I groaned. “Don’t say that stuff to me. I get ideas.”

She laughed. “Sorry. Are we still on for tonight?”

“Actually, that’s what I called about. I’m sorry, but I have to cancel.”

“Oh no! I hope everything is okay.”

“Everything is fine. My sister had her baby, so my mom—” I had to hold the phone away from my ear because she squealed so loud. “Jesus.”

“Sorry,” she said breathlessly. “It’s just so exciting. A new baby! What did she have?”

“A girl. They named her Rosie.” I was proud I remembered that detail.

“So cute! How much did she weigh?”

“Uh . . . I didn’t ask.”

“Does she have hair?”

I tried to recall if I could tell from the photo, but she’d been wearing a hat. “Didn’t ask that either.”

Meg sighed. “Men.”

“I’ll try to get more details from my mom when I see her. I’m staying with Asher tonight so she can help out at Chris and Nina’s.”

“Of course,” she said.

“I’d rather be with you.”

“It’s okay, Noah. I completely understand, and I’m so happy for Nina and Chris. For all of you.”

“I know, but I hate that I won’t see you tonight. You’re only here a couple more days.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She sounded totally nonchalant, like it didn’t matter to her at all. “We can hang out tomorrow. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

“Sounds good. If you talk to your sister, tell her I said congratulations.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

We hung up, and for a moment I continued to stare at the phone screen, wondering why it bothered me that she didn’t seem to care whether or not she saw me tonight. Or maybe it was that I cared so much. What was it going to be like when she left?

I decided it was a good thing that my mother had called. The last thing I needed was to get used to her. If you got used to a person being around all the time, you’d miss them when they left.

And missing someone was the fucking worst.

But later, alone in the bedroom I’d grown up in, I couldn’t help picking up my phone. It was almost midnight.

Me: You awake?

Meg: Yes. I’m in bed but not asleep.

Me: Why not?

Meg: I don’t know. Just thinking about things.

Me: What kind of things?

Meg: Being home. Family. The wedding. The future.

Me: So not my dick?

Meg: OMG

Me: Sorry couldn’t resist

Meg: Well if you MUST know . . .

Me: I must.

Meg: Yes. Your dick has crossed my mind tonight. Several times.

Me: Can you talk?

Meg: Sure. I’ll call you.

A few seconds later, my phone vibrated. I answered, keeping my voice low. “Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

She giggled softly. “My body’s on fire, officer. Can you come over and put it out?”

Just hearing her bedroom voice in the dark was enough to turn me on, let alone the words she said, and I felt myself getting hard. “I’ll be right there to make you wet.”

“Good. Because it’s getting very hot in here. I can hardly stand it.”

I switched the phone to my left hand as my right slid down my abdomen and took my thickening erection in my hand. “I’m halfway there.”

“Tell me what you’re going to do when you get here,” she pleaded.

“I’m going to lick every fucking inch of your skin.”

“Yes. I love your mouth on me,” she whispered. “I want to feel it.”

“Then do exactly as I say.” My cock was fully erect as I imagined her naked between the sheets, waiting to do my bidding. “I want you to spread your legs for me. I want your thighs wide open.”

Her breathing got louder.

“Now I want you to put two fingers in your mouth and suck them. Get them all wet.” I heard a little sucking noise that made my cock even harder. “Now put those fingers on your clit. Rub slowly and softly, the way I lick you at first. The way I stroke it with my tongue.”

She moaned softly. “You’re so good at this, officer. But I’m afraid it’s just making the flames get higher.”

“That’s because the way you taste makes my cock so hard.” I gripped myself tighter, flexing my hips as I thrust through my fist, imagining her taste on my tongue, her thighs cradling my head.

“I wish I was there to suck it,” she whispered. “Just like I did last night.”

Oh, Jesus. I stifled the groan that threatened as I pictured her red lips sliding down my cock, her big eyes locked on mine. “Are you wet?”

“For you, always.”

“Fuck,” I said, my hand moving faster. “Use your fingers in your pussy. Tell me what it feels like.”

“Mmm. Hot. Soft. Drenched. You’d slide in so easily, and I’d take you so deep.”

“Put your fingers in your mouth,” I demanded. “Suck them.” The soft little noises she made drove me wild, and I knew I couldn’t hold back much longer. “Good girl. Now put them back between your legs so I can make you come.”

“Do it, officer,” she breathed. “Fuck me. Yes, just like that. God, I love your cock. Harder, harder, harder . . . Let me feel you come . . .”

Knowing that she was touching herself and thinking about my dick inside her rendered my brain entirely useless—I couldn’t even think words, let alone speak them. Instead of suave phone-sex police officer, I was reduced to a series of caveman grunts while I frantically jerked myself off listening to her sweet voice telling me she loved my cock and begging me to fuck her harder. It was so hot I came all over myself in under a minute.

I was still lying there, breathing hard with my dick in one hand my phone in the other, when I heard her shy little laugh.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Did we really just do that?”

“Uh, there’s a mess on my stomach that says we did.”

“I wish I could have watched you do it.”

I stifled a groan. “Sawyer, stop giving me ideas.”

Another laugh. “Never.”

“Give me a minute, okay?”

“Sure.”

I set the phone aside, hurried into the bathroom to clean up, and got back into bed. “You still there?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have a good night?”

“It was fine. I just hung out here with family. Played board games, ate popcorn, watched a movie.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“How was your night with Asher?”

“Good. I got takeout. We ate dinner and took Renzo for a walk, then came back and watched some TV—but not Law & Order.”

She laughed. “You successfully avoided the torture.”

“I did. We had a nice night.” I pictured her lying in bed, and felt an ache in my chest. “But I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Can I see you tomorrow?”