“Maybe,” I say, not wanting to get into it with him. He might say that now, but I’ve seen how easily he can switch. I can’t fully count on staying here.
He leans closer. “I’m serious, Emma.” His gaze drops to my lips.
I can feel our chemistry. It invades my mind, telling me to do irrational things: make up an excuse to spend time with him, touch him, kiss him, forgive him. Needing to put distance between us, I clumsily get to my feet.
“What happened with Ryan won’t happen again.”
“We’ll see,” I say, hoping he’ll trust me the next time Ryan accuses me. I back away and head to my room before I give in to the pull.
Chapter 22
The next day, I head downstairs for breakfast, excited to see Arden. Now that there’s a truce, I don’t have to avoid or act like a spoiled brat to Arden when Ryan’s around. I stop abruptly in the entryway. Arden isn’t alone. He’s at the bar, dressed in his usual attire, eyes fixed on the leggy blonde who is wrapped in a skimpy red silk robe.
Her platinum hair is in a sophisticated updo. All smiles, she sets a cup of coffee in front of Arden. She leans over to tell him something, her cleavage on full display. Laughing, her gaze moves to me, and the smile falls from her face. Her brown eyes run over my body in what seems like a calculating way. Her pink lips pinch together for a second before her smile returns.
Arden follows her gaze. “Morning, Emma.” He pats the seat next to him. “Come sit. Breakfast will be ready in a minute.”
I shuffle over, dropping down to the chair.
“This is Rachel, my business associate from California.”
“Morning,” Rachel says cheerfully. “It’s nice to meet you. Arden’s talked so much about you and his boys.”
She beams at me, her painted pink lips framing her perfect teeth. Her face is covered in makeup, but she knows how to apply it in the right way. She’s stunning.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” I look at Arden to get an explanation as to why she’s here, but he’s focused on Rachel as her bare legs carry her over to the oven. “California, huh?” I say to Rachel. “What’s it like there?”
“I could talk about it all day. It’s absolutely beautiful.” She deposits bread into the toaster, her manicured nail pressing down the lever. “And the weather is perfect. I’ve always lived in Southern Cali. There’s so much opportunity. I’ve been trying to get Arden to stay.” She laughs softly.
“To stay?”
“Rachel wants me to stay at the California location for a few months, but I’ve told her while I do like California, Colorado is my home.”
“How long are you here for?” I ask, watching her float around the kitchen with ease.
“She’s here for a week. She was staying at a hotel nearby but found a bed bug.”
“A huge bed bug,” Rachel says over her shoulder. “Arden kindly suggested I stay here for the week.”
“I thought she could stay in your room, Emma. If that’s okay? You could stay in the guest room downstairs. The basement stays cold, and Rachel's used to warmer weather. Plus, Sully’s constantly in and out, and Ryan and Brent usually have friends over. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind,” I say.
Rachel sets a plate of eggs, toast, and fresh fruit in front of me. “Thank you, Emma. You’re so sweet. It was so drafty down there last night. I’m not a fan of the cold. But I might have to visit again when it snows to try skiing.”
“My boys love to ski, but I’ll have to teach Emma. You two can learn together.”
Rachel beams. “That would be fantastic.” She turns to me. “Please tell me you’ll learn with me. It’s nice to have another girl here. I can’t imagine living with a houseful of boys. How do you handle it?” She laughs, placing her hand over her heart.
“Emma doesn’t mind. Do ya, kiddo? It’s like having a bunch of big protective brothers.” He winks at me.
I bite my lip as thoughts of kissing Sully invade my mind. “Yeah,” I say, an awkward laugh escaping me.
Rachel sets a plate in front of Arden, but he waves his hand in front of himself. “None for me. Thank you, though. I have that business call with Michael this morning. I should probably go prepare for it.”
“I thought you’d have time for at least eggs,” Rachel whines.
“I had a protein shake this morning,” Arden says. “But it was kind of you to make breakfast for the kids.”
She rubs her hand down Arden’s suit sleeve. “Let me know if you need anything.”
I shovel food into my mouth, trying to ignore her more-than-friendly touch that Arden doesn't seem to mind.
“I shouldn’t be long. Make yourself at home,” Arden says. He finishes off his coffee and then leaves the room.
Rachel takes Arden’s seat. “How are you liking Colorado?”
The scent of hairspray and mint assaults my nose. “I like it. It’s prettier than Kansas.”
“Kansas? I thought Arden said you were visiting from Ohio?” Rachel turns her whole body to face me.
“Oh, I didn’t live in Ohio for very long. It was Kansas before that.”
“I see.” She eyes me critically. “And your parents are okay with their young daughter alone so often with three teenage boys?”
I’m not sure what Arden’s told her about my backstory, so I’ll have to assume he’s using the “old friend’s daughter.” “My parents are fine with it.”
“That’s interesting. How long are you planning to stay? Ryan and Brent will be starting college soon. With them gone, Arden traveling, and Sully barely ever home, you’ll be so lonely.”
How does she know all this? “I don’t know,” I mumble.
“Will you be going away to college too?”
“I haven’t thought about it.”
“Arden was a young father, Emma. Now that his kids are grown, it’s time for him to live his life. He’s been held back. I just hate to see him sacrificing so much.”
“I…” I don’t even know what to say to that. “These eggs are good.” These eggs are good? I’m so stupid.
“Are you planning to visit your family for Thanksgiving?” she asks.
“Thanksgiving? That’s months away.”
“It’ll be here before you know it. It’s best to have things planned out. I bet your family misses you. What about friends? Do you have friends back home?”
“I do miss my friends, but I’ll probably stay here for the holidays.”
“Hm.” She smiles, leaning in close like she’s going to tell me a secret. “Do you have a love interest here?”
“What? I don’t like anyone. I mean, I don’t like one particular person. There’s no interest in anyone.”
She laughs. “I was your age once. How fun it must be to live with three boys. Which one are you fooling around with? You can tell me, woman to woman.” She looks me up and down, her eyes sparkling. “You’re so pretty. I’m sure they’re all after you.”
“What’s for breakfast?” Ryan says, sauntering into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Rachel replies, turning away from me. “I’m Rachel, your dad’s friend.”
“I’m starving,” Ryan says, grabbing a plate.
“I made eggs, toast, and there’s fresh fruit in that red bowl,” Rachel says, going over to the counter to help Ryan.
Ryan sets his plate down. “You made this?”
Rachel nods enthusiastically. “I did. I love to cook and bake.”
Brushing past Rachel, Ryan abandons his plate and grabs a granola bar from the cabinet. “Need a ride to school or is Robbie picking you up?”
I know he must be talking to me because he’s looking at me and Rachel doesn’t go to school or know Robbie. I don’t understand why he’d offer me a ride. “Robbie’s picking me up.”
“Okay, cool.” He plops down next to me, dropping his bag at his feet.
“Do you not like eggs, Ryan? I could make you pancakes,” Rachel says from the other side of
the bar.
He completely ignores her to ask me questions like, “What’s your favorite class, how’s Robbie, and what are the after-school plans?” I’m not used to the attention from him, so I’m sure I look dumbfounded as I answer each question hesitantly.
Brent walks in while Ryan’s questioning me, his gaze bouncing between us all. Ryan dips his chin, conveying some silent message.
“Where’s Mr. A? Leah called looking for him. He left something over at her place again,” Brent says casually. “He’s been spending a lot of time there.”
“Emma, you know where Dad is?” Ryan asks.
“He’s making a business call.” I look between Ryan and Brent, wondering what they’re doing. I’ve never heard of Leah.
“We can swing by her place on the way to school and pick up whatever Dad left. He’ll probably be too busy with work today,” Ryan says.
“Hi, I’m Rachel,” she says, reaching her delicate hand out to Brent.
“Rachel’s Dad’s coworker,” Ryan tells Brent. “Dad said she’s staying with us this week because she found a bug in her hotel room.”
Rachel drops her hand. “There was a bed bug. They’re incredibly hard to eliminate once you have them.”
“Uh-huh. And now you’re scared to stay in one of the other hundred hotels in this area, right?”
“Excuse me?” Rachel says.
“And you kicked Emma out of her room because the basement’s drafty?” Ryan looks her up and down. “Maybe if you wore some fucking clothes you wouldn’t be so cold.”
Mine and Rachel’s faces wear similar expressions. I know Ryan can be a jerk, but witnessing him act this way to someone other than me is shocking. I shift my focus to Rachel, wondering how she’ll handle this.
“Ready, Brent?” Ryan stands, grabbing his bag off the floor. “Emma, why don’t you text Robbie and tell him we’re giving you a ride.”
“Ah... I wasn’t going for another hour.” Ryan gives me a pointed look, and I roll my eyes. “Let me grab my stuff.” I dash upstairs to grab my phone, bag, and jacket. I don’t know why the hell Ryan wants to give me a ride to school, but I’m curious to find out.
The kitchen’s empty, and Ryan and Brent are waiting for me in the garage. I slip into the back seat, hoping I’m not about to be set up.
“Relax, I just want to talk to you,” Ryan says, adjusting the rearview mirror to look at me. “How was the little chat you and Blondie had?”
“What?” Was he listening to us before he came in? “She was—”
“Interrogating you,” Ryan finishes. “We’ve been through this before. She was trying to find a weakness to exploit. We’ll be stronger if we work together. You understand?”
“No, work together to do what?”
“To get rid of her,” Brent says, adjusting in the passenger seat to face me.
“Get rid of her?”
Ryan rolls his eyes. “She’s a bimbo. She wants my dad for his money, and she thinks she needs to get rid of you to make that happen. Probably us too. Either way, she needs to go.”
“You’re crazy,” I say, grabbing the door handle, but then I remember something. “She did say she’s been trying to talk Arden into staying in California.” I meet Ryan’s eyes in the mirror, and he nods.
“My dad’s clueless when it comes to women.”
“Does he never date, then?”
“Just avoid Rachel. Don’t answer her questions and blow her off when she tries talking to you.” Ryan frowns. “You’re not going to be able to do any of that, are you?”
“I can. I’ll be downstairs mostly, anyway. She won’t be down there because it’s drafty.” I laugh. “She just wanted upstairs to be closer to Arden?”
“Manipulative,” Ryan says. “Just wait. You’re going to see a lot more by the end of the week.”
Brent snorts. “If she lasts that long.”
“And what happens when she tells Arden how we’re treating her?”
“She won’t. Not this early on. She’ll want Dad to think we’re bonding.” Ryan starts the car. “You can get out now.”
“We’re still in the garage.”
“I’m not taking you to school. Just wanted to tell you to keep your mouth shut and practice your acting skills, because around Rachel, we’re best friends. Now out.”
He is so frustrating. I storm out of the car, slamming the door shut. I shoot Robbie a text, telling him I still need a ride, and then I head downstairs to avoid Rachel. Ryan’s right; I’m going to have a hard time being mean to her.
The sound of grunting has me freezing in place. I’ve been in the same room as Jessa when she was having sex, and that’s the noise the guy made. I clamp my mouth shut and hold my breath.
I stand frozen just outside Sully’s door as his grunts send shivers down my body. If that isn’t the hottest sound I’ve ever heard. I narrow my eyes when a busty brunette comes to mind. He could be in there with the girl he was talking to at the party.
Thump. It sounds like something heavy hits the floor behind the door.
I hurry away, but I don’t make it to the guest room before Sully’s voice fills my ears. I stand in the hall with my back to him, afraid to turn around, because I don’t want to see him with her.
“Emma?” Sully says again, and I can hear the grin in his voice. “Were you standing outside my room?”
I spin around, and my jaw drops. Sully’s bare-chested and glistening like a sweaty god who just arrived home from battle. His whole body is slick and shining. How does he have so many muscles? I pinch my arm to make sure I’m not imaging this, because he looks that fucking hot. His shorts are tiny, and the fabric is so thin. Sully’s dick. I can see the outline of his dick.
My mouth goes dry, and my broken vagina springs to life. We can’t be friends. I can’t feel like this about my friends. I lick my lips as he struts towards me. “I… The… Did you get a message?”
Sully laughs. “What?”
I turn, facing the wall. “The… Arden. Did you get a message from him?”
“From The Arden?” He laughs again. “I haven’t checked my messages.”
“I’m staying down here for a week,” I say to the wall. “In the spare room. Not your bed or anything.” I want to kick myself. Why would he think I meant his bed?
“Why aren’t you looking at me?”
When did he get so close? I can feel the heat from his body next to mine. I slowly turn to look up at him. Keep your eyes on his face.
He smirks, his eyes shining. “Is it because I’m shirtless? Or because of my workout shorts?” His hand grips my chin, his thumb running over my bottom lip. “Maybe it’s because you see something you like, friend?” Licking his lips, he drops his hand.
I narrow my eyes. He’s fucking with me, trying to make me blush more than I already am. “There’s a woman upstairs. She’s taking over my room. Ryan said we have to make her leave.” And there goes the chemistry. Sully’s demeanor completely changes, and I can breathe again.
“What? Who’s staying in your room? That’s why you’re staying down here for a week?”
“Arden’s coworker Rachel. She’s been trying to get Arden to move to California.”
“She’s here for a week?”
“Yeah, and I think Ryan and Brent probably have it handled. My job is to avoid her, which is why I’m down here.” I pull my phone from my pocket to look at the message. “And that’s my ride. Headed to school. See ya later,” I say without looking at him or his perfect body.
Chapter 22.5
RYAN
Sully’s kicked back on the couch when I walk into the den.
“What’d you need to talk about? I talked to Emma this morning, and Rachel’s only going to be here a week. She isn’t moving in.”
“I overheard her grilling Emma this morning. She said something about Dad sacrificing his life for us. She was digging for info and pushing Emma to go home.”
“So, Emma’s gonna avoid her. She’ll be down here with
me and then Rachel’s gone,” Sully says, blowing me off like this isn’t a big deal.
I drop down next to him. “Dad will be with her every time he’s in California, and you didn’t see what I saw. This one isn’t going to give up easily.”
He crosses his arms. “Fine, what’s the plan?”
“We hold a united front and don’t give her any information that she could use against us. Are you and Emma fucking? Rachel seemed to think she was fucking one of us. If Rachel finds out and tells Dad...”
“I’m not fucking her.”
I search his face, and damn, he isn’t even hiding his intentions. “But you want to.”
“I… Dammit, Ry. Leave it alone.”
“What the fuck? Is it more than that? You want a relationship with her?”
“She’s different.”
I snort. “She’s different?”
“I met her the day after she moved here. She didn’t know me, and…”
I give Sully my full attention. He can never fully trust the girls here. They either know he’s Arden’s son and therefore comes from money, or they know about the fortune his grandfather left him. He’ll inherit millions of dollars on his twenty-first birthday.
“I could see the way she looked at me; it was real. There was something between us...” He laughs. “She was awkward and clumsy. She busted her ass in the middle of the mall.”
“You liked her because she didn’t have game?”
Sully shrugs. “There was more. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Okay, that ship has sailed, right? Whatever barely started between you two is over?”
He grins, standing up. “So, no fucking Emma while Rachel’s here, what else?”
I roll my eyes. “The usual.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Sully heads for the door but pauses, looking over his shoulder. “Let me know if she goes after Emma again. I’ll see you upstairs. Dad said dinner’s in thirty.”
I hope my brother knows what he’s doing with her. I’ll admit, I might have been wrong when it comes to Emma, but I won’t let my guard down as easily as Sully.
Bullies Love and Lies Page 16
