The Perfect Match: A New Adult Erotic Romance (Inseparable Book 2) (26 page)

Polly felt hot and cold, tired and energized, and a thousand other contrasting things. Pushing herself to stand up, she went to lean against Kurt’s firm chest and wrap her arms around him. “Oh, baby,” she purred as she took deep breaths of him.

“I think I can make it through the parade now,” he said as he kissed her hair.

“Me, too,” she murmured. “My feet are cold. Do you still have my panties?”

He pulled them out of his pocket and asked, “They’re still wet. Can’t I just keep ‘em?”

She laughed. “I’ve got about a gallon of you inside me right now. If I don’t wear panties everyone who sees me will know!” She took them from his fingers and pulled them up slowly while he watched.

“You are so beautiful,” he said quietly.

“Stop,” she said as she picked her jeans off the floor, feeling the heat in her face. She laughed when she asked, “Aren’t you going to zip your pants?”

“Fine,” he said as he stood, zipping and buttoning them after he got them up.

“Does the
Cinnamon Wind
have room for... uh...”

Kurt grinned and said, “Yeah.”

“Maybe once things settle down you can show me around.”

“I’d like that.”

* * *

A
fter they returned, Polly left Kurt to finish working on the parade float while she took a quick shower before Charlotte arrived with their dresses. She had to bag her clothes because the smell of sex and sweat was too obvious, then stashed the bag at the bottom of her suitcase before anyone noticed.

After her shower, she put on sweats and hung out in the living room with the rest of the family. Sitting with Julie on the couch, she leaned over to whisper, “Thanks, I owe you.”

Julie whispered back with an amused expression, “You look
relaxed
.”

“Oh, I am,” she answered, smiling back. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine for now, just going to have to avoid spicy foods for a few weeks like last time,” she said as she touched her stomach. “I don’t want anyone else to know until we get a little further along. I don’t want to jinx it.”

“I agree,” Polly said as she patted her leg. “My lips are sealed.”

“So where did you go?” Julie asked with an amused grin.

“The
St. Marie
,” she answered, returning her look with an embarrassed expression.

“Polly!” she laughed.

“Don’t ask if you don’t want to know!”

“Good for you,” she said quietly. “I’m so happy for you.”

“He almost said it again,” Polly said as she leaned against her friend’s arm.

“I bet he does tonight after he sees you at the parade,” Julie teased.

“You know their family better than I do. I’m not breaking some rule or stepping over some invisible line, am I?”

“No,” she said. “I actually spoke to Claire about it. Her reaction was to get a little weepy and say she’s glad you care about their traditions.”

“That takes a load off my mind,” Polly said with a sigh.

Just then Charlotte swept in with both of their dresses in vinyl bags. “Ready to play dress up?” she called out to them both.

They followed Charlotte up the stairs to the tiny bedroom Polly was staying in. After spreading the bags on the bed, Charlotte grinned as she unzipped the first one and promptly took Polly’s breath away. “Oh my god, Charlotte, it’s gorgeous!”

“Thank you,” she said as she pulled the purple and green dress out of the bag and presented it to Polly and Julie for their inspection. “Get the mask and make sure I got the right shade ofgreen.”

Polly dug the box out of her suitcase and got out the mask Kurt had given her for Christmas. When she lay the green feathers across the dress, all three women sighed the exact same way, which made them look at each other and laugh.

“Okay, let’s get you dressed,” Charlotte said.

Polly quickly stripped out of her sweats and got out her slip from the suitcase. After putting it on, she let Charlotte and Julie help her into the bejeweled dress. Charlotte had made it from an old pattern she had and sized it to fit Polly’s figure. Looking at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door she asked, “Who is that?”

“My sister,” Charlotte said as she squeezed Polly in a one armed hug. “Oh, it came out perfect.”

“I can’t believe you made this!” Julie said as she inspected the sequins and jeweled bead work. “It’s incredible!”

“I been helping Meemee do stuff like this for years,” she said with a blush rising on her cheeks. “I’m just glad I could help. Kurt is gonna shit bricks when he sees you.”

The dress flared around her hips, but stopped just above the knees to show off her shapely legs. The snug sleeves had gold piping and lace, and the bust was cut low and tight to display her breasts. Polly turned around to see it flare, noting the gold lining that sparkled when she did.

They helped Charlotte put on her dress next. It was the same style as Polly’s with inverted colors, so where Polly’s was predominantly green, Charlotte’s was purple. Charlotte’s mask was also simpler than Polly’s but was still beautiful.

There was a knock at the door and Jack said, “Ladies, your chariot awaits.”

With one final check of the mirror, Julie opened the door with a grin to let them descend the stairs. Polly felt her heart pounding in her ears.
What will Kurt do when he sees me? What will his parents say? Am I really gonna do this?

Charlotte took her hand when the got to the bottom of the stairs as the kids and visiting family hooted and howled at the pair. They were greeted by Claire who had a huge grin on her face as she inspected the dresses.

“
Sha
, what a job you did,” she said to Charlotte. “The needlework is perfect.”

“Thanks, Meemee,” she said with a flush of pride.

“And you, child,” she said as she turned to Polly. “Is that the mask Kurt got you for Christmas?” She said it loudly enough that the whole room heard her question. Some gasped who hadn’t been seen the picture Jack had sent around back in December.

“Yes,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “Do you like it?”

“I do, yes, but do you know what that means in our family?” she asked taking both of her hands.

“Yes, ma’am,” Polly said with a significant nod. “I do.”

Claire embraced her and whispered, “Welcome to the family,
sha
. I am so happy for you both.” The rest of the family in the large living room clapped and whistled their approval. “Let’s get you all on the float.”

The family Mardi Gras tradition expected the unmarried adults to dress up to throw the doubloons and plastic jewelry to the crowds from the family float. Some of them only put on colorful shirts or funny masks, but the ones who respected the tradition and could afford it went all out for full costumes. Polly being invited to ride the float was a special honor. As an unofficial member of the family, her connections to Julie, Charlotte, and Kurt were enough to prompt Claire to ask if she wanted to participate.

The whole family followed the float riders out into the yard to see them off. They had to leave early to line up with the other floats before the parade. The rest of the family would join them along the parade route through the center of town. Afterward there would be a fais do-do and crawfish boil back at Claire and Garson’s house. Polly should have been starving, but was too nervous to think about food.

The other unattached family members were already lined up to get in the float. She knew Michael from Thanksgiving and he introduced her to his sister Tamara. They were both dressed up, but nothing like the dresses Charlotte had made. Charlotte introduced her to another cousin, Grace, who was just eighteen, so this was her first time to ride in the parade. Claire had made her a dress for the special occasion and she looked lovely.

“Shouldn’t there be more than the five of us?” she asked, really looking around for Kurt.

Charlotte chuckled and said, “Aunt Laurie and her family haven’t arrived for some reason. Trey should have been here along with his younger brother, Landon, and his sisters, Mary and Claire.” She was more subdued when she added, “It’s a shame, because this was Claire’s first year to ride in the float.”

Pawpaw Garson started his big white truck that pulled the float. Now Polly was getting a little panicked. “Where’s Kurt? He can’t miss the parade.”

“Relax,” Charlotte said. “He’s got to shower and change after working all day. He’ll meet us where we line up.”

The family cheered them off as they waved from the back of the trailer, the streamers fluttering in the breeze as Pawpaw drove slowly up the road toward town.

Charlotte pointed out the boxes around their feet that were full of colorful fake jewelry and doubloons. After her brief explanation of what to do, the four of them sat down on the wooden benches around the edge of the trailer. Polly grinned and chatted with the others as they drove, but found her thoughts returning to a hot, stuffy pilot house earlier in the afternoon.
Oh, Kurt, I hope you appreciate this.

Lined up with the other floats, Polly was amazed at how grand some of them were. The Brousard family float was wonderful, but some of them looked as professional as the floats in the holiday parades she’d seen on television. She was scanning the crowd when she saw Kurt’s car drive up and park nearby.

“There’s Kurt,” she said as her stomach twisted in knots.

Charlotte turned to look and her mouth dropped open. “Christopher?” she muttered under her breath.

Polly looked and saw Kurt looking splendid in tight black and gold pants with a loose white shirt almost like a pirate might wear. He had on tall black leather boots and was carrying a dark green jacket over his arm. Getting out of his passenger seat was Christopher Dunlop wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The two of them shook hands, then Kurt pointed up the parade route before they both made their way over to the line of floats.

When Kurt got closer to the float, he called out, “Guess who I found?”

“You rat!” Charlotte said in mock outrage at her brother, then turned to Christopher. “When did you get here?”

Christopher grinned up at her and said, “Wow, you look amazing.”

Charlotte hurried down the steps to get off the float and flung herself at him. “Oh, what a great surprise.” He lifted her feet off the ground as he hugged her, then sat her back with a big grin. He had thick muscles in his shoulders and chest like a bodybuilder, but there was a gentleness to his expression when he looked at Charlotte.

Kurt hopped up in the float, put on his jacket, then pulled a thin black mask out of his shirt pocket and snapped it on with a flourish. “Tada!” Then, when he got a good look at Polly, his mouth opened to whisper, “Whoa.”

That one little
whoa
give her chills up and down her body. She watched his eyes through the mask as he scanned her from her toes up. When he got to her face, he shut his mouth with a snap.

“That’s the mask I got you for Christmas,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” she said as she stepped closer to him. “Your Meemee really liked it.”

“She’s seen it?” he asked with hope clearly in his question.

“Everyone has,” she said as she put her hands on his shoulders to pull him into a kiss.

It lasted so long Grace muttered, “God, get a room.”

Kurt broke away to mutter back, “Shut up, Grace.” Then he kissed Polly again, pulling her tight against his chest. She pulled away to rest her cheek against his chest to listen to his heartbeat pound. “I love you,” he whispered as he kissed her hair.

“I know,” she replied, quoting their favorite movie.

* * *

T
he parade was exciting and fun, full of loud music, happy revelers, and handfuls of treasure thrown to the crowd. Polly laughed and waved at the crowd, paying special attention to the little ones with their hands in the air to catch the things she threw to them.

Kurt and the rest were just as busy and called out to friends and family as they passed. It didn’t last nearly long enough for Polly, but soon Pawpaw reached the end of the parade route and turned toward home.

“How’s Christopher getting to Meemee and Pawpaw’s house?” Charlotte asked with a worried expression.

“He’s got my keys and the address for his GPS,” Kurt said as he sat down next to Polly on the wooden bench. “I saw him hanging out with Uncle Jack, so he can always follow them.”

Charlotte sat down on the other side of him and leaned in out of the wind. “Thank you for arranging that,” she said, but Polly caught an undertone of disapproval in her voice.

Shaking her head, Polly laughed, “He’s crazy about you, girl!”

Charlotte and Kurt shared a look, then she frowned. “It’s complicated. I’m not so sure I want to get that involved with him yet. I’d rather just stay friends.”

“Has he got kids or a crazy ex?” Polly asked, but Charlotte kept shaking her head. It was obvious she was getting uncomfortable, so Polly decided to drop the subject. “Did you see little Jackson? He actually caught one of the necklaces I threw! I bet Julie won’t be able to pry his fat fingers away from it all night.”

“I know, right?” Charlotte answered, looking relieved. Kurt squeezed Polly’s hand and gave her a nod of thanks.

“So I’ve never eaten crawfish before,” Polly offered, looking at them both. “How do I do it?”

“It’s easy,” Kurt replied. “You just break the tail off and split it open to get the meat. I’ll show you the trick, but you’ll need to wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.” When he mentioned getting dirty there was a certain look in his eye that made Polly blush.

“They taste like a cross between shrimp and lobster,” Charlotte added. “Meemee seasons them hot, but it don’t burn too bad if you keep eatin’ ‘em.” She was keeping an eye on the road behind them, probably looking for Kurt’s car.

Pawpaw Garson pulled into the yard and drove back towards the barn, then parked to leave the trailer where it had been at Thanksgiving to use for a bandstand. The men helped the ladies down the stairs, then Kurt took her hand and led her towards the tables lined up outside the house.

“Want a beer?” he asked.

“Definitely, and something to nibble on. Crackers, chips, anything.”