“Are you suggesting we simply ignore a problem and hope it gets fixed?” his mother added.
“No. I’m saying, a full night’s sleep on all our parts would have probably helped.”
His father shook his head. “You should know better. If there’s a problem, it gets addressed. Period. That’s how we work.”
Ren sighed. “Maybe we can work smarter, not harder.”
“Maybe we work smart and hard,” his mother countered, “and we actually get a lead engineer in Zhuhai before March.”
Another losing battle. “The problem in Zhuhai will be taken care of by the end of the year,” he said, relenting. “And I’m sorry I turned off my phone, but I still think that you both are blowing my relationship with Rachel out of proportion.”
“So it’s not that serious?” his father asked eagerly.
“No, it is serious,” Ren said. “But it’s not a threat.”
His father harrumphed, and his mother looked worried.
“Aren’t you two headed to New York this weekend?” Ren asked. “You understand. A little time away won’t kill the company.”
“We are always available,” his mother said. “And we can fly back at a moment’s notice.”
“Besides, we’ll be talking with some investors while we’re out there,” his father said.
“Of course you are,” Ren murmured, shaking his head. Because it was always about business.
“We’re probably going to need you to go to Zhuhai and deal with the factory problems yourself, firsthand, sometime soon,” his father said.
Ren nodded. He’d been expecting this. There were too many things that conference calls weren’t covering. A business trip was going to have to happen, probably in the next few weeks.
Rachel had never been to Asia, he wagered. Zhuhai wasn’t all that sexy, but he could take her to see Macau, and take her around. She might enjoy it. He wondered absently if she could get some time off.
“So you’re going to need to stay focused,” his father said, interrupting his reverie. “That is my biggest problem with this… Rachel. You have lost your focus.”
“I’m still focused, Dad.”
His father shook his head, looking at his mother, who nodded. “Prove that to us,” he said, sharply. “Now. Let’s eat lunch.”
Chapter 9
“So… family meeting, huh?” Rachel said, as Hailey drove her home from work. “Sounds serious.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” Hailey said. “It’s just… I think we’ve all got some stuff we need to talk about.”
Rachel bit her lip, trying not to worry. She’d already run the gauntlet with girls’ night, and she knew already that Hailey was against Ren, and Cressida was worried. And then she’d gone and packed a bag and spent the night at the guys’ house. Not that she had to answer to her sisters, obviously, she told herself. But she knew that they had valid concerns.
I could tell them it’s just sex.
She sighed. But she knew that’d be a lie. The sex was amazing, and if it were anyone else, then yes, she could make the argument. But it was Ren. Being with him meant something.
Hailey pulled up to the house, and they both walked inside. Cressida had hot cocoas ready for them, non-alcoholic this time. “Hey, Rachel,” she said, hugging her. “I’m assuming you’re going out tonight?”
“Um, yes,” Rachel answered. “I told him I’d go out with him every night this week, until I decided one way or another if we’re going to, you know, continue. As a couple.”
“How’s that going?” Cressida sounded genuinely curious.
Some of Rachel’s resolve started to crumble. “I don’t know,” she answered. “Parts of it are really good…”
“The sex.” Hailey looked smug.
Rachel chuffed out a breath. “Then parts of it are confusing.”
“That’d be the emotions,” Cressida said. “Well, you’ll figure it out.”
Rachel wanted to say more, but she suddenly got a good look at Cressida’s face, and saw that her sister was dancing with nerves – and it had nothing to do with Ren.
“What’s going on?” Rachel asked.
Cressida looked at Hailey. “You want to start?”
Start? Start what?
Hailey actually looked a little unnerved, as well – which, for her amazingly confident sister, was a distinct novelty. “I have some news.”
Rachel felt her stomach drop. “Are you pregnant?”
Hailey’s eyes went round as dinner plates. “What? No! God!” She held a hand to her flat stomach. “We aren’t even thinking of that for a few years yet!”
Now it was Rachel’s turn to goggle. “You’ve talked about kids?” Just getting Hailey to commit had been a big step.
“Well, yeah,” Hailey said, and her cheeks reddened. “We’ve talked about a future together. And I guess we’re ready to take the next step.”
Rachel felt unaccountably dense. “The next step being…”
“We’re moving in together.” Hailey said the words quickly, in a mush, like we’removingintogether.
“You’re moving in together?” Rachel repeated, wanting to be sure she was clear.
“Yes. I mean, I’m over there practically every night anyway,” Hailey said defensively. “He’s asked me for months, and I just felt strange leaving you guys. But now that Cressida’s bought the place, it’s not like you need my rent. And…”
“And you want to be with your guy,” Cressida said, with a wide, delighted smile.
“Yeah. I want to be with him, all the time,” Hailey said. “We’ve talked about getting married. It makes me a little woozy, but I think I like it.”
Rachel felt a pang of happiness. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Hailey. Congratulations.” She grinned. “I’ll buy you an apron as a housewarming gift.” She could already think of a perfect one: retro, ruffled, black with cherries.
“Don’t think I can’t rock an apron,” Hailey said.
Rachel turned to Cressida. “How are you with it?” she asked. “It’ll be a little weird, just the two of us.”
Now it was Cressida’s turn to redden. “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Rachel felt herself stiffen. “Oh?”
“Since Hailey’s moving out, and since Noah’s moved up here from California…” Cressida cleared her throat. “I was thinking… I want to ask Noah to move in here. With me.”
Rachel blinked several times. “Noah? Move in here?”
“I know. It’s rushed,” Cressida said. “But I’ve known him for a long time online, and after everything we’ve been through, I know I love him. I want to be with him.”
Rachel swallowed. “It’s your house, Cress,” she said.
“No, don’t be that way,” Cressida said quickly. “Just because I bought the house doesn’t mean that it isn’t still your home, if you want it to be. Both of you,” she added, including Hailey.
“I’m making my home with Jake,” Hailey said. “But I’ll still work at the bookstore every day. And we’ll still have girls’ night here.”
“Will it bother you, Rachel? Having Noah in here, with us?”
Rachel thought about it. It did – but not for the reasons that Cressida might think. She didn’t want to be the third wheel, the older sister invading on Cressida’s near-connubial bliss. She also saw that Hailey and Cressida were moving on with their lives, much like Stacy was, and Kyla, and Mallory. They had their people.
Meanwhile, Rachel was having sex with Ren and wondering when the whole thing would collapse around her. They were moving forward. She couldn’t stop looking back.
“I am happy for you, too,” she told Cressida, when she noticed Cressida was anxiously awaiting her response. “I’m surprised, and it is kind of quick, but he seems to really love you, too. And it’s not like I was planning on living here forever, either.”
“Oh, you don’t have to move,” Cressida said, looking pained.
“I’ll probably wait until
after graduation, but it feels like it’s time,” Rachel said, reassuring her. “And again, it’s not like I won’t be in here all the time. It’s still Frost Fandoms, and we’re the Frost sisters.”
She pulled them in for a group hug. Hailey sniffled.
“We should’ve spiked the cocoa,” she said. “Damn. I hate being emotional.”
“Wait until you’re pregnant,” Cressida quipped, and Rachel burst into laughter as Hailey glared.
“So what are you doing tonight?” Hailey asked Rachel. “Going back to his place?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said, making the decision that moment. “I think I’ll…”
Her phone buzzed, and she saw it was a text from Ren. She opened it.
Stuck at the office a little late. Okay for a driver to pick you up, take you to my place? Easier to go from there on a Friday night.
She sighed. Working late, again, this time on a Friday night.
“What is it?” Hailey said perceptively.
Rachel texted Ren back: Driver’s fine. See you at your place.
“Ren’s got to work late,” she explained, “so he’s sending a driver to pick me up.”
“That’s got to be nice,” Cressida said. “So much more convenient.”
“Working late, huh?” Hailey looked suspicious.
“He really is working late,” Rachel said. “Of all the things I might worry about with him, cheating on me isn’t one of them.”
“Of course it isn’t.” Cressida sounded shocked. “He dumped you, but he was never that guy. The cheating guy.”
“He dumped her,” Hailey replied. “And they’re all potentially that guy.”
“It’s his family, and the job,” Rachel said. “It’s his first priority.”
They fell quiet as Rachel realized the import of her statement.
I’m not his first priority.
Should she be, though? She frowned at herself. They were just dating. Not even that, to be technical. If she wanted to be his first priority, then maybe she was pursuing the wrong relationship. Maybe she ought to do the smart thing and cut this off now.
“You deserve to be first priority,” Cressida said quietly. “I know that much.”
“Find you a guy that loves you like a workaholic loves the job,” Hailey agreed.
Rachel hugged herself, nodding. “You know what they say most pilots say on the black box, before a plane goes down?”
Hailey looked surprised. “This took a kinda grim turn.”
“They say ‘oh, shit.’ Not screaming or anything, either. Just a sort of resigned, can’t do anything about it, oh shit.”
Cressida looked at her askance. “Did you hear this on Twitter?”
“I don’t remember. Anyway, the point is, I know that Ren and I are a long shot. And I get the feeling there’s going to be a point where I just say ‘oh, shit’ and then call it quits.” Rachel raised her chin. “I haven’t quite gotten there yet.”
“Well, as long as you’re optimistic,” Cressida said, rolling her eyes. “You might be surprised.”
“You’re on his side, now?” Hailey said.
“No. I’m on Rachel’s side, always,” Cressida said loyally. “But I also know that if you go in assuming it’s going to fail, it’s going to fail. He cares about you. I’ll bet he still loves you.”
“It’s been ten years,” Hailey said. Then she turned to Rachel. “Do you still love him?”
Rachel pressed her lips together. Hailey’s jaw dropped.
“No.”
“I don’t know,” Rachel said, her voice quiet.
“Well,” Cressida said, nudging her, “now might be a good time to figure that out. Give him a chance. A real chance.”
Rachel felt Cressida’s words hit her like a hammer. She’d been analyzing this, kvetching over the possibilities and the pitfalls. Maybe she did need to get out of her own way, and see if this thing with Ren could work.
What was the worst that could happen, right?
You get your heart broken. Again. Worse than last time.
She closed her eyes. She would try some of Cressida’s optimism, and hopefully it wouldn’t bite her on the ass.
#
Ren got home exhausted. After his lunch with his parents, the day had been a non-stop revolving door of headaches. He’d implemented a stop gap measure and temporarily put an acting lead engineer in place at the Zhuhai factory, but it was temporary at best. There needed to be better leadership over there. There were also the software issues that still needed to be addressed. He’d finally found the clause that could cancel their contract with the current developer, but that’d be another thing that needed to be replaced and fixed. His muscles felt like they were piano wire, pulled taut as a garrote.
How the hell am I supposed to romance Rachel with all this? He didn’t want to go out, especially to some joint that he could grab dinner for less than fifty bucks, and still show her he was thoughtful and romantic. He ought to: she deserved every moment to be special. But God, was he tired.
He heard her knock on his door and winced. He’d have to come up with something. There were some great food trucks over by South Delridge, but that’d probably be cold at this time of year. Still, the food would be excellent. And maybe he could convince her to have it take out, and they could…
What? It’s too cold for a picnic. Already took her to the movies. Fancy dinners are out. And just coming back here? Lame.
He let out a sigh as he walked over to the door. He should’ve come up with something during the day.
When he opened the door, he was surprised to find her with take-out bags in hand already, as well as her backpack with clothes. “Hey there,” she said. “I got us pho. That okay?”
He took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious scents of the beef soup. “That sounds just about perfect,” he admitted.
“Best part is, we can heat up the broth and eat the soup later,” she said, putting stuff down in the kitchen as he closed the door.
He felt a little slow. “Why is that the best part?”
She grinned at him over her shoulder. “Because we don’t have to eat right away. How was your day, dear?”
He gave her an answering grin. “Better now.”
“Charmer.” She tossed her backpack into his room, then took off her coat and tossed it on the bed. Then she studied him. “You look wrung out.”
“Thanks.” He took off his tie.
“I know you usually do the planning for this dating-fest,” she said, walking up to him, “but I thought tonight might be different.”
“I’m intrigued.” He let her lead him back to the bedroom. He was surprised when she led him to the en suite bathroom.
“It’s cold out,” she said. “And rainy. And you’ve had a long, stressful day, and so have I.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, stroking her arms.
She smiled at him, then pulled her sweater over her head, leaving her in only a black demi-bra, pushing up the creamy skin of her already pert breasts.
His mouth watered. His palms itched.
“So I was thinking: hot shower,” she said, with a sassy smile. “Then soup. It’s the perfect thing for a rainy night.”
“Sounds absolutely perfect,” he growled, his body hardening. He unbuttoned his shirt, cursing at his own clumsiness when he realized his hands were shaking. Watching her slip off her slacks, standing there in black high-cut panties that matched the bra, had him aching. He all but tore his own clothes off.
She slipped out of her bra, then stepped out of her panties, kicking them aside. She turned his shower on, then beckoned him from behind the glass door. “Water’s fine,” she said, her smile pure sex.
He shoved off his boxers, then joined her in the shower, turning on the other showerhead. She smiled.
“Decadent,” she murmured, since water could hit both of them. The shower fogged.
“Handy,” he replied. He groaned as the hot water sluiced over him, slowly easing the knots
of tension that had collected in between his shoulders, and up his neck. He reached for her, feeling her slick body against his, the water running down in rivulets between them. Down the valley between her breasts, down the flat planes of her stomach. Between the taut muscles of her thighs.
Her hair turned to liquid ebony in the water, and her eyelashes were dotted with crystal water droplets. She blinked at him, her smile wide.
Then she got up on her tiptoes and kissed him, hard.
He opened his mouth, his tongue twining with hers as his cock lodged between their stomachs. She was groaning into him, making these low sexy sounds that made him harder. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him, her breasts crushed against him, her nipples dragging against his chest. Then he slicked one hand up into her wet hair, tugging her head back so he could devour her neck. He licked at the water before sucking hard, drawing a strangled cry from her. She inched one leg up, anchoring it around his waist.
Oh, hell yeah.
He picked her up, pressing her against the cold tiles. She gasped, and automatically wrapped the other leg around him.
“You are so fucking hot,” he said against her skin, sucking a nipple into his mouth and swirling around the nipple with his tongue. She gasped louder, and he heard the thud as she put her head back against the tile. “The things I want to do to this body…”
“Do it,” she urged, rolling her hips, arching her back and edging up as if she were trying to climb him.
He reached down with one hand, positioning his cock at her center, which had a wet heat that had nothing to do with the shower. It seduced him. He stroked the head up and down her damp slit, her slickness coating him and almost making him dizzy.
“I want you to fuck me,” she murmured in his ear, before nipping at his earlobe. Her fingernails grazed his shoulders. “I want you to fuck me so hard, Ren.”
He pressed forward, his cock sliding easily, the tip entering…
Then he froze.
“Shit.” He rested his head against the tiles behind her shoulder. “Baby, I need to get…”
“Condom?” She moved fractionally, and he moaned at the pleasure that rushed through him.
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