Too Hot to Handle (Jackson Hole 2)
Grace shot her a look. “Don’t tell me you love Shane.”
“No. I don’t know him well enough. And it’s not like that between us. But he sees something in me that I’ve wanted someone to see. So as much as you don’t trust him, can you try to cut him a break for my sake? And for the sake of my poor, neglected erogenous zones?”
Grace had been maintaining neutrality, and doing an admirable job, but some of the worry finally cleared from her face and she sighed. “All right. But only for your erogenous zones.”
“Thank you.” Merry gave her a kiss on the cheek and clinked their bottles together. “From the bottom of my, um…yeah.”
“God,” Grace moaned.
“And look, I know he can be a little cool and hard to read, but when we’re alone, he’s funny. And sweet. And really, really hot.”
“Considering how happy you look right now, I suppose I can learn to like him. You always just looked confused when you got home from a date with old what’s-his-name.”
“Kenneth? Yeah. He was kind of into dirty talking in a really weird way. I thought I wasn’t experienced enough to deal with it.”
Grace’s nose crinkled. “What kind of weird way? Baby talk?”
“God, no! Even I would’ve known that wasn’t sexy. He would just mutter things all the time. Like, ‘Yeah. That’s it, baby. Do it just like that. You’re so good. You make me so hot.’ Except I wouldn’t even be doing anything. I’d just be lying there and his eyes would be closed, and I always suspected he was imagining an entirely different scene, with a different girl. I felt like a blow-up doll.”
“Ew.”
“But I kept telling myself to loosen up. Other women like dirty talk.”
“Not like that! That’s not dirty talk. That’s more like a running monologue.”
“Maybe I’m not as frigid as I thought.”
“You’re not frigid! Good dirty talk isn’t about fulfilling the talker’s fantasy. Jeez. It’s about making both of you feel, well, dirty. In a really hot way.”
“Yeah, I…” Merry’s face went hot as fire. “I kind of get that now.”
Grace slapped her arm and laughed in horror. “God, I’d be happy for you if I didn’t feel like I was talking to my little girl.”
“I think my mom would be cooler about this, actually.”
“Damn hippies,” Grace muttered.
Merry grabbed her in a hug, noticing that Grace barely stiffened at all these days. “I love you. Thanks for not being pissed.”
“I wasn’t going to be pissed, hon. I just worry about you. You’re not hard like me.”
“I’m pretty tough.”
“I know.” Grace kissed Merry’s cheek and then shoved her away. “I’ll try to be cool with him, okay? But when you’re ready for me to shiv his ass, you just give the word. I’ve usually got a blade in my boot.”
“Deal. But it won’t be necessary. We’re just…friends with benefits.”
Grace gave her a doubtful look, but Merry ignored it. If other people could do it, so could she. She’d keep her heart out of it and have a good time.
No problem.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“FIRST OF ALL,” Jeanine Bishop intoned in her most self-important voice, “I want to assure all of you that the police are fully caught up on all the frightening events we’ve suffered in the past week.”
Merry squirmed.
“All evidence has been turned over, and, Ms. Kade, I believe you said you sent in the photos this morning?”