by Nikki Paris
We walked into the shop, and Skylar gave the attendant her name. The girl tucked her bright red hair behind her ears and gave Skylar a pointed look. “You’re late.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I did my best to get here as fast as I could,” Skylar said, biting her lip.
The attendant sighed and walked away to get Skylar’s dress. I sighed and said, “Skylar, it’s so rude to be late for appointments. In the adult world, it’s best to show up on time.”
She shot me an angry look, but I saw a hint of amusement in her eyes. I was determined to either make her so mad that she screamed at me or get her to laugh out loud. Either one would make my night.
The attendant came back and led us to a changing room. Skylar pulled the curtain shut, and the attendant gave me a flirty smile. Too bad Skylar missed that. It would have pissed her off.
Skylar came out a few minutes later in a light gray strapless dress. In the front, it hit her mid-thigh, but the back reached the floor. The dress was fine, but Skylar was hot as hell. She stood in front of the mirror while I enjoyed the curve of her ass and imagined running my fingers across the bare skin of her back and shoulders.
Shit. Clara.
I cleared my throat. “Okay. I think I’ve got the color down. Does it fit the way it’s supposed to?”
Skylar shrugged. “I mean, yeah. It’s a little tight across the…” She glanced over at me and cleared her throat. “It’s a little tight on the top.”
I burst out laughing. “Of course it is.” Skylar had incredible, big tits. I needed to stop thinking about Skylar’s tits. I needed to stop thinking about the way they felt in my hands.
The attendant wandered back over. “How does it feel?” she asked.
“Can we let the bust out like an inch?” Skylar asked.
The attendant nodded and made a note on her clipboard. “The length looks perfect, and the waist seems good. Would you agree?”
“Yep. Just the bust. Is that all? Are we done?” Skylar seemed in a hurry to get out of there.
The attendant shrugged. “If that’s your only concern, then yes. Just leave the gown in the dressing room, and we’ll get it altered for you in the next few weeks.”
“Cool.” Skylar walked back into the dressing room and whipped the curtain shut.
The attendant turned to me and gave me another flirty smile. “Your girlfriend is so lucky to have you here. Not a lot of boyfriends will sit through dress fittings.” She laughed and put her hand on my shoulder.
I smiled. “She is lucky. You’re right.”
“Oh, God!” I heard Skylar groan from the dressing room. “He’s not my boyfriend!”
The attendant laughed and touched my shoulder again before walking away.
After a few minutes, Skylar poked her head out. She let out a long deep breath and said, “I’m stuck.”
I grinned. “I guess you’re going to have to wear that dress that’s too tight on your tits forever.”
She rolled her eyes. “Can you just help me?”
“Please?” I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Please.”
I grinned and stood. Skylar pulled back the curtain to let me into the dressing room. She turned around and lifted her hair. As soon as my fingers touched her skin, my heart started racing. I gripped the tiny gray zipper and remembered another night that I’d unzipped Skylar’s dress. I fought to steady my breathing and tugged on the zipper. It didn’t come down right away, so I tried again. Finally, after the third try, it slid down, and Skylar’s bare back greeted my eyes. There was no bra strap. Fuck.
I reached out, aching to run my fingers down her skin, but I stopped myself. I had a girlfriend, and Skylar would only hurt me again.
She suddenly turned around to face me, clutching the dress to her chest to cover herself. Her eyes were on fire, and her lips were slightly parted. Skylar shifted, so we were only a few inches apart. She gazed at my lips and then right into my eyes. “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and sweet, and I swear to God I almost fucked her in a bridal shop dressing room.
Clara, Clara, Clara. I cleared my throat and backed away. “No problem, kid.” Skylar was trouble. She’d been avoiding me, but maybe I was the one that needed to avoid her. Skylar made me feel too many things that I didn’t want to feel.
Clara was good for me.
◆◆◆
“Hey, babe!” Clara stood on my front porch with a big smile. She was still wearing her work scrubs, and she looked exhausted. She’d been working so much that I’d hardly seen her in the last few weeks. I should have missed her like crazy. I should have pulled her into my arms and kissed her the second I saw her.
But not all attraction had to be red-hot. Just because Clara didn’t make me lose my mind didn’t mean we weren’t right together. We had a healthy, normal relationship. Clara was sweet and thoughtful. Clara was great. My family loved Clara.
“Hey, beautiful. Come in.” I stepped back and let Clara come inside.
“What have you been up to tonight?” She smiled at me and kissed me softly.
“Uh, just playing video games. Wanna play?” I walked toward my living room, with Clara following behind.
She laughed. “No. I’m good. The games you play are so gory and violent. I see enough blood at work.”
“Right. Sorry.” I laughed and turned off the Xbox. “Video games are a waste of time anyway. You hungry?”
Clara collapsed on my couch. “Ugh. No. Again, too much blood at work. I have no appetite.”
“Okay. What do you want to do tonight?” I sat next to her and pulled her into my arms.
“Can we just like Netflix and chill?” Clara nuzzled her head into my chest and sighed.
“For sure.” I handed the remote to her and inwardly groaned hen she chose her favorite episode of Friends. My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text from Maci. Hey, loser. Don’t forget I’m getting married in sixty-three days.
I texted back. Who is this? I got a new phone.
Maci replied with an eye-roll emoji. Can you get the whole week before my wedding off? Blake and I thought it would be fun to have all the bridesmaids and groomsmen come and hang out at the cabin before everyone else comes up. We can do the bachelor and bachelorette parties up there and everything. Say yes.
Shit. An entire week in close quarters with Skylar? I’d barely survived helping her with her stuck zipper a few weeks ago. I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of her if she was in my face for a whole week. And I wasn’t a cheater. Clara was good for me — probably too good for me.
I looked down at Clara. She was already asleep against my chest. She worked her ass off, saving lives. She was definitely too good for me. I was lucky to have her. Suddenly I had an idea. I’d bring Clara with me to Maci’s wedding. I’d focus on her entirely, and then I wouldn’t even think about Skylar.
I texted Maci. Can I bring Clara?
Uh… sure? I didn’t know you guys were that serious???
I could get serious about Clara. It wouldn’t be hard — she was amazing.
22
Skylar
The week before Maci and Blake’s wedding, they invited all of the groomsmen and bridesmaids up to the cabin for a pre-wedding celebration. It would just be Maci, Blake, me, Kai, Jayden, Bri, Trinity, and Derrick until Thursday. We’d do all of the bachelor and bachelorette party shit, and then the parents and the rest of the family would head up.
It sounded fun! And then I showed up and found Clara sitting on the porch swing. She was leaning back against the blue-checkered pillows, wearing a little white sundress and oversized sunglasses. Her nails were painted a perfect summer red, and her dazzling smile was insta-worthy. “Hi, Skylar!” She beamed at me.
“Clara!” I smiled and put my sunglasses on top of my head. I was wearing ratty old cut-off jean shorts and a plain black tank top. My nails were bare. My lips were bare. She was the superior female. “I didn’t know you were going to be here this week! What a…fun surprise!”
; Clara laughed her perfect tinkling laugh. “Yeah, Derrick invited me, and Maci insisted she wanted me to be here. She is just the sweetest!”
“Ha, yeah. Maci is a sweetheart!”
“I seriously love that girl like a sister!”
“Ha! Me too. Me too. Cool, Clara. I’m just gonna go inside and say, ‘hey’ to everyone!” My laugh was so high pitched and weird.
Derrick brought his girlfriend.
It reminded me of the summer that Maci invited me to the cabin with her family for a few weeks. We were thirteen, giggly, and awkward. Derrick was seventeen, sexy, and confident, and he brought his girlfriend, Ember. I knew I liked Derrick before that trip, but it wasn’t until I saw him making out with Ember by the lake that I knew I loved him. I was sick with jealousy for a solid week. It reached the point that Kate offered to drive me back home early because she thought I was honestly ill.
No one was going to drive me home this time. I’d have to suck it up and swallow my heartbreak.
I walked through the front door, leaving Clara on the porch swing. The front room was empty. It looked like the Myles’ had done some remodeling since the last time I’d been here. The massive beams that stretched across the vaulted ceiling were painted white, now, instead of the old shiny oak. A matte, gray, hardwood had replaced the matching oak floor. All of the furniture was new, too.
“Hello?” I called out into the seemingly empty cabin.
No answer.
I wandered into the kitchen and ran my hands over the brand new gray quartz countertops. “Maci?” I tried again. “Blake?”
I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Maci hurrying down them. Her hair was a mess, and she was pulling her shirt down as she ran. “Ah! Skylar!” She threw her arms around me.
I laughed out loud. “Did I just interrupt an afternoon fuck?”
Maci laughed. “Interrupt? No. We’re done.”
I looked over her shoulder. “Where’s Blake?”
Maci rolled her eyes. “Okay, I was done. He’s um… just finishing up.”
I burst out laughing. “Thank you so much for the mental image of your fiancé jerking off upstairs.”
Maci shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
“So, where is everyone?” I asked.
“Uh… I think Bri and Trinity went swimming. Blake’s brother went with them. Kai will be here tomorrow.” Maci opened the fridge and pulled out a bottled water.
“Where’s Derrick?” I blurted out.
Maci paused and studied my face.
“I just mean, I saw Clara on the porch, so I figured she wouldn’t be here without him.” My cheeks felt like they were getting hot. I prayed I wasn’t blushing.
“Right.” Maci nodded and continued to gaze at me with narrowed eyes. “I think he went for a run.”
“Cool.” I cleared my throat. “So, Clara.”
Maci now raised both eyebrows at me. “Yeah. Clara.”
I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the counter. “So, it’s like pretty serious then, if he brought her to your wedding.”
Maci shrugged. “It’s serious for Derrick.” She gave me what looked very much like her sympathetic eyes and said, “But I mean, I don’t think he’s going to marry her or anything.”
“Ha! I don’t care. I don’t care what your stupid brother does! I’m gonna grab my bag and dress from my car. Ah! I’m so excited for your wedding, Maci! It’s going to be incredible!” I hugged her one more time and hurried out the front door. Holy mother-fucking shit-balls. How stupidly obvious could I have just been about wanting her brother?
I jogged down the front porch steps, not even looking at Clara, and hurried down the path to my car. I yanked open my back seat door and bent over to grab my bag and bridesmaid dress.
“Skylar!”
Derrick’s voice made me jump, and I smacked my head on the ceiling of my car. “Fuck!”
“Oh, shit! Are you okay?” Derrick laughed and jogged over to check on me.
I stood, with my bag in one hand, and my dress in the other. I was sure my cheeks were bright red now. “Yup. I’m…” I looked at Derrick and wanted to die. He was like a shirtless, muscled, glistening, God. I stared hard at his abs and vividly remembered licking them. I swallowed— loud enough for everyone on the mountain to hear— and said, “I’m good.”
Derrick grinned at me. “You sure? It looks like you hit your head pretty hard. Can I look at it?”
“Uh…” What was my God-damned problem today? Had I turned into Kai, unable to speak?
Derrick stepped up next to me and brushed the hair from my forehead. His green eyes traveled over my forehead and then down to meet my eyes. They looked soft, just like the time he found Davis messing with me back in high school. Derrick’s eyes also got soft like that every time he kissed me.
“Yeah.” He ran his fingers gently over my forehead. “It looks like you’re going to have a bump there. I can get you some ice.”
My heart was racing out of control. I laughed — that weird high-pitched laugh again. What the hell was that, anyway? “I’m fine, bitch.”
Derrick laughed out loud. “You’re so tough, Skylar.”
“Derrick!” Clara was walking toward us. “You’re back, babe!” She wrapped her arms around Derrick and kissed him.
I wanted to die. I wasn’t going to survive this week.
◆◆◆
Today was the “party hard” day. Bri, Trinity, Clara, and I had spent the morning decorating the cabin and baking treats while Maci and Blake took the boat out on the lake. The rest of the guys had gone to the store to get everything we’d need to get blackout drunk.
I was trying to be nice to Clara, really I was, but she was just so sickeningly sweet. How the hell did Derrick stand that? Unless he liked sweet. Maybe I was too rude. I could be nice if he wanted me to be nice.
“Skylar, how’s your dance studio going?” Clara smiled at me across the counter as she frosted cupcakes.
Ugh. She was just as sweet as that pink frosting, wasn’t she? I forced a smile. “Good. We ended up having to close registration for fall classes a week early because they’re already full.”
Her big brown eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God! Skylar, that’s awesome!”
“Thanks!”
The guys all poured into the kitchen right then, laden with brown paper bags.
Clara leaned in and kissed Derrick. I wanted to throw up. I opened one of the bags and pulled out a bottle of vodka. I twisted off the cap and took a few gulps. Being stuck in the Myles family cabin with Derrick and his pretty little girlfriend was pure hell.
My eyes drifted back over to Derrick and Clara. His hand rested on her hip, and he smiled at her. She said something that I couldn’t hear, and Derrick burst out laughing.
Clara was enough to make Derrick settle down. I wasn’t.
Derrick glanced up and saw me glaring at him. Shit. He smiled at the open bottle of vodka in my hand, then reached over and pulled a bottle of white wine from another bag. “I thought this was more your speed, Skylar. If you’re going to start drinking at 10 am, you should at least pick something you like.” It was my absolute favorite wine. God-damn it.
I glared harder. “It’s 10:45, Derrick.” I took another swig of vodka, twisted the cap back on, and set the bottle down on the counter. Then I walked out the front door and slammed right into Kai. “Shit! Kai!”
Kai lowered his sunglasses and gave me a funny look. “Are you drunk, Skylar?”
I rolled my eyes and let out a long agitated sigh. “No, Kai.” Then I stalked off down the driveway. I needed to cool it. I wasn’t going to let my immature jealously ruin Maci’s wedding week. I walked along the dirt path, covered in pine needles, and took a few deep breaths of the fresh mountain air. My heart felt like it was in a blender. Why couldn’t I get over Derrick? I had to fucking get over him.
I walked and fumed for almost an hour. Then I cried and walked some more. I needed to get back and
help finish setting up Maci’s bachelorette party.
By the time I made my way back to the cabin, my tears were all dried up, but I was hot and sweaty. I’d just take a quick shower and then get to work before Bri and Trinity could get pissed at me. They were like Maci. They enjoyed parties and setting up parties. I was the slacking Maid of Honor.
Whatever.
The cabin was quiet when I got back. Everyone must have gone outside for lunch. Good. I didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet. I headed up the stairs to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I started stripping off my tank top and leggings and didn’t hear the front door open. I slid out of my bra and panties and turned to close the bathroom door.
“Whoa.”
I froze at the sound of Derrick’s voice. My eyes flashed up to meet his. He stood in the hallway, gazing at my naked body with fire in his eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
“Fuck, Skylar.” Derrick’s eyes settled on my tits, then he covered his face with both hands and mumbled. “You have to close the door before you get naked, kid. You can’t just go around giving people inappropriate erections like that.” Then he continued down the hall to the room he was sharing with Clara.
I slammed the bathroom door shut and leaned against it with my heart racing. Derrick had fire in his eyes, right? I didn’t just imagine it? Damn, that felt good to have his eyes all over me. I knew it would feel even better to have his hands all over me. I climbed into the shower and yelled, “SHIT!” It would be a God-damned miracle if I survived this week.
23
Derrick
I grinned when I heard Skylar scream, “SHIT” from the bathroom. She’d been in a terrible mood since she arrived at the cabin. I liked it when she got all fiery, though. It was sexy. Speaking of sexy, seeing her naked like that was… I shook my head to clear it and covered my face with both hands.
Why did I come inside again?
Clara wanted her sunscreen. Clara, my beautiful girlfriend, had asked me to get her sunscreen from her bag.
