Page 50 of Rumours and Romance
And to be here, with Jackson by my side, feels absolutely surreal. Love wasn’t anywhere on my radar. I never bothered to consider the possibility of somehow having it all — the career I wanted, and a relationship. It seemed impossible, made all the more evident by how many guys ran in the opposite direction as soon as they heard about my work schedule and my plans for the future.
But Jackson came out of nowhere. He is just as driven as I am, and our busy schedules and responsibilities seem to draw us closer. There is an unspoken understanding between us, a respect for what each other wants out of life, and that feels so freaking good.
Another beep comes from my phone and when I look down, I see it’s Paige.
PAIGE: Could you please bring some of Kelly’s chocolate chunk cookies tonight?
I quickly thumb out a reply and get up, heading next door to see what’s left of the cookies. Once they’re packaged in a box, I lock up, call Milo over to my side, and we head home.
“You need to stop smiling so much. It’s creeping me out.” Serena’s dramatic statement makes me roll my eyes, and not stop smiling.
“Sorry, no can do. Here. Have another drink.” I hand her the bottle of wine that’s on the table beside me and with a loud huff, she refills her glass.
“Fine, but seriously, do you not realize how annoying it is having to watch you and Summer be so freaking happy all the time?”
Behind her teasing is a hint of Serena’s vulnerable side. It’s a part of her I don’t think many people know about, aside from me. I know why she hasn’t been on a date in five years. I catch her touching her stomach sometimes. But we don’t talk about it.
I put my head on her shoulder and speak softly. “Sorry, girly. I love you, you know that, right? No matter what.”
She drops her head on top of mine. “Yeah, I know. Sorry I’m being kind of a bitch. I am happy for you guys, I swear.”
“Why the long faces? It’s book club night!” Summer dances into the kitchen with her wine glass, interrupting us before I can reply. “Come on, Paige has our question sheets ready.”
I give Serena a quick hug and we head into the other room where sure enough, Paige has our discussion questions ready and waiting.
“Is now a bad time to say I didn’t get a chance to finish the book?” I wince at the glare Paige gives me.
“Yes. It is. Did you at least start it?”
“Umm, well, I planned to read it when Jackson took me away for the weekend. But we were too busy. Doing…things.”
“Doing each other, you mean?” Paige quips and we all start to laugh. She’s normally the most reserved of us all, so when she cracks a joke, it lands perfectly.
“Well, yeah,” I say when I finally control my laughter. “Do you blame me?”
Summer lifts her glass and tips it toward me. “Not one bit. You got yourself one hot man.”
“Okay, okay, well, Mila can sit the discussion out.” Paige turns a pleading look to the others. “But can we go over a few of these questions, right? I tried to liven them up this month. I think you’ll like them.”
Curious, I lean forward and pick up one of the papers to read it over.
“Oh my God, Paige!” Serena shrieks, stomping her feet on the ground wildly. “These are awesome. Yes, girl!”
I scan the questions, my eyes widening with each one. This is…unexpected, especially coming from Paige.
Discuss the practicalities of men wearing no underwear underneath their kilt. See attached photos for examples.
Historical accuracy: Hamish and Saorise have undeniable chemistry. But in eighteenth century Scotland, would the laird’s daughter really give the stable boy a blow job the first time she met him?
Location matters: sex in a barn seems common in historical romance. Would you be able to climax with a cow watching?
Anal intercourse: turn on, or turn off? Consider the scene in chapter 14 for reference.
“Umm, Paige, these are different from our usual questions,” Summer says cautiously.
My eyes bounce over to Paige, who pushes her glasses up on her nose, sitting there completely composed.
“Yes, I realize that. I hoped that by adding some more salacious questions, you all might be less resistant to the discussion portion of our monthly meetings.” She takes a sip of wine, and when she lowers her glass, there’s a faint blush on her cheeks. “And…I decided to do some…research.”
