by Quinn, Taryn
Two
Halloween, one year later
“It’s Halloween. You know what that means, right?”
Nikki propped a hip against the display counter of her best friend Julie’s costume shop. Knowing the owner of the only costume shop in town came in handy when you needed a costume approximately six hours before a party. Especially a Halloween party. But Julie claimed she’d kept something in the back for her, a “special surprise” she hadn’t put up for sale.
Somehow she’d been certain Nikki would cave and come begging for something to wear to her boss’s Halloween party. She’d also known Nikki would want something sexy. Unforgettable. The kind of costume that hugged curves and left little to the imagination.
Supposedly, Julie had picked the perfect disguise. Nikki just had to listen to Jules lecture her before she got to actually see it.
“Yeah, it means we all have to go out and party or else everyone will think we’re boring couch potatoes.” Because that assessment made her skin prickle uncomfortably, Nikki feigned a yawn. “Can I see the mysterious item of mystery now? I need to know if I’ll have to go home and cut holes in a sheet.”
Jules rolled her eyes. “You could try planning ahead for a change, Nik. Flying by the seat of your skirt gets old when you’re pressing thirty and—”
“I’m twenty-eight. And you may not live to thirty if you insinuate otherwise.”
“Testy, testy.” Julie set aside her meticulously organized inventory checklist and lifted a cinnamon brow, as if she were surprised by Nikki’s vehemence.
Apparently, she didn’t realize the extreme provocation it took to get Nikki to a Halloween party. And that was before one took into consideration what had happened at the last Halloween party Nikki had attended.
By all accounts, it had gone well. She’d even had sex. Dirty, wild sex with a man who not only didn’t call after but never acknowledged her existence beyond asking, “Would you like me to grab you a latte?” when he occasionally stopped by to visit his brother.
Patrick had been out of town a good chunk of the year working on some big construction project with a friend in North Carolina. But he’d been back for a couple months, and every time he sauntered past Nikki’s desk, she wanted to grab his arm and demand some damn answers.
Why he hadn’t bothered to contact her since last Halloween? Was it just because he’d been busy? Or had he lost his fleeting interest in her shortly after he’d left her all-too-willing body?
Whatever the reason, the time had come for her to find out once and for all.
“Now you’re sulking,” Julie said with a sigh. “Not sure you’re going to pick up any flies with the kind of honey you’re putting out there, Nik.”
Nikki frowned. She was straddling a thin line, and Julie was about to cross it. Especially when she looked so damn flawless every minute of the day. Never mussed, never harried. Her brown hair matched her brows, offering just the right tonal balance to her blue contacts. She didn’t leave a whole lot to chance, including her hair and eye color. Pretty much the opposite of Nikki’s black frizzy hair and muddy green-brown-gray eyes, both natural.
Naturally boring was how she’d rolled for years. But not tonight. A Halloween costume party was her chance to go for it, to let her inner bad girl have free reign for an entire, regret-free night. If she didn’t cut loose and let out some steam, she was going to lose her ever-loving mind.
Last year, she hadn’t expected to have sex at the party. This year, she planned on it. Well, not necessarily at the party, but she didn’t mind the idea of a repeat…
“The second stall is open for you,” Julie said with a sigh. Apparently she’d given up on convincing her best friend to change her tiresome ways. “It’s on the back of the door.”
Finally. Nikki marched into the dressing room, prepared to be disappointed. Julie didn’t know what she was looking for. How could she? She definitely didn’t know what had happened last Halloween. She only knew Nikki as her reliable best friend. Somewhat scatterbrained, a lot impetuous.
Little could Julie guess how those traits had once raged out of control along with some choice others, before Nikki had gotten serious about the kind of life she wanted.
She flung open the door to the second stall and slipped inside, scrunching her eyes closed as she turned. Oh God, if this wasn’t right, if it wasn’t sexy or unusual enough or worthy of making Patrick Nolan take a second glance—and hopefully a lot more—what the hell was she going to do?
She shouldn’t have waited so long. What was there to be afraid of?
Only everything.
She’d thoroughly changed from the bad girl she’d once been. What if seizing a slice of the naughty life she’d lived turned her back into that woman? She was happy with what she had now. She just wanted more.
She wanted him. It was now or never.
Heat washed over her body. God, Easton’s party last year had been unreal. She would’ve known Patrick’s rough, workman’s hands anywhere. She let out a shaky breath and laid a hand over her rampaging heart. She ached all over but especially between her legs. Just thinking of him made her wet. Made her want to beg.
Gorgeous men dressed like pirates and warlocks were just what her wavering libido didn’t need. But he’d broken her twelve months ago and she’d been fighting her needs ever since. She’d also been waiting. The annual Nolan Halloween bash held sentimental meaning for her, but tonight she’d make all new, sizzling memories.
Gathering her courage, she opened her eyes.
A black bodysuit hung on the hanger, made of the kind of fabric that poured through your hands and skimmed flesh like a whisper. She touched the plunging neckline reverently, her fingers tracing the large glimmering crystal that held it together at the navel. She’d need some double-sided tape for sure.
More crystals, black this time, studded the arms and thighs. The legs tapered down to mid-calf, the right length to show off the black lace-up stilettos Julie had placed in front of the mirror.
She didn’t know what the costume was supposed to be, but she didn’t care. It was hot. This material wouldn’t hide anything. Every part of her would be on vivid display.
Nikki shivered, imagining herself wearing the outfit. Patrick would be able to see every bit of her. And then, when she had him alone, she’d show him even more.
She squealed, absolutely beside herself with joy. How had Jules known exactly what she needed?
Almost like magic, Julie appeared in the doorway, a wide smile on her face. She loved helping customers find the perfect disguise they hadn’t known they were looking for. “You like?”
“I love.” Nikki stroked the black silky fabric. She couldn’t wait to try it on. Why had she ever doubted her best friend? Julie somehow intuited what even strangers needed. So had she really believed she was that hard to figure out? They’d been friends for years. “What is it? I mean, what’s it supposed to be?”
Julie started to laugh, cupping her hand over her mouth. “You’re too much. You love it and you don’t even know what it is.”
Nikki frowned, still stroking the fabric. “It looks good, and that’s all I care about. So? C’mon. Tell me.”
Still chuckling, Julie reached down to pick up the vinyl bag Nikki hadn’t noticed on the bench. “You’ll need someone to do your makeup,” she said, showing Nikki the name of the costume on the front of the package. “Gotta do it just right.”
Nikki was about to exclaim indignantly that she could do her own damn makeup when she saw Julie’s smug smile. Then her gaze fell on the name of the costume. “Domme Kitty?” she gasped.
“Yep. A silk blend instead of leather to make it a little more classy.” Her smile changed into a smirk as she reached behind the costume. “You missed the best part. The tail.”
“Holy shit,” Nikki breathed, eyeing the long length of leather with a black pom-pom on the end. It looked like a damn flogger. The kind of thing she’d sworn out of her vanilla life when she’d become Easton
Nolan’s very respectable personal assistant, hopefully en route to becoming a real estate agent.
She’d be taking the test next week. And celebrating pre-emptively with Patrick in a few hours.
She hoped.
Erotic images filled her mind. Patrick spread out on a bed, his arms bound loosely with black scarves, his ripped torso—and the rest of him—bare and gleaming with oil as she circled the bed, drawing her tail over him from shoulder to hip, from neck to cock…
She shivered again. God, he couldn’t deny her tonight. She’d been revved up for a year. Twelve very long, sexually frustrating months.
“So.” Julie let the tail drop and arched a brow. “Now that I’ve come through so spectacularly, are you going to tell your best friend who exactly you’re intending to whip into submission?”
Nikki did her best not to fidget. She wasn’t going to give out names when she wasn’t sure how the night would go. “No one in particular.”
“Yeah, right. Sure it’s not that sexy as sin boss of yours?”
Nikki shook her head, but she didn’t answer. She doubted Julie even knew Easton had a twin. Nikki might’ve mentioned him in passing, but not likely. And though everyone in town seemed to pass through Julie’s costume shop at one time or another, she couldn’t imagine Patrick browsing in here. He’d be the type to order something online. Clicking through choices was much more his style.
Julie let out a breath, a rare show of frustration. “Well, whoever it is, I hope you go gentle on him.”
Nikki snorted and yanked warningly on the tail. “He better not count on it.”
Three
Patrick glanced down at the length of rope he held and wished it was his brother’s throat instead. Warm sun beat down on the back of his neck, dampening his skin with a fine mist of perspiration. It was the end of October, and fall weather in New England was far from predictable. How many more clear, sunny days like this would he get?
He took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar smell of tar overlaid with his brother’s eau de richy-rich cologne. “Why, exactly, is it you can’t handle your own damn party—again—and leave me to my damn roof?”
Easton smiled indulgently at him, his nonverbal way of patting him on the head. Now, now. Patrick may have been older by six minutes, but Easton’s look clearly conveyed his arrogance and maturity. “Something’s come up. Honestly, the guests take care of themselves. You just need to be there to…oversee.”
“Oversee,” Patrick repeated. He tossed the hunk of rope on the hood of his classic muscle car and shook his head. The chances of him feeling like getting back up on that roof today were slim. Mrs. Gonzales wouldn’t mind. She never minded, and he’d given her an excellent rate on the job. But he’d told her he would probably be done today.
Fuck.
There was one thing he had to know. One condition that was non-negotiable. Will Nikki be there? “Who’s RSVP’d so far?”
“The usual suspects.” Easton waved a hand, kneeling to pat Wilson, Patrick’s aging cocker spaniel. “Hey, boy. How ya doing? This hot sun too much for you?”
Patrick couldn’t stop his smile. Even in a suit and wingtips, East never hesitated to crouch down and wrangle with the dog, who’d planted both paws on his lap.
“He loves it,” Patrick said, shielding his eyes as he glanced up at the half-finished roof. He’d come back tomorrow and get it done, bright and early. It didn’t matter that it was Saturday. He owed her.
“So…usual suspects,” he said, hoping East would elaborate. Patrick wasn’t about to mention his brother’s assistant’s name. If East took umbrage at the question, Patrick didn’t have an explanation to give him.
“Yes. The usual people. Some clients, some friends.” East stroked Wilson’s head once more and rose, glancing at his heavy gold watch. In a moment, he’d be striding toward his fancy ass sedan, and Patrick would be stuck holding the bag. “So can you do it or not?”
“Two years in a row,” Patrick said, cocking his head as he noticed the shifty expression in East’s brown eyes. Though they were twins, there were differences if people knew where to look. East’s eyes were lighter, as was his brown hair. His almost verged on dark blond. Personality wise, they weren’t night and day, but damn close to it. Easton lived and breathed his real estate business. He wheeled and dealed with the best of them, while Patrick preferred sweaty, manual labor and keeping his own hours.
He also preferred East’s sexy-as-hell assistant, but he didn’t know where his brother stood with her. He also suspected she believed she’d slept with—fucked, more accurately—her boss last Halloween, not his grunt worker brother.
At first, he’d been sure she realized it was him. The way she’d flirted hadn’t fit her usual treatment of her boss. Then she’d shot his hopes to hell with one well-placed “Mr. Nolan.” After that he hadn’t been sure of anything beyond how sweet and hot her pussy felt around his cock.
Maybe he’d been kidding himself. Nik and East spoke the same language, one that seemed to revolve around dollar signs and fancy houses with more rooms than he’d ever need. Real estate was in their blood.
Nikki even had a hot shot architect/developer cousin, Blake Carson, who was in all the magazines. The first time she’d pointed out an article about him, Patrick had figured she was kidding. Nope. Some of Nikki’s roots were moneyed enough to make even East jealous.
“Two years in a row what?” East’s voice held his typical impatience. He didn’t take a lot of time to sniff the roses. Or the blacktop. “This is my annual party. You know that.”
“Yes, your annual party. Yours. Not mine. So why have you skipped out two years running and left me to schmooze the masses?”
Patrick barely resisted a snarl. Last year, he’d been stuck in East’s Gregorian monk outfit. What would it be this year? Maybe a mummy costume?
“They’re hardly masses.” Easton smirked. “I invite thirty people, max.”
“Last year I counted sixty-two.”
Easton laughed, shaking his head. “Dude, you’re nuts. Who the hell counts the number of people at a party?”
Me, when I’m trying not to snatch your assistant’s arm and drag her off to a corner and fuck her blind.
Which he had anyway. If not blind, she’d been at least visually impaired, judging from her moans. She hadn’t held them back either. She’d given them all freely, as if she didn’t care one whit someone might be able to hear.
Patrick’s cock jumped against his fly at the memory. Damn, he liked Nikki Carson. He liked that she always drank raspberry lattes with two sugars, not artificial sweeteners. He liked that her hair seemed to curl in every direction at once, regardless of the clip she used to try to restrain it. He also liked that she’d seemed to love every minute of him taking her hard and fast.
Now if only he could do it again…
But he wasn’t going tonight to get lucky with Nikki. Not when he figured she had a hero worship thing going with his brother and barely spared Patrick a glance. God, if he heard her say, “Yes, sir,” in her prim little voice one more time, he was going to punch something.
She hadn’t mentioned that night in the past year. He’d spent most of it in North Carolina, but he’d been around lately. Actually, he’d made sure to stop by when she was working at least once every couple weeks. Why, he didn’t know. She hadn’t given any indication at all she even remembered last Halloween. Not even a flirty wink or a teasing glimpse of cleavage. Either she was embarrassed and ashamed over what they’d done or, more likely, she didn’t think she had anything to discuss with him. She probably thought she’d been impaled by the staff of greatness and that was that.
He should’ve made sure she knew it was him at the time. That would’ve been the honorable thing to do. But her little heart-shaped ass twitching in satin hot pants as part of her genie costume had undone any honor he’d had left in him.
At least East and Nikki weren’t dating. They hadn’t slept together either from what Patrick could
tell. Because if East put a single hand on her…
He released a long breath and scooped Wilson into his arms. She probably wouldn’t be there tonight. She didn’t seem like much of a partier. Worst part was, he didn’t know if that made him happy or disappointed.
Liar.
“So you’re not going to tell me where you’re off to again this year, huh?” Patrick asked, nuzzling Wilson’s downy cheek.
“I’m not off to anywhere in particular. I have another engagement.”
The furrow of East’s brow made Patrick grin. Holy shit, did his virtuous baby brother have a secret woman?
Then his grin faded. Who was she?
“What about Nikki?” he blurted, not caring how it seemed. He needed to know if they’d hooked up. Needed to know if he’d have to cause the biggest scene of his life and tell her she’d screwed him last fall, not the man with the golden wand.
Easton blinked. “What about Nicole?”
Nicole. Never Nikki. “Will she be there tonight?”
He jerked a shoulder. “I don’t know.”
“Did she RSVP?”
“No. And she’s never been to one of the parties, so—” He broke off, eyes narrowing. “Has she?”
Patrick shrugged. “Think I saw her there last year, but I’m not sure. If you ever stuck around for your own party, you’d know who the guests are.”
“That’s what the RSVPs are for. Hardly my fault if people don’t respond as they should. Now are you in or not?”
Patrick cocked his head, still mulling what East was up to. In the old days, he would’ve simply hopped on his bike and followed him, but he couldn’t do that anymore. A smile twitched on his lips. At least not when he was hoping Nikki would show up and make his Halloween magical two years in a row.
“I’ll do it.”
“Perfect. You’re a lifesaver. Remember, it starts at seven.” East grinned broadly and clapped Patrick’s shoulder. Then he headed down the driveway, obviously figuring the conversation had ended.
