Swing and a Mishap (Summersweet Island 2)

“Did you see that black eye Jan Rowe gave that tourist just to get her hands on my balls?”

“How many men can say their balls won a parade? Usually people just throw a parade for my balls.”

“Are you finished?” I ask when Shepherd finally takes a breath.

“Yeah, I’m all out of ball jokes. What should we do now that I have you all to myself?” he asks, tightening his arm around my shoulders as we walk through the almost deserted festival. “I was thinking something along the lines of putting my bat in your box.”

A choked laugh comes out of me as Shepherd wags his eyebrows like a dirty, lecherous villain. “Hey, it wasn’t a ball joke. Give me some credit.”

“That was awful, and also, we’re in a public place at a festival,” I remind him, even though we just had sex in a public place last night, it was the hottest moment of my life, and just thinking about doing something like that again makes my skin get all warm and tingly.

My eyes are now darting all over the beach, looking in between booths and calculating ride times in my head, wondering if two minutes and thirty-seven seconds in the Tunnel of Love by ourselves this time is long enough for anything creative, when Shepherd chuckles softly and walks us toward the rides.

“I’m kidding. I’m in the mood for some ice cream. Let’s stop by your booth before they pack everything up, and then how about a walk through the funhouse?”

For a split second, I remember Shepherd told me last night to always speak up and tell him what I want immediately. I mean, I’d only be doing as he requested by telling him I’d like a festival orgasm, please and thank you. I can count on one hand how many people are still walking around, and my kid left to go hang out at Dominic’s house after the boat parade. Tess took Bodhi home to give him a bath and put him to bed, and I have no idea where my sister and Palmer disappeared to. So it’s fine; it’s totally cool. Let’s just bribe someone to shut something down. Hell yeah, I want to be wild and spontaneous!

But Shepherd is looking down at me all soft and sweet, and I really should just be enjoying how romantic this is, walking through the festival with all the pretty lights like we’re the only two people here, and besides. I already made the first, first move. It should be his turn, right? I don’t know how this stuff works, dammit! I should have asked Tess before she bribed Bodhi with another funnel cake for the road to get in their golf cart.

“Funhouse sounds great!” I squeak out instead, wondering where the hell my nerve went.

While also being completely oblivious to the fact that Shepherd’s sweet and soft look quickly changed to that dirty, lecherous villain one as we walked up to the Dip and Twist booth, and he ordered a boring large vanilla cone.CHAPTER 18Wren

“I know my way around the bases.”“Funhouses are creepy.”

“Why are you whispering?” Shepherd laughs, squeezing my hand in his as we come around a dark corner and stop in front of a distorted mirror that makes us look very short and wide.

“Because it’s creepy in here!” I remind him. Each dark corner we’ve turned, I’ve been waiting for something to jump out at us. “It’s the whole clown theme. I hate clowns.”

I shudder as I stare at all the clown faces spray painted multiple neon shades on the walls around us, glowing under the black light from above.

Shepherd just looks away from me with a smile to take another leisurely lick of his vanilla cone while I try not to stare at his tongue and fail. He’s been taking his sweet old time with that cone ever since he got it and we walked over here to the funhouse. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was trying to torture me. And since I don’t know any better, I’m just assuming he really likes that damn cone. Thankfully, my phone dings with a text, and I pull it out of my back pocket, tearing my eyes away from Shepherd while he turns his body this way and that, laughing at his wide reflection in the mirror in front of us.

Spawn: Mom! Are you still at the festival?! Did Shepherd tell you the awesome thing that happened??? Isn’t it the coolest?!

“What is my son talking about?” I ask Shepherd, holding my phone up.

He pauses with his torturous licking to turn his head and read the text.

“Shit, he was supposed to wait until you got home.” Shepherd sighs and then shrugs with a smile. “It was just a little surprise. Something I set up for him. Tell him you’ll be home in a little bit, and he can tell you all about it then. We’ve got a funhouse to finish, and this cone is starting to melt.”