by Renea Mason
"No, just trying to wake up."
He rested his forehead on mine. "Don't, Katherine. You don't get to end this story. This is my story too."
"A couple of days, and you think you know me that well?"
"Yes. Mind reading wizard, remember? I guess I just have to leave you under my spell until I return." He squeezed me tight. "You have every way to reach me. Please use it."
I smiled, patting his chest. "You need to get ready if you're going to make it on time."
He pulled back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. I took a moment to take in his beauty, committing him to memory.
I rolled off my side of the bed and grabbed my robe. "I'll go make us coffee."
Before I could leave the room, he caught me and pulled me to him, still gloriously naked. "I'm beginning to think you might be a mythical creature sent from the heavens to ensnare this wizard with your magic elixir and charms."
"Is it working?"
"I'm afraid so." The kiss he gave me should have been illegal—a mix of passion and promise. Of all the things about him, this kiss would haunt me most. His hands and mouth were needy. Our lips slowly parted, and he rested his forehead against mine. With his eyes closed tight and my head cradled between his hands, he whispered, "I'm gonna miss you."
"Me too." I didn't want him to leave, but this moment was inevitable. "Shower. Coffee," I reminded.
He took a deep breath. "Right."
Our goodbye made no promise—A dance of kisses and salutations. When he disappeared behind the tinted glass of the private car, I released a long breath—a mix of sorrow and relief.
I tugged my robe together at my neck and crossed my arms, missing his touch already. His car rounded the corner, vanishing from sight and from my life. The second I closed the door, my phone chimed.
It was a text message.
Lachlan Sinclair: No doubt you've already started ending our story. Did you wait until the car was at least out of sight? This might make it a little harder. Feel free to share with your friends.
The chime sounded again. This time, it was a photo. After I had fallen asleep, he must have taken a photo of us. We were in bed, his bare chest visible, the sheet barely covering my breasts. His face nestled next to mine. We were clearly lovers.
Lachlan Sinclair: Not a tabloid photo. Not a made-up story. That's us, the first night we made love. Every time you decide you want to end our story, I want you to look at this photo. It's a beginning, not an end.
I didn't know what to say. My mind fluctuated between protecting my heart and letting him in.
Me: Please be safe.
Lachlan Sinclair: I promise.
9
Surrender
Lachlan was only with me for several days, but the house felt empty without him. Every thought I had was of him. Damn him. I had been just fine without him.
What if there was more, something else? What if I hadn't used up my happily ever after after all? What if there could be a sequel? But weren't they always worse than the original?
Beyond my intense fantasies about seeing him again was the nagging feeling I could lose him in more than one way. The fragile shell holding us together could crumble, or someone could take him from me like they did Daniel. But if he weren't mine, if what we were was really just a moment in time, there was nothing to take. No lost hope. Just a sweet recollection of the time I was afforded with him.
I didn't hear from Lachlan the next day. No doubt, he had much to do. The closer the premiere got, the more nervous I grew about his safety. Just before dinner, my phone sounded.
It was a photo of him in his tux with the caption, "Wish you were here."
I wished I were there too. He was so handsome. So sophisticated.
Me: You clean up well for a wizard. Please, be safe.
Lachlan Sinclair: Love, I'm magic. I thought you knew that. I mean...you've seen my wand. ;) I'll text you when I get back to the hotel tonight.
Lachlan Sinclair: Maybe call Kelly and Vicky and tell them about your magical experience this week?
Me: Why?
Lachlan Sinclair: They seem tenacious. I could use them on my side.
Me: Your side? Since when are there sides?
Lachlan Sinclair: Since I've taken up the banner of hope, and you continue to resist my cause.
Me: So, you want me to help you win?
Lachlan Sinclair: Victory will be sweeter when I know you've participated in your own surrender.
Me: Don't you have somewhere to be?
Lachlan Sinclair: Indeed. Until later.
Did I want to tell them? Part of me did, but I knew it would just make things harder when I had to let him go, but then again, maybe they'd stop trying to hook me up.
I stared at the photo again—the one of us. He looked so happy, content even, in my bed. The feel of his body next to mine was addictive. I already ached to have him again.
Me: Hey, Kelly. You and Vicki going to the Roadhouse after work?
Kelly: You bet.
Me: OK. See you there.
Kelly: NFW. You're coming? Without us dragging you out of the house. Cya then.
What had I done? How was I going to explain this?
Just about 5:30 p.m., I arrived at the Roadhouse, at least that's what we called it. The bar had changed hands many times, and at one point, was called the Roadhouse.
Kelly and Vicky were already in "our" booth. They worked in the office building across the street, where I once worked. Even though I left a long time ago, our friendship had endured. Since Kelly and Vicky hadn't ever interacted much with Daniel, his death didn't impact them the same as all my other friends. No one explains that when you lose a spouse, you also lose all the friends you both had because every interaction from then on is a reminder of grief. So, I was thankful for Kelly and Vicky despite us living in different worlds.
I approached the table, seeing they had already ordered my drink.
Kelly squealed, hopped up, and hugged me. "I can't believe you're here without us having to harass you."
Vicky smiled. "Have a seat. It's great to have the gang back together. Why the change of heart?"
I took a swig of the amber-colored liquid, appreciating the sweet burn warming my chest. "Well, a friend of mine said I should get out more."
Kelly laughed. "Wait, you have other friends besides us?"
"A few here and there."
Vicky said, "I told Brian you'd be here."
"Look, that's sort of why I wanted to come. There are some things I have to tell you, but I need you to promise two things first."
Kelly eyed me suspiciously. "Ut oh, things never turn out well when you have to promise first. Like when I dated that guy, Michael, and he made me promise not to get mad then told me he was fucking my assistant."
I laughed. "I can assure you. I'm not fucking your assistant or anyone even remotely in your world."
Vicky leaned forward. "But you're fucking somebody? Who?"
"It's not like that."
Kelly gulped her beer. "So, you're not fucking someone?"
"Listen, do you promise or not?"
Kelly and Vicky both rolled their eyes and said, "Fine."
For a moment, I was distracted by the television screen in the bar. An entertainment news show flashed an image of Lachlan standing on the red carpet with a tall, leggy woman. I had to get used to seeing him, well everywhere, when I left the house. It was all so new.
"Earth to Katherine, we're on pins and needles here." Kelly snapped her fingers in front of my face.
I shook my head to dislodge the thought. "OK. Hang on." I opened my phone and pulled up the tabloid site from the plane. "I don't know if you saw these."
They both looked at my cell phone.
Vicky chimed in. "You mean that lucky bitch who got to snuggle with Mr. McHottie?"
"Yeah, I saw it on your counter last week." Kelly raised an eyebrow.
"Do you remember what you said?"
"Yeah, she looks lik
e you."
"Because she is me."
They lifted their eyes from my phone, assessing my sincerity in perfect synchronization.
Kelly was the first to drop the "F" bomb. "Get the fuck out. No way. Why the fuck didn't you say something?"
Vicky's mouth hung open while she searched for words in her gaze of shock. "Yeah," she finally stammered, "Yeah, how could you not tell us? What's he like?"
The heat of a blush filled my cheeks. "I didn't tell you because there was nothing to tell at the time."
Kelly leaned across the table as if getting closer to me would get her the information faster. "Nothing to tell? Lachlan Sinclair snuggles you like a teddy bear on a flight, and you have nothing to say? Have you lost your damn mind, Katherine? Look at the way he's looking at you." She tapped my phone.
"That's the thing. It wasn't so intimate. The paper made it seem like it was something more. Those photos make it look like there was something going on between us when, at the time, nothing could be further from the truth."
Vicky raised an eyebrow. "At the time? Oh, girl, spill it."
"You remember last week when there was a shooting on his set here in the city?"
Kelly grasped my hand. "Yes, I was terrified he had been killed."
"Me too. Anyway, he needed to hide out until the police could do their job, and since I was the only person he knew in the city, he showed up at my door."
Vicky clasped her hand over her mouth.
Kelly's "No fucking way" was slower, more contemplative this time.
"He stayed with me for a few days."
Kelly squeezed my hand. "He was in your house? Stayed overnight at your house? Just the two of you. Jesus fucking Christ, I don't know whether to punch you or throw you a party." Her eyes grew wide. "Wait… was he there when we stopped by the other night?"
I nodded. "He was in my bedroom."
"And you didn't introduce us?" Her voice raised three octaves.
"I couldn't. He was in hiding."
Vicky stared at me for the longest time, seeming to consider whether or not I was full of shit or telling the truth. Once she decided I was honest, she blurted, "The most important question of all..." she took a drink from her beer bottle, "did you fuck him?"
I inhaled.
Kelly shrieked, "You fucked Lachlan Sinclair and didn't tell us?"
Everyone in the bar turned, glaring at us.
"It wasn't like that. Could you please lower your voice?"
Vicky picked up a handful of peanuts from a paper boat, pelting me with one before she funneled the rest in her mouth. She chewed for a second, then paused. "Wait… did you or did you not fuck Lachlan Sinclair?"
"I did. But—"
"No buts…What was it like? Holy fuck! I can't even imagine." Kelly moved to my side of the booth, squeezing me between her and Vicky.
"Well, I hadn't seen his movies, so I had no expectations, but I really enjoyed it."
"Enjoyed it? Are you serious? You enjoy eating ice cream. Fucking Lachlan Sinclair…seriously. What would he say if you told him sex with him was enjoyable?"
I gulped my beer. "He'd probably give me a reason never to say it again." I smirked.
Vicky giggled. "I can't believe this. Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm just glad you didn't turn him down."
I laughed but tried to hide my uneasiness at her calling it a once in a lifetime opportunity because that's exactly what it felt like—something to never be repeated. "I sort of did. I thought I made it clear I wasn't interested in a one-night stand when I stopped things from progressing one day, but he can be rather persuasive."
"You stopped him? What the fuck is wrong with you? He'd have to pry me off with a crowbar, and my husband would just have to deal."
"Look… I didn't just want to be a hookup."
Vicky looked at me, disbelief in her eyes. "I think if you're going to make an exception, Lachlan fucking Sinclair would be the one. Men like him have so many to choose from. I'd get a crown made that said, 'I fucked Lachlan Sinclair,' even if it was a five minute bang in strip club bathroom. You wear that as a badge of honor, sister."
"That's a strangely specific example, Vicky." I shot her a suspicious look. "Well, obviously, I did make an exception."
Kelly nudged me with her elbow. "So, why did you decide to tell us?"
Another deep breath. "He asked me to."
Vicky's face scrunched up with confusion. "Wait… Lachlan Sinclair asked you to tell us you slept with him."
"No, he told me to tell you about us. Here…" I showed them the photo of us and the text messages he sent.
Neither one of them could speak. They both sat staring at the phone, scrolling back and forth, reading the few texts we had exchanged.
Kelly slowly lifted her wide eyes from my phone, then smirked. "Girl, you didn't have a one night stand. He likes you. I mean, really likes you, and holy fuck, look at that sex hair."
I snatched my cell back from her. "I don't think it will amount to anything."
Just then, my text message sounded. I turned away from my chattering friends.
Lachlan Sinclair: Well, love, about to get the festivities started around here. Do you mind if I call once I get back to the hotel tonight? It will be late since I'm on the west coast, but I'd love to see you and hear your voice.
I hesitated, weighing whether I should just ignore the message and leave things the way we left them or respond and chance my heart getting even more attached.
Before I could make a decision, Kelly loomed over my shoulder for a moment then plucked the phone from my hands. "Let me help you with that. The answer is yes. Yes." She answered the text for me.
Me: That would be wonderful. I'm looking forward to it.
She handed the phone back. "You're so going to have phone sex with him, aren't you?"
"No," I snapped, shoving my phone into my purse.
Vicky wrapped her arms around me. "Oh, my God, you're dating Lachlan Sinclair."
"No, I'm not. See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."
Kelly leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, putting her bitch face on to set me straight. "But he did want you to tell us."
I growled, throwing my hand up. "Look, this isn't something that could ever work out. He's well…him and he has his life and everything he does, and I'm—"
Kelly shoved my shoulder lightly, bringing my excuses to a fast stop. "What? You're completely mobile. No strings to the area. No reason to stay. Your job goes anywhere you go? I'm not exactly seeing where the problem is."
"Nothing is going to come of it."
Vicky chimed in. "Think of all the possibilities. Hollywood parties. Events. You could go on location with him and see how many different countries you can fuck him in. We could get one of those maps with the stick pin flags to track your progress."
"I don't think it works that way, but that's exactly it. I don't want to think about the opportunities, or the future, or anything else." I blew out a loud breath and raked my hands through my hair.
Kelly's face had scrunched. "Does he suck in bed or something? Wait… I'm not sure if I want you to tell me? I mean, if he didn't, you'd be much more relaxed."
"What? No, he's fantastic in bed. It will just make it harder when this doesn't work out."
Vicky cleared her throat. "I don't know how to say this politely. What the fuck is wrong with you? You just fucked the hottest guy on the planet. He's not treating you like a one-night stand, and you want to focus on what might not work? Shit, I wish I had your problems."
Great, now I felt selfish.
Kelly moved to the other side of the booth. "Look, I know you have the "I already had my happily ever after" thing going on. Let's say it's true. Don't you deserve at least a "happy for now," something between now and when you die? Which is getting closer every day for us. Don't look a gift sex god in the mouth, put his mouth to better use and enjoy him. So what if things don't work out?"
Maybe
she had a point. Even if I had to walk away in the future, perhaps I could enjoy it for as long as possible. But I had never been able to do casual well. With Daniel, things were easy, hot and heavy from the start, and didn't let up until the end. There was no doubt. We fell into a relationship easily. It was almost as though the moment he walked into my office, our future was laid out. Something like that only ever happens once in a lifetime, right?
Vicky leaned in. "So, what do you plan to talk about tonight?"
I took a drink of my beer. "Probably what a pain in the ass you both are."
Kelly laughed. "Well, you can tell him we appreciate his ass. Is it as delicious as it is in the movies?"
"I only saw about three seconds of his ass on screen, but it is... yeah… I can't imagine it looking better."
Vicky shot me a guilty look. "It's one of the things he's known for. His ass has a fan page all on its own."
"Until the other night, I'd never seen one of his films. I've still not seen one since we got about thirty minutes into it and shut it off."
Kelly gasped. "Which film?"
"The Purple Mask."
"Holy fuck. You watched `The Purple Mask' with Lachlan Sinclair?" Vicky gulped her beer.
"No, I watched thirty minutes of it with him, then we spent the rest of the night in my bed." I couldn't help but smirk.
Kelly sighed. "That is every woman's fantasy. I have to ask—"
"Of course, you do." I rolled my eyes.
"How did he fuck you? Like, against the wall, where you both were gonna die if it didn't happen soon enough, or let me worship your body kinda sex?"
"I can't believe I'm telling you this. If I thought for one second he'd be embarrassed by my response, I'd never tell you, but he has this confidence that somehow isn't at all arrogant, just factual. He knows he's gorgeous. He knows everyone wants him, and he's the one who encouraged me to tell both of you. But—"
Vicky growled. "Stop stalling…How?"
"It was sensual. Very sensual. But I could tell he was holding back. There was a naughty gleam in his eye every time I called him Mr. Sinclair."
Kelly laughed. "Well, if that's true, just wait until he finds out how not vanilla you are."
