“Oh, I think you are.” She pressed her breasts against his chest and ran her hands up the sides of his face and dug her fingers into his hair. “Oh, yes. You are. See?”
He wiped the wicked smile off her face with a bruising kiss. Then another. “What time to we have to be there, because late or not, we are having a quickie.” He walked her backward to the bedroom, fell onto the bed, and pulled her on top.
She unsnapped her bra. “Oh, if you insist.” With her knees on either side of his hips, she put her face close to his. “You do realize you’ve turned me into a wild sex-crazed harlot, don’t you?” She unzipped his work pants.
He arched his back and dug his head into the pillow. “Get out of those panties quick, Danaher, or you’ll have to call the paramedics.”
She swung a leg over him and made quick work of the lingerie. When he went to nudge her over she said, “No. Stay right there. I memorized a couple of the pictures in my new book. I want to try something to see if it’s possible.”
Oh, it was possible, and then some. They lay panting like a couple of tri-athletes at the end of an endurance trial. Marla was comfortably spread across him like hot fudge. All he could manage was a silent prayer for his unbelievable good fortune.
“I’ll tell you something,” he gasped. “At this point, I’m so vulnerable I’ll agree with anything Brad asks. I’m at your mercy. I’m your slave. I’m…” He chuckled. “…exhausted.” He smacked her bottom. “I’ve still got my work boots on, Danaher.”
She stretched languidly and grinned. “You’re a pig, Dempsey.”
He nipped her silky shoulder. “Oink.”
Silvia opened the door. “There you are, right on time. Brad just dropped the steaks on the grill. Come out back. We’ve got the gas heater going on the patio.” She put her arm under Dwayne’s elbow and led him across the living room to the sliding doors.
He looked over his shoulder at Marla and grinned. “We thought we might be late.” He tugged the slider and waited for Marla’s mom to step outside ahead of them.
“Welcome!” Bradley Danaher waved a pair of long-handled tongs. “What’s your poison? There’s guacamole and chips on the table. Silvia whipped up a batch of her frozen margaritas.”
“Got anything soft, Dad? Dwayne doesn’t drink.”
“It’s all soft tonight, sweetheart, nothing but O’Doul’s and virgin margaritas. We’re off to Catalina Island early tomorrow morning.”
“Mom! You’ve talked about going over there for years.”
“I know. We watched a TV special on the island and wondered what we were waiting for, so Brad called and booked tickets for us on the boat and two nights at the best hotel.”
Dwayne enjoyed the mother-daughter chatter for a minute then took an O’Doul’s and strolled to join Brad at the grill. “Those steaks smell terrific. What’s in the foil pan?” He twisted the cap off the bottle and dropped it on the table.
“Grilled peppers and asparagus. Marla’s favorite.”
Dwayne waggled the bottle of alcohol-free beer. “Can I get you one of these?”
“I’m halfway through my margarita.” Brad leaned in for a close look at the steaks. “How do you like yours?”
“Medium rare.” The sizzling aroma went right to his stomach and it growled with hunger. “But I’m easy to please when it comes to food.”
“Good man, that’s what we’re all having. Saves a lot of shuffling on the grill.” He peeked under the foil on the pan. “Perfecto.” He called, “Sil, bring the salad. These’ll be ready to come off any minute.”
She fluttered her hand and went inside. “Marla, carry the garlic bread for me.”
Dwayne put down his fork and sucked in a contented breath. “Brad and Sil, that was fantastic. You could open your own steak house.” He glanced around the table. Memories of past barbeques and picnics at the Danaher house when they were kids were many and varied. Brad and his dad had maintained their friendship since they were students at Royal High School, back in the 70’s.
Except for several months during his dad’s marriage-divorce blips, the Dempsey boys had considered the Danaher place a second home. The pool they’d tried to drown one another in every summer sat sparkling with reflected moonlight.
“You use the pool much anymore?”
“Oh, yes,” Silvia answered. “Especially the spa. Now that Brad installed the solar panels on the pool house roof, it’s warm year round. We couldn’t afford to heat it except in summer when all of you were children.”
Brad nodded. “That pool was what sold us on this house. We knew our kids and their friends would get a lot of use out of it.”
“I certainly recall the good times. Charlene would jump right in with the boys, but Marla sat in the shade scowling and reading all summer.”
“I did not!”
“You’d chase the twins and make sure they had their water wings on, but I don’t remember ever seeing you in a bathing suit. I can’t imagine why not, either.” He directed his next words to Silvia. “In Coronado she looked sensational in that red number she wore at the hotel.”
Silvia brightened. “Oh, I bought her that suit.” She smiled at her daughter. “See, I told you it was perfect on you.”
Dwayne smiled at the memory of rubbing sunscreen on her back and legs. “You’ve got great taste, Silvia. Every man at the hotel had their tongues hanging out ogling her.”
Marla poked him. “They did not!”
“Oh, yes they did. And I was loving it because you were all mine.” He pecked a quick kiss on her cheek and enjoyed her furious blush.
She stood abruptly. “I’ll help you clear the table, Mom. It’s late.” She stacked dishes and carried them inside. Silvia did the same and followed her.
Brad put his hand on Dwayne’s shoulder. “Could we have a word while I wipe down the grill?”
Here it comes. Marla wasn’t
