Alvarado burst out laughing again, and Sawyer’s smile reached his eyes for the first time in a while.
I took out my phone and said, “Let’s order pizza. You got plenty of beer in the fridge?”
“Yep,” Sawyer said. “Nothing in there but pickles and beer. We’re good.”
These two were both going through some shit, but at least they knew they weren’t going through it alone.
“Oh god, poor Eric,” Sariah said later that evening when we were lying on my couch together.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine.”
“Hopefully he can get the divorce worked out during the off-season.”
“You got any cute friends who like dipshit rookie hockey players?” I asked.
“I’m pretty sure Eric’s not going to be up for dating for a while.”
“Yeah, I guess not.”
She sat up and crossed her legs, her eyes meeting mine.
“I was thinking pizza for dinner. Does that sound good?”
After eating a shitload of pizza at Sawyer’s house only a few hours ago, it didn’t sound remotely good, but I didn’t want to disappoint her.
“Sounds great, babe. I can order from Davinci’s because they’ll deliver and they know how to make each of the dogs a little personal pizza, too.”
She laughed and looked over at Athena, Louie, and Archie, who were lying on the floor right next to the couch.
“The dogs get their own pizzas?”
I feigned indignation. “Of course they do. What kind of barbarian dog dad do you think I am?”
“Can we watch a rom-com?” she asked.
Ugh. That sounded even worse than more pizza.
“How about if I let you pick what kind of pizza we get, and you can choose whether we watch porn or a horror movie?”
“Porn?” She arched her brows, looking amused. “Are you serious?”
“I mean…I’m a dude, so I’m not not serious. But horror is good, too.”
“Hmm. Can we find a rom-com with some horror in it?”
“I doubt it?”
She considered how she’d up the ante. “Rom-com, and I’ll take my bra off and let you feel me up through the entire movie.”
“Done.”
Joke was on her. If I had unfettered access to her tits, I’d have her in bed within half an hour and I’d never have to watch the rest of whatever movie she picked.
I ordered the pizzas while she scrolled through my Netflix menu looking for a movie to watch. Once she’d settled on one, I grabbed a blanket and we both got comfortable. She slid her hands up her back and unclasped her bra, sliding it out from beneath her shirt. I wasted no time occupying my hands.
“Did you talk to your mom today?” she murmured during the movie’s opening credits.
“It’s weird talking about my mom while I’m playing with your nipples.”
“Just yes or no, Nash.”
“No. She left me a message and said my aunt got into town to help her pack.”
“Good.”
My mom had stayed with me for a little while after the anniversary party from hell. Now she was back home packing up her things and selling some others, and moving to St. Louis. She was going to rent a place near me until she figured out where she wanted to be long term. I was hoping St. Louis would grow on her and she’d stay.
My father had agreed to an uncontested divorce in which my mom got half of their assets and all the furnishings in the house. It was the one decent thing he’d done for my mom. He hadn’t made an effort to talk to me since the party, and I hoped he never would. I’d lost all respect for him, and I’d never spend time with him and Sandy.
“I should probably just take your shirt off to make this easier,” I said.
“You think?”
“Yeah.” I pushed up her shirt and put my lips around one of her taut pink nipples.
“Oh,” she moaned. “We’re not even five minutes into the movie and you’re already trying to get me to ditch it.”
“Me? No, I’m super into this movie.”
I tweaked one nipple and gave the other a gentle nip.
Sariah laughed, then ran a hand through my hair and grabbed it, tugging hard enough to get my attention.
“If we pause this movie for sex, we’re still watching it afterward,” she said.
“Wow.” I slid a hand around to her ass and cupped it. “I’m just sitting here enjoying this movie and you’re suggesting we pause it to go have sex?”
“I mean, if you don’t want to…”
I gave her a quick kiss on the lips and smiled. “I definitely do.”
I kissed her again, deeper this time, and she cupped my cheeks, her lips smiling against mine.
“I hope you’re always this turned on by me when I’m wearing leggings and an old T-shirt with no makeup.”
I grinned. “Believe me, I will be. Especially if you keep wearing my T-shirts.”
Her eyes softened. “Nash Reilly, don’t let this go to your already inflated head, but I think you might be my favorite.”