Real Good Man (Real Duet #1)

“We might as well supersize it.”

Shuffling footsteps come from behind us, and I glance over my shoulder to see Mrs. Harris, Emmy’s mom, coming down the vitamin aisle, still dressed in her housecoat and curlers.

f*ck.

I drag Banner around the corner by a hand, and her eyes dart up to mine and then behind me.

“Who’s that?” she whispers.

“Emmy Harris’s mom.”

I can hear the woman’s trademark humming as it grows louder. We edge closer to the pharmacy area, where I see another familiar face.

Nicole is standing at the counter, and the pharmacy tech tells her, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t sell you any pseudoephedrine products right now.”

Banner catches my eye, and we both hurry toward the other side of the store and dart up the aisle. In our hurry, Banner reaches out and grabs a bag of Doritos and shoves it into my arms.

“Quick. Get in line. I’m getting ice cream, and I’ll meet you there.”

I’m not sure when Operation: Buy Lube became top secret, but I’m having too much fun sneaking around the store with Banner to argue. And besides, I’ve got a powerful sweet tooth when it comes to ice cream.

“It better not be chocolate,” I tell her as I move toward the counter.

The cashier is the slowest in the history of the planet, but since Banner hasn’t joined me, I’m not gonna complain.

A small container of Rocky Road lands on the counter next to me.

“I figured Rocky Road was appropriate to pave the way to brown town,” she says with a laugh.

The man in front of me takes his receipt, and the cashier, a younger woman, reaches for our purchases as soon as Banner starts laughing at her own joke. The cashier’s eyes go wide when she comprehends.

“Brown Town? Is that up in the foothills, Logan? I’m not sure I’ve heard of it,” a familiar voice says from behind me.

Oh, for Christ’s sake.

I turn around to face Mrs. Harris, her hands full with a box of tea and a bottle of melatonin, but when I open my mouth to respond, nothing comes out.

Banner smiles sweetly and says, “It’s just south of p*ssy Ridge. At least, I’m pretty sure it is.”

I choke, and the cashier’s face turns red.

“p*ssy Ridge. I haven’t heard of that either. I’ll have to ask Mr. Harris to get out the Rand McNally so we can take a drive there this weekend. I do love my weekend drives.”

I have no idea how Banner is keeping a straight face, but she replies, “I love a good long ride too. Especially when it gets a little rough.”

The older woman smiles. “Me too. Emmy has never been a fan, though. She’s always gotten carsick at the littlest bump.”

Banner finally grins. “That explains so much about her.”

The cashier’s eyes are tearing up as I shove money at her before I bag the ice cream, Doritos, and lube myself.

“See you later, Mrs. Harris. You’ll have to let us know how that drive goes.”

I wave, grabbing Banner by the hand and pulling her out of the store behind me. She dissolves into peals of laughter as I open her door and give her a boost into the passenger seat of the truck.

“You’re terrible.”

Tears are streaming down her face. “What? It was too easy. You have to admit you’d pay to see the look on Mr. Harris’s face when she asks him if they can go to Brown Town this weekend.”

I cover my face with my hand as my entire body begins to shake. “Jesus, woman. I’ll never be able to go into that CVS again without remembering this.”

She winks at me. “Good. Mission accomplished.”

I shut the door, my lips stretched in a grin as I round the hood to the driver’s side.

Nicole comes hurrying out of the store and almost collides with an old man and his walker when she sees me. She jerks in the other direction and hurries off like nothing happened.

What the pharmacy tech said to her comes rolling back through my brain. Pseudoephedrine is used to make meth.

My smile dies away.

Nicole’s one of the hardest-working people I know. Always hustling to make extra money because she wants to buy the bowling alley, and everyone knows it.

You can sell a box of over-the-counter drugs with pseudoephedrine in it for good money, from what I’ve heard around town.

I don’t like how things are adding up, especially because I can’t think of another reason she’d be maxed out on her limit and trying to buy it three towns away from Gold Haven. Jeff barely escaped from that overdose with his life, and now he’s in the county jail awaiting trial because he pled not guilty to distribution, even though the cops found a bunch of shit in his car.

I decide not to say anything to Banner right now. She doesn’t have any need to know.

When I climb into my truck and her smile is still intact, I know I’m making the right choice. There’s a whole hell of a lot I’d do to keep that shine in her eyes and that laughter on her lips.

“You’re f*cking beautiful, Banner. But when you laugh, you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”

She quiets, and the smile on her lips fades a few degrees. “You’re just saying that because I’ve got ice cream, and you get to put it in my butt later.”

I shake my head. “No. That’s not it. You’re a damn good woman, and I’m pretty sure you’re gonna wreck me for anyone else.”

I expect another flippant response, but instead she leans toward me and whispers, “You’ve already ruined me for other men, so I guess that makes us even.”

Right there, in the parking lot of CVS, over ice cream, Doritos, and lube, I realize the truth. I’m in love with her, and I’m totally and completely f*cked.





Chapter 41


Banner


The remains of our binge litter the top of the bar. A carton of ice cream, an empty wine bottle, a crumpled bag of Doritos, six empty beers, and an open bottle of lube.

My ass is planted on the counter and my legs are over Logan’s shoulders while he proves once again that he does his best work when his hands are involved.

I scream out my orgasm as his fingertips circle the sensitive area just south of my p*ssy.

“I could tease your ass forever. I can’t believe you’re finally going to take me here.” His words are vibrations against my clit, already rousing the possibility of climax number two.

“If that big cock of yours will even fit.”

His finger breaches the muscle and I shiver at the sensation. It’s been a while for me, and for some reason, every time feels like the first time when it comes to the back door.

“Your tight little ass is going to be sore tomorrow if I get to f*ck you the way I need it.”

I don’t even care. “You better give me everything you’ve got.”

“Every goddamned inch, baby.”

His finger slides in and out, and I arch up to rub my clit against his lips.

Until my phone rings and Logan stops.

“No—”

“Okay.”

He keeps going as the ring tone dies away, only to freeze again when it starts back up.

“Seriously! What the hell kind of timing is this?” I screech.

Logan lowers my legs from his shoulders and reaches for my purse with his free hand.

I take it from him, and fish the phone out to check the screen.