by Cathryn Fox
Sky laughed along with her friends. While that sounded devious, and getting him hard would be nice, she truly wanted him to like her for more than her “great ass”. She wanted what Kat wanted and Tallulah had—a forever kind of guy—because settling down with a family someday sounded just about right. While sex was nice, it wasn’t her main priority. Finding the right man to settle down with was.
“Well, are you going to go for it?” Tallulah asked.
Sky let loose a long, slow breath and planted her hands on the bar top. “So let me get this straight. You want me to go over to the pool table, drop this napkin, and bend over to show off my ass because you think that’s what it’s going to take to get Caleb to finally notice me as something more than his tomboy friend.”
All three girls inched back a bit, a strange look coming over their faces. Kat and Tallulah turned their attention to their drinks and Amber scurried off to attend a table.
“What?” Sky asked, wondering if she’d said something offensive. Then again, that whole scandalous setup was their idea, not hers, so she had no clue as to why they were all of a sudden acting aloof.
“Thanks for the sandwich,” Matt said from behind her, his mouth near her ear, his warm breath fanning over her skin.
She spun around and when she came face-to-face with her childhood best friend, she knew in an instant he’d overheard their private conversation.
With an almost tortured look on his face, Matt looked down and said, “I…ah…I think you dropped something.”
She followed his gaze to the floor to find the napkin lying across her shoes like it was some clandestine clue in a secret, devious plot—which of course it was.
And now Matt knew about it!
Chapter Two
Matt adjusted his backpack over his shoulder and swallowed down the lump pushing into his throat as he took note of the pink flush staining Sky’s cheeks. With embarrassment written all over her face, she opened her mouth and closed it again, her expressive eyes portraying her mortification.
Coming to her rescue, he worked to keep things light and hurried out with, “Caleb wants to hit up a movie so I’m going to take off for a bit.”
“You finished studying?” she said breezily, but he could tell she was struggling to follow his lead and keep the conversation casual.
“For now. Doctor’s orders.” He gestured toward Caleb as he put his cue stick away and started toward them. “But I’ll be back before closing to help you lock up.”
In a swift move she kicked the napkin away, like she was trying to dispose of evidence. Her friends kept one eye on their drinks and the other on them as they pretended not to eavesdrop.
“You don’t have to do that.” Sky smoothed her hand through her long, dark hair, her curls bouncing over her shoulders. She pushed the strands off her face, only for them to recoil back in place when she let them go. With obstinate resolve written all over her, she jutted her chin out. “I’m quite capable of locking up myself.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said. He also knew independent was her middle name—so was stubborn. She’d been that way her whole life. Little tomboy Sky might have been a tough kid growing up—compliments of having no mother, something they both shared—but she was also kind, and the only girl in the neighborhood he and Caleb allowed into the half-assed tree house they’d built in Caleb’s yard. Regardless, tenacious or not, there had been a rash of break-ins around the neighborhood lately, and the bar wasn’t in the best part of town, which meant he didn’t want her walking to their apartment building alone, no matter how capable she was. Plus, that asshole Simon Harris was here drinking with his construction crew tonight, and he didn’t trust the guy or like the way he looked at Sky. “But I have to check on Gran’s house anyway.” He liked to do a perimeter check every night and make sure she’d set the security alarm before going to sleep. “And it’s on the way to our place.” Well, technically it wasn’t their place. They lived in the same apartment complex, not the same apartment.
As she stood there staring up at him like she was waiting for him to say more, the full impact of her admission suddenly hit like a sucker punch. Christ, how could he possibly be expected to keep the conversation going—not to mention his shit together—after hearing what she planned to do to with that damn napkin. With Caleb. But now that she’d said it, put her feelings for their other best friend right out there in the open, there was one thing he did know. He could no longer ignore it.
No, he could no longer overlook the way she acted when Caleb was around. The way she all of a sudden started staring at him differently and touching him more frequently, letting her fingers linger on his arm, his leg, his face more than she used to.
Fuck.
Sky knew he’d overheard them, which meant they’d have to eventually talk about it. Hell, they talked about everything else under the sun, everything except how she really felt about their best friend. But he didn’t need to hear her voice the word to know what was going on with her, or how perfect his two best childhood friends would be together.
Caleb was a good guy and had a lot to offer, and, honestly, he wanted only what was best for Sky. That’s all he’d ever wanted. Even though he’d been in love with her since the first time she skinned her knee on the playground, then threw a little dirt on it instead of crying, he understood he, Matt James—a guy who barely finished high school and took a front-line, expendable position in the army—was not the guy for her. No, she deserved someone better. Someone like Caleb.
What the hell did he have to offer a girl like her, anyway? Not a goddamn thing. At least not until he completed his medical degree, and he wasn’t even sure he could pass the entrance test. He scoffed. Maybe on some deeper level he’d changed paths because he figured if he ever amounted to more he might actually be worthy of her. But none of that mattered now, because her feelings for Caleb were clear and he wouldn’t do a damn thing to stand in their way.
“Matt…” she began, then stopped talking when Caleb leaned over the counter and tugged her hair.
“Hey, Skywalker,” he said, a warm, familiar lilt to his voice as he called her by her childhood nickname.
“Caleb,” she responded as he flashed a charming smile her way. Matt shook his head. He loved Caleb like a brother, would take a bullet for him, but damned if the man couldn’t charm the bite off a snake.
Sky turned from Caleb to Matt, her eyes pleading. His heart hitched. Jesus, she was so perfect, and so beautiful. She had an innocent sensuality about her that she had no idea she possessed. But she was soon going to be his best friend’s girl, he quickly reminded himself. So it was hands off from here on out.
“Matt,” she murmured in a breathless whisper.
Wanting her to know her secret was safe with him, Matt put his mouth near her ear and whispered, “We’ll talk later.” Unable to help himself, he breathed in her sweet smell, and when her hair brushed over his face, he stifled a groan. His mind instantly envisioned her splayed out on his bed, pinned beneath his body, screaming out his name as he pounded into her with long, hard strokes that would make her forget her own. He coughed to hide the things he was feeling, then straightened to look at Caleb. “Ready?” he asked.
“Wait, aren’t you coming?” Caleb asked Sky.
“No, I can’t.”
Matt frowned. He really wished she’d kick back and find time for herself more often, but she’d given her assistant manager the night off, which meant the responsibility of locking up rested with her.
“Why not?” Caleb asked.
Sky waved her hand around the bar. “I have to work.”
Caleb fished his keys from his pocket. “Aw, come on. You know what they say about all work and no play.”
“That’s right,” Matt said.
She punched Matt in the arm. “You’re one to talk.”
Slipping into play mode, Matt grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. “Are you saying I’m dull?”
She wiggled and her body press
ed against his. Their groins collided and when his cock thickened he realized what he was doing. It was time to stop playing with Sky…time to stop touching her and thinking about her as anything other than a friend.
Caleb twirled his key chain around his finger. “At least tell me you’re free next weekend.” Next weekend Caleb would be leaving his twenties behind. Two weeks after that, Matt would be saying farewell to his.
Matt let her hands go and stepped back, working to get his shit together when she grinned at Caleb, a gleam in her eyes. “I wouldn’t miss your thirtieth birthday for the world, Caleb.”
Caleb eyed her. “Ah, should I be scared? You look like you have something on your mind.”
“I just thought a little payback was in order.”
“Payback?” Caleb’s curious glance went from Sky, to Matt back to Sky again. “What the hell you talking about?”
“You don’t remember putting me over your knee and spanking me twenty-nine times on my birthday last year?”
Caleb’s grin returned. “Ah, I think you had one too many celebratory drinks, Skywalker. It was Matt who held you down and spanked you, not me.”
“Oh,” she said, her eyes going wide as she looked at Matt. When their gazes met and locked, something strange moved over her face, something he couldn’t quite identify, and that was saying a lot, considering she was such an easy read to him.
“And just for the record—” Caleb pointed a finger at Matt, “—he was also the one who put the icing on your nose, not me. So don’t get any ideas.”
Matt shrugged and walked around the bar. “Gran’s old tradition.”
Kat cleared her throat and when all eyes turned to her, Kat zeroed in on Sky. Her lips curled up at the corners, like she and Sky knew a secret. “Spankings and icing.” She took a long pull from her straw, then said, “Imagine that.” She turned to Tallulah. “Can’t wait for my birthday.”
Caleb turned his attention to the two women grinning at each other. “You two are coming, right?”
“I’ll be there,” Kat said.
Tallulah nodded. “Babysitter is already booked.”
Matt checked his watch and started toward the door. “Come on, movie is starting soon.”
“Okay, see you later, Skywalker,” Caleb said, turning to follow Matt outdoors.
Matt looked at his friend, his comrade, his brother in crime, and couldn’t help but want to know how he felt about Sky. He couldn’t come right out and ask because he didn’t want to betray her trust. He’d promised her that her secret was safe with him, and he’d never, ever go back on a promise. Still a little subtle investigation couldn’t hurt, right?
A car door slammed and sexy Daisy, who hung out at the bar, hiked her purse over her shoulder and started toward them. Dressed in her usual frayed short shorts and cowgirl boots that climbed up her long legs, she cut through the parking lot.
Caleb made a noise. “I wouldn’t mind unwrapping that sweet thing for my thirtieth.”
“Hi, boys,” Daisy said, doing a sexy little finger wave as she sauntered by, giving an extra shake to her hips when she saw the way Caleb was looking at her.
Matt jumped into the passenger seat of Caleb’s SUV and tossed his backpack onto the seat beside him. He looked through the passenger side window and watched Daisy until she disappeared inside the bar. “Yeah, she’s hot. But you’re getting old, man.” He put his hand on Caleb’s head and gave a little shove. “Time to start thinking with your head, and as sweet as Daisy is, she’s not the marrying type.”
“What the hell?” Caleb shot him a quick glance then turned the engine over in his vehicle. “Marrying type? Christ, Matt, you need to stop hanging around Gran so much. You sound like a seventy-year-old woman. And besides, I’m only turning thirty. That doesn’t mean life stops and I have to get hitched. And you know we’re the same age. You’re only two weeks behind.”
Caleb pulled out into traffic and drove toward the theater. “So do you ever think about finding the right girl and settling down?” Matt asked.
“You’re channeling Gran again.” Caleb laughed and eyed him. “What’s gotten into you, anyway?” Caleb reached across the cab to touch Matt’s forehead. “You getting your period?”
“Fuck off,” Matt said, pushing his hand away. Okay, maybe he needed to cool it on all the “girl” talk before Caleb demanded he turn in his man card. “I think I’ve just had my head in a book too long.”
“I think you need to get laid, pal.”
“Maybe you’re right.” As they parked and bought their tickets to the movie, Matt gave more consideration to the long dry spell he was in. The truth was, it was hard to climb between the sheets and have casual sex when all he could think about was Sky. She’d given him a job when he returned home from overseas last year, and being around her every day was really playing havoc with his head—both of them. But fuck, now that he knew the truth, he needed to move on and forget about her. Maybe after the flick he’d go find Daisy. She’d come on to him a time or two before and he’d politely declined, but maybe next time he wouldn’t say no. Yeah, maybe next time he’d take her home and show her that he was anything but a gentleman behind closed doors.
With his thoughts too preoccupied with other things, Matt could barely concentrate on the movie, but forced a laugh during the appropriate times, otherwise Caleb would pick up on his unease and grill the shit out of him.
When the lights came on, Caleb stretched and looked at his watch.
“You crashing at my place?” Matt asked, climbing to his feet.
“Nah, I think I’ll head back to San Antonio tonight.”
“Yeah?” They followed the crowd out the doors and the warm night air fell over them as they walked back to the SUV. “I thought you didn’t work tomorrow.”
Caleb grinned. “I don’t. But there is a cute new nurse in the clinic. She messaged me earlier and mentioned something about an anatomy lesson.” He laughed. “You know me, I like to help out where I can.”
Matt laughed along with his friend, even though he was cringing inside. He hopped into the truck and rested his hand on his backpack.
“You want me to drop you off at Gran’s?” Caleb asked, pulling in to traffic.
“No, Sky Bar.”
He glanced at the dashboard clock as he drove the short distance to the bar. “Isn’t it closed?”
“I told Sky I’d help her lock up.” Matt stared straight ahead but could feel Caleb’s eyes on him. They turned down the street and he could see Sky Bar in the distance. “What?” Matt finally asked.
“I don’t know. What’s going on with you? You seem fucked up about something. You want to talk about it?”
“Now who’s got their period?” Matt said. He pointed to the bar’s back parking lot. “Pull in there.” When the truck stopped, Matt opened his door, and before Caleb could continue with his interrogation and possibly squeeze the truth from him, he said, “I’ll catch up with you next weekend at the cottage.”
“You taking your bike down, or are you catching a ride with Sky?”
He opened his mouth to tell him he’d ride to the cottage with Sky, but then quickly changed his mind. The less time he spent in enclosed spaces with her the better, and he always enjoyed the long ride on his motorcycle.
“I’ll take the bike.”
“I don’t work Friday so why don’t we head down early?” Caleb asked.
“Okay, see you then.”
“Tell Sky if she wants to come with me in the truck to save gas, there’s plenty of room.”
“Will do.”
Matt closed the door, adjusted his backpack over his shoulder, and looked around the empty parking lot as he made his way to the back door. He fished his key from his pocket and let himself in. Music from Sky’s father’s prized jukebox reached his ears as he entered. The tunes drowned out his footsteps as he pushed the chairs into the tables and made his way down the long hall to her office.
When he spotted her, tapping away on her comp
uter, a faraway look on her face, his throat tightened. He could only guess she was dabbling with one of her stories. Sky longed to be a writer, but had put that dream on hold to run her father’s business. Matt just wished she’d sell half of the business to her assistant manager, Marco, like Marco had been asking her to do for years. At least that would cut back on the hours she had to spend here, freeing her up to fulfill her dreams and take some of the burden off her shoulders.
She never talked about her writing anymore, but Matt knew the dream still lived within her. As he watched, he wondered if she was visualizing Caleb as her hero. Caleb, who was currently off playing doctor with some nurse while Sky sat here trying to figure out a way to get his attention. Not that Matt could blame Caleb for doing what came natural to any hot-blooded male. Caleb was single, had no one to answer to and had no idea how Sky felt about him. It sure as hell wasn’t Matt’s place to tell him.
She blinked thick lashes over tired brown eyes, and her hair fell forward, wild and untamed. His fingers itched to grab a fistful and tug as he planted his mouth on hers. What he’d do to give her a hot, hard kiss that told her in no uncertain terms to forget about Caleb and start noticing him. But he wouldn’t do that, because he had nothing to offer but a good time between the sheets.
Exhaling slowly to pull himself together, he dug his phone from his pocket. Not wanting to startle her, he swiped the screen and sent her a message.
“I’m here.”
Her phone pinged and vibrated on the desk. She picked it up, ran her fingers over the screen and texted back. “I’m in the office.”
“I know.”
Her head inched up and when her eyes met his, a huge smile split her lips. “Hey, you. How was the movie?” She looked past his shoulders like she was searching for Caleb and he tried not to show a reaction.
