by C. A. Harms
Stepping inside, I look over the foyer and into the sprawling living room, in awe of the beautiful home. A vast wrap-around couch sits in the center of a sunken living room with more pillows than any one couch needs. It looks unbelievably comfortable like you can sink into the cushions and feel like you are on the softest cloud.
Addison's right, the house is gorgeous.
Proceeding ahead, following the loud voices and the music, I find my way to the French doors that overlook a sprawling backyard. So many people, mingling and laughing, crowded in different areas around the space. A pool is out about a hundred or so feet, with several people already enjoying the water. Others are lounging in the chairs that line the pool. Some are sitting on the edge with their legs hanging over the edge and dipping into the water.
Addison is the first to notice me, excusing herself from the couple she is talking to and walking in my direction. With pursed lips, I can tell without asking that she is pissy about something. "It's about time," she huffs, grabbing my arm and dragging me off to the side away from anyone who may hear us.
"What has your panties all tied in a knot?" I laugh at my joke when she glares.
"Very slowly and so it is not so obvious, look toward the pool house." I don't look right away, thinking maybe it is one of her exes or something. She is acting like a jealous girlfriend or a frantic spaz. "You can't miss the sleazy red bikini and the jet black hair."
Okay, so I'm now looking for red.
Casually I begin looking around but remain hidden behind her, and her squared off tense shoulders. I'm about to find Tony and tell him to take her inside to a quiet room. Maybe he can relieve some of this stress when a flash of red catches my eye.
"Her name is Reece," the woman is tall, thin, and her ginormous boobs seem so out of place on her petite body. Honestly, they only manage to make her head appear super small. The tiny red bikini is cute, but I think it's her fake tits that make it appear as if it is ten sizes too small. And her tan, wow, it's only another thing that makes her stand out from everyone else; it is perfect.
"Well, at least she's covering up her nipples." It's about all I can manage. Honestly, what am I supposed to say about any of it?
"Seriously?"
I look away from the silicone-filled girl and find Addison looking at me like I've lost my damn mind.
"Who is she, Tony's ex or something?"
"No," she huffs, throwing her hands up in the air. "She's Jonah's."
And my heart feels like it slams against my breast bone, it hurts, and I fight the urge to rub over the very spot. Immediately I glance back at her and then quickly look away again.
"They dated several years ago. She broke it off with Jonah because of her job." I only nod my head, refusing to look back at her even though at this point, all I want to do is stare and analyze every little thing about her. None of this should bother me at all. Honestly, it's none of my business, but it does, which is only making things more difficult.
"Dani," she grabs my arms and shakes me.
"Why in the hell are you freaking out?"
"Why aren't you?" We stare at the other, waiting for the other to explain but again, I have nothing. Casual, that's all he and I are. I don't have the right to be jealous or even curious. "That woman is back in town, she shows up here per an invite from a mutual friend, and she's already zoning in on Jonah."
At the mention of his name, it's like my body gravitates to him, and I glance back in the direction of the pool house to see not only the black-haired ample boob ex, but the back of a fit and shirtless man. A man I'm able to pick out of a crowd in an instant. He's facing the one I now know as Reece, her hand on his arm and her head tossed back as if he's said something funny. The move only thrusts out her massive cleavage, and I can't see his face, but the first thing I find myself wondering is, does he like big boobs?
Why would anyone want boobs that big? It's easy because they are an attention whore and—
Quickly, I look away, feeling wrong for even judging her just because of Jonah and I. I have no hold on him, and nothing is saying he can't do whatever it is he wants to do or who. I hope he's being honest with me. I may not want to be in an intense relationship where there is a possibility of all the hurt and drama that can go with it. Still, I also don't want whoever I'm sleeping with to be sleeping with other women too.
"Danielle," Addison says my name once again, and I arch my brow, forcing a smile as I stare back at her once more. "Tell me you don't want to walk over there right now and claim him as yours. Put her right in her place with one kiss to his gorgeous lips."
"I don't. Jonah's not mine," if there is ever a time in my life I need to hide my truth, now is that time.
"So you don't care if he gets back with his ex?"
"We aren't a couple." She crosses her arms over her chest and cocks out her hip, holding my stare. "However, I do have to say after being with her and palming those." I look down at my boobs hidden behind my dress. "I'm surprised he can even locate mine. Talk about overgrown watermelons to oranges." I laugh. Addison does not.
"Will you stop being such a drama queen," I jump to her side and bump my hip to hers, trying my hardest to lighten her mood. "The way you're acting, you'd think it was Tony who dated Dolly and not Jonah. You need a drink." Honestly, I'm the one who needs the whole damn bottle, but I'm entirely comfortable with blaming the need on her instead.
I move across the yard, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Jonah look up in my direction. Pausing near the bar, with Addison at my side, I focus on the bartender attempting to guess what I drink. He isn't trying to hide his flirtatious mannerisms either. Of course, I know it's not only me who has gotten that treatment today; it's all part of his act.
"Rum and Coke," a blond man to my left says as he moves in a little closer to my side. His skin glistens, and water beads over his chest. There are a whole lot of shirtless good looking men at this party, that is for sure. It's truly impossible not to feel a little overheated by their presence.
"Nope," I smile, and he rests his elbows on the bar top, allowing his gaze to roam over me. Not that I have a whole lot on display, not compared to most of the women running around here, but my dress does cut low in the front and was giving a peek of my bikini top and a little cleavage below. I feel overdressed compared to everyone else.
"Don't tell me you're a Tequila girl?" I turn my body to face him. He isn't a bad-looking man, but he is no Jonah either.
Stop it! I mentally scold myself.
"So what if I am," I challenge him and wonder if I should even be flirting when I have no interest in taking it further. I told Jonah I want casual, but that is only with him. I'm not comfortable bouncing around from guy to guy, sleeping my way through life. I have no intentions of finding another hookup, I wasn't even looking for one when Jonah stumbled into my life, but he is impossible to resist. I would have been a fool not to jump on that ride.
And oh, what a ride it is.
I'm unable to stop my body from reacting to the many memories that hit me. My nipples harden, and I feel the heat rise in my neck.
"She prefers wine over any hard liquor," my stomach tenses at the sound of his voice, but I try my hardest not to react. "She'll drink beer," Jonah adds, and it's then I look back to find him standing with his arms defensively crossed over his chest. His jaw tense, his shoulders square. "But usually only with pizza or barbecue."
"Jonah," the blond man who was flirting with me swivels around, and immediately I'm invisible to him. "I see Reece is back in town. She's looking good."
If you like that top-heavy look, I guess.
Shifting back to face the bartender, I take the Moscato he is offering and then move away, not wanting to overhear the rest of the conversation.
I'm just about to the area where my closest friends sit near the pool when I feel a tug on my dress and pause. "Well, damn," Greg, a friend of Matthew’s, stands and instantly wraps me in a hug before I have the time to be prepared for it. "I never
thought I'd see you here. What a surprise!" I've always liked Greg. He's one of the few friends of Matt's I can stand.
"Addison's dating Tony so," I shrug, knowing that is a good enough explanation for me being here. She and I are a package deal. Anyone who knows us knows that.
"How have you been?"
"I'm good," Addison looks back over her shoulder when she finally notices I'm no longer by her side and her eyes shift to the man I'm standing near. She gives me a slight nod before continuing, knowing I'm good with Greg.
"Listen," I feel the tension start in my shoulders, knowing he's about to bring up the wedding, and I'm not sure I'm ready to have this conversation with anyone, let alone a guy who is friends with my ex. "He's an idiot," I press my lips together, taking in a deep breath. "I know she's your sister, and I don't mean any disrespect, but honestly, Dani, there is no comparison. What he sees in her, I don't get it. You're," he pauses as if trying to find the right word but can't. "Well, babe, you're just you, and that's a whole lot of good, right there."
I laugh at his words, and he hooks my waist and pulls me in tight. "You ever wanna make the dumb ass jealous, find me. But just so you know, I won't be dumb enough to let you go once I‘ve got you."
Greg is sweet. He always has been. But there's no chance of anything happening there, even if Jonah wasn't in the mix. Greg isn't my type.
"It's good seeing ya," I lean in and kiss him on the cheek, and then he slowly releases me. He's had a few drinks and lingers a little before ultimately allowing me to step back.
"He's already regretting his choices," he adds, and I know Greg's talking about Matt, but I don't ask what he means. Honestly, I don't care. There is no going back; there never will be.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jonah
"You're two-seconds away from having steam shoot out your ears." Tony chuckles as he tosses me another beer. "I don't get you two. You want her, go fucking get her."
"Shut up," my nostrils flare as I continue to watch her mix in with the other ladies I know are her closest friends. She's wearing a blue bikini, and the only thing it makes me want to do is to toss her ass over my shoulder and carry her off to cover her up. Okay, well, maybe there is something else it makes me want to do, but it is inevitable. Dani directly connects to my libido, and I'm always willing and ready to go down that road.
The problem is there are about thirty other guys at this party who are also willing, and that pisses me off.
"Whose bright idea was it to have a fucking pool party anyway?" I'm fully aware my mood has shifted since Danielle got here. Before her arrival, I was calm and relaxed, then she showed up, and the assholes started looking her over, flirting, and everything goes to shit. I can't even say back the fuck off because what claim do I have on her? None, that's the damn problem.
"How's Reece?"
"Don't care," fucker is just poking the bear right now, and he knows it.
"Reece is eyeing you like you're a triple chocolate cake with cherries, and it's been years since sweets have graced her tongue," he taunts.
"You're a dick."
"And she wants yours," he adds, and I look away from Danielle to lock eyes with the guy who I think of more as my brother than just my friend. "Who knows, maybe taking Reece for a spin would get you off this dead-end road with Dani."
"Leave it alone."
"Are you honestly saying you don't feel anything for Reese?" I don't bite back. "Nothing, no fantasies you never played out, no urges, not a damn thing."
I still don't respond. "I'm pretty sure at this point Reece would give you anything you asked for if you took her home with you.
"If Mallory wasn't engaged, and she showed up here right now telling you that she'd made a mistake and wanted you back, would you tell Addison it was over?" Tony and Mal were together for two years, and they'd gotten in this huge fight. She moved out, and he thought they just needed a break. Two months later, she was with another guy, and a year after, she was engaged. It turns out it wasn't just a break. Addison is the first woman he's been with since Mal.
"No," he holds my stare and doesn't falter in the slightest. "Addison is who I want."
"And Dani is who I want." He doesn't have to understand it, and he doesn't have to like it.
He doesn't push any further. Instead, we stand silently drinking our beers, both watching the women each of us just admitted we wanted. The problem is his girl knows where his loyalties lay, and mine has no fucking clue. Or maybe she does, but she refuses to accept them.
Tony walks off toward his girl and Dani looks up and holds my gaze. Shifting in the lounger she occupies, I allow my eyes to roam over her from head to toe. Damn, Danielle is by far the hottest woman here and has no clue. If only she could see herself the way I see her.
Making eye contact once more, I smirk, and she smiles like she knows what’s hidden behind the bar, I'm growing hard just looking at her. The idea of taking her off somewhere alone hits me. Pressing my body to hers, allowing her to feel how she affects me, is rushing through my mind.
I smile as visions of untying the string on her hip and allowing her bottoms to fall away float through my head. I need to stop, or I'll need to stay hidden in this very spot until my dick calms down.
I hold her stare and notice something shift in her expression before she quickly looks away.
"Do you plan on avoiding me this entire party," and that explains it. Reece brushes up against me, or should I say her tits skim over my arm. I can barely look at her. Why she got a boob job is beyond me, the things are hideous. I'm not going to degrade her or say she isn't attractive. Reece has always been beautiful. The thing is with her; she's always been searching for something more or something better. Always trying to be something she's not, living up to the expectations of others.
Three years ago, she was perfect in my eyes, but to her, she needed lip injections because they weren't full enough. Or a tummy tuck because she felt too thick. Now here she is back from a failed attempt in LA, and she looks like a mannequin, somewhat porcelain-like. She no longer holds the natural beauty she once had. She's plastic, and I like natural. I prefer petite brunettes with a sweet ass and curvy hips.
"Not avoiding you," I finally tell her, motioning for the bartender to give me another.
"Which one is she?" Reece's question surprises me, and I look over to find her staring off in the direction of Dani and all her friends. "I know it's not the one Tony seems to be holding in his lap because that would just be awkward.”
I'm not about to give her what she's asking. What, so she could attempt to stake some claim she doesn't have. We ended what we had a long time ago, and yes, I may have loved her then, but those feelings are gone. I have no desire to touch her, no pull to feel her lips on mine. I don't crave the feeling of her body as I glide my hands over every inch. Dani owns all those feelings and desires. They have been hers since the very first kiss in that darkened parking lot.
"You always did love the color blue," trying not to react to the fact that she's just managed to pick out Dani, who is wearing the only blue bikini in the group. "But the blondish brown part is a little confusing because even before me, I think all your love interests were dark brunettes or black hair. But, there was the redhead you tried to make me jealous with right after I left."
There is no need for us to travel down memory lane.
"But you forgot about her real fast when I came back two weeks later." Reece is beginning to piss me off. "Wasn't she at the same bar when you and I snuck off to the parking lot to play in—"
"What's your point, Reece?"
"My point is, I don't think your girlfriend will notice if you and I sneak off so I can show you that the spark is still very much there."
"It's one-sided," I interrupt her desperate flirting.
"What?"
"The spark, the interest," I clarify, "it's one-sided. I don't feel the same way, and I have no desire to give it another go. Even if she doesn't know, even if you and I can manage
to go off somewhere, screw around some corner and get back without her noticing, I still won't do it. We had our thing, our time, and we've been over for a long time. We should pretend like the last ten minutes didn't happen so you can save a little face and not feel like I just told you I'm not attracted to you, not even a little bit."
She looks like she's swallowed a bug.
"That woman right there," I use the beer bottle to point in Dani's direction. "She's all I want." I don't stick around for Reece to say anything in return. Instead, I push back off the bar and walk toward the pool. Sitting down on the edge of, I hang my legs into the water and enjoy the refreshing coolness against my flushed skin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Danielle
"How many have you had?" I try not to laugh as Molly counts off with her fingers the glasses of wine she drank. I know I've had two, almost three, and the shot that Addison insisted we all drink together, and I'm feeling tipsy for sure.
So tipsy I'm half tempted to walk to the pool, swing my body around in front of Jonah's, and straddle him. Drinking, mixed with half-naked people dancing up on each other and flirting, apparently makes me a little horny. I'm not ashamed.
"Five," Molly interrupts my thoughts. I've forgotten momentarily we are even having a conversation. "Nope, six." She grabs an empty glass at her side and tips it up, displaying it is gone. "I may need to call an Uber."
"You're crashing here," Addison pipes in, looking over at Tony with a gleamy smile. "This handsome man already has a guest room set up for my friends to sleep in."
"Aw," Gina coos, "Tony, you are such a dream." She bats her lashes and leans back in her lounger, scanning over the entire space before us. "What are the chances that I score me one of your hot friends for the evening? I tend to get cold, and I think one of them could keep me warm."
I feel a spike of adrenaline race through me when she pauses on the back of Jonah.
