Alex paused for a moment when he heard Robin moan. He grinned before continuing with her résumé. “She’s twenty-nine years old and a Gemini. So never let her get pissed at you. She’s a lawyer, a very successful one at that, and she comes from old money. She is very solvent, very stunning, a very sharp dresser, and sharp talker. She’s very particular about who she wants. And she very, very, much wants you.” He coughed lightly. “As I’m sure you realize.”
“Je ne le crois pas!”
Alex chuckled, “You better believe it, sweetie.”
“Comment est-ce c'est arrivé?”
“Well, it happened because there was wine, song, and serenade. Need I say more?”
“Je ne me souviens de rien.”
“I’m not surprised you can’t remember a thing. We were all pretty drunk—”
“—Raccroche le téléphone, Celeste.”
Celeste exhaled sharply. “Fuck.”
Alex sniggered when he heard Celeste cuss.
Robin murmured, “Hier soir était stupéfiant.”
Listening, Alex thought that if their night was that good he should definitely hang up the phone, but feeling a twinge of guilt that he had been more than a little involved in orchestrating the events of the evening, including getting Celeste tight, he lingered. Then about to hang up, he heard Celeste whisper, “Alex!”
Hearing the panic in her voice, Alex felt a wave of guilt, knowing when he called Robin yesterday afternoon that the moment she saw Celeste, she wouldn’t be able to keep her hot Latina hands off his friend. He pressed the phone to his ear, listened then smiled. It was obvious that Robin was having a good time, but he couldn’t be sure about Celeste. Deciding to put her out of her misery and come to her rescue, he whispered heroically, “I’ll be there in two ticks.”
†
Celeste put the phone down slowly, unable to believe some stranger was on top of her grinding. She squeezed her eyes tight and tried to recall what happened after they left the club. Everything was too hazy; she opened her eyes, and sucked in air.
Robin murmured sensuously in her ear.
Smooth, Celeste thought. At any other time, being told that she was the most beautiful woman ever would be a huge compliment. Particularly given that it was first thing in the morning when she was bleary-eyed and her breath could knock out a rhino.
Robin kissed the nape of Celeste’s neck.
Celeste tensed.
Robin was making her way down Celeste’s back when the door rattled.
Jumping out of bed, Celeste grabbed for something to cover herself. Quickly, she headed for the door and threw it open to a grinning Alex.
“Good morning,” Alex said. He squeaked when Celeste roughly grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into the room.
In the bathroom, getting dressed, Celeste wanted to throttle Alex when she heard him ask Robin to join them for breakfast.
During breakfast, Robin asked if they would like to go sailing with her that afternoon. Alex immediately jumped at the offer, and because they had nothing planned, and short of being rude, Celeste accepted her invitation.
The afternoon was a strange experience. Robin’s touch was intimate throughout the day but Celeste was having difficulty remembering the night before only recalling snippets of Robin literally ripping her clothes off.
It had been years since Celeste had been that tight. Head still aching, she recalled a clear memory of Alex toasting her return. She frowned, remembering many celebratory toasts. Realizing there was a constant supply of tequila, she looked at Alex, aware now that it was deliberate.
Alex smiled at her sweetly.
Celeste smiled back, but not so sweetly.
Surprisingly, the afternoon wasn’t a complete disaster. Celeste was actually enjoying Robin’s company, and the fifty-foot Catalina that her family owned, was nothing short of spectacular. Celeste loved sailing. It had been too long since she had felt the thrill of the waves.
As the afternoon progressed, Alex, to Celeste’s annoyance, got more irritating. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t salivating over Robin and, at every opportunity, he urged her to give Robin attention, as if expecting that somehow her attraction would flit from Amy to his friend.
Whenever Alex got the opportunity, he whispered background information on Robin, telling her that there was no way she could turn down someone like Robin.
To placate him, Celeste would oblige and focus on her, half-hoping, as he did, that something would be set alight.
When they docked, Robin asked if they would join her for dinner. Not wanting a repeat of last night, Celeste quickly declined. True to form, before they parted, Alex utilized his matchmaking skills and invited Robin to Sarasota for a weekend.
Driving home, Celeste glanced at Alex in the passenger seat. She smiled when he snuffled, then snored. Looking at the road ahead she focused on the journey home, and her thoughts turned to Robin. Alex was right, of course. Robin was beautiful, and extremely entertaining, but, unfortunately, she did nothing for Celeste. If anything, being with Robin only made her want Amy more.
Driving home, Celeste began to formulate a plan.
Chapter 21
“You just take this wine and relax on the sofa, honey,” Josh said soothingly. “I’ll take care of the boys tonight.”
“Okay,” Amy replied, taking the glass of wine Josh offered. She stretched out on the sofa and smiled. It had been a long week at work full of late nights and added responsibilities. She was delighted it was finally over.
Amy listened to Josh and the boys move around upstairs. He was running their bath while the boys ran the length of the hallway. The familiarity of the routine soothed her overworked mind. Wiggling her toes, she luxuriated in the warmth of the sofa and let her thoughts turn to Maggie. Her heavy work schedule had made Amy late getting home, again, and disrupted Maggie’s plans. Amy hoped she wasn’t too peeved with her for ruining her date tonight. Amy had never seen Maggie take a relationship this seriously. Maggie claimed she was far too much of a free spirit to settle down, but this new guy appeared to be different. So different that next weekend, Maggie was bringing him around for the family seal of approval.
Laying her head against the arm of the sofa Amy’s thoughts turned to how much of a struggle the last week had been for her. She was thankful that work was demanding, as she was still reeling from her experience with Celeste. The lack of contact had left her fretting. So much so, that over the last week, she had broken her fair share of dishes, dropped things, and tripped over almost everything that wasn’t nailed to the floor.
Amy thought pensively about how Josh and Maggie had picked up that something was wrong and had begun to ask probing questions. So far, she thought with relief, she had managed to throw them off the scent by putting everything down to pressure at work with the new contract.
Amy sighed and sipped her wine. She smiled when she heard Josh chase the boys out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. She listened to the familiar shrieks of protest then thought for the thousandth time about Josh and tried to fight the guilt. She closed her eyes, understanding that Josh considered fidelity key to a successful relationship.
Amy knew with near certainty that he had never been with another woman since they gotten together. She remembered back when she first met Josh. A few months into dating he had refused to see anyone else, even casually. At the time, she had found it endearing. He was so attractive that at the beginning even her friends batted their eyelashes at him. Even now, when Josh turned on the charm, he could still make a die-hard like Maggie weak at the knees.
Amy jumped slightly when Josh touched her shoulder.
“The boys are in bed.”
Amy smiled up at him.
He reached for his glass of wine and moving to the opposite end of the sofa, lifted her feet. Sitting down, he settled them on his lap. “Thank God it’s the weekend,” he said, raising his glass to his mouth.
Amy nodded, enjoying the sense of familiarity as they o
ften sat like this in the evening.
“I’m glad you managed to get home at a reasonable hour tonight.”
Amy smiled. “I’m glad too. This won’t be for too long.”
“I hope so. Are you hungry?”
“No.” In truth, Amy hadn’t felt hungry for days. “I’ll get something later.”
He rubbed her foot. “Are you sure you’re okay, honey? You just don’t seem your normal self.”
“Yeah,” Amy replied, bristling. “I’m fine.”
“Okay, but you’d tell me if it was more than just work, wouldn’t you?”
Tensing, Amy held her breath and nodded slowly. “Uh-huh.” She sipped some wine.
“I’m concerned, Amy. I haven’t ever seen you this preoccupied.” He smiled, then added teasingly, “Or go through so much crockery.”
“Oh, Josh, don’t worry,” Amy said. Forcing down her growing panic, she breathed in slowly. “I’m fine. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she replied, relieved that he accepted her answer. “I promise, everything is going to be fine.”
For the next few hours, they relaxed, and caught up on the week’s events.
Josh poured the last of the wine into their glasses. Feeling sleepy, Amy said, “I promised Maggie that I would help her paint her apartment on Sunday.”
“Sunday?” Josh said in surprise. “But you’ve hardly had a break.”
Amy sighed. “I know.”
“Why the sudden urge to decorate now?”
“I’m not sure. But it may be something to do with the new guy in her life.”
Moving up the sofa, Josh said in a low voice, “I was hoping that we would have a quiet weekend, just you, me, and the boys.”
Before Josh reached her, Amy quickly threw her legs off the sofa. “Tomorrow will be quiet,” she replied, standing. “Next weekend is the busy time. Remember, your dad will be through next Saturday to take the boys back with him. And he’s booked a game of golf in the morning with you.”
“What’s he taking the boys for?”
“Josh,” Amy replied in frustration. “Don’t you ever listen to a word I say?”
Josh shrugged.
“So we can have a quiet night with Maggie and her new man.”
Josh stood and smiled when Amy went through a list of things they had to do. As she talked, he took her hand and led her to their bedroom.
In the bedroom, Amy decided not to do to her usual ministrations. Instead, she quickly undressed, slipped on a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, and tucked herself under the bed sheets. It had been almost a week since they had returned from Josh’s folks, and she had managed to hold Josh off by telling him she was exhausted.
Feeling anxious, Amy curled up into a ball. She knew she couldn’t keep making excuses. It wouldn’t be long before he suspected something was seriously wrong. She shivered. Right now, making love to him was the last thing she needed; Celeste was too fresh in her mind.
Tonight, Amy had bitten back several times from asking directly about Celeste. Josh was so full of the software problems that the chat was taken up by his work.
Amy was nervous about making love with him. She could count on one hand the number of sexual encounters she had had before Josh. Although she had to admit their lovemaking had become routine, until now, she hadn’t really given it a second thought. She still found Josh very attractive, and although he might not be the most adventurous in bed. Overall, neither was she, or so she had thought.
Amy thought about Maggie and how different she was. Maggie was sexually adventurous, and loved nothing better than to share her sexual exploits with her. From Maggie’s complaints, Amy had decided that she and Josh were faring well. But now, everything had changed. Celeste had opened a need, and Amy was afraid this time she wouldn’t be able to put it back in the box.
Four years ago, Amy had experienced the same kind of thing, but, back then, she was sure that it was a fluke, all to do with her hormones. She had put it down to everything other than an actual attraction and, after a while, it faded into a memory. But, now there was no denying it, she was sexually explosive around Celeste. If she was honest, it left her confused and quite terrified.
Amy listened as Josh cleaned his teeth and considerately shaved his stubble. Knowing what was to come she buried her head into the pillow and sighed heavily.
Josh put out the bathroom light and quickly got between the sheets. He snuggled into her back, and placing his hand on her breast, groaned. Amy felt him harden. Biting her bottom lip nervously, she lay still and listened to him whisper how much he loved her. As he nuzzled his face into her hair, she could feel his erection grow and press into her back.
In a way, Amy was relieved. Realizing she wanted everything to return to as it was, she turned to face Josh, and whispered, “I love you too, baby.”
Chapter 22
Amy stood outside Maggie’s apartment in South Venice in a pair of old ripped jeans, and a grayed out T-shirt. For the third time, she rang the doorbell, hoping Maggie would hear her through the din of music she was playing. She had brought breakfast—two coffees, buttered croissants filled with cheese and ham, two slices of apple pie and two slices of rhubarb tart. Although Maggie was like a stick insect, she had an extremely sweet tooth.
Maggie opened the front door. Standing barefoot in crumpled shorts and a T-shirt, she gave Amy her most beautiful smile. “Come in, jellybean,” she said, standing aside.
During breakfast, Maggie detailed all the things she wanted done.
Amy looked at her cousin and wondered what had come over her. “You really want to gut this place, don’t you?”
Maggie looked at her. “Uh-huh, courtesy of a sweet cousin who knows all the right people, and who can get all the right materials on the cheap!” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.
The thought hit Amy that Maggie might actually be seriously considering settling down. Although Maggie gave her all to everything she did, there was no getting around it—she liked the idea of a temporary status and deliberately avoided responsibility in case the notion took her to leave. If she wanted to take off right now, she could.
When Amy was a teenager, at the spur of the moment, Maggie took off traveling. It was two years before she saw her again. Even though they had kept in regular contact, she had gone through her parents’ split without her. Although she played it down, Amy desperately missed her, and knew that Maggie had sensed this. Since that time, the redhead had stayed close to her.
Maggie wanted to start by freshening up the living room with a lick of paint. After breakfast, she handed Amy a paintbrush and they got to work. Maggie talked animatedly about her new guy, insisting he wasn’t her usual type. Describing him as quite small, sprightly, sporty with no beard, muscles or anything like that.
Amy noticed with amusement that her cousin was becoming quite flushed as she talked.
“You know,” Maggie said, looking at her. “He’s nothing special to look at but he just has that zing thing. You know that extra edge that no one else has had for me in years.” Maggie stopped painting. She put her brush down and came close to Amy. “The sex is terrific. I mean he might be a wee bloke, but he more than makes up for that somewhere else.” She winked. “You should see the tadger on him!” She held out her hands then stretched them to about a foot.
Amy’s eyes widened. “No way.”
“Aye, okay,” Maggie replied. Shrugging, she brought her hands a fraction closer. “Maybe that’s a wee bit of an exaggeration.”
Amy laughed. “You’re a dirty minx, Maggie Forsythe,” she said teasingly. “Do you know that?” Shaking her head, she added, “I swear to God, you’re obsessed with sex. You’re like a pig snorting around for it all the time!”
Amy moved around the room snorting.
Maggie laughed. “Hey,” she said playfully. “Don’t knock the animal world. Did you know a pig's orgasm can last for thirty minutes? And lions can mate over fifty times
a day when the lioness is in heat.” She contemplated this. “I’d still want to be a pig in my next life though, quality over quantity always counts wouldn’t you say?”
Amy shrugged.
Maggie asked teasingly, “What about you, quality or quantity?”
The redhead was always ribbing Amy, and trying to find out about her sex life. To tease her cousin Amy always resisted telling her anything. She avoided the question. “Maggie, if it gets serious, do you expect the sex to stay that good over the years?”
Maggie grinned. “Jesus, I hope so. What else are men good for?” She looked at Amy. “You know, to be honest, I’ve only ever felt this once in my teens, but never since.” She waved her paintbrush. “I’m in my thirties, and everybody keeps saying the right one will come along. But to be honest, I was beginning to think it was never going to happen!” She laughed excitedly. “All those years, and not even a teeny-weeny snifter of love, and, as you know, I’ve had my fair share of blokes, and some I’ve seriously fancied.”
“Shouldn’t you have fancied them all?” Amy asked, raising her eyebrows.
Maggie grinned. “Well, maybe,” she conceded. “The point is I’ve had great sex, some very bad sex, and some very weird sex.” She scratched her head. “Or was it sex with weird people?” She looked at Amy. “Anyhow, to be honest, I just thought the love thing wasn’t for me. That I had grown cynical or something.” She smiled. “What I’m saying is I think it’s rare to meet somebody who you really connect with in every sense, who knows what you’re feeling, and can almost read your mind.” She smiled. “That’s how I feel about Sean. I mean he’s wee.” She threw up her hands, oblivious to the paint splattering everywhere. “And God knows he’s puny. He has just about all the physical attributes I wouldn’t normally go for.”
Watching her cousin, Amy realized that most of their time today would be spent cleaning up spillage if Maggie kept throwing her arms out.
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