Temporary Bliss (Bliss #1)(30)
Author: B.J. Harvey

Chapter 14 – “Good Girl”

Daniel and I head back outside and walk towards a table next to Noah and a few of the others I met earlier.

“Help yourselves to the food, guys,” Noah says, handing us a plate each.

After piling our plates, we take a seat and start eating. “Damn, this is good shit,” I say as I finish my last mouthful.

“I’m not just a pretty face, Mac,” Noah replies with a grin which I return.

“I never said you had a pretty face,” I retort.

“Nice. So how’ve you been, Mac? We haven’t had many shifts together lately,” Noah asks, handing us a beer each and sitting down opposite us.

I raise an eyebrow as Daniel suddenly places his hand on my thigh. Interesting.

“I’m good. I’ve been working split shifts, so it’s been a little hectic. Besides, it’s not like you’ve been keeping in contact,” I add. I feel Daniel’s hand tense up on my leg.

Shit! Foot meet mouth.

Noah’s eyes shift over to Daniel’s hand on my lap before quickly looking back at me. His eyes dance with amusement at Daniel’s overtly possessive behavior.

Fuck, this is awkward. Penis number one meet penis number four. You can’t make this shit up. Seriously, kill me now!

“Well we’re here now, aren’t we,” he replies, bringing his beer bottle to his mouth but failing to hide his smirk.

Two can play at this game. I put my hand over Daniel’s, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Sure are.”

Suddenly, there are a new round of welcomes being called out. I look up towards the house and see a gorgeous blonde-haired supermodel walking towards us. I mean seriously, she looks like she’s just walked off the Victoria’s Secret runway into Noah’s backyard.

I hear Daniel and Noah stop talking as she gets closer to us.

“Nikki,” Daniel says warmly, the smile on his face unmistakable.

“Hey, Nix, didn’t think you’d make it,” Noah says, standing up to kiss the mystery woman on her cheek.

Daniel also stands and the woman’s face softens as she looks over at him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders and giving him a long hug. Her eyes shift toward me, and she smirks, sizing me up in a way that sets my blood boiling. I purse my lips together and clench my fists, trying to rein in this unfamiliar attack of the green-eyed monster I seem to be having.

Daniel turns back towards me as he pulls away from the embrace. “Mac, this is Nikki, my-”

“Ex-girlfriend is the word you’re looking for, D,” Noah interrupts, grinning at me.

“Yeah, my ex-girlfriend from college,” he says, sitting back down beside me.

“Hi,” she says sweetly to me. I scan her from head to toe, clenching my teeth as I imagine all the different scenes in which her mouth would have been on Daniel.

Fuck! Get outta my head!

“Hey, I’m Mac. Daniel’s girlfriend,” I say without stuttering.

Girlfriend? Holy crap!

I can see Daniel looking at me out of the corner of my eye, his mouth stuck open in shock.

“Oh,” she says, taken aback. “You didn’t mention you were dating again, Dan.”

They keep in touch? What is this, freaking Sex in the City?

“Ah, yeah. It’s been about six weeks now. Isn’t that right, gorgeous?”

“Mmm hmm,” I nod in agreement, stuffing my mouth with food to stop myself from humping Daniel’s leg and claiming him as mine. I sneak a glance at Noah who is leaning back in his chair, totally reveling in the situation unfolding like it’s a spectator sport.

“How’s work, Dan?” she asks, standing in front of us. A saccharin sweet smile gracing her lips as she all but ignores me.

“Busy, but good. We’ve had a good year so far. And how about you? How are you parents doing since the move?”

“They’re loving it. They said to say hi. Mom still asks after you, of course.” She sneaks a look at me, giving me a sympathetic look that tells me she knows what she’s doing.

“That’s great, Nik. Tell them I said hello too,” he replies, a full toothed grin filling his face. I look at him and recognize the soft look in his eyes. It’s the same way he looks at me when we’re lying in bed after screwing the hell out of each other.

Dammit!

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m shifting my chair towards Daniel’s, putting my hand on his lap and leaning in close to his ear. “I don’t know whether to jump you or smack the bitch. What do you suggest?”

He swings his head towards me, his face a mirror of confusion until I see what I’ve said registers in his eyes. “Hey, now. Put the green-eyed monster away, Mac. It was a long time ago, and we’re just friends now. The only woman I’m interested in is looking straight at me.”

I zone out, mesmerized by his eyes, his perfectly shaped brows, the lines of his jaw, those curved lips that are so nice to kiss…

“Mac, did you hear me?”

“Whaa… What? Sorry, totally zoned out. Was too busy thinking about all the other uses for that mouth of yours,” I say with a sly grin. I’m totally oblivious to the people around us. I can hear Nikki Nice Girl chatting with Noah somewhere in the distance, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful man in front of me.

When I realize that our lips are now only licking distance away from each other, suddenly the whole situation becomes clear to me.

And just like that, I’m back in the game.

“It’s a shame really,” he says, sweeping my cheek with the back of his fingers so gently that I can barely feel them touch, but I can definitely feel the heat. “I was just saying how I’d love to bend you over this table and not stop until I’m buried deep inside you. You’ll be screaming my name so loud that everyone in Chicago will know that you’re mine.”

Suddenly I’m panting, my heart beating so fast that it’s almost jumping out of my ample chest. “Damn,” I whisper, my brain suddenly filled with naked images of Daniel pounding me on the table in front of everyone, Nikki included. Now that would be one way to show her he’s mine.

Wait, mine? What is this man doing to me?

“Just as I thought. Can’t wait to get you home and naked,” he says, kissing me quickly again before grabbing my hand and placing it in his lap as I relax into him.

The green eyed goddess has gone back to sleep for the moment.

I manage to keep my jealousy at bay for the rest of our time here. Without leaving Daniel’s side, I have some interesting conversations with Gary and Louise, and even The Mini Walking Dildo who I find out is not single, much to my disappointment. Kate would have been all over that like a tom cat in heat.