“It would seem,” he murmured, running his hand down my spine. Fuuuuudge.

My nose filled with his earthy scent, I tilted my head up to look at him. We smiled, and I went out to greet my terribly ill-timed guests.

It was a fun night—great food, great music, new friends, and family. We started with a cocktail hour that consisted of three mai tais and a very icy root beer. Lucas had found an old tiki bar recipe book, and we’d been re-creating some of the tasty cocktails from that era. So far our favorites had been the Beachcomber and the Painkiller—although the mai tais were pretty damn tasty.

Watching Viv and Clark together was something else; I’ve never seen anyone flirt and bicker simultaneously so well. With the level of adoration between those two, their bickering was clearly foreplay. Vivian only had eyes for Clark, while he thought she hung the moon. Viv talked a good game, but she was so smitten with my cousin it was funny to see.

Lucas and Clark had immediately clicked, and the two were inside the house now, scooping ice cream for everyone.

Vivian and I were sitting on the back patio under the stars, enjoying some coffee to Dean Martin’s “All of Me.”

“Explain yourself this very second,” Viv said, putting her feet up on the seat between us and leaning back in her chair.

“Explain what exactly?” I asked, curious.

“Explain how you are not hitting that?” She pointed through the sliding glass door at Lucas, coming out of the kitchen holding two bowls.

“Oh my God,” I moaned, praying that he didn’t hear her. He didn’t seem to, although Clark took one look at Viv and raised his eyebrow.

“What are you up to?” he questioned, setting down a bowl of ice cream in front of her.

“Why would I be up to anything?” she asked innocently, attacking her ice cream with a vengeance.

“Because you look like you’re up to something,” he said, sitting down next to her. “You look guilty.”

“I’m just sitting here visiting with your cousin, waiting for my fiancé to bring me some ice cream,” she said, blinking at him. “Whatever could I be up to?”

I snorted and took the ice cream Lucas handed to me. His expression was equally curious, but a glare from Viv made Clark drop the subject.

“So, Lucas. You’re shipping out soon I hear. Belize?” Viv asked, spooning up her mint chocolate chip.

“Yeah, I’m doing another tour with Vets Without Borders. I leave for Belize in a few weeks.”

“Right after the Fourth, right?” she asked.

“Yep.”

“So two weeks, not a few,” Viv said, and I dropped my spoon with a clatter.

“I guess so, yeah.”

Stunned, I didn’t listen as they continued to talk. Wow, he’d be gone in two weeks! Two weeks from now and my nights and weekends would be decidedly Lucas free. He’d be out of the country and away from Monterey for—

“Three months? Did you know that, Chloe? Three months!”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Viv, I knew that.” I sighed, catching Lucas’ eye across the table. “Vets Without Borders does amazing work. I’m sure he’ll have all kinds of stories to tell us when he gets back,” I said, my voice full of pride. Three months. Wow.

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll have stories,” Viv said in a tone, and now I was one fixing her with a glare.

Oblivious, Clark started asking Lucas whether he’d visited Belize before, and whether he was planning on visiting the rain forests while he was there.

I took the opportunity to pinch Viv’s arm. “Hey, I see what you’re doing—knock it off.”

“First, I can’t believe you just pinched a pregnant woman. Second, I can’t believe you are not hitting that! What on God’s green earth is stopping you? Third, and this is the pregnancy hormones talking, if Clark says it’s okay, I’m going to hit that if you don’t!” This was all said in a stage whisper while Lucas and Clark talked guy talk about monkeys or something. “And fourth, can I have some more ice cream?”

“Oh, for God’s sake. First, I’ll pinch you again if you don’t keep your voice down. Second, it’s complicated. Third, you hit that and I’ll pinch more than your arm. Fourth, of course you can have more. Mint chocolate chip or mocha almond fudge?”

I was nothing if not a good hostess.

“First, try it. Second, nothing is so complicated; that man clearly wants you bouncing on his dick. Third, Clark would never let me, hormones or not. And frankly, he keeps me pretty damn happy, if you know what I’m saying. And fourth, mocha almond fudge, please,” she finished, pushing her bowl toward me.

“Bouncing on his dick?” I whispered back, horrified.

I whispered a little too loudly, because I became suddenly aware of two sets of male eyes on me. One pair, warm and brown, looked equally horrified at my choice of words. The second pair, ice blue and dazzling, merely looked amused.

And now a pair of sea-glass green eyes, full of laughter and mischief as she waved a spoon in my direction. “I’ll take two scoops of that mocha almond fudge, if you don’t mind.” Viv sat back against her cushions, pleased as punch.

“Coming right up,” I said through gritted teeth. I dashed into the kitchen, where I promptly put my head in the freezer. And that’s how Lucas found me moments later.

“Pretty sure that’s how the ice cream melts,” he said, startling me and causing me to knock my head on the ice trays.

“Fudge,” I groaned, pulling my head out and rubbing it.

“No, thanks, I’m a mint chocolate chip man myself,” he said, reaching around me and grabbing that container.

Picking up the mocha almond fudge for Viv, I looked at him balefully. “You’re hilarious,” I muttered, reaching for another bowl.

“And you’re weird. Tonight, at least,” he shot back, licking his spoon.

I’d love to be that spoon. I’d love to be that spoon right now. And if that meant rolling around in peppermint and chocolate chips and climbing into a bowl, I’d do it. Hmm, maybe he was right about the weird part.

“Sorry, guess I’m just nervous about the grand opening tomorrow.” I sighed, returning the ice cream to the freezer and leaning against the fridge. “My mother’s coming, did I tell you that?”

“That’s great! I thought she wasn’t going to be able to make it.”

“She wasn’t; she had some charity event this weekend. But my dad called her and told her she was being an ass.” I wrinkled my brow. “Frankly? He didn’t need to do that. It’s going to be stressful enough tomorrow without her here judging the paper napkins and plastic knives and forks.”