by Willow Aster
We spend the next few hours laughing, drinking, dancing, playing darts, and laughing some more. The girls fill me in on the GD behind the G.D. Taylors.
“Oh man, you should see my mother when these boys curse like sailors. She loses her…” Pen pauses.
“Shiiiii … take mushrooms,” Mya says and we all burst out in laughter.
“Wait until you meet my parents. You’re going to love them. They make up for all our craziness. My mom can’t wait to meet you.” Pen smiles at me and my eyes widen. I’m surprised that Caden told his sister about me, and never in a million years would I think he’d speak to his mother about me. We aren’t a couple.
We aren’t anything really.
“Don’t be surprised, girl. These boys tell their mother everything. It’s a G.D. Taylor thing.” Emma laughs.
“A friend of Caden’s makes you a friend of all of ours,” Pen says, bumping me with her shoulder.
And I’m GD fine with all of it.
Chapter Eleven
Caden
“I can’t believe how far along you are. Wow, your vision really came to life. Proud of you,” Pen says after we finish touring the property. The hotel opening is in ten weeks, and though we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go.
“Thanks. I was excited to show you the progress. The interior is all Cosette. It’s her vision, and she executed it flawlessly.” We settle next door at the cafe and order coffee.
“She told me that the interior was all inspired by you.” My sister smirks, as she sips her coffee.
“Cosette is humble as shit. I’m hoping some of that rubs off on Gus soon.” I laugh.
“So what’s really going on there? Just friends? You sure about that? You two sure gush about one another. And I didn’t miss the way the sexpot in the red dress kept looking over at you at your birthday party the other night. She looked disappointed that she wasn’t leaving with you.” My baby sister is nosy as hell, but she’s also very perceptive. You can’t get much by Penelope Layne Taylor. The girl was born to sniff out a lie. And no one enjoys calling you out on your shit more than she does.
Was Veronica disappointed that I didn’t go home with her the other night? Sure. We’ve hooked up a few times, but I’m not feeling it at the moment.
Whether I’m in a real or a fake relationship, I don’t fuck around. And right now, Cosette needs me. I’m good with it.
“She’ll get over it. I’m not giving Jeremy any wiggle room to call me out and try to get her back.” I’ve filled Pen in on the situation.
“I see. So you think Jeremy would know if you took another woman home?”
“Maybe. I’m not willing to risk it. The dude is not playing with a full stack. She needs to be free of him.”
She smiles and I know a lecture is coming. “So you’re not willing to cheat on your fake girlfriend. That’s some serious loyalty, brother.”
“What can I say? I’m a loyal guy.”
“That you are. And there’s nothing going on between you two?” she presses.
“Nope. I mean, we spend a lot of time together. She’s young. She’s trying to find herself. She’s finally free of that dicktaco and she needs to be on her own right now. I respect that.”
“She’s twenty-four. She’s hardly too young. She’s older than me. So you’ve asked her if she wants to be alone?”
I groan. I’m not in the mood for a Pen grilling. “She wants to get away from her ex-boyfriend. Her family wants to shove him down her throat because apparently he has more money than God, and they care about that shit. I’m a means to an end. Nothing more.”
“Would you care if she dated someone else? I mean, other than the dicktaco?” she asks, as she sips her coffee like the true shit stirrer she is when it comes to my personal life.
I growl. “Don’t say that. She needs to be on her own.”
She cracks up at that. “Sure she does. And she’s moving next door to you next weekend, right?”
“She sure is. Finally getting out of crazy town.”
“How’s that going to work, you know, when you two stop playing house? She’ll be your neighbor. She’ll probably bring lots of men home at some point. You going to be okay with that?”
I push to my feet and my chair makes a loud skidding noise when it moves across the tile floor. I’m done with this conversation. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Let’s go. I need to get you to the airport.”
We have plenty of time, but her questions are agitating me.
I don’t care who Cosette dates in the future. Of course I don’t.
But she needs to be on her own right now.
The thought of this ending has me all sorts of uncomfortable and that pisses me off.
“I have four hours until my flight leaves, you stubborn ass.” We walk out of the cafe and back to the hotel. “I’m meeting Cosi when we get back. We’re going to the cafe for coffee too.”
I roll my eyes. “Do not stir shit up, Pen. I’m not fucking around. She’s trying to figure things out. We have a good friendship and I don’t want to mess it up.”
“Because you messed things up with Leah? You know she wasn’t the right one for you, right? She was dating her current husband a week after the breakup. That’s not a soul mate, that’s a speed dater. You made the right call. Your gut told you she wasn’t the one. Even with all that pressure she put on you. Just because you weren’t ready back then, it doesn’t mean you never will be.”
Did it sting that my ex replaced me in record time and found her way down the aisle that she’d pushed so hard for us to walk down just months before? Sure. Was I the most trusting guy on the earth? Probably not. I didn’t buy into that happily ever after shit then and I still don’t. I’ve never found anyone to make me believe in it. My parents have it and I’m happy for them, but not everyone wants it.
Not everyone needs it.
I like my life. And there are plenty of women that are open to doing the casual thing.
It works for me.
Speaking of which, I have a nasty case of blue balls, which isn’t helping me practice patience with my sister’s rapid questions about Cosette. I haven’t been laid since this whole thing started, and I’m fine with it. But my dick is a different story. He hasn’t been a part of this negotiation.
So, I’ve been rubbing it out to thoughts of my fake girlfriend every morning in the shower. Sue me. I’m not acting on it. Hell, I’m even loyal to the girl in my fantasies. She is hot as hell. She smells like heaven. Her laughter is like the best song I’ve ever heard. And those lavender eyes put a spell on me every time I look at her. But we’re friends and I won’t cross that line.
Cosette needs to figure out how she wants her future to play out, and I’m just helping her get there.
“Done with this ridiculous conversation, Pen. Don’t bring this up with her, or I swear I’ll shave your eyebrows off in your sleep.”
Her head falls back again and she pats my cheek. “Love you, brother dearest.”
I roll my eyes. No matter how much she gets under my skin, I can never stay mad at my baby sister. I’ve never been able to.
“Hey, there. I just finished up in the suite and have time for a break. Did you want to go grab a coffee?” Cosette’s eyes land on Pen’s hand and the coffee cup she’s holding. “Or a muffin?”
My sister laughs. “I’m a senior in college. If I haven’t had three cups of coffee before 9 AM, I’m behind for the day. I was just coming to find you to head next door.”
“Great. Do you need anything, lover boy?” Cosette teases, and I don’t miss the way Penelope watches our interaction.
I need to be careful.
I don’t do gray areas, and Cosette Dubois could easily become a gray area.
“I’m good. Thanks. Have fun.”
“Oh, we GD plan to,” Cosette says and she winks.
They both wave as they head out the door. I’m immediately hit with dozens of questions from the electrician and I shift to work mode.
/>
It’s what I do best.
Cosette moved in next door yesterday, and she invited me over for dinner tonight to thank me for helping her. Hell, I didn’t do much. Most of the furniture was new and had been delivered. She hired movers for the rest of it, and they did most of the work. I helped her hang a few things and move some furniture around after they left. Her style is more comfortable than her office. Whites and pinks and a lot of fresh flowers. It’s cozy, just like her.
I knock on her door, and she yells for me to come in.
“Honey, I’m home,” I call out when I step inside.
“I’ve been waiting for you, lover,” she coos, and my dick goes hard once again. This is happening more often now, and I need to figure it out. I don’t know how long I can go without sex, as this is definitely the longest for me. I’m starting to not think straight.
Gus called me a dicknoodle more times than I could count last night at Mean Mug. We’d gone for a few beers. I’d spent the day with Cosette and I needed something.
Air.
Space.
Distance.
Her.
I’m drowning in this girl, and I’ve never felt that way before. So it’s time to check myself. Draw a line and stay on the right side of it.
Turns out the air, the beer, the space … none of it worked. I missed her today and couldn’t wait to come over. How lame is that?
My fake girlfriend is the only girlfriend I’ve ever missed.
That is fifty shades of fucked up.
I hand her the flowers and her face lights up with surprise.
“No lilies, I promise.”
“Well, that’s because you know me, dear. And how in the world did you find periwinkle roses?” she gasps.
“Hey, it’s your favorite color, right? Could you not have picked a more basic color like pink or red? Alice, the florist, was not happy with me.”
She laughs and her cheeks turn pink. I want to kiss that perfect little nose with the few freckles scattered across it.
No, dicktit.
Wrong direction.
“I’ve never seen periwinkle roses. You’re full of surprises. Let me get you a glass of wine and put these in water.” She turns around and I take a minute to appreciate her fine ass. The way her jeans hug her curves. She struggles to reach for a vase, and I move behind her. Even in her heels, I tower over her. I pull down the one in front.
“This one?” I ask, looking down at her. My chest to her back.
Close enough to taste her. She nods, but she doesn’t speak. Almost like she’s holding her breath. I stay there longer than necessary because I’m a greedy bastard when it comes to Cosette.
I hand it to her, and my fingers graze hers.
Crap on a cupcake.
Just the simplest touch and my dick thinks it’s go-time. I back away and turn around to take in the space.
“Wow. You’re all settled. This looks amazing.”
She sets the vase down on the island and pours us each a glass of wine. She places mine on the counter, and I wonder if she’s avoiding handing it to me because she feels the same thing I do every time we touch.
“Thank you. I’ve been busy today. Thanks for hanging that curtain rod. I love having that window open, but I like having the option to close the white linen panels if I need the privacy.”
For what?
Is she taunting me?
Visions of Cosette dancing around her apartment naked fill my head. I sip my wine and settle on the barstool, adjusting myself as inconspicuously as possible as she continues working in the kitchen.
“Did your parents end up coming over today to see your place?” I ask, desperate to change the subject about what Cosette would be doing in her living room that required privacy.
Is she going to start bringing dudes over here?
Oh, hell no. That shit would not fly with me.
You’re friends, dickhead. Get it together. I sigh. I know I’m in trouble when I can’t even get creative with my dick names. Geez.
“My mom ended up going to lunch with Juliette and they didn’t want to leave their side of town. But my dad came over and we had a great visit.” She chuckles as she sets a tray of cheese and crackers and fruit in front of me. Mya and Emma like these things and they have a funny name for them.
A chartitty board?
No, that’s not it.
My eyes zero in on Cosette’s top. Her perfect tits press against the fabric and my mouth waters.
Sick puppies.
Estella’s cooking.
Yaya’s Nipplegate story.
These are all the things that can pull me out of a desire-filled haze at the drop of a dime.
“Oh yeah? What did he think of the place?”
“He liked it. We were reminiscing about my childhood. It’s the first time in a long time I felt like I was communicating with him. It was really nice,” she says. “I mean, he wasn’t feeling great. He has allergies and his ears were plugged, so I felt bad about that.”
“Well, I’m glad he came by.”
“Yep. And he asked about you.”
“Damn, this is good cheese.” I finish chewing. “What did you tell him? Is this the breakup dinner? Are you dumping me, lover?” I keep my tone light, but my chest squeezes as the words leave my mouth.
This is going to end at some point. It can’t go on forever. And Cosette and I will finish up the job at the hotel and go our separate ways.
Sure, we’ll be neighbors, and we are most definitely friends, but we won’t be spending all of our days together when we’re done. And the reality of that bothers me.
More than I thought possible.
“No, I mean, unless you want to call it done. I will understand, you know. But they seem to finally accept the fact that I’ve moved on. Jeremy isn’t quite there yet, but my parents are. So you say the word and I’ll pull the cord.”
“Nope. You’re not getting rid of me that easy, baby.” My words are all tease, and she smiles.
“Dad seemed genuinely happy for me, so I feel bad about lying to him. If I didn’t think he’d tell my mother, I would have told him the truth. But the only way they’re going to let me find my way is to think that you and I are together. At least for now. I wish they could respect that I want to be on my own. Free of Jeremy. Free of their expectations. Does that make sense?”
It sure as shit does. She wants to be on her own. She can’t say it any more clearly than that.
“Absolutely.”
“My dad never brought Jeremy up once, so I don’t think he’s as upset about the breakup as my mom wants me to believe.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. It sounds like you’re on your way to being free of everyone.”
Including me.
I need to respect her wishes too.
Cosette Dubois is off-limits.
We are friends.
And it’s time for my dick to get on board with that.
Chapter Twelve
Cosette
I had a really nice time with Caden the other night when he came over for dinner, but something has felt a little off ever since then. I can’t put my finger on what it is. He’s just not coming around as much when I’m at the hotel, not as flirty. It’s only been a few days, but today when I called him lover, he didn’t even smile.
I’m back at my office now, catching up on a few things I’ve missed from being at the hotel so much lately.
“Cosi!” My mother sashays into my office, smiling. Louie squirms out of the Chanel bag she’s carrying him in, leaping to the floor and Maman squeaks. “My baby!”
I pet Louie and appreciate his Louis Vuitton romper. His whole body shakes with his excitement to see me.
Maman sniffs. “You must’ve just had salmon or tuna or something, luring him in with the stench.”
“No, I actually skipped lunch today.” I push back in my chair and gather a few papers from my desk. “But let’s hope I wouldn’t have a stench about me even if I’d eaten,” I
say under my breath.
She waves her hand. “Oh, pay me no mind. I have the most wonderful news. We’re going to have a pool party this weekend. You won’t believe who’s coming. Alexander Fontaine! Can you believe it?”
“Really?” She’s right for once—I can’t believe it. Alexander is only the hottest designer in the States and Europe right now. He’s in his forties and I’ve been watching his work closely since I was a teenager and decided I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“How did this happen?”
“Oh, Gerard and Sabine set it all up. He’s in town and can you imagine—he loves to swim.” She shudders like the thought is preposterous. “Since we have a pool and the Toussaints don’t, of course I offered our beautiful pool. It will be an intimate pool party, only a couple dozen of us or so. You must come. He asked specifically for you.”
“What?” My hand flies up to my throat. “He asked for me?”
She laughs. “Oh, I’m sure he just wants you to model in one of his spreads or something.”
I deflate a little bit at that. I did some modeling in college, but I hated it. I’d hoped he’d heard I was making a name for myself with Dubois Designs, but knowing Gerard, he probably exaggerated the whole thing to my mother to make me sound good. I’m grateful there’s one Toussaint who seems to have my back. But it will probably mean seeing Jeremy too, with his family involved.
My mom winks. “You know this could really be the thing to knock some sense into Jeremy. A man of Alexander’s caliber.”
The heat slaps my face like a physical punch. I see red instantly. I don’t bother reminding her that I’m seeing Caden, because how many times can I say it?
But seeing Alexander Fontaine—I can’t turn that down.
“Wear something beautiful,” she says, reaching into the Chanel and pulling out a credit card. “My treat.” She pauses before handing it to me. “Just please don’t go over … a thousand.”
“Well, that’s a first. You don’t normally give me a budget, but rest assured, I would never spend a thousand dollars on a bathing suit.”
“You’d wear a bathing suit?” she gasps.
