Three of Hearts (23 page)

“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited some people to join us at Cal’s.” Seth said trying to put distance between her and his growing erection, and failing miserably.

“No, not at all, the more the merrier.”

Feeling his hardness on her belly, she looked up at him through her eyelashes with a coy smile.

Laughing at the woman he loved and her flirtatious ways, Seth said “Honey, if I lay you down, neither one of us will be making it to Cal’s or any other place for the next week. So I promise, after we get home tonight, I’ll thoroughly love you, on the closest horizontal surface.”

They headed up to the main house and Mae spent some time with the kids while Seth showered and changed for their evening.

Lynne was coming back tonight to stay with the kids so Seth wouldn’t have to worry about what time they returned. Wishing he had thought of it earlier, he could have booked a room at one of the luxury hotels a couple of towns over. Perhaps he would do that next weekend, so he and Mae could be thoroughly alone and Seth could attend to her the way he planned on doing for the rest of their lives. Just thinking about it made his face mold into a permanent smile.

Mae was at the dining table playing the board game “Sorry!” with the kids, when Seth joined them. She was currently having one of her green pieces sent back to its starting point by a cackling Aidan. Megan joined her brother in the laughter as she next sent Conner’s blue piece back to its starting point. Conner pretended to be upset but everyone knew he was teasing his younger siblings. Mae acted as game referee, but even she couldn’t suppress her laughter.

Loving how even the sight of her with his kids, just warmed his heart. Like they were a unit; they were already all family.

Mae turned to face Seth and she was not surprised that he looked amazing. His soft long sleeved cream colored shirt was in such contrast to the deep blue of his jeans. His watch shined in the late afternoon rays. Even is dark shoes looked great. He looked powerful, and he was.

Watching her slow assessment, when her eyes finally made contact with his, he bobbed his eyebrows causing her to wink and smile displaying her dimple.

Seth leaned over the back of Megan’s chair as he watched Aidan win the game. He gloated as only a twelve year old could and Mae and Conner threw the remaining popcorn at him.

Lynne walked in carrying a casserole exuding a tempting apple and cinnamon smell. “Hey not fair, they get your famous apple turnovers! Mae, sorry we will have to cancel our plans and stay in, because I know the kids won’t save me any if I leave,” Seth joked.

Lynne smacked at his arm that held the lid and she lovingly rolled her eyes.

Mae sauntered over to where the two stood and kissed Lynne on her cheek.

“You two have a wonderful evening and don’t worry about what we are doing here. Maybe, just maybe, if you are lucky, I’ll keep a Turnover or two, waiting for your return.” She spoke with her beautiful Irish accent, knowing full well that she already had planned on saving them some.

SIXTEEN

After kissing all the kids good night; Seth and Mae headed out to Seth’s Tahoe.

Once they were in, Seth leaned over the arm rest and took Mae’s hand. He needed some sort of physical contact with her. They rode as Mae told Seth all about the wedding and how Leo’s family supported him. She added how Robert arrived during the reception and how he was also accepted and engulfed by Leo’s family.

“I’m glad that it all worked out for them. It’s how it should be.” Seth spoke as he lifted their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her hand.

The ride to Cal’s went quickly and they pulled into a very busy parking lot. Mae could feel the thump of the music coming from inside the pub. As they weaved their way through the mass of cars, Mae heard their names being called. Wes was walking toward them with Bryan and Robyn in tow.

Robyn ran right over to Mae and kissed her cheek before gushing over her outfit. The girls candidly discussed their clothes as the men shook hands.

Mae then received kisses and hugs from Wes and Bryan and they all walked in. The couples hand in hand with Wes leading the group. The inside of Cal’s was filled twice as much as the night Mae was there with Robyn and Kathy. Mae was glad that she was holding Seth’s hand as they maneuvered through the thick crowd. They passed the bar and most of the dance floor before Seth steered her toward a large table tucked in the corner between the dance floors high railing and the billiard room. Mae wasn’t surprised to see Dylan was already there with a busty brunette on his hip. After introducing Mae to Tasha, his companion, they all sat and ordered their drinks. While Robyn and Mae ordered their Hawaiian Seabreezes, Seth, Dylan, Bryan and Tasha ordered draft beer and Wes ordered a scotch.

Robyn was already wiggling in her chair looking at the crowded dance floor. It didn’t take long for her to pull Mae out of her chair and head down to the floor. Between the throng of people on the floor and the crowd just standing on the floor listening to the band, Mae and Robyn were glued together.

Mae was having a great time; every now and then she would look toward the table and get caught in Seth’s gaze. She was sure to shake her ass an extra couple of times just for him. She felt sexy and risqué, but because of him, she was finally feeling comfortable,
desirable,
in her own skin, in her own body.

As the song ended, Mae was already fanning herself as she worked up a sweat from dancing. When she and Robyn joined the table once more, noting that Tasha was absent, Seth pulled her into his side and whispered, “You looked sexy out there, and your little shimmies were making all the men stare.”

Mae kissed Seth’s lips and was disturbed by Dylan saying “None of that, unless I’m the one getting some.”

“Someday Cross you are going to be begging for a woman to take your sorry ass, and I hope I’m around to see it.” Wes said as he sipped his scotch and looked at this friend with inevitable odds.

Tipping his Pilsner glass toward his friend, Dylan said “No way man. With women I set the terms and limits. Always have, always will.”

“Speaking of women, where’d Tasha go?” Robyn asked not really looking around for the one of many brunettes that Robyn has seen with Dylan once and then never again.

“Oh she headed toward the bar, I think, or home. Not really sure.” Dylan said casually as if discussing the weather.

“You don’t know where your date went?” Seth asked disbelieving

“She wasn’t my date—well, at least, not one that I arrived with. I just bumped into her when I walked in.” Dylan said with boyish charm that had gotten him a lot of places and out of a lot of jams.

Smirking at Dylan’s offhand answer, Mae decided to take a long sip of her drink. She noticed that Robyn and Bryan were quite cozy in the corner, while Seth, Wes and Dylan were now discussing the upcoming job here at the pub. Cal had signed off on the blueprints and signed a contract with S&D for the construction. As Seth and Wes got into deeper discussion about the materials that were to be used, Mae listened to the band cover an older slow song by Journey.

Bryan pulled Robyn to the dance floor and twirled her around as if she were a ballerina before pulling her in close. Smiling at the obvious deep love her friends had, it was Dylan who drew Mae’s attention away by asking her if she would dance with him.

“I’d love to” Mae said as she allowed Dylan to guide her toward the floor. As she walked away, Seth called out, “Can’t you find your own girl, that one is taken.”

Not being able to stifle the sarcasm, Dylan happily yelled back, “She sure is taken, with me.”

Dylan walked her to a small open area between couples swaying close to one another. When he pulled Mae into his arms, she fit in close to his shoulder. Dylan was a few inches shorter than Seth and much leaner but just as strong. His hard chest and muscular back were visible through his t-shirt as were the corded veins running down his arms. Mae’s eye level was even with his chin and she noticed a scar on his jaw. The nurse in her wanted to know what kind of injury would result in such a mark, but as a friend she was eager to know everything about him.

“How’d you get the scar?”

“Bar fight, a long time ago, during my dark, sowing-my-wild-oats days in my twenties. Some douche brought a broken beer bottle to a fist fight,” Dylan said teasingly.

Smiling at the entertaining person that Dylan was, she said with equal mocking “because those days are so long over? So what happened in the fight? Why were you in the fight to begin with?”

Smiling and enjoying the light and fun direction of the conversation, “they ended the day I met you, Baby. Now if I could just pry you away from Grizzly over there, we can ride off into the sunset on my hog.” He dipped her down in the direction of Seth and Wes, and for added shock value ran his hand across her exposed neck. Smiling at the pure rage that was coming from Seth and shaking of Wes’ head, Dylan lead Mae closer to where they sat and yelled over the music, “Yo, Seth, she decided you weren’t man enough for her so she is going to run away with me, cool?”

“I’ll show you man enough, D.” Seth said in an empty threat

“When you boys are done whipping your Johnson’s out, and comparing lengths, let me know.” Mae said sassily, making Dylan look back toward Seth and asking “What else does she do with that dirty mouth of hers.”

With a wink and a skillful twirl, Dylan directed Mae back across the dance floor.

“Seriously, how’d you get the scar, Dylan?” Mae asked as the giggling subsided.

“Like I said, some guy brought the broken beer bottle. He was going after someone much smaller than him. When I told him to back off he told me what I could do with my mother, God rest her soul. So I told him to pick on someone his own size and fight like a man. He swiped at me with the bottle; the jagged neck got me in the chin before I brought him to the concrete.” Dylan recalled the night as if it was yesterday. The fact that the victim of the original fight was a girl no more than seventeen, he left out purposely. Sweet girls like Mae don’t need to hear the details about that kind of darkness in life.

“Oh my, Dylan your lucky he didn’t get your carotid artery in your neck.” Mae said astonished.

“Don’t worry baby; I got fighting skills in spades.” Dylan said brushing aside her concern.

Realizing that he was deliberately changing the subject, Mae let it drop. The song was coming to an end and in pure Dylan fashion; he pushed her out to arm’s length and brought the back of her hand to his lips, and placed a light kiss there. He brought Mae back to Seth and as if conceding the prizefight, he placed Mae’s hand in Seth’s and bowed down to him.

Seth smirked and pushed Dylan’s bowed head causing him to fall into Wes’ lap.

“You’re cute and all but really not my type,” Wes said dryly.

“Come on big boy, I could rock your world.” Dylan purred as he made a pass to kiss Wes on the lips. Wes dodged it swiftly and pushed Dylan on his ass onto the floor.

As the table laughed as a group, Bryan extended a hand to haul Dylan back to his feet. Dylan and Wes walked up to the bar to get everyone another round of drinks, as Mae and Robyn talked about the wedding, Seth and Bryan watched and commented on the Red Sox game.

Dylan and Wes had just returned from the bar when Robyn said, “Seth isn’t that Shameless Shannon at the bar looking this way?”

As Seth searched the general area of the bar, Mae asked “Shameless Shannon?”

“Oh you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting good ole Shan, yet?” Robyn asked sarcastically.

She then continued, “Shannon is Michael’s sister, and lives across the street. For as long as I can remember, she has had a killer crush on Seth, and was always trying to get him to notice her. The older she gets the more forward she gets.” Turning toward Seth, she asked, “didn’t she strip in front of you in the middle of the lake?”

“Yup, she did and yup, that’s her. I don’t know how else to make it more clear.” Seth said consequentially.

Mae’s eyes found Shannon’s dark ones. She was intensely staring at them. Her long hair hung in a satiny curtain down her back. She wore a pale pink ribbed tank top that was as see through as a pair of nylons; it displayed her bright pink lace push up bra. Her white jeans were two sizes too small and could have been painted on for all they showed. Her hot pink patent leather stilettos and silver hoops the size of small dinner plates completed the ensemble. As Mae continue to stare at her, Shannon puckered her bright pink glossy lips in a mocking smooch.

“Cute, isn’t she?” Robyn said sarcastically, as Bryan tried to hush her.

Mae gave her one last look and turned her attention to Seth, “So naked on the boat, huh?”

“As the day she was born” Seth said taking a large gulp from his beer.

Wes and Dylan started talking about the band to bring everyone’s attention back around, but Mae couldn’t help but feel the daggers in her back.

After Wes’ took her for a spin on the floor to a crowd-pleasing country tune, Seth asked her to dance with him. She was happy when it turned to a slow song. She willingly went into his arms and immediately noticed how right it felt to be with him, like this.

“Having fun?” Seth asked against her temple as he held her close and swayed to the romantic tune.

Not willing to let Hot Pants interrupt her fun, she shook her head agreeing to his question. As they danced a little more she could feel his hand sliding up and down her back. The smooth, calming action made her feel treasured. When the song ended, Seth dipped his head and kissed her with everything he had. When Bryan came over with Robyn in tow and cleared his throat, Seth chuckled and said “I guess that’s our cue.”

“Rats, it was getting good” Mae said as she walked next to Robyn as their men guided them toward the table.

As the guys became more involved in the extra innings of the game, Robyn asked Mae if she wanted to go play pool.

“Sure, however I have to admit I haven’t played very much.” Mae said as she got up from her seat.

Saying rather loudly, Robyn answered, “That’s okay Mae, besides it really is all about bending over the table and how good you can make your ass look” as she sashayed off toward the billiard area.