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I arrived at Cassie’s back just as Diane turned back around. Her next words were mumbled. “And she brought a giant of a friend.” She glanced at Cassie. “No heads-up?”
“There was no heads-up to give. This strange man just followed me home.” Cassie shrugged. “He seemed pretty nice, though, and I doubt he could’ve gotten an ax through TSA, so I’m pretty sure we should all be safe this weekend.”
Diane scrutinized her daughter’s neutral expression for a beat until her mouth turned up at the corners. “You’re ridiculous.”
Cassie grinned. “Okay, so maybe I do know him, but I didn’t know he was going to make the trek to Portlandia until the last minute.”
I smiled and gently pulled Cassie out of the way so I could wrap her mom in a friendly hug. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Phillips,” I said into the top of her head before stepping back. “I’m Thatch.”
“Thatch?”
“Short for Thatcher, Mom,” Cassie explained.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Thatcher.”
Like mother, like daughter, I thought.
“Come in, come in,” she buzzed after breaking out of her stupor.
All the feelings of home surrounded me as we stepped inside. The house was exactly like my parents’. Homey and comfortable for everyone except me. The doorways were a little too small, the ceilings a little too low, and every single aspect of it made me smile.
I’d gladly hunch for a house and people who felt this genuine right off the bat.
“Cassie!” Greg greeted as we stepped into the kitchen at the end of the hall.
“Hey, Dad,” she said with a smile as she jogged around the island to give him a hug.
“What’s all the noise?” I heard just as the last person I ever expected rounded the corner.
“Sean, Greg, honey,” Cassie’s mom called, “this is Thatcher. Cassie’s…”
“Boyfriend,” I supplied when Cassie stayed silent.
Sean was the first to speak. “Huh. Look at that. You’re dating an actual giant.”
“Sean!” Diane chastised. I laughed.
“It’s okay,” I interjected with a shrug before speaking directly to Sean. “I saw a picture of you on her phone and thought you were an ex.” Whereas Cass was silk and curves etched in creamy white, her brother was the opposite—muscular, hard lines defined by dark, black skin.
She had only recently revealed to me that Sean was her adopted brother.
“You couldn’t see the family resemblance?” he deadpanned. Cassie was the first to laugh, and the sight of her at-ease face made a smile spread across mine.
As soon as the awkwardness broke, the conversation continued as though I wasn’t there. I just soaked it all in. Cassie chatted about her job, and her mom and dad talked about the mission trip they were planning on attending soon. Cassie tried to talk to Sean about football, but he directed her pretty sternly to move on.
It was the reunion of a family who loved each other deeply but didn’t get together nearly enough. It made me feel like I needed to visit my parents more often. The Phillips still had Sean at home, at least for now, but the only thing my parents had was me. I needed to do a better job.
“We still going out tonight, little S?” Cassie asked her brother with a pat to his face.
“Sure. Are you going to be embarrassing?”
“Most definitely,” I answered for her with a smile, earning me a punch to the bicep from her and a laugh from Sean.
“I figured. We’ll go to a place where I won’t know anyone.”
“Whoop it up,” Cassie shouted over both of us as we laughed. “I’m going to get ready.” I pushed off the counter, and she turned to me with a stern finger. “Don’t even think about following me, Thatcher.”
Her eyes weren’t angry at all, so I knew she was just pushing my buttons the way I loved to push hers.
“I’ll be up in just a second, honey. I’ll help you with your zipper.”
“I don’t have a zipper,” she remarked just as Sean said, “Ew. Sister.”
Cassie turned toward the stairs with a smirk, and Sean just shook his head. “Make sure you’re both ready in an hour. Not an hour for screwing and an hour for getting ready. An hour total.”
“I—”
“I don’t need to know details,” he interrupted me.
I laughed and slapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. “See you in an hour.”
I walked calmly until I got to the stairs, and then took them two at a time and jogged down the hall until I found the room her mom had led me to to drop our stuff halfway through the family hellos.
I opened the door and scooted through before leaning against it when I caught sight of Cassie’s completely bare back. A bare back usually meant a bare front, and I couldn’t wait for the moment when she turned around.
“I know you’re back there, Thatcher,” she called without turning around as she lifted a foot up onto the bed and started smoothing lotion onto her thigh.
“I wasn’t trying to hide it, Cassie.”
I shoved off the door and moved forward when she didn’t say anything else, pressing my hips to her ass and squeezing the bare skin at the bottom of her stomach.
“You have the sexiest fucking body,” I breathed into the crook of her neck. She shivered.
“We don’t have time for sex right now,” she told me, pulling away from my lips and leaning forward. She pressed her ass into my dick, and her tits swung out in front of her just enough that I caught a peek of her nipples from above. I groaned.
“There’s always time for sex.”
“Nope.” She slapped my hand away as it sought the weight of her breast.
“Does that mean we’ll have time for sex later? I really like the sex time.”
“We’ll see.” She awarded me with a smile as she turned in my arms and pushed her tits to my stomach. “Maybe if you’re a real good boyfriend.”
I was wondering how long it would take for her to start exchanging that sentiment now that I had. I had a feeling she was tossing that out there to test me, challenge me, but it didn’t matter. I liked the sound of it no matter how it came, and I found myself wanting to set her up to use it even more.
“I can be good. Can you?”
She shook her head, pushed up on her toes, and nipped at the vein in my throat. “Not tonight, baby. I’m too good at being bad.”
“How many drinks has she had?” Sean shouted over the crowd noise and music.
I watched as Cassie climbed on the stage and pulled a man in his seventies up with her. Disco lights strobed, and the beat of the music made the floor shake under our feet.
“Five,” I answered with a smile before taking a sip of my water. I’d been watching out for her and soaking in all the entertainment she offered. I, myself, hadn’t had a drop, content to get to know Sean and be the designated driver.
A lot of men would be upset watching, but I didn’t get the point. She was enjoying herself, and I was here to make sure she did it safely. I certainly never thought she’d be grinding on some old guy, but I never wanted a woman I could predict.
I was also very rationally aware of the plethora of attention she’d been getting from young guys, guys she’d actually entertain the idea of dating, and she hadn’t paid a single one any attention. Even in the throes of her drunken good time, she respected me. That’s all I needed. A wild woman I could trust.
The rare combination had seemed damn near impossible to find until now.
Her phone buzzed in her purse on my shoulder, so I pulled it out and read the drunken text message thread she had going with an unsuspecting Kline.
And yes, I said on my shoulder. You should know by now I have very little shame.
Cassie: Get 25% off onesies this Sunday at Carter’s by subscribing now. Text NO to opt out of messages.
Kline: NO
Cassie: No baby? No problem! Text YES to subscribe to deals from our sister company, Trojan. Text NO to opt out of messages.
Kline: NO. Take my number off your list!
My eyes went back to my genius girlfriend. I knew Kline was too smart to let this go on forever without paying someone to hack Verizon, but I was enjoying it while it lasted.
Sean pulled my attention away from the sway of Cassie’s hips as she bumped and grinded into the older guy and back to him. “I like you for her.”
“Huh?” I asked as though I couldn’t hear him over the noise even though I’d heard him just fine. I wanted him to elaborate.
He knew I’d heard, but he smirked and humored me anyway.
“Cassie is a certain kind of girl. She gets bored easily, needs the thrill of a dance with some fucking grandpa and the freedom to drink however much she wants. But I usually worry about her while she’s doing it, wondering who’s got her back. I like that I won’t have to wonder anymore.”
I liked it too.
“You won’t,” I promised, and he nodded.
Somehow I’d passed Cassie’s twenty-one-year-old brother’s test. It wasn’t exactly the entrance exam to NASA, but right then, to me, it felt even better.
My eyes fluttered open as the Oregon sun filtered in through the windowpanes of my childhood bedroom. The warmth of a large body enveloping mine had me peeking out of one eye to survey my surroundings. Thatch was curled around me—one hand holding my boob, while his head used my chest as a pillow.
