Susan Mallory - Sizzling

She folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me."

"I want you," he said, knowing he was getting it all wrong, but not sure what else to say. "You mean a lot to me. More than a lot. I like what we have together and you like it, too. I would never do anything to mess things up."

She raised her eyebrows. "But?"

He sucked in a breath. "I came home and went upstairs because you're coming up and I wanted to take a shower. I walked into my bedroom and they were just there. I didn't let them in. I've been gone. You know that, right? I've been at the gym. They were just there."

He paused and waited, braced for the explosion.

"Who was where?"

"These two women. You don't know them. They're baseball groupies. Twins. I want them to leave, but I don't know how to make them. I'm afraid they'll take anything I say as encouragement."

He couldn't read her expression. Something flashed in her eyes, but it was gone before he could identify it.

"They're upstairs?" she asked.

"In my bed. Naked."

Her eyes widened. "You have two naked women in your bed?"

He nodded frantically, then grabbed her arm. "You have to help me. I swear, I didn't contact them. I don't want them here. I don't want any of this."

One corner of her mouth twitched. "Is the big bad baseball player afraid?"

"Terrified."

"You expect me to go up there and throw them out?"

"That would be great."

"I'm assuming you've slept with them."

He glanced down and shuffled his feet. "It was a long time ago."

"Both of them? At the same time?"

He nodded glumly.

"Impressive."

He looked at her. Okay, maybe he wasn't the best judge of women, but if he had to guess, he would say Lori wasn't totally furious with him.

Her mouth twitched again. "What did you want me to say to them?"

"That we're together. That you don't stand for this sort of thing. Not ever. You could tell them I'm not interested, if you want. Because I'm not. You're the only woman I want in my life."

"All right."

She turned and walked up the stairs. He followed, not sure how this was going to go, but relieved to have Lori take charge.

She walked through the living room and into his bedroom. The twins were still sprawled naked on his bed.

The one on the right smiled when she saw Lori.

"Hi. We've never done a foursome before. This could be fun."

Lori glanced around the room, then walked over to the neatly folded clothing on the dresser and picked it up.

"Aren't you two a little old for games like this?" she asked. "Showing up naked in a guy's bed seems beneath you. You're attractive women. Do something with your lives. Go to college, have a career. Be more than your bust size."

The twins looked at each other, then at Lori. "But we like this."

Lori tossed them their clothes. "Do you? Really? Are you proud of yourselves? Can you tell your grandmother how you spend your day? When you were little, didn't you want more than this?"

The twin on the left blinked. "I always liked working with animals. I thought I'd work in a vet's office, you know?"

"Fine. Do that. Do anything. In about ten years your looks are going to go. Then what? You need to think about your future. Open an IRA, start learning about current events. Grow up. In the meantime, get dressed and get out of here. I'm with Reid and he doesn't cheat on me."

The twins looked at each other again, then shrugged. "Okay," the one on the right said.

They got up and dressed.

"We're sorry about barging in," the spokestwin said. "We didn't know Reid was serious about anyone."

Reid had kept quiet through the conversation, sensing things would go better if Lori was in charge. Now he walked over to her and put his arm around her.

"I'm serious," he said clearly. "Totally serious. Involved. We're together."

The twins smiled. "That's good. Okay. Well, good luck with everything."

They collected their purses and left.

He waited until their footsteps had faded, then looked at Lori.

"You saved me."

"Apparently. I can't believe you dated those two. They give airheads a bad name."

He stared into her hazel eyes. "I didn't date them, Lori. I had sex with them. That's who I was. A lowlife bastard who accepted every interesting invitation sent my way. I didn't require anything of them and I sure as hell didn't require anything of myself."

It was as honest as he'd ever been in his life.

"I'm not proud of that past. I won't apologize for it, but I'm done with it. I'm not that guy anymore."

He braced himself for a crack or worse, her withdrawal. Instead she leaned in and kissed him.

"I know," she whispered. "You've turned into someone quite amazing."

He liked the sound of that. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her close. "I've always been amazing."

"Okay, maybe. But now it doesn't have anything to do with getting naked."

He cupped her rear and squeezed. "It could."

She laughed softly. "I have to get downstairs to your grandmother, but we're on for later, right?"

"Oh, yeah."

She smiled and he smiled and then it was like someone hit him in the chest with a baseball bat. He felt the impact and the air rushed out of him and he couldn't breathe.

He loved her. Honest to God, he loved her. Everything about her. The way she talked, how her brain worked, the scent of her skin, her sense of humor, her combination of toughness and caring.

She was the best part of his world and she'd made him into a better man. He wanted her and he needed her.

He wanted to be with her always. He wanted to marry her.

"Reid? Are you all right?"

"I'm good."

He wanted to tell her right that second, then he hesitated. Telling Lori he loved her was a big deal and he wanted to say it right. He wanted the moment to be special and powerful. He didn't want her thinking he was just grateful for how she'd handled the twins.

Tonight, he thought. When they were alone. He would confess his feelings and propose. Was there time to go buy a ring?

Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen.

"It's Madeline," she said, paling slightly. "She would only bother me at work if there was an emergency." She pushed the talk button. "Hello?"

Reid waited while she listened. As he watched, the worry faded and elation took its place.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "For real? When? Oh, my God! I'll be right there. I know. It's amazing. I love you."

She hung up and grinned at him. "She got the call. There's a donor."

LORI SAT on Madeline's bed and counted socks. "We don't have to worry about you bringing everything," she said. "I can go get anything you need."

"I know." Madeline's lips turned up in a smile, but her eyes looked worried. "I'll feel better when I have my suitcase packed."

Lori suspected her sister's issues weren't about the suitcase. "Are you okay?"

"Sure. I'm scared but excited. Did I mention scared?"

"Scared?" Reid asked as he carried in an empty suitcase and put it on Madeline's bed. "Who's scared?"

"No one," Madeline said with a smile. "Just maybe a little chicken."

"Which beats being a big chicken," Reid said. "Or a duck."

Madeline laughed.

Lori stood and pulled her sister close. "This is a great thing. You know that, right? It's your chance."

"I know. I'm so grateful to find a match. I wasn't sure we ever would. I'm such a difficult blood type. But we did and now I have a chance again. That's all good. Reid, I don't want you to think I'm not grateful. You put yourself out there for me."

"I delivered an important message," he said. "Nothing more." He patted her arm. "I'll leave you two to your packing."

When he was gone Madeline sighed. "He's a good man. I just wish there'd been more time."

"What do you mean?" Lori asked.

"I'm not ready to do this." Madeline held up her hand before Lori could protest. "I know. Without a transplant, I die. I want the surgery. It's just…"

Lori understood. They were talking about a serious operation. "You have a great doctor. Remember that."

Madeline stepped back and smiled. "I do. Still, it's weird to think about someone else's liver in my body. It sounds so gross."

"It beats being dead."

"You always did have a talent for putting things in perspective." Madeline picked up a nightgown and folded it. "I'm happy, of course. This is a chance for me to live a relatively normal life. But I also can't get my mind around the fact that someone else has to die to make this happen. I don't think I'm worthy of that."

"You didn't kill the person. Even if you don't take their liver, they're still going to die."

"I know, but…" She shook her head. "I guess I can't explain it. I just feel weird. Happy and grateful, but weird."

"You're not going to change your mind about the surgery, are you?"

Madeline shook her head. "It's too late. Besides, how many people get a second chance like this? I want the operation. I never thought it would happen and yet it's here. But it does make me think. If I don't come back, I want you to be okay with that."

Not come back? Madeline kept on talking, but Lori wasn't listening. Not come back?

Madeline had to come back. She, Lori, refused to accept any other outcome. Coming back was very much a part of the plan.

Until that moment, Lori had never thought of her sister dying in any but the most theoretical sense. Surgery could go badly, but that was for other people. Her sister had always been in her life. They were family. They had always been family.

"You can't die," she blurted without thinking. "I couldn't stand it."