“You’re bleedin’ a little,” he muttered in my ear.

“I’ll live.”

“You sure I didn’t hurt you?”

“I’m sure I’d tell you if that happened. I’m also sure that the first time that happened between us I don’t want to talk about blood or pain, the former you said is only a little and the latter I barely felt.”

He chuckled.

I settled into my man.

Then I said, “I’m yours.”

His body did a funny jerk before he shifted to shove his face in the side of my neck.

“Forever, Preacher,” I whispered.

“Fuck, I love you, Lyla,” he rumbled.

I liked the sound of those words so much, the feel of them, I turned in his hold and we started making out again.

“Preach, man, where are you? You can’t find dick in this mausoleum!” we heard Jesse hollering. “Dude! Show yourself! Tim bought steaks. Tom’s out firing up the grill. We’re cooking out and christening this pad!”

At the end, his voice was getting closer.

And the bedroom door was open.

“You come back here, brother, I’ll shoot you!” Preacher shouted.

I could actually feel the shock coming down the hall.

Then, sounding like he was getting pissed, “Is Lyla with you?”

I felt something else, something weirdly cold and hot before Preacher yelled, “What do you think, asshole?”

“All right then, cool!” Jesse yelled back. “See you when you come out. Hey, China.”

“Hey, Jess,” I called.

“Yo, China!” I heard Dave shout.

“Yo, Dave!” I shouted back.

It was then I heard Tim, quieter, but I heard him, “Lyla and Preach are goin’ at it?”

“Apparently,” Dave replied, not quiet.

“Then why’s the door open?” Tim asked.

“Because we weren’t around when they started the festivities maybe?” Jesse asked.

“You should close the door!” Tim shouted. “We don’t wanna hear you doing China!”

“How ’bout you all shut up?” Preacher yelled. “That’d be a good idea.”

I started giggling.

He looked down at me. “They’re idiots.”

I put both my hands on his bearded cheeks and replied, “They made perfection even more perfect.”

And earned Preacher kissing me again.

Lyla:

Tommy grilled steaks that night, and it was the first, but not the last time he demonstrated he was exceptionally talented with a grill.

[Smiles]

Dave was high by steak time and determined to get me to agree to pierce my ears and do it himself.

Preacher put a very abrupt end to that.

[Laughs]

And that night, sitting by the pool after eating steaks, kicking back with the guys, was the first time I smoked pot.

[Expression shifts to pensive]

Dave was the one who talked me into it, and looking back, Preacher was not at one with this happening.

Though he let it happen, probably because I was curious and in a safe place with the guys. Also, because he’d learned by then that I made my own decisions and wasn’t a big fan of him intervening when I did.