Skin to Skin (Skin Deep #3)

The rest of the day passed without incident, which was a relief. Allie came in looking sheepish at about two, and we worked without talking much, each trying to avoid the giant elephant in the room. We closed the store at six and she rushed off, calling over her shoulder to remind me about dinner.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up at Emma and Luke’s house, having only stopped to put gas in the car. It didn’t look like anyone else was there yet, except for Allie and Emma. I walked up on the porch and jerked my hand back when I heard them talking inside. The window was open, so I could hear every word.

“Well how the hell was I supposed to know? Do you think I planned on my mom and Nanny being there? I was only supposed to get him over there and I did. What the hell did you do?” Allie sounded surly.

“Um, I don’t know, maybe keep your lies straight? Cheese and rice, woman! They’re onto us!” Emma’s voice was shrill with what could only be described as exhilarated fear, which made for an interesting sounding combination. “And this was your turn, damnit, so what was I supposed to do?”

Emma sighed and started speaking again. “I talked to my sister and she said she walked in on a very, very heated conversation between them at Chloe’s house on Saturday. Apparently that kiss between them made a very big impression on him. I know Chloe likes him, and I know she’s struggling with the whole friendship thing, just like he is, but I swear. Ever since they’ve gotten back, it’s been fucking painful to have them in the same room together. I can’t believe we didn’t see it before…it wasn’t angry tension, it was fucking sexual tension!” she crowed.

I had to strain to hear Allie’s next words and they made my heart ache, but in a good way.

“Are we doing the right thing, Em? I know she really does like him. I can see it in her eyes, and it was never something she intended, either. Not to mention, I think he’s totally seeing her in a new light since that road trip. I think they would be great together, but I just…I don’t want to hurt either one of them. I love them both, you know?”

I heard Emma sigh, “I know Allie, I know. Too late now, though.”

Allie giggled as Emma continued. “We’re in too deep!”

I huffed and knocked on the door, chuckling at the chaos that erupted inside. Yips, barks, woofs, and growls accompanied a flurry of scrabbling sounds as the dogs went wild trying to get to the door.

“Damn dogs!” I heard Emma yell before the door was wrenched open, releasing the flood of canines upon me.

“Whoa!” I cried as I tried to sidestep them so I wouldn’t be sent flying.

“Chloe!” Allie cooed sweetly. I could see the panic in her eyes, though, wondering what I’d heard, if anything.

Emma pushed her aside and waddled her way outside onto the porch, yelling, “Don’t you do it, Doug! Don’t you dare! You’ll be a bad dad…DJ! Come back here!” She glared at Allie, growling, “Help me! Call your dog back, too, damnit!”

I looked over my shoulder to see Doug running hell bent for leather into the woods, DJ and Grady hot on his heels.

Allie and Emma both started hollering for them, but they were ignored. They both started cussing under their breath at the same time, too, which was cracking me up.

“So, where’re they going?” I asked conversationally.

Emma sighed deeply, sounding very resigned when she said, “Doug found a stupid skunk nest. I sent Luke out to try to get rid of them somehow without killing them…did you know that some people have skunks for pets? You can get rid of their scent sacs or something like that, and they’re just like a cat! They’re so cute…anyway, he couldn’t get anywhere near the nest, or where he thinks it is, because the stench is so strong. He stumbled out of the woods holding his stomach and dry heaving. It was bad. Funny…but bad.” She grinned.

“Ah,” I said. “So now Doug is obsessed and his little followers are just like little lambs being led to slaughter.”

Allie and Emma both nodded, while Emma replied, “We’ve been lucky so far. Doug is the only one who is consistently getting sprayed. I think he’s addicted to the scent, and the tomato juice baths afterward. Since I’m pregnant, I get a pass, but Brandon and Luke have been flipping coins to see who has to bathe him. Damn dog.”

She looked out over the yard and chuckled when she saw the two little pups running like mad back toward the house. Doug was trotting behind them, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

“Guess we got lucky, today, huh?” Allie asked.

Emma grinned at her again. “Nope, we didn’t, but the guys sure did!”

The dogs came back into the house and Allie grabbed up Grady, coddling him like a baby, but I couldn’t say much because I did the same to DJ. I gotta say, Doug and his little girlfriend sure made some cute babies!

After playing with the puppies for a few minutes, I cornered the two women. “Alright. Spill.”

Twin expressions of exaggerated innocence stared back at me.

“Your wide-eyed, who me expressions aren’t going to cut it. You know what I’m talking about, and Emma might has well have put up a billboard saying you guys were up to something. So, what’s going on?” I narrowed my gaze at both of them, looking first at Emma and then cocking my head and staring even more intently at Allie.

She looked defiant for a second before she deflated, the sourest look I’ve ever seen moving across her face. Emma looked relieved once she saw that Allie was going to cave.

“Alright, fine! I set you up, sent Brandon over to the shop to help you, but I got sidetracked and forgot to make sure I had the boxes there! There was supposed to be boxes and then you two would spend time together and…and…oh, hell. I didn’t think it through! I was just on a high from managing to put the bug in his ear about staying at your place since it’s technically closer and he did. So…”

Her face became immediately animated again, but it was more on the gleefully evil side; well, not really evil, but more like mischievous.

“Did anything happen?”

She looked so hopeful, and so did Emma. I couldn’t help it, I blurted out, “We kissed again! Twice!”

Twin gasps sounded and they oohed and ahhed over it for a second but the distinctive slams of car doors closing stopped the conversation cold. Male voices and laughter rang out, causing the dogs to go crazy again, and Emma and Allie immediately began grinning, the anticipation on their faces so adorable to see.

Luke and Brandon walked in, Jackson right behind them, followed by another guy that I didn’t know. He was tattooed, and had black hair, shaved on the sides with a short, spiky mohawk that looked like it was dipped in fire. The color was vivid, fading from black to blonde to orange, with the tips a flaming red. He had on aviators, so I couldn’t see his eyes, but he was drop dead gorgeous in a very sexy-yet-dangerous way.

His face was scruff covered, like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and he was wearing a tight black t-shirt with ripped and faded jeans over…I did a double take, sure I didn’t see correctly, but I did. He had black leather flip flops on his very neat but manly feet, definitely not what I had expected.

“Hey, T.J.!” Allie and Emma both said, embracing the stranger readily with hugs before they claimed their men with heartfelt kisses.