by A. m Madden
Still not satisfied, I continued to look at my friends for clarity. Cassie interjected, “We found out you both aren’t into commitments when he told us what he did for a living.”
“Oh, that he makes perfume?” Now they were the ones with their eyebrows arched. “What? He told me at the wedding when he sniffed me.”
“He sniffed you?” Des asked. “Where?”
“My neck, the first time. Where did you think he sniffed me?”
Des rolled her eyes. “I meant where on the farm.”
“Oh, on our way out of the ceremony. Then again later in the barn, while his pelvis was between my legs.” The group of older women looked my way. What the fuck was with everyone today? “When we were walking down the aisle. He knew I was wearing Miss Dior and proceeded to tell me it was all wrong for me.”
“Any… way…” Cassie once again popped in to explain. “We said his girlfriends must love that, and he said he doesn’t do girlfriends.” She waved her hand toward me. “Hence, your name came up.”
Knowing he felt the same way about relationships as I did, in addition to his sexual skills, only spurred my desire to see him again. Why couldn’t we casually hook up when we wanted to? The thought of another train wreck of a date like last night didn’t appeal to me in the least.
During the wedding weekend, things were effortless with Kyle and me. No tense moments, no awkward pauses in conversation, and no cringing sexual encounters. I allowed the memories of each time to play in my mind, drowning out Des and Cass’s conversation. When Cassie said, “So, they’ll be joining us tonight at Brae and Jude’s place,” a new visual popped into my thoughts of Kyle and me sneaking away to have sex somewhere in Jude’s posh building.
And just like that, Cassie’s tidbit and the delivery of my cheddar, bacon, and sausage frittata erased the foul mood Yogi Wan put me in.
Kyle
For Christ’s sake, it was fucking freezing. I lifted the collar of my jacket to protect me from the punishing wind. Damn. I loved New York, but I hated the way the seasons crashed into each other instead of easing in with mercy. Just a few weeks ago, we were enjoying Indian Summer temperatures that afforded shorts and T-shirts.
I turned the corner, my eyes noticing the tall Italian approaching from the opposite corner. “Good timing,” I said when we met in front of Jude’s building. Lifting my chin toward the paper sack he carried, I asked, “What did you get?”
“A few bottles of wine and Belvedere for Soren.” His eyes focused on the huge plastic bag I held. The iconic bright turquoise typeface, The Pleasure Chest, announced to every respectable hot-blooded New Yorker just what was inside. “You were serious.”
“Of course I was serious,” I quipped with an exaggerated eye-roll. “Picked a few things up for myself as well.” Side by side, we entered the building.
“I’m sure you did, you hornbag. Nothing says romance like a twelve inch dildo.” His voice echoed in the lobby, bouncing off every hard surface without apology. I followed him past the doorman who looked up with narrowed eyes. The man knew who we were, and I wasn’t entirely sure it was the word dildo or the sight of us that caused his disdain. We stepped into a waiting elevator when Luca said, “Why do I feel like this is a bad idea?”
“What’s so bad about getting newlyweds a few new sex toys? When did you become such a prude?”
His head twisted to mine, and he blinked a few times before sighing. “Not that, jackass. The fact we are sabotaging Jude’s return to New York.”
“He’ll get over it. You give him the Belvedere, I’ll give him the butt plug, and all will be forgiven. If not, it was all the girls’ idea.”
Cassie opened the door a few seconds after Luca’s hard knock. “Hey, come on in. They should be here any minute.”
“How did you guys get in?” Luca asked, always the practical one. It took us years to get the hardass doormen who worked this frou-frou building to finally trust us.
“Vanessa,” Cassie said, as if it was obvious.
From the foyer, I could see Desiree lighting candles around the living room and the back of Vanessa’s head. She sat on the couch looking down at her phone. Her thick chestnut hair hung in a straight and inviting ponytail. There was nothing hotter than wrapping a hand around a woman’s ponytail as you fucked her from behind.
As Luca and I dumped our jackets on one of the barstools, Cassie snatched them up and reported it was just us and not the lovebirds. At that announcement, Vanessa’s head twisted, her eyes immediately connecting with mine. A devious smile spread across her gorgeous face, and I responded with a wink.
Just as promised, the apartment was decorated with flowers, candles, and a huge Welcome Home banner that hung from corner to corner across the floor-to-ceiling windows. They had an assortment of appetizers on the granite island and champagne chilling with crystal flutes waiting patiently to be filled.
“This is impressive,” I said, giving props where props were due. Speaking of props, I reached into my plastic sack and pulled out a flogger, sticking it into the floral arrangement that sat on the coffee table.
“What the heck is that for?” Cassie asked, her tiny fists hitched to her narrow hips.
“It’s for hours of fun,” Vanessa answered for me. She leaned forward and ran her fingers across the smooth leather strips nestled between the pink roses. “This is a nice one, Kyle.”
“Thanks. I’m sure Jude won’t mind if we test it out.” Our eyes connected, held, and… something passed between us. Promise? Possibilities? Much more than a BDSM flogger could supply. Shit, I should have bought two.
Cassie quipped, “Oh my God, Kyle,” effectively killing our moment.
“Is that a yes, Cassie?”
“Definitely not.”
When my eyes cut back to Vanessa, the moment had passed. Back was the almost bored expression she perfected so well. Funny, I barely knew this woman, but I knew it was an act. The reason, because the look on her face just a few seconds ago was the same she had when I made her come in the barn… and in the laundry room.
Moving my attention back to Cassie, I took the opportunity to tease her, pulling the flogger from the vase and running the fronds through my fingers with a raised brow. One look at the toy in my hand, and she bolted behind Desiree for protection.
“Aww, come on, Cass. I’ll be gentle the first time.”
She emerged with her hands on her hips in a threatening way. “You’re such an ass, Kyle. Flirting will get you nowhere, especially while holding that thing.”
“First off, I’ve been called worse. Second, don’t knock it until you try it,” I quipped while wiggling my eyebrows. Vanessa’s groan and eye-roll caused me to laugh.
Cassie didn’t have time to respond. The door swung open, and two groping adults with frantic hands and connected mouths, clamored through completely oblivious to their audience.
Chapter 6
Vanessa
Jude had one hand up Brae’s jacket and the other on her ass. He lifted and pushed her against their door, never breaking their connection. I was impressed with the choreography, not to mention how unaware they were of the five sets of eyes witnessing every tongue flick and pelvic thrust. With Jude’s back toward us, we could only assume the sound of a zipper lowering meant they were going for it, yet no one moved or said a word.
Taking matters into my own hands, because my friend would be mortified if her husband dropped his jeans as we all watched, my slow steady clapping snapped their attention toward us.
“Surprise!” We all yelled. It took a second for them to focus, see us, and realize what almost happened before our very eyes. Kyle blew a party favor horn, and I snorted when the colorful paper roll shot out from the end of a plastic penis with a squeal sounding like someone stepped on a cat’s tail.
“Oh my God!” Brae dropped her legs in haste.
A rosy tinge colored her tanned cheeks just as her husband barked, “What the fuck are you all doing here?”
“Um… wel
come home,” Cassie said tentatively, raising her arms like a cheerleader.
“Nice moves, Soren. That takes control,” Kyle complimented with a huge grin. Jude adjusted himself and mumbled something that no one understood.
“Ah, shit.” Luca grimaced. “He’s breaking into his native tongue.”
“Wow, this is such a nice surprise.” Brae smoothed her hair and grabbed Jude’s arm. “Isn’t this wonderful, honey?”
Jude’s glare didn’t match his voice when he said, “Yes, it’s fantastic.”
“You can resume after we leave.” Kyle leaned forward and patted his friend’s shoulder. “I brought presents. You’ll thank me later, Soren.”
“A gun?”
“No, but there is a bullet involved,” Kyle responded without missing a beat. The way he shrugged, Brae gawked, and Jude raised a brow in interest elicited another laugh from me. Kyle looked my way and did the same. He was a very handsome man, but when he smiled or laughed with abandon he was even hotter.
His sky-blue eyes looked like they were backlit. And I didn’t really notice that until he directed them to me. I also never paid attention to scruff on a man before, but on Kyle’s jaw it acted as an accessory to his boyish good looks. It announced, he may have an adorable smile, stunning eyes, and a devilish charm, but he was all man.
Normally, my type was more tall, dark, mysterious—like Luca. Kyle’s sandy brown hair, light eyes, and open-book personality were new for me. The attributes I did find attractive were his insatiable appetite for sex, his tall lean frame, and the way his mouth could make me wet when it wasn’t even near me. He had pretty lips—kissable, bitable, and sexy all in a perfectly proportioned way.
I also never studied a man as much as I did Kyle. That alone sent smoke signals to my brain. But that damn mouth of his. Beyond the talent it possessed, it was the humorous comments that flew out from it. There weren’t many men who could make me laugh at a drop of a dime. His sarcasm, sexual innuendos, and crass remarks had me biting my lip on more than one occasion.
Once the shock of us being there wore off, we all settled in the living room with drinks in hand and fell into our comfortable banter. I was on the couch facing Jude, Brae, Luca, and Cassie. Beside me to the right was Kyle, to the left Desiree.
For some reason, a surge of anxiety coursed through me. Hearing all about the romantic honeymoon, while sitting beside a man who did all sorts of dirty things to me, started to make me uncomfortable.
“Oh, before I forget,” Cassie blurted out. “There’s a big Halloween party at Dispatch. Prizes and everything. We’re all going. Kyle and I sort of made a bet.”
“What kind of bet?” Jude asked, narrowing his eyes at Kyle.
“Don’t worry, this one only involves you putting on a costume. You don’t have to shack up with a gorgeous chick for six weeks.”
“There will be no more shacking up in his future,” Brae announced, pointing a finger directly at Kyle.
“For the Swede… no more shacking up for the Swede,” Kyle quipped, pointing a finger right back at Brae.
“Really, Cass?”
Her enthusiastic expression swung my way. “Oh, come on, V. It’ll be fun! If any of us win, the drink tab at Dispatch is on the opposite sex for a month.”
“Oh, that does sound like fun! We’re in.” Brae’s face lit up as Jude’s scowled.
“Babe, really?”
“Remember the night in St. John we ended up locked out of our cottage?”
She leaned in, whispered something in his ear, and he said, “Fine,” with no hesitancy whatsoever. “But… only if Benedetto is in charge. I don’t trust Cleary.”
“Wow, that hurts.” Jude showed no sympathy toward Kyle. “I must say, though, I’m impressed you got him to agree at all, Brae. That must have been some night from the look on Soren’s face. Details.” Kyle fished for more, but Brae didn’t bite.
“Nope, our secret. But I will tell you we had such an amazing time,” she said with a demure smile before recounting G-rated highlights of their two-week stay. The entire time, Jude’s eyes were on his wife. It was as if he needed every word she spoke, every smile, every blink, every breath to function. From where I sat, she was his battery and without her he’d be lifeless.
The way Kyle’s arm lay behind me on the back of the couch seemed innocent enough until his fingers started twirling a piece of my hair. Out of the blue, I was transported back to my dorm room when my boyfriend Robert played with my hair in the exact same way.
It’d been years—actually nine years ago tomorrow to be exact, since I lost him. My chance at settling down and spending all of eternity with one person vanished in a flash, and I had zero control over it happening. I believed in love and soul mates, but I also believed it came once in a lifetime. Witnessing Jude and Brae’s love for each other, combined with the anniversary of the day I lost him, caused bile to rise in the back of my throat. I was so very happy for my friend, but at the same time so very envious.
Kyle listened intently as Luca filled Jude in on the torturing lunch meeting he had to endure while he was off frolicking in the Caribbean. I wasn’t even sure Kyle was aware he was touching me.
I was very aware… also very aware of how my throat constricted from the memories that suddenly haunted me. The fact that my body reacted to his touch caused guilt, but the way my insides clenched from my loss caused me to want to run. All the emotions suffocated me, and it was all too much to handle.
When his hand skimmed over my shoulder and settled on the back of my neck, I stiffened. But when he began drawing circles on my over-sensitive flesh, the intimacy of the act caused me to fly off the couch and loudly announce, “Who wants to do shots?”
My friends looked at me like I was deranged, and fuck if I didn’t agree with them.
“Oh, hell yeah.” Kyle jumped up and followed. The man looked like he didn’t have a care in the world or a romantic notion in his mind. My brain misread his actions, and I had no idea why.
Kyle moved toward the liquor cabinet with Jude and Luca behind him. Desiree’s eyebrows bunched together. “What’s wrong with you, Vanessa?”
Wasn’t that the question of the night? If I only had an answer. “Nothing is wrong. I was just thirsty. Can’t a girl be thirsty?” Each of my friends stared at me with narrowed eyes. Fine, they didn’t believe me, but that was the best excuse I had to offer.
Brae, who was still in honeymoon oblivion, threw her arms around the three of us for a quick hug. “I missed you girls. Brunch tomorrow?”
“Well, since you missed brunch and yoga today, that sounds great,” Cassie said with a rueful smile. Des and Cassie’s eyes darted to me with shit eating grins on their faces, but they didn’t tell her that we needed to find yet another yoga studio.
“Girls!” Kyle called as he stood at the island with Luca and Jude. The shots were all poured and lined up ready to be consumed.
“What is this?” Cassie asked, sniffing it before scrunching her nose in disgust.
“It’s the only shot Soren will do,” Kyle responded, lifting the bottle of Belvedere with a flourish. “To the happy couple!” He lifted his tiny glass and slammed it back. One by one we all followed his lead, and the moment our glasses were emptied he refilled them without asking.
The expensive vodka rekindled Jude’s fire, and unapologetically he announced, “Lock up on your way out,” as he grabbed Brae’s hand and dragged her toward their bedroom. Her giggling protests did nothing to deter him, and a few seconds later we were left standing around the island staring at each other.
“Well, on that note,” Desiree said, grabbing her bag and jacket and heading for the door. Cassie followed, as did Luca.
Kyle’s eyes connected with mine. “My place?” His whispered invitation held so much promise.
“V, are you coming?”
My gaze spun from Kyle to my friends at the door and back to Kyle. My head was too fuzzy from alcohol—or so I wanted to believe it was the booze, to agree to spe
nd any time alone with him. I needed away from all the lovey dovey shit that suffocated me all night. I needed air, and before I could change my mind I stared back at him and responded, “Yes, I’m coming.”
The only sign of disappointment I witnessed was the way he clenched his jaw as I walked away.
Families, couples, and friends just like us enjoyed their meals in the small comfortable restaurant. When the cute waiter came by with our mimosas, we placed our breakfast orders. Brae lifted her glass initiating a toast. “To us. May our friendship always be as strong as the shots we drank last night.”
We gently tapped the glasses together before taking a sip. Well, my friends took a sip, I downed mine in one swallow. Last night’s events still ran rampant in my brain. This wasn’t like me. I didn’t let a man consume my thoughts.
I wiggled my finger at our waiter, indicating I needed another drink.
Brae’s elbows were on the table, her head propped up on her hands. “So, what did I miss?”
Cassie and Desiree looked at me. “What? I’m not the only one who did anything.”
A sweet laugh came from Brae. “Tell me about Kyle.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“There’s not much to tell. We had fun together, that’s all.”
“Hmm…”
“Brae, there’s no hmm.”
Cassie chimed in. “I don’t know, V. The way he looked at you last night, and don’t think I didn’t notice the way he touched you, I’d say the man has it bad.”
I shook my head. “No, you’re wrong. We aren’t like that.”
“Could have fooled me,” Cassie said with a shrug.
This felt more like an episode of Dr. Phil, or worse, Judge Judy.
“It is what it is, great sex—nothing more, nothing less. The man is an orgasm wizard in the way he wields his magic wand.”
An older woman sitting at the table next to us, with who I’d guess to be her grandchildren, clucked her tongue and glared at me. What was her problem? Like she had never had sex before. Where did those rugrats and their parents come from? The stork?
