EXPOSED: A novella (Elkridge Series Book 5) by Lyz Kelley

Author:Lyz Kelley [Kelley, Lyz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belvitri Services, LLC
Published: 2017-07-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Dale relaxed the arm draped around Gwen’s shoulder. She was curled against his side, and he could feel her warmth seeping into his skin and smell her floral shampoo. He wanted to lick the salty butter from her lips.

Popcorn, a movie, being surrounded by family—life didn’t get much better. Well, maybe that wasn’t exactly true.

When the credits rolled, the little green envy bug bit him. At the other end of the couch, Chase was in a similar position—Ashley nuzzled into his side, Caitlyn asleep on his chest, Lucky curled across his feet. A yearning to turn back the hands of time punched him in the gut.

He stood to shake off the growing need. I have enough. I don’t need more, he repeated over and over. “I’m going to take Gwen home. Do you two need anything before I go?”

Ashley pushed upright. “We’re okay. Drive safely.”

He extended a hand to Gwen. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

He pulled her to a standing position, then followed her through the long hall to the garage. Once she was safely seated in his truck, he closed the door and then made his way to the driver’s side.

He laughed at Gwen’s wide-mouth yawn as she locked her seat belt. “I’ve wanted to watch Crazy, Stupid, Love for a long time. It was a fun movie.”

He took a left onto the road heading back to town. “You sure about that? I wouldn’t call adultery and a midlife crisis fun. Funny maybe, but not fun.”

“There were some funny parts. Did you catch Marisa Tomei’s face when she found out she had a one-night stand with a student’s parent? The movie reminded me of when I found my mother with her fitness trainer.”

“That must have been awkward.”

“The only awkward part was when he offered me his services on the way out the door.”

“It’s hard for me to understand how some people can treat sex so casually.”

Gwen turned his way. “Sex is a part of nature, even for humans. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

Wow. Really? His necks muscles tightened with that warning. The one he didn’t ignore.

The Gwen he met before her father arrived would have never said something so crass. Or would she? Maybe her viewpoint had more to do with her mother’s negligent behavior. “Is that your opinion, or your mother’s?”

“My mother’s.”

Dale blew out a breath of relief.

“Mother’s affairs began as a way to make my father jealous. Years of bitterness turned her frequent encounters into nothing more than an activity to pass the time.”

Interesting. “In Washington, it’s common practice to have indiscretions. Some people say what happens at the Pentagon stays classified. Affairs are disrespectful—to the spouse, to the other party, and to yourself.”

“My father was never an easy man to live with. I suppose my mother used his disposition as an excuse.”

“Still—”

“I see your point. But I don’t want to talk about my parents. I want to move on with my life.”

He pulled his truck into the drive of her rental home, shifted into park, and cut the engine.

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