Page 96 of Say it Ain’t So

Swiping a tear from her cheek, I leaned in to give her a kiss, only to jerk back when I heard noises coming from down the hall. Joss gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand, then stood from her chair.

We held hands as she walked away, our fingers hooked until we couldn’t hold on any longer. Joss rounded her desk, head craned to look down the hallway. She turned back to me and shrugged.

“You about ready to go?”

If I could have jumped out of my seat, I would have. “Damn right, I am!”

She laughed softly as she shut down her computer for the night. I stuffed my shit back into my bag and struggled to my feet, meeting her at the front door so she could lock up. Out at her car, she stopped me.

“Do you want to leave your truck here for the night?”

A grin tugged at my lips, and I teased, “Don’t want to be away from me, huh?”

Her smile was shy and beautiful and made me want to skip dinner and just take her home. “How’d you guess?”

My heart swelled, and to hell with anyone seeing. I grabbed her, dropping one of my crutches as I pulled her forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Can we fast forward through dinner so I can get you into my bed?”

She hummed against my lips, hands running down my chest until they latched onto my hips. “Eyes on the prize, babe. Once we tell Van, we can tell everyone else, and then we don’t have to hide anymore.”

“What if I like hiding?” I pulled her closer, letting her feel the hard length of me as I pressed it into her belly. “What if I want to hide right now?”

“Rylan!” She giggled, and the sound shot straight to my dick, making it throb with the desire to sink into her center and stay there for the rest of the night. “Soon, okay? Now, come on. Let’s go.”

Once I was tucked inside the passenger seat, Joss pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the restaurant where we planned on meeting Van. We were early, but that just meant more time that I didn’t have to share Joss.

By the time Van showed up, we’d already nearly finished the beers we’d ordered while we waited. He wore a wide smile that fell from his face as he looked over me, Joss, and the table set for three.

I tried to suppress the desire to punch him in the throat when Joss jumped from her chair, and he pulled her into a hug.

Friends, I reminded myself. They were friends.

And I was the one taking her home tonight.

“What’s going on here?” Van asked as they settled into their seats.

Joss tucked her hair behind her ear and ducked her chin before looking up at him. “Remember how I said I wanted you to meet my husband?”

He raised one eyebrow and drew out the word, “Yeah.”

“Well.” Joss reached for my hand on the table and pulled it closer to her. “Van, I’d like you to meet my husband.”

There was silence for a moment as her words sunk in. But it didn’t wipe away his disbelief.

“You’re shitting me.” He leaned forward, finger raised as he opened his mouth, only nothing else came out. Instead, his gaze swept over us, lingering on where our fingers were strung together, the way our shoulders touched when there was plenty of room around the table. Van sat back hard in his chair. “Holy fuck. You’re telling me the truth.”

Joss’s cheeks pinked as she ducked her chin again. “I know this is a surprise.”

“Damn right it’s a surprise. You—” He shook his head. “I thought you didn’t like him? Do you know how many times I’ve warned him off, telling him you’re married so he’d leave you alone?”

“I know. And I’m sorry⁠—”

“Holy shit!” Van leaned forward, his finger coming up and pointing at me again. “And you! You fucking got off on that, didn’t you?”

Joss’s face fell as she turned toward me, only for her brow to furrow when she saw the crooked smirk I wore. I shrugged, lifting my hands to the side with her fingers still strung through mine.

“You got me.”