Stay With Me ~ Kristen Proby

by Kristen Proby

  “I don’t remember the last time I partied all night,” Jules says with a smirk. “I’m so domesticated.”

  “Why didn’t Anastasia come?” Natalie asks.

  “She’s finishing up a wedding cake for tomorrow. One of the tiers fell today and spattered all over the floor, so she has to remake it.”

  “Oh my God, that’s a baker’s worst nightmare,” Nic says, shaking her head in sympathy. “Please remind her that if she ever needs help, I’m happy to lend a hand.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  “Okay, we’re all set up,” Jules announces with a wide smile on her beautiful face. “We have food over here, so we all don’t go into a sugar coma.”

  “I’m happy in my sugar coma,” Sam says, raising her cupcake in salute.

  “We also have cocktails and wine for days,” Natalie says, laughing at Sam.

  “Hallelujah,” Alecia says.

  “And I brought something, too,” I add, all eyes immediately pinned on me. I turn and reach for the huge tote I brought in with me and lift it onto a table. “You guys know that I always have deliveries from makeup, hair care, and skincare companies. I use some of it, but not all of it is good for my coloring or skin type. Or I just have so much of it, I could never use it all.”

  “You brought us goodies!” Meredith exclaims.

  “I did. All of this is for you. Please don’t make me take anything but the tote home.”

  “We get to shop,” Nic says with a smile, and leans in to hug me. “Thank you.”

  “This party is for you,” Nat says. “You weren’t supposed to bring us stuff.”

  “But thank you,” Meg adds. “Because since Erin was born, my skin has been so dry.”

  “Oh, I have stuff for that.”

  We spend the next hour eating cake, food, and drinking pink cocktails while I give makeup tips. It’s the most fun I’ve had in years.

  “Amelia has a boyfriend,” Jules announces, much to my horror.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Well, you’re fucking him, honey, so unless he was a one-night stand . . .”

  “He could be her fuck buddy,” Meredith suggests.

  “Is he your fuck buddy?” Alecia asks as she rubs a makeup remover wipe over her forehead.

  “I don’t think—”

  “Oh, you have to talk about it,” Meg interrupts with a Cheshire cat smile. “It’s part of girls’ night out. We talk about sex. It’s what we do.”

  “It is?”

  “Fuck, yes,” Nic says. “Except Jules gets grossed out because we’re fucking her brothers.”

  “Will and I don’t fuck,” Meg reminds everyone. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

  I can only laugh and watch these gorgeous women banter with each other as they play, elbows-deep, in my makeup and skincare leftovers. Sam has frosting on her cheek. Meredith does a pirouette on her way to the cocktail station.

  “So, spill it,” Meredith says. “Tell us everything.”

  “Don’t forget to use the dirty words,” Sam adds with a sage nod.

  “Well, he’s my neighbor,” I begin and see Nat frown. “He’s the guy in the white house kitty-corner to yours.”

  “Oh, he’s handsome,” she says with a smile. “I haven’t met him, but I’ve seen him outside now and again, and he’s not bad to look at.”

  “I’ll have Matt do a run on him,” Nic says as she picks up her phone. “What’s his last name?”

  “What do you mean?” I demand.

  “To make sure he’s not a pervert or a murderer or something,” she says with a shrug.

  “Crawford. His last name is Crawford.”

  “On it,” Nic says, biting her lip as she texts her husband. “Keep talking.”

  “He’s an architect. And he introduced himself the day I moved in.”

  “Nice,” Alecia says with a nod. “That means he’s friendly.”

  “Or casing the joint,” Nic adds.

  “You’ve been married to a cop for way too long,” Nat says, making Nic smile.

  “Anyway,” I continue. “I ended up needing his help in the middle of the night, and then I climbed him like a tree because he was standing in my kitchen in nothing but underwear.”

  “As one does,” Sam says with a nod.

  “And now I can’t shake him.” I shrug and reach for a cupcake.

  “That’s it?” Meredith says with a frown. “You didn’t use any dirty words.”

  “I mean, we’ve fucked a few times. And he makes my legs shake, which has never happened to me before.”

  “Now it’s getting good,” Meg says, rubbing her hands together.

  “Isn’t the leg shaking thing the best?” Jules asks.

  “I had no idea,” I reply. “And his tattoos? Holy shit.”

  “Where are his tats?” Nic asks as her phone chirps. “Matt says he checks out clean.”

  “That’s a relief. He has a full sleeve,” I reply. “And I want to bite every inch of it.”

  “Is he pierced?” Jules asks with a sly smile.

  “Like, his ears?”

  They all look at each other and then bust up laughing. “Not exactly,” Jules replies.

  “I’m missing something.”

  “Is his dick pierced?” Meg asks.

  “No.” I scowl and then feel my eyes go wide. “Whose dick is pierced?”

  “Nate’s,” Jules says and then takes a satisfied sip of her drink. “And let me tell you, it’s ridiculous.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with pierced genitalia.”

  “Well, now you know two,” Meg says.

  “Will’s pierced, too?” I screech, making them laugh.

  “No, I am,” Meg says. “Orgasms galore, my friend.”

  “Reaaaaally.” I tap my chin, thinking about it, and then quickly decide that no one is coming near my girl places with a needle.

  “How are your orgasms?” Sam asks.

  “So good,” I say. “I mean, shaking legs aside, the rest of it is stellar. The man knows his way around a woman’s body.”

  “It’s always a bonus when they don’t need Siri to direct them to your G-spot,” Sam says with a nod.

  “I have to ask you a question,” I say to Sam, who just lifts an eyebrow. “What’s it like to have sex with a rock star?”

  A slow smile moves over her lips. “Oh, honey, it’s everything you’d expect and more.”

  “Wow.” I swallow hard. “Are you going to kick my ass if I admit to you that I have a crush on your husband?”

  “Not today,” she says as she reaches for another cupcake. “Because most of the world does, and I just don’t have the energy to beat up most of the female population.”

  “We all have some pretty fantastic men,” Alecia says with a satisfied sigh. “Like, really fantastic.”

  “We’re a lucky bunch of bitches,” Meredith adds.

  “With some amazing orgasms,” Meg reminds us, just as her husband walks through the door.

  “You’d better be talking about me, Lazy Bones.”

  “Oops, I’ve been caught,” she says with a laugh. “Why are you here? This is girls’ night. And where is your daughter?”

  “With my mom. When are you coming home? It’s late.”

  “After we’re done playing with makeup and drinking pink drinks and talking about sex. Lia’s having some good sex these days.”

  “I don’t want to know,” Will says, pinning me with a scowl.

  “Your fault,” I remind him. “You supplied the condoms.”

  “I’m too damn giving.”

  ~Amelia~

  I’m just pushing my feet into four-inch Jimmy Choos when Wyatt rings the doorbell a week later. He’s taking me out to dinner tonight with his brothers, and I want to make a good first impression.

  I do a quick study in the mirror. Little black dress that shows a touch of cleavage, check. Makeup and hair looking pretty fantastic, even if I do say so myself, check.

  F
uck-me heels, check.

  I grin, reach for my clutch, and walk to the door, opening it wide and smiling at an incredibly sexy Wyatt. He’s in slacks, a green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled high enough for his tattoos to peek out at me, and his usually tousled hair is tamed back.

  I can’t wait to sink my fingers into it later.

  “Hi.”

  He frowns and takes me in from head to toe.

  “You can’t go out like that.”

  I glance down at myself and then scowl at him. “What do you mean?”

  “My brothers will hit on you, and then I’ll have to fucking kill them.”

  I smirk and walk past him, closing the door behind me. “Well, I’m not changing, so you’ll just have to control yourself.”

  He mutters something about assholes under his breath, making me giggle, and then opens the door for me. Before I can sit, he leans in and presses a kiss against my neck, just below my ear.

  “You’re stunning.” I smile up at him. These words mean the world to me, to have him notice that I put in the extra effort to look nice for him.

  “Thank you.”

  The sun is just setting into the Sound as we drive around Alki Beach, headed to downtown Seattle.

  “Where are we going tonight?” I ask.

  “There’s a place downtown called Palomino. Have you been?”

  “I’ve heard of it,” I reply. “I’ve heard good things.”

  “I like showing you new things,” he says and kisses my hand, making me soften just a bit. He says sweet things. All week, he’s been attentive, kind, and just a little bossy in the bedroom.

  Okay, a lot bossy, and I have to admit, it’s sexy as all get out.

  He parks, and we walk the block or so to the restaurant. It’s a Friday night, and the city is busy, the air is warm, and there’s an energy sparking between us tonight that hasn’t been there before.

  I can’t put my finger on what it is, but it’s thrilling. Sexy.

  Intimate.

  He holds the door for me and tells the maître d’ who we’re here to see. We’re led through the bustling restaurant to a table with two ridiculously handsome men already seated.

  They both stand when they see us and greet me with wide smiles.

  “You must be Amelia,” the first one says. “I’m Levi.”

  “Jace,” the other says, shaking my hand. “And you’re beautiful.”

  Wyatt growls, literally growls next to me, making me laugh. He pulls out my chair for me, and I sit, already charmed by his brothers.

  “Which one of you is the oldest?”

  “Me,” Levi says.

  “And what do you do for a living, Levi?” It’s not lost on me that this is very similar to the conversation that Wyatt had with my sister the other night and, suddenly, regret fills me again for how I reacted to it. He was taking an interest in my family, and I’m grateful.

  “I’m a detective for the Seattle PD.”

  I feel my eyes widen. “Wow, thank you for your service. How long have you been doing that?”

  “About fifteen years,” he says with a shrug and sets his menu aside.

  “That’s a long time. You must enjoy it.”

  “I take pride in what we do,” he replies thoughtfully. “There are days I love it, and others that I hate it.”

  “I understand,” I reply softly. “What do you do, Jace?”

  “I’m a doctor,” he says with a smile. “And you?”

  “Oh, no. It’s still your turn. What kind of doctor?”

  “I’m a surgeon,” he replies, and my eyes immediately fall to his hands. His fingers are long, manicured. Smooth. Steady.

  “Did you all go to Harvard?” I’m smiling at all three now, enjoying their company.

  “No, I went to the police academy,” Levi says, shaking his head. “These two are the Ivy Leaguers in the family.”

  “I went to Duke,” Jace replies.

  “You’re all so fancy,” I say and wink at Wyatt, who hasn’t taken his hand off my knee since we got here.

  “What do you do, Amelia?” Jace asks and brushes his hand on my arm. Just in a friendly way, but I feel Wyatt’s grip on my knee tighten so I cover his hand with mine and give it a squeeze, reassuring him that I’m here with him, and I’m just getting to know his family.

  “Please, call me Lia. I’m actually a beauty blogger. I have a channel on YouTube where I give tutorials on makeup and skincare, and I’ll be launching my own makeup brand soon.”

  Levi’s eyes narrow. He probably thinks that this means that I’m basically unemployed, which is what most people think. They have no idea that this can be a lucrative career.

  “She’s amazing in front of the camera,” Wyatt adds and smiles down at me. “She’s articulate, knows the products she’s talking about, and looks amazing.”

  “Thank you,” I reply and lean in to kiss his shoulder. His support means more to me than he could possibly know.

  “Interesting,” Jace says, nodding. He looks over my shoulder and frowns. “Cruella, six o’clock.”

  “Fuck,” Wyatt mutters, just as a woman sidles up beside him and offers all three men a fake smile.

  “Funny meeting you guys here,” she says, then looks at me. That fake smile falls right off her face when she sees Wyatt’s hand on my leg. “Hello, I’m Claudia Crawford.”

  Ah, the ex-wife.

  I would be lying if I said I haven’t been dying of curiosity to know what she looks like.

  She’s on the short side, with blond highlights in muddy brown hair. Her makeup is caked on, only enhancing the wrinkles around her eyes.

  I could teach her so much.

  She looks older than I assume she is, but her eyes are shrewd, and not happy.

  “Hello, Claudia,” Wyatt says with a sigh.

  “You must be the flavor of the month,” she says to me, and Wyatt’s eyes narrow menacingly.

  “This is Amelia, my girlfriend.”

  My whole body stills at this comment. Girlfriend.

  Am I his girlfriend? It makes me glow rather than want to run away. This is something I need to think about later.

  But Claudia’s eyes turn glacial now.

  “I see.”

  Wyatt stands, dwarfing Claudia. “Is there something you need?”

  “I just wanted to say hello to you all. I haven’t seen you in a long time, and you know I always liked your brothers.”

  “Can’t say we liked you back,” Jace replies, leaning back in his chair.

  Awkward.

  Her eyes narrow, and without a word, she glares at all of us and then quickly stomps away.

  Wyatt sits again and blows out a long breath.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “I don’t think you have anything to be sorry for,” I reply. “Is her name Claudia or Cruella?”

  Levi grins. “To her face? Claudia. But we’ve called her Cruella for years.”

  “We’re not fans,” Jace says, winking at me.

  “So I gathered.”

  “You dodged a bullet there, brother,” Levi says and sips his wine. “A big, nasty bullet.”

  Jace laughs and touches my arm again.

  “If you want to keep your million-dollar hands, you’ll stop touching her.”

  I cock an eyebrow, and Jace just laughs again but raises his glass in a toast. “So that’s how it is.”

  “That’s how it is,” Wyatt confirms.

  “I wasn’t hitting on you,” Jace says. “He just seems to be touchy.”

  “This is new,” Levi adds thoughtfully. “Interesting.”

  “Really?” I look at Wyatt, who just sips his wine and doesn’t change his facial expression. “Do you want me to change the subject?”

  “That would be fantastic,” he replies.

  “Have you heard from crazy house lady lately?”

  “I like them,” I say as I walk into my house and flip on the light. “You’re all very different, but it’s so interestin
g to see how similar your body language is.”

  I kick off my shoes and set my clutch on a table and turn in time to see Wyatt making a beeline for me, lifting me in his arms and pinning me against the living room wall, kissing me silly.

  Well, hello there.

  I dig my fingers into his over-long hair and hold on tightly. He’s in a fast mood tonight, and I never know how or where he’s going to take me when he’s like this.

  It’s thrilling.

  “You’re so fucking sexy,” he growls against my neck. I’m suddenly on my feet, and he’s turned me around and is kissing the back of my neck. His hands cup my breasts, teasing the nipples into hard points with his fingertips. “Your body comes alive when I touch it.”

  “You’re good at touching it,” I reply, already panting and throbbing for him. But he gathers my dress in his hands and begins to pull it up over my ass, so I quickly turn to face him, not wanting him to see my backside.

  I have ass issues.

  I cup his package through his pants, and he goes right to work kissing me, his hands moving all over my body.

  Finally, he takes my hand and guides me up to the bedroom. He flips the sidelight on, and we fall onto the bed, all tangled arms and legs and lips.

  He turns me over, but I squirm under him and switch onto my back, shaking my head.

  “Turn the light off.”

  He scowls. “I want to see you.”

  “Okay.” I push up to kiss him, but he makes a move to flip me again, and I shake my head. “I want to see you, too.”

  His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t argue. He just gathers my dress in his hands again and tugs it over my head, throwing it over his shoulder.

  “Fucking Jesus, if I’d known this was what was under that dress, we never would have left the house.”

  I grin. I’m in black, lacy underwear that shows off all of my curves. So rather than ripping it all in two the way he normally does, Wyatt takes his time, kissing every inch of flesh as he uncovers my skin, setting me on fire.

  “You’re good with your mouth,” I whisper, reveling in the way he lingers, licking me with just the very tip of his tongue, sending electrical currents humming through me.

  “I can’t get enough,” he says, surprise heavy in the words. “No matter how much I get, it’s never enough.”