by Avril Ashton
He didn’t know what Jenna was playing at with those words, but he nodded and went along with whatever she said.
Arden smiled beatifically. “That so?”
Why was she pushing him? Reno jerked his head in a nod. “Jenna and I are fine.”
Arden’s expression mocked him, because clearly he knew, like she knew, she hadn’t been referring to Jenna.
“Nice to meet you, Jenna.” Arden shook Jenna’s hand again, and winked at Reno. “Reno, I’m positive we’ll be seeing each other again soon.” She walked away before he could verbalize the grunt in his throat. How dare Arden make it appear as if he’d been the one to fuck up? Indy had made her choice, and he’d simply followed her play.
“Come, let’s dance.” He cupped Jenna’s elbow and guided her to the small dancing area. He took her in his arms and swayed to the music. Bending a little, he pressed a kiss to her hair. With Indy he’d never had to bend.
Shit.
Cupping Jenna’s nape, Reno tilted her head back. “What was that?” he asked. “You made it sound like you and I were together.”
Jenna grinned up at him. “What? At first I thought she was the ex, but you just seemed annoyed by her.” She clutched at his sides, nails biting into his skin through his clothes. “The tension was making me ill, so I had to add my two cents.”
Reno snorted. “Really? By making her think we’re a couple?”
“Who is she, really?”
“The best friend of the woman I told you about.”
“That’s great!”
Okay, maybe he was going blind because nowhere there did he see anything great about the situation. “Huh?”
“She’ll tell her friend all about me, the new girl you brought back from Cali.” Jenna blew him a kiss. “And if she even cares about you one little bit, I bet good money your girl will come running. She’ll be jealous.” Jenna winked. “You can thank me later.”
He didn’t quite buy her logic, but Reno simply rolled his eyes and remained silent. The tempo of the music changed, and he lifted his head, looking out into the crowd. When his vision focused he made out Arden and her man, and the woman standing beside them.
Indy.
Reno’s breath caught. She wore some kind of halter, short-shorts combo in a color that made her skin shine, gold or something. Her thick curly hair was pinned up, though a few tendrils had escaped and now brushed her forehead and ears. Her tattoos were on display, the stars on her face and neck, the dark band around her neck like a collar, and her dead sister’s name in script over her left breast.
She watched him as he watched her, expression blank. He wanted to go to her, demand to know if she missed him like he’d missed her, but he couldn’t, because suddenly he wasn’t so sure of Indy’s feelings anymore.
Did she still care?
Jenna shifted in his arms, and Reno slid his palm down her back, to just over the swell of her ass. He hadn’t broken eye contact with Indy, and he saw her eyes flare then narrow dangerously.
What did it mean?
“Reno, you okay?” Jenna pulled back and stared up at him. “You went all stiff on me and not in the good way.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He cracked a smile at Jenna then quickly looked up again, in time to watch Indy disappear in the direction of the restrooms. “Listen, I need to go to the men’s room. You gonna be okay for a bit?”
Jenna nodded. “Sure, I’ll stand over by the bar.” She kissed his cheek, and he waited, hands fisted as she walked over to the bar. Only then did he move, hurrying to the restrooms in the back. He raced by Arden and Cam, ignoring the smirk Arden threw his way.
She was right. He was such a sucker. Indy had chased him away, denied them, but here he was, running behind her like the kid she’d once accused him of being.
He stood outside the women’s restroom, hands in his pockets, legs shaking. Two young women came out, but no Indy. He knocked on the door twice, hard, and when no one answered his pushed his way in and bolted the door behind him.
She stood at the sink, back to him, washing her hands.
“Indy.”
“I’d heard you were back.” She didn’t look up from the sink. “Heard also that you brought wifey with you.”
He didn’t speak, and they lapsed into a heavy awkward silence. She finished washing her hands and wiped them with paper towel from the dispenser mounted to the wall, before walking past him.
“Bye, Reno.”
He grabbed her arm, yanked her close. “That’s it?” he hissed. “A year has come and gone, and that’s all you’ve got to say to me?”
She tilted her head and looked down at where he held her, lashes lowered.
“Indy.” He didn’t mean to sound so fucking needy, and he didn’t know what he wanted, what he expected from her, but he knew he needed something. Anything.
Her lashes lifted, and she pinned him in place with one of her steely gazes. “No, on second thought, here’s what I want to know.” She pulled away from his hold and leaned in, lips barely brushing his cheek when she asked, “You showing that cheerleader out there all the things I taught you, Reno?” Twisting around, she caught him by the neck and pushed him into the door. “You showing her the skills I taught you, how to eat pussy, how to take it up the ass?” She jammed a thigh between his legs, pressing hard against his balls. “Huh?”
He grabbed her wrist, holding her as tight as she held him. “I can show her anything I choose.” He couldn’t help writhing on the thigh tormenting his balls. It hurt too fucking good, but she already knew that. “She’s not ashamed to hold my hand in public,” he spat. “That’s why she gets my respect, and you don’t.”
Someone knocked on the bathroom door. “Hey, open up!”
Indy’s lips twisted in the semblance of a smile. “I couldn’t give two fucks about your respect, Reno.” She released him and stepped away, righting her clothes. “Respect Barbie all you want, but I wonder, does that respect make you feel like I make you feel?” She lifted an eyebrow. “I’m guessing not, and when you come to that realization and get rid of Blondie, you know where I’ll be.”
“Fuck you, Indy.” He pushed away from the door, stepped back. “If you think I’m going back down that road with you, you can forget it.”
She opened the door and walked out. The person waiting there was a blur as she sped past. Indy looked over her shoulder at him. “See you around, Reno.” She strutted off with a sexy sway to her hips that always had him drooling.
He poked his head out, scouting out both ends of the hallway before stepping out and hurrying back to Jenna. Indy’s touch still lingered on his skin, like a burn or a tattoo he couldn’t get rid of.
Chapter Three
She wanted to stay home and hide under the covers, she really did, but Indy was a professional, and as such she rolled her ass out of the too-fucking comfortable bed, plied on the war paint also known to the masses as makeup, and dressed. Then she guzzled coffee, put on sensible shoes, and went out to what she did best, sold homes.
She showed three homes, closed on one, and put another up for sale on her website. The economy might be fucked, but the real estate business was booming in Ridgefield. Good for her wallet, not so good on her shoes.
Who in the hell wore sensible shoes? Shoes were worn to make a statement, goddamn it.
After a day spent traipsing all over the place, she made her way back to the office and collapsed at her desk. Sweat moistened her armpits and pooled between her breasts.
“Shit.” She released the first three buttons on her blue silk blouse and fanned herself. She wasn’t a fan of sweating, unless it was between the sheets, but damn if it wasn’t hot out. It didn’t help anyone that her air conditioning had also decided to mess with her. She’d been working hard lately, but the upside was, she didn’t have a lot of down time to spend thinking of ways to harm Reno’s blonde chick.
Total upside right there.
He’d held her too close, right there in the middle of Kell
y’s, for everyone to see. He’d looked so good, his black hair a bit longer, gray eyes still deep and sparkling. He was all tanned, and he still intimidated her with his line-backer size. The dimple in his chin, still there. As were the tiny freckles near his nose.
Now everyone knew he was with someone. Everyone knew he wasn’t with Indy.
Yes, she’d told him to go to California, told him to take the job he’d been dreaming of, the chance to work beside one of his idols in the scientific field, but damn it, she hadn’t given him permission to move on without her. For her first sight of him in over a year to be like that, holding someone else. It hurt.
Too damn much.
But she had proof, didn’t she? He’d moved on, and there she was, still wallowing in the murk of her memories and her guilt. She’d been scared, too scared of loving him and losing him like she’d lost everyone else she cared about. So to protect herself, she kicked him out of her bed and her life. The guilt of what she’d done ate at her.
Move on, too, girlfriend.
“Ms. Steele, you in here?”
She jerked her head up and waved the AC repair man in when he knocked on her open door. A slender dark-skinned man stepped into her office, wearing dirty jeans and a gray-blue shirt with the name of the repair company and a name tag.
Jarvis.
“Hello, Jarvis.”
A wide smile split his face, and he nodded. “Ms. Steele, I’m here to take a look at your AC unit.” Yet his eyes hadn’t moved from her chest.
Indy grinned. “Don’t you think you should call me by my first name, Jarvis?” She winked. “We did go to school together.”
Surprise flashed in his dark eyes. “I wasn’t sure you remembered me.”
Jarvis was a good looking man, all wide shoulders, muscles, and a tight ass. Of course she remembered. She pointed to the other room where her assistant would be, if she’d bothered to look for one. “It’s out there, and I’ll be in here,” she held his gaze, “when you’re finished.”
Took Jarvis a second to break eye contact and walk out the office, but he did, and Indy smiled. She was so moving on from that fucker Reno. She busied herself taking care of business and making plans.
She wasn’t even aware the AC was back on in full force, until a throat cleared. She looked up from the computer. Jarvis stood there, clipboard in hand.
“All done?” She raised an eyebrow.
He nodded. “You needed a new cord. The one you had on was frayed.”
“Well I have had the unit since forever.” She granted him an apologetic shrug.
“I need you to sign here.” He walked over and laid the clipboard on her desk, pointing at the spot where she needed to put her signature.
As she scribbled her name, she peeked at Jarvis’s ring finger, to double check he hadn’t gotten hitched since the last time she’d seen him. Blessedly bare. She almost bared her teeth.
Above her, Jarvis cleared his throat again, a nervous gesture she realized once she met his gaze.
“There you go,” she said. “All done.”
“Uh, Ms. Steele—”
“Indy.” She sat back in her chair and watched him, watched the slide of his Adam’s apple, the slight widening of his eyes, and the hint of sweat on his brow.
“Indy,” he spoke quietly, not what she’d have expected. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me. Tonight.”
Ooh, look at that. She didn’t have to do anything. She grinned to herself. She’d have thought she’d lost her edge the past year she’d gone without the touch of another man, but Jarvis here put that fear to bed. Done.
She dropped her gaze to the pen in her hand as she twirled it between thumb and forefinger. “I’d love that, Jarvis.”
He all but reared back, a shocked expression on his face. “You would?” His voice shot up an octave.
“I would, yes.” She nodded and pulled out her phone. “Pick me up, say eight o’clock?”
He nodded eagerly. “Yes.” His throat worked. “Uh, yeah, I can do that.”
So eager. She liked that. The sight made her pussy flood, made her panties wet. She’d go out with Jarvis, and anyone else who asked, and she would enjoy herself, without thinking about Reno fucking Barbie like he used to fuck Indy.
****
She stopped to get her hair and nails done at Gloria’s. A normally relaxing experience, but not today. Nope. She sat in the chair, head thrown back, getting her deep conditioning on while Tabitha worked her magic massaging her feet.
Bliss. Should have been blissful and it was, until someone sat down in the chair next to hers.
“Cora, I see that fine son of yours is back,” Gloria said, “and with a new girlfriend to boot.”
Shit!
Cora was Reno’s mother, a really lovely woman Indy had nothing but respect for … until she began waxing poetic about the girlfriend. Indy learned way more than she wanted to in that chair. Blondie’s name was Jenna, a New Yorker. She was going to be a pediatrician, take care of sick kids, and she and Reno would be traveling to New York after their week was up in Ridgefield.
Indy gritted her teeth and tried blocking out the sounds, but goddamn it, she couldn’t escape. She couldn’t escape Reno and his Jenna. They were everywhere.
She sent up a prayer of thanks when Cora left before her. Apparently she’d come in only to get her nails done. Indy wanted to yell, “Finally!” but instead she bit her tongue and prayed for the damn day to be over already.
She wondered how Jarvis felt about sex on first dates? She really needed some stress relief, and she wasn’t sure the arsenal she kept in her nightstand would be adequate. She wanted a flesh and blood man.
Whose name was not Reno Sandovar.
****
Jarvis was the perfect gentleman. He arrived right on time, opened her doors, and pulled out her chair. Perfect gentleman. There were times when she loved that, but tonight wasn’t one of them. She kept holding his gaze, giving him that fuck-me stare she’d perfected, but damn if Jarvis was biting.
What was a girl supposed to do, strip down to her skin and climb atop the table in the middle of the restaurant? That would go over real well. She could wait until they were finished and outside before she pounced on him. She totally could.
She made small talk, ate her steak like a good girl, and smiled at the appropriate places. Jarvis was easy to talk to, actually. She reminisced about their high school days and talked about what they were doing with their lives. All good stuff and when she put the whole sex thing to the side and simply concentrated on Jarvis, she found herself laughing and having a good time.
Until Reno and Blondie—ahem, Jenna—walked in alongside his parents.
Ain’t this some shit? She locked eyes with Reno and took a small glimmer of satisfaction in watching him stumble. Their server seated them right in Indy’s line of sight, Jenna’s back to her, Reno facing her full on.
Couldn’t get worse, could it?
“Hey.” Jarvis touched her hand where it lay on the table between them, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “Are you okay?”
She blinked down at her hand, at his hand on hers. Funny how a minute ago she couldn’t wait to get him alone, and now all she felt was repulsion at his touch. She schooled her features, smiled even when her face felt like it was cracking.
“Yeah.” She nodded, gaze quickly flickering to Reno’s table. He was trying not to look; she saw it. But like her, he didn’t seem to be able to look away.
A train wreck.
Jarvis touched her face, a gentle press of the pad of one finger between her eyes. “You’re frowning.”
“Sorry, a headache.” She shrugged. “I’ve been battling it all day.”
“Stress at work?”
Stress every damn where. Jarvis sounded like he cared. “You could say that.”
His eyes were full of concern when he asked, “Do you want to leave? We can take our food to go.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, l
et me— I’ll just step into the ladies’ room and splash some water on my face.” Glancing over, she noticed Reno hadn’t taken his eyes off her. She cupped Jarvis’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.” She pushed her chair back and stood, noting the way Reno followed her every move. He could say he’d moved on all he wanted, but his actions spoke so much louder, didn’t they?
She had to walk by their table to get to the bathroom, and she took her time. She wasn’t above showing him all he was missing. She finally got to the bathroom, making her way inside as the door banged shut behind her. At the sink, she bent and splashed water on her face. Damn the man for making her feel and act like a schoolgirl all over again.
She was better than that, so much better. She’d been getting along fine without him. A year. One full year without him, and she’d managed, hadn’t she? So why now was she losing her marbles?
The door opened behind her, but she didn’t look up from drying her hands.
“You’re with him?”
She froze. Reno’s voice curled her toes and brought goose-bumps to her skin.
Damn.
Indy spun around. “Reno, how lovely to see you again.”
The fury in his eyes, she hadn’t seen anything like it. Hands fisted at his sides, he snarled, “Answer the question!”
She shook her head. “What does it matter who I’m with, Reno? You’re already spoken for. You’ve got Jenna.” She whispered the name. “Heard you two were making plans for a life together.”
“How fucking dare you? You pushed me away. You let me go.” His face was red, chest heaving. “You don’t get to blame me for your decisions.”
No, she didn’t. “I’m not blaming you.” She sighed. “I’m just saying, you’ve made your choice.”
He took a step toward her. “You did the same, with that guy?” he asked. “You’re fucking him?”
“Reno.”
“Answer the question!” He took another step.
She backed up, into the edge of the sink. “Are you fucking her?”
He lunged for her, grabbing her by the throat. Indy gasped. Images flashed, of her, of them. That particular hold. He panted, pressed up against her, his breath hitting her in the face. She stared at him, into his eyes and found his pupils dilated. The hard length of him poked at her midsection. He remembered as well.