Page 65 of One Wild Wish

Gwen ran a hand up the back of her neck. “I’ll give you that. Gay, straight, or bi, the man is fine. Speaking of fine men, have you prepped Jimmy for the interrogation he’s about to face?”

The girls knew how to ratchet up my stress levels. “As much as I can.”

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall when your mother sees him,” Ainsley said.

“A video would be awesome.” Gwen’s heartfelt contribution.

“You two suck at pep talks, and if I don’t get home soon, we’ll be late. I need to start this night on the right foot.”

As I pushed past them, Gwen said, “Tell him to wear a tie.”

The image of Jimmy in a tie was ridiculous. And hot. Especially if he were shirtless. I fanned my face.

“Have him wear a cup,” Ainsley added. “Your mother is skilled with her kitchen knife. One look at his tats, and she could ‘accidentally’ circumcise him.”

My cackle exploded, a blast of sound that had all heads swiveling our way. “I’ll keep that in mind.” But my man was circumcised, and if I told them about his jewelry, they’d ask for photos and a life-sized sketch.

* * *

Jimmy threaded our fingers as we neared my mother’s front steps. “I’ve always loved these houses. The Painted Ladies, right?”

I nodded. “My father admired them for years. It was a big deal when he bought it.” The street was quiet, the pastels of the row houses blanching under the setting sun. My father had loved the nickname attributed to the Victorian homes. The day he’d bought our yellow and red slice of real estate, he’d popped a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and offered me my first sip of Champagne. It had tasted like sunshine.

We paused on the top step and Jimmy spun me to face him. “You ready for this?”

With his unshaven face and motorcycle boots, Jimmy was still Jimmy. But his jeans weren’t ripped, and his black T-shirt didn’t have band logos or sayings splashed across the front. He wanted to make a good first impression. The effort swelled my heart.

I shook out my silk tank top, hoping to staunch the gathering sweat. “Ready as I’ll ever be. I mean, it’s not like it’ll change anything, right? You won’t get freaked out and realize my family is nuts and decide you’re not into me and erase my number from your phone and never—”

His lips landed on mine, a deep kiss following. He always kissed me like this. Like I was his oxygen. He nipped my bottom lip. “No matter what, nothing will change. I’m here for you.”

Still, my nerves lingered.

Stanley was the first to greet us. She slammed into my legs and wagged her tail, grinning.

Jimmy sat on his heels and rubbed her cropped sides. “What’s your name?” he cooed as he stroked her. His attractiveness jumped ten notches.

“Stanley,” I said, although she looked like an imposter. She normally had crimped brown fur, like an eighties rock star, all of it a few inches long. My mother must have taken her to the groomers. Aside from her head, the rest of her was clipped so short, her skin shone.

He scratched her ears. “You’re a cute boy, Stanley, even though your haircut is dog ugly.”

Stanley wagged her tail, unconcerned by Jimmy’s insult. “You just told my dog she was a boy and called her ugly. Great first impression.”

He looked up at me, eyebrows raised. “You named your girl dog Stanley?”

On cue, Stanley shoved her nose in Jimmy’s crotch. He grabbed her collar. “Hey, there, Stan. Maybe leave the boys alone.”

Stanley liked what she smelled and dug her nose in farther. Smart puppy. “Did you put bacon in your pants? Because Stanley loves bacon and if you shoved some down there, she’ll be glued to your nuts.”

With one hand, he held Stanley at a distance. His other crept under my gray skirt, between my thighs. “You want to check?”

Did I ever. My passion for Bad Boy had only grown. One look, one touch, and I was one hot flash from mauling him. Unfortunately my mother’s front hall was neither the time nor the place. Especially when she chose that precise moment to greet us.

“Rachel, I didn’t hear you…”

Jimmy yanked his hand from under my skirt and stood. Stanley rubbed against his leg. I nearly fainted. My mother pursed her lips.

“Am I interrupting?” Her eyes danced the length of Jimmy, taking in his tattooed arms. Her expression soured, as though she’d chugged expired milk. Not a good start.