“Another lie. I told you I’m always upfront.”
“My point is, people who have their priorities straight aren’t obsessed with getting laid. But superficial, self-centered people like you…you’re always thinking about it.” She clears her throat. “I’m working on a chart to divide up Avery’s care. Tonight is my night, so why don’t you go do…whatever it is you do to avoid getting morning wood that almost pokes my eye out.”
I smile. “You gotta admit it takes an impressive size for that to happen.”
“Size isn’t everything.”
Before I can respond that I’ve got more than size going for me, Winter makes a confused face and looks down at Avery. She takes the bottle from her mouth and holds her up, inspecting her.
“She’s all wet,” she says.
“Again?” I sigh heavily. “That’s the fourth set of clothes I put on her in the past eight hours.”
“They’re called sleepers. And you aren’t putting her diapers on right. She’s peeing through the gap in them.”
“How would you know?”
“It happened to me when I was first changing her diapers. You need to watch that YouTube video again.”
I look over at the coffee maker and see that it’s almost done brewing. I desperately need a thousand cups of coffee, now. “Yeah, I will. And she’s almost out of clothes. I’ll call for laundry service today, and I’m gonna order another hundred sleepers.”
Winter looks appalled. “You’re exaggerating, right?”
I shrug. “We need at least fifty more, the way she goes through them.”
“Or you can get a washer and a dryer and we’ll do our own laundry, like most people.”
I scrunch up my face in denial, showing Winter exactly what I think of her plan. “We’ve got enough going on already.”
Winter sets down Avery’s empty bottle and pats her on the back, eliciting an immediate burp. She passes her back to me and sits down at the kitchen table.
“I’m going to finish my chart.”
I nod. “I’ll go change her…again.”
“Have fun with that.”
Winter slides her dark-rimmed reading glasses back on and looks down at the posterboard on the kitchen table. It’s lined with circular stickers in all colors, the handwriting as precise as I’d expect from my type A roommate.
I turn to walk out of the kitchen with Avery, bright-eyed and content now that she’s been fed, but I stop partway.
“I wasn’t saying it’s been a long time since you’ve had sex,” I say. “But it’s been a long time since you’ve been fucked, Winter. That’s when a man takes you to bed and touches you in ways that make you beg for more. And when he’s inside you, it’s so hot and hard you’re not sure you can take it, but your body is moving in time with his without you even thinking about it. You’re both sweaty and desperate, even after he makes you come longer and harder than you ever have before. You never want it to end, because you’re not sure you’ll ever have a night like this again. And when you wake up the next day, you’re sore, but more satisfied than you ever have been before. When you get fucked, you’re not the one calling the shots and deciding how you come. For once in your life, you surrender.”
She pretends to ignore me, but I see the truth. Her chest is rising and falling with rapid breaths. The tip of her tongue darts out to moisten her lips. The pen is frozen in her hand, and she’s flushed all over.
I’ve finally found a way to leave her speechless.
Chapter Ten
Winter
Later that evening, I sink into my favorite leather recliner with a weary sigh. Harry’s out for the night—probably charming the pants off some woman he’ll forget the name of by tomorrow—so it’s just Avery and me.
It’s eight thirty p.m., and I just put her down to sleep after a long evening of playing. I did most of the playing—jumping, singing, playing peekaboo and making funny faces to hold her attention as much as possible. I’m hoping that after a long stretch of being awake, she’ll have a longer period of continuous sleep.
And even though I know I should go to bed and sleep while I can, I don’t want to sleep yet. It’s kind of nice to just sit here alone, with nothing to do.
I could read a book or watch something on TV. But it’s been so long since I’ve done either that I’m not even sure what I’d read or watch. Instead, I pick up my phone to browse the Internet, and I see that I have a missed call from Aubrey.
I press the Call Back button, thinking she probably has plans with her superhot husband on a Saturday night, but she surprises me by answering.
“Winter,” she says warmly. “I’m so glad you called me back.”
“Thanks for not giving up on me,” I say with a light laugh. “Even though I sometimes don’t return your calls, it’s never because I don’t want to.”