Cityscape Affair Series: The Complete Box Set

by Hawkins, Jessica

  “Oh.” She waved him off but blushed.

  “Are you driving back to the city tonight?” I asked, my voice thick. I immediately regretted speaking when David looked directly at me.

  Lucy gasped. “You must stay, David. It’s too late to drive back. We have room. Er, Dani has room.”

  I stilled under Bill’s hand.

  “Ah . . .” David shifted between his feet. “No, thank you. I don’t have anything with me.”

  “Who cares? You can borrow stuff. Dani, come here!” Lucy’s hand flapped enthusiastically, and she almost fell over.

  “Easy,” I said.

  Her eyes widened with excitement as her sister approached. “We can play board games. Dani, shouldn’t David stay the night?”

  “Yes, for sure,” Dani agreed quickly, joining the circle.

  David shook his head. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable—”

  “Oh, David, you’re such a gentleman,” Lucy said, swatting his arm. “I was just teasing. We’ll give you your own room. Jonathan was supposed to stay the night but can’t. You can take his spot.”

  Dani’s mouth fell open, but David nodded before she could protest. “All right,” he said. “I, uh . . . sure.”

  “Great, come with me,” Dani said with a bright smile and started toward the house. She looked back over her shoulder when nobody moved. “David, come on. This way.”

  He rubbed his jaw and hesitated before pivoting to follow her.

  I watched their retreating figures until Bill stepped around in front of me. “Did you have some cake?”

  “Yes.” I’d had a bite, so it wasn’t a lie. My stomach was far too distressed for something so sweet, though.

  “Good. Let’s get the hell out of these clothes,” he said, resting his hand on my upper back and leading me up the steps.

  “I’ll be right up,” Lucy called loudly.

  Bill laughed and shook his head as he whispered, “She’s wasted.”

  When we entered the house, I searched furtively for David or Dani, but neither was in sight. I groaned inwardly. Was this really happening? Would David finally make his move on Dani tonight, while I was under the same roof?

  She’d be thrilled about it, I thought bitterly. But could I really blame her?

  Just let it go. Let him be happy. Isn’t that what I want ultimately? For everyone to just be happy—myself included?

  6

  In a guest room on the second floor of the Greenes’ estate, Bill slid his hand down my shoulder. With a quick kiss, he pulled softly on my dress strap until it fell. I stood watching him as he backed away and undressed.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing.” I pulled my dress off the rest of the way and tried to shake David’s lingering touch from my back. I tugged Bill by the waistband of his boxers, and he stumbled to me.

  His lips found mine for a deeper kiss. I grabbed his hand roughly and put it around me, trying to erase any hint of David. I recognized the softness of Bill’s tongue and the smell of his soap, but the kiss was flat. My hair came free when I pulled on it, and he brushed it from my neck. Behind closed eyes, I remembered David’s expansive hand sliding down to my lower back, his fingertips alone driving me wild. I moaned into Bill’s mouth, and he became instantly hard.

  I squeezed my eyes tighter. I needed to forget David and to remember what Bill felt like. I had done this to us, and now I had to make things right. Or had we always been this disconnected? I dashed away the thought and fell back on the bed, splaying out my arms. “Come on, Bill,” I said gruffly. I arched my back, offering my breasts. “Fuck me.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me,” I said. When he didn’t move, I huffed and sat up to grab his arm. “Get over here.”

  He aligned himself with the edge of the bed, and I wrapped my legs around him. Replace the memories, Bill. Now. Let’s make it right. Now, now, now—

  “The other night, you said—”

  “I don’t care what I said, just do it.” I needed him to take me because he couldn’t resist me another moment, because he was overcome with desire. I squirmed on the bed as I fought off the memory of David cornering me in the stairwell outside his penthouse and proving that he couldn’t, wouldn’t, wait another second.

  “Okay.” Tentatively, Bill moved my thong aside and pulled down his boxers. He ran one hand over himself while licking the fingers of his other hand.

  “Yes,” I moaned loudly when he touched me.

  He bent his knees and entered me slowly.

  “Oh, yes, Bill, come on.” I bucked my hips and used my heels to urge him deeper, trying to recapture the insatiable need that I’d felt with David. Bill grimaced. “What?” I asked.

  His chest deflated with a loud exhale. “Nothing.”

  It wasn’t nothing. He was still holding the base of his penis, but I felt him softening inside of me. “You can’t . . . ?”

  “I had a lot to drink,” he snapped. “And you’re . . . yelling at me,” he said as his fist stroked back and forth.

  “Do you need help?” I sat up and reached out, but he pulled back.

  “Don’t.”

  “Okay.”

  “And stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Like I can’t get it up.”

  I searched for something else to focus on, because I didn’t think I could not look at him that way. After a few moments, I sighed. “It’s fine, babe, let’s go see what the others are doing. We can try again later.”

  “No, I can do it,” he said, panting.

  I slid off the bed and kissed his shoulder. “It’s no big deal.” I was secretly relieved. Seeing David again had freshened the memories. It was unfair that I’d be thinking about him instead of Bill.

  I pulled on my striped pajama shorts and matching camisole before yanking a brush through my tangled hair.

  Bill groaned behind me. “I can’t fucking believe this,” he uttered, squatting to rummage in his suitcase.

  “It happens. Don’t worry. Lucy said it happened to Andrew a few weeks ago.”

  “What?” Bill exclaimed. “I did not need to know that.”

  Shit. That wasn’t the kind of thing to share. “Um, don’t repeat that, seriously.”

  “What am I going to say, ‘Hey, dude, heard you can’t get it up either?’”

  “You’re fine. One time does not mean anything. Come on, get dressed.” When my hair was in a presentable state, I wrapped myself in the red robe Lucy had given us.

  Bill followed close behind as I padded down the stairs. We found the group seated around a fireplace in the main room, surrounded by glasses of wine and bottles of beer.

  “Where have you two been?” Dani asked, arching an eyebrow in our direction. David sat barefoot and cross-legged on the floor next to her in a pajama set that looked a bit too small. He resembled a Greek statue, beautiful and eerily still as he stared into the fire.

  “Just changing,” I said quickly, and Bill shot me a glance.

  “Liar,” Dani chimed. “We’ve been down here for twenty minutes already.”

  “I need a beer,” I muttered, leaving to the kitchen.

  “Bring a few,” Andrew called after me. I loaded up my arms and returned to the room to distribute drinks. I had one extra, so I offered it to David, who accepted it without looking up.

  “We were just telling Lucy that if she gets knocked up, she might have to move to the ’burbs,” Gretchen said as I settled by Bill’s feet against the base of the couch.

  Lucy groaned and fell over onto Andrew’s lap. “You won’t make me do that, will you?”

  Andrew just burped into his fist and shrugged. “Everyone’s doing it.”

  “Truth,” Bill said, patting my head. “Liv and I looked at a real fixer-upper in Oak Park on Friday.”

  David sputtered suddenly and coughed into his hand. Dani patted his back softly while he cleared his throat.

  “What’s it like?” Gretchen ask
ed.

  I closed my eyes and envisioned the house. “It’s really . . . amazing.”

  “Well,” Bill said through a chortle, “I’m not sure ‘amazing’ is the right word.”

  I opened my eyes, and the image evaporated. “It’s not, you’re right. It’s a mess, but it has this really charming aura that sort of encompasses you when you’re near it.”

  “That sounds nice,” Lucy said sleepily.

  “It’s not bad,” Bill said. “It needs a lot of work before it’ll be on par with the rest of the neighborhood, though.”

  “Honey,” I said quietly. “I don’t want it to look like the rest of the neighborhood. Those homes are generic.”

  “Okay, okay.” He smiled. “It’s a little early yet, babe.”

  “Anyway,” I said to the group, “we aren’t sure we can even afford to take on a project like that. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

  Andrew, looking off into the distance as he stroked Lucy’s hair, suddenly perked up. “Have David look at it.”

  “What?” David and I asked in unison.

  “Isn’t this, like, your thing?” Andrew asked David.

  Bill turned to him, too. “What do you do?”

  David frowned. “Architect.”

  “But he flips houses, too,” Andrew offered.

  “It’s not even really for sale,” I interjected. “The owners are just letting us see it.”

  “I remember now,” Bill said thoughtfully, glancing at David. “Andrew mentioned that before. It would mean a lot if you could check it out, give me an idea of how much it would cost.”

  David cleared his throat again and looked down into his beer bottle.

  “Honey, David’s at the top of his field,” I said. “He’s probably really busy.”

  “Dave, what do you say?” Andrew asked. “Help out a friend? Bill’s a lawyer. Maybe you can swap expertise.”

  “I have a lawyer,” David replied sternly as he obviously avoided my stare while I silently pleaded with him to decline. When everyone remained quiet, he swallowed loudly. “But sure,” he said. “Maybe.”

  “Cool.” Bill nudged me with his foot. “There you go, babe. We’re getting things done.” I nodded, picking at the label on my bottle.

  “Do you still want to play that board game, Luce?” Gretchen asked.

  “Hmm?” Lucy sighed, her eyes shut.

  Andrew put his finger over his lips and rolled his eyes. He mouthed, “She’s sleeping.”

  “So much for wedding night sex,” Dani said under her breath, and everyone laughed. I caught her lusty glance at David and I inadvertently ripped the label from the bottle.

  “I’m tired, too,” I said suddenly, getting up.

  “Oh, okay.” Bill went to stand.

  “No, it’s fine. Have fun.” I waved at him to stay seated, and he fell back on the couch. “Goodnight, everyone.”

  I rubbed the tip of my nose and sniffed as I ascended the stairs. If Dani and David were going to sleep together, I definitely didn’t want it flaunted in my face. I had enough to deal with as it was.

  When Bill returned to the room, I feigned sleep. I smelled cigar on his breath as he climbed in and kissed me on the cheek. Gripping my pillow, I willed away my insomnia.

  But long after Bill had drifted, I lay staring at the ceiling, trying not to think of Dani and David. Of David and me. Of our dance. His wandering hands, stern words, and glances.

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I finally got out of bed and went to sit in the bay window. Drawing my knees to my bare chest, I looked over at Bill in the faint moonlight. He exhaled and flipped onto his back. The quiet and peaceful backyard out our window was a stark contrast to the bustling city I was used to. Even in perfect stillness, I had trouble sleeping.

  Who was I kidding? It wouldn’t have mattered where I was. David and Bill in the same house had my mind buzzing. David said he’d come to the wedding to see me. But why? Why make things harder than they already were? And he looked so handsome. He possessed every woman within his proximity. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible? So exceptionally gorgeous in his urbane tuxedo?

  I scanned the lawn below. And why did he hold a permanent place in my thoughts?

  Bill coughed, and I looked back at him. “Come back to bed,” he mumbled.

  I nodded, but I didn’t move. When his breathing evened again, I stood and fumbled for my robe in the dark. I slipped into the hallway and ran a hand through my hair before tiptoeing downstairs.

  There was a soft, single light on in the kitchen. I hesitated and looked back over my shoulder, then again at the doorway. At three in the morning, it could’ve been anyone. But my brain caught on quickly to what my heart already knew—in that kitchen, I would find David.

  7

  Something dark filled the shallow glass in David’s hand. As I walked into the kitchen, he looked up at me with hooded eyes, leaning casually against the counter.

  I stopped in the doorway. “I got thirsty,” I said finally. “Water.”

  He straightened and grabbed a glass from a cupboard behind his head. I walked toward him to get it, but he turned and opened the refrigerator.

  “Can’t sleep?” I asked while he retrieved a pitcher of filtered water.

  “Not at all,” he said.

  There could be many reasons why, but only one came to mind. Not unusual considering it had been bouncing around my head all night.

  David filled my glass, then handed it to me and set the pitcher on the island behind me. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “You’re glaring at me.”

  “You can’t sleep—because you and Dani have been up? Together?”

  “Oh . . . no.” He resumed his casual lean against the counter opposite me. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “So you didn’t . . . with her?”

  He shook his head. “I have my own room.”

  “Hmm.” I sipped my water.

  “What about you?”

  “I can’t sleep, either.”

  “Why not?”

  I set the glass down and looked away. “I guess I have a lot on my mind,” I echoed him and sighed. “I’m not really used to the peace and quiet.”

  “I know what you mean. I sleep better in the city.”

  I glanced back at him. So did I. “That was nice of you to fly back early for the wedding. I’m sure it made Dani happy.”

  “Like I told you earlier—I didn’t do it for her.”

  I crossed my arms and played with the tie of my robe until the silence became awkward. “It’s been a while since we were, you know, alone together,” I said softly. “I guess.”

  “Around fifteen weeks.” He shrugged. “But who’s counting?”

  He looked too good for three in the morning. His dark hair was soft, no longer perfect, as though he’d showered since the ceremony. My fingers tingled with the urge to touch it. Or to curl into his gray t-shirt, tight over his broad shoulders. I struggled for something to say, not trusting my disobedient thoughts as my eyes drifted down to his drawstring navy and green tartan pants. Not his style and slightly too short in the leg.

  “So you took a job out of town, I heard,” I said.

  He nodded. “I’m here half the week to finish up the hotel and in New York through the weekends. I needed the distraction. And distance.”

  “From?”

  He hesitated. “Life.”

  I waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, I said, “Sounds like you’ve been busy.”

  “You as well. Congratulations on your promotion.”

  “How’d you know?”

  “I just know.”

  Of course he did. He’d always known things about me before I’d told him. I nodded. “Oh.”

  “What I didn’t know is how much weight you’ve lost,” he said. “It’s upsetting. It concerns me.”

  “Does it?” I asked, holding the cold water glass against my chest.

  “Yes, of course. Your well-bei
ng is—I mean, it’s your health, Olivia. If it’s because of me—”

  “Have you heard anything from Cooper about Mark Alvarez?” I asked and looked out the window over the sink. I couldn’t get into the reasons behind my weight loss with David. As it was, most days, I was hanging on by a thread. It wouldn’t do any good to lose it here, with most of the people I cared about under one roof.

  “The piece of shit knows he’s guilty for attacking you,” David said, “so he took a plea bargain.”

  I widened my eyes. “Nobody told me.”

  During waking hours, I actively avoided thinking about the encounter, but as I slept, my mind refused to let it go. The memory that haunted my nightmares flashed before my eyes—Mark appearing in my office doorway, then ripping open my blouse. His hiss as he’d said Bill had better get Mark’s brother out of prison after helping put him away for life. And then, relief when David had come to my rescue, detaining Mark until the police could arrive.

  “We don’t have to testify,” David continued. “There won’t be a trial. Basically, he won’t serve as much time, but he’s still going to prison for a while.”

  “So I don’t need to worry anymore?”

  He cocked his head. “Have you been worried?”

  “A little,” I said.

  “Don’t. I’m looking out for you.”

  “How can you be? You’re not around.”

  He shifted against the counter. “I know. I meant you would’ve heard from me if I’d thought you were in danger.”

  “Oh.”

  “You know, that night, I drove by your office and noticed your light on. I still do.”

  “David.” It was a warning. I felt more comforted by his confession than I should, as if him driving by each night would keep anything bad away. Little did he know, though, my demons lived on the inside where nobody could get to them.

  He nodded and looked away. I took a sip, waiting for his gaze to find me again. It didn’t.

  “You’re looking for a house,” he said flatly. I wasn’t sure if he’d meant it as a question, so I just nodded. With an empty laugh, he shook his head at the floor.