Protector for Hire by Tawna Fenske Page A

kept talking so she could hear it again. “You and your brother sound really close.”
    “Yeah. There was just one problem.”
    “What’s that?”
    “The condom wasn’t Grant’s, either.”
    “What? Who put it there?”
    “We didn’t know. But Mom did.”
    “You’re kidding me.”
    He laughed again. “The whole thing was a setup to see how we’d handle the situation. Honor and dignity and sticking together is a big thing in the military. In the Patton family especially.”
    His tone had taken on a slight grimness, and Janelle tried to rewind through the conversation and figure out where things had gone off the rails.
    “So who left the condom?”
    “Our sister, Sheri.”
    “No way!”
    “Yep. She was older than us and in college by then, so it wasn’t like she was some fifteen-year-old getting groped in a borrowed truck. She was home on break, and she’d taken it to the drive-in movies with the guy she’d been dating. I guess they forgot about the condom.”
    “I can’t believe this! So your mom knew all along?”
    “She did. After she finished lecturing Grant and me about honor and respect, she called Sheri out for her talking-to.”
    “Was she harsher on her than she was with you boys?”
    “You mean in the sense of ‘my little princess should be pure and wholesome’?”
    “I guess.”
    “Hell no. Stella Patton doesn’t go for any of that double standard bullshit. She raised her daughter to be empowered and responsible and open about sex. There was no difference between that and how she raised the boys. Well, except one.”
    “What’s that?”
    “After she finished lecturing Sheri about self-respect and public decency laws, she moved to a lecture on demanding sexual satisfaction.”
    “What?”
    “Grant and I tried to take off at that point, but Mom made us stay. She said it was important that we all understand that women are wired differently from men, and that they should expect their partners to respect them enough to take the time and care to bring them pleasure.”
    “Seriously?” She laughed, cradling the phone against her shoulder as she slid her other hand over her hip. “Go, Stella!”
    “Yeah. We were all pretty embarrassed, but deep down, I think we were taking mental notes.”
    Janelle laughed again, trying to imagine a teenage Schwartz filing away the knowledge of how important it was to take his time and go slowly, ensuring his partner’s pleasure. She closed her eyes as the fingers of her left hand stroked her nipple while the right hand slipped beneath the waistband of her shorts. Her skin was soft from her bath oil and smooth from the Brazilian wax she’d endured a week ago, and she sucked in a breath as her fingers trailed downward.
    “So your mom wanted to make sure you knew how to get a girl off.”
    “In a manner of speaking.”
    “Did you learn anything?”
    “Yeah. Never try to pull the wool over Stella Patton’s eyes. Also, multiple orgasms are a thing.”
    “No kidding.” She let her legs fall open as her fingers slipped between them, her brain still ringing with the word “orgasms.”
    “How was that?” he asked. His voice was low and gravelly, and it made Janelle feel like she’d just swallowed a spoonful of melted bittersweet chocolate.
    “How was what?” she breathed.
    “Was that a good enough bedtime story?”
    “Perfect.” She dipped two fingers into her wetness, the rumble of Schwartz’s voice making her tingle everywhere. Some spots more than others.
    “Feeling better now?”
    “Much, much better.” She bit her lip, sliding two fingers inside herself, then drawing back only to slip inside again. She closed her eyes and imagined Schwartz touching her, those huge hands stroking her hips, her breasts, her thighs.
    “I’m glad. Oh, and Janelle?”
    “Mmmm?”
    “Don’t think I don’t know you’re touching yourself on the other side of this wall.”
    “What? How did you—”
    “Good night.”
    And with that, he hung