by Kendall Ryan
They’re all so . . . pretty. Is it normal for friends to be this pretty? Scarlett’s more on the eccentric side in a bright pink dress and chunky orange necklace. Maren’s a little more on the demure side in an olive-green tank dress that hugs her curves and makes her hazel eyes pop. And Penelope is just too damn sweet in a baby-pink silk top and the kind of vintage jeans only models can pull off. I’ve got to know how these three very different women found each other.
Maren smiles. “Scarlett and I go way back,” she says, turning to smile at her old friend. “We’ve been running this city forever.”
“And I’m with Wolfie,” Penelope says with a shy smile. “Maren’s brother. But we were friends before that happened.”
“With as in . . .” I let the question hang in the air between us. Part of me knows the answer, but I don’t want to leave anything open for interpretation.
“In a relationship,” Maren says with a smile, “and I’m so happy for you two. Besides, it’s not like I’m one to talk.”
“Wait, I’m lost. What does that mean?” I ask. My head’s starting to spin, trying to keep up.
The three women laugh and Scarlett clears her throat, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. “This is what I meant when I said that the men of Frisky Business were a shit show.”
“I think the term you used was whirlwind,” Maren says, correcting her with a strained smile.
“Whatever. It’s complicated. Let me explain.” Scarlett takes another sip of her wine before continuing. “Okay, so your new boss, Connor, co-owns the sexy-times operation with Hayes, Wolfie, Caleb, and Ever. These two ladies are dating Hayes and Wolfie. Maren and Hayes dated in secret, but Hayes and Wolfie were best friends, and that was a problem because Wolfie is Maren’s older brother. But now it’s all happily ever after, and the moral of the story is that everyone is getting some dick except for me.”
“Scarlett!”
Maren swats her arm while Penelope buries her face in her hands.
“What?” Scarlett says with an innocent look on her face. “True story. Anyway, now they’re all coupled up, and it’s mostly fine, except that Wolfie is Maren’s brother and Penelope is Connor’s baby sister. And, of course, all of these men co-own one of the most successful sex-toy shops in the city. No wonder they’re so goddamn horny.” She chuckles at her own joke.
I nod along slowly, trying not to let my eyes pop out of my head. Guess I’m not the only one who was a little more than interested in how unusual Connor’s company was.
And I have to say, I’m more relieved than ever to have found this group of women. I was beginning to think that the situation I was in was too complicated for anyone else to understand. But complicated is what these girls know best. Maybe they can help me navigate the waters with Connor without me losing my head.
Scarlett continues, a sly smile curling on her lips. “And that brings us to you, Jessa. The new girl on the scene, and Connor’s cute new nanny. What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
My heart leaps at the thought of being paired with Connor, even if it’s only as his nanny. I’ve only known Scarlett for forty-eight hours, but I’ve been around her enough to know exactly what she’s implying. Still, I breeze past the suggestive description and focus on introducing myself to my new friends. It’ll be a long summer without some female companionship.
“I just needed a place to stay for the summer,” I say with a shrug, “and the couple who live next to Connor was renting out the top floor. And then when I was moving in, Connor happened to have a crying baby, I happen to be one of six kids, and Hayes suggested I become Marley’s nanny. It all just kind of . . . happened.”
“Talk about good luck,” Maren says whimsically.
“Or fate,” Scarlett adds with a dip of her chin.
“Why just the summer?” Penelope asks.
I swirl the ruby-colored wine in my glass. “I’m leaving for a mission trip to Central America in August. I’ll be gone for six months, and my lease was up in May.”
I watch their eyes widen as I explain what I’ll be doing and where I’ll be going. I’ve almost gotten used to the half-awed, half-horror-stricken look people give me when I tell them. Yes, I’ll be living in a third-world country, and no, this kind of work isn’t for everyone. But it’s also hard to come right out and tell someone that you think they’re crazy for doing it.
Maren reaches across the table to give my hand a light squeeze. “That sounds amazing.”
“Six months is a long time to be away,” Penelope says. “Are you worried about getting homesick?”
I tilt my head, considering her question. “Yes and no. I’m excited about the opportunity and all the work we’ll be doing. I know it’ll be hard to be gone for so long, but it also helps to know it’s not forever.”
“You’re an angel among heathens, that’s for sure,” Scarlett says.
“Speak for yourself,” Maren mutters.
“Baby Marley will miss you,” Penelope says kindly. “And Connor will too. He’s going to have his hands full without you.”
Scarlett scowls. “It’s not like she’s the baby’s mother. She’s only a nanny, and she’s free to do whatever she wants. Connor can find someone to replace her.”
“I just meant that I’m sure Jessa will be very helpful to them,” Penelope says meekly.
“I’m sure Connor will enjoy the process of searching for her replacement,” Scarlett says with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows.
Maren giggles, and Penelope cracks a sheepish smile.
“What does that mean?” I ask, trying to keep my tone as light and casual as possible—the exact opposite of how I’m feeling.
I’m dying for any shred of information about Connor, something beyond the tiny hints and sparks that have flared up between us. I have to know what his deal is. And even more than that, I have to know if he’s into me. A hungry little ball of need forms deep in my belly every time I lay eyes on him, and something tells me it’s not going away anytime soon.
Scarlett grins. “Penelope? Would you like to give our new friend a little history lesson on your brother?”
Penelope’s small smile spreads into a smirk. “I thought we were having a girls’ night, not a let’s-talk-about-my-brother night,” she says innocently.
“I just want to know a little bit more about the man I’m working for, that’s all. He’s not a serial killer or anything, right?” I ask, keeping my voice as deadpan as possible.
That gets a good laugh out of the group.
Penelope smiles, a slight wine flush on her cheeks. “Nah, Connor’s a sweet guy, especially since Marley arrived. She’s really changed him.”
“You can say that again,” Scarlett says with a snort, and Maren almost shoots wine out of her nose.
“Was he not sweet before?” I ask. Visions of a darker bad-boy version of Connor swirl through my mind. I’m not going to lie, I’m into it.
“Connor’s always been sweet,” Maren says with a pointed look at Scarlett. “He was just a bit of a playboy before the baby was born. Even before then, really. There wasn’t anything romantic between him and Marley’s mom, but he took good care of her. He went with her to all the doctor’s appointments and birthing classes. He was just super involved and supportive.”
“And he bought everything. Cribs, car seats, you name it. That baby became his whole life. He became a totally different person overnight. He grew up,” Penelope says with a wistful look in her eye. “I’m super proud of him.”
“He’s risen to the challenge,” Scarlett says reluctantly, “I’ll give him that much. Sold his motorcycle. Stopped dating around. Got his priorities straight. I wasn’t sure he had it in him.”
I might not know her that well yet, but I can already tell it’s high praise coming from Scarlett.
A brief silence falls over the table, but I feel a question rising in the back of my head, and I can’t keep myself from asking it.
A crease forms in my brow. �
�So, when you say he was a playboy . . .”
The three women exchange weighted glances, but it’s Scarlett who responds.
“Total manwhore.”
My windpipe tightens, and I suppress my look of shock.
I try to imagine an immature playboy version of Connor, one who would have taken one look at the young, single girl moving in next door and found a way into her pants that same night, but I can’t picture it. I like this version of Connor. The responsible caretaker who does what’s right for his daughter, who puts her needs before his own.
But let’s be honest. In my imagination, this responsible version of Connor still finds his way into my pants. Okay, fine . . . I’d invite him in.
God, I have to get this under control. Just thinking about him makes me feel all hot and bothered.
I take a long gulp of wine to help cool myself down. It doesn’t work, of course. Ever since I met him, my libido has been cranked in overdrive. It makes zero sense.
Penelope continues about her brother, a thoughtful look on her face. “What Connor really needs is a nice woman who’s good with Marley. Someone who can match his level of responsibility, while also being able to handle the fact that he runs a sex-toy store.”
“Might not be as hard as you think.” Maren winks. “We’re here, aren’t we?”
“Hayes didn’t have a two-month-old when you started dating.”
Maren shrugs. “I’d like to think I could have handled it.”
“Oh, please. You could barely handle the potential disapproval of your big brother,” Scarlett says.
We all laugh, but I don’t laugh quite as loudly as the other three.
Could I be that woman for Connor? I’m definitely good with Marley, and the chemistry between Connor and me is hard to deny. Images of the life we could have together scroll through my mind . . .
Connor and me feeding Marley in his kitchen. The three of us going for beach days by the lake. Connor and me stealing kisses in the front seat while Marley dozes in the back of the car. It could be so simple, so easy, so sweet.
Except for the fact that I won’t be here in a few months.
Reality tears through my brain like a category five hurricane, obliterating any trace of the fantasy I’d just had.
I’m leaving the country, and that’s that. No more lake days, no more flirting with neighbors. I’ll be thousands of miles away from here, helping people who look different from me and speak a different language. Connor and Marley will be distant memories—except there’s a small part of me that worries they really won’t be.
My attraction to Connor doesn’t matter, despite how much it might be growing. I can’t hurt him, and I can’t hurt his daughter. I stuff my feelings away in the same dark place I put the fantasies, somewhere they won’t resurface. Somewhere they’ll wither away and let me get through this summer in peace.
If they don’t, I don’t know how I’ll survive.
5
* * *
CONNOR
“So, what do you think? It’s too big, right?”
Hayes slides a new kind of sex toy across the desk in my direction. We’re all gathered in the stockroom, huddled around the toy like a bunch of little kids looking at a bug. I take the device in my hand, raising my eyebrows at the heft of it.
Wolfie crosses his arms over his chest. “It might be too much for our usual crowd.”
We’re demoing the product for the week, deciding if we want to bring it on for good. It’s a new brand for us, one we’ve never carried, and the product has some serious action-packed features.
“This conversation is interesting and all,” Caleb says with a waggle of his eyebrows. “But we all know what needs to happen. One of us takes it home, gives it a go, and then reports back his findings.”
“Well, it won’t be me,” I say with a grunt. This dad isn’t going to be getting any action anytime soon.
Suddenly all eyes are on me, the guys’ expressions varying from concerned to skeptical.
“What?” I grumble, silently cursing for drawing attention to myself.
A slow smile unfurls on Hayes’ lips. “Usually you’re the first to jump on a take-home demo.”
I shrug. Yeah, maybe the old me. Things have changed this past year. How does he not recognize that?
The bell on the front door rings, and we all turn our heads. When I move to go and greet the customer, Hayes catches my shoulder. “Caleb, can you—”
“On it.” Caleb gives Hayes a mock salute, hopping over some cardboard boxes on his way out.
Wolfie grunts, slides his laptop under his arm, and makes himself scarce.
“When was the last time you went on a date?” Hayes asks in full-on intervention mode, his brows knitted in concern.
“I don’t fucking know,” I say with a sigh. I dated a few women after Beth, but the news of her pregnancy killed any chance of pursuing a second date. And God knows I haven’t slept with anyone since.
“You good, man?” Hayes asks.
“Yeah. No. I’m fine,” I say with a little laugh. But the sound that comes out of me is more of a strained cough than the good-natured chuckle it’s meant to be. “It’s been almost a year.”
“Since . . .”
I lean in, keeping my voice low. I’m man enough not to be ashamed of it, but I definitely don’t want to shout it from the rooftops. “It’s been almost a year since I’ve had sex.”
Hayes’s eyes widen as the words hang limply in the air between us.
I’m about to come up with some lame-ass excuse about being a working dad when the door creaks and my attention swings in that direction. Caleb leans against the door frame, and behind him, Jessa stands like a statue with Marley in her stroller, squirming happily at the sight of me.
“What impeccable timing,” Hayes says under his breath.
I’m off the hook, at least for now, about answering his questions. But based on his reaction, I can tell Hayes isn’t going to let this go.
“Hi,” Jessa says softly, her expression guarded.
I have no doubt that she overheard everything I just said. Fuck.
“Jessa, good to see you.” Hayes jumps in, recovering quickly and finessing the situation like the pro he is. “Let’s go, Caleb. We’ve got shit to do.”
As he and Caleb leave us in the back room, I take a little comfort in the sight of him smacking Caleb upside the head on their way out.
I’d completely forgotten that Jessa said she was going to come by sometime this week. Being the genuinely kind human she is, she expressed interest. Then I, being the genuinely insane human that I am, told her to drop by Frisky Business with Marley whenever she wanted to.
Not like seeing Jessa around the very toys I’ve imagined demoing with her would fuck with my head at all. Not one bit.
I’m such a dumbass.
“Hey,” I say, flashing her a grin that will hopefully erase all memory of what she just heard from the record.
She smiles back, the blush on her cheeks only growing pinker. So much for that.
“You guys having a good day?” I reach down to unlatch Marley from her stroller and ruffle her hair.
“We sure are.” Jessa nods. “Had breakfast, then a nap. I figured we’d take a little outing before lunch.”
“Sounds like it’s been a great day so far.” This kind of conversation I can do. Let’s keep it to small talk, and I’m golden.
“What’s that?” she asks, nodding toward the conspicuous toy still resting innocently on the desk.
And suddenly we’ve veered from business to personal very, very quickly. I set it down out of sight.
“Just a toy we’re thinking about adding to our regular inventory,” I say with a shrug, lifting Marley out of the stroller and into my arms. When I press a big fat kiss to her big fat cheek, I think I hear Jessa sigh. “You okay?”
“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” she says a little loudly. Catching herself, she smiles. “It’s just cute seeing you two together.”
“Yeah?” I chuckle, trying to keep Marley’s hands from venturing inside my mouth. “This is cute, huh?”
“Uh-huh.” Jessa nods, meeting my eyes as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
When our gaze locks for a second longer than what is deemed casual, she ducks her head and busies herself, looking down the aisles of the stockroom. So I take the opportunity to check her out.
Today, her hair is down, brushing the skin of her collarbones and shoulders, which would be bare if not for the thin straps of her dress. It’s a soft, summery fabric with white and yellow flowers, and stops just above her knees. On her feet are the sneakers I’ve come to look forward to seeing on the front hall mat. A sexy but sensible outfit, like she wanted to impress me but knew she was still on the job. My dick strains against my zipper at the thought.
When she bends over a cardboard box to read the label, I catch the sight of black panties before I can force myself to look away. Hot damn.
“This place is a wreck right now. Want the grand tour?” I ask, gesturing to the door. The shop is bigger and has better air flow, and I’m counting on it to clear my head.
“Sure,” she chirps, spinning around.
When she passes me, I can smell the floral scent of body lotion on her skin. Suddenly, I’m accosted with images of Jessa naked, fresh out of the shower and bending down to rub scented lotion over one long leg and then the other.
Since when have I turned into a teenager who can’t stop thinking with his dick?
After handing Marley off to the guys for quality uncle time, Jessa and I spend almost an hour walking around the shop, making pleasant conversation. She has a lot of questions about the business itself, which I much prefer over the usual “What does this one do?” The less I have to explain the mechanics of sex toys to the nanny I want in my bed, the less likely I am to imagine using them with her. Well, at least not while she’s right next to me.
A little while later, Jessa and Marley set off for home, and I finish the rest of the afternoon in a distracted state. Thankfully, Hayes doesn’t ask any more questions about my love life, but I can tell they’re on the tip of his tongue.