I might as well look cute doing it .
I sat down, realizing I was having a mini panic attack .
I was so not ready for this. Even with all that, I could not hide the excitement in my belly at the thought of seeing him. I was not ready to admit that either .
This was not good .
In fact, it was a recipe for disaster .
I decided the best thing to do was cancel. I was reaching for my phone when the doorbell rang. I heard the Kaylie’s voice. And Janet’s. And Sally’s and my stomach sank .
Guess there was no hope of backing out now .
“We come bearing gifts !”
Sally held up a garment bag .
“Well, not gifts. Just an adorable little dress that will fit you like a glove .”
I stared in awe as Sally unzipped the bag and held up a beautiful sundress. It was fit and flare, my most flattering style. Plus, since we both had busty hourglass figures, it looked like it would actually fit .
“Isn’t this a bit much ?”
“Not at all! Look at us, we’re all in dresses !”
Well, they were. Except Janet who was rocking a very short denim mini skirt with a slouchy cool top and strappy wedge sandals. If I had legs like that, I would rock a mico mini too .
“Or skirts !”
“Plus, it’s chambray. It’s practically denim !”
“Um, yeah, embroidered chambray .”
I ran my fingers over the dress. It was a soft blue fabric with beautiful white birds embroidered into the neckline and a few other well chosen spots .
There was even a tiny bee hovering over a flower by the hemline .
“The birds and the bees? Is there supposed to be a hidden message here ?”
She made a hushing sound and thrust the dress at me .
“Don’t be silly! It’s perfect. Go put it on !”
Kaylie held out a pair of pink kitten-heeled slingbacks. I remembered those shoes. She’d gone all the way to the mall three towns over to get them .
I’d been impressed, to say the least .
“You always liked these. I think they will look perfect! And you know we always used to borrow each other’s shoes !”
“You guys… it’s all very nice of you but I really don’t know. I don’t want anyone to think I dressed up for them. Isn’t this a bit much ?”
“Oh, everyone is getting spiffed up. There going to be a photographer there taking pictures. We are going to be in the background of Sally’s new cover art !”
“Oh. Okay. That’s really cool of you, Sally. So… thanks .”
I took the dress, hurrying back to my bedroom. I wasn’t going to lie, I wanted to wear it. And now since there was an excuse …
I unzipped the dress and shimmied out of my jean shorts and sneakers without missing a beat. I stepped into it, reaching behind me to grab the zipper. I only got it halfway up on my own. But when I looked in the mirror I froze in shock .
I. Looked . Good .
Not good for just having had a baby. Not good relatively speaking compared to the three gorgeous women in my kitchen .
Good. Period .
In fact, I’m not sure I ever looked better. It was a new feeling for me. Not like I didn’t know I was cute. Pretty even. But I’d never felt this confident in my life. This… beautiful. It was a foreign feeling to say the least .
The girls really had put together a great outfit for me. It was miraculously flattering on my curvy figure. I felt my courage start to make an appearance .
I slipped the heels on as Kaylie knocked and stepped inside .
“Need help?” She stared at me.”Oh my God Becky, you look stunning !”
“This dress is amazing .”
“I think so too. Just let me…” She whipped the clip out of my hair and it tumbled over my shoulders in loose waves. “That’s better .”
“Can you zip me the rest of the way up ?”
She grinned and reached behind me .
“ Thanks , K .”
“Did you pack your bikini ?”
I nodded as she grabbed my bag and practically dragged me down the hall. I could barely keep up. I was definitely going with the flow .
I had a feeling they would hogtie me if I didn’t .
“Whiskey is driving us. It’s too long a drive for us all to ride with the boys. Especially not now .”
Kaylie gave me a meaningful look. I knew she was pregnant and definitely smart not to ride a motorcycle in her condition. I nodded .
I’d just ride in the back and not talk to him. And I’d try not to stare .
Or drool over his gorgeous muscles .
We stepped outside and I stopped in my tracks. Whiskey was standing by a silver SUV. It was a huge car and he still dwarfed it. His beefy arms were crossed over his chest. His muscles had muscles. His blue eyes twinkled in the sun .
And that wasn’t all .
Whiskey had definitely gotten the memo about dressing spiffy. The man looked… well, he looked like a model. I’d never seen him look better, which was saying something since he already looked like a badass movie star .
I swallowed. The man looked he was an action movie hero most of the time. Now he looked sauve on top of it .
I let my eyes do a little wandering, hoping no one would notice .
Especially not Whiskey .
He was wearing a blue button down shirt that matched his eyes. His jeans looked new, but also soft enough to hug his sexy thighs. His hair was even neatly combed to the side .
And was that … gel ?
Oh. My . Word .
Kaylie continued dragging me down the front walk, practically shoving me towards him. Not the car . Him .
I stared at Whiskey. He stared at me. He looked like he was in shock. I knew without a doubt that I’d totally let the girls overdo it with the dress .
Darn it. Now he would know how I felt. That I still wanted him, even after everything he had done .
I had to be strong. I needed to protect myself. My pride. But most of all, my heart .
Eliza’s future happiness depended on me .
I’d just have to be extra careful not to be too obvious about how I felt. I’d throw him off the scent. There was no way I was making this easy for him .
“Becky. Wow. You look incredible .”
He sounded awe struck. I crossed my arms, tossing my hair over my shoulder .
“Oh, you noticed? I guess I must have looked like chopped liver before .”
He looked surprised and a little hurt .
“No, that’s not what I meant. I just …”
He was stammering. Whiskey was actually stammering. The biggest, most centered, most sensible guy in the club .
The man literally never lost his cool. He’d seen action during his service. He’d told me how scary it had been .
But he’d never faltered. Not once .
Now the man was blushing .
“I mean, you look extra nice when you wear a dress. I only ever saw you dressed up one other time .”
Oh. I looked away. I knew what night he was referring to. The wedding. The first night we’d gotten together and done ‘stuff’… lots and lots of stuff. Well, we could have made Petunia that night for all I knew .
The girls slipped into the backseats before I could and I stared at them in horror. I’d be riding up front the whole time? How long could I keep up this cold front ?
How long until he knew he still turned me into a pile of Becky goo? He was going to figure it out if I kept blushing and sighing around him .
Control yourself, woman !
Whiskey opened the passenger side door for me and I stared at it for a second. I didn’t really have a choice. I felt like I was shaking as I climbed inside. He made sure my fingers were out of the way before shutting the door firmly .
I put on my seatbelt, trying to ignore how close he was as he climbed into the driver’s seat. I stared at my hand in horror, and slipped it underneath my thigh .
> Sitting on your hands, Becks? Really ?
I’d done the same thing whenever I was nervous as a little girl .
“ New car ?”
Shut up, Becky! Just shut up! Be cold! Hard! Not chirpy and conversational !
“It’s Dev’s.” He gave me a winning smile. “But I think I am going to get one too. It’s nice if you want to bring someone along. Especially if they are wearing something as pretty as that dress .”
I snapped my mouth shut as he turned on the ignition .
I tilted my seat back and closed my eyes. I wasn’t the least bit tired but he had just knocked me on my ass with that smile. Everything he said was seductive. I was going to have to take drastic measures, unless I wanted to just fall back into bed with him .
At the moment, the naughty, little devil-Becky on my shoulder thought that was a pretty good idea. Thankfully, the well-beahaved but annoyingly good little angel-Becky on my other shoulder told me to resist as long as it was possible .
Even she seemed to know it was a lost cause .
I would just pretend to be asleep the whole way. It wasn’t rude to ignore someone if you were unconscious .
Right ?
Chapter Seventeen
Whiskey
I slapped my hand against my neck. I highly doubted there had even been a mosquito in the air conditioned car, but it didn’t matter. I did know I needed to snap out of this lazy afternoon sex haze I was sliding into .
Wake up, dumbass. She doesn’t even want to talk to you, let alone roll around in the sheets with you !
It was too bad though. Because I was right back where I’d been before she left. I was single-minded in my desire for her. Completely focused on one very important objective .
Operation Make Becky Squeal .
I felt my eyes trying to slide to the right again. To her .
Specifically, to those sexy legs of hers. Those curvy, swervey legs of hers. I had no problem recalling how silky they had felt wrapped around my hips while I …
Focus on the road, Whiskey. Precious cargo on board. Times three, or even more, if Jack was right about Janet having twins again .
It was a good thing Becky was sleeping or she would have noticed I was sporting wood. Big wood. I had a huge tent in my pants .
If a hard on falls in the forest, but no one hears it, does it make a sound ?
Great Whiskey. Deep thoughts. Really dignified .
This is exactly how to get her to talk to you. To take you back. To know you are serious about fixing whatever happened to hurt her last year .
I couldn’t believe I was getting a massive chub just from sitting next to her in a damn car when I should be focused on driving! This sort of thing did not happen to me. Ever! I felt like a damn teenager !
The girls were chatting quietly in the back, so unually well behaved for once that I looked in the rearview mirror to make sure they were alright. They looked extremely pleased with themselves. I had the sudden suspicion that they were up to something .
I glanced in the rearview mirror again and saw Kaylie smile and wink at me conspiratorially .
I knew it! They were up to something! And it had to do with Becky and me !
I actually felt better. If Dev’s old lady was on my side, then whatever I had done couldn’t have been all that bad. And maybe it could even help .
Kaylie was like a mama bear with the people she loved. She was sweet and cuddly and utterly terrifying if you crossed someone in her inner cirlce .
Becky definitely counted. I thought that maybe I did too. Suddenly, I felt like whistling. I grinned, tapping my hands on the steering wheel, in time with an imaginary song .
Everything seemed bright. I was even looking forward to the barbecue. Just like that, things seemed so different from the hopelessness of the day before .
Maybe we actually had a chance at making this work after all .
“We’re almost there, should we wake her up ?”
I shook my head. I knew Becky worked hard, pulling lots of doubles. I knew because I drove past Mae’s constantly, except when I was drunk. Which I had been for most of the past week .
Then I had someone else do it. The guys took turns driving my drunk ass home and back to the club, always taking the long way so we went past Mae’s .
So I figured she needed the sleep. Plus, she looked so sweet curled up like that. It reminded me of all the times I’d worn her out with my manly prowess. All the times she’d giggled when I acted like a hungry animal that wanted to devour her .
And especially, all the times she had slept in my bed during our brief relationship. Brief, but more impactful than any of the few other relationships I’d had .
And how much I’d missed it when she was gone .
I turned into the long private road that led to the cabin and parked. It was one step up from a dirt road. I held my finger to my lips as the girls carefully opened the doors and got out. Becky stirred a bit, but she didn’t wake up .
Not even when the girls closed the doors softly behind them .
I sat there, almost afraid to breath. But I could look at her now. I could look as much as I wanted .
It was another ten or fifteen minutes before her eyelids fluttered open. In that time, I’d nearly convinced myself that she was with me by choice .
That she still wanted me .
And for a split second, she sure seemed to. Her pretty eyes softened when she saw me, lighting up with something magical. She smiled and stretched .
Then she froze, her eyes shooting back to me in shock .
“Whiskey ?”
My voice was raw when I answered her .
“Hey, Becks .”
“How long have we been parked here ?”
“Not long. You seemed like you needed the rest .”
“You… sat here with me ?”
I exhaled, wondering if I should make a move. I took her hand, lacing my thick fingers through her dainty little ones .
“Somebody has to keep an eye on you .”
We stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like forever. Her eyes were searching, raw with emotion. So were mine, I imagined .
And then she pulled away, shaking her head. I watched her get out of the car and straighten her pretty dress .
“You should have woken me .”
She shut the door and walked up the steps to the party, taking a huge chunk of my heart with her as she went .
* * *
I manned the grill, as I’d promised to. I’d even brought some of my own special sauce and pre-marinated meat and veggies in a small cooler. Becky was obviously avoiding me, sitting as far away as possible and not making eye contact .
That didn’t help with my peace of mind, because I could still see her .
She looked sad, even when she smiled or held one of the kids on her lap. They flocked to her. She was just a natural with them .
One funny thing happened though. The photographer for the shoot never showed up. But no one seemed upset about it, not even Sally .
It was just starting to get dark when I heard the engines out front. Becky was staring out at the sunset. It was so beautiful, with bright orange and purple reflecting off the lake. No one had gone swimming except for the kids. Dev had driven them all over in his SUV while Jack and Donahue rode .
Even Callaway had showed up, though Donnie hadn’t seemed so happy about it. I caught them having a furtive argument but they’d stopped once they realized they had an audience .
But I thought the party was just getting started .
I ran out front, staring in shock as everyone peeled out of the driveway, taking both cars and all the bikes. A small gasp behind me made me turn to look .
Becky was staring at the empty driveway in horror. She turned to me and our eyes locked .
We’d been left behind .
We were stuck here. Just the two of us. There was no way out of here. The roads were far too dangerous to walk on. And it would take all night to get any
where close to town .
No cabs came out to the boonies .
Maybe this was a good thing, though. Maybe this could be good. We could talk. Maybe even more .
It was awfully romantic out here in the middle of nowhere .
I had a moment of wondering if it had been deliberate. If my friends had taken the matter into their own hands. But would all of Becky’s friends really do that to her? The guys might, but the girls all knew that she loathed me .
They probably even knew why .
I stared at Becky. She looked nervous. I realized that this was my chance to prove to her how perfect we could be together .
Maybe I could even find out why she broke up with me to begin with .
That’s when I smiled .
Chapter Eighteen
Becky
O h no .
No no no no no .
I stared at Whiskey’s back, realizing we were alone together .
Not just alone either .
We were trapped .
Stranded in the middle of nowhere .
I pulled out my phone, waving it in the air for a signal. Spotty at best. I did a quick search on the map for a car service .
No luck. The closest one was 50 miles away, all the way back in town. I stared down at my kitten heels, wondering if I could walk .
Fifty miles on winding roads. In the dark. Alone. With all sorts of wild animals on the loose, human and not .
There were bears out here. Wolves too .
Hmmm… maybe not such a good idea .
“Arrgh !”
Whiskey looked taken aback at the sound I’d made in frustration. Not very ladylike, though at the moment I didn’t much care. I had a sudden insight as my mind did rapid calculations .
And I knew without a doubt, that Kaylie was behind this .
I texted her .
I’m going to get you for this .
Dance With The Devil (The Devil's Riders Book 4) Page 7