“The wig. It’s fabulous,” Morganna says, nodding as she examines me with her sharp eyes. “I didn’t think we were going to get away from the hotel for a second. Her husband, bless him, didn’t want to let her leave. Wearing that.” Morganna nods behind her.
Windsor blushes and looks down bashfully. “He’s an animal. What can I say?” she says.
“The wig is something, huh? I’m channeling Windsor tonight. All brunette bombshell,” I say, flicking the long strands over my shoulder. It makes me feel different with darker hair. I kind of like it. Maybe in my new married life I’ll dye my white blonde hair dark for prosperity’s sake. Most women chop off their hair into the wife bob after the wedding. I’ll dye mine brown—transform into a new, here to stay, Lainey Redding.
Chloe bought the fake hair, but if everyone knew why I’m keeping it on, then it would be a different set of compliments coming. Blending in when people are following you is of top priority. “Stop it! You guys ready to go?” Win asks, adjusting her shoe.
I make introductions with my cousins and in no time everyone is sipping champagne and singing along to Chloe’s playlist while lounging in the back of this very plush vehicle. She really should get all the credit for music. Everyone knows all the words, embarrassingly enough. By the time we reach the edge of the city we’ve downed two bottles of champagne and talked about our favorite sexual positions. My cousins, while not married, seem to have all the experience. I guess twins really do everything together. Morganna is curious, Chloe is intrigued, and I’m a little grossed out.
“One decent guy is hard enough to find during a night out. Imagine trying to find two! We’ll share if we have to,” Oksana says, giggling when her sister playfully hits her arm.
“Ew,” I say. It comes out louder than I intend. “I mean, will you marry the same guy and share him then?”
“Lainey, please,” Natalya chides. “We’re obviously not serious with these men we date. When it comes to finding husband material we won’t do it at bars.”
“Yeah, Mother will probably do it for us,” Oksana scoffs. Sore subject.
Morganna gets up and dances when a new song plays. She pulls Windsor up to her feet. “Come on, you. I only get you away from him for six hours a year. Let’s take wagers. I bet he’s following the bus right now, your little munchkins strapped in the back.”
Windsor bites her lip. “He’d never put the kids in a cab,” she says, her voice growing louder as she contemplates it. “Would he? I mean, you’re right. He’ll show his face at some point during our night’s festivities. Steve will be on babysitting duty. That’s the wager I’m placing.”
Morg laughs, throwing her head back. “It’s good practice for him,” she says, looking at me. “Is Dax in town tonight?”
He is having his bachelor party tonight, but I’m not sure where. Dax didn’t make a big deal about it and I didn’t ask for specific details. It wasn’t as big of a deal as Chloe made this, so it will be low-key with his friends.
I shrug. “I think he’s in Virginia Beach still. I’m not sure what his plans are.” Everyone turns to look at me like I just spoke another language.
“Wow. You’re pretty trusting,” Natalya says, raising her voice over the music. Chloe catches the hint and turns it down.
Windsor clears her throat. “She’s marrying him. Of course she trusts him,” she says.
Chloe buts in with our itinerary. “Speaking of trust, everyone listen up!” Chloe shouts. We have bars and clubs that are color coded by our reservation type. VIP is red, which means our stops there will be longer than the yellows, which are just open seating, but a lot of fun. Orange bars are places that are a lot of fun, but will probably be super busy and/or have a line. Between Morganna and Chloe our evening is mapped out perfectly. She’s already checked us in to our hotel and arranged transportation for everyone. Shit is about to get crazy. The honking of cabs and the glare from the lights let us know we’ve arrived in NYC. The bus is high, so it gives a better vantage point to see the bustle of life. I think of Cody. We won’t be far from his apartment if we do visit one of the red bars.
Chloe shoves a sash at me. “Put this on. It lets everyone know exactly how loose your morals are tonight. I have a list—don’t worry, it’s not long—of things you have to do before the night is over. Here,” she says, shoving a typed notecard at my face.
I read it aloud while everyone laughs. “One. Seduce a stranger,” I say, raising my eyebrows. “Wow. That will be easy wearing a sash that says ‘bride’. Most men love that.” My sarcasm makes my friends giggle.
Chloe nods furiously. “Men love it, Lainey. You’re almost taken. The almost part is a huge draw. They’ll be all over that shit like white on rice. Trust me. Go on, read the others.”
“Take a body shot off someone. Oh, come on, this is juvenile!”
“No, you should definitely do it,” Oksana chirps.
I fold my arms across my chest. “Fine. Off you,” I say, giving a pointed look at my cousin. She shakes her head.
I continue, “Take a picture with a man. And the last one is don’t say ‘no’ all night long.” I pause, look at Chloe, and then say, “Wow, you really set me up good here. I’m sure I won’t fail at all.” The introverted section of my brain is cringing while the other side is gloating with the ease in which these can be completed.
“Perfect. Game on,” Chloe says. The rest of the women finish their drinks, strap their shoes back on, and get ready for our first stop at a red bar. Our driver deposits us in front of the entrance and gives Chloe a business card with his phone number so we can call him when we need a ride to our next stop. The subway isn’t safe enough for Maverick’s liking and our shoes aren’t solid enough for walking any place, really. This was a great idea.
As we step onto the street, I hear a couple whistles and hoots because of this fucking sash. I’m garnering more attention than I’m comfortable with. The bar is loud, but our enormous leather table in the corner shields us from some of the noise. Bottles are waiting for us. The twins take empty glasses and shoot vodka straight. Windsor and I stare wide-eyed at their obvious talent. “Let’s go grab a couple of waters,” Windsor says. I nod and follow her through the crowd of people. Men ogle her and try to get her attention, but she is skilled at ignoring them.
Working our way to a quiet corner, Windsor stops, turns to me, and says in a rush, “Lainey, are you happy? Wait, I know you’re happy, but are you ‘I want to get married happy?’ What you’ve been through is tough. You don’t have to do the stupid bachelorette stuff or drink out of plastic penises or even pretend you’re happy on our account. I want you to know that.”
“You get it,” I say, leaning into her so she can hear me better. “I’m happy. I love him. I truly do. I want to marry him.” Positive affirmations. Say it enough and it will be a fact. The same goes with forgetting something. Don’t think about it and that shit never, ever happened.
Windsor nods, accepting my lie. “I know what it feels like to be cheated on, lied to, and torn in two directions. If you don’t follow your heart you’ll regret it more than anything else in the world,” she says, with soulful eyes that belie her age. She’s been through a lot.
“What does that say if I’m the liar and the cheater, though?” Cody and I are over. The kiss, though, and his emails lead me to believe something completely different. Remember his words, Lainey. You hate him, I remind myself.
She bites her lip. “It says you’re human and you’re unsure about your life choices. I can’t tell you what the right decision is. I do know that when you make it you’ll feel peace, calm, and love so strong that you’ll feel it can destroy any doubt.”
A shot of clear liquid appears in front of my face. “Suck it down, cousin!” Natalya yells. Chloe peeks over her shoulder guiltily. “You’re not allowed to say no, remember?” I have to smile at their attempts to be good, fun friends.
I take the shot and raise it above my group of friends. “Here’s to not having a
ny doubt!” I toast. Windsor smiles. I smile. Then I pour the vodka down my throat without tasting it.
I mean, what’s one more lie to pile on the heap?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lainey
“SCHRED OR LORANGE?” someone asks. I have no clue who speaks because that would mean I’m sober. And I’m not that by a long shot. Speaking of shot, I just took one off a male go-go dancer’s stomach. I’m pretty sure he was gay, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. He was skinny fit, as opposed to the hulking, muscular fit I’m used to.
We’re headed down brick steps into a club pumping music so loud that I can’t hear myself think. Maybe that was the champagne we drank in the bus on the way to this club. It could be either. I put on my flats about three bars ago, but my feet still have blisters. Two thousand dollars for shoes that should be torture devices. The sick, sick world we live in.
“What language was that?” I ask over my shoulder without letting go of the railing.
Morganna steadies herself using my back and the side of the wall. “I made it up,” Morg says, laughing. “Lorange sounds like it belongs to a romantic language.” She sighs.
“Or a drunk language, but who’s paying attention? You can do everything else. Why not create your own language?” I ask. “Chloe!” I yell. “Why did you pick this place?” We just came from uptown at a lounge on the top floor of a swanky hotel, now it seems we’re headed underground to a sex dungeon of the opposite caliber. It’s close to my salad café.
“Trust me,” she yells back, her heels clacking far too hard. She’s going to pay the piper for those four inchers tomorrow morning. “This place is bitching!” she says, making her way next to me. “Have I led you stray yet?” I shake my head. We pass through the entrance and veer toward the VIP area. This place is so bitching. Chloe did well. As the drinks go down, the night gets more exhilarating. It’s a night out with my girls, plus my cousins, who seem to be on their best behavior. No three-ways are arranged at the moment. My phone vibrates in my purse. It’s a text from Dax. More specifically it’s a photo of a glittery ass, that I imagine smells like vanilla. Strippers always smell like fake vanilla. It’s a historical fact. I smile.
The next text says, “Sorry. Someone got my phone.”
So he is most definitely partying tonight. He wasn’t sure what the guys had planned when I spoke with him earlier. They must have kidnapped him. I wonder where they are. NYC is six hours from Virginia Beach, so if they drove here, they are just getting started.
What would a response be from a concerned fiancée? I type out, “Glitter is a bitch to clean out of clothing. If you bring it home and get it in between the cracks of our hardwood you might not have hard (wood) for a while. In the city?” I double-check my words for spelling and because I am extremely drunk and hit send. I snap a selfie inside the dark club. It makes me look like a half vampire and send that, too.
His reply is immediate. “Yes. I wish I were with you instead. Maybe later tonight?”
Oksana pulls on my arm, hands me a drink, and says, “You can’t say no.”
I type back a quick reply. “Not sure what Chloe’s plans are. See you soon. Don’t bring home the clap.”
He texts back a sad face.
“I love you,” I tap back quickly.
In return, I get a smiley face. Tossing my phone back in my purse, I clasp it closed and then drink the lethal potion my cousin handed me. I should be mad or upset. I should care that he’s potentially cheating on me right now, but I don’t. Guess what else? The fact that I don’t care doesn’t bother me either. The total indifference is what helps me get from day to day. Dax hasn’t broken up with me yet, and that’s something I never anticipated after I changed into this indifferent creature. I’m his project child that he needs to see through to the end, I think. Of course I love him, because I know he loves me, but I’m not sure at what cost. He wouldn’t hear me if I called him anyways. I shrug and start on another drink.
I watch my friends dance around the table in our roped off area. It’s nice being away from the crowd by only several feet, but I don’t want to be cordoned off anymore. “I’m going in!” I announce loudly. Everyone, just as drunk as I am, smiles, waves, and continues dancing. The twins found a couple of guys to talk to at the adjoining VIP table, and Windsor and Morganna are holding each other up while they sway to a popular song. I double-check that my purse is secure across my chest and make my way into the mob with my arms up, carefree and feeling lighter than I have in months.
I dance with random people as I head toward the center. I don’t care when men grab at my waist, I merely turn out of their grasp. The ‘bride’ sash is a magnet for the wrong kind of guys. Closing my eyes, I turn my face to the low ceiling and dance like no one is watching. I’m lost in the music, drunk on the sensations, and my mind void of anything else, when I feel a pair of large hands fold around my waist. Those same hands pull me back against a wide, hard chest. My breath catches. I let the arms fold completely around my sticky body.
“Can I have this dance?” he whispers, his lips touching my ear as he asks for permission he doesn’t need.
I can’t speak. I nod furiously. The crowd melts away and I can’t concentrate on anything except for where his skin touches mine. He spins me around, and my head spins a little more wildly than it was doing by itself.
“You,” I mouth, looking up into his eyes. His features are dark, venomous, lethally attractive.
His neck works as he swallows. Leaning down to put his face in my neck, he inhales and then whispers, “You.”
With him this close I can smell him. The same scent that fills his house with memories is taunting me right now. I glance at my cousins, but they’re oblivious to anything except the music and staying upright. Windsor is wrapped around a man—Maverick—and Morganna and Chloe are laughing, probably at the fact that Maverick couldn’t stay away. We’re hidden by the mass of moving bodies and colored laser lights.
Cody fingers the white sash, then picks up a strand of my fake brown hair. “Last night of freedom, then?” he asks, talking into my ear over the music. The tenor of his voice sends shockwaves to every nerve ending in my body. Between that and the alcohol, I’ve forgotten why I hate Cody Ridge. He inhales loudly by my ear, causing my skin to prickle with warmth. My fucking traitorous body. “I thought blondes were more my thing?” he asks, tightening his grip on my waist.
Oh, God. What am I doing? Leaning up on my tiptoes, I throw my arms around his neck and press my open mouth against his soft, full lips. I do exactly what I’ve wanted to do since he gave me an almost kiss in his living room. There’s no denying what this kiss means. I let my tongue wander into his mouth and am rewarded when he lets his slide against mine. His hands splay over my ass. He pulls me against his erection, hard and ready right now. This is his way of telling me what he wants and is asking if it’s what I want. I’d fuck the man right here in front of everyone if it meant I could be with him one more time—feel this connection to another human being. I could play pretend one more time before I become the wife to a noble, fine man who will never make me feel like this for as long as we live.
“Yes,” I say, teeth clicking with his. I repeat myself, “Yes.” He smiles against my mouth. More insanely hot teeth clank against mine. He pulls my lip into his mouth and bites down. It almost hurts, but feels so fucking good I actually moan. Sexual desire hits me all at once. Let me tell you, after nothing like this for weeks, the feeling is overwhelming. My stomach is flipping, my pussy is soaking my panties, and my mind focuses on one thing. Cody. The way the top button of his shirt is undone, showing the bottom of his throat, that hot way he has his hair slicked back and to the side, and of course how utterly, tragically in love with him I am.
“This way. Come on,” he commands, without breaking our kiss. I’m supposed to be angry with him. Mad. Hurt. Upset. Ignoring him should be my favorite sport, but the lure is too strong. Because tonight I can’t say no, I follow him, holding h
is hand as he walks us through the hot bodies swaying to the beat. His steps are quick and precise. He knows exactly where he’s going as he leads me down a dark hallway and into a door near the rear stairway exit to the street. He closes the door behind him and slides the lock into place. Our eyes adjust when he flicks on the overhead light. It’s dim, but it still feels like sunshine in comparison to the club on the other side of the door. There’s a couch, a coffee table and not much else in here. We don’t need much.
I take a step back away from him and take the wig off, letting it slide to the floor. With the remaining bobby pins out of place, my blonde waves are down, cascading over my shoulders. Cody doesn’t move. He watches me intently, his gaze flicking from one body part to another. His eyes are a mask of indifference, but his chest is rising and falling at a hurried pace. “What’s the matter, Cody? Cat got your tongue?”
His nostrils flare, his eyes sparkle. A ghost of a smile crosses one corner of his mouth the second before he grabs my waist, forces me down on the couch, and kisses me like he owns me. With one hand he plays with my hair, and with the other he works up my dress that is tighter than hot sin. “I plan on showing you just how present my tongue is,” he growls, tilting my head up by tugging my hair. He drags his nose down my throat, over my chest, and settles between my legs. My body is buzzing with excitement. Every pleasure sensing cell is concentrating on where he’s touching me. I can’t help the moan when he slides my panties down my legs and parts my legs with his head. The shaved sides of his head tickle the inside of my thighs. Warmth floods my core. “You want that, right?” Cody asks, his lips tickling my pussy as he speaks. I raise my hips toward his mouth. More. I need more of him.
I can’t speak—the sensations are too much, so I take his head with both of my hands, grab him by the ears, and guide his face where I want it. He stops when he’s so close that I can feel his warm breath on me. “I need to hear you say it. What do you want, Lainey?” I’m frantically panting like a dog. I’m so hot for him. “This is what you want?”
The Crazy Good SEAL Series: Books 1-3 Page 75
