“I’m actually Thomas Stoller Junior. Renn is my middle name, my mom’s last name. As a kid, everyone called me Tommy. When I got older, and especially after my dad married Mary, I wanted to distance myself a bit. I asked everyone to call me Renn. But my mom can’t ever remember. She, um, drinks a lot. That’s why my dad had custody when I was a kid. I only see her every now and then because she mainly just crashes on people’s couches and doesn’t always live in Los Angeles. There used to be more times she’d be sober, but it’s rare now. She’s basically been on a permanent bender since my dad died. When she calls me Tommy, I don’t have the heart to correct her.”
I knew Renn’s mom must care about him. After all, she’d taken the time to come spy on me at work, even if she hadn’t approached me.
“I’m sorry about your mom. And I’m sorry it hasn’t gotten easier with Pete.”
“I don’t want to talk about that dipshit right now,” Renn uttered with a surprising amount of vitriol. Taken aback, I leaned away to stare at him as he caught himself. “Shit. I didn’t mean it to come out like that. I know you meant well. It’s just been tough with him.”
“I understand.” I looked at Renn, again detecting the hardness I’d first noticed on Halloween. The set of his jaw, the tightness radiating from his arms—they hadn’t been there when I’d left in February.
He shook his head and ran a palm over his face. “It’s as though finding that card opened Pandora’s box and everything just keeps getting more jacked. We’re all on edge. Even Gage can sense something’s up.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. He’s smarter than most of the coeds that come into Hal’s.” I could only imagine how difficult it was for Renn worrying Pete might be Gage’s biological father. “I’ve also seen enough soap operas and TV movies to know that eventually Gage is going to get some rare disease, making it necessary to find out what his actual genetics are. Are you still set on not getting the answer to that?”
Renn huffed. “I told Pete over the summer I thought he and I should find out, just to know. We don’t need to tell the boys. He said he’d think about it but hasn’t brought it up since. Honestly, I haven’t had too much time to worry about it because I’ve got my hands full with Robbie. There’s no predicting when he’s gonna go off.” Renn’s eyes looked away, and I could see the strain on his forehead as he continued. “I’m finding it difficult to forgive Pete and all his choices, especially seeing how this has affected my brothers. I mean it when I say that I don’t blame him for my dad’s death, and I could even look past the affair with Mary—chalk it up to being none of my business—but everything he’s done since she died, that’s on him.”
“Poor Pete. He really thought he was doing the right thing.”
“Why are you defending him?”
“I’m not defending him. I just see it from his side, having experienced what it’s like when you know you should behave differently, but just can’t. My grandma used to say to me, ‘Sadie, if you’re in a hole, for God’s sake, stop digging.’ It’s brilliant advice, but hard to do.”
Renn looked agitated, like he wanted to argue. But his better angels prevailed because he sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around my waist, pulling me back to his chest. He fit his head into my neck and nuzzled in. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”
He grazed his lips over me, and my body came to life under his ministrations. The den was on the other side of the house, but I could hear the faint sounds of Gage’s laughter, still smell the greasy pizza scent wafting from that direction, but all that faded as Renn captured my complete attention. He positioned one hand on my lower back to press me closer. His other hand gripped my jeans at my waist as his thumb slid underneath my thin cotton sweater. Moving his lips from my neck to my face, he didn’t hesitate as he kissed me greedily, capturing my mouth as his hand continued its exploration from hip to belly, inching up toward my breasts.
I shivered as his callused palm pressed on my bare skin. Renn was possessive, confident, and every ounce of his desire was on display as he progressed his hand over my ribs and bra, resting his fingers on the collarbone exposed by my V-neck. He moved his lips lower, kissing my jaw and pulling down the sweater to mouth every inch of skin he could touch.
The tentative flick of his tongue to the valley of my chest woke me from pleasure to participation. I groaned and pushed the top of his head into my breasts, and he made a throaty noise as I dug my fingers into his scalp, tugging on the soft waves of his hair to pull him even closer. I surrendered to the overheated sensations, twisting my hand in his shirt before moving my hold lower to grip the erection straining against his zipper.
“Damn.” He pulled away from me and glanced toward the den, where an oblivious Gage was still laughing at whatever was on the screen. Renn’s chest was heaving, but he took a few deep inhales to calm himself before calling out, “Hey buddy—you doing okay in there?” I smiled at him as he caught his breath. He returned the grin, reaching out to place my hand back on his cock, encouraging me to apply pressure.
“I’m good,” Gage shouted. “I’ve seen this episode before, you know.”
I almost giggled as I continued to grasp Renn, moving my palm back and forth over his jeans. Absently, I took note that he was rather large down there, and I had the briefest flash of panic becauseohmygodholyshitballs I was touching Renn’s dick and this was really happening and it felt so good and jesusfuckingchrist was I going to see him naked!!??Damn, I craved seeing him naked. I gave another squeeze. Yup, still real.
“Hey, Gage, would you mind shutting the door? Sadie and I are trying to talk.”
“Sure.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Gage get up to close the square-paned French doors leading to the den.
Renn pulled my other leg over him, so I was straddling his lap. The breath whooshed out of me when he stood up. I hooked my legs together instinctively against his back, lacing my fingers behind his neck to steady myself. He captured my gaze with serious eyes. All traces of boyishness vanished as he growled out, “Sadie, I let you go before and I don’t want to do that ever again. If you need me to go slower, I will, but I know what I want.”
I tightened my legs around his middle, clinging to him like a koala. “Renn?”
“I want you in my bed.”
CHAPTER
Seventeen
November 2015
Renn had afirm grip on my ass, locking our lips together as he carried me toward the hallway. It felt amazing, but I hadn’t expected us to move so quickly. I thought maybe we should slow down.
I was just about to say so when I heard the front door open, followed by the sounds of shuffling feet and a bag being dropped on the tile. Archie’s distinct New England accent drifted in from the kitchen. “Renn, where ya at, kid?”
The interruption was for the best. Before we jumped into bed, I needed to make sure Renn understood some things about that part of my life. I sighed and dipped my head into Renn’s neck, chuckling as I slid down his body to my feet before leaning into his ear. “Foiled again, Batman.”
He exhaled and peered at me regretfully before reaching down to adjust the bulge in his pants. Resigned, he twined our fingers together before leading me back toward the kitchen.
