by Maxa,L. P.
Landry looked up at me. “Next time you go to the jungle, will you take me with you?”
I winked at her. “Couldn’t stop me if you tried.”
Her little smile turned into a frown. “I didn’t think you were ever coming home.”
“I’m home now, love. I’m not leaving, ever again.” Landry had more abandonment issues than we’d known what to do with in the beginning. She was working through them and she was resilient. But I was an asshole. My chest suddenly felt like it was caving in. I hated myself for being another person she loved who had left her. I reminded myself that I’d had to go, that I was drowning in that house. I reached over and held my hand out to her. “Skins?”
“Skins.” She slid her palm over mine.
Jacks shook his head. “I’m still getting trouble for that movie, man.”
I scoffed, “Still? Damn, B, let it go.” We’d let Landry watch Stand By Me over three months ago and the chicks were still not happy about it. Hindsight? Not the most kid-friendly movie, even though it was a movie about kids.
Smith started laughing. “Don’t blame B. Landry called her new swim instructor a ‘cheap dime-store hood’ the other day.”
Harlow whispered to Landry and me out the side of her mouth, “I love Stand by Me. It’s one of my favorite movies.”
Could Lo get any more amazing? Dylan cleared her throat and sent me a glare. I sighed and turned to Landry. “You’re going to keep getting us all in trouble. Be cool, yeah?” She giggled.
Bryan focused her attention on my fake gf. “Harlow, do you live in Costa Rica? Or were you just there on vacation?”
“Vacation. I live in Miami.” She looked over and gave me a thick dreamy smile, only I noticed the narrowed malice in her eyes. She was having to lie for a backstory, yet again. “I was only supposed to be there for a week, but when I met Luke I decided to extend my trip.”
“How long have you guys known each other now?” Lexi frowned when Dylan shoved a bowl of yogurt in front of her. She discreetly moved it closer to Dash, who rolled his eyes and took three huge bites, making a big dent in it and then sliding it back.
“About two months.” Lo reached over with her fork and stole a piece of watermelon from my plate. All coupley.
Lexi nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
“Eighteen.” The table was silent. Everyone’s jaw dropped four inches. I used my whole hand to tickle her leg until she started to laugh. “I’m kidding. I’m twenty-four.” I shook my head and looked across the table to see Dash smiling at her. He seemed to approve. Probably just happy to see I’d moved on from his fiancée.
Halen started to fuss and Lexi got up to grab her, but then stopped and turned to me. “Luke hasn’t seen her in forever, let’s see if he still has that baby-whisperer magic.”
I got up and took Halen from Smith. “Hey, sweet girl, I sure missed you.” I put her up on my shoulder and covered the back of her tiny head with my hand. I started the bounce she used to love, and then I began to hum the song I used to sing her at night. The conversation around the table kept going. But Lexi got up and came to stand beside me, resting her hand on her daughter’s back.
“She missed you, Luke. We all missed you.”
I met her gaze and couldn’t mistake the tears in her eyes. Lexi may have broken my heart, she may have picked another man; she may be trying to sniff out my current non-fake girlfriend lies. But she was still my best friend. We had history. And I’d always love her. “I know, Lex. I, uh, I needed a break.”
She wiped at her tears. “When I woke up and you were gone…”
“You knew I was leaving.” Lexi was the one person who knew me better than anyone else. Which meant she knew I’d been poised to leave. Even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself or anyone else. It also meant that she had merit for her suspicions about Lo and me.
She nodded. “Didn’t make it hurt any less.”
“Well, I’m home now.” I closed my eyes and breathed in my goddaughter’s sweet scent. I was home. These people were home to me, and as terrified as I was of coming back, I was happy to be here. I didn’t say anything else and eventually she went back to her seat, leaving me and Halen to our bouncing. After a few minutes she was asleep. So I took my place next to Harlow with Halen still in my arms.
“She’s so adorable.” Lo reached up and put her hand on Halen’s back, rubbing it softly.
“Yeah, she takes after her godfather.”
She snorted. “There’s that cocky man. You had me worried for a minute.” She smiled and added in a voice everyone could hear, “You looked so humble and in love holding that sweet baby.”
“Harlow, do you want kids? Luke loves kids, he’s great with them.”
I shot daggers at Lexi from across the table. I was about to change the subject so Lo wouldn’t have to answer that question, but just like with everything else, she handled it with ease. “Yeah, I think so.” She smiled. “One day, many, many years from now.”
The rest of lunch went by really fast and no one asked us any more relationship questions. Dash and Lexi were going to go back to their room to let Halen finish her nap. Smith and Dylan had some spa appointment that Smith seemed less than thrilled about. And Jacks and Bryan were taking Landry swimming and she’d begged Lo and me to come. I slung my arm around my fake girl’s shoulder. “You down for some pool time, Pixie?”
“Of course I am.” She reached her hand out and slid it down Landry’s dark ponytail. Lo seemed to really like Landry; they’d kind of instantly clicked.
Lexi picked up Halen’s diaper bag. “Pixie?”
I let out a little quick laugh. “Yeah, the first time I saw her she reminded me of this beautiful fairy. The sun was behind her back; it made her almost glow. She was stunning. And then I spent more time with her and realized she was more like a crazy fairy.”
Lo leaned her head back against my chest. “Crazy awesome, right?” I nodded and then she shook her head. “Say it. Say I’m a crazy awesome fairy.”
I bent forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “You are a crazy awesome fairy.”
Lexi kind of just stood there for a while, watching us together. She’d continue to watch, to study. I think in another life she had been a private eye. But there was absolutely no way any of them would be able to guess that we weren’t actually a couple. To be honest, I was having a hard time remembering it myself right this second. Everything with Lo just came so easy.
My first meal back with my family and I’d survived.
Thanks to Harlow.
For some reason when Lo was next to me, Lexi didn’t affect me the way I was used to.
Chapter Sixteen
Lexi
“He seems good. Happy.”
I laid my head on Dash’s bare chest. As soon as we’d put our daughter down in her crib, he’d been all over me. “I agree.”
“But…?”
I snorted and placed a kiss on his chest. “But he’s lying. They aren’t together, not like he’s saying they are.”
Dash pulled back a little, making room so he could see my face. “Does it really matter, Lex? You want him happy. You want him whole. We all do. Just let him have this. Let him think that we all believe him. Do you want to send him packing again? How long would he be gone the next time?”
I sat up, climbing on his lap, ready for another round. “That’s just it. I do want Luke happy, and it’s obvious that Lo makes him that way. But I know him. He still thinks he’s a heartbroken man. He still thinks he’s not over me. Luke is nothing if not noble; he won’t let her fall for him if he thinks he’s not good for her. He’ll push her away, keep her at arm’s length.”
Dash placed his hands on my thighs, rubbing up and down. “So what’s your plan?”
“I need to make him see her.”
He sat up, wrapping my legs around his trim waist. “And if he bolts again?”
I shook my head. “He won’t leave again. Did you see his face at lunc
h? When Landry told him she thought he was never coming home? He felt like a selfish asshole. I can promise you that.”
Dash kissed my chest. “But he’s not. You know that, right? He did what he had to do to save himself, to save your friendship, to save his relationship with the band.”
“I know.” I lifted my hips, getting ready to impale myself on my fiancé. “Now enough talking…” Right before I sat down, our baby started to cry.
Dash hung his head. “She’s got impeccable timing.”
I climbed off his lap and slipped on a robe. “She’s desperately trying to hang on to her only child status.”
Chapter Seventeen
Harlow
I was sitting poolside next to Bryan while Luke, Jacks, and Landry played around in the water. It was November in Nashville, so there was a definite chill in the air, but the hotel had a heated indoor pool. It was so steamy in here it was hard to breathe. Jacks and Luke were taking turns diving for rings with Landry. Bryan was just as gorgeous as Lexi, but in a different way. Her body was tanned and muscular; she looked like she could win one of those American Ninja Warrior contests and then slip on a ball gown to be crowned Miss USA.
“You make him really happy.”
I gave her a big smile. “I hope so.” I didn’t like lying (contrary to how I’d met Luke), which was why I told him I wouldn’t pretend to be his fake girlfriend. However, with all their questions, there was no way around it unless I wanted to out him to the group. I knew I was great at it (as evident by my plane dramatics), but I actually liked Bryan and lying felt wrong. Out of all the adult girls in the group, I connected with her the most. I think we were a lot alike.
She sat her magazine to the side. “How was he, when you first met him?”
He was a jerk on the plane, then he kissed me and I haven’t made one rational decision since. “Well, he was pissed but other than that? He seemed down. Not sad, just kind of bummed out.” There, that wasn’t a lie at all. I took a sip of my cocktail. I didn’t normally drink this often, but if I was going to keep twisting all my truths…it was a necessity. “I made him laugh that night, after we had a few drinks. I don’t even remember what I said, but I’ll never forget that laugh. It was like his whole face changed, his body relaxed.” Totes true.
“None of us ever thought he’d come back with a girlfriend.” She glanced in my direction, “No offense.”
I shook my head. “None taken.” They were right. He hadn’t come home with a girlfriend. He’d just picked up a really good liar thirty thousand feet in the air. “It’s Lexi, right? She was the reason he was so sad for so long?” Might as well learn all I could about my supa hot new friend.
“To be honest, Dylan probably knows more about their situation than I do. She’s been around longer.” She tilted her head to her shoulder. “But yeah, he was in love with Lexi and she is in love with Dash. It was hard for him to be around the two of them. It got worse once they got engaged. We could all see it, even Lexi…although I know she didn’t want to admit it to herself. Luke hurt, for a long time.” Bryan stood and piled her wavy dark hair on the top of her head like I’d seen her do with Landry’s earlier. “He’s not hurting anymore though. He’s laughing and smiling.” She grinned. “You really are like a magic little fairy.” She tripped on the first step of the pool, but Jacks was there to catch her.
I watched as Luke swam toward me. He looked like he belonged in a Men’s Health magazine or something. “Pixie, come swim with us.” Luke was half out of the water, his ripped forearms resting on the tile edging. I was in lust with this man. His every touch last night had been ecstasy and before that fire alarm rang, I’d have agreed to just about anything so that the pleasure never stopped.
I sat for a minute, staring at his gorgeous muscles. I pulled my bottom lip through my teeth, let one of my legs kind of fall to the side and gave him a heated look. I was working him up, just for fun. Just to see if I could affect him the way he affected me. When I saw his eyes cloud over with desire, I got up and did a running cannonball into the deep end.
***
The band had an appearance tonight. They were doing a really low-key acoustic type show at some famous bar downtown. While we were swimming, Luke had explained that this new album was different from anything they’d ever done before. So they wanted to promote it differently. Jacks said that normally their promo tours were all about exciting the fans, pumping them up for more bad-boy antics. But this time, they wanted to calm them down.
Luke and I were walking hand in hand down the long hallway to our suite. I needed a shower before we left for the show, and I wanted a nap. Last night had been long, and today had been somewhat overwhelming.
“Landry adores you.”
I smiled while he used his key card to unlock the door. “I adore her too. She’s such a little badass.”
He nodded. “Wait till you hear her play the drums.”
“She good?” When he held the door open, I walked in and headed straight for the bathroom.
“She’s amazing.”
I peeled my wet shirt over my head and tossed it into the sink. “You two seem close.”
He followed me into the bathroom and kicked off his flip-flops, sending them flying back into the living area. “Landry pulled me out of a pretty dark place.” He threw his damp tank next to mine. “I was staying out all night. Random hookups, drugs, anything to stay away from the house and Lexi. But then Landry showed up and she’d had such a hard childhood. She needed all of us.” He dipped his chin. “She wanted to learn to play the drums, so I started giving her lessons. The kid is a natural.”
I bent down and turned on the shower. “Where are we headed next? Dash mentioned there are a couple of stops before New York.” I kept my eyes on Luke’s as I slowly removed my cut-off shorts. I’m not going to lie; I shimmied out of them. I wanted to turn him on.
He licked his lips. “Uh, Just a quick stop in Jersey. I think.”
I reached behind me and pulled at the string on my swimsuit top. “Do I need to get online and book a ticket?” The strings fell to my sides.
Luke’s eyes followed them. “Uh, yeah. I mean, no. When we fly as a group, we usually take the label’s jet.”
I turned my back to him, using one hand to hold my top on and one hand to test the water. “Great, thanks.” The thought of flying again so soon was not pleasant. I would just as soon spend twenty hours in a car versus one hour in a plane. But that wasn’t practical.
Luke must have crossed the room when my back was turned, because suddenly he was smiling against my shoulder. “I should be the one thanking you. You were amazing today. They loved you.” He placed soft kisses against my neck.
I leaned my head back against him. I couldn’t help myself. The truth was, I wanted this man. He turned me on. “Your friends are great, Luke. They love you. As long as you’re happy, they’ll be happy too.” His hands roamed around my body from my hips up to my breasts. His warm hands on the cool flesh under my wet swimsuit felt so damn good.
His lips moved against my ear. “I need my cock inside your tight little body.”
Even though his words sent chills down my spine, and I wanted nothing more than his cock inside my body, I put my hand out to stop him. “I, uh, we need to talk.” I’d been thinking about it this morning when I was lying in bed waiting for him to get back with my clothes. Wracking my brain trying to sort out why I’d rescued him with Lexi. What I was supposed to do now. How I could come out the other end of this with my heart intact. “I don’t think sex between us is a good idea, Luke.”
The color drained from his face, and he looked like he might cry. “Why? We were going to have sex last night before the fire alarm went off.” He was so devastated it was almost comical.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing at him. “That was last night, when we’d agreed to only one night together. But now it’s a week. Now we’re lying to your friends, and it’s just a lot more complicated.” I didn’t want to make this bond s
tronger between us. And as much as I wanted to try to act like I was too cool for school, I wasn’t. I was a chick. Sex with Luke would only make my feelings for him grow.
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Okay. No sex. Does that mean everything is off the table?” When I didn’t answer him, he smirked and grabbed my suit bottoms and slowly pulled them down, placing kisses along his way. I stepped out of them and he stood back up. “If it means no touching, no kissing, you better tell me now.”
I pulled my bottom lip through my teeth. I wanted his hands on me, his mouth. I wanted him to touch me, to take the ache away. “I, uh, I don’t know. I…”
“Let me make you feel good, baby.” He looked up at me, asking for permission.
I nodded and he closed his eyes, putting his mouth directly on my clit. My legs were trembling. I should have told him no. I should have told him everything was off limits. I’d been teasing him at the pool, and I’d kissed him outside the restaurant. I was scared of Luke. Scared of liking him and of wanting him. I was playing with fire. I was in a constant battle of hot and cold, and right now, hot won.
He worked me over with his mouth until I was panting, my hands tugging on his hair. Then he pulled back, motioning to the still-running shower with his chin. “Get in.” I did as I was told and watched from behind the glass as Luke took off the rest of his clothes. I scooted farther back, making room for him once he joined me. He backed me into a corner then captured my lips. One hand went to the nape of my neck and the other went south. He pushed my thighs farther apart and then slid two fingers inside me. Immediately curling them toward my stomach, making my knees all but buckle. “Luke.”
He kept my back against the wall and his mouth against mine. “Ride my hand, baby.” He pumped in and out, quickly changing up the rhythm. “Let me hear you.”
It didn’t take long. Luke played my body like an instrument. He knew just where to touch me, just the right tempo. Within seconds his name was echoing around the tile walls.
What he did next surprised me. He grabbed my soap and washed my whole body. I stopped him when he went to shampoo my hair. This man gave me earth-shattering orgasms with just his hand; he took care of me. He made me smile and laugh. I didn’t need him to do anything else to make me like him any more than I already did. No body part to body part sex was about self-preservation.
