by Eden Rivers
“That’s easy, so you only have to take off a shoe.”
She slipped off one of her sandals and lay back on the designer bedspread Brenda had loaned her. One of these days, she’d have to get her things out of storage. “Done.”
“Abby and I met at school, in sixth grade. As a bonus, I’ll tell you that she was my first kiss. Seventh grade, at a school dance.”
Hell, his first kiss. How could anyone compete with that kind of nostalgia? “Next question.” Did she really want to know more about his friendship with Abby? Nope. “Tell me something about your brother. About Kevin.”
“Question’s too broad, and I suspect you’re not wearing enough clothing to earn an answer to anything more specific.”
Wow, she hadn’t expected to come up against a wall so soon. The therapist in her detected a note of something more than grief in his voice. More like intense guilt when Kevin’s name was raised. “I’m sorry. I’ll pick something else. How old were you when you lost your virginity?”
“That’ll cost you your pants.”
“I’m wearing shorts.” She unzipped the cutoffs and wiggled out of them. “But not anymore. Just my shirt, sports bra, thong, and one sandal left.”
“I’m wearing a pair of maroon boxers. Nothing else. As for your question, I was fifteen. And unless you want more information than you bargained on, you might want to switch the topic for your next question.”
He might as well tell Pandora, “Don’t, under any circumstances, open this box.” She was a therapist, for Christ’s sake. Her every instinct told her to explore the areas people wanted to hide. On the other hand, did she really want to know?
“Despite your warning, I think I’ll ask who. And since you’ve already warned me away from the topic, I’m already taking off my shirt and my second shoe.”
“Abby.”
Hell, she didn’t want to know that. But then, Pandora hadn’t listened, either.
“Val? You okay?”
“Sure, just a bit surprised. You two go back a long way.” The next logical question would be, “What’s going on between the two of you now?” It’s not like they’d set any ground rules. He was free to have sex with other people. And so was she. She’d sensed something wild and sexy about his friends right from the start, so she shouldn’t be surprised to discover he had a thing for Abby. Past or present.
“How about you shed your boxers and ask me something?” She didn’t want to know if there was still something going on with Abby. Not yet. She cared about him too much to face the complexity of his other relationships without more time to brace herself.
“Hell, woman, I’m already so hard thinking about you that my balls ache. What are you trying to do to me? Okay, the shorts are gone. Just naked skin. As for the question, tell me about the best sex you ever had.”
“You mean besides the other night, in the water?”
“Okay, seeing as I’m both flattered and truly relieved that I didn’t traumatize you that night, I’ll accept that as an answer. Now, will you please take off the rest of your clothes and touch yourself for me? Playing Twenty Questions is fun, but if I don’t get off soon, my dick’s going to turn purple.”
Val laughed and stripped off her thong and sports bra. “Okay, all naked. What do I do next?”
“My hand’s on my cock. I want you to take two fingers and trace circles around your clit.”
Glancing at the door to make sure she’d locked it, she settled against the pillows and reached between her legs. “Fast or slow?” She smiled as he made the low, guttural sound she’d come to associate with his approaching orgasm.
“Fast it is, then.” Closing her eyes, she listened to his rapid breathing and massaged her sweet spot.
“Almost there?”
Val made a sound of assent. The urgency in his voice told her he was about to come, and as she pressed harder against her clit, dragging her fingers over wet skin, she pictured his face, forehead creased with the strain of holding back.
“Now!” Light exploded behind her closed eyelids, and though her body bucked against her fingers, she didn’t let up with the slow, torturous circles until she’d wrung the last spasms out of her orgasm.
As she tried to catch her breath, Ian let loose a primal growl. Giving him a moment to recuperate, she listened to the sound of his breathing.
“Not enough, sweet Val. To hell with the book. Why don’t you come over? Phone sex is a poor substitute for the real thing.”
So much for her determination to make some headway with her career dilemma this weekend. “Are you alone?” She hadn’t asked him over yet, because Brenda still insisted he was trouble, but she wasn’t keen on running into his friends tonight, especially now that she knew his history with Abby.
“Tyler and Abby are spending the weekend, but they went out to a movie with Nathan and Jeremy. They won’t be back for a while.”
Good enough. “I’ll be there soon. Remember, no more kid gloves. I want you to be yourself tonight.”
“I can think of several things we could do with a pair of kid gloves, and besides, I don’t think you know what you’re asking for. But I do promise to chuck the slow and sensitive approach for the evening. Now hurry up and get your pretty butt over here.”
“Sure thing.” Val shivered as she hung up the phone. What was she getting herself into?
Only one way to find out. She rummaged around in her closet and settled on a strapless sundress, found a black silk thong, and slipped on her sandals. As she hurried out of her bedroom, she almost plowed into Brenda.
“I thought you were staying in to work on the job search?” Brenda tossed her head so that waves of blonde hair flared out around her shoulders, and she scrunched her brow into her most disapproving look.
“Sorry, Mom, plans changed.” Val gave her friend a hug and proceeded toward the living room. Not so easily discouraged, Brenda followed.
“I know you’re sick of hearing this, and honestly, I enjoy the secondhand reports of sexual excess. But I care about you, and I’m afraid you’re going to get hurt. Maybe worse than you did with Dean.”
That brought her up short. Fidgeting with her keys, she tried to imagine something worse than having to call things off with the man she’d thought would father her children. Something worse than staying with a man for two years as he chipped away at her confidence, until he convinced her she couldn’t make it on her own, emotionally or professionally.
“I’m sorry, but I knew his ex. I’ve known Ian since high school. Honey, he’s a great guy, but his life is like something out of a Hollywood drama.” Brenda rested her hand on Val’s arm. “Think about all the stories you heard when you were doing couples counseling, and imagine yourself in the middle of something more unusual.”
Val knew if she asked right now, Brenda would tell her whatever she wanted to know. But she owed it to Ian to ask him face-to-face. He’d been nothing but honest with her, and she’d feel like a sneak, looking for information behind his back. Damn, she was happy for the first time in months, and she wasn’t ready to let go of that feeling. Not yet. She’d uncover Ian’s secrets in due time.
“Thanks for looking out for me.” She flashed her most reassuring smile. “But I’m heading into this with my eyes open, and I’m not looking for happily ever after. I like being with him, Bren. I’m not going to give that up, just because he has a past.”
“It’s his present I’m more concerned about. But I’ll let it rest.”
“Thanks.” Trying not to think about what Brenda might mean by that, Val headed out the door.
* * * * *
“Oh, hell.” As Val pulled into Ian’s driveway, she gritted her teeth. Ian’s Jeep, Jeremy’s Mustang convertible, and Abby’s VW Beetle. Crap. But there was no turning back now.
Ian met her at the door. “Sorry. They opted for an early movie and came back here for drinks and dessert.” He pulled her close, his hands planted firmly on her ass, and kissed her. “I’ll pull Nathan aside and let hi
m know you and I want some time alone, and Abby will coax Tyler up to bed before long.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Val couldn’t resist dipping her fingers down to the inseam of his shorts.
Ian shivered under her touch as her fingers lingered near his cock, but all too soon, he moved her hand to his back and led the way toward the den. Unlike the rest of the house, spartanly furnished in the aftermath of Lisa’s departure, the den was all Ian. Blue walls provided a backdrop for a huge seascape, the dunes and waves depicted with bold, vibrant brushstrokes. Whorls and knots of driftwood served as bookends, and other mementos of the shore ‑‑ dishes of beach glass, bottles of sand, and a few gull feathers ‑‑ were scattered around the room.
“Hey, I brought something for you.” Abby reached into a canvas bag beside where she’d curled up on the couch and handed Val a book. “It’s a guide to career changes. It helped a lot when I bailed out on the paralegal thing and joined up with my friend Nicole to start our event planning business.”
“Thanks.” Warmed by the gesture and feeling a bit sheepish about her discomfort regarding Abby’s place in Ian’s life, Val tucked the book in her purse. Not as if Abby looked threatening in her worn cutoffs and saffron tank top.
Val may have had misgivings about seeing Ian’s friends tonight, but as she settled on the leather sofa and Tyler handed her a plate of strawberry crepes, the tension melted away. With Ian’s arm draped across her shoulders and Abby chattering beside her, she felt like she belonged.
“So, Miss Vee, been swimming lately?” Jeremy raised an eyebrow, but his smile seemed friendly enough.
In his tight black tee and black jeans, he presented quite a contrast sitting next to Nathan. She’d come to think of Nathan as her personal chaperone, and he looked as wholesome as apple pie in his teal polo shirt and tan shorts. Jeremy squirmed out of reach as Nathan directed an elbow at his ribs.
“Why, Jeremy, I do believe that’s none of your damn business.” Val batted her eyelashes as Ian chuckled beside her.
“I think I missed something.” Abby reached across Val so Ian could refill her wineglass.
Nathan managed to land an elbow jab on Jeremy’s arm. “We ran into Val and Ian on the beach one night a couple weeks ago, and Jeremy doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”
“What?” Tyler ran his hand over his close-cut black curls and looked to Abby for enlightenment. His expression registered understanding when Abby rolled her eyes.
“Not that Jeremy’s one to talk, seeing as we did a little swimming ourselves that night. But he seems to delight in giving Val a hard time.” Nathan attempted to land another jab to emphasize his disapproval, but Jeremy fended off the attack by wrapping his arms around Nathan and brushing a kiss across the back of his neck.
The simple gesture, enriched by years of familiarity, filled her with a mix of longing and something akin to loneliness. Ian got up to change the CD, and on his way back from the stereo, Jeremy stuck a foot out and tripped him. As sultry jazz melodies filled the room, Jeremy tackled Ian and wrestled him to the floor.
“You know you never win. May as well say ‘uncle.’” With lightning speed, Ian grabbed Jeremy’s arm and flipped him onto his side.
“Not a chance.” Fighting for a grip on Ian’s leg, Jeremy managed to squirm out from under the wiry swimmer.
“Don’t mind them. Boys will be boys.” Her amber brown eyes sparkling with amusement, Abby watched her friends wrestle on the carpet. “Jeremy wrestled in high school, and it drives him nuts that Ian’s stronger and quicker than he is.”
Sure enough, after a few minutes of thrashing around on the carpet and a close call when they nearly knocked a few wineglasses off the coffee table, Jeremy conceded defeat. Rather than joining Val on the sofa, though, Ian grabbed a throw pillow and lay beside Jeremy on the carpet.
As Val sipped her wine, she wondered if this was what it would have been like to grow up with brothers and sisters. Although she doubted anyone would look at his brother with the kind of heat Jeremy directed at Ian.
Uncomfortable with the lull in the conversation, Val struggled to come up with a new topic. But then Jeremy twisted around to make sure he had her attention and placed his hand on Ian’s side. Hell, what kind of reaction was he looking for?
When Jeremy moved his hand up and slid the tip of one finger under the waistband of Ian’s shorts, Nathan intervened. “Much as I find your antics entertaining, I suspect you’re making Val uncomfortable.” Nathan patted the cushion of the leather love seat, and after a moment, Jeremy curled up beside him, his head on Nathan’s thigh.
Lulled by the mellow tunes of a jazz saxophone, Val tried to decide how she felt about Jeremy flirting with Ian. When she’d found out Ian and Abby had slept together, she’d felt threatened. But faced with the prospect that there might have been, or might be, something between Ian and Jeremy, she felt intrigued. Maybe even a bit aroused.
“Sleepy?” Though Tyler plopped down in the spot Ian had abandoned next to Val, he directed his question at Abby.
“Bit. But I want to finish my wine before we head upstairs.” Abby leaned against Val and took another sip from her glass.
The warmth of Abby’s shoulder felt cozy against her arm. But when Tyler rested his hand at the back of her neck, warm and strong against her skin, Val considered reminding him she was a newcomer, and not quite as comfortable with group coziness as the rest of them. Ian watched intently, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Val decided to let Tyler’s flirting slide. Not as if the feeling of his warm palm against her neck was unpleasant. “Hey, I’m curious, how did you get into the restaurant business?”
“My grandfather was a chef. He taught me to cook before I could read or write. My parents hoped I’d go into law or medicine, but I never wanted to do anything else.” Tyler grinned and brushed his fingers along Val’s arm. “Mom and Dad softened up to the idea once the five-star reviews started coming in.”
“And then there’s Nathan, who went after his MBA for the money.” Jeremy tilted his head until a thatch of black hair brushed Nathan’s cheek and then leaned down to nip his shoulder.
“You, my friend, have been misbehaving all evening.” Nathan swatted his hand against the side of Jeremy’s thigh.
Judging from the resounding thwack of Nathan’s palm on Jeremy’s skin, that had to smart a little. Hell, the wholesome accountant had a wild side. Who would have thought? Val took a moment to consider whether her trusty chaperone might be as depraved as the rest of the bunch, but her thoughts were interrupted when Jeremy abandoned Nathan and came over to sit by her feet.
“If my company’s not appreciated over there, I’ll hang out with Val and Abby.” Humming along with the music, Jeremy reached up to trace his fingers along Val’s calf, then lifted her foot and began to massage her toes.
“Okay, enough’s enough.” His eyebrows drawn together in a tight scowl, Ian glared at Jeremy.
Ian’s no-nonsense tone startled Val enough that she tugged her foot away from Jeremy’s grasp. As tension rippled through the room, she noticed the shimmer of light by the fireplace. Her heart sped up, but no one else seemed aware of the disturbance, and she figured Kevin ‑‑ hell, she’d come to think of the ghost by name ‑‑ was curious about what had upset his brother.
“My apologies for my partner’s behavior.” Nathan rose from the love seat and bent toward Ian in a mock bow. “I’m going to take him home and tan his royal ass.”
“Like hell.” Somehow, Jeremy’s protest lacked conviction.
With Ian’s chuckle, the tension dispersed, as did the flickering glow across the room. “Go easy on him. He may be difficult at times, but we’re all sort of fond of him.”
“Yeah, that’s why I keep him around.” With a smile, Nathan held his hand out to Jeremy. “Come on, time to head home.”
As Nathan and Jeremy said their good-byes, and Abby and Tyler cleared plates and glasses before heading up to bed, Val tried to sort out what was
going on with Ian. He hadn’t batted an eyelash when Abby snuggled up against her, or when Tyler walked his fingers across the back of her neck.
Even Jeremy’s fingertip under the waistband of his pants hadn’t provoked a response. So why the sudden protest when Jeremy decided to play “this little piggy” with her toes?
And then, with complete and frightening clarity, Val realized Ian had drawn the line because, unlike Abby or Tyler, Jeremy fully intended to get her into bed with him. She should have seen it since the morning he’d walked in and discovered her naked in bed with Ian.
“Ready to go upstairs? Kitchen’s cleaned up, and I seem to remember there’s some unfinished business between us.” Ian bent down to kiss the side of her neck.
Val’s heart did a rapid dance as he brushed his fingers across her breast, and she shrieked when he scooped her into his arms.
“Shh. Abby and Tyler are upstairs, remember? They’ll think I’m ravishing you on the sofa.”
Surprised at the ease with which he carried her ‑‑ she was five feet nine, and with her swimmer’s muscles, she wasn’t a frail little armful ‑‑ Val decided not to put up a fight. She’d asked for the real Ian, hadn’t she? If he wanted to play caveman, then she’d let him. Navigating the stairs was dicey, but he managed the climb without incident.
Ian set her down so he could open the door, and as light from the hall illuminated the room, she spotted a glint of metal on the bed, cold and bright against the comforter. Her stomach fluttered as she tried to imagine what Ian had in mind. As she stepped into the bedroom, she realized what she was looking at. Holy shit.
Chapter Five
Ian switched on the bedside lamp and watched Val’s expression shift from shock to wariness as she stared at the handcuffs.
“You said you wanted me to be myself tonight. No kid gloves.”
