Just another moment to add to my long list of my time with him.
Chapter 14
Conrad
She’s cute. I don’t have another word to describe her right now. Aspen, Aurora, Layla, and Sawyer with her baby belly are trying to one-up each other with crazy dance moves, much like Aspen and I did two nights ago. The same night we spent in each other’s arms in our homemade fort. That night she was sexy and silly. Tonight, she’s downright adorable. Huh, I guess I do have another word that describes her.
Forcing myself to stop staring at her, I look around at my brothers. Royce has his eyes glued to his wife as Sawyer holds her hands on her baby bump and attempts the running man. His lips are quirked to one side as he looks at her adoringly, and I can only imagine what he’s thinking.
Owen pretty much has the same look of adoration as he watches Layla. Their son, Carter, is sleeping peacefully against his chest, amongst the chaos that is his parents and his aunts and uncles. He looks content and happy. The stoic, quiet brother I’ve always known is still there, but his wife and son bring out a new side of him, one we are all more than happy to see each and every day.
Grant is watching Aurora, but his gaze is half predatory, half infatuation. They’re still in the honeymoon phase, so to speak, and it shows. Don’t get me wrong, he adores her as much as my two older brothers do their wives, but Grant and Aurora are getting married in two days. My guess is he’s thinking about finally making love to his wife. Last week that wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. Okay, maybe it would have, but I would have said fucking her as his wife. My time here with Aspen has changed my outlook.
I have a theory of my own. Whatever this feeling is, it’s not magic. It’s magic pussy. It has to be. That’s a small detail my dad and brothers left out. There is no other explanation for the thoughts in my head and how I go out of my way to brush up against her and rush to the table to sit next to her. This isn’t me, but then again, it is. It’s me when it comes to Aspen.
Marshall stands and begins to dance around with the girls. He makes sure to dance up close to each of them. It’s innocent. We all know that. He’s trying to get a rise out of us, but it’s not going to work. We might not like seeing another man around our women, yes, our women, but this is Marsh. We know he would never go after any of them. His efforts are a waste, but at least it’s entertaining. They’re having a good time, and I want nothing more than to be out there with them. With her.
That about sums up my current situation. I’m nursing a beer and watching Aspen shake her ass on the makeshift dance floor delegated by the ladies in the basement of my parents’ cabin. I’d rather her be shaking her ass on me, maybe sitting on my lap? However, as an alternative, this doesn’t suck. Not at all.
Something passes between Aurora and Aspen. Whatever it is causes Aspen’s posture to stiffen. I sit up from where I’m lounging on the couch, ready to go to her, when Aurora announces, “Time for Truth or Dare.”
Aspen looks worried, but me, I’m ready. Bring it on. I’m not going to hide the way I’m feeling. I’ve tried talking to her, but she keeps putting me off. If a game of Truth or Dare is what it takes to get her to admit that there is something between us, so be it. I couldn’t care less who knows.
Each of the women in my life go to the brother of mine that they’re attached to. Marshall pulls up a bean bag and sits on the floor facing the huge sectional couch where we’re all sitting, and by the look on her face, Aspen begrudgingly takes the last open seat next to me.
Where she belongs.
“I’ll go first.” Marshall rubs his hands together in glee.
“Why do you get to go first?” Aurora pouts.
“I’m the youngest.” Marshall winks at her. “Being the lastborn Riggins brother often comes in handy.”
“That was Mom’s rule when we were kids, so we wouldn’t leave you out,” Royce counters.
“Well, I say the rule applies.” He taps his chin. “Owen, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“How long until you knock her up again?” Marshall laughs and points at Layla.
“As soon as she’s ready,” Owen replies without missing a beat.
“Come on,” Grant chides him. “We all already knew the answer to that one.”
“We’re just warming up,” Marshall replies. He stands and grabs another round of beers for everyone except for Sawyer. She gets water. “Your turn, O,” Marshall says, taking his seat on the beanbag.
“Royce, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Royce replies.
“Marriage and babies are making you all boring,” Marshall comments.
“You might want to think about your truth question and see how the boring title applies to you.” Royce laughs.
“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” He points to Sawyer’s baby belly that Royce is resting his hand on.
“Healthy.” Royce is quick to reply.
“I still can’t believe you all are waiting until the baby gets here to find out the sex,” Aspen says. “Not knowing would drive me insane.”
“Oh, it’s driving us crazy too, but there’s excitement in waiting to find out.”
“How do you shop?” Layla asks. “We knew Carter was a boy, and we had the nursery and everything all set up.”
“We’re going with greens and yellows and neutral tones,” Sawyer explains.
“All right, my turn,” Royce says. “Marsh, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
Royce looks around the room. “Eat a bowl of popcorn covered in ketchup.”
“Pft.” Marshall climbs to his feet. “Surely, you can do better than that, brother.” Marshall stands and makes his way to the small kitchen in the basement. “We’re in luck,” he says, holding a half-empty bottle of ketchup in the air. Reaching into the cabinet, he grabs a paper bowl and comes over to the couch, holding it out for Sawyer. “Fill me up, sis,” he tells her.
Sawyer laughs as she fills the smaller bowl full of popcorn from one of the many bowls we’ve been eating out of tonight. “I get to add the ketchup too. You might need a spoon or something,” she tells him. Marsh hands her the bottle of ketchup and skips, yes skips, back to the kitchen to grab a spoon, and then skipping back. “Here you go.” Sawyer grins when she hands him the ketchup-drenched popcorn. Marsh takes it from her and eats it like a starving man.
“Done.” He grins, grabs his beer, and downs the rest of it. “Anyone else need another?” he asks. With a round of nos, he grabs himself another, tosses the bowl, and takes his seat again. “Let’s see, Aspen, truth or dare?” he asks.
I feel her stiffen beside me. “Truth.”
“Who here has the nicest ass?”
“That’s easy.” She shrugs.
“Well, let’s hear it,” he coaxes her.
“Carter,” she says with a straight face.
“Ooh!” Owen laughs. “She got you there.”
“You said here, that does include Carter, doesn’t it?” She laughs. The sound wraps around me like an embrace.