by Laura Pavlov
“Sit your ass down, Miles. You are so off base. Obviously, someone was there, as the picture wasn’t taken by us. It was Thyme. He followed us in the room.” She led him over to the chair across from her desk and he dropped down to sit.
“Your ex-boyfriend?”
“Yes. He was at the gallery, with his new girlfriend, who also happens to be very pregnant at the moment. It was humiliating to see them, and well, Montgomery here made it look like I wasn’t still single and helped me not feel so pathetic. Thyme was following us around, so we put on a little show. It was harmless. Nothing happened.” She kept her face completely even and reached for my arm and pushed me over to the chair beside her brother.
“So why are you crying this morning?” Miles asked, shifting in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the fact that he’d overreacted. But he hadn’t. Monroe was covering my ass.
“Um, because my asshole ex-boyfriend is having a baby with the woman he cheated on me with—who also happened to be a friend of mine. I’m hungover as hell and feel awful. A rather inappropriate photo of me is circulating. And I just called the vet, and they think I need to put Mr. Boots down today. He hasn’t eaten in over a week. Is that not reason enough?”
He cleared his throat and glanced at me before returning his attention to his sister. “It is. I’m sorry, brother. I just saw the picture and saw red. And then I walked in and she was crying, I don’t know, I just thought you’d fucked her over.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” I said, pushing to my feet and pulling him in for a bear hug. That part was true, but I felt like shit not telling him the whole truth. “Who the fuck is Mr. Boots?”
“Her cat, who has to be as old as Mon. We got him when she was a little girl, and he was already old then.”
She swiped at her eyes to clear away the last of her tears. “It’s been a crappy morning.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, wanting to walk over to her and wrap her in my arms, but I didn’t dare in front of Miles. His shoulders relaxed and he sat back in the chair.
“It’s okay. Jack has actually been very decent to me, Miles. But I think this whole thing has run its course. I texted Harrison this morning. He’s going to make a public statement that this relationship is done. He’ll say the photo last night was a drunken, emotional moment of weakness. So, we can finally put this behind us.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, guys. I got you into this mess and then attacked you for playing your part.” Miles ran a hand over his face, and I saw the distress. Monroe was his weakness. He loved his little sister and just wanted to protect her. Hell, I understood it now that I knew her. I wanted to protect her too.
And the fact that she’d fast-forwarded our breakup. It stung. I wanted to give this a real try, and she couldn’t get out of it fast enough.
“Dude, don’t beat yourself up. I saw the photo. It looked bad. I’m sorry that I put you through that.”
“Don’t be. I’m fucking glad you stuck it to that asshole. I hate that dude.”
“You and me both,” I said, and we laughed as he clapped a hand over my shoulder.
“Okay. Are we all good now? I need to call the vet and make arrangements, prepare for my fake breakup, and get to work.” Monroe pushed to her feet, her back stick straight as she made her way to her brother. “Thanks for flying in here like the giant asshole you are. I love you for it. But I’m a big girl and you need to get to work, and so do I.”
“Love you, Mon. I can stay if you want me to, you know, to help you with Mr. Boots later. I can work remotely today.”
She waved her hands in front of her face. “You have to stop treating me like a child, Miles. I’ve got this.”
“And you have to stop thinking you have to handle everything on your own,” he said.
“I can go with you tonight if you want?” I said as we made our way to the door.
“Oh my gosh, you both need to stop. Go to work.” She put her hand on my back and guided me to the door, before pushing her brother out in the hallway as well. “Call me later, Miles.”
And she shut the door in our faces. She was done with us.
Done with me.
Panic flooded, but I focused my attention on my best friend. “Are we good, brother?”
“I’m sorry, Jack. I jumped the gun. It’s just—I feel so fucking protective over her. I always have. Maybe it’s because we lost our mom in such a tough way, I don’t know if I ever told you what happened?”
“Monroe told me. She died during childbirth. That’s just not right, man.”
“Wow. I’m shocked she told you about that. We never talk about it, and I know she isn’t quick to share what happened, which I understand. Maybe I’ve misjudged this friendship you have with her, and I’m sorry about that. I just know that one woman isn’t ever going to be enough for you. Hell, I get it. Before I met Sierra, I was the same way. But I can’t have anyone fucking over Monroe, you know? But if you two are friends, I’m all for it. And I’m sorry for ever thinking you’d cross the line. I know you better than that. You’re the most loyal fucker I know. I’m sorry for doubting you.”
Guilt flooded me, but I kept my face straight. I hadn’t totally crossed the line, had I? I wasn’t using Monroe, I actually really cared about her. Why the fuck does the first girl I actually want to take things further with have to be Buck’s fucking sister? What are the chances?
“Stop apologizing. She’s your sister. I get it.”
“Thanks, brother. You want to go grab breakfast before I fly my ass back to LA?”
“Sounds good.” I liked hanging with Buck, but anxiety coursed through my veins and my chest was heavy. Monroe was ready to announce our breakup. I wasn’t there yet.
Not by a long shot.
And I was all about long shots.
Chapter Sixteen
Monroe
There was a knock at my door, and to my surprise, Becks waltzed into my office.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as she plopped down in the chair across from me.
“Hello to you too.” She raised a brow and chuckled. “I just had lunch with Tabi up the street and your breakup is all the word right now. You didn’t tell me you were ending it so quickly. Things seemed awfully hot and heavy last night.”
Tabi was Becks’ little sister whom I adored. She attended art school in the city.
“It’s a long time coming. We let things go on too long,” I said, and a sick feeling settled in my stomach. How could I be grieving the end of a relationship that wasn’t even real?
“Who decided to end it?” Her gaze narrowed as she studied me.
“Me. You saw that picture currently going viral. Miles lost his shit and went after Jack this morning. Things are just too out of control. I needed to put an end to it.”
“Why? Because you were actually enjoying yourself?”
I sighed and shook my head. “I can’t keep living in a fantasy world. It wasn’t real.”
“It looked awfully real last night, but maybe you two are both Academy Award-winning actors,” she said, sitting back in the chair and looking around my office.
“Yep.”
“This is nice, Mon. Look at you, being all official. So, I have something to tell you that I think you are going to want to hear.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep. And I don’t want to betray my sister, but I think gossiping with my best friend about her juicy relationship is allowed. I have no control over what you do with it. Let’s just pretend I don’t know about your anonymous column.” Becks was the only person outside of the Montgomerys, Miles, and my father that knew about the column.
“Is something going on with Tabi?” Becks’ little sister made my best friend seem mild. She was a wild and free spirit to the nth degree.
“Yep. She has a boyfriend. First guy I’ve seen her serious about… ever. You kn
ow, with my dad being the drunk, cheating bastard that he is, we’re both slightly damaged.” She chuckled, tucking her blonde sleek cut bob behind one ear. “So, of course she’s with someone whose family is also fifty shades of fucked up.”
“Is it someone I know?”
A mischievous grin spread across her face. “She’s dating Lyle Labrith.”
“The governor’s son?”
“The one and only.”
“How is that bad? His family was just featured on the cover of TIME magazine for their philanthropy work. His father is considered one of the most brilliant minds of our decade,” I said through my laughter. Melissa Labrith was our beloved governor and her husband, Professor Labrith taught history at the most prestigious university in the city.
She shook her head. “Apparently it’s a real shit show over at the mansion. Lyle attended boarding school on the east coast during high school because he hates his father so much. The professor is a shady little fucker. Big into drugs and throws these parties that turn into orgies right under his wife’s nose. He doesn’t give a shit. I guess the boy wonder wants his mom to leave his father, but she won’t because she’s up for reelection next year, and her work is all she has. You see, there’s no such thing as a fairy tale. Men are ruthless pigs.”
My head fell back in laughter. “Not true. My dad and Miles are good guys. Jack and his brothers are also impressive. They’re out there. You just have to find one. But I am shocked to hear this about the Labriths. And since my dirty Reynolds story was a bust, I haven’t been able to write a single thing yet for my column. How do we know this isn’t just a spoiled rich kid trying to create daddy issues?”
“I know it seems like a stretch, but Tabi is pretty good at reading people’s bullshit meters, and she said this kid is really worried about his mom. He wants to turn his father in, but he doesn’t want to hurt his mother. Apparently, the bastard throws one of his orgy fests every New Year’s Eve. Tabi wants to go to see what he’s talking about, but Lyle refuses to go. He said the party starts out fairly normal but when the bulk of the guests leave, the real party begins. His mom apparently goes to her room, as they’ve had separate bedrooms for years. Anyway… you’re welcome. Look into it. Keep Tabi and Lyle out of it. Do your thing, girl.”
“Wow. I’m shocked. They seem like the perfect family. I mean, lots of people put on facades, look at the Reynolds. But I can usually see through it. The Labriths genuinely seem like the all-American family. And she’s one of the few politicians that I absolutely love.”
“Well, you’ve got your work cut out for you. I’ve got to get back to the office for a meeting.” She pushed to her feet and made her way to the door just as Jack barreled through as if the building were on fire.
“You got a minute?” Jack asked as he high fived Becks on his way in. “What’s up, girl?”
“Just stopped by to see where my girl works. Sorry to hear about the breakup.”
“Yeah. You and me both,” he said as my best friend waved and turned down the hallway.
I rolled my eyes to feign irritation, but my heart sped up with excitement to see him. It had been a few hours since our little show this morning with my brother. How could I miss him in that amount of time? This was not good. Exactly why I needed to end this charade now before it went any further.
“Sure,” I mumbled, trying to avoid looking at him because that’s how the lines got blurred in the first place.
I was still horrified by what happened last night. I’d begged him to touch me. Does it get any more desperate? My brother showed up at my workplace like a bat out of hell and was ready to fight his best friend. I’d made a mess of things, and now it was my turn to clean them up.
He shut the door and took the seat across from me, sitting in silence until I looked up and met his gaze.
“So, you can’t look at me now?”
“What? No. I’m just working on something,” I said, clearing my throat, desperate to push my nerves away. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he made me feel. How commanding he was when his lips covered mine. The way he took control.
Those whiskey eyes waited for mine to find his. “Don’t be embarrassed about what happened. Hell, I’m not.”
I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “You weren’t the one begging for it.”
He leaned over the desk and his hands wrapped around my wrists, tugging mine away from my face. I looked up to find him hovering over me. His nearness made my mouth go dry instantly.
“I begged for it earlier that night, and I’d beg for it any day of the week. But not when you’re drunk. And what happened last night was just as good for me as it was for you.”
My breaths came hard and fast. I couldn’t think straight. Had I missed something? I remember him giving me the world’s best orgasm and then taking me home and putting me to bed. How was that good for him?
“How do you figure?” I whispered.
“Because pleasuring you was amazing. I liked seeing you come undone. Maybe too much.”
I let out a long, slow breath. “Okay, you need to sit back down. I can’t think straight with you this close.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” he asked with a chuckle before dropping back in the chair.
“Um, yes? We just broke up. Whatever this is—it’s over.”
“What if I don’t want it to be?”
“I don’t know what that means,” I said, reaching for my water and trying to slow my racing heart.
“What if I want what happened to happen again?”
“It can’t.”
“Why? Because you got scared and told Harrison to release a statement?”
“It’s run its course. You saw my brother this morning. This is way too messy.”
“What if it doesn’t have to be? What if we dated for real, you know, like what we were doing before, but we add in sex? Lots of sex.”
Holy hell. Was this happening?
I rubbed my temples. “Listen, Jack, as tempting as that sounds, I’m a relationship girl. What happened last night—that’s not me.”
“What? Having orgasms in dark storerooms?”
“Um, yes. I don’t do the whole friends with benefits thing. I drank too much and lost control. And almost ruined your friendship with Buck in the process.”
“Let me talk to Buck. Hell, I wanted to tell him the truth at breakfast today, but after you denied that anything happened, I didn’t want to throw you under the bus.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at his ankles. I wanted to run my hands down his muscular thighs.
What. Is. Happening?
“The truth? What’s that?”
“That I like you, Blue Jay. I like you a lot. I’m not suggesting that we’re friends with benefits. Let me prove it to you. I want to take you out for real.” His tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip, and I gripped my hands around the arms of my chair to keep from lunging forward.
“No, you don’t. We have sexual chemistry, that’s it. We have nothing in common.”
“I disagree. We were both athletes, and pretty damn talented ones. We both love your brother. And we both love cats,” he said, looking like he was deep in thought.
I laughed. “We both love cats? Bullshit. You’ve probably never held a cat in your life. You’re making this up.”
“Ye of little faith. I actually have a cat, Little Bird.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.” A wide grin spread across his face. “Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night. I know you have to put Mr. Boots down today, and I’d happily join you, but you already shut me down.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and stroked his bottom lip with his thumb.
I reached for a tissue and dabbed my forehead. I couldn’t help it. I was sweating profusely now.
“We can’t go to dinner.
We just publicly broke up. How would that look? And my brother would freak out if he saw us together after the breakup announcement.” I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t give a fuck how it looks. And I told you, I’ll speak to Buck about how I feel about you.”
I pushed to my feet. This was crazy. I leaned over my desk, locking onto his intense gaze. “Do not talk to Buck about this. First off, I’m a grown woman. Secondly, this has very little chance of survival, so why risk your friendship over something that probably won’t go anywhere? If I agree to go out with you, it’s just me and you. We don’t involve anyone. And we can’t go in public because it will be all over social media the following day.”
“You want to get me alone, don’t you?” He wriggled his brows.
I dropped back down to sit and closed my eyes. I didn’t know what to say. My head was still pounding from my enormous hangover, and my desire for Jack Montgomery was out of control.
Dangerously out of control.
These were two unfamiliar feelings for me.
“We can’t be seen out in public.”
“Great. I’ll make you dinner at my place.”
“You’re going to make me dinner?”
“Yes. Did I stutter? I won’t talk to Buck until we know where this is going.”
I couldn’t hide the smile on my face, but I tried. “It’s going nowhere. We’re playing with fire.”
“I’m fine with that. Big Tony will pick you up at seven tomorrow night. Wear something sexy.” He smirked, but the heat in his gaze told me he was serious.
“Fine. See you then.”
“Looking forward to it, Blue Jay.” He moved toward the door.
“Hey, Montgomery,” I called out.
“Yeah?”
“I’m looking forward to hanging out with your cat tomorrow. What’s his name, anyway?”
He looked up at the ceiling before speaking. “You’ll have to come over to find out.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
He waltzed out the door, and I laid my forehead down on the desk. What a day. I had just gotten the lead on a story that could be huge in the political arena, and I was going on a real date with my ex-fake boyfriend.
