Tease

by Missy Johnson

  It wasn’t always just about the sex, but Melinda had never been big on the small talk. My clients get from me what they can’t get elsewhere in their lives, and when it came to her, she had a husband and kids. Why waste perfectly good fucking time with talking? Some women liked the banter, and for them that was all part of the experience. Every woman was different in what they wanted from me.

  I got out of the shower, dried myself off, and then wrapped a towel around my waist before grabbing a can of soda from the minibar. Payments with most of my clients were done electronically because it was easier—especially when you’re having to draw out several thousand in cash every few weeks. And let’s face it, these days you can write off payments as anything, so leaving a paper trail wasn’t an issue.

  After I finished my soda, I filled the tub and ordered room service—chocolate fudge cake with ganache and raspberry coulis—which I ate whilst immersed in the hot water. With the amount of sex I got I figured I could treat myself every now and then. With the amount of sex I had, I figured I could treat myself every now and then.

  I shut off the taps just as there was a knock on the door.

  By the time I got home it was well past midnight. I threw my keys down on the counter and took my shirt off. Unbuttoning my jeans, I stepped out of them and my boxers, leaving both in a pile on the floor. I climbed into bed, barely having the energy to pull back the sheets. Fuck, Melinda sucked the life out of me. She always left me feeling like I’d run a marathon. My phone beeped next to me. I reached for it.

  Just caught the new cover for New Woman mag…apparently now I’m pregnant. B xx

  I laughed. Bethany and I had a different kind of relationship from what I did with any of my other clients. With Beth, it wasn’t just business. I cared about all my clients, but I’d actually go out of my way to just hang with Beth—and I did. Every week—when she wasn’t working—we’d catch up. No sex, just two friends having a drink and a laugh. She was a fun girl with a great sense of humor. There wasn’t anything more there for either of us than friendship and great sex, and that kind of made our relationship even stronger. It was hard to be friends with someone you’re sleeping with, unless you find a way to separate the two things. It wasn’t always easy, but if it meant keeping our friendship in tact then I had to try and do just that.

  I texted her back.

  Crap, it’s not mine is it? See you Tuesday.

  I put my phone back on the table and rolled over, drifting off to sleep.

  Chapter Six

  Friday crept up on me way too quickly, but to be honest, I was looking forward to a few days without sex. Now that’s a comment I’d never expected to say.

  Getting up to the cabin was a yearly ritual that I loved. It gave me time to spend with Nic, Jake, and the girls. It also gave me a break from work, which every now and then I really needed. The cabin was situated next to a lake, which meant fishing, hiking, and lots of relaxation was in store for the next few days.

  I arrived at Steenport just after lunch. A tiny fishing town, Steenport consisted of a general store and a bait shop. There were several cabins scattered around the lake, and being a holiday weekend, most of them were occupied.

  Pulling up in front of number three, I noticed another car alongside Nic and Jake’s. It wasn’t unusual for them to invite friends up there with us, so I wasn’t too concerned. Getting out of the car, I opened the trunk and grabbed my luggage. When I reached the door, I knocked loudly. The door swung open and both Marlie and Tully stood there grinning up at me.

  “Uncle Coop!” they yelled in unison. They ran at me, almost knocking me over, and threw their arms around me.

  “Hey guys,” I chuckled, hugging them back. “Wow, you two are getting huge!”

  Tully rolled her eyes with her typical five-year-old attitude. “You only saw us last week,” she reminded me as if I was an idiot. I shook my head and gently tugged her hair.

  With one of them on either side of me, holding my hands—or, more accurately, yanking me along—we walked toward the kitchen. I loved going there. The wooden cabin was huge, with its four bedrooms, oversized bathroom, and a large living area. A log fire kept the place warm at night. A balcony overlooked the lake and wrapped around half the cabin, big enough for an outdoor table setting and a Weber grill.

  We walked into the kitchen, and were greeted by Nic and Jake. My attention turned to a woman who was sitting at the table, her hands clasped in front of her. She smiled at me, recognition flashing in her eyes. There was something so familiar about her, but exactly what, I couldn’t put my finger on.

  Then it hit me.

  Holy. Fucking. Shit.

  Mia Westfield. The last time I’d seen her was when I was fifteen and she was fourteen. She’d been on her knees, behind her parents’ shed, giving me my first hummer.

  Twelve years later she was sitting there, right in front of me, looking as sexy as hell.

  She gaped at me. “Liam?” she asked, astonished.

  Her mouth dropped open. Her dark brown hair hung loosely around her bare shoulders, the green top she was wearing clinched at the waist and brought out the emerald color of her eyes. Her tight jeans clung to the curves of her hips. I was surrounded by beautiful women every day, yet Mia’s natural beauty left me utterly speechless.

  “Mia. What the hell are you doing here?” I sputtered, finally finding my voice, which came out as a squeak. Nic eyed me strangely as she emptied the dishwasher.

  “You remember Mia?” Nic asked, surprised.

  I nodded. How the fuck could I forget her?

  ‘Shocked’ was an understatement to describe how I was feeling. She was my sister’s childhood best friend. I’d had the biggest crush on Mia for four years, until she and her family relocated to Florida. The day before she left, she’d asked me to go with her down the back of her parents’ yard. Never in a million years had I expected what had happened next: Mia had made all my adolescent wet dreams come true in the space of five minutes.

  “Wow, Liam. You look different from the last time I saw you.” She grinned. She bit her lip as she moved her gaze over my body.

  I narrowed my eyes at her, not sure if she was playing with me. The last time I’d seen her, my pants had been around my ankles and my cock was in her mouth. Of course I looked different.

  “So do you,” I replied, my eyebrows raised. “Last time I saw you, you were about this tall.” I motioned to the height of my crotch and she laughed, her eyes narrowing slightly as they locked on mine.

  “Mia and I ran into each other the other day at the hairdresser’s. Can you believe it?” Nic’s voice startled me. I’d momentarily forgotten we were in a room full of people.

  “So, what the hell are you doing back in New York? Are you back permanently?”

  “I just moved back. My husband and I divorced, and I wanted to be closer to my parents. That, and I’m starting a new job at Mercy Hospital next week,” she grinned.

  “Wow, that’s great. What do you do?” I asked.

  “I’m a nurse.” She shook her head again. “I still can’t believe it’s you.” She glanced at Nic and frowned. “And I can’t believe we lost contact. I’ve thought about you guys a lot over the years.”

  Nic nodded. She looked the happiest I’d ever seen her. “When I saw you the other day I was so rapt. I hated that we drifted apart after you moved. I’m so glad you could come up here with us.” She raced over and hugged Mia.

  God, how I’d love to be the one hugging her. I shook my head again.

  Mia-fucking-Westfield. This was unbelievable.

  “So tell me everything,” she said as I pulled up a chair. “Married? Kids?”

  “No and no,” I replied. “I was married, but things ended badly. Now, I’m just happy being single. I’m too caught up in work for a relationship right now.” Which was true. A relationship combined with my line of work was just asking for trouble.

  “He works way too hard,” Nic chimed in. “Hey, are you in contact wit
h anyone from school still? Candace Baker? Sally Bunton?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. Moving back, it’s like starting completely over. Most of the people I used to know have either moved on or I’ve lost contact with.” She took another sip of her coffee and I tried not to notice the way her lips parted slightly as they met the edge of the cup. “That’s why I’m so looking forward to starting work. It will give me a chance to meet some people.”

  “My friends and I catching up for a drink next weekend. You should come with us,” I said.

  Nic glanced at me strangely. Not that I blamed her. Why the hell was I offering to take her friend out?

  Coop, what are you doing?

  Hell, I had no idea what I was doing. Trying to be nice, I think? What I didn’t consider was how many of my friends were just plain assholes when it came to pretty women. I could just imagine Pete trying to get her into his bed. Pete tried to get everyone into his bed.

  “Maybe we could have a drink sometime and really catch up?” she suggested with a tiny shrug. “Pass me your phone and I’ll give you my number.”

  I handed it to her.

  She added her details and handed the phone back to me. Nic was looking back and forth at us like we were crazy. I began to chuckle; the look on her face was priceless.

  “What the hell is going on here?” she demanded.

  Mia blushed and looked at me. I was too busy laughing to answer.

  “Probably not suitable for me to say with underage people in the room,” I said, hinting that the story wasn’t appropriate for the kids. Nic looked confused as she glanced at the kids and then her expression broke into one of astonishment.

  “No! Please tell me you didn’t....” Her voice trailed off as she clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. “God, eww! Seriously?” she frowned, her mouth hanging open.

  “It’s probably not what you’re thinking. But close.” I winked at her.

  “Mia!” Nic gasped. “With my brother?”

  “What?” Mia protested, laughing. “How come I’m in trouble? What about him?” She pointed at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.

  “Oh come on. We both knew he had a thing for you—”

  “Wait a minute,” I interrupted, holding up my hand. “You knew I had a crush on you?” I repeated. “And here I’ve been thinking all these years that I was the master of deception.”

  Nic rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she said. “You followed us everywhere. Everyone knew. Even Mom knew you wanted to get in Mia’s pants.”

  Oh god. That was a comment I wanted erased from my mind.

  “Well, this changes everything.” I sighed dramatically. “I feel as though everything was based on a lie.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mia chuckled, her hand over her mouth. I smirked at her. She wasn’t sorry; she didn’t fool me for a second.

  Jake snorted. “Dude, if you scored out of it, I’d say that makes you the winner.”

  I shrugged. “Fair enough. I’ll take that.” I stood up and walked to the fridge, grabbing a beer each for Jake and me. I tossed him a can. “Good talk. I’ll be outside. Coming?” I asked Jake. He laughed and nodded.

  “You think I’m going to sit around here and listen to these two? Fuck yeah, I’m coming.” Nic glared at him, and he shut his mouth abruptly.

  “Daddy said a rude word!” Tully whispered loudly, her eyes wide as she stared accusingly at Jake.

  “You tell him off,” replied Nic, ruffling her hair.

  “I’m sorry. Daddy won’t use a bad word ever again,” he assured her. I chuckled and walked outside, leaving Jake to deal with his language problem.

  Leaning against the balcony, I took in the view. It was stunning. The mountains in the background, the tall trees, the gray sky…it all tied in to create a perfect winter afternoon. Despite the beauty of the scenery before me, it was the beauty inside that was still occupying my mind.

  “Lovely, isn’t it?” I turned to my left and saw Mia.

  “Stunning,” I mumbled, my eyes on her.

  She blushed and looked down.

  “So I’m still in a little bit of shock that you’re here,” I added with a stupid grin on my face.

  Very smooth, Coop.

  “I’m glad I came. It’s great to see you again.” She paused, her lips parting into a smile. “You’ve definitely grown into your body.” Her gaze ran over me.

  I laughed. “Are you saying I was a skinny teenager?” I teased.

  “No. I mean yes—”

  “It hurts me that you’d be so shallow,” I joked. “Next you’ll be telling me I was ugly. Go on, hurt a man while he’s down,” I chuckled.

  She reached over and whacked me. “Stop twisting my words.” She grinned. “I was just saying you’ve definitely changed. In a good way.” Her eyes swept over me again, this time resting on my crotch. The way she was looking at me was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

  “You haven’t changed much at all,” I said honestly. “You’re taller and older obviously, but you still have that dark, dark hair that curls at the end, and the deepest green eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  She smiled and looked down again, her face flushing at my compliment.

  “And those lips,” I sighed. “God, I used to dream about those lips every night.”

  Did I just say that out loud?

  The sliding door opened, and Jake joined us outside before she could reply. I wanted to hug the man for his timing. “Mia, Nic wants to know if you want a wine.”

  Mia smiled. “I’ll go in.” She nodded, flashing me a smile, then headed back inside.

  After she was gone, Jake let out a low whistle.

  “That’s some serious sexual tension there, man. I hope you’re going to, uh, work that to your advantage?” He winked at me and I laughed.

  As much fun as that would be, that was not the sort of complication my life needed at the moment. And besides, this weekend was all about no sex.

  “I don’t think so, man. Women complicate life.”

  Jake laughed. “Don’t I know it.”

  After dinner, the kids went to bed and the four of us sat around the fire, drinking. Nic and Jake snuggled together on the sofa while Mia and I occupied the two armchairs. I reached forward and grabbed a handful of chips.

  “God, I hope those two sleep in tomorrow,” groaned Nic. She rested her head on Jake’s shoulder.

  “Good luck with that,” I chuckled. Nic shot me a look.

  “Speaking of sleep, I’m absolutely wrecked,” yawned Nic. She turned to Jake. “Come on. We’re going to bed.”

  “If you say so,” Jake said, rolling his eyes. It was easy to see who wore the pants in their relationship.

  I turned to Mia. “Do you want another drink?” I asked, gesturing to her empty glass.

  “I should probably head to bed too…but why the hell not?”

  I took her glass from her outstretched hand and wandered into the kitchen. I poured her wine and grabbed a beer for myself. I walked back into the room and she shivered as I handed the drink to her.

  “Cold?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  I walked over to the closet behind the front door and retrieved a thick blue blanket.

  “Thanks.” She smiled. “So, how about this, huh?”

  I chuckled. Yep. How about this.

  The last thing I’d expected to be doing over the weekend was…well, anything with Mia Westfield. She reached for the remote and turned on the TV. It was blaringly loud. She jumped and frantically pressed the volume button as I laughed.

  “It’s not funny,” she blushed. “I’ve probably woken everyone up now.”

  “If those kids come out, you’re putting them back to bed,” I joked, still laughing.

  Mia made a face. “I wanted to go into pediatric nursing and then I realized I’m hopeless with kids.” She grinned at me. “No joke. I had a clinical at the children’s hospital last year, and I made about ten kids cry. And that was before the end of the first da
y.”

  “So what area of nursing are you in?” I asked curiously. I could see her as a nurse. She had that caring, patient side to her down pat. Even as a kid, she’d been the girl who would find injured animals and take them home to nurse them back to health.

  “General surgery. So basically I will be caring for people post-surgery.”

  “Wow,” I raised my eyebrows and let out a whistle. “You’d need a pretty strong stomach for that.” I just about fainted at the sight of blood. Not to mention the fact that I was a sympathy vomiter.

  “You need a strong stomach for any kind of nursing,” she remarked. “But the feeling you get when you know you’ve helped someone? There’s nothing else like it.” Her smile reached her eyes as they sparkled back at me.

  My mouth went dry. She spoke with so much emotion when she was passionate about something: a trait I found very attractive.

  “Did Nic tell you about Mom?” I asked, changing the subject. Anything to distract myself from how much I wanted to kiss those lips right now. Would she kiss me back? Would I see desire in those eyes? My gaze ran over her low-cut green top, and those tight sexy jeans. What did that body look like underneath those clothes? Was it as sexy as I imagined it to be?

  Coop, get a grip. It’s so not going to happen.

  “Yeah, she did. I’m sorry to hear that.” Mia’s voice jolted me out of my own head. “Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease. And to have the onset so young is even more tragic. How is she? Nic mentioned you got her into a trial? That’s good,” she said, impressed. “Those things usually aren’t cheap,” she added, raising an eyebrow. “Or easy to get into.”

  “It’s not cheap, but how can you put a price on quality of life?” I shrugged. I’d fought hard to get her into that trial.

  Mia smiled. “See, that’s why you’re a good guy. You take care of your family, no matter what.”

  I shrugged, not seeing the big deal. Anyone in my position would do the same. It was no different from donating a kidney if you were a match. If the trial got Mom a few more years without any further regression, then even for all the money in the world, it would be worth it.