My Twist of Fortune by Rayne, Piper (little red riding hood read aloud txt) 📗

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The next Friday, I’m in the bleachers with a blanket over my lap and Posey at my side. Mandi and Nikki claim their blood hasn’t thickened enough yet, and since it’s only growing colder, they opted to stay home. We’re playing Lake Starlight High School, who I guess Sunrise Bay beat last year at state. It’s a big deal and is all Jed talked about this week.

“Go, Jed!” Posey screams, although there’s no way he heard her over the cheerleaders on the track.

“Hank!” someone in the crowd says.

My gaze can’t help but seek him out. He’s at the fence, talking to whoever must have called to him. His youngest, Chevelle, is at his side. Adam and Xavier are throwing a football back and forth behind him.

Other than us meeting again at The Grind on Wednesday, I haven’t seen him. But he did text me and ask if I wanted to do pizza tonight again after the game. Another night with just the two of us would be nice but it’s not to be. With my parents not being here, I have no babysitter.

Hank shakes the guy’s hand and looks up in the stands. I try to act as though I don’t care, a game I would have played in high school. Good thing Posey wasn’t my wing-woman back then.

“Hank! Hank!” Posey raises her hand.

He smiles and walks to the set of stairs closest to us. My stomach feels as though there’s a little girl jumping on a trampoline in there. Every time he gets stopped by someone on his way to us, I want to scream.

After what feels like a lifetime, he’s at the edge of our bleacher. “May I?”

Posey slides over and I slide too, leaving enough room for him and Chevelle. Chevelle pulls coloring pages and markers out of her backpack.

She looks past me and her dad at Posey. “Do you want to color?”

“Sure.” Posey throws the blanket off her lap, and the two girls go farther down the bleacher to spread out more.

“How was your week?” Hank asks, his knuckles running along the side of my thigh where no one will see.

“It was okay. My kids are officially done with salad and dressings.”

Ever since we went to the cooking showdown, I’ve been trying to master the recipes, replicate them, and figure out a way to do something more with them.

“Bring them to my place. Though my boys are kind of meat-and-potato guys. Chevelle loves salad though.”

I smile at him. “I’ll bring some over this week.”

“Great.” Hank winks.

There goes my stomach again. “Did you want some blanket?”

“Hey now, I’m a man. I don’t need a blanket.” He chuckles but takes the edge and slides it over his lap.

A huge roar erupts in the crowd, but I missed the play.

Hank leans toward me. “There are more pluses to having a blanket over you other than warmth.” His large hand covers my thigh under the thick material.

I swear I might pass out from the exhilaration of having his hand on me. Has it really been so long since I’ve felt sexual arousal that a hand on my thigh threatens to send me over the edge? I lick my lips and find him staring at them.

One of Chevelle’s friends comes over and asks if she wants to go play with the other kids down where Adam and Xavier are.

“Sure.” Chevelle stands.

Posey stares at her coloring page, looking sad.

Chevelle stops after a couple of stairs. “Aren’t you coming?”

Posey’s face lights up and she looks at me for permission.

“Just stay with Chevelle, okay?”

“Okay.” Posey scrambles to her feet, almost tripping, and leaves side by side with Chevelle and her friend.

“That was nice,” I say.

He squeezes my thigh. “Want to go grab some hot chocolate?”

“Aren’t we supposed to watch our kids?”

His hand falls in mine and he tugs. “Come on. How often are all of our kids distracted?”

He’s so right. We don’t hold hands as we walk down the bleacher stairs, but his knuckles brush mine more than once. There’s something to be said about trying to remain a secret.

He buys me a hot chocolate then nods toward the rear of the bleachers. “I know a short cut,” he says with a devilish smile.

“You do, huh?” I follow him.

I’m not surprised there’s no shortcut behind the equipment shed, but there’s a secret little place no one can see. He takes my hot chocolate and puts it on the ground beside his.

“You think just because you got me behind a shed I’m going to make out with you?” I feign indignation.

He moves in front of me and backs me up until my back hits the woodshed, his fingers weaving through my hair. “I’m resorting to horny seventeen-year-old tactics because there is no way I was going to go that entire game without kissing you.”

“I don’t remember being asked.”

His lips stop right before touching mine. “Make my year and allow me to kiss you, Marla?”

I nod, and he tentatively places his lips to mine. The minute his tongue glides along the seam, it’s game over. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he presses me back firmer. He feels so good. My body alive and demanding more. He nips at my bottom lip and I pant as his mouth lowers, his thumb running down the front of my throat.

“Fuck, this is trouble.” His voice is gravelly, and my core clenches.

“I know.” I pant for a breath because my body went into inferno territory from one kiss.

Two kids holding hands walk around the shed and startle when they see us. We break apart and they scurry off.

“I guess this is a popular place,” I say.

He kisses me one more time without tongue. “Go out with me again?”

Did he really think it was a question I would say no to?

“Only if you promise to kiss me like that again.”

His deep chuckle promises to send me to the edge of my sanity with need. I can’t wait.

We pull up to Glacier