Another One Bites the Dust by Lani Lynn Vale

of him until he stopped moving, got Amanda’s friend to take her to the hospital and then took Corinne to my car.  That’s when she told me she didn’t want to go to the hospital.  She doesn’t want to report it.”
    “She’s probably just scared.  Why don’t you go grab a drink out of the fridge and come sit down?  We’ll wait until we hear back from Payton before we do anything else.”
    He did what he was instructed to do, and I smiled inwardly when I saw him grab one of Payton’s chocolate milks.  She’d have a fit later, and by the pleased smile on his face, he knew it, too.
    “Your sister tells me you’re going navy.  Why you gotta go and do that?”  I ribbed him.
    “I want to be a SEAL.  Always have.  Just don’t tell my dad, he doesn’t know yet.  I want to wait until I get the papers signed so he can’t try to change my mind.  He’s a formidable force when he wants something to go his way and it doesn’t.  He’ll probably give you so much shit.  Especially if you end up marrying my sister.  He’s always trying to introduce her to a marine that just moved to town.”  He said.
    My temper started to flare.  “Who’s this marine you speak of?”
    He looked at me with an evil glint in his eye.  “Some hot shit guy on the police force.  She doesn’t want to date him though.  She’s had the hots for you for a while now.  She thinks your shit don’t stink.”
    “Oh, his shit stinks.  Just take our word for it.  Is this guy Luke Roberts?”  James asked.
    “Yeah, how’d you know?”  Bennett asked.
    James smiled at Bennett.  “He’s a friend of ours.  Moved out here about two years ago though.”
    Bennett waved his hand as if that wasn’t an important fact.  “That’s what I meant.  So, what are your intentions with my sister?”
    I decided to throw him a curve ball.  “We’re getting married.” 
    “You knocked her up, didn’t you?”  Bennett laughed.
    “Not yet, but I plan to.”  I snorted.
    I did, too.  As soon as she would let me. 
    “Is that right, Max?  When are we getting married?”  Payton asked from the doorway.
    I didn’t miss a beat.
    “When’s your next three day weekend?”  I asked while standing and making my way to her.
    “This weekend.  I took the next week off.  My charge nurse felt that you may need more time with me, and told me to go ahead and take my vacation if I wanted to.  Where are we doing this?”  She asked while backing away from my advance.
    My eyes lit and I maneuvered around the couch she was trying to hide behind, unsuccessfully I might add.  “So we can go to Vegas this weekend?”
    “You bet, big boy.  Just gotta ask my daddy for my hand first.”  She said gleefully.
    Bennett threw his head back and laughed uncontrollably.  I had a feeling I’d been had.  They knew something I didn’t, but that wasn’t going to stop me.  I was going to make her eat those words.  I’d go speak with him tomorrow morning, let him kick my ass, and have her married by next week.
    “Deal.”  I said, my lips a hairsbreadth away from hers.
    “Fuck me.  I think I need to go take a shower after that!”  James said wile fanning himself exaggeratedly.
    Payton raised on her tippy toes, waiting patiently for me to kiss her.  I didn’t disappoint.  Taking her face in my hands, I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.  Just the slightest of touches.  I didn’t want to start something I knew couldn’t be finished.  She’d denied me for the past two days, and I knew it was a fruitless effort seeing as she said she would do nothing with me until I was cleared by the doctor first.  I’d called and moved the appointment to tomorrow morning, just because I didn’t think I could wait much longer.  I was tired of the never-ending erection.  That much blood going to my dick couldn’t be good for my brain.
    “So what happened?”  Bennett finally asked what we’d all been wondering.
    “She