“Temptress? Me?” She seemed surprised, but pride flickered across her face. I was feeding the wrong ego here, but so be it. I’d feed her beautiful ego any day.
I placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead. Girls were suckers for forehead kisses—showed a guy could be sweet and tender or some shit like that. Her breath hitched and a low moan escaped her lips as I brought my fingertips to them. Eyeing her with the kind of emotion I could only describe as adoration and worship, I told her what she needed to hear. “Don’t pretend you don’t know how crazy you drive me, Stella. You can’t be that naïve. You’re gorgeous, smart, funny, your body is insane, and you make me smile bigger than I’ve ever smiled before. How many times do I have to tell you you’re the whole package for you to start believing it?”
She closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. On the exhale, she reopened her eyes, now filled with acknowledgment. “Thank you, Jack,” she hummed, before she kissed me gently on the mouth.
“For what?” I had so much I wanted to thank her for.
“For being you. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“Actually,” I sang as I raised a finger and winced. “If we’re being honest here, you didn’t get lucky tonight. Now get your mind out of the gutter, stop with all the sexual innuendos, and slow your libido, woman.”
Stella’s eyes went wide as her hand balled up into a fist. She slugged me—hard—on the arm and even though it kinda hurt, I deserved it so I simply laughed at her stunned expression.
“You sure you want to stay? I’m a pain in the ass to put up with.”
Dragging her hands through her hair with a rumbling growl of frustration, she admitted, “Call me crazy, but yes, I’m sure.”
We spent the rest of the night singing along to The Dave Matthews Band concert while huddled in our own romantic cocoon. We laughed hearty, feel-good laughs. We shared secrets about our fears, and dreams for our futures. We talked more about our families—avoiding the one person I knew she’d rather me not mention. And we made plans to venture outside our little bubble fit for two.
I could finally call her mine. Stella was my girl. My California girl, for now. In a few months I’d most likely wind up being her long distance boyfriend, but the idea of being nothing to her was what scared me most. It wasn’t just Stella I had to prove shit to, it was everyone who meant something to her. They needed to see this was the real thing and not some fluke of fate.
“Why are you so scared of Nina? She’s not going to bite you.”
We had dinner plans with Nina and Ryan. Something about being on their turf—in their home—made me feel helpless. From what Stella told me, Nina was the strong-minded big-mouth of the two. Twins by genetics, but nothing more from what I could tell. Stella loved her sister something fierce though. I’d gauged that their bond was something no man wanted to mess with. I felt a pang of guilt for not forging the same kind of relationships with my own family. Don’t get me wrong, Emma and I were close, but Aubrey . . . I’d always kept her at a distance. She was overbearing and dramatic. I loved her because she was my sister, but after the stunt she pulled on Caleb and Gabriella—I was glad she was out of the picture right now. We all needed a break from her.
“I’m not scared. I just want them to like me. Does that sound super cheesy?”
She laughed as she slipped on a pair of flip flops that decorated her dainty feet perfectly. “Coming from Mr. Machismo, yes, definitely cheesy, but also super sweet.” She planted a kiss on the tip of my nose and I suddenly had the urge to drown myself in everything that was intoxicating about this woman. Grabbing her arms, I pulled her down on top of me. She faltered at first from the forceful tug and then settled comfortably on my lap.
“Shit, I really like you, Sunshine.”
“Wow, a declaration of affection with the word shit in it. So romantic.”
“Seriously,” I chided, playing with the loose curls that draped over her shoulder. “Any last minute advice on how to win Nina over?” I held her tight on my lap to keep from popping up and pacing the floor. They’d be home from the liquor store any minute and I was as antsy as a sinner on Sunday.
“You have nothing to worry about. You’re already on her good list. You make her sister happy, that’s all that matters.” She tried to escape my embrace by wiggling out of my arms. “Come on. Let me go. I told her I’d make the salad before she got back.”
I loosened my grip, but not before I stole a kiss that would show her how much she meant to me. “You make me pretty happy, too. Now let’s go impress the sister . . . the mother we worry about later.”
Giggling, Stella rose from my lap and pulled me up by the hand. “Yeah, explaining this all to Mom and Caleb will be a lot of fun. I’ll need more than wine to get through that dinner.”
Her reaction made me realize that even if tonight went exceptionally well with Nina, we still weren’t out of the sea of scrutiny yet. I was sure Caleb would be happy for his friend the way I was happy he found Gabriella. But my sister was his wife’s arch nemesis and his real-life stalker—that was an issue we’d all have to resolve eventually.
Stella
Jack’s nervousness was adorable—yet another turn on. For a guy who was usually so cool and confident, his leg was bouncing up and down underneath the table, and he was eyeing Nina like she was a prison warden.
Easing his nerves with my hand on his knee, I cleared my throat as my sister lifted her glass for a toast. Oh no, what’s this all about? I didn’t want her making things more uncomfortable for Jack. “Neen, no need for formalities tonight. This is just a casual dinner between two sisters and their boyfriends.” I squeezed Jack’s bobbing knee at the mention of boyfriend. He returned the gesture by cupping his hand over mine. It was the first time I’d said it out loud and his reaction told me I hadn’t overstepped.
Interrupting my happy moment, Nina clinked my glass and blurted, “Exactly! You have finally managed to get yourself one. That’s reason to celebrate!”
I wanted to slap her smug face.
Jack somehow found it amusing because he let out a tiny chuckle.
And Ryan . . . thank God for Ryan.
Shaking his head, he cut in and saved me from the humiliation Nina was always so quick to bestow. “Jack, how’s real estate? My father dabbles in it a little on the East Coast, one of his many passions turned business venture. You find that the market’s finally changing a bit for the better?”
Jack sipped his beer and I sensed him loosening up as he chatted with my soon to be brother-in-law about business. Ryan was good for this family. The antidote to Nina. He found a way to melt away all the stress in a tense situation. Not that this should have been tense, but Nina on her high horse and Jack and his sudden need to impress—the walls were closing in on me.
I took a large gulp of my wine and prayed the alcohol would dull my worries and help me get through this godforsaken dinner. The touch of my boyfriend’s fingers entangled in mine helped a lot too.
I eyed my sister, mouthed please be nice while Jack finished up what sounded like a marketing pitch to Ryan. It was odd to see him in that element; reminded me that there was so much I still didn’t know about him—and more I couldn’t wait to find out. I relished in the glorious sensations of the newness of a budding relationship—eager to continue our daily discovery of one another.
Until Jack surprised me by addressing Nina and opening up a can of worms. “I don’t want to pretend to ignore the elephant in the room the whole night. It will cheapen this, and there’s nothing I want more than to have your approval, Nina. So, I’ll just get right to it.”
Nina arched a brow, Ryan lifted his beer bottle and sat back in his chair, and I covered my face with my hands and let out a pathetic whimper.
“The elephant being your bitch sister Aubrey or that my sister is revolving her life around a guy she just met?” Looked like Nina wasn’t wasting any time either.
I finished off the last of my wine, tore the beer bottle out of J
ack’s hand, and drained the contents of that too.
Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulders before he answered. “Aubrey won’t be a problem. She’s out of the picture, and my relationship with Stella is none of her business. So she shouldn’t be your concern. I’ve already spoken to Emma, however, and my sister couldn’t be happier for the two of us.” Oh, boy. He was trying to school her. This wouldn’t go over well. Suddenly I wished I’d asked Mom and Caleb to initiate him into this family first.
Ryan, probably sensing that I wanted to crawl under the table and die, slid Nina’s wine glass across the table to me. “Drink up. Gonna be a fun night,” he teased, earning himself a jab in the ribs from Nina.
She watched me down her glass and continued. “Okay, so let’s say the psycho does stay far away and never returns. There’s still the issue of the long distance relationship. You hardly know each other. She’s staying here for you, but what if it doesn’t work out? Where will that leave you?”
I wanted to kill her. Where was this coming from? She was the one who told me to go for it. Why the sudden change of heart? Her interrogation reminded me of the night Mom told us about Caleb. I had a newfound respect for my mother and her husband. Twenty questions from Nina Edwards was no fun.
The liquid courage was starting to brew, giving me the courage to speak up. “Nina, why are you being such a bitch?”
Jack leaned closer, planted a kiss on my cheek and whispered in my ear, “Shhhh, Sunshine. I got this. Don’t get your feathers ruffled. She’s just trying to protect you.”
I pouted, wished I had more gumption to speak my mind, but let the mess play out naturally.
“Hey, no secrets over there. Share with the table,” Nina bellowed.
“I was just explaining to my beautiful girlfriend that as bitchy as you may come off, you only want what’s best for her. I get it, Nina, and I appreciate how much you love her, but part of the reason I hoped we could do this tonight was to show you how much your sister means to me.”
Nina straightened, listening to what Jack had to say. Holy Moses, this made Jack even hotter. If he could tame my sister, I knew for sure he was a keeper. I straightened myself, curious to see what would come next.
“Okay, tough guy, continue.”
Jack shoveled a forkful of pasta in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then wiped his face with a napkin before he continued. “Let me ask you this. How do you know you and Ryan are going to work out?”
Oh, hell. Just when I thought he knew what he was doing.
Ryan laughed so hard he started choking. Nina’s face turned pink, angry pink, not cute and flustered pink. Not a good sign. “Because I know, Mr. Davis. That’s how. Because he’s not just some guy I met seven days ago. Because we’ve taken the time to get to know each other. We love each other, we want the best for each other, and we want a future together. We’ve spoken about these things in great detail, over the course of a real relationship. We decided to start the next chapter of our lives in New York after months of discussion. Not on a whim of lusty, hastened emotions. That’s how I know.” Nina jutted her chin out, and then looked at Ryan for agreement.
He simply shrugged, which only angered her more, and when she bopped him off the back of his head he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you, you firecracker.”
Jack tapped the table to regain their attention. “I don’t want to interrupt your real relationship moment, but everything you just said—Stella and I didn’t need months, or years, or weeks even, to figure that all out. I knew from the second I saw her that she was the girl for me. It’s not ideal to go around changing plans and altering living arrangements for someone you just met, I get that. But cookie cutter relationships are boring. And me and Stella, we’re far from boring.
“I can’t promise that things will always be perfect or that they’ll even work out in the end, but you can bet that shiny Rolex watch of yours that I’ll try my fucking hardest to make your sister happy for as long she wants me to, whether I’m here and she’s there, or we’re living together in fucking Guam.”
I wanted to freeze that moment in time. The moment when Jack shut my sister up, and I felt as though I could fly. The smile that spread across my face must have seemed so comical I could have been a cartoon character. The warmth that engulfed my body had me on a high I never wanted to come down from. I was speechless, caught up in the rapture of this awe inspiring moment.
“Now can you shut up, Neen? Because that’s all I needed to hear. If I’m happy, you should be happy. End of story.”
I stood to head for the kitchen for more wine. Jack rose to join me, and singled Nina out again. “I’m really not an ass, Nina. I know you want to dislike me because of Aubrey and because I’m taking your sister away from you for a little while, but I promise that if you get to know me, you’ll like me for the same reasons your stepfather, your friend Emma, and your sister keep me around.” God, he was killing me. Everything out of his mouth tonight reassured me that my decisions were right.
“Add me to that list, bro.” Ryan raised his amber colored bottle in the air and gestured his praises toward Jack.
Nina grimaced, her unblemished features harsh and irritated. I winked at her to encourage her to smile. With one last blink of her perfectly made-up eyes, the worried expression on her face softened and my heart seemed to float in my chest. Thank you, Lord “After you bring the bottle in here, can I make that toast?”
“Depends on what we’re toasting to.” Jack tilted his head.
“To finding the right guys. All of us. The Edwards girls are on a roll and we need to drink to that.”
“Here fucking here!” Jack shouted, rushing past me to grab the bottle from the countertop.
When he returned, he refilled our glasses, sat back down next to me, and our conversation—elephant totally out of the picture—resumed the way I hoped it would all along.
Stella
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“I’m positive. You can’t handle my Mom when she gets all protective. She’s Italian . . . hands fly, tempers flare, her Brooklyn girl is gonna come out with a vengeance.”
Jack laughed even though I could sense his nervousness through the phone. “You know, I think you should tell her while Caleb’s around. Even if she goes ghetto chick on you, she’ll probably be less inclined to be hypocritical with her new hubby reminding her that this was them looking for your approval not too long ago.”
This was true. My mother didn’t really have a right to get angry with me for following my heart. She followed hers right into the arms of a student who was twelve years younger than her. And then she married him after only a few months. Yeah, Mom really couldn’t say much, but she was still my mother and not only did I fear her wrath, but I valued her approval. At all times. On all things. “I’ve got this, Jack. I’m a big girl. I’ll tell her. There’ll be some not so pleasant words exchanged. I might even cry when she yells at me for being crazy, but nothing she says will make me change my mind. I’m staying. I’m not ready to go. They’ll have to do this without me.” My body burned with excitement as the words fell from my mouth with ease. Two days ago, my decision had me wondering if I needed prescription drugs. Today, I was full steam ahead with my new plan. It was the only option. I couldn’t let Jack go. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
“That’s my girl. I knew you had it in you.” His bright smile was almost audible. I could imagine his handsome face full of contentment. It was hard to wipe that feeling off your face. I’d been walking around with it plastered on mine since the night of Mom’s wedding.
“It’s only because I have you in my corner. And let’s not forget Nina and Ryan. Their Stella Stays in San Fran endorsement has been a huge blessing.”
“Yeah, those two are clutch. I’m glad we got to hang out with them. I’d like to invite them out one more time before they leave. Spend a little more time with your other, other half before she treks it to the Big Apple for good.”
Jack caught it. Keen mother effer. “Hey, you okay?”
I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. He could not sense one inkling of doubt. Jack was a good man and he wouldn’t allow me to hurt even if it meant his own pain was at risk. If I had one reservation about staying, he’d force me to go ahead with the original plan. I wasn’t one to be forced into anything, but with enough of a push—and Jack’s ambition was powerful—I’d cave or crumble, whatever came first. “Of course I’m okay. Just nervous about how Mom will react. Even if she can relate, I’m still her daughter and this is something I did without consulting her first. I’ve never been here before, Jack. I trust my family with everything. Learning to let you into that mix . . . albeit exhilarating, has been terrifying.” That was one thing about Jack and me—we always came clean and told it like it was. There was no reason for anything otherwise.
“Sunshine, the fact you even let me into that mix at all is a blessing I never knew I deserved. I promise I won’t let anything happen to that trust. You’ve got my word and I’ve got your back. Now, get off the phone, go talk to your mother and then get your pretty little ass over here so I can kiss the shit out of you.”
“Shit kissing, can’t wait.” And I couldn’t. I hung up the phone, dreading the impending conversation with my mother a little less. I just had to keep telling myself that I was a grown woman, with a boyfriend that I truly cared for, and a sudden romantic outlook on life. I was ahead of the game in school. I could find a job whenever I wanted. New York could wait; it would be there when I was ready. But I couldn’t abandon these feelings for Jack. Sometimes it was okay to let rationality take the back seat to giddy foolishness. Youth was on my side. I had all my ducks in a row. It was time for the adventure of a lifetime.
Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) Page 11
