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  He lowered his lips to her ear again. “I’ve decided I hate that word.”

  She chuckled. “Go.”

  It turned out Renee was as friendly and kind as her wife, and the two of them flanked Heather as they drew her deeper into the house. There were already at least a dozen people standing around in groups talking, but Amy and Renee led Heather past all of them and into the kitchen.

  “Mom,” Amy said to the back of a white-haired woman who quickly spun around. “Neil and Heather just arrived,” Amy announced.

  Neil had schooled Heather on his parents’ names in the car—Linda and John. Linda Conlon’s smile grew wide as she closed the distance before she reached out with both hands and took one of Heather’s. “So nice to meet you. I’m so glad you could come.”

  “Nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Heather responded, trying not to appear as nervous as she was.

  “Please, call me Linda.” She reached toward the tall man with salt-and-pepper hair standing nearby. “John, come meet Heather.”

  Her husband was as friendly and polite as his wife—as the entire family apparently. He shook Heather’s hand. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “I’m fine for now, thank you.”

  Hands landed on Heather’s shoulders from behind, calming her immediately. “Mom. Dad.” Neil leaned around Heather to kiss his mother’s cheek.

  Linda had an elegance about her, not pretentious, just…happy. She held her head high because she was pleased. Her voice was soft. Heather wondered if she’d ever yelled at her kids.

  John was similar. Kind eyes that danced in a way that told Heather he wasn’t an overly serious man. The same eyes Neil had, except sometimes Neil’s gaze held a slightly jaded expression. He’d been through things his parents wouldn’t understand.

  Linda set a hand on Neil’s forearm. “Show Heather around. There are hors d’oeuvres scattered around and drinks are at the bar.”

  “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Thanks, Mom.”

  Linda looked back at Heather. “Make yourself at home, Heather.”

  “Thank you.” She held back the ma’am that time, but only barely.

  Neil, holding Heather’s hand, followed Amy and Renee to the backyard, which was set up for the overflow of the party. There was a giant tent with a temporary floor on the other side of a gorgeous pool. An amazing rock waterfall was running, the cascade of water mesmerizing.

  Amy disappeared for a moment and returned with a tray, carrying four glasses of champagne. They each took one, and Amy held hers up for a toast. “To the future.”

  They all clinked glasses and Heather took a sip of the delicious effervescence. She considered tipping the entire flute back but decided against it.

  Neil kept his palm on the small of her back.

  “Your dress is gorgeous, Heather,” Renee commented.

  “Your wife has amazing taste,” Heather responded. “If she hadn’t rescued me and taken me shopping yesterday, I might have arrived in one of Neil’s shirts.”

  Renee’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe if you added a belt, it could be a fashion statement, but this stunning dress blends a bit better.” She turned toward Amy. “My wife does have good taste in clothes. I often send her to shop for me.”

  “Ironic,” Amy added, “since she’s the artist.” She closed the distance and kissed Renee sweetly on the lips. “Happy to shop for you though. Then you only have clothes to wear that I adore on you.”

  Renee glanced down at her white dress. “She did a great job today, yet again.”

  “Agreed,” Heather said. “You both look fantastic.”

  “All three of you ladies do.” Neil kissed Heather on the neck, his lips trailing to her ear again. “You okay?” He slid a palm around to flatten on her stomach.

  Heather set her hand on top of his. “Fine,” she teased.

  He groaned.

  More people joined them outside, and soon Heather found herself being ushered around until she’d been introduced to about thirty people. Some were aunts and uncles and cousins. Others were friends. All of them seemed shocked and pleased that Neil had a date.

  There was no formal dinner. Instead, a never-ending array of appetizers kept appearing. Heather was glad. Sitting down at a dining table would have been more stressful than lifting a quick bite from one of the trays every now and then.

  The evening was a surreal experience to be sure, but Heather found herself far more relaxed than she’d anticipated. Neil’s parents stopped to talk to her several times, neither of them prying for information, just making conversation. She wondered if Neil had given them specific instructions not to give her the third-degree.

  Neil nursed a few beers from tall narrow glasses throughout the evening, and he replaced Heather’s champagne whenever she ran out. She sipped it slowly though, mostly glad to hold the glass. It gave her something to do with her hands.

  When the band started, Neil led her onto the floor for a slow dance, holding her closer than most of the other couples on the floor. “Thank you for coming with me. It wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you.”

  “I’m having a great time. Your family is amazing.”

  He chuckled. “June and Ward Cleaver amazing, right?”

  She laughed. “Definitely. But in the nicest way possible.”

  When the song ended, Neil led her off the floor to the far side of the yard.

  A man about his age hip-bumped him and wrapped an arm around Neil’s shoulders. “I see you finally managed to get someone to go out with you,” the guy joked, but he was a bit drunk and obnoxious.

  Neil shrugged away from the guy’s arm and pulled Heather into his embrace, her back against his front. She got the feeling he was protecting her.

  “Heather, this is my cousin Mitch.”

  Mitch’s eyes danced as he reached for Heather’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss that lasted too long and made her feel gross. She was glad when he released her.

  Neil took a step back, threading his fingers with hers and pressing their hands against her stomach. “You’re drunk, Mitch.”

  Mitch’s eyes widened and he gave a feigned shocked look. “Nah. I’ve only had a few.” He winked at Heather. “She’s a looker, dude. You may have taken your time, but you found a sexy one. Do you have a sister?”

  Neil groaned. “Mitch, go find someone else to harass. You’re making a fool of yourself.”

  A bleach-blond woman picked that moment to grab onto Mitch’s arm. Her voice was high-pitched and whiny. “Mitch, you promised me a dance.” She tugged on him.

  He rolled his eyes and let her lead him to the dance floor, where he proceeded to shake his body as if he were the five-year-old star at a wedding reception.

  Neil turned Heather toward the house and led her inside. He didn’t stop in the kitchen or the living room. He kept going until they were up the stairs, down the hall, and had stepped into a bedroom and shut the door.

  Heather looked up at him in confusion.

  He let his gaze roam up and down her body before meeting her gaze. “You okay?” he asked as if she’d been attacked by rabid dogs.

  Her heart beat faster and faster. He was concerned about his drunk cousin hurting her feelings? She stepped closer, grabbed the front of his shirt, lifted onto her toes, and kissed him.

  She wasn’t gentle about it. She pressed him against the door, flattened her body into his, and kissed the sense out of him. She loved the way he looked so shocked for several seconds before his hands landed on her hips and he moaned into her mouth.

  When she finally broke free, she gave him a coy grin. “That was hot.”

  “What part?” He was breathing hard.

  “The part where you nearly punched your cousin in the jaw to keep him from touching me or looking at me.”

  Neil slowly smiled. “You liked that, huh? It may have been a bit over-the-top caveman, but I was close to decking him. He may be larger than me, but I’m in better shape. I didn’t like the way he was lo
oking at you, and I sure as fuck didn’t like his hand on yours or his lips on your knuckles.” He shuddered. “You should wash that off.”

  She giggled. “Like I said, totally hot.” She pressed her palms against his chest and smoothed out the fabric where she’d fisted it, rising once more to kiss him.

  Finally, she forced herself to release him and step back before she got carried away and reached for the bulge in his pants. She glanced around. “Is this your room?”

  “Yes.” He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, obviously not interested in the separation she’d put between them. His lips came to her neck, which always melted her resolve a bit. “You’re going to sleep in that bed tonight.” He nodded toward it before kissing her neck again.

  “Mmm. You sure your parents don’t care if you sleep in it with me?”

  He froze for a moment. “I’m positive my parents would find it far stranger if I didn’t, but tonight is an odd night for us to sleep in the same bed for the first time, considering you’re staying with me and we could do that any night.”

  “Mmm,” she repeated. “Maybe, but let’s err on the side of least eyebrow-raising so we don’t have to answer a bunch of questions in the morning.”

  “If it makes you feel better, baby. I’ll sleep on the floor in here if the illusion is all you care about.”

  She chuckled as she turned in his arms. “Don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation where I needed to sleep in the same room as a man in order to look less suspicious.” She slid her hands up to his neck. “And you’re not sleeping on the floor. We’re grown adults. I didn’t suggest we have sex for the first time in your parents’ house, but we can surely share the same bed without a crack opening up in the earth and swallowing us whole.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “I’m not sure. That might happen. Depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not I’m going to find out if you’re wearing a red thong that matches that bra I glimpsed earlier.”

  She giggled. “We’ll see.”

  He groaned and shook his head. “No. See. Just no. You shouldn’t answer that question. Not verbally or visually. If you do, I might not be able to control my reaction.”

  She couldn’t keep from smiling at him, holding his gaze, enjoying the playful smile he also sported.

  She didn’t think she’d ever been as happy as she was at this moment. A light exchange after the caveman routine that made her panties wet and her nipples hard points.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “For what, baby?”

  “For everything. For every single thing you’ve done for me. For making me feel special. For bringing me to your parents’ party. For doting on me the entire time instead of mingling with your friends and relatives.”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “I was afraid I was hovering.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I kind of needed you. I appreciated your over-protectiveness. The only times you’ve stepped away from me, you’ve left me with Amy and Renee. That was above and beyond in the kind spectrum.”

  “Well, I do aim to be kind.” He kissed her nose. “I kinda like you, and I’m trying to convince you to let me keep you.”

  “Does it take effort?” she teased.

  “None at all. But if it makes me look less like a whipped teenager, then it sounds better to say that I hover over you for your benefit instead of admitting I don’t like to be away from you.”

  Yeah, this night couldn’t get more perfect. Heather just prayed she could hold on to this feeling and not panic and run. It was hard for her to let herself take this kind of risk, but tonight was the first night in perhaps forever that she hadn’t spent the entire evening feeling like she was a floating observer homing in on someone else’s perfect life.

  It felt like she belonged here with Neil. Everyone in his family treated her like she belonged. She may have been from the wrong side of the tracks, but no one treated her as if that were the case. They’d welcomed her with open arms. And it felt good.

  Chapter 12

  Neil would have preferred to stay in the bedroom making out with Heather for the rest of the night, but that would’ve been rude and raised a few eyebrows, so he reluctantly returned to the fray, his fingers threaded with Heather’s, never fully releasing her.

  They got a lot of double-takes, even more warm, knowing smiles, and a few smirks from the twenty-something crowd. He didn’t care, and Heather didn’t seem to mind either.

  Only a few people had known about her apartment fire two nights ago, so they only had to rehash that once—with his father, which wasn’t surprising. The man had always been a doting and concerned parent. His attentiveness would extend to any significant other Neil or Amy had.

  Neil was relieved when people finally started leaving and he was able to slip back upstairs with Heather. Amy and Renee were spending the night too. They would be downstairs helping with the cleanup for a bit longer before occupying another room on the second floor.

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t be helping your sister downstairs?” Heather asked as Neil shut the door behind them.

  He didn’t hesitate to pull her into his arms. “She has it under control. Everyone knows you’re exhausted from having your life flipped upside down.”

  Heather played with the buttons on the front of Neil’s shirt. “Well, thank you. For bringing me. For distracting me for a night. For everything.” She lifted her gaze.

  He slid his hand up to cup her face. “Thank you for coming with me when I’m sure you would have rather spent the last eight hours curled up on the couch.”

  “Curled up on the couch can be cathartic, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it alone. Not tonight.” She leaned in closer. “I know I’m a hot mess with a pile of issues a mile long, but it’s been nice not to face everything alone.”

  He grazed her lips with his thumb. “You’re not alone,” he murmured. He added a slow smile. “Although, I still don’t want you to feel pressured to share this room with me. If you’d like to be alone for the night, I can snag another guest room. I wasn’t sure how many people might be staying here tonight, but it seems like everyone except you, me, Amy, and Renee is leaving. There are other rooms.”

  She leaned in closer and turned to press her cheek against his chest, her arms wrapping around him. “I think I’d rather you stay, unless that makes me a cock tease.”

  He chuckled, the vibrations shaking them both. Threading his fingers through her hair, he kissed the top of her head. “You’re not a cock tease, Heather. I promise to keep my shorts on all night, but I hope you’re going to let me get a glimpse of what you’re wearing under this dress.”

  He knew he was messing up her perfectly-arranged curls with his fingers, but he didn’t care. No one else was going to see her tonight. In fact, he started pulling the pins out.

  She sighed against him, letting him stroke her hair as he worked. “It was nearly impossible to zip this dress up without help. You’re going to have to unzip it if it’s coming off. So, unless you do so with your eyes closed, I’d say you stand a good chance at getting the full visual.”

  “I could turn the lights off first and pull a T-shirt over your head before the dress falls down your body,” he pointed out.

  She leaned back, surprising him with the twinkle in her eyes. “I’m not an overly modest prude, you know. Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex, and yes, I have trust issues, but I wouldn’t mind the ego-boost of seeing you look at me.”

  He slowly returned the smile while he slid his hands to the zipper between her shoulder blades and eased it down her back.

  She shuddered as the fitted material loosened around her body. It didn’t fall to the floor because she was pressed flat against him. As soon as the dress was completely unzipped at the small of her back, Neil slid his hands down the inside to cup her amazing ass.

  He groaned when his palms landed on smooth skin, confirming that whatever matched his bra was ind
eed a thong. “You bought this dress and this lingerie for me…”

  “Yes…”

  She’d gone out of her way to carry on this silly banter they had going about the red thong—even expanding it—and every time he thought about it, his heart beat faster.

  He needed to be cautious though. Under no circumstances was he going to have sex with her in his parents’ house tonight. He didn’t want their first time to include suppressing whatever noises might otherwise escape her lips. Not a chance.

  Besides, she was under a tremendous amount of emotional stress. He wouldn’t take advantage of that. He realized she was leaning on him, both physically and emotionally, but she was vulnerable and sensitive. She needed comfort and consoling, not to be fucked into the headboard.

  She moaned as he cupped her bare cheeks though, which made his cock harder. When she tipped her head back to meet his gaze, her eyes were glazed over with lust. “Did you lock the door?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  Her fingers came to the front of his shirt and she unbuttoned the top button, never losing his gaze as she moved to the second. By the time she was on the third, her fingers were shaking and the dress was slipping.

  Neil eased her back, letting the satin fall to the floor.

  She shivered as he let his heated gaze roam down her body. My God. She was exquisite. The strapless, red bra was barely more than a scrap of lace. Delicate and fragile. He trailed his fingers between her breasts, watching her chest rise and fall as her breathing grew heavier.

  The thong and bra were definitely a matched set. Another scrap of red lace. Both pieces were intended for sex appeal, not protection. Based on what he could see, which was nearly everything, she’d shaved…everywhere.

  “Neil…”

  When he drew his gaze back up to meet hers, he found her licking her lips. “You’re so gorgeous, baby.”

  “No one has ever looked at me like you are right now. It’s making me very…horny.”

  He swallowed and then lifted her onto the bed and guided her to her back. Leaning over her, he kissed the skin in the V between the cups of her bra. “I hate that no one has ever lusted after you like this. What a pile of selfish assholes.”