Page 69 of Under the Radar

I got a tray for the drinks and ordered some nachos and wings. I was starving after all the dancing. I headed back to the table, sitting down. Hannah appeared a few moments later, shaking her head.

“What?” I asked.

“Your friend is a piece of work. He was dancing with my mom earlier, and I just saw him at the end of the hall, kissing the hell out of some woman. Her legs were around his waist, and I’m not sure I want to know where his hands were. They were going at it pretty hard.” She sighed. “Mom thought he was a player. I guess she was right.”

I glanced over her shoulder, biting back my smile. “Um, Cinnamon.”

“What?”

“Look.”

She turned and gasped. Dom was walking through the crowd, his hand firmly clasping the waist of a very disheveled Cherry Gallagher. Her hair was a mess, her lips swollen, and as they got closer, I saw the red mark on her neck. His hair was everywhere, his shirt untucked. The look on his face was intense and serious. He stopped at the table, grabbing her purse and his jacket.

“We’re going for coffee,” he said, his voice deep and rough. He looked at Hannah. “Don’t wait up.”

Cherry looked at her daughter, wide-eyed and blushing. “Just coffee,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll be home soon.”

Dom’s laugh bellowed out loudly. “Don’t count on it.”

And they were gone.

Hannah turned around and blinked. She looked at me, the door to the bar, then back over her shoulder to the hall.

“That—that was my mom he was manhandling.”

“Woman-handling, I’d say,” I drawled, lifting my beer to my mouth. “But it’s just coffee—you know, Hannah. Chatting.”

“Her legs around his—” She swallowed. “He’s going… They’re going…”

I nodded.

“My mom. Oh God.” She met my eyes. “Chatting.”

“From the look of the two of them, I’d say some pretty intense chatting.”

She covered her face. “Oh God.”

“I think the only playing happening for Dom tonight is the age-old Italian game of hide the salami. I think Dom’s an expert.”

Hannah slapped my shoulder. “Stop it! That’s my mom!”

I grinned. “We can go home and play too if you want.”

“Do we know if she’s safe with him? What if he’s a degenerate?”

“What if Cherry wants a degenerate?”

“Chase! Stop it!”

I laughed and tugged her chair close, kissing her. “Dom is a great guy. Rough around the edges with a heart of gold. Stefano has known him for a long time. Maxx likes him. I think he is awesome. Your mom is in perfectly safe—and probably very capable—hands.” I winked.

“I can’t even think about my mom having sex.”

“Then think about us having sex. Loudly. Until she comes home—then we can tease the hell out of her.”

She fisted my shirt. “We should go now.”

“Oh. I ordered nachos and wings.”