Sinful Ever After (Romance Collection)

by Vivian Wood

  In the back of my head, I’m still kicking myself for not being here yesterday. Maybe if I had, I could’ve planned something out…

  “Hey.”

  I whirl. Luca is right behind me, all leather jacket and dark, tousled hair. Seeing him makes my heart beat double time.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask, frowning.

  “My sister said you were going to be here for a fair. I figured I should come down and see what the fuss is all about while the shelter is open to the public.” He looks around the gym, assessing. “Somehow, it’s exactly how I thought it would be.”

  I shoot him a little glare. “We aren’t even in the building that I usually go to.”

  Rachel speaks up from right behind me. “Do you know this guy? Because when I think about someone I would throw a pie at, that guy is definitely close to what I imagine.”

  I sigh. “Yes, I know him. But there’s no way he’ll let us fling desserts at his head.”

  Luca approaches, looking around. “Are you running one of these booths, Cate?”

  Rachel smiles, interrupting. “Why yes, she is! Say, what are you doing for the next few hours?”

  Luca glances at me, then shrugs. “I don’t know. What do you need?”

  Rachel looks at me with a grin. “See? Problem solved! Now you can work the booth and your boyfriend can let people lob pies at him.” She pats me on the shoulder. “I should go check on Grayson.”

  “Wait…” I try to call after her, but she’s already on her way across the gym. Glancing at Luca, I shake my head.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “Luna said you would be here. I figured I would come down and see what the fuss is about.”

  I scowl. “Normally you shouldn’t hang out at a women’s shelter. In case you haven’t noticed, you are a guy.”

  He looks around, shrugging. “I see guys here today.”

  Rolling my eyes, I head over toward the empty booth. “That’s not really the point, is it?”

  Luca stops me by touching my elbow. I look up at him, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, I’m glad that someone is here to help…

  On the other hand, why does it have to be him?

  “Do you want me to leave?” he asks earnestly. “I came here to try to apologize.”

  He looks down at me, all traces of his usual smugness have vanished.

  It’s not fair, the way he’s looking at me. My heart falters. My mouth goes dry. I don’t trust myself to speak.

  So I just shake my head. He gives me a tiny smile, his lips lifting up at the corners of his mouth.

  “Okay then. What is it that you’ve got me doing again, exactly?”

  I can’t help but grin at that. “Oh, you’re going to hate it.”

  Grabbing his hand, I lead him over to the pie booth.

  He eyes the booth with a skeptical look. He looks at the sign hanging on the front of the booth that just says, “PIES 2 TICKETS EACH”.

  “What is this? Why is most of this area all lined in blue plastic?”

  “Oh, you’ll see.” Behind the counter set up there are several metal trays covered with a blue plastic sheet. I lift one corner of the cover, pulling it back to show him the contents.

  Luca’s bros furrows. “Is that a pie?”

  “Yep.” I grin.

  He gives me a suspicious look. “What, are we selling pies?”

  “In a manner of speaking. I’m selling these whipped cream pies. And you… you’re getting them thrown at your face.”

  His look of surprise is practically perfect. “What?”

  I laugh. “You should see your face. Does it really surprise you that women would want to throw pies at your face?”

  His mouth turns down. “No, I guess not.”

  I give him a measuring look. “I think you’ll want to take that leather jacket off, at least. I don’t know how leather responds to whipped cream, but I imagine that you’ll want to put it somewhere safe.”

  He gives me a look as he unzips it and takes it off, but he doesn’t say anything. He just stows his jacket under the front counter and finds a comfortable position on a stool placed in the middle of the plastic sheet.

  As people begin filing in the gymnasium, I keep an eye on him. The first customers I see rush to the tarot reading booth or the miniature cat paintings both. I bite my lip, looking at Luca.

  “What are the chances of getting a coffee brought to me?” He looks vaguely grumpy.

  I smile a little at that. “At the women’s shelter when you, a white man, are supposed to be raising money for battered women? Yeah, roughly the same odds as a whale falling out of the sky right now.” I cock a brow. “You can hire someone on an app though, I’m sure.”

  He pulls out his phone, ignoring me in favor of scrolling through it. I turn back to the crowd, trying to induce some customers.

  “Throw a pie at this guy! Just two tickets…” I call out. I glance back at him. “You know you want to… I mean, pies are the only thing that stops him from mansplaining and man spreading! Two tickets!”

  Several women stroll by, looking interested. But no one seems to want to throw the first pie.

  “Your plan doesn’t seem to be working,” he observes dryly.

  I shoot him a look. “You know what? I will personally pay four tickets to shove a pie in your face.”

  Luca smirks at that. “Oh yeah? Bring it, princess.”

  I pull a crumpled wad of bills out of my pocket, slapping them down on the table. Then I grab one of the whipped cream pies, grinning at him as I approach.

  “You ready for this?” I taunt him. I sidle up to him, stopping right in front of his face and adjusting the pie in my hand.

  His eyes shine. “I can take anything you throw at—”

  He gets a big old face full of whipped cream. I make sure to rub it in, too. When I pull the pie tin away, he wipes whipped cream out of his eyes and away from his lips.

  I beam at him. “That was amazing.”

  He grabs my waist and bends me back, kissing me. His lips feel hot and hard under the frothy cream. He gets whipped cream all over my face and in my hair before he lets me go.

  A couple of ladies burst into spontaneous applause, making my cheeks burn.

  “Give him another pie!” an older lady hoots.

  I demur, wiping the cream from my face. “I just wanted to open the gates!” I exclaim, red-faced. “Now please, throw some pies at this man.”

  “It is for a good cause…” Luca says to the crowd, laughing.

  After that, we have a good steady business. Lots of ladies come up to our booth and have me snap photos of them as they chuck whipped cream at Luca. So many, in fact, that we run out of pies in just over two and a half hours.

  Which is good, because Luca has to leave shortly after that for work. Before he does though, I help him clean the whipped cream off of himself. I wipe a smudge from his eyebrow, thinking to myself that I’m glad that he came today.

  Luca looks at me, taking my hand and bringing it down to cup his jaw. “Have you forgiven me officially yet?”

  My lips curl upward. I brush my thumb along his jaw, looking him in the eyes. “I suppose so.”

  He bites his bottom lip, his eyes shining. “Good.”

  He kisses me one more time, then stands to leave. “There is a late-night party at the bar tonight. We’re all dressing up in costume. You should come, if you want.” He gives me a once over, his eyes lingering on my body. It seems like his gaze heats up my bare skin. “I’d like it if you were there.”

  Then with that, he turns and heads out, carrying his leather jacket so that it doesn’t touch his whipped-cream covered body. I sit on the corner of my booth table, watching him and sighing.

  I shouldn’t go to the bar later and yet… I know I will.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Luca

  The bar is busy as fuck around eleven p.m. People are dressed in whatever costumes they feel like: Owen came as t
he vice president, Bradford is dressed in short-shorts and a tied up gingham shirt as Daisy Duke, and I’ve donned a set of fake pointy teeth as a member of the Lost Boys. Everyone else is in costume too, standing in the bar right now as a mix of clowns, sexy nurses, and a weird number of adult bumblebees.

  The party is a success, maybe almost too much of one. It gets so hectic that I step behind the bar and start filling drink orders, my head down, bobbing along to the dance music we have on in the background.

  But really, in the back of my mind, I’m just wondering where Cate is. I’m pretty sure she’ll come, but I’ve been wrong before.

  Especially about girls who pique my interest in the exact way that Cate does. My thoughts sour for a moment as Madisyn pops into my head.

  I was really into Madisyn and she played me like a well-strung violin. Cate seems different than Syn, but… maybe I just pick women that want something from me. After all, I’ve kept Cate close by offering her money…

  Bile hits the back of my throat. Could I have set myself up for failure here?

  Cate slides behind the bar, hip checking me. “Hey!”

  I glance up at her. My eyes widen when I see what she’s wearing.

  A tiny red plaid skirt, an oversized white men’s button up that’s tied up at her waist, gray knee socks. I can see a flash of her belly button… and I can almost see her ass in the short tartan skirt. And the kicker is that her dark hair is in two neat plaits.

  “You’re a Catholic schoolgirl?” I blurt out, unable to take my eyes off of her.

  She blushes. “Yeah. I mean, Luna helped me pick it out.” She toys with her shirt. “I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed your dress shirt.”

  I give her a steely look. “Hold on.”

  For three quarters of a minute, I have to focus on finishing the drink order in front of me. I look at the ticket again, cracking two beers and pouring out a measure of tequila.

  Then I push the drinks across the bar to the waiting patron. He tries to give me his card but I wave him off. “It’s on the house. No charge.”

  “Oh, sweet. Cheers!” he says, but I’ve already turned away. I find Cate pulling a rack glasses out of the dishwasher.

  Coming up behind her, I grab her hips and pull her ass back against my hips.

  She shoots me a look. “Are we not working, then?”

  She straightens up so I lean down, whispering in her ear. “God, I hope not. Because I’m going to have trouble paying attention to anything that doesn’t involve your legs, your tits, and your ass.”

  Her cheeks go pink. “Is that right?”

  “Unquestionably,” I murmur. My lips graze her ear and she shivers as she looks up at me.

  “What will we do, then?”

  Her words are a suggestion, or maybe a challenge. But I’m not ready to give up and go hide in my office with her. Not yet.

  For the next little bit, she’s my wife. I want to show her off some.

  Plus, I have a good feeling that dancing and drinking may have a certain kind of effect on her. Pressing her against my body as we move on the dance floor might be a new kind of foreplay, if I do it right.

  And I intend to do it perfectly. I kiss Cate’s ear and then spin her in my arms. “Let’s get a drink first. Then I think the dance floor is calling.”

  Cate looks surprised. “We are going to dance?”

  “As surely as we are going to fuck later.” I smirk. “Here, let me get us drinks.”

  I pour her a glass of champagne and grab a whiskey for myself. Then I take her hand and lead her out from behind the bar.

  As soon as we move toward the dance floor, the beat of the bass vibrating in my ears, we run into Luna.

  Literally run into… her blonde head turns and her eyes widen a bit as she takes us both in, her gaze lingering on our clasped hands. She’s dressed as a witch, wearing a little black dress and clutching a drink in one hand and a broomstick in the other.

  “Look at you two!” she says, smirking.

  “You look…” I narrow my eyes on her dress. “Like you’re wearing as little as you can get away with.”

  Luna rolls her eyes. “And you are what, some sort of guy wearing dark clothes so that you didn’t have to try anything out of your comfort zone?” She chuckles. “Please.”

  Drawing myself up to my full height, I pull Cate a little closer. “I’m one of the Lost Boys.” I gesture to my mouth. “See the teeth?”

  Luna pulls a face and looks to Cate. “Honestly, how do you even live with my brother? He thinks he’s too cool for school.”

  Cate goes red, glancing at me. “I mean… we’re not, like…”

  She tries to tug her hand from mine, but I hold onto it. “Luna is just being silly. I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Luna smiles. “It’s true, I was just talking trash.” Someone catches her eye from across the room, a tall dark haired guy in medical scrubs. “Oh, that’s my boss. I need to ask him about the schedules for next week. Catch you guys later…”

  Cate raises her eyebrows at Luna’s receding figure. “That was very odd.”

  I start to pull her toward the dance floor. “I’m not really worried about it, to be perfectly honest.”

  Cate favors me with a look. “No?”

  I shake my head, pulling her into my arms and moving slowly with the rhythm. “Nope.”

  She smiles up at me. “Well, if you’re not worried…”

  She sways with me, sipping her champagne. I drop my free hand to her back and press her up against my body, smiling as I take a drink from my glass. She snakes a hand around my neck, her fingers warm against my bare skin.

  It feels good to be this close, to feel her tits rubbing against my chest, her abdomen and thighs brushing against my cock. But what feels better than that is the way that she looks at me just now. Her head thrown back, a smile tugging at her lips, her eyes sparkling.

  Damn. If she looked at me like this more often, I would probably do anything she asked. I would go into battle for her if she asked me right now. I’m like a lovelorn teenager or something.

  She finishes her glass of champagne and breaks away from my body to put the empty glass down on a table. I shoot the rest of my whiskey and do the same. Then my hands are free to pull her close, her little body soft against mine.

  She stares up at me with those dark eyes, her brow smooth and unworried. “You’re a good dancer.”

  I grin down at her, gripping her waist. “You sound surprised. I’m good at nearly anything I put my mind to.”

  Her lips quirk. “Yes, you do seem to be good at a lot of things.”

  Bending down close to her ear, I whisper. “I’m not the only one who is good at things. I think we’re both very skilled in certain areas.”

  Her breath stops for a second. She turns her head, looking at me, her expression practically dripping sex. “Oh yeah?”

  “Oh, yeah.” I chuckle. “And you know what they say… practice makes perfect…”

  Cate surprises me by pushing up onto her tiptoes and kissing me. It’s no coy kiss either; long and deep, it invites me to do much more.

  My hands find her waist. I sigh against her lips, growing frustrated that I can’t just bend her back and strip her right here.

  Cate leans against my torso, reaching up to be kissed. My office isn’t that far away. We can have a modicum of privacy there, enough that even Cate probably won’t have anything to say.

  I turn her around, ready to start walking her back towards the office. I look up, glancing directly into Madisyn’s crying face.

  “Oh, Luca!” she sobs. Completely ignoring the fact that I’m holding Cate, she latches onto my arm, seeming to have trouble standing up.

  And fool that I am, I let go of Cate to steady Madisyn. Cate steps back, her expression guarded. I look down at Madisyn, who flattens herself against my body with a howl.

  “He’s such a bastard!” Madisyn cries.

  “Err…” I try to create some distanc
e between the two of us, but Madisyn acts like she’s suctioned to my body. “Get off of me, Syn.”

  Madisyn just starts bawling harder and clinging to me more insistently. “He did me wrong, Luca! Reggie cheated on me! You should go beat him up…”

  Making a face, I force Madisyn to step back. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Syn.”

  I glance toward Cate. She’s biting her lip with a frown, just beginning to turn away. “Cate, don’t go anywhere.”

  Cate shoots me a glare and then heads back toward the bar. I need to get rid of Syn, as soon as possible. Otherwise, I’m afraid that Cate will leave the party altogether.

  Or worse, she’ll pack her shit and leave my house.

  “Madisyn, what the fuck?” I complain. “You just alienated my…” I stop, fumbling for what Cate is. “Stop cock blocking me.”

  Madisyn wipes at her mascara which is running down her cheeks. “But Reggie cheated on me! And I know that you are still hung up on me—”

  A sharp bark of laughter escapes me. “No, I’m not. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

  Madisyn digs her nails into my arm. “You aren’t over me. No one is ever over losing the best thing that’s ever happened to them. And I am definitely that for you.”

  She tries to kiss me then, ignoring my body language. “Madisyn, stop!” I push her away, anger boiling up from somewhere deep inside. “I don’t want to kiss you. And by the way, you weren’t the best thing I’ve ever had. If anything, you leaving was better.”

  She screws up her face, rage showing in her eyes. “Luca, you better be careful how you talk to me. I swear, one more word and I won’t take you back…”

  Her chest heaves. She looks like some kind of demented clown, trying to clutch at my arm.

  I shake my head and start to back away. “You’re not listening. I don’t want you, Syn. I’m happier without you. Now I’ve got to go and find my… my wife.”

  Madisyn grimaces as I turn and walk away. “Don’t you dare leave, Luca! Luca!! I won’t come back…”

  I put my head down and keep moving through the crowd of partiers, looking for Cate. I spot her dark head disappearing into the back hallway and I speed up.