by Cathryn Fox
“Where are you sleeping?” she asked, hoping to sound casual. Matt often crashed with Caleb in his king-sized bed, but tonight if he did that, it would certainly put a kink into her plans. Kink? Okay, maybe she meant throw a monkey wrench into her plans, because she didn’t mean kink as in kinky. Jesus, why the hell was that stupid word stuck her brain?
When their eyes met, his darkened, a good sign that he knew what she was getting at. “I’m going to crash on the boat,” he said, then took a long pull from his beer.
Shrieks could be heard from the lake and she turned toward the window in time to see Luke toss Emery off the dock into the water. “I think I’ll get changed and go for a dip.”
“Yeah, me too,” Matt said. He gripped his shirt and her gaze went to his big hands as he peeled it from his shoulders, hands that had held her down and spanked her. Could Kat have been right? Could Matt be into kink? Not that she should be thinking about that. What he did behind closed doors was his business and she was here to seduce Caleb—not Matt.
* * * * *
Matt stretched out beside Caleb by the fire, watching the flames as they licked the star-studded night sky. He twirled his beer bottle in his hands and drew in a calming breath. He’d been antsy all day and after a barbecue dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs he thought about taking off and heading back to his apartment. But if he disappeared, then Sky would know something was up. What they had between them was good and he didn’t want to risk losing her as a friend by letting his jealousy show. Besides, deep in his heart he knew Caleb was the right man for her.
Six of the chairs around him sat empty. Everyone had already gone to claim their room, leaving him on the boat and Jack on the sofa. Now it was just the three musketeers sitting around the fire pit. He turned to see his best friend suck back another beer. Caleb usually didn’t drink much, but it was his birthday and tonight he was kicking back. Only problem was if he didn’t slow down, he was going to pass out, then Sky’s plan—whatever it might be—would fail, and fail hard.
He took a moment to consider that, then reached into the cooler. He drove his hand through the melting ice and produced another brew. “Here have another,” he said, shoving it at Caleb.
Shit.
Just as Caleb reached for it, his conscience got the better of him and he pushed the bottle back into the cooler. He might be a lot of things, but he wasn’t a total asshole.
“Actually, let’s go for a swim,” he said to Caleb. A good douse of cold water might help sober him up a bit.
“Nah, I’m just going to crash.” Caleb set his empty bottle down and stood on wobbly legs. He took a step toward the house and damn near did a face plant. “Jesus,” he said then laughed as he gripped the back of his chair for balance.
Sky stood, stretched and yawned. “I think I’ll call it a night too.”
Matt clenched down on his teeth hard enough to break bone and didn’t meet her eyes when he said, “Yeah, same.”
“Come here, Skywalker,” Caleb said, and when she walked over to him, he threw his arm around her shoulder. “I’m so glad you came tonight.” He put her in a headlock and ran his knuckles over her head. “I don’t see enough of you anymore.”
Sky punched him in the side and he let loose a loud oomph. The two laughed, then Sky slipped her arm around his waist, and Matt’s gut churned as he watched them walk toward the cottage. Fuck. He grabbed the water bucket, filled it with the nearby hose, and tossed it onto the flames. Smoke billowed upward and filled the sky, but there was nothing he could do to extinguish the angry fire burning in his gut. Once the two disappeared inside, he made his way toward the boat. He could try to sleep but he knew he’d only lie there and think about what was going on inside—in Caleb’s bed.
Chapter Four
Sky tightened her grip on Caleb’s waist as he wobbled on unsteady legs. Her stomach knotted with worry. Maybe tonight wasn’t such a great night to seduce him. He’d had a lot to drink and didn’t seem all that coherent. But she’d spent the better part of the week preparing for this and if she didn’t do it right now, she might not ever find the courage again.
“Night, Skywalker,” Caleb said when they stepped inside the quiet, dimly lit cottage. With his arm around her shoulders he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. He sputtered as he got a mouth full of her curls and inched back. “Catch you in the morning.”
“Night,” she said, removing her arm from his waist.
Caleb stepped away and gripped the wall, feeling his way along it until he reached the bathroom. He disappeared inside, and a moment later the sound of water running reached her ears. Nervous excitement nipped at her as she tiptoed to the room she was sharing with Kat. She moved quietly, stealthily, taking care not to wake Jack, who was asleep on the sofa. Although from his snoring sounds he seemed to be in a pretty deep slumber. Good. The last thing she wanted was for him to wake up and catch her sneaking in to Caleb’s room in her skimpy underthings. She wasn’t into exhibitionism. Kink however… Wait! What? Damn you, Kat.
The knob felt warm to her touch as she gripped it and slowly turned it. The hinges creaked and she sucked in a breath and held it. Kat was asleep inside, and she didn’t want to wake her either. The moon shining in through the cracks in the curtain gave her sufficient light to root around in her bag. When her fingers connected with the lacy bra and panties she’d purchased for this seduction, she pulled them out and laid them on the bedspread.
Quiet as a church mouse, she peeled her clothes from her body, shoved them into her bag and slipped into the barely there panties, and demi bra that gave her the perfect amount of cleavage. She pressed her ear to the door and listened for movement in the cottage. A toilet flushed and a few minutes later Caleb’s heavy footsteps echoed in the open cabin as he exited the bathroom and made his way to his bed.
Sky pressed her back to the door, took a fueling breath of courage and let it out slowly. There was no mirror to give herself a once-over in, so she smoothed her hand through her hair and adjusted the straps on her bra. A bout of nervousness started to get the best of her. Maybe this was a really, really bad idea. Maybe she should have gone with the napkin trick.
Her heart raced faster as she forced herself to move. She pushed off the door and slipped from the room. A rustling sound in the loft overhead had her stilling. She listened and when the noise settled down, she made her way to Caleb’s closed door. She wrapped her hand around the knob and gathered her bravado.
Here goes nothing. Or…rather…everything.
* * * * *
Matt walked along the dock and ran his fingers along the metal rail on the boat as it bobbed in the light waves and brushed up against the wharf. Staring into the night, and trying to keep his mind off of what was taking place inside the cottage, he looked across the water at the chalets dotting the lake. He pulled off his shirt and, hoping a swim would exhaust him so he would fall into a deep sleep, he dove in.
Coldness enveloped him, temporarily tamping down the flames licking through his veins. He stayed under for as long as he could and surfaced a good distance from the dock. He swam long and hard, until his muscles ached and fatigue pulled at him. The lights in the cottage were out, and the area was drenched in darkness by the time he made his way back. Pushing himself from the water, he grabbed the ladder and climbed back onto the dock.
He reached for his shirt, but a sniffling sound behind him caught his attention. Turning, he found Sky sitting on the dock, her legs dangling over the side.
“Sky, Jesus, what is it?” he asked, crouching down beside her. She turned to him and his heart pinched when he saw the turmoil on her face. “Are you okay?”
She plucked at the hem of her long sweater and leaned forward, her hair falling into her face and masking her emotions. “Yes…no. I don’t know.”
Heart racing, Matt pushed her hair from her shoulders and ran his thumb over her cheek. A burst of tenderness stole over him. “Hey, what is it?”
“I feel so stupid. I ca
n’t believe it.” She looked skyward and shook her head. “God, how could I have been so stupid to think it would have worked.”
Understanding hit. Sky was here sitting on this dock with him instead of rolling around between the sheets with Caleb. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He dropped down beside her, their legs touching as he shifted closer. He leaned into her and nudged her with his shoulder. “You want to talk about it?
“No…I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“Nothing happened.”
Thank fuck.
“Something must have happened.” As his gaze moved over her face, he worked to dispel the image of her dressed in next to nothing and bending over to seduce Caleb. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting here upset.” She stayed quiet. Too quiet. “Come on. Talking about it will make you feel better,” he said, even though he seriously didn’t want to hear the details. But she was his friend, and she obviously needed him right now. Which meant he’d have to bury his feelings so he could be there for her.
She sniffed and covered her face with her hands. “I can’t. It’s too embarrassing.”
He reached for one hand and pitched his voice low as he pulled it from her face. “Hey, it’s me, Sky.”
She looked at him, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He bent his head and his wet hair fell forward. Like she’d done on many occasions, she reached out and smoothed it back. The feel of her soft fingers rekindled that fire inside him and his cock reacted. He put his arm over his erection, not wanting her to know what her closeness was doing to him.
“Yeah, it’s you,” she murmured softly. “Always there to dry my tears. That’s why I love you so much.” She went quiet for a moment, and he wondered if she was thinking about her dad’s funeral. He’d been overseas at the time but had called in every favor he had to come home to be with her. She’d cried so hard that night, and he held her tight as her tears soaked through his shirt. They’d fallen asleep like that in her bed, and in the morning she’d told him how much she loved him. She didn’t need to add like a brother, it was simply implied in the platonic way she looked at him.
“I love you too,” he said, deciding to keep but not like a sister to himself.
She sniffed and pulled at her sweater. It lifted slightly from her hips and he caught a glimpse of her lace panties. He nearly bit off his tongue. “I put on something really nice,” she began. “Then I went into his room.”
“And?” he asked, when all the while what he really wanted to do was put his fingers in his ears and scream “lalalalalala”.
“He laughed, Matt.” She shook her head, her long hair brushing over her shoulders. “He laughed like it was some sort of big joke. Like it was some…some sort of birthday gag.”
“You know Caleb’s drunk, right?” He took a long, slow breath, trying to decide whether to hug or kill the guy.
“Yeah, I know, but still…” she said, then murmured something about a pork chop that he didn’t understand.
“It’s his thirtieth birthday, he drank a few beers. Laughing has nothing to do with you. Believe me. He probably thought we were messing with him.” He gave her a wink and, wanting to lighten her mood, said, “He probably thought you were trying to distract him so I could put icing on his nose.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. If he had been sober, and you walked in wearing, whatever it is you’re wearing under that sweater, it would have opened his eyes.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“I’m not so sure.” There was a little quiver in her breath as she exhaled. “All I know is I’m never doing that again.”
Halle-freaking-luiah!
They sat there for a very long time, listening to the waves lap against the shore and the nearby trees rustle as animals scurried in the woods around them. A boat went by and the dock swayed in the wake.
He looked at the sky, and pointed. “There’s Venus.” That pulled a small smile from her. When she was young, her dad was a big stargazer, which was how she’d come by her name. As kids, Sky was always pointing things out in the sky. They’d lie in the grass for hours and draw the images with their fingers. He chuckled inwardly, because every time she pointed out Venus, he always came back with, “Where’s Uranus?”
“The third brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon,” she said. “Also the Roman goddess of love and beauty.”
Matt couldn’t help but think her father should have named her Venus instead of Sky.
She looked around, pointed, then drew out another cluster of stars.
“Little Dipper,” he said.
“Right.”
They went quiet again, and Sky leaned into him. He put his arm around her and as he held her, he tried not to think about how good she felt in his arms. Fuck. He was so torn. He wanted her happy, but the thoughts of her and Caleb together burned a hole in his gut. Then again, he’d rather her be with Caleb than someone else, so he had better damn well get his shit together and figure out how to make that happen.
Sky finally broke the silence and said, “I think I’m going to have to take a different approach to get him to notice me.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I have an idea.”
She looked at him, and beneath the full moon, he caught the glint in her eyes. His stomach tightened, and even though he had no clue as to what she was thinking, something in his gut told him he wasn’t going to like it.
“I once heard that a guy wants what another guy has.”
He angled his head and pressed his thumb and index finger to his temples. Oh this was bad. This was so fucking bad. “What are you getting at?”
“I think the only way for me to get Caleb to take notice, is if I’m with another guy.”
Okay, so now he had to see her with some other guy. As if watching her with Caleb wasn’t enough. Who the fuck did he piss off in this world anyway? He was a good guy, played by the rules—mostly—and even cared for his Gran. He shook his head in disgust. Maybe nice guys really did finish last.
“You remember that movie we watched a long time ago. The romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston?”
“You’ve made me watch a lot of movies, Sky. I don’t remember one from the other.”
“It’s the one where she wants her boss to notice her so she pretends she has a fiancé.”
He searched his memory bank, but all the romantic comedies they’d watched over the last year were running together in his brain. “No, I don’t really remember.”
“What if Caleb saw me with another guy? Saw me laughing, having fun and getting cozy and intimate. Maybe then he’d look at me differently.”
Shit, he really, really didn’t like the sound of this. He grabbed a fistful of his hair and looked out over the water. “That won’t work,” he said soberly, turning back to her.
She blinked up at him, and when she trailed her tongue over her bottom lip, he wanted to kiss the hell out of her and show her what would work.
Cool it, Matt. She’s not yours.
“Why not?” she asked.
“Caleb’s not the kind of guy who would hone in on another man’s territory. You and I both know that.”
“I know. “ She dipped her feet into the water and he listened to the splashing sounds as she wiggled her toes. “But in the movie they planned a mutual breakup. I could do that.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”
She nodded and patted the deck. “I’ve been sitting here for a while.”
“Okay so what happens after this mutual breakup?”
“Once Caleb knows I’m free, we could get together.”
Holy Christ, this was laughable. Except he wasn’t laughing. He exhaled slowly. This had to be the worst idea he’d ever heard. “Didn’t it backfire in the movie?”
She arched a brow. “So you do remember?”
&
nbsp; “Vaguely,” he said, even though it wasn’t true. But he’d seen enough romantic comedies over the years to know how they played out. Besides that, he knew a bad idea when he heard it. “I don’t know, Sky.”
“I think it’s exactly what I need to do to open Caleb’s eyes.”
He pushed his feelings for her aside for a moment and gave it serious consideration. Maybe seeing her with another guy, getting cozy and intimate, was just the thing Caleb needed to snap some sense into him and see how great of a girl she was. And the truth was, he wanted her happy, and he knew Caleb was a good guy. Better her with him then some random asshole who might not treat her properly.
“Okay fine, so maybe it will work,” he said. “There’s only one problem with this whole plan.”
“What?”
“Where are you going to find a guy on such short notice and get him to pretend to be in love with you?”
“I think I’m looking at him.”
Chapter Five
Before she could say another word, Matt jumped to his feet and started pacing the length of the dock. He reached the end in three long strides then started back her way.
“No way. No way, Sky,” he ranted as he passed by her. “You can’t ask me to do that. It won’t work.”
Sky reached out and grabbed Matt’s arm, desperate to stop him, to make him understand. He pulled away from her, pounding his left hand into his right palm and mumbling curses under his breath.
“Just for the weekend, Matt. Come on. You know I’d do it for you.” It was true, they always had each other’s backs and she’d do anything in the world for him. They both knew that.
He stopped mid-stride and faced her. “Sky, you can’t be serious. This is crazy.”
“It’s not that crazy,” she said quickly. “Who better than to open Caleb’s eyes than his best friend?” She moved closer to him. “You two are tight. You can talk about me, get him to look, to notice.” She put her hand on his chest. His skin felt warm despite the cold lake water. His strong heart pounded hard against her hand. “I think you of all people can open his eyes.”
