“Kelly’s gonna be mad if you’re gone when she gets home,” Wendy warned. “You were supposed to binge season ten of Martha Bakes tonight.”
“Jesus wept. If these guys hadn’t shown up, I’d still be leaving today. Somehow.”
“That’s the spirit, you old grump,” Wendy said, and brought in more chairs.
Chapter 58
“Jesus.” Lila sat up, brushing kernels off her belly and thighs. “Popcorn got everywhere.”
“Don’t care. Can’t move.”
They were in the movie palace, and Oz was sprawled, nude, on the blanket Lila had put down between the middle section and the nosebleed seats. Even though she was ridiculously sated, she couldn’t look at him with anything but satisfaction. The long legs and big hands and feet had been accurate indicators of a big cock. One he knew how to use, which was just…delightful.
“I love your new math,” he said dreamily, and she laughed.
Sam and Sally had been reunited a couple of days ago, the very definition of bittersweet: delighted to see her father, devastated to hear about her mother. They both needed to recover from their traumas, which wasn’t the work of a day, or a year. They said their goodbyes and went home, and Macropi had made it clear that he and his daughter were welcome visitors to the big purple house.
With that last bit of business tied up, Lila decided that Oz spending nights on her couch counted as dates, and hanging out together counted as dates, and eating breakfast in her kitchen counted, and inadvertently meeting at the dance academy where she shot a man counted. And snuggle sessions in the Cocoa Cave.
“It wasn’t new math. I just wanted to get laid,” she teased.
“Happy to help. No. Delighted. Ecstatic. That’s the one—ecstatic to help.”
It didn’t seem real, in all the best ways. Having wonderful sex—and how often is a first time wonderful? honestly?—in an empty movie palace was a fantasy, something you’d read about on an erotica website, nothing that could happen in real life.
But it had. Ohhhhh, boy, it had. She shivered, remembering Oz’s mouth and fingers and cock, his tender, passionate skill, and her delighted response. She’d asked before. It had been on her mind, and she wouldn’t pretend otherwise.
Sure, Lila. Are you worried I’ll hurt you? Never in my life. But yeah, I’ve been with a Stable before. College and a couple of years ago. Have you been with a Shifter?
Not that she knew of. But then, how could she? She wouldn’t have known what to look for.
You haven’t, he decided. A Shifter wouldn’t have let you go.
I can’t tell if that’s sweet or obnoxious.
It can be both.
“I have to talk,” Oz said suddenly, “or I’ll fall asleep and you’ll hear me snore—”
“Again.”
“—and it’ll kill the romance. God, you’re amazing. Everything you did and everything you let me do. Ummmm.”
She saw his cock twitch and smirked. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“This was perfect, and I’ve got no complaints about anything, not one single thing in my life, but is fucking in a movie palace going to be our default? I’m not complaining. Just trying to plan the rest of my life.”
“Only until Macropi and the cubs move back.” Repairmen had been busy at the purple house down the block; it looked like Macropi would have her home back in another few weeks.
“That’s nuts. Nobody expects you to put them up until summer. You said it yourself the night of the fire—it was only for a couple of days. Forget it—I’m moving them into a rental. I’ll pay in advance and present it as a fait accompli. Something nice, near all the stores Mama Mac likes.”
“Presumptuous.”
“If it’s okay with you.”
“No, that’s what Macropi’s gonna tell you. She’ll probably whack you with something, too.”
“Yeah.” (The resignation in his tone was hilarious.)
“Get Devoss and Daniels on your side,” she suggested.
He brightened. “That might work.”
She made a mental note to bring a vacuum next time—how could one box of popcorn make such a mess?—then climbed on top of him.
“This is terrific,” he said, his hands settling over her hips, “and I love your optimism, but I’m gonna need a few more minutes.”
“You can have all the time you want. We both can.”
“Corny.”
“But truthful.”
And she bent, and kissed him, and his arm came around her waist as he opened his mouth to her and she thought, Who would have thought house fires would have brought me so much happiness?
There was a lesson there.
Or maybe not.
“Okay, you’re laughing while I’m kissing you. I won’t lie. It’s off-putting.”
“Get used to it,” she said, and then he laughed, too.
Author’s Note
The Saint Paul restaurant Meritage is every bit as wonderful as Annette says. If anything, she downplays all the awesome. Though she was wrong to pooh-pooh the salade Niçoise.
Lila’s booby traps were inspired by Andrew Vachss’s Flood, the first in his incredible noirey (noirish?) series about New York vigilante Burke and his crew of disenfranchised badasses. If you haven’t tried his work, do it. Now. The subject matter is bleak, but evil is always punished.
Teddy bear surgeons are a real thing! It’s a legit job! Clearly every career decision I have made is wrong because somehow I am not a teddy bear surgeon.
My house burned to the foundation when I was eighteen. It sucked. Make sure you have lots and lots of insurance. Loads. So much that you find yourself saying, “I definitely have enough insurance.” After you say that, go buy more insurance. Consider this your public service announcement of the day.
I made up the EZ-OUT collapsible ladder, but there are lots of fire escape ladders out there, they’re not terribly expensive, and a kid can hook them onto a windowsill and get gone. Having one in each bedroom isn’t the worst idea in the world.
Lila’s Cocoa Hideout exists in real life! Visit mylifeonkayderosscreek.com/adirondack-style-hot-cocoa-bar.
Caro is entirely correct when she points out that the Elfquest series, by Richard and Wendy Pini, are “great #!#??# books.”
Also, the grille of the 2020 BMW X1 Subcompact
