menace in his tone was unmistakable. “Then why are you here?” “Because you and I need to have a little chat.” “About?” “I won’t tolerate anyone fucking with Hazel.”
“I’m not fucking with her.” His expression didn’t change. “That remains to be seen. But you need to know that if you hurt her, I will come after you.” “Are you threatening me?” “It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. If you hurt Hazel, I’ll destroy your life. Believe me, I have the necessary resources.”
“Look man, I don’t know what this is about or why you think Hazel needs someone to play scary dad on her behalf. Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not going to hurt her.” I’m the one in danger of getting hurt. Shit, where had that thought come from? “You’re right. You’re not.” He stood and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. “I’m glad we understand each other.” Without another word, he walked out.
“Tall guy. Dark hair. Suit. Could probably watch a movie where the dog dies and his expression wouldn’t change.” “Oh, yes, that’s Shepherd. But he threatened you?” “Yep. Said if I hurt you, he’d destroy my life.”
And what did I want to say? I wasn’t mad that her friend’s husband had threatened me. It actually made me feel good to know she had people in her life who cared about her that much.
“It is not. You’re my twinkie. I wanted you to be happy even before I had a baby.” “God, Moll, you need to stop calling me twinkie. Where did you come up with that, anyway?” “Because we’re twins. Twinkie has the word twin right in it.” “You’ve been calling me twinkie our whole life because it has the word twin in it?” She laughed. “Yes. You didn’t know that? I thought it was obvious.” “Not obvious, weirdo. Can’t you come up with something better?” “Nope. It’s too late. You’ll always be my twinkie.” I rolled my eyes. “Just promise me you won’t teach Kate to say it.” “Fine,” she said.
“Okay, good. Like I said, I just want you to be happy. And I don’t understand how a girl could be with you and not want to keep you forever.” I tried not to flinch, but damn, that stung. Because that was the thing, wasn’t it? No one had ever felt that strongly about me. And the truth was, no one was ever going to, whether I wanted it or not.
Corban, We wouldn’t be together if it weren’t for you. You’re a genius. Thank you for everything. Love, Easton and Julia
Except, in a way, my questionnaire had worked. That was the real truth I’d been avoiding. The realization sat deep in the pit of my stomach and tried to work its way to the surface every time I saw her. I was falling in love with Hazel. The problem was, she wasn’t falling in love with me. She liked me. She liked sleeping with me. But that wasn’t the same, and at the end of the day, it wasn’t what I wanted. And it really fucking sucked.
But I was experiencing a feeling. A big feeling. An intense surge of emotion flooded through me. It wasn’t new. I’d felt it before, but until this moment, I hadn’t let myself truly feel it in all its fullness. I’d felt it as I ran my fingers through Corban’s hair when he’d been sick. When he’d stood up for me at the vet. Each time he’d stolen a kiss at work or grinned at me like we shared a secret. It had been there, trying to nudge its way to the front of my brain, every time I’d lain in bed with him, my body warm and satisfied. That had been more than the release of oxytocin and the flood of
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But I’d never felt this intensely about someone before. I’d dated and even gotten married—although that had proved to be an ill-advised decision—but I’d never felt this way about any of them. I’d never been in love.
And for the first time since that afternoon when we’d gone through his questionnaire, I allowed myself to admit another truth. For perhaps the first time in my life, I’d wanted to be wrong. I’d wanted his accelerated intimacy theory to be right.
Paisley sat on my couch, her legs crossed at the knees. Why wasn’t she wearing pants? And was that my shirt? “What are you doing here?” I hiked up the towel, fumbling so I wouldn’t drop it. She licked her lips. “Waiting for you.” “Why?” “Because I wanted to see you.” “How did you get in?” “I have your key, silly. You gave it to me.” My key? “That was in case I locked myself out.”
I went into the bedroom and put on a t-shirt and pair of sweats. Had that just happened? Had Paisley Hayes just told me she liked me and wanted to sleep with me?
“Because I can’t do that to myself, Corban. Being friends means staying on the periphery and putting myself in the position of having to watch you be happy with someone else. Even if that isn’t now, it’ll happen someday.” Someone else? What was she talking about? “And I just can’t,” she continued. “I’m sorry, Corban, but I can’t do this.”
“You’re wired to find your person.” I stopped. “I’m wired to find my goddamn penguin.”
You know what might help?” “What?” “Baby snuggles.” She got up and brought a still-sleeping Kate to me. Gently laid her in my arms. And she was right, it did help. A little bit, anyway.
The shirt had a line drawing of a martini glass with the words Dirty Martini Running Club surrounding it in a circle.
Then I want you to flip it some double fist unicorns, like this.” She raised her middle fingers. “And tell it to fuck off. Are we ready? Let’s do this.
What I called to mind was my own stubbornness. My insistence on proving Corban wrong—and my fear of being wrong—had blinded me. It had kept me from experiencing the truth of my developing feelings for him. And now I was paying the price.
“I think I fell in love for the first time. But I messed up, and he messed up. And now it’s just… a mess.”
“I’m angry. I’m angry at myself and I’m angry at him. I’m angry that this isn’t easier. That I didn’t tell him how I felt. That my education and professional experience not only proved to be no help whatsoever, they were probably a hindrance. And I’m pissed off that he might want to be with someone else more than he wants to be with me. Because I’m good for him. I understand him and he understands me and there are so few people who do. For both of us. I’m angry because I should be his penguin.” I stopped, shocked at my outburst.
A set of arms wrapped around me. Then another. And another. Everly, Sophie, and Nora all hugged me tight. In that moment, they gave me exactly what I needed. I was loved, accepted, and supported. And although neither that, nor yelling fuck in a yoga class, were going to mend my broken heart, they made the hurt a little more bearable. And that was priceless.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about how she was going to feel at the end of the race. I’d planned to be there. I was even going to make a sign. Didn’t seem to be much point in doing that now.
I didn’t miss her for the sex. No, that wasn’t true, I did. Desperately. I craved her body like a junkie. But I missed all of her. I missed being around her. The way she pursed her lips when she was thinking or annoyed with me. The way she pushed her glasses up her nose and the way she got excited about the same things I did.
Finally he spoke. “I thought we had an understanding.” “Are you here to insist I make an honest woman out of her? Because I’ll let you in on a little secret. Hazel’s the one who’s going to protest that, not me.” Oh god, I’d just said out loud that I’d marry her. Kind of. But it was also kind of true. Fuck. “I’m here because I made it very clear how I felt about someone hurting her.” “Yeah, you did. And I didn’t hurt her. Besides, why do you care?” “Hazel is my wife’s best friend.” His low voice was almost monotone, yet dripping with threat. “She’s important to Everly, therefore she’s important
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“I’m not sleeping with anyone. I was sleeping with Hazel, we both know that, but obviously that’s never happening again. And you know, maybe that’s better for me anyway. I’m probably just torturing myself. But have you ever been with a woman who feels so perfect you wonder if anything in the world will ever feel good again if you’re not with her?” His brow furrowed. “Yes, actually.” “See? That’s the problem. She’s fucking amazing and this whole thing sucks.”
“Oh my god, Shepherd, I’m fucked. This is a disaster. She’s wrong. This whole thing is a huge misunderstanding. And now… where is she? She’s running. She’s with your wife. Can you call Everly? No, that won’t work. They’ve been training their asses off for this, I can’t interrupt. What am I going to do?” Shepherd watched me with that confused brow furrow. “I have no idea.” “Come on, we’re smart guys, we can figure this out.” “We?”
“I love her,” I said aloud, but I wasn’t really talking to Shepherd. It was more like talking to Erwin. I didn’t need, or expect, a reply. “I don’t know if she loves me, but I think she might, and I was too much of an idiot to see it. Molly was right, I’ve been getting in my own way. I have to tell her. That’s all there is to it. I have to take the risk and put my heart on the chopping block, even if that means she might obliterate it. But that would be better than losing her forever because we’re both too fucking stubborn and stuck in our own heads to say it.”
“What time do you think they’ll be done?” I shoved my feet into my black Converse. “That’s okay, I can make some estimates on the way. Let’s go.” He raised his eyebrows, his expression going from mildly confused to completely baffled. “Go where?” “Come on, man, I don’t have time to explain.”
I fucking love corban
a group of at least twenty men and women with matching t-shirts that read Sloth Running Club… We May Be Slow But We’re Adorable
But the most fabulous runner award had to be the peacock man. He was tall with a spiked purple and teal mohawk that matched his bright teal bodysuit. A fan of enormous peacock feathers was attached to the back of his costume and it rustled in the breeze as he strutted around the starting area. I didn’t know how he was going to manage to run the entire distance in such an elaborate costume, but it did look impressive.
“We made that hill our bitch,” Sophie exclaimed. “Hell yes we did,” Everly said. “Sophie, you’re right.” I looked up, ignoring the data offered by my watch. “We did make that hill our bitch.” Nora raised her fist into the air and whooped. Trust your instincts. “Forget the plan,” I said. “Are we all feeling good?” A chorus of yeses rose up around me. Not just from my friends, but from runners nearby. “Then let’s make this race our bitch.”
“Don’t forget why we’re doing this,” I said in between breaths. “What are we running for?” Everly smiled. “For the sense of accomplishment.” “To feel like a badass,” Nora said. “And to kick those bitches’ asses.” “What are we running for?” I asked again, louder this time. “To show myself I can,” someone said. “To finish something big.” “Because I want to be healthier.” “So I can drink lots of wine.” Everyone around us laughed. “I run because I can,” Sophie said. “My dad can barely walk, but my legs work perfectly. And damn it, I’m going to use them.” A chorus of cheers rose up. “What about
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“Look.” I pointed. “We almost caught up with them.” “Oh my god.” “Holy shit.” “Hell. Fucking. Yes.” We all exchanged glances. Shared a brief nod. And ran like we were being chased by zombie clowns.
But I’d done it. I’d finished. And in this moment, I wasn’t Hazel Kiegen, psychology researcher and girl with a genius IQ. I was Hazel Kiegen, half-marathon runner.
