Promise You: A friends to lovers romance

by Fabiola Francisco

  This is going to be a long week. I run a hand down my face. I’m going back to the studio tomorrow after work and again on Thursday until it’s time to perform at Riot. I can’t lose my permanent Thursday spot in Riot for now.

  Before falling asleep, I say a quick prayer of thanks to the man upstairs. Self-doubt and all, I’m making my dreams come true. I don’t expect it to come easy or handed to me, which is why I didn’t want Reese to talk to Jason when she offered. I’ve done this on my own. Someone saw me perform and thought I was worth it—and I know that person was Cash. After all that Hunter’s told me about him, I’m not surprised he was the person who told Peyton about my performance.

  Reese

  I smile as I look at my phone. The week has kicked my ass, but receiving random text messages from Dex always puts a smile on my face. Taking the advice I’ve been given, I’m releasing any fears and giving this thing between us a chance. And it’s made me happy. Besides the fact that we already spent a lot of time together, he’s proving to me that we can be ourselves while developing something deeper, more intimate.

  I write back to let him know I’ll be at Riot tonight and finish the work I have to do. Dex has been stressed this week with recording, and I know he’s hard on himself when it comes to his career. I want to make it a point to be there in person to cheer him on tonight.

  After sending a few e-mails to clients, I shut down my computer and grab my purse, fighting with the sleeves of my jacket as I try to put it on and hold my bag at the same time. I told Dex I’d try to get there early so we could have a drink before his performance, so I rush out, almost tripping on my heels.

  “Hey there, gorgeous,” Dex’s voice finds me when I step out of my car. “I just got here.”

  “Good. I thought I was late.” He meets me by my door and kisses me. I lean my body into him, holding on to his forearm and let my lips linger on his a little longer.

  “Hi,” I smile against his mouth. “How was it today?”

  “Great. We’re almost done with the EP, and Peyton and I chose venues to perform at and events for the summer.” He looks more relaxed as he combs the ends of my hair.

  “That’s great. I can’t wait to hear it.” His dimples show up and his eye light up upon hearing my response.

  “I’ll have you over when it’s done so we can listen to it.” His arm wraps around my waist. “Let’s get that drink.”

  We sit at a table inside, order a glass of wine and beer, and I tell him about my day. “I had lunch with Olivia again. She says they’re excited about the spring tour.”

  “Is she going?” He leans forward. I can imagine he’s crazy curious about how the tour works, the logistics, and how everyone gets on while traveling together.

  “Yeah, I think she goes on most tours with Cash since she freelances. It’s the ideal situation for them.” A pang of jealousy strikes as I think about not being able to go on tour with Dex. I sweep it aside because we’re nowhere near that point in our relationship.

  “Where are the summer events?” I lean forward on the table, toying with the stem of my wine glass.

  “It all depends if I get added to the lineup, but we’re looking at Florida, Texas, and Maine.”

  “This is so exciting.” I reach for his hand, lacing our fingers together.

  “Ahem.”

  Dex and I both turn out heads to find Hunter and Mackenzie standing next to our table, Mackenzie with a shit-eating grin on her face, Hunter’s eyebrows raised way up high.

  “Hey.” Dex doesn’t miss a beat, keeping my hand in his when I try to pull away.

  “Hi.” I look between the two of them.

  “So… This is a thing, yeah?” Hunter points between us.

  “Leave them alone,” Mackenzie elbows him in the ribs and sits in the empty chair.

  “I think it’s great.” Hunter takes a seat as well.

  Hunter and Dex exchange a look that I don’t quite understand. Something tells me, this isn’t total news for him. Mackenzie, on the other hand, doesn’t stop staring at me with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Her blue eyes are going to pop out of her sockets any second now.

  I haven’t had a chance to talk to her and didn’t really think about calling her to say, “Hey, Dex and I had sex and we’re a couple now, I think.”

  I give her a look that says ‘cool it’, but she’s either too excited or surprised to act natural. I’m grateful when the waitress takes their drinks order, so she has something else to focus on. Although by the time it’s Dex’s turn to get on stage, I can see her exploding with questions.

  “Spill it,” she whisper-yells as soon as he’s out of earshot.

  “We had a talk and I told him about my past. I decided to stop fighting with myself.” I can’t say more than that, and I hate that my history with Knox has limited me so much.

  “How long ago?” She looks at me from the corner of my eye, doing a terrible job of being subtle in her questioning.

  “A week. Give or take.” I can’t help it, my grin matches hers as I tell her about our date at his house.

  “So romantic,” she sighs, her hands over her heart.

  When the music starts, we’re quiet, listening to Dex sing. He winks at me, and Mackenzie elbows me. I laugh at her reaction, glad she’s excited for me. She, Hunter, and Dex were unexpected friendships I’m grateful to have. When I met Hunter months ago here at Riot, I didn’t think I’d become friends with him or Dex, but I did. When Dex and I crashed Hunter and Mackenzie’s date the first time Mackenzie visited Nashville, I knew I’d instantly become friends with her. She’s the real deal, and you don’t find a lot of that here, especially when people learn I’m Jason Stone’s sister. Usually, they want an introduction, a night out with him, anything they can con out of me.

  I come back to the moment and sing along to some of Dex’s songs. I watch as Hunter hugs Mackenzie from behind and sings in her ear. I know he wrote a lot of these songs, and Mackenzie has always been his muse. I’m happy they were able to work things out despite the years they spent apart.

  When I order another glass of wine at the bar, I smile at seeing Peyton in the crowd. He’s taking Dex seriously, and that means a lot. Which reminds me, I should go visit Jason this weekend. I haven’t seen the girls in a few weeks, and I miss them.

  With his set complete, Dex talks to Peyton and then walks over to me. He picks me up and spins me around, kissing me without reservation. I laugh and demand he put me down before he causes a bigger scene, noticing curious eyes staring at us and some mouths agape.

  “Good job, brother,” Hunter says, clasping Dex’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, that was amazing,” Mackenzie agrees. I nod as well.

  We spend some time together, order another round of drinks, and dance. It’s freeing to act how I want with Dex and not feel like I have to mask my emotions. I hold on to his biceps as he moves his body with mine, and throw my head back in laughter at some shimmy movement he just did, and he kisses the base of my throat.

  “Beautiful,” he whispers into my ear when I look back to stare at him. This man is breaking my hard exterior.

  Once we’re ready to head home, Dex walks me to my car.

  “Thanks for coming tonight.” He holds my waist.

  “You’re welcome. You did great.” I smile.

  His lips touch mine and I relax my body, putting my arms around his neck. I want to hold on to him for a bit, feel this thing grow between us.

  “Are you free tomorrow?” I nod. “Good. I want to take you out.”

  “I’d love that. See you tomorrow.” I kiss his cheek and get in my car.

  He waves as I drive away, painting a permanent smile on my face.

  I’m practically dancing in my seat as Dex parks near Bridgestone Arena. I haven’t been to a hockey game in a long time, which is a shame because the Preds have been doing well the last couple of years.

  “Excited?” he asks as he turns off the car and looks my way.

  “I am.
It’s been a long time since I’ve come to a game.”

  “I’m glad you are,” he says and gets out of the car. I’m out of my seat before he has a chance to make his way around to open my door.

  Lacing his fingers with mine, he says, “Let’s go.” We make our way into the arena, searching for our section and grab a couple beers before finding our seats.

  “What happens now that the EP is complete?” I ask Dex while we wait for the game to begin.

  “Peyton is working on getting my EP on Spotify. It helps I have a fan base from playing at Riot and a few other bars. I know once my EP hits Spotify, it will grow that audience.” Dex places his cup in one of the cupholders on the chair and looks at me.

  “How cool. Soon, I’ll be able to listen to you from anywhere.” Pride fills me. He’s worked his ass off, and it’s paying off.

  “You can listen to me anytime you want.” He grabs my hand, kissing my knuckles. “Ask, and I’ll sing to you whenever you want.”

  “You’re cute.” I grab his cheeks, making his lips pucker, and kiss him.

  “I prefer sexy.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into him, grabbing my hand and locking our fingers. His lips land below my ear. “And you know I own that title,” he whispers. I shiver, goosebumps covering my skin.

  “Too well,” I breathe out. Dex looks down at my breasts and back up at me, a cocky grin on his gorgeous face. He doesn’t need to voice that he can see the outline of my nipples through my shirt. I damn well feel the effect he has on me and my body.

  The announcement for the national anthem interrupts the moment, but I’m grateful for the reprieve so I can catch my breath. Dex has the ability to push me over the edge and make me fall without reservations. Something I’ve been fighting against for four years since Knox married someone else.

  I shake away those thoughts and stand while Jason Aldean sings “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Soon after, the game starts, fans cheering and booing as the periods pass. I jump up when the Predators score, hugging Dex. He keeps his hand on some part of my body the entire time. He isn’t shy about his feelings, and the honesty in his actions wins me over.

  When the buzzer goes off for the intermission, we grab something to eat and another drink.

  “Come here,” Dex pulls my arms in the opposite direction of the concession stand and into one of the shops in the arena.

  He holds a team shirt up and says, “What do you think?”

  “Cute, but it’s a little small for you,” I tease with a wink.

  “Not for me, for you.” He puts it over my head, and I raise my arms into the sleeves. “I like it.” He pulls me into him by my hips, kissing me. He spins me around slowly, taking me in.

  “We’ll take this one,” he tells the cashier, taking the tag from the back and handing it to her. Once he pays, he leads the way to the concession to grab us food and another beer.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I lean into him while we wait for our order to be ready.

  “I know, but I wanted to.” He kisses my cheek.

  “Thank you,” I smile up at him, and his green eyes dazzle.

  We make our way back to our seats with our food and watch the rest of the game. The Preds win in the last minute, and excited fans make their way out of the arena with us. When we get to Dex’s car, he looks at me before opening my door. “Come home with me?” he asks “This isn’t about sex,” he begins to explain. “I mean, I wouldn’t miss a chance to feel you come undone beneath me, or above me, but I’m not ready to take you home yet. I haven’t seen you this week, except yesterday’s short time.” He looks nervous, his head shaking more than usual as he speaks, and his hands toying with the hem of my coat.

  “Dex,” I wait for him to look at me. “Shut up and kiss me.” I tell him the same thing I said the Sunday when I woke up at his place.

  His crooked smile accentuates a dimple. “With pleasure.” His lips touch mine.

  “I know this isn’t just about sex for you. I like you, a lot. That means wanting time where we cheer on a hockey team with hundreds of strangers and spending time alone, a lot more intimately than a hug and hand-holding,” I explain, hoping to put his nerves at ease. I want him to understand that I’m in this with him, and I’m not thinking he only wants to sleep with me. I’ve used his reputation as an excuse in the past, and I need to fix that.

  “You do things to me, Reese.” He pushes into me slightly, allowing me to feel his hardness behind his jeans.

  “The feeling is mutual,” I wink. “Now, what are you gonna do about it?” He groans as he opens the car door.

  “A hell of a lot, that’s for damn sure. And you’ll enjoy every second.”

  Needless to say, the car ride back to his place feels like amped up foreplay between lingering touches and imagining exactly what he’ll do.

  I lie in Dex’s bed, after a fantastic orgasm with just his mouth, while Dex grabs a condom. When he turns around, I lose it laughing. “Oh. My. God.” I can’t catch my breath through my cackles.

  “What the hell?” He turns to look at me.

  “No, no, no. Turn around again!” I push out of bed and shove him until his back is to me again. “Is that… Oh my God, I can’t stop laughing.” I clutch my stomach. “A Power Rangers tattoo on your ass?” I wipe my eyes.

  Dex turns around, eyes wide. “Fuck, I forget I have that.” He runs a hand through his hair as I laugh.

  “Please tell me why you got that.” Forget sex, I need the story behind this.

  “I lost a bet to a friend when I was a Senior in high school. Whoever lost had to get a tattoo of whatever the winner chose, and on the body part they chose. Of course, this was his choice.”

  “How did I miss this before?” I turn him around again, staring at the red Power Ranger, my head tilted as I take in the details.

  “You were too caught up to realize it, I guess.” He looks at me over his shoulder, a sinful glint in his eyes.

  “You were distracting me with your body so I’d never see it,” I accuse, pointing a finger in his direction.

  “I would never.” He turns around, looking offended.

  “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.” I laugh again.

  “Oh yeah? I’m about to show you something even better.” He picks me up, tossing me over his shoulder, giving me an upside-down view of his ridiculous tattoo.

  I cry out in laughter. “It looks even funnier upside-down. Ow!” I squeal when he slaps my butt.

  He tosses me on the bed and moves over me, all my joking tossed aside as my body heats at his darkening eyes. I moan loudly when he thrusts into me, showing me something way better than that silly tattoo.

  Reese

  I get home to an empty apartment after spending the night with Dex. Taylor must’ve stayed at Mike’s last night. After taking a quick shower, I shoot Jason a message to see if they’re home. When he gives me a thumbs up, I head to his house, stopping by to pick up a donut for Rae. She must be getting so big, it’s been too long since I’ve seen her.

  “I bring goodies for the oldest princess in the house,” I call out as I walk in.

  “That’s me!” Rae runs down the hall, pushing me back with the force of her hug. “Hi, Aunt Reese.” Her toothy smile fills me with so much love.

  “Hey, princess.” I kiss her cheek and hand her the bag with her goodie. The last thing I ever expected was for my brother to marry a single mom, but I’m so glad Cassidy Rae and Rae are in our lives. That little girl won us all over the first time we met her.

  “What do you say, Rae?” Cassidy Rae leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

  “Thank you,” she smiles with pink glaze all over her cheeks and two missing teeth.

  I giggle and say, “You’re welcome,” before walking toward Cassidy Rae. Hey,” I tell her.

  “How are you?” She gives me a hug.

  “Good, you?” I head into their kitchen.

  “We’re great. Jason is out back, trying to fix th
e fence.”

  “Oh, God. He isn’t that good with manual labor.” I scrunch up my nose.

  “Tell me about it. It’s fun to watch him, though. Do you want some coffee?”

  “Please,” I practically beg. I gratefully take the mug and add a splash of cream before taking a sip. “This is heaven sent.”

  Cassidy Rae giggles and asks, “Rough night?” Her eyebrows rise into her forehead.

  I freeze and look at her over the top of my mug. “You can say that.” I’m not sure if I want Jason to know about Dex and me yet, not when Dex will be opening a few of their shows.

  Cassidy Rae tilts her head and narrows her eyes in that mom way she has.

  “Where my little chunky monkey?” I switch gears.

  “She’s sleeping.” She continues to scrutinize me.

  “Still?” I take in the time.

  “She also had a rough night. She fell asleep about an hour ago.” Now that I take a careful look at Cassidy Rae, her eyes look tired, sunken.

  “I’m guessing you had a rough night, too?” I sit at the counter, and she stands on the opposite side.

  “Yeah, Ada started teething,” she sighs and drops her hands to her side.

  “Poor girl.” Jason and Cassidy Rae’s daughter was born eight months ago, and the first baby in our family. To say that she and Rae are spoiled is an understatement, especially by Jason.

  “Yeah, and poor momma,” her laughter rings around their home.

  “That too. I love those girls, but I can’t imagine being a parent and the worries that come with it.”

  “The good stuff outweighs the small worries. Totally worth it,” she beams.

  “So, does that mean you guys will have more?” I get excited, leaning forward as the steam of the coffee warms me.

  “Slow down. I think we’re good with two for now.” She puts her hand out in front of me as if I were sprinting around her home. Then, she chugs her coffee.