by Avril Ashton
“Yes.” He chose his words carefully. “We were together then, and I thought she wanted to build something, but instead, when she learned about the offer I got in California, she told me to go and broke things off when I said no.”
“Who is she, somebody local?”
“I’m not going to reveal her identity, but Dad, she’s open to giving me another chance, and I—”
“You want to go there again.”
“Yes.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
He shrugged. “I’m going to talk to Jenna, see if she wants to head to New York early, say tomorrow, and I’ll take her.”
His dad studied his face. “This other woman, why didn’t she want to be with you out in the open? She married?”
“No! Hell no, Dad.” He’d never go that route, get involved with a married someone. “She’s got some issues, and then she’s a bit older—”
“How much older?”
“Twelve years.” Reno watched his dad from the corner of his eyes as he spoke. Fortunately, his father didn’t blink.
“That’s not so bad.”
“Thank you, that’s what I said.”
“Son, maybe she’s just using the age thing as an excuse. Did you think about that? Maybe it’s something deeper.” His father patted his shoulder. “Find out what that problem is before you decide to make irrevocable changes in your life to fit into hers.”
Yeah. He knew that. He stood and stretched. “Thanks for the talk, Dad.” He held out a hand, and his father took it. He pulled the older man up. “And for not judging.”
“Anytime.” His dad smiled, brown eyes twinkling. “And I am judging. A little.”
Reno blushed. They glanced up in tandem when pounding echoed from the abandoned house next door.
Reno squinted. “What’s going on? They fixing up old man Redding’s house?” The old two-family home had been empty since old man Redding passed almost three years ago. His kids had done nothing with the house, choosing to leave it empty while they went back to their lives in Washington.
“Yeah.” His dad motioned him to begin clearing the brush around their picnic table. “I hear they’re finally selling the place, so they’ve been fixing it up, setting it to rights.”
“’Bout time.” Reno busied himself clearing out the backyard and by the time his mother and Jenna came back, his back hurt and he was sweating buckets, but at least the place looked good. He took a shower then helped out with setting up, even running to the store to get the ice his mother forgot. By the time the ribs and burgers were on the grill, he’d had a couple beers and was feeling good.
He stood in the backyard, chatting with a few friends who’d stopped by. Then Indy pulled up across the street.
Reno had a clear view where he stood. He watched her get out the car and make her way to old man Redding’s place without even glancing at his parents’ house. Just the sight of her, in jean cutoffs and a white T-shirt, flip-flops on, and his heart rate picked up speed.
“Hey.” Jenna squeezed him. “Enjoying yourself?”
He smiled down at her. “Sure am, what about you?”
She returned his smile. “It’s loud, and everyone knows everyone, but I like it.” She rubbed her still-flat stomach. “I like it a lot.”
“Jen, listen. We need to talk.”
She looked up. “Later, okay? We’ll talk later.”
He nodded and breathed a little easier. Until someone spied Indy and called out to her.
Oh, fuck.
He looked over at the Redding’s place. Indy stood on the porch talking to a man with a hard hat on, a hammer in his hand. She faced him, and as Reno looked, she glanced over the man’s shoulder. Their eyes met. Reno forgot to breathe.
Goddamn.
She didn’t blank her features quickly enough, and he saw her surprise at seeing him, the pleasure, and the hurt when her gaze dropped from him to Jenna standing at his side. Indy looked away, and Reno did the same. He was pretty sure anyone looking at him could tell how he felt about her, could probably tell what they’d been up to last night, bringing each other off with phone sex.
“Shit.”
Jenna cupped his cheek. “You okay, Reno?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He patted her hand where it touched him and brought it away slowly, so as not to make a big deal of it. Jenna searched his gaze before finally smiling and stepping away.
“I’m going to get some of those ribs before they’re all gone.” She winked then turned away.
He forced a smile and waited a beat before glancing up, searching for Indy. She wasn’t there, but her car remained parked on the curb so she hadn’t left. He busied himself with eating, chatting with friends, and did his best not to think about her.
“Hey, Indy,” his dad hollered. “Get your butt over here and get you a plate.”
Shit. Reno turned away, but his father grabbed his arm. “Son, make Indy a plate.”
“Yes, Dad.” Damn it. He waited, resigned until Indy made her way over, climbing over the wooden fence that only came up to her thighs. Her reluctance to be there showed on her face, but she came anyway.
Reno waved her over, and after smiling and nodding at everyone, she finally reached him. “Sorry about this,” he muttered under his breath.
She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I won’t stay.”
He tried holding her gaze, but she refused to meet his eyes. “Indy.”
Her nostrils flared. “Potato salad, some ribs, chicken, and corn.”
“Huh?” He blinked at her stupidly.
“What I want on my plate.” A smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Please.”
“Oh. Right.” He busied himself doing that, getting her food.
“Jenna, have you met Indy?” That was his mother, and Jesus, Reno wanted to sink to the floor and disappear.
“No, can’t say I have,” Jenna said.
Reno hurried over. “Ah, Jenna, this is Indy Steele. She’s in real estate. Indy, this is Jenna.”
Jenna held out a hand. “Nice to meet you,” she said with a small laugh.
Indy’s face was stone, but she shook the hand Jenna held out. “Hi.”
“So Indy, what are you doing at Redding’s place?” his mother asked.
They all four stood there, Reno with Indy’s food piled high on the plate as she answered.
“The family wants to put it up for sale, so they’re doing some quick fixes before it can be listed.” She looked at Reno then away quickly. “I came to check on the progress.”
They lapsed into silence. Reno couldn’t take his eyes off her. She held herself stiffly, her discomfort clear, and he wanted to soothe her, help her relax. He wished things were different. He’d be able to hold her hand, kiss her in public. Show his affection.
Even as he stood there his cock was half-hard, in remembrance of the night before and all the nights when he’d had her. Fingers curled around his, and he looked down. Jenna held his hand. He frowned over at her, but she gave him wide, innocent eyes in response. He knew what she was doing, trying to make Indy jealous.
And it looked like it worked.
“I’m gonna—” Indy motioned with a hand. “I have to go.” She started walking away.
“Um, your food.” Reno rushed after her, yanking away from Jenna. “Indy.” He caught up with her at the corner of the house. “Don’t forget your food.” He held out the foil-covered plate.
“How could I forget?” she muttered the sarcastic words and took the plate before turning away abruptly.
“Babe.” He touched her like he wanted, on her nape. The feel of her, like silk under his fingertips. The sight of their skin together, her dark against his light.
“No!” She rounded on him, eyes brimming with hurt. “Do you have any idea how much that shit hurt?”
“I’m sorry.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shuffled from foot to foot. She knew he wasn’t with Jenna, so why was she upset?
“
Don’t apologize to me,” Indy said. “You say nothing’s going on between the two of you, but she’s holding your hand?” She sighed and shook her head. “You know what? Forget it.”
Goddamn it. He stood there, hanging his head as Indy walked away. He waited until she got into her car, until she drove away, before going back to the party. Jenna was nowhere in sight.
“Hey, Mom, have you seen Jenna?”
His mother motioned to the house. “I think she’s inside, honey.”
He found Jenna coming out of his bathroom, using a towel to wipe her face. “Hey, you okay?”
She nodded. “Just needed to wash my face.” She dropped the towel in the hamper and met his gaze. “Did your friend leave?”
“Who, Indy? Yeah, she did.”
Jenna nodded. “That was her, wasn’t it? The one you can’t get over?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s her.” Reno sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. “Come. Sit for a minute.”
Jenna sat, hands folded in her lap. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Did it work? Is she jealous enough to take you back?”
Reno laughed. “She thinks we’re together and wants me to deal with you before she gives me a chance.”
Jenna bounced and clapped her hands. “That’s great!” She toned it down when he frowned. “What?”
“I was wondering if you would be okay with leaving for New York tomorrow.”
“Why?”
He touched her knee. “I promised Steven I’d take care of you and the baby, and I want to do that, but I also want to take advantage of this chance I have with Indy.”
“But we were supposed to spend a week with your parents.” She pouted. “What will they think?”
He laughed. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. So what do you think?”
“Okay. I’ll do anything to help, but you’re to call and give us details of how it went.” She lifted her chin. “And you agree, right here, right now, to be Junior’s godfather.” She touched her belly.
“Junior? It’s a boy?”
Her eyes twinkled when she nodded. “It’s a boy.”
“Woohoo!” Reno grabbed her in a bear hug. “I’m gonna be a godfather.”
Jenna chuckled and pulled away. “That’s a yes, I take it?”
“Are you kidding? That a hell yes!”
“Cool.” She stood. “Let’s see about getting us a flight so you can hurry back to win Ms. Indy over.”
****
Business took up much of Indy’s time. When she wasn’t working, she did her best to keep occupied, keep busy, so she didn’t have to think about Reno. He’d sent her a text message the night of the barbecue at his parents’ place.
Off to NY with Jenna. Will talk when I get bk.
She didn’t know what it meant, and she didn’t try to analyze it. She’d only lose her mind. Instead, she recruited Arden to accompany her to the gym. Ear buds in, she listened to some Coldplay while running the treadmill, Arden next to her doing the same. Since Arden had begun her party planning business, the two hardly ever saw each other, so Indy cherished the time they did spend hanging and shooting the shit.
Times like those were when she needed her friend most, and fortunately, Arden seemed to know what she needed, keeping her company and talking her ear off about everything and nothing in particular.
Indy ran the treadmill until she was bathed in sweat, until she couldn’t feel her legs. Only then did she get off. She waited for Arden to finish up, and then the two walked to the showers. In there, she and Arden shared the tiny shower, nothing they hadn’t done before, even scrubbing each other’s back. Arden held her tongue until they were getting dressed.
“What’s going on with Reno?”
Indy shrugged as she pulled her T-shirt over her head. “How should I know?” She didn’t meet Arden’s eyes, choosing to keep her gaze on the shorts she held in her hand.
“You should know since you’ve got so much feels for the young’un.” Arden chuckled to herself.
“Can we not talk about this?”
“Depends.” Clad in her bra and underwear, Arden straddled the bench. “What happened?”
“Oh, nothing much.” Indy buttoned her shorts. “I went over to his house, got some food, outed him to the girlfriend, and then I got a text from him saying they’re off to New York.”
Arden’s eyes widened with every word. She held up a hand. “Back up to the outed him part. I though you said she wasn’t his girlfriend?”
“That’s what he said, but then I go over there and she’s holding his hand and giving me the evil eye.”
“You were jealous.”
Indy laughed. “No.” She was not.
“Oh, please.” Arden waved away her denial. “You totally were jealous, which was probably why Blondie did it. To get you all riled up enough to make a move.”
Well, if that were true, the plan failed.
“Did you?” Arden asked.
“Did I what?”
“Make a move, bitch. Did you make a move?”
“No.” She’d hightailed it out of there instead.
“Well, that was a wasted opportunity,” Arden said. “But you’re gonna make one soon, right?”
Not so much. “I don’t know. He went off to New York with her. And what does he mean we’ll talk when he gets back? I don’t understand.” She grunted in frustration. “Hell, I don’t even know when he’s coming back.”
“He’ll be back, though, so that’s something.”
Indy didn’t know, and she didn’t want to hope.
Arden slapped her thigh. “You need to look on the bright side.” She winked. “And I think I have just the thing to cheer you up.”
“Eh, I’m open to anything.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” Arden got serious suddenly. “I know you’ve got your kinks, so Cam and I were wondering if you’d like to indulge in some of those with us.”
Indy squinted at her friend. “How? ’Cause you know I’m not one to dabble in fish.” She liked women well enough. She just didn’t want to fuck ’em.
Arden giggled. “No, bitch. We want you to watch.”
Indy perked. “Tell me more.” She did have a thing for voyeurism and exhibitionism. With Reno they’d dabbled in voyeurism, but since they weren’t public they’d forgone the exhibition part.
“Cam and I, you know how freaky we get.” Arden ginned like a loon. “There are things that are a hard no, like sharing or bringing someone into our bed, but we’d like to cross off this one on our list. I suggested you, since you are kinky like that and Cam doesn’t have to worry about his secrets being out there in the streets.”
Indy lifted an eyebrow. “What secrets?”
Her best friend squirmed. “Um, that he likes getting his ass filled.”
Indy couldn’t help the grin. “Just a few of my favorite things.”
“Another reason I thought of you. We want to sit your ass in a corner and watch me fuck Cam.”
“Can I touch myself?”
“Hell, you can do whatever you want to yourself.”
They laughed together.
“I’m in.”
Chapter Six
She had dinner with Arden and Cam at their home. Even knowing what they’d all be getting up to later, they had an easy time, laughing and joking, sharing stories about Arden and Indy’s crazy friendship. She watched the couple with a slight ache in her chest. She’d always been happy for Arden, finding someone to love and who loved her, but looking across their dinner room table, Indy suddenly found herself battling jealousy.
She wanted what Arden and Cam had. Their easy-going attitude, the oh-so-obvious love they had. The way Cam touched Arden, the way he looked at her. Indy’s friend glowed with happiness, and Indy felt like dragging her chair closer in hopes that some of it rubbed off on her.
She’d had it. Once. She’d had it, and she’d lost. Not even lost, because she’d deliberately fucked it up, kicking Reno out of her bed and out of
her life.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on the FUBARed state of her love life. She shook off the morose feelings of doubt and looked on with a smile as Arden and Cam walked out of the room, headed to their bedroom, hand in hand. Indy drained her wine glass and waited a few minutes, checking her phone, like she’d done a million times already, to see if Reno had at least texted her.
Nothing.
She refused to think about what his silence could mean. Instead she sat and waited until she figured she’d given Arden and Cam a good enough head start. Then, she made her way to the bedroom.
The couple’s huge bedroom was awash in candlelight. The room smelled like a heady combination of Arden and Cam, mixed with the ripe tension of the soon-to-come awesome sex. Just a hunch, since she’d never seen them in action before, but she just knew Arden and Cam’s passion would burn the sheets to dust.
Standing inside the open doorway, she watched Arden get on her hands and knees, ass in the air with Cam behind her, eating her out. The earthy musk of scent hit her nose soon enough, and Indy grunted softly. She couldn’t help remembering herself in a similar position, Reno at her beck and call, following through as she issued husky commands. It was one of the first times they’d been together. He’d been a virgin, and she’d had to talk him through what she wanted.
He’d been a star pupil, quickly learning her body, her likes and her dislikes, and using them to worm his way under her skin.
Arden cried out when Cam pushed two fingers inside her, and Indy blinked away the memories. Now wasn’t the time. Leaving the bedroom door open, she made her way inside and took a seat in the chair at the foot of the bed. In her position, she saw all the good stuff. Cam pressing his thumb to Arden’s ass, his face wet and glistening, Arden’s thighs trembling, her juices marking the insides of her thighs, and her fingers gripping, twisting in the sheets.
Indy palmed her tits, kneading, pinching the nipples. She bit her lip to stifle her sounds, not wanting to intrude on the couple making magic in front of her. She sat with her legs apart, back straight, pussy wet. Normally she’d be thinking of who she could get to ease the ball of tension rolling down her spine, but she’d put off the truth long enough. Now she could admit, at least to herself, that the only man she wanted was Reno.
