Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family 6)

“I’ll do my best,” I assure her. Almost unwillingly, my mind flies to my conversation with Nate about what kind of kissing is proper for a first date.

“Did any of you ever have good wall sex?” I blurt out.

Pippa jerks her head back, and Ava and Nadine seem too stunned or embarrassed for a split second before we all burst out laughing. We talk about mostly anything but carefully avoid the sex topic, since half the girls in the group are actually dating or married to our brothers, and neither Pippa nor I want too many details. I’m sure Nadine and Ava talk about it, but I hope such details never reach my ears. Some conversations you can’t unhear.

Well, now the cat is out of the bag. Anyone else would balk down and switch topics, but not me. The way I see it, I’ve already put my foot in my mouth, so I want my answer. “A yes or no is enough, no need for details.”

A chorus of “yes” greets me, followed by chuckles.

Damn it, Nate.

“So, I predict you won’t make it through three dates,” Pippa says.

“Make that two,” Ava says.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“He’s already got you thinking about wall sex,” Nadine says wisely. “By the way, not to volunteer too much information, but the most important part in wall sex is for the man to be strong enough. I took a good look at Nate. The man is a mountain. He’ll have his way with you any way you can imagine, and do it exceptionally well.”

“True,” my sister adds. “He looks like someone who’ll know how to love you up good.”

I swallow hard, blood rushing to my cheeks. These girls are crazy, but they’re my brand of crazy, and I love them to bits.

“Right, how about switching topics? Who else has news?” My imagination is running amok already.

“Well, mine is less interesting, but my morning sickness finally subsided,” Nadine says. “But I’m still sleepy all the time.”

“Do take advantage of that,” Pippa says. “Sleep is the one thing you won’t get back for a while. Oh, how I miss it.”

“Me too,” Ava says wistfully. She looks as tired as Pippa was in the first year after giving birth, but the dopey grin she has when talking about Will is adorable.

“Oh, I have some fun news,” Pippa says. “Julie has been asked out on a date, and Eric completely freaked out. It was fascinating to watch him in full overprotective dad mode. I managed to reason with him about two days later.”

Her husband, Eric, was a widower with a twelve-year-old daughter when Pippa met him. Julie’s a teenager now though, so I predict Eric will go into overprotective dad mode on a regular basis. It’ll be good practice for when their twin girls grow up.

Though judging by the way our dad and brothers react when Summer and I speak about dates, that overprotective gene is deep in their DNA. Once activated, it never dims.

Our chat turns to us reminiscing over the crazy bachelorette parties we threw for Ava, Nadine, and Pippa. I swear to God, each one was crazier than the one before. We didn’t even plan it, but things got out of hand, fast. My mind flies to Nate too, to the way he kissed me after the meeting with the Delicious Dining team, how he was championing me during the meeting. Just knowing he believes in me so much warms my chest, and that is dangerous in more ways than one.

He just asked me out on a date. I need to pace myself, keep my hopes at a reasonable level. Just because I’ve been carrying a torch for him for years doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together, or that we’ll work out. Maybe we’ll discover we’re not compatible after all and this is all just crazy chemistry we need to get out of our systems. My heart stings as I consider that thought, but I have to be prepared for any outcome, keep an open mind and heart.

Even so, my grin grows wider.

***

On the evening of my date with Nate, I stop by Blue Moon just before, bringing in the last of the supplies needed for the official opening tomorrow. The Delicious Dining team called earlier, informing me that the network green-lighted the project, and they’ll film the segment next month. As a result, I’m feeling on top of the world tonight.

Right until I step inside the kitchen, slip on the tiles, and nearly face-plant. Luckily, I grab the nearby counter in time, steadying myself.

Turning on the lights, I inspect the slippery floor. The tiles are wet, as if someone just wiped them. The cleaning crew finished two hours ago though, so they should be dry by now. This can only mean one thing: water is coming from somewhere. Within thirty seconds, I locate the problem. The pipe from under one of the sinks is leaking.

I call the maintenance company but get the answering machine, stating I’m calling outside office hours and the earliest I can contact them is tomorrow morning. Fantastic. Desperate, I start to search online for emergency

plumbers when my screen lights up with an incoming call from Nate.

“Hey! Sorry, I’ll be late. A pipe is leaking at Blue Moon, and I’m trying to find a plumber who’ll come right away.”

“No need. I’ll come and fix it.”