by Tara Wyatt
“If I promise to give you my booty, will you let me walk your plank?” she asked, a playful glint shining in her pretty green eyes.
He laughed and tucked her against his side, looking up to see all of their friends staring at them with comically shocked expressions on their faces.
“Um, excuse me,” said Willa, letting out an incredulous laugh. “But since when do you two kiss like that?”
“That wasn’t kissing,” said Kayla, shaking her blonde curls. “That was a full-on make out. They’re having sex!”
At that, several heads turned in their direction and conversations died.
“No one’s having sex, people,” said Dori, waving her jiggly pink arms. “Mind your business.”
Theo felt his cheeks go hot, and he rubbed a hand over his mouth. A familiar panic started to rise in his chest.
“How long have you been dating?” asked Brandon, his arms crossed over his chest, clearly pissed at being left out of grade A friend group gossip.
Lauren shook her head. “Oh, no. We’re not dating. We’re just…” She glanced up at him, both the tone of her voice and her expression totally unreadable. But there was something there, a hesitation, a doubt, that made Theo hold her a bit tighter. “We’re still just Theo and Lauren. But now with orgasms.” Her tone was light, and she’d probably fooled everyone but Theo with it.
Willa, Kayla, Brandon and Dori all exchanged glances. “And we think this is a good idea?” asked Brandon, his arms still crossed, a frown on his face as his eyes bounced back and forth between them. “Like, this absolutely is not going to fuck up our friend group or end up with someone in tears, right?”
Theo swore he felt Lauren shiver, and she stood up a little straighter. “No, definitely not. This isn’t a romantic thing. We’re just friends. Only now we have sex sometimes.”
A heaviness sat on Theo’s chest, oppressive and painful. Right. They weren’t dating, and that was the way he’d wanted it, right? The way he still wanted it. The way it had to be.
So then why did he feel like she’d just kicked him?
“Right, yeah,” he said, clearing his throat when he realized everyone was staring at him and waiting for some kind of response. “Nothing to worry about. We’ve got everything under control.” Both sentences felt like a lie, but they’d have to do because he didn’t know what the truth was anymore. Clearing his throat again, he turned to Lauren. “So how did your meeting go?”
“Oh, um.” She hesitated, biting her lip. “It was good. Really good. She wants to work together.” Again, there was something in her voice that had him on edge.
“That’s amazing!” he said, giving her squeeze as everyone chimed in their excitement. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“So does this mean you’re getting a record deal?” asked Willa, practically bouncing on her toes with enthusiasm.
Lauren’s smile grew. “I mean, maybe, yeah. She wants to mentor me, write songs with me and eventually put together an album.”
Kayla let out a whoop and rushed forward to give Lauren a hug. “That’s such incredible news! I always knew it would happen for you.”
“We can tell everyone about how we knew her when,” said Dori, beaming with pride.
Seemingly uncomfortable with the attention on her, Lauren turned to Theo. “And you? How did your big meeting go?”
He grinned. “You’re looking at the newest junior partner at Kingston, Lennox and Finley.” He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he’d been expecting from Lauren, but her pulling slightly away with a sad smile on her face was definitely not it. Everyone else chimed in their congratulations, and she just stood there with that half smile on her face, almost as if she were frozen in place. Then she shook her head and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hug.
“Congratulations,” she whispered in his ear as their friends started to disperse. “I’m so happy for you.” But when she pulled away, she didn’t look happy. She looked like someone trying to put on a brave face. He lifted a hand, tracing a thumb over her lower lip.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
Her eyebrows knit together, but she nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, of course. It’s just a lot of big news to take in in one day, you know?”
He dipped his head, brushing her nose with his. “We can celebrate later.”
She nodded again, but that wariness was still there. “Yeah. Sure. C’mon. Let’s go find some snacks.” She took his hand and pulled him into the living room, and Theo told himself to stop being stupid and just enjoy the party. He was probably just projecting his own muddled feelings onto her.
So why had it felt so shitty when she’d said that they were just friends?
Oh, right. Because that wasn’t true anymore. At least, not for him.
17
“And here are your room keys. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything y’all need.” The suited woman behind the heavy mahogany desk slid an envelope across to Theo. Lauren had paced a few steps away to admire a piece of art on the wall, leaning forward and squinting her eyes slightly. He tapped her arm with the envelope and she spun to face him.
“I can’t decide if this is people having sex or a woman floating above a bed.”
He tilted his head, studying the abstract art, not seeing anything besides slashes of white, pink, blue and gray. “Maybe it’s supposed to be that scene from Ghostbusters.” He put on a growly voice. “There is no Dana, only Zuul.”
She grinned and pointed at him. “That’s a really good Sigourney Weaver impression, if I do say so myself.”
He laughed. “Let’s go find our room so we can change. The rehearsal dinner’s starting in…” He quickly checked his phone. “Twenty minutes.”
She pretended to pout. “Twenty minutes is not enough time for freaky hotel sex.”
He grinned and wove his fingers through hers, leading her toward the elevator. “I promise there’ll be plenty of that later. I have a whole list.”
Her cheeks went pink as she bit her lip. “Oh, me too.”
The flight to Dallas had been completely uneventful, thankfully, and now that they were checked in, his sister’s wedding weekend was officially underway. He still didn’t know how to feel about the fact that she was getting remarried. Her first marriage and subsequent divorce had nearly wrecked her, and he knew better than most how bad it had been because he’d been the one to pick up the pieces. And now she was signing up for round two. Granted, he was pretty sure Javier Flores was a much better human being than Aerin’s first husband, but still. How she could stomach taking the risk again was beyond him.
He tapped one of the keys against the lock and pushed open the door to their room. As Lauren followed him inside, she let out a small gasp and rushed forward.
“Oh my God, Theo! Is this a suite? This is huge!”
He smiled as the door fell closed behind them with a quiet click. He loved watching her enjoy things—her enthusiasm was contagious, and warmth trickled through him knowing he’d put that enormous smile on her face.
“Yeah, I upgraded the room. Thought we could use this weekend trip as an excuse to celebrate you working with Sadie and my promotion.”
Her smile flickered just the tiniest bit. “Right. Good idea.”
Leaving their bags by the door, he closed the distance between them and laid his hands on her shoulders. Things had been mostly back to normal between them since the night of the Halloween party, although she hadn’t been over as much this week. Then again, he’d been so busy in his new role that maybe she’d just been giving him space and not pressuring him for time he didn’t have.
“Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing his thumbs along her collarbone.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m still taking everything in, you know? Lots of changes.”
He nodded, relief making him feel a bit lighter. “But they’re good changes, right?”
“Yeah. We’re both getting to
follow our dreams.” And yet there was a flatness to her tone that didn’t make it sound like following their dreams was a good thing. “I know how hard you’ve worked to get where you are, and I know what your job means to you. I’m happy for you.”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her. “And I’m so fucking proud of you, Lo. You never gave up.”
She circled her arms around his waist and tucked her face against his chest, sighing and relaxing into him. “How do you always smell so good?” she asked, a hint of anguish in her voice. His cock perked up at the neediness in her tone and he wondered how mad Aerin would be if they were late to dinner. With a low growl, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, marching them into the adjoining bedroom. She giggled and pretended to struggle, then laughed even harder when he tossed her down on the bed.
His heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of her spread beneath him, her red hair flaming against the soft white duvet, her nose wrinkled and eyes shut in laughter. She was so beautiful that for a second, he could’ve sworn that time stopped, maybe even moved backward a second or two.
He dropped down over her, rocking his hips against her. “So what’s on your hotel sex list?” he asked, his voice coming out low and gravely.
“Mmm,” she said, letting out a little moan as he buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply before kissing a path between her jaw and her shoulder. “Sex in the tub. Sex in the shower. Maybe we could role play…”
His head jerked up, a smile spreading across his face. “Oh yeah? What kind of fantasies do you have?”
She met his gaze, her eyes bright with arousal. He loved how comfortable she was with him now—any initial shyness was gone. “Maybe I’m the maid and you forgot to leave a tip, so you’ll have to make it up to me some other way.”
He ground against her again. “That’s really hot. What else?”
“We could be two strangers who just met in the hotel bar.”
“Also hot.” He bent down and kissed her, exploring her mouth with slow sweeps of his tongue.
“And what’s on your list?” she asked when she broke the kiss. She let out a small hiss as he tweaked her nipple through her blouse.
“I want you naked whenever we’re in this room. I’m going to fuck you on every single surface in here, and I don’t want clothes in my way.”
“Mmm, yes please, baby. Please,” she whispered, her eyes hazy.
“I want to tie your hands behind your back, put you on your knees, and fuck your gorgeous mouth in front of that big window.”
“Oh, God.” She writhed against him, her skin flushing the prettiest shade of pink. Her hands skimmed down his chest and to his jeans, and she palmed his throbbing cock through the fabric.
Just then, his phone buzzed from his pocket, pulling them both out of the moment. She shot him a rueful grin. “I guess we should get changed and head down, huh?”
He sat up and pushed a hand through his hair, glancing at Lucian’s text message wondering where he was. “Yeah. Shit. I should’ve booked an earlier flight.” He stood and extended his hand to her, helping her up off of the bed. She ducked into the bathroom with her bag, emerging a few minutes later with her hair wound into a messy braid with a few loose tendrils framing her face. She’d changed into a black lace cocktail dress with long sleeves, a pair of strappy silver sandals, and large hoop earrings. She’d also touched up her makeup. Her eyes roved over Theo, taking in his light gray dress shirt, navy blue tie, and navy blue dress pants.
“You look beautiful, Lo,” he said, his throat tight. He couldn’t stop staring at her. Something inside him almost hurt as he looked at her, and he didn’t know what it was. Regret? Longing? He didn’t know. He’d never been good at giving voice to his emotions.
She blushed and smoothed her hands down over the dress. “Thank you. You look nice, too.” She gathered up her purse and they headed for the door. “I’m excited to meet your family,” she said, tucking her hand in his as they waited for the elevator. The rehearsal dinner was taking place in a restaurant inside the hotel, just as the wedding reception would be tomorrow night, making everything nice and convenient. Aerin was nothing if not efficient.
Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as they stepped into the elevator. “You’ve met my brothers lots of times,” he said, deflecting. The numbers on the elevator ticked downward and the pit in his stomach yawned and stretched. Anxiety pulled at him, and for a second he thought about suggesting they say forget it and head back up to the hotel room instead. But he knew she’d never go for that.
“I don’t mean your brothers. I mean your parents. And I haven’t seen Aerin in a long time.”
He turned to her, taking both of her hands in his. “Listen, no matter what happens tonight, please know that I’m not like them, okay?” He’d spent his entire adult life making sure of it. He just hated the idea that she’d meet them, see how awful they were, and run screaming in the other direction. And no, thank you, he didn’t want to unpack what that fear said about how he was thinking of the two of them.
She hesitated, her eyes wide, but she nodded. “Okay. I promise I won’t judge you by your family.”
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open smoothly. Following the signs along with the noise, they made their way to the restaurant. The inside was dimly but warmly lit, with glowing sconces on the wall illuminating the decorative white brick. Windows gave a view of the hotel’s courtyard with its fountains and lush green trees. About three dozen people were mingling around the restaurant, some standing at the marble topped bar on the other side of the room, others clustered together in small groups laughing and chatting. Servers circulated with appetizers – smoked salmon on little toasts, shot glasses full of what Theo was pretty sure was gazpacho, and prosciutto wrapped melon with goat cheese. His stomach gave an appreciative rumble—he hadn’t eaten since the sandwiches they’d grabbed at JFK.
His eyes landed on Javi and Aerin in the far corner with Lucian, Bastian, and Max, and he had to admit, his sister looked absolutely radiant. She was wearing a red, strapless cocktail dress, the crimson hue the exact same shade as her fiancé’s tie. Javi was wearing a simple navy blue suit and white shirt, his arm wound around Aerin’s waist. Someone said something and they both laughed, then looked at each other. Theo swallowed around the thickness in his throat at the obvious tenderness passing between them. God, she looked so happy. So serene and content and glowing.
He gave Lauren’s hand a gentle tug. “Come on, let’s go say hi.” She nodded and he led her through the restaurant, waving at a few other people he knew as they passed. When Aerin spotted him, she practically shoved her glass of champagne into Javi’s hands.
“Theo!” She grinned from ear to ear, and he let go of Lauren’s hand just in time to catch his sister as she launched herself at him.
“AerBear!” He wrapped her in a hug, her feet dangling off the ground. He squeezed her tight, realizing in that moment how much he’d missed her. She was ten years older than him, and when they were growing up, she’d been the one—sometimes the only one—to look after him in any kind of nurturing way. She’d protected him and comforted him and helped him with his homework. She’d done everything she could to shelter him from their parents’ nastiness. It was because of her that he was only slightly messed up and not Lucian or Bastian levels of messed up. She’d saved him, in a way.
He set her down and she took a step back, smoothing her dress. “You remember Lauren,” he said, gesturing to her.
Aerin smiled again, cutting her eyes between Theo and Lauren. “Yes, of course! I’m so glad to see you. Thank you for coming.” She turned to Theo, smacking his arm, hard. “I knew you had a plus one, but you didn’t tell me you were bringing Lauren. I’m so glad you finally figured out that she—” But Aerin cut herself off at the look on Theo’s face. “That she’d make a great wedding date,” she finished smoothly, then plucked her champagne glass out of Javi’s hands. “This is my fiancé, Javier Flores.” Lauren and J
avi shook hands and Lauren offered her congratulations.
“Okay, now that everyone’s here, Javi and I have some news to share,” she said, her eyes suddenly bright. Javi took her hand, giving it a squeeze, and Theo’s heart picked up its pace because of how badly he was hoping he knew what she was going to say. She reached into her little clutch and pulled out a black and white ultrasound picture. “Our surrogate is pregnant with twins!”
“What?” said Bastian, pulling the picture out of her hands and squinting at it.
“Yep. There’s Baby A,” said Javi, pointing at the grainy picture, “And there’s Baby B.”
Words failed him, so Theo pulled Aerin in for another hug. She’d wanted so badly to have a baby with her previous husband, but the fertility treatments they’d tried hadn’t been successful. Now, thanks to a surrogate, she was finally getting her wish of becoming a mom, and in that moment, Theo’s heart could’ve burst for her.
Lucian and Max both offered their congratulations as well, everyone sharing hugs and handshakes. Aerin carefully wiped away a stray tear, her overwhelming joy palpable.
“When are the twins due?” asked Lucian, sipping his scotch.
“Mid-June.” Aerin’s eyes were bright, excitement radiating off of her.
Theo glanced over at Lauren, who was watching everything unfold with a warm smile on her face. He reached out and took her hand, lacing her fingers with his. Aerin noticed, cocked an eyebrow at him and then took a sip of her champagne.
Max raised his glass. “Welcome to the family Javi, and welcome Prescott-Flores babies.”
Javi raised his glass too. “Thank you. We can’t wait to meet them.”
“Uncle Bastian has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” said Sebastian, tossing back the rest of his drink. “Oh, man. All the things I’m gonna teach these little squirts.”
“We’ll have to see about that,” said Aerin dryly. “I don’t think my babies will need to know how to pick the winning pony or survive a bar fight anytime soon.”
