by Vivian Ward
“You are way too excited. What the hell’s gotten into you?” I laugh.
“Listen, I love Chris and all, but you’re still single. You can play the field and have fun. Before I know it, my playing days will be over once I say, ‘I do.’ Actually, they already are,” she holds up her ring finger.
Her face that was lit up seconds ago seems as though she’s seen a ghost. I have never seen her like this, and it worries me. She was elated to show me all of her wedding stuff when I walked through the door. It is like someone had flipped a switch.
“You okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah. I’m good,” she snaps out of it. “I’m a little nervous. That’s all.” She holds out the dress and heels. “You should wear this tonight, have some fun and tell me all about it. I’ll be rooting for you,” she smiles.
“I love you,” I hug her. “And I’ll be careful with it. I should probably get out of here so I can go home and get ready. Thanks again!”
“Love you more,” she squeezes me back. “Have fun and do everything that I wouldn’t do!”
That’s one of the things I love about her. She has a heart of gold, and while she’s loyal and committed to her man, she loves to see others go out and have fun. She’s always lived vicariously through me because out of the two of us, I’m the risk-taker.
I am so grateful that my dad isn’t home while I am getting ready for my date. He left almost as soon as I got back to go play cards with his friends, giving me the privacy that I am accustomed to. Living on your own for five years and then suddenly having a roommate can cause a bit of shell shock and it is going to take me a minute to adjust.
Plus, there is the fact that I don’t want him to see what I am going to be wearing when Trent comes to pick me up. I am having second thoughts about wearing this dress until I realize how late it already is and I know I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. I apply a thin layer of red lipstick to my plump lips and rub them together as the doorbell starts to ring.
That must be Trent.
Making my way to the door, I attempt to pull down my dress to make it a few inches longer, but all it does is expose my cleavage. That damned Karli. I’m going to kill her for talking me into this. I grab the top of the dress and tuck my girls back in before I open the door.
“Hey,” I say, locking the door behind me as I step out onto the porch.
“Wow! You look incredible! Don’t we need to go back inside for something?”
“Why?” I ask.
“One, it would make the date last longer because you look so beautiful,” he steps into my personal space and cups my face with his hand, “and two, I could do bad things to you.”
I am speechless.
Trent has always been the good one; he was never bold or daring, but he tonight he is both of these things, and then some. I can feel the heat radiating from my core and can feel myself becoming wet as he stares at me; he is dead serious.
“I think we should get going. You don’t want your new business partner getting any wrong impressions about you or your business.”
I’m trying to keep things moving along, but damn if it isn’t hard. Almost impossible. He looks and smells just as incredible.
“Right,” he leaps in front of me and opens the car door. “Ladies first,” he bows and holds his arm out for me.
As I start to get in, I see something in the seat.
“What is this?” I smile as I bend down.
It is a coupon book filled with handmade coupons to Helen’s. There must be two dozen coupons in the book that had been printed off of the computer. They all say the same thing, and they read: Offer valid for one lunch or dinner date. Redeemable any time.
“I know it’s your favorite place and judging by the way we had such a great time there, I thought maybe we could go back sometime.”
“Sometimes? Or a couple of dozen times?” I tease.
It really is such a sweet gesture, but I know these aren’t meant for friendly dates. Trent has always wanted more, but so has his brother which is why I’ve always said no to both of them.
“The way I see it, this is my sly way of sneaking in another date with you.”
“Well played.”
Even though I’m sitting in a cool, air-conditioned leather seat, the car feels hot. Too hot.
You know you’d totally do him. You could find out if the locker room rumors were right in high school and see if his dick’s really as big as everyone says it is.
Oh great, here we go. Slutty Joline cannot make her appearance right now. No, no, no! She’ll get me into trouble. There was a reason why I always said that I’d never date either of the Richardson boys, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. We go back too far, we have too much history, too much friendship.
And here I am. On a date with one of them. How did this even happen?
Suddenly, I can sense his eyes on me which makes me nervously shift in the seat. The next light we come to is a red light, and without a single word, Trent reaches over and interlaces his fingers with mine and begins holding my hand. It feels good, and I like it, so I decide not to say anything and instead, embrace it.
Regardless of the past, we are on a date now, and there’s no denying that I like it. Besides, I haven’t seen either one of them in years. For all I know, Zack has a woman and has forgotten all about me.
It’s been a long time.
He looks over at me before the light turns and notices that I have goosebumps.
“Are you cold? I can turn the air down.”
I shake my head. “They’re not from the car.”
He flashes a brilliant smile at me and brings my hand to his lips and kisses it softly.
“You know, Joline, I can’t tell you how many years I’ve wanted to date you. You’ve always been so beautiful; even as a little girl with skinned up knees, I thought you were pretty.”
Oh, he’s good.
I can feel myself blushing, and I try to refrain from smiling, but I can’t help it.
“There’s my girl. That’s what I like to see,” he presses the gas pedal.
At dinner, he introduces me to his new business partner before they begin discussing boring business plans, leases, and investment dividends. I think I am going to fall asleep through all of the dull details until I feel his hand on my knee below the table.
Uh, hello! Bring your hand a little higher; I’ve got something for you that’s much better than my thigh.
That’s when I notice that I’m doing it again. I’m letting Slutty Joline take over again.
Come on, Joline! Don’t even go there. You know damn well in hell that this ish is wrong. You shouldn’t even be on this dinner date, but you are. Be a good girl.
But all of the martinis that I’d had through dinner, and am still drinking, are beginning to take their toll on me. I feel tipsy; a little bubbly and a lot more relaxed. Trent and his new client seem to be having a good time; though, Trent and I could be having a better time together if we were alone.
Who knows? Maybe his client is the only thing that’s keeping me sweet during our date because I have to admit, I am horny as hell and want to climb and mount him. If it weren’t for the schmooze across the table with his much younger—too young, actually—wife, I bet Trent, and I would be having a dinner that isn’t on the menu.
Even while he is busy entertaining his new client, he didn’t let that stop him from flirting and teasing me. Every time I look over at him, I catch him looking at me from the corner of his eye and his hand keeps periodically wandering up my leg, stopping short of my thighs each time he does it. Teasing me just enough to make me ache for more. It might be a simple business dinner, but I am having one of the best dates I’ve had in a long time.
“Thank you so much for your business, Mr. Grant. We should be heading home for the evening. I’ll have my secretary fax over the revised contract in the morning, and then we’ll get everything squared away.”
“Sounds good, and it was nice to mee
t you,” he extends his hand out to me.
“Likewise, and it was nice meeting you,” I say to his wife as I feel Trent’s big, warm hand slide up my bare, naked back.
Shivers run through my body.
Strolling through the parking lot, Trent reaches over as we are glancing up at the moon and takes my hand in his.
“I’ve never wanted to kiss you as bad as I do tonight,” his eyes scan my face. “That dress, those heels,” his voice trails off. “I can’t wait any longer.”
He grabs the back of my neck forcefully and pulls me into him as his lips come crashing down on mine. I know he is strong, but I don’t realize how powerful he really is until now. As our lips touch, it feels like the air is being sucked out of me. Slowly, deliciously, tenderly.
His tongue dances with mine, making every part of my womanly body tingle with heat and anticipation. Leaning my head back to kiss him deeper, I lose my balance, but he catches me. He’d never let me fall. His warm hands press against my delicate skin as he tilts my head back and trails kisses along my neck.
He’s gentle at first, but then his soft kisses against my skin turn into aggressive, rough, hungry, hard bites, and he begins sucking on my neck.
And I love it. I love it so fucking much.
Bringing his lips back to mine, his kisses become more tender; matching his hands as he glides them from my back to my front, grabbing handfuls of my breasts through the flimsy material of the red dress that I borrowed. When our lips finally part, we are left panting and wanting more as we try to catch our breaths.
I hadn’t noticed before, but my fingers are tangled in his hair, fisting handfuls of it. Gently, I release his locks of hair and smooth them back down.
“Fuck, Joline, you can’t make this shit up. I know you have to feel it.”
Closing my eyes, I sigh and rest my head on his chest. He is right. There is such an electrical charge between us, but at this moment, I am trying to separate my feelings. The ones inside my head and the ones inside my panties.
All I can do is shake my head and grin.
Trent laughs before planting a quick kiss on my forehead and stepping back to allow some space between us as he walks past me and opens my car door.
“After you,” he says, a slight strain in his voice. Almost as though he’s in pain.
I look down and see him trying to stifle his manhood that’s raging behind his zipper.
Giggling and still a little tipsy from the alcohol, I slide into the leather seat and allow him to shut the door for me. During the drive, I can feel his eyes stealing glances at me, which makes me feel a little awkward.
“Joline, I’m sorry about that kiss. I promised myself that I’d be on my best behavior with you tonight, but when I saw you wearing that sexy dress, showing that gorgeous body of yours, and you looked so fucking downright sexy and beautiful….I knew I was going to have trouble keeping my promise the instant I saw you.”
I don’t know how to respond. Maybe it is the alcohol, or maybe it is a fact that I’ve always had feelings for him. The real truth of the matter is that I’ve always had feelings for both him and his brother. Maybe that was why I could never choose.
“Damn it, Joline. Look at me,” he grabs my chin and pulls my face toward him as he steers over on the side of the road. “I want to see your eyes when I say this,” his finger traces my plump bottom lip. “I need to see you again. Do you understand that?”
I begin blushing and can feel the heat radiating from my cheeks. I am so glad that the car is dark and he can’t see me.
“How do you know that you want to see me again? How do you know it’s not the alcohol talking?” My voice is small. I’m afraid because I want the same thing, but I’m afraid of what it will entail.
I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Not me, not Zack and not Trent.
“I just do. There are a few things—very few—that I’m sure of, and you’re one of them.” He opens the moonroof and points up, “You see that star?”
“Mmhmm,” I nod, still mesmerized by his kiss.
“I’m sure the universe has plans in store for all of us, whether we know it or not.”
His strong hands pull me across the seat on top of him. As I straddle him, our lips touch again for the second time tonight. When our tongues touch again, something happens. A fire explodes inside of me, inside of him, inside of both of us and there is plenty of heat to fuel that fire as we melt together in the front seat of his car.
The blinkers started flashing as the wipers spread across the foggy windshield. We jump when we hear a horn begin to blare at us until we realize it is my ass pressed against the horn. Thank goodness it is late, and the road is deserted.
Chapter 4
“I need all of the bridesmaids ready in ten,” the wedding coordinator boasts as she walks around with her clipboard and speaks into her blue tooth headset.
“Okay, Karli,” she approaches Karli, my best friend, and bride-to-be, in her beautiful dress as she adjusts her headpiece. “I’ll need you standing with your father at the church entrance as soon as you can get there so we can make sure your bouquet is perfect.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I’m finished here,” she nods toward her makeup artist.
Adjusting my dress in front of the mirror, I see Karli walking up to me, and she looks stunning. Her dress would put Cinderella to shame.
“You’re so pretty!” I hug her. “Are you nervous?”
“Girl, yes! I’m so worried that I’m going to trip and fall in front of all those people out there, but before I do, I wanted to tell you something so that you don’t pass out and faint.”
“Oh God. What is it?” My heart begins to race as I think about all of the possibilities. With Karli, the surprise could be any and everything, or nothing at all.
“Two things. First, there’s been a couple of changes. You’ll be pairing up with Trent because Chris had to, once again, make some last minute changes. I just hope that his boy can fit the tux his cousin was supposed to wear.”
That isn’t so bad at all. Actually, I am kind of happy to hear that. Although I haven’t told anyone, including Karli, that Trent and I have been seeing each other on the down low. As far as she knows, we had one luncheon and one dinner date together.
“Okay, I can deal with that. What’s the other one?” I ask impatiently. I see the wedding coordinator coming and want to avoid Bitch On Heels if at all possible. Something about her high-strung ass tells me that she can make your life a living hell if she doesn’t pull off the perfect wedding.
“Zack is here.”
“Zack?” My heart tumbles from my chest to my stomach while my hands and feet become blocks of ice.
Did I just hear his name? Did I just say his name?
The room instantly heats up at least ten degrees, but strangely only effects my face because the rest of me is frozen.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying anything foolish. It is her big day, and I’m not about to ruin it for her.
Bitch On Heels buzzes back into the room and begins clapping her hands. “Everyone, take your places!”
I walk out into the area where we were all supposed to gather, and the first person I see is Trent. He’s standing near Chris and looks stunning in his black tux, waiting for the ceremony to begin. As soon as he spots me, he holds his arm out, and we intertwine our arms together.
“You look so beautiful,” he whispers, admiring me in my dress.
“Thank you,” the nerves in my shaky voice betray me. “You, um, look good too.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” He looks at me as though he didn’t believe me. “Weddings make me nervous, especially when I’m in them and have to walk in front of everyone,” I reason with him.
He laughs. “Why?”
The first thing that pops into my head is when Karli talked about how she’s afraid of falling and making a
scene when I was at her house talking about the wedding.
“I don’t know. You always see people trip and fall in funny videos, and I can always see myself being in one of them,” I shrug. “I guess I’m afraid of falling.”
Falling, I think to myself. Yeah, falling in love. With one, or both, of the Richardson boys.
When it is our turn, we walk arm-in-arm down the aisle, and I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, but there is one set in particular that I can feel. I just have to find them, though, and see for myself.
With the ceremony underway, I begin scanning the large crowd. Karli and Chris’s immediate family is up front, but beyond that, the seating appears random. I see a few patches of various friends of ours sitting together, I spot a couple of her co-workers from the dry cleaners that she works at, and then…our eyes meet.
There is no unseeing him. I definitely see him. He sees me. We see each other.
If I thought age had agreed with his brother, then I obviously hadn’t seen Zack. He is sitting with a couple of guys that look vaguely familiar; they must be friends with Chris, the groom, or something because I know I’ve seen them before but I can’t put my finger on when or where. Zack’s arms are outstretched on the back of the church pew that he is sitting in and he is wearing a royal blue oxford shirt with the first three buttons undone, exposing his tanned and very muscular chest.
He exudes confidence and sex. Even though he is only sitting several yards away from me, I can almost guarantee that I would be able to breathe in what pure sex smells like if I catch a whiff of his scent.
When my eyes land on his face, I notice he is watching me with a lazy, playful smile on his lips. His chiseled, tan face reminds me of the beautiful models that you see in the Levi ads to which thousands of girls daydream about kissing one day. But far more dangerous than his sculpted face is a hint of deceptive sweetness in his features. The kind that when you look into those sea green eyes of his, you know you are in trouble.
Big trouble.
It’s been said that the eyes are the windows to your soul. When mine and Zack’s eyes connect, I see the danger, and something exciting. Something taboo and forbidden. My basic instinct knows that a man like him doesn’t make love to a woman.
