She brings up her hand, lacing her fingers through my hair as she holds me close. I feel like I’m in heaven when she holds me this way. My lungs are slowing and so is my heart, but knowing I’ll get to spend the rest of my life this way has excitement pumping through my veins.
I’m back at home and stepping out of the shower when my phone rings. “Hey, how’s the honeymoon?” I ask Calvin as I wrap a towel around my hips.
“Awesome. How are things going there?”
“Good. Same as usual. Oh, and Piper’s dress is at Riley’s.”
“Thanks. How did the clean-up go?”
“Clean-up?” I ask, confused.
“Yeah, didn’t you stick around to help the parents with clean-up?”
“What had to be cleaned up?”
“The church and reception, Preston!” he nearly yells.
I walk into my bedroom and take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Sorry, man. No one asked me to clean up. Your car is at Mom and Dad’s, by the way. I rode home with Riley.”
“You two seem to be getting awfully close for not dating all that long.”
“Yeah, it’s crazy. It’s like we were meant for each other or something. I haven’t known her long at all, but on the other hand, I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. What’s Piper up to?”
“Oh, she’s off getting a massage and a facial or something.”
“How long are you guys staying there?”
“Just the week. I need to get back to the office. We were swamped when I left, and I don’t want Daniel to have to stress over it while I’m gone.”
“What does Piper think of the news about Riley and me?”
“She’s fine with it. It’s me who’s worried.”
“What? Why are you worried?” I run my hand through my mess of wet hair.
“Because I know how you are with women, Preston. You’ll have a good time for a while, make her fall in love with you, then you’ll get bored and move on. She’ll come crying to Piper about you—maybe even blaming Piper for not warning her about you enough—and all the stress will fall on my pregnant wife. See what I’m getting at?”
I roll my eyes. “It’ll be different this time. I’m serious about Riley. She’s awesome to hang out with and killer in the sack! In a way, she’s kind of like a Piper I can sleep with,” I joke, but it’s also the truth. They look nothing alike, but they have a lot of the same interests, which is why they’re friends. They make the same kinds of jokes and are always down for an adventure.
He scoffs. “Can you not compare my pregnant wife to a girl you’re banging, please?”
I laugh. “Hey, just remember, before she was your pregnant wife, she was my best friend who happened to be in love with me.” I take the opportunity to rub it in his face whenever I can.
“We’re past that. She knows she picked the right brother.”
“Ha!” I mock laughter.
“All right, man. I just wanted to check in. And you’ll be picking us up from the airport on Sunday, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I agree.
“Thanks. Keep in touch.”
“Have fun on your honeymoon and don’t knock her up—oops, too late!” I joke.
He laughs. “Fuck off.”
I chuckle as I hang up the phone and toss it on the bed.
Ten
Riley-Two Months Later
“Are you ready?” Preston asks, walking into my apartment.
“Just a sec!” I call back as I put the finishing touches on my face. These last two months have been great. I thought things were great before we started having sex, but now we have the best of both worlds. We have the friendship and the dates and the adventures, but when that ends, we come to bed to connect on a whole different level. Preston has been the best boyfriend I’ve ever had by far.
Piper thinks I must have a magical vagina or something to keep him around this long, but I like to think it’s because of how slowly we took things. He’s doting and patient. He knows all the right things to say and do, and I can honestly say I enjoy spending time with him. We don’t fight or argue and he never gets annoying like a lot of people do when you spend too much time with them. Things are going great and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.
I grab my purse as I walk out of my bedroom, finding him in the living room. He looks me up and down and a smile spreads slowly across his face.
“What do you think?” I ask, spinning in a circle in front of him.
He grins. “I say screw meeting my friends. Let’s just stay here so I can rip this little dress off of you.” He pulls me against his chest and his lips move to mine.
I kiss him slowly, then playfully push him away. “I didn’t get all dressed up to stay in. I’m in party mode now. Let’s go dance the night away.” I take his hand in mine and lead him toward the door.
We get into his car and he starts driving toward the dance club where we’re meeting his friends. “Just so you know, my friends will probably hit on you and try convincing you to leave with them tonight,” he warns.
I laugh. “Those are some nice friends you have,” I joke.
He shrugs. “It’s just sort of the tradition. Whenever one of us started getting serious about a girl, it was sort of a test. They wanted to see how faithful she actually was to their buddy, ya know?”
“Well, in that case, what a bunch of charmers,” I tease.
The winter air is cold and this tiny dress doesn’t help matters. I reach forward and turn the heat on full blast, enjoying the warmth it brings to my legs, which I have to say look awesome tonight thanks to these killer pumps and this short sequined dress.
When we make it to the club, Preston leads me to a table in the back corner. His friends are already sitting in the booth.
He places his hand on the small of my back and brings me up to his side. “Riley, these are my buddies Jeff, Nate, Jordan, Blake, and Trevor.” He points at each one as he says their names. “Guys, this is my girlfriend, Riley.”
They all jump to shake my hand while staring me down. They all wear a wide smile and seem friendly, but in my mind, I see them all looking at me like I’m a steak that was tossed into the middle of their circle.
“Here, have a seat and I’ll go grab us a couple of drinks,” Preston says, making the guys scoot closer together so I can sit at the end of the booth. I take a seat and watch as he walks away.
“So, Riley, what is it that you do?” one of them asks, but I’m honestly not sure which one he is. Their names have already flown out of my head.
“I’m a writer for a home and garden magazine. What is it that all of you do?”
They go down the line, telling me about their jobs. One is in advertising, one does something with the stock market, one works for the Chicago Cubs with Preston, one is a freelance something or other, and the last one is an entrepreneur.
Preston is back and he hands over my drink and pulls up a chair to the open edge of the table. “You guys weren’t trying to steal her away while I was gone, were you?”
They all laugh and deny his claims, but it all seems so fake to me. These guys scream money and privilege, and just sitting with them turns my stomach. The cheapest watch around the table is probably the entrepreneur’s $10,000 Rolex.
“Man, you missed an awesome yacht trip last week, dude. Where were you?” Rolex guy asks him.
Preston shrugs and glances at me. “We’re been keeping ourselves locked up if you know what I mean.” He reaches over and rubs my hand. I send him a smile but he looks back at Rolex man.
“You missed out. We finally talked Davis into going with. We had to get him drunk first, but we took him out and somehow the dumbass forgot we were on a boat. He fell off,” Rolex guy says, but I’m unable to hear anything else over his cackling.
“Davis can’t swim, right?” Preston asks.
Rolex douche is still laughing, but now he’s nodding his head. How anyone could find someone almost drowning funny is beyond me. �
�He wasn’t wearing a life jacket either. He sank straight to the bottom. Ronnie had to jump in and pull him out. Man, it was a blast.”
Preston smiles and nods, but he seems to feel the same way I do about this story. Instead of replying, he just lifts his glass and takes a drink. His eyes lock on mine as everyone at the table jumps into another conversation.
“So, how long have you two been together?” the guy to my left asks. He seems like the nicest of the bunch. He has auburn hair that’s combed nicely to the side. He has sparkling blue eyes and a kind smile. He’s also wearing a wedding ring where the rest of the guys appear to be single.
Preston looks up at him, then glances toward me with a smile. “Nearly half a year. How are you and Sophie doing?” He reaches over and places his hand on mine, rubbing back and forth with his thumb.
The guy moves his head from side to side. “We’re still together. We have our good days and our bad days.”
“That sounds completely normal,” Preston says, sounding like he’s hoping to cheer the guy up a bit.
He takes a swig of his whiskey, his bloodshot eyes looking up at Preston from below his lashes. “Yeah, but the good days are few and far between.” He shakes his head. “I’m getting another drink. Anyone else?”
All the guys cheer him on, but I feel a little bad for him. He’s clearly going through something with his wife, and his friends don’t seem to care. They’re too worried about getting drunk and having a good time to even notice the look I just saw on his face. He’s upset, broken, worried, and stressed.
I lean toward Preston. “Maybe you should go talk to him. He seems upset.”
Preston looks from me to where the guy is at the bar. “Yeah, Nate and Sophie have been together for, like, four years. Maybe they had a fight or something and he’s upset about it.”
“Go talk to him for a minute. I’ll be fine here.”
“You sure?” he asks, drawing his brows together.
I smile and nod, not happy that I’ll have to deal with the rest of these jerks but knowing it’s what Nate needs.
Preston stands up and presses a kiss to the top of my head before walking over to Nate at the bar. I pick up my drink and take a sip while listening to the remaining guys have their conversation. They don’t even speak to me. Douchebag guy talks about living the single life in his condo in Florida. He’s clearly bragging and probably lying about half of it. I don’t even know this guy and already I know he has a yacht, parties with celebrities, and has dated more A-list stars than Brad Pitt himself. It’s all a bunch of shit and just listening to his friends eat up his lies has me feeling annoyed, but finally, I have my chance to call him out.
He brags, “You guys should have been at the Fourth of July party. It was just me and a bunch of drunk chicks on my yacht. We popped at least six bottles of Cristal and got wasted. One of the girls was related to one of the guys in Matchbox Twenty, and she got them to give us a private concert on the ocean. It was amazing, man.”
I snort and everyone’s eyes are on me.
“Don’t like Matchbox Twenty?” the douche guy asks.
I roll my eyes. “When was this? Last Fourth of July?”
He smiles and nods. “Yep, have a problem with that?”
I shrug. “You’re lying.” I shoot him a smirk.
His face grows red and his chest puffs out. “Bullshit.”
I pick up my phone and start scrolling through photos. I flip it around to show the guys at the table. “The last Fourth of July, I was at a Matchbox Twenty concert, and it wasn’t on a yacht in Florida. It was here. In Chicago.”
All the guys, except for Douche, ohhh! and laugh because I’m calling him out.
He waves his hand through the air. “Well, maybe it wasn’t Matchbox Twenty, but it was an older band and I know they played a song by Matchbox Twenty. That’s not the point.” He turns to face the guys now. “That point is, it was an awesome party and you guys missed it.”
The other two guys are back and Preston hands me a drink and takes a seat. “How’s it going over here?”
Another guy pipes up. “You missed your girl roasting Blake.”
A different guy says, “Yeah, she called him out . . . with proof!”
Preston looks from douche guy, whose name is apparently Blake, to me. He offers a grin but doesn’t reply. Slowly, he leans in and whispers, “Want to dance?”
I smile and nod as I stand up, taking my drink with me.
He takes me out to the center of the crowded dance floor. The guys at the table can no longer see us, and that thought alone makes me feel more comfortable.
“So, what do you think of the guys?” he asks as he holds me close.
I shrug. “Nate seems like an okay guy, but the rest of them don’t seem like people you’d hang out with. Especially Blake.” I roll my eyes at his preppy name.
He chuckles. “Nate, Blake, and I went to high school and college together. Nate is still here in the city, but Blake moved to Florida for work right after we graduated. They’re very different people.”
“Blake seems like an asshole. He’s been bragging about his condo, his yacht, partying with celebrities, and having Matchbox Twenty concerts on his boat. Makes me want to gag.”
He chuckles. “He’s missed the guys and just wants to impress them. I swear, when you get him alone, he’s a different guy.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss, wanting to drop the conversation. I feel like I’m good at reading people. I mean, so far, I haven’t been wrong. The vibe Blake is putting out isn’t something I want to be around, so I plan on enjoying this dance as long as possible.
Preston and I dance until our drinks are gone, then he pulls me to the bar for another round. We sit at the table with the guys for a bit, get another round, and end up back out on the dance floor in each other’s arms. The music is fast-paced and loud as the multicolored lights dance around us. I turn my back to him and move my ass against his hips. He tightens his hands on my hips as I feel him grow harder against me.
I feel his breath tickle my ear and he whispers, “You keep this up and we’ll be in a restroom stall.”
His words cause my entire body to tingle. I spin around to face him and wrap my arms around his neck again, my fingers sliding into his hair. “Then let’s go.” I lean forward and nip his bottom lip.
He pulls away and catches my hand in his as he pulls me toward the back of the club. He takes me into the men’s restroom and locks the door behind us. The next second, I find myself pressed against the door, with his hands picking me up by my thighs. His mouth is rough as it finds mine, and I love how he feels almost desperate. He needs me. He wants me right now and there’s no holding him off. Preston is always so cool and calm when it comes to making love. It’s soft while being hard at the same time. But right now, there’s nothing soft about him. He’s dominating me and it couldn’t feel any better.
As we kiss, he reaches between us and unfastens his belt. I can hear the metal clinking in my ears, echoing off the tile walls. His hand pushes my panties to the side and the next second, he’s thrusting up into me. A loud moan escapes from his hardness and the skin-to-skin contact. Since we’ve been together, we’ve never not used a condom until now, and while that should frighten me, I’m too drunk and having too much fun to worry about it.
Suddenly, he pulls me away from the door and sets me on the counter in front of the sink. There are mirrors on both walls, and I open my eyes to watch him thrust into me. When he pushes into me, his butt cheeks tighten up and cause a dimple to form on each side. The imagery is sexy as fuck, and that alone is enough to have me ready to fall to pieces. My muscles begin tensing around him and he notices. He starts thrusting harder and faster. His hand comes between us and his fingers find my clit, pushing me that much closer to the edge. My head falls back and my lips part as heavy breaths and soft moans escape. My release builds higher and higher until it can’t go any further. Finally, it breaks and rains down on me hot
and heavy. My release pushes him over the edge with me and his thrusts grow faster and more erratic as we ride out the wave together.
His hips start to slow as he rests his head on my shoulder to calm his breathing. I hold him close as I float back down into my body. I lace my hands through his hair and kiss his jaw. He pulls back with a smile. “Fuck, that was amazing.” He removes himself from me and helps me off the counter so we can both fix our clothing. I take his hand in mine and walk backward to the door. Once again, he pushes me up against it, his lips finding mine. But this kiss isn’t desperate or hungry. This kiss is love and happiness and friendship. This kiss is about the love we both feel, though neither of us has spoken of it yet. I can feel those words bubbling beneath the surface, but I push them down in an attempt to hold them back. I don’t know if we’re there yet and I refuse to say them until I’m completely sure.
He breaks the kiss and we go back to our table with the guys, where we pick up where we left off. There are drinks upon drinks and more talking, laughing, and bragging. Preston and I dance a few more times and the drunker I get, the better the guys seem. By the end of the night, I feel like I’ve made friends with most of them. Well, all of them except douche guy. But calling Blake out did exactly what I’d hoped it would. He’s stopped with the crazy stories and is instead just focusing on having a good time rather than trying to impress people. All in all, it’s a good night and we’ve had a lot of fun.
Marrying My Best Friend's BFF: A Friends to Lovers, Accidental Baby Romance (Love You Forever Book 2) Page 12
