by Alex Grayson
Nathan squeezes my shoulder, kisses the side of my head, then murmurs against my hair, “Told you so.”
I jab his side but smile at him. I like his friends. They seem like nice people. And I can already tell I’ll be laughing a lot around Tegan.
Nathan and I take a seat at the other end of the couch. I decline a drink when Abby offers me one, but Nathan accepts a soda.
“When is she supposed to be here?” Nathan asks, depositing his drink on the coffee table in front of him before reclining back, making sure to bring me with him.
Abby looks down at the watch on her wrist before answering, “Any minute.”
“And she didn’t tell you what this was about?”
“Nope. Just that she wanted to see all of us.”
Nathan told me on the drive over that one of his friends, Ava, has been AWOL for a couple of weeks and no one knows where she’s been. I could see the worry flash through his eyes as he talked about her. He also told me he, Abby, and Tegan met through a sexual addiction therapy class years ago. Apparently Abby is a sex addict, Tegan is an exhibitionist, and Nathan is the voyeur, which I already knew from experience. Abby brought Ava into the group when she met her in a bar a few years ago. Ava’s hard core into role play. Each of their sexual preferences intrigues me, especially Abby’s.
The group makes small talk about random things for a few minutes. As I thought, anytime Tegan opens his mouth it’s to say something that has the group either groaning, rolling their eyes, or laughing. The guy is full of himself, but not in an arrogant way. It’s kind of endearing, actually.
“So, Emberleigh,” Abby says, pulling my attention to her. “Nathan mentioned you’re going to college. What are you majoring in?”
Ignoring the fluttery feeling in my stomach at knowing he’s talked about me to his friends, I nod. “It’s nursing school, actually. It’s my dream to work in obstetrics.” She smiles, and my eyes track her hand as it settles over her flat stomach. “Are you…?” I trail off.
Her smile grows, and it’s then that I notice her slight glow.
“Yep,” she chirps, then looks at her husband, pride brimming both of their faces. “Eleven weeks.”
“That’s wonderful,” I say with my own smile appearing. “I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thanks.”
“Is this your first?”
Colt twines his fingers with Abby’s that are still on her stomach. The move is incredibly sweet.
“It is, but we hope to have a houseful one day.”
The door opening and closing has all of us looking over at the entryway. A moment later, a tall brunette appears with a sandy-blond-haired guy behind her. She stops for a moment when she sees everyone before leading the guy forward. Abby jumps up from her perch on Colt’s lap and rushes to her, pulling the woman into her arms.
“Where have you been?” Abby cries, her voice coming out raw. “We’ve been worried about you.”
When they break apart, the woman, Ava, I presume, tips her lips up into a smile. “I told you I was fine, Abby. There was no need to worry.”
Abby blows out a harsh breath. “Well, I’m sorry, but when my best friend just up and leaves without telling anyone where she’s going, I tend to do that.”
Ava laughs, earning a scowl from Abby. I see Tegan get up and make his way over to them. He throws his hands on his hips as he stands beside Abby. Ava’s eyes move to him and she lifts a brow.
“Are you going to scold me too?” she asks in a playful tone.
“Nope. I’m just going to stand here until you tell us where the fuck you’ve been.”
The man behind her steps forward, settling a hand at her waist and pulling her to his side. “Watch your language with her,” he tells Tegan sternly.
Tegan’s hands fall from his hips and he takes a step forward. Although I see his body stiffen, a grin forms on his face. Tension fills the room as he looks the guy up and down, and I realize something about Tegan. He may be the jokester of the group, but he’s also a protector.
“Dylan, right?” At his nod, Tegan continues. His voice may be calm, but even I can tell it’s deceptive. “You may be in her bed, but that doesn’t mean jack shit to me. It damn sure doesn’t give you the right to tell me how to talk to my friend when we’ve been worrying about her for days.”
“Tegan!” Ava demands. “That’s enough!”
Nathan’s arm lifts from my shoulder and he slowly rises, his eyes never leaving the four people just inside the living room. I take to my feet beside him.
Dylan’s eyes turn hard. “Actually, it does, since your friend is now my wife.”
Silence ensues, and shock fills the air. Even Nathan jerks beside me with the news that obviously no one knew about.
“That’s why I wanted everyone here,” Ava says, filling the tense moment. “To tell you all I got married.”
“But why?” Abby is the first to speak.
Ava’s eyes land on every person in the room. When she spots me beside Nathan, questions sprout in her eyes, but she pulls them away and focuses on Abby.
“I’m pregnant,” she admits, further shocking everyone.
“What?” Abby asks quietly.
“I found out three weeks ago, and when I told Dylan, he suggested we get married. I agreed, because I want my child to have a real father around.”
I watch as emotions swirl in Abby’s eyes. “You’re going to have a baby,” she breathes softly. A big smile slowly spreads across her face and she leans forward to yank Ava in her arms. Ava laughs as she reciprocates by wrapping her arms around Abby.
Whispered words are shared, then Ava snaps back from her. “You’re pregnant too?”
Abby nods and answers loudly, “Yes! That means we’ll have babies together!”
After the two woman hug it out, Tegan steps up next for his turn. He hugs her to him and lifts her up so her feet dangle above the ground. She laughs and slaps his back as he says something in her ear.
He releases her, then steps up to Dylan. I hold my breath at Tegan’s serious expression. It whooshes out when a slow smile breaks across his face.
“No hard feelings, man,” Tegan says, throwing out his hand for Dylan to shake. “But just to say, she was our friend first, so keep that in mind if you don’t take care of her the way she should be.”
Dylan, his eyes narrowed, takes Tegan’s hand and mutters, “Got it.”
Willow and Colt are next with the hugs and congratulations. Then it’s Nathan. His face is flat, giving nothing away on how he feels.
“As long as you’re happy, then I’m happy for you,” he says quietly, looking down at her.
She smiles. “I am.”
He pulls her forward, and she laces her arms around his waist. His eyes meet Dylan’s over her head. “You hurt her, and I’ll break your legs.” The tone of his warning sends shivers down my spine. I have no doubt he’ll carry through with his threat if provoked.
Dylan nods stiffly.
Ava pulls away, and her eyes once again move to me.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who has news,” she says, quirking a brow at Nathan.
He turns and holds out his arm, silently asking me to come forward. When I do, I’m pulled to his side by my waist.
“Ava, this is Emberleigh, a friend of mine.”
“A friend, huh?” Her eyes dance with laughter.
Tegan, who’s now back on the couch, coughs, mutters “9B,” then coughs again, reminding me of his earlier comment.
Ava’s eyes widen fractionally, but she immediately relaxes again and holds out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Emberleigh.”
After that, things calm down and we all take seats in the living room. Ava tells everyone what’s happened with her over the last several days. I can tell the group is still surprised by her news. Looking at her and Dylan, how close they are staying to each other, the way Dylan laces his fingers with hers and brings them to his lips, and the way Ava’s eyes soften when she look
s at him, says their feelings run deeper than them just wanting their child to have both parents in their life. There’s love there too.
A couple hours pass, and I really don’t want to leave. I’m enjoying being around his friends, but I need to get to my parents’ house. I’m just getting ready to tell Nathan that I need to get back home, when he whispers in my ear, “You ready to go?”
I hate to ask him to leave his friends, so I suggest, “I can Uber it back to my place. You don’t have to leave.”
I sputter out a laugh at the ridiculous look he gives me. I hold my hand up when he opens his mouth to shoot down my idea. “Okay, okay. Forget I asked.”
The room goes quiet when we both stand.
“I need to get Emberleigh home,” he informs everyone.
Abby walks up and surprises me by enveloping me in a hug. Pulling back, she says, “It was so nice meeting you. I’m sorry we didn’t get more time to get to know each other.” Her eyes flick to Nathan before settling back on me. “But I suspect that’s going to change.”
Nathan grunts beside me. I offer a smile. “Thank you so much for having me.”
“You’re welcome anytime.”
We say goodbye to the others and then take our leave. Once we’re settled in Nathan’s truck, I turn to him.
“I like your friends. They seemed very nice.”
“They’re a crazy bunch,” he remarks, his lips curving up into a ghost of a smile.
“Yeah, but crazy is good sometimes.”
“That it is.” He reaches across the console, grabs my hand, and brings it back to his lap. “Got plans today?”
I look at the hand he’s holding, really liking the feel of his fingers entwined with mine and how much it engulfs my small one. His thumb rubs small circles over my skin.
“I do, actually. I normally spend Sundays with Avery at my parents’ place.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and I wonder if he’s going to ask about her. He hasn’t yet, and I’m both relieved and anxious. The conception of Avery isn’t something I like talking about. It’s a time in my life I’m not proud of. I’m actually very ashamed of how Avery came to be. I don’t regret it, because if it never happened it would mean not having Avery, but I still look back to then and feel hatred for myself.
But for some reason, I want to tell Nathan. As embarrassing as it would be, I want him to know my shameful secret. I don’t know why, I feel he won’t judge me for it. Or at least, I hope he wouldn’t.
“Okay,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts. “When’s your next free day?”
His question gives me pause. Between spending time with Avery, school, clinicals, and work, I’m not home much. My social life usually consists of dinner with Jessika on the rare chance our schedules allow it, and the very rare occasion she talks me into going out with her. I know Mom would blister my ears if I missed an opportunity to spend time with a man.
With that thought in mind, I decide to give myself the chance to do just that.
“I’m free tomorrow evening.”
He takes his eyes off the road just long enough to give me a smile. “Let me take you out. To dinner.”
I grin. “Okay.”
Butterflies form in my belly when his grin widens, pleased at my answer. He lifts my hand to his lips and places a soft kiss to the back of it. The scruff on his face against my skin sends shivers of need to my core and my clit pulses. My legs automatically clench together. My eyes go to Nathan and see his lips tipped up into a cocky smirk. He knows just how much he affects me, and from that look alone, he really likes it. Which is totally fine with me, because I like it too.
My phone vibrating in my purse snaps me out of my erotic haze. Nathan uncurls his fingers around my hand, and I snatch out the device. When I see the name on the screen, I cringe.
Damn it.
This is the second time Dean’s called. The first time I felt like a bitch, because I let it go to voicemail. It was after Nathan and I started seeing each other, and I knew Dean was calling to ask me out. I was a ninny and didn’t want to hurt his feelings by refusing him, especially after the way I acted with him on the dance floor.
I peek over to Nathan and see his eyes on my phone.
“Who’s Dean?” he asks.
His teeth are clenched, and I notice a tic in his jaw. I wonder what’s going through his head right now.
“The guy I was dancing with that first night,” I give him his answer.
Something flashes in his eyes, but before I can analyze it, he jerks his chin up at my phone. “Answer it.”
His statement surprises me. I lick my lips, look down at my phone, then back at him. His look has an edge, but his voice has softened when he demands again, “Answer it, Emberleigh.”
Keeping my eyes on Nathan, I accept the call and bring it to my ear.
“Hello?” I feel like an idiot when my voice comes out squeaky.
“Emberleigh?” Dean’s deep voice comes over the line. He doesn’t wait for my confirmation before he continues. “This is Dean, Jessika’s friend.”
“Hi, Dean.” I clear my throat nervously. It feels weird talking to him in front of Nathan. Not that I have anything to hide. “How are you?”
“I’m doing good. I tried calling the other day but got your voicemail.”
A shitty feeling swarms my stomach with the reminder that I left him hanging, but I squish it down.
“Yeah, sorry. I meant to call you back, but I’ve been busy with school and work.”
That’s true. I just didn’t add that I’ve also been busy with another man.
“It’s okay,” he says. He pauses for a moment, then goes on, his voice more hesitant. “I was calling to ask if you wanted to grab a drink sometime?”
The cab in Nathan’s truck is quiet and Dean’s voice is loud, so I know Nathan heard the question. This is also confirmed when his hands tighten around the steering wheel so much his knuckles turn white. He’s looking at the road now, but I still see the anger in the slant of his eyes.
It may be a twisted part of me, but I like his reaction. It tells me he doesn’t want me to see Dean because he wants me for himself. I am absolutely fine with this because I want the same.
I keep my eyes locked on him when I tell Dean, “You’re very sweet to ask, but I’m afraid I have to decline.” Silence stretches over the line, so I add with sincerity, “I’m sorry, Dean.” Then give him a bit more because he deserves the truth. “I started seeing someone.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, Nathan’s grip on the steering wheel loosens and some of the hardness in his facial features relaxes.
“Oh. Okay.” Although his next words are said with an upbeat tone, I can still hear the disappointment. “That’s good. Great, I mean. I’m happy for you, Emberleigh.” He laughs, but it comes out sounding strained.
A twinge of guilt niggles at me. I trust Jessika one hundred percent, so if she says Dean is a good guy, added with my short time I spent with him, I truly believe he is. He’s just not the guy I want. That guy is sitting next to me, and from what I can see, not doing a very good job of forcing back a smug look.
I roll my eyes and get back to my phone call.
“Thank you. And again, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I get it and it’s cool.” He clears his throat. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ve got another call coming through.”
Not knowing if that’s a lie or not, but not blaming him if it is, I give him his out, which is an out for me as well.
“Okay, Dean.”
“See you around, Emberleigh.”
“Bye.”
I hit the End button and drop the phone to my lap. Before I blow out the deep breath I just pulled in, my hand is tugged from my lap, my fingers intertwined with his, and both put back in his lap.
A smile tugs up my lips and stays there the whole way back to my place.
ChapterFourteen
Nathan
I FLICK MY CIGARETTE AWAY AS I push open
the door to Dirty Rumors, one of the strip clubs Dad owns. Heading toward the back hallway where his office is, I tip my chin at Carl behind the bar as I pass. I pay no attention to the girls practicing their routines on the stage. I may be a voyeur, but I’ve seen every move they could come up with hundreds of times. Watching strippers on stage no longer does shit for me.
I tap on the black door before opening it and walking through. My dad’s at his desk, on the phone, and when he sees me enter, he juts his chin toward a chair. I take a seat and throw an ankle over my knee to wait for him to finish.
“All right, Jerry. My kid just walked in. I’ll have the paperwork drawn up and ready Thursday.”
A moment later, he hangs up and drops the phone to his desk. He runs a hand through his hair before leaning back in his seat, his laced hands over his stomach. My old man is in his early sixties, but doesn’t look a day over forty. He works out regularly to stay in shape, and his salt-and-pepper hair only adds to his appeal. Or so I’ve been told by multiple females who have worked for him over the years.
“How’s it goin’?” he asks. “It’s been a while since you’ve stopped by.”
“Work’s been keeping me busy.”
“So, I assume business is good then?”
He turns in his seat and grabs a couple beers out of the small fridge behind him. After tossing me one, he opens his, takes a swig, and rests it on the arm of his chair. I pop the top of mine and do the same.
“Yep,” I reply. “Really good.”
He nods and tips the bottle to his lips again. His eyes stay on me, and I decide to wait him out. There’s a reason he asked me to come here today.
Growing up, I was always close with my dad, and that hasn’t changed since becoming an adult. I always know when something’s going on with him.
It only takes him a couple of moments before he decides to enlighten me.
“I’m selling out,” he states quietly. “It’s time to retire.”
It takes me a moment to absorb his words, and when I do, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shocked. He’s owned strip clubs since before I was born. What makes him successful and stand out from most other strip club owners is he honestly cares about his girls. He once told me he thinks of them as his daughters. I thought that shit was funny because no daughter of mine will ever work in a place like this.
