Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
My tone may sound innocent enough to our friends, but Carlton is quietly chuckling at my antics.
“Of course,” Bruce reaches for the breadbasket with an easy smile. “Here you go, sweetheart. I highly recommend the rye.”
To my delight, just as Bruce’s hand brushes Carrie’s, the poor woman’s hand slips and she drops the basket on the floor. Rolls go flying.
“Oh shoot,” she says and stands up quickly. “Sorry about that Ramona.”
But I’m too busy grinning as I watch Bruce admiring Carrie’s rump as she bends over to pick up the scattered dinner rolls. She’s big and soft, and this is obviously a man who appreciates a luscious woman because I can practically see drool sliding down his chin.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Carrie pants after she’s finished picking everything up. Her cheeks are flushed and her brown curls wild as she tries to brush them behind her ears.
“Not a problem,” I say with a giggle. “We’re used to food falling everywhere with this little guy, so it’s no problem. Plus, our floor is clean so we can still eat the rolls so long as you guys don’t mind.” Andrew coos in agreement, although of course, the baby has no idea what we’re saying.
Carlton looks at me and shakes his head ruefully. At this point, Bruce has gotten up, too, and is helping Carrie brush off her skirt. His big hands slip quite close to the vee between her thighs, and I see her blush furiously at the intimacy of the gesture.
Unable to control myself much longer, I stand up quickly with a giggle.
“You guys just enjoy a little wine, I’ll be right back,” I say by way of excuse. Convulsing silently, I dash into the other room. Once alone, I burst out laughing, tickled that my forced interaction seems to have worked.
“What’s so funny, young lady?” Carlton’s deep voice startles me but I can’t stop cackling.
“I told you!” I whisper loudly. “I told you they like each other.”
“Ramona, you’re ridiculous,” Carlton groans good-naturedly. “Is that why you wanted to have this dinner party?”
I raise my eyebrows up and down suggestively. “Whatever do you mean?” I ask him coyly.
“You are too much,” is all Carlton says as he pulls me into his arms for a kiss.
A few seconds into our make-out session, I jerk away abruptly.
“Wait, where’s Andy?” I ask, realizing that Carlton had been holding baby Andrew before he came into the kitchen.
Now it’s his turn to grin wickedly. “I made Bruce hold him because I thought I would help push things along. You know, use Andrew’s cute factor to get those two thinking about babies.” Carlton winks suggestively and I immediately press my lips against his. It’s a passionate kiss – the kind fueled by intense desire, friendship, and of course, love, and when we finally pull away from one another, both Carlton and I are panting with need.
“Oh you!” I exclaim with another giggle. “I knew you’d jump into the matchmaking with me, sooner or later.”
He merely chuckles.
“Yeah, but you better stop wiggling your bottom then,” he growls. “We have guests and I don’t want to shock them by having my way with you in here while they wait for us in the dining room.”
I stare at the man I love with hooded eyes, desire thick in the air around us. “I don’t have a clue what you mean, sir,” I blink innocently. “I just came in here to get some more wine.”
Carlton growls again and then pushes me away from him gently. “Get the wine then,” he says hotly. As I turn around, he smacks my backside appreciatively. I yelp and then ‘tsk’ him, secretly pleased with his misbehavior.
“All right we better get back in there,” Carlton says, stretching his arms high overhead. “Have you got everything you need?”
I smile as I hold up the new bottle of wine. “Good to go, love.”
Carlton follows me back into the dining room. I smile brightly as I watch Bruce bouncing Andrew easily on his knee, one arm slung around the back of Carrie’s chair. For her part, Carrie is leaning ever so slightly into Bruce as she plays with the baby, and is it my imagination, but is one big breast resting on his arm? I raise an eyebrow at Carlton.
See? My expression seems to convey. He just shakes his head and grins back at me.
“You can hand him back if he’s getting to be too much,” I tell Bruce and Carrie as neutrally as possible. Inside, I’m ecstatic that my little plan to finally get these two together might be working.
“He’s never too much,” Bruce insists in a low growl that ends slightly with a gasp. Both Carlton and I laugh loudly when we hear our brawny friend lose it because it’s clear something naughty’s going on beneath the table. Come to think of it, I can’t see Carrie’s left hand at the moment, although she appears to be eating beatifically.