“We’re excited, too. I’m Chloe, ChapterChick on the site. And this is Daphne, my partner in book-club crime. How do you know Mads?”
“I met her through a mutual friend, Jace Stone, who’s now married to another book club member, Madigan’s cousin Dixie.”
“We know her,” Chloe said.
“I love her,” Marly said. “I met Jace at Bikes on the Beach years before he and Dixie became an item, after I lost my brother to a motorcycle accident.”
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Chloe and Daphne said at once.
“Thank you. It was his first time on a motorcycle, and like a lot of young guys, he thought he was indestructible and rode without a helmet,” Marly explained. “It was horrible. I lost my best friend, and I miss him every day. But we’re not going down that road tonight. Anyway, when I met Jace, I had just started the Head Safe helmet program to try to keep other families from having to face the same thing we did. Jace helped me get started and introduced me to the Dark Knights. That’s how I met Mads, and through them I met Gabe, Starr, and Steph.”
Madigan put her arm around Marly and said, “And now she’s stuck with us.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Marly said.
“Neither would we,” Steph said.
Gracie banged on the screen door, and Starr swooped her into her arms. “No, no, baby. Don’t hit the screen.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m the worst hostess tonight, keeping you on the porch,” Chloe exclaimed. “Come inside.”
Chloe followed them in, and there was a round of oohs and ahhs over the decorations as they took off their rain jackets and hung them in the closet. Chloe was glad everyone had dressed for the occasion in cute Hawaiian-print sundresses and tops.
“This is going to be so fun,” Steph said as she walked into the living room. “You really went all out, Chloe. I love the decorations.”
“It looks like a certain little lady loves the decorations, too,” Daphne said as Starr chased after Gracie, who was making a beeline for the card table’s grass skirt.
“Careful, Gracie,” Starr said gently. “No pulling on the grass.”
Gracie blinked up at her and said, “No gass.”
“That’s right, sweetie.” Starr ran a hand down her daughter’s back and said to the others, “Thanks for letting me bring my baby girl. If she gets into too much trouble or gets whiney, I’ll take off so she doesn’t ruin everyone’s night.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve got lots of helping hands tonight,” Daphne said.
Chloe pointed to the basket of toys and said, “I bought a few provisions, just in case.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I brought her toys in my bag,” Starr said. “But thank you. That was really nice of you.”
Chloe got the kebabs out of the oven and they chatted as she transferred them to a platter. “I set up the dining room table, but it might be more fun if we put a blanket on the living room floor and have a picnic. We can pretend we’re on the beach.”
“That sounds great,” Madigan said, and the others agreed.
Chloe was heading into the other room to get a blanket when the doorbell rang. “Who else said they were coming?” she asked, circling back to answer it. She pulled open the door and found Justin, looking hot and delicious in faded jeans and a white T-shirt. His eyes blazed down her body, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
“Holy hell, gorgeous.” He hauled her into his arms and kissed her so thoroughly, she came away dizzy.
“What was that?” Steph exclaimed, hurrying over to the doorway with the others on her heels.
“The hottest kiss I’ve ever seen,” Daphne said.
“They’re together now,” Madigan said, jerking Chloe from her lust-filled reverie. “We caught them making out in the parking lot last night.”
“Justin, what are you doing here?” Chloe asked as two more trucks pulled into the driveway and three guys piled out. “I told you not to crash the meeting.” She had needed that kiss so badly after thinking about him all day—she should probably thank him instead of asking why he was there. She had a fleeting thought wondering whether that kiss made her like her mother, but she quickly nixed it. Justin was nothing like the awful men her mother dated, and she was nothing like her mother. She was allowed to be happy with a good man.
“Wait a second! Is Chloe Uptown Girl?” Starr asked.
“Yes,” Madigan said with a nod.
Everyone looked surprised and happy, and Chloe was sure she did, too. “I am Uptown Girl, but I’d rather be known as Justin’s girl.”
There was an outpouring of agreement from the girls as Justin pulled her into his arms and said, “My girl, Maverick’s old lady, Uptown Girl. I don’t care as long as you’re mine.”
Her heart stumbled at the emotions swimming in his eyes.
“I’m not crashing your meeting, babe,” he said softly. “I figured my girl would want to put her toes in the sand at her luau, so I brought the beach to you.”
Chloe had no idea what he meant, but the idea of him even wanting to do something special for her made her all mushy inside. She saw Tank and Blaine coming up the walk in the pouring rain, pushing wheelbarrows piled high with something she couldn’t make out. Behind them, Zeke and Zander had their arms full of more indistinguishable items. The girls looked as confused as she was. “I don’t understand.”
Justin took her hand and said, “We have a lot of years of you not having the parties you deserved to make up for, and from now on I’m going to make sure every single event is better than the last. Starting right now. We’re going to set up a beach for your luau.”
She was speechless.
Daphne nudged Chloe and said, “If you don’t marry this man, I’m going to.”
“Daphne, you just climbed to the top of my favorite person list, right beside Chloe,” Justin said. He looked at the girls and said, “Okay, ladies, we’re moving this party to the screened-in porch out back. If you clear off the tables, we’ll take care of the rest.”
Chloe helped the girls clear the tables, watching in shock as Zeke and Zander set out tarps on her back porch, and then the four men poured bag after bag of sand on the tarps. Chloe and her friends talked over one another, sharing their disbelief and excitement, as the guys carried the tables, the luau hut, and all the other decorations outside. They restrung the tiki lights around the ceiling of the porch, adding more that Justin had brought with him. He’d even brought a small grated firepit and two sound machines, which played ocean sounds. Her rough and rugged biker had thought of everything. She had no idea he was such a romantic, and she felt herself opening up even more for him.
As the girls gushed over the guys’ efforts, Gracie tried to climb Blaine like a ladder. He picked her up, talking to her and tickling her belly. When he tried to put Gracie down, she lifted her knees, clinging to him with all her might.
“Oh God, here we go,” Starr said quietly. “She’s pulled up her landing gear.” The girls huddled around her.
“Too bad big girls can’t get away with that.” Marly eyed Blaine and said, “He might be the eye of the storm in public, but I’ll bet that man is a typhoon in the bedroom. The kind that leaves you limp as a rag doll but craving more because…well…just look at him.”
Madigan crossed her arms, glaring at Marly. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to hear your thoughts involving my brothers in your bedroom?”
“Then I guess I shouldn’t tell you about my double-duty dream about Zeke and Zander,” Starr teased.
“Don’t even get me started.” Marly waggled her brows and said, “I’ve got a book Zeke can study. The Kama Sutra. And look at Tank. Mm-mm. I’d like to slide down that fireman’s pole.”
“Ohmygosh!” Daphne turned beet red.
Chloe and the girls laughed hysterically.
Madigan scowled at Marly, but her eyes gave her amusement away as she said, “Girl, you are all over the place. Why did I bring you with me t
onight?”
“Because you love me.” Marly batted her lashes.
Blaine tried to put Gracie down again, but Gracie cried, “No!” and lifted her legs again.
Starr sighed. “Why does she always do this to me?”
“Seems like you’ve got the perfect wing-girl,” Steph said.
“Right?” Gabe laughed and said, “I might have to borrow her sometime.”
“You should see what Hadley does,” Daphne said. “She’s all over the wrong men. First it was my boss, then our friend Jett, and now she’s totally into this gorgeous guy named Jock, who, thanks to my daughter, practically runs in the opposite direction every time he sees us.”
“Sounds like our girls are going to be trouble when they’re older,” Starr said, watching Blaine trying to help the guys using only one hand.
“Maybe you should go rescue Blaine,” Gabe suggested.
“Can you just leave Gracie with him for a minute longer? He looks good with a baby in his arms,” Marly said.
“Come on, let’s help put the food back on the tables before you start drooling.” Madigan took Marly’s hand and dragged her into the house.
Starr went to save Blaine. Steph and Daphne followed, but Zander intercepted them, in full-on-flirt mode. Chloe’s gaze was riveted beyond them all to Justin as he and Tank adjusted the position of one of the tables. Justin motioned toward Zander and the girls and said something quietly to Tank. Tank’s eyes narrowed, and he strode over to them. Chloe had no idea what Tank did next, because Justin was swaggering toward her with a sinful look in his eyes. He put his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
Was this their new normal? Kisses as greetings? Showing up unannounced for romantic surprises? She could get used to this.
“What do you think, blondie?”
“Who can think when you’ve done something so wonderful? I’m still in shock that you thought of all this, much less did it. We haven’t even gone on a real date yet.”
“Real dates are important, but they’re just formalities. We’ve been friends for a long time. We’re way past dates. I brought you soup when you were sick, even though you wouldn’t let me in the door. Do I need to spell it out for you?”
“I had the stomach flu. I was saving you from catching it.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that. I took you to the clinic when you twisted your ankle on your mile-high heels—”
“I was going to drive myself,” she reminded him.
He gave her a deadpan look. “Which is exactly why I drove you. Take a moment to think about us, Chloe. You were the one who picked out the picture of the stone bench that I made for Harper and Gavin as a wedding present, and it was the perfect gift. You helped me with invitations for my gallery opening.”
“That wasn’t hard.” And she’d had so much fun doing it with him, she’d do it again a hundred times over.
“It’s not about how hard the task is; it’s about doing things together, helping each other. You were my bra pong partner at Harper’s bachelorette party.”
“Which you crashed,” she said with a smile, remembering that night all too well because it was the first night of the storm. The night before our almost kiss.
His expression turned serious. “We’ve had fun, we’ve been there for each other, and we’ve even argued. Although I admit I’ve lost more times than I’ve won arguing with you. I’ve given you some of my best come-on lines, and you’ve spent countless nights stealing glances at me when we were out with our friends and giving me smart-ass retorts that I fucking loved. I’ve laughed with you, held you when you cried, and now that I know how you feel about parties, I have a sneaking suspicion you were behind my birthday dinner at Summer House with Vi and our friends. The motorcycle cake? Cookies frosted to look like artist palettes? Chocolate sculpting tools? Black balloons that said LET’S RIDE? It all makes sense now. I thought it was Gavin who set that up.”
“I didn’t want you to know,” she said softly, remembering the nights last fall when she’d pulled it all together. “Now it seems silly to have kept it a secret.”
“Not silly, babe. You were in denial, but I wasn’t. Don’t you see, Chloe? All of that makes a solid foundation for what will be a great relationship.”
She felt a little giddy, which wasn’t like her at all. But how could she not be? She knew he was right. “Okay, Mr. Wicked. You’ve got me. You’re pretty amazing, and I must have been walking around with blinders on, because before the night you came over to finish our dance, I thought you were just playing with me.”
“I was, but I’ve always been playing for keeps with you, Chloe. If I’d known that you’d missed out on birthday parties and anything else when you were younger, I’d have been doing things like this for you the whole time I’ve known you, even if you refused to go out with me.”
He paused, as if he wanted his words to sink in, and they sure did.
“I’m going to take these guys and get out of here so you can have your girls’ night.” He kissed her cheek and said, “Go put your toes in the sand, beautiful. I’ll see you tomorrow night for our date.”
A COUPLE OF hours and many laughs later, the rain had stopped, Chloe had taken far too many pictures, and Gracie was fast asleep on a blanket, holding her monkey. Chloe and the girls cleaned up the leftovers and reassembled her living room. As they carried the dining room table inside, her mind drifted back to Justin, as it had been doing all night. When she’d first seen him on the porch, she’d thought he’d come to crash the meeting, to flirt and make light of their group as he’d done in the past. She was so thankful that in all the time they’d known each other, he hadn’t given up on her. That really told her who he was. She was still thinking about his confession that he hadn’t fooled around with anyone else since they’d met. Then again, he was the man she’d compared all other men to. Even over dinner or drinks, none of them had been able to hold a candle to him. Could it really have been the same for him?
“What is that goofy smile for?” Gabe asked as the girls began gathering their things.
“Nothing,” Chloe said, but she heard a dreaminess in her voice.
“He’s a good egg, Chloe,” Gabe reassured her. “I’ve known Justin for a long time. Everything he does comes from his heart.”
“Or his long dong,” Daphne said in a hushed whisper. Her cheeks flamed, and giggles burst from her lips. She slapped her hand over her mouth, and everyone laughed.
“I can’t even tell her not to say that about my brother. Look at her!” Madigan said. “She’s so embarrassed even her ears are red.”
“Do I want to know how Daphne knows that about Justin?” Starr asked.
“I don’t know it!” Daphne insisted. “Our friend Emery saw him naked. It’s a long story, and she didn’t sleep with him, but she swears it’s true.”
Everyone looked at Chloe expectantly. She couldn’t help but make a joke. “It is a long story.”
They all cracked up.
“On that note, I’m heading out. Come on, Marly, before they get you talking about my brothers’ body parts.” Madigan hugged Chloe and said, “This has been the funnest night I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’m so glad everyone came. I’ll walk you out,” Chloe said as Starr came into the living room carrying Gracie, fast asleep on her shoulder. “Starr, I’ll get your bag and umbrella.”
“Do you know whose turn it is to choose the next book?” Marly asked as she and the others grabbed their jackets.
“Not yet. Tomorrow morning I’ll pull the list of members and use a random number generator to select the member who gets to choose. I’ll announce it on the forum.” Chloe followed them out to their cars.
“I hope whoever gets chosen lives close so we can all go to the meeting together,” Steph said.
“Me too,” Daphne said. “This was the best meeting yet. It would have been the best even if the guys hadn’t brought the beach to us, although that made it epi
c.”
“That was all Justin, and it was for Chloe,” Madigan said.
“Did you know he was doing that for her?” Gabe asked.
“No,” Madigan said. “I just meant that we shouldn’t forget that he did it just for Chloe. All of my brothers have big hearts, but Justin makes extra efforts for the people he cares about. I’ll never forget what he did for me when I was in seventh grade.”
“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Chloe urged.
“There was a school dance, and all of my friends had dates except for me,” Madigan explained. “Justin had moved out of the house by then, but when he heard about it, he showed up at the dance. The girls went gaga over him, and the boys thought he was the coolest guy they’d ever seen in his leather jacket and biker boots. He led me out on the dance floor, and I was totally embarrassed because, you know, he’s my brother. I begged him not to make me dance with him. But you know Justin. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He looked me dead in the eyes and said that dance wasn’t for me; it was for him. He said he was proud to have me as his sister and that he finally had a chance to let the world know it.”
“He said that?” Chloe asked.
“Sure did, and he was nineteen years old, when most guys are jerks.” Madigan tossed her purse in her car and said, “But I think the real reason he did it was that he knew once the cool guy danced with me, boys my age would want to.”
“I told you everything he did came from his heart,” Gabe said to Chloe. “What he did tonight was probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen a guy do in real life.”
“I had no idea Justin could even be romantic.” At least not until the night he came over to finish our dance. Chloe kept that to herself because it felt intimate and special, and she wanted to keep it that way. Thinking about how he’d remembered what she’d said last night about her mother never celebrating special events, she said, “I know better now. But I think a better word for him is thoughtful.”
A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds Page 14