Ride or Dye (Curl Up and Dye Mysteries, #6)

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  “I need to cook as other people need to breathe,” Pierre said. “Tonight’s main entrée is beef Wellington. It looks like such a simple dish but getting a perfect puff pastry that isn’t soggy on the bottom is very difficult. I refuse to use or serve pâté, so I’m going to wrap the tenderloin in a few layers of thinly sliced Parma ham. Then I add a mixture of mushrooms and roasted chestnuts to act as a barrier to keep the juices from seeping out and making my pastry soggy. I had to make my puff pastry in advance, but you can help me roll it out if you’d like.”

  “Absolutely.” I paid rapt attention as I watched Pierre work the pastry like a magician. “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

  He chuckled. “It just takes practice. Let’s see what you got?”

  Pierre supervised and guided me through the first one then left me alone to work on the others. When I finished, I helped him wrap the tenderloins with Parma ham and spread the mushroom and roasted chestnut paste all around the meat.

  “This is the tricky part,” he told me. “We need to wrap the tenderloin tight so air pockets won’t form between the meat and pastry when it puffs up. I will demonstrate for you.”

  He made it look so damn easy. I would need steady hands to make sure I didn’t overwork the pastry, or it would ruin the texture. Pierre patiently guided me through the first one then stood back and watched me wrap the remaining tenderloins in pastry.

  “You’re a natural,” he said when I finished. “Are you ready to help with dessert?”

  “Absolutely. What country are we representing with dessert?”

  “America, and nothing symbolizes us better than apple pie.” He cocked a brow when a wry smile spread across my face. “I can see it pleases you.”

  “I’m famous for my apple pies where I come from.”

  “Tell me what makes your pies special, Josh,” Pierre said.

  “Bourbon.”

  “I’ve met my kindred spirit,” Pierre said. “I’ll go raid the bar while you peel and slice apples.”

  “Deal,” I said.

  I couldn’t wait to see Gabe’s expression when he tasted the food I helped make. I giggled when I imagined him trying to confiscate everyone’s pie or finagle an entire pie for himself. When Pierre returned, he held a bottle of top-shelf liquor in his hand.

  “This do?”

  “Oh yeah. That is sure to help lighten everyone’s mood so we avoid another clash like the one from last night.”

  Booze and bitter rivals. What could go wrong?

  JOSH ARRIVED BACK AT our room flushed, glowing, and slightly sweaty. For a split second, I was worried about what happened in the kitchen with Chef Pierre and jealous I wasn’t the one who put that smile on his face.

  “Best. Gift. Ever!” Josh said then launched himself into my arms. Okay, maybe I was behind the smile after all. “I learned so much, and I had an amazing time. I can’t wait to tell you all about it, but I have to hurry up and shower so we won’t be late for dinner.” Josh pulled his shirt off over his head and dropped it on the floor before removing the rest of his clothes and shoes. “You should come keep me company.” My husband shot me a playful wink before he turned and walked to the bathroom. Would I ever get tired of seeing that perfect ass? Hell no.

  “I thought you didn’t want to be late.”

  “I meant you could sit on the toilet lid or lean against the bathroom vanity and chat with me while I rush through my routine. We might need to rehearse a little too. I think we should have a big fight and let these people think they can divide us.”

  The mere thought made my heart ache. I loved that we didn’t fight and argue very often, and our home was happy and harmonious. Slinging insults, even if they were only pretend, just felt so damn wrong to me. “What do you want to fight about?”

  “Let’s make it something OTP that wouldn’t normally cause a knock-down, drag-out fight.”

  “OTP?” I asked.

  “Over the top,” Josh replied, stepping into the shower. “I forget that you don’t speak in acronyms as the rest of us do.”

  “Over the top, huh? Do you mean like asking me to sit here and watch you shower and not touch you or myself?”

  Josh whipped his head around and stared at me through the glass. “Do you want to touch yourself right now, Gabe?”

  “I’d rather touch you, but as you pointed out, we don’t have enough time to do the kind of touching we want.”

  “Hey, I’m quite fond of five-minute hand jobs or blow jobs when we’re pressed for time,” he said with a cute pout.

  “I like them too, and sometimes it’s necessary, but we’re not in a hurry this week. We can come back here after dinner and take our sweet time making love.”

  “Or you can bring your sexy ass in here right now and make me scream.”

  My dick strained against my dress pants, but I was going to ignore it and resist the urge to claim him. Then he turned around and seductively ran his soapy hands over his ass, parting his cheeks for me to have a good look before running his middle finger along the crack.

  Fuck it! I launched myself off the vanity and walked straight into the shower, not caring about getting my clothes wet. I was determined to hold out and only focus on pleasuring him, but Josh wanted no part of that. He yanked my shirt open, sending buttons scattering all over the shower floor, and attacked my belt and pants.

  My need to possess him clawed at my guts, but I would never willingly hurt him. Fast and hard didn’t mean brutal and uncaring. I worked Josh open with lubed fingers while he sucked my tongue and stroked my cock. Once he was ready, I hoisted him up and pinned him against the tiled wall before I thrust home. Josh pulled my hair and bit my bottom lip, urging me to go faster and harder. I gave in to what we both wanted—needed—while only pulling my mouth off his long enough to nibble and suck on his neck.

  Normally, I marked him where only I would see it, but I lost control when he dug his heels into my ass, spurring me on. Josh trembled in my arms and dug his fingers in my shoulders while chanting, “More. More. More.” I fucked and sucked harder until we both came on a shout.

  I lowered my head against his shoulder while he clung tight to my body. “You turn me into a rutting animal.” Josh’s response was a playful growl that made me laugh. I gently pulled out then lowered him to his feet. “Now we really need to hurry,” I told him as I started to wash the lube and cum off my cock.

  “Just leave the clothes in here for now,” Josh said when I went to grab them. “We can lay them on the balcony to dry later. What’d you do today?”

  I reached for the towel and began drying my body. “I lounged lazily on the balcony and read your book.”

  “What book?

  “The one that made you so emotional.”

  “Alice?”

  I chuckled because he made the book sound like a person. “Yep. I probably haven’t gotten as far as you though, so don’t ruin anything for me.”

  Josh snorted and turned off the shower. “I don’t ruin books for you.”

  “‘It was so sad when Joey was bitten by a zombie and had to be put down.’ Sound familiar to you? I hadn’t gotten to that part yet before you crushed me with the revelation. That was when I knew our two-person book club wasn’t going to work.”

  “You sure do know how to hold a grudge,” Josh grumbled while toweling off.

  “You sure do know how to ruin a book.”

  “Will you ever let me live it down?” Josh asked softly.

  “No, but I’ll find a way to get my revenge.”

  “How?”

  “I know how Alice ends,” I tossed over my shoulder as I walked to the closet.

  Josh gasped. “You didn’t?”

  “To be honest, I didn’t intend to read the book. I just opened to the last page so I could tease you about the ending, but the last page made me want to read the entire last chapter, and that made me want to know how Alice got from knocked out on the gym floor to there. So, I started reading from the beginning. Next t
hing I knew, you were back from your big day with Chef Pierre.”

  “I’m telling Chaz you cheated,” Josh said menacingly.

  “Okay, but tell him after dinner. I want to see what made you so excited when you came back to our room.”

  “You just want to appease your second favorite organ now that your favorite one is satisfied…for the time being.” He had a point. “We’ll chat more about Alice later.”

  Josh wasn’t too happy with me when he noticed the mark I left on his neck just above his collarbone. “I guess it plays into our roles. I’m the hot, horny former pole dancer who corrupted you with private dances. You risked your academic career to be with me, and you like to remind me of it when we argue.”

  “I could work with that.”

  “If we fight over something really stupid, it will be obvious the tension has been building up between us for a long time. The little thing was finally what made us snap. I’ll let you decide what silly thing annoys you and start the fight.” Josh glanced at his watch. “Showtime. Give me one last sweet kiss before we go downstairs acting like we’re irritated with one another.”

  “Remember not to let this fake fight turn into a real fight,” I said after our kiss.

  “Of course.”

  Everyone was already in the dining room when we arrived. I figured there was no time like the present to have a professorial fit about time management. “See,” I said loudly, gesturing to the gathering crowd. I could feel their attention turn to me. “I told you we were going to be late. Again.”

  Josh blinked rapidly like my raised voice upset him. He swallowed hard then dramatically covered his hickey with his hand, calling everyone’s attention to it. “I think you need to take some responsibility for your actions, dear.” It wasn’t possible for him to completely bury his snark. He winked playfully at someone then sauntered away with an extra sway in his hips. God, I loved him so damn much.

  Clyde ambled over toward me. “Atta boy, teach.” If he held up his fist for a bump, I would be tempted to accidentally miss and catch him in the mouth instead. “He’s a spirited one.”

  “That he is.”

  “You seem like an odd pair if you don’t mind me saying so. You’re so masculine, and he’s so…” He let his words trail off. “Well, you know.” I knew I wanted him to shut the fuck up. Who the hell was this loser to judge us? He didn’t know a fucking thing about us beyond what we let him see. “A bit flirty too, I’d say.” Clyde nodded in the direction of where Josh stomped off to, but I was fully aware of where my husband stood in the room and who had taken advantage of our tiff to approach him. “That sly bastard Henry sure doesn’t waste a minute, does he?”

  “So it would seem,” I said dryly.

  “I’m sure you’ve nothing to worry about if that little mark you left on your man is an indication of your passionate nature.”

  “Stop trying to stir up trouble,” Bonnie said, joining us. “There’s plenty of it already.” I noticed she was looking at Petal, Georgia, and George who were watching the interaction between Josh and Henry with hopeful expressions on their faces. “Whatever you do, do not get involved with those four. They won’t stop until they destroy a beautiful relationship.”

  “How do you know?” Clyde asked snidely. “You wouldn’t recognize a beautiful relationship if it kicked you in the teeth.” I wanted to kick him in the teeth.

  “Because, even now, they’re so attuned to one another. Josh knows exactly where Gabe is in the room, and Gabe can barely tear his eyes away from his husband. Every few seconds, their gazes meet and hold. Their kind of passion and love can’t be disguised.”

  “Sounds dreadful,” Clyde said. “I can’t imagine finding anyone who could hold my attention like that.” I looked over and caught him watching Petal again.

  “Best you cast your eyes in another direction, Brother. You don’t want to get caught up in their seek-and-destroy games.” Oh, I thought Clyde was eager to get snagged in their games. It seems Petal knew it too because she winked at him when she caught him watching her. You could feel the fury radiating off Bonnie after witnessing the exchange. She moved closer to her brother and lowered her voice just loud enough for Clyde and me to hear. “You’ll be wise to stay away from her if you know what’s good for you, my dear brother.”

  Clyde tore his eyes off of Petal long enough to look at his sister. “You can blame Petal for your failed relationship all you want, but she didn’t force Henry to stray. He’s a philandering asshole, and she did you a favor by revealing that to you before you married him.”

  “Oh ho,” Bonnie loudly said, clasping her chest and taking a dramatic step back. “You think I should go over there and thank that slut for what she did? I should be grateful she pretended to be my friend while she fucked my fiancé? Are you so blinded by her looks you can’t see the evil lurking beneath the glamorous façade?”

  “I think you’re once again acting overdramatic about something that happened years ago, Sister. Of course, I think what they did was wrong, but it’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and move on. Find a nice man who wants the same things as you, and don’t make this man pay for Henry’s mistakes. All men aren’t the same, and it’s time you embrace that and move on.”

  “He’s right,” I said. “Well, about moving on and finding happiness. Life is too short to be so miserable.” I leaned toward her and lowered my voice. “I’ve been told the best revenge is to get on with your life and be happy. Won’t that drive Petal nuts when she sees she no longer has power over you?”

  Bonnie tipped her head to the side as if she was considering my words. “I know you’re right, Gabe. I’ve been stuck in this rut for so long I can’t seem to find my way out.”

  “You start by deciding you’re letting go of the pain, and you continue to take one step at a time,” I told her. She smiled tentatively then inhaled deeply into her lungs, held the breath a few seconds, and slowly released it. Letting go of her anger wouldn’t be quite that easy, but remembering to breathe was a good start. Damn, I sounded more and more like Josh every single day.

  Clyde scoffed. “I’ve been saying this for years, but you haven’t listened to me. Why him?”

  “Because he doesn’t want me to move past my grudge just so he can fuck my enemy,” Bonnie snarled. And just like that, the tenuous peace Bonnie had found was gone. I thought she might benefit by putting some distance between herself and Clyde as well.

  I was saved by Juliette asking us to have a seat so dinner could be served. Then she announced we would participate in the activities that were canceled the previous night. A chorus of groans rang out from around the room. I thought Juliette was pushing things too far, but it wasn’t my place to say anything to her.

  Josh crossed the room and joined me at the table I chose. Surprisingly, Mitzi, Candace, Yanny, and Laurel joined us too.

  “You seem the most normal,” Candace said in a baby-soft voice. She wasn’t dressed like Marilyn Monroe but sounded like her.

  “I think Juliette should lock the four of them in a room and let them fight it or fuck it out of their systems,” Yanny added.

  “Ignore my cousin,” Laurel said. “We don’t let him out much, and he hasn’t learned it’s very crude to speak like that in public. This isn’t the locker room at the gym. I’m very sorry.” The apology seemed to be aimed at Mitzi and Candace.

  “Cousins, huh?” Mitzi asked. “Real ones or kissing ones? We got siblings pretending to be lovers and lovers pretending to be siblings. Why not cousins who aren’t really cousins.” I looked across the room and saw the three remaining couples had put the expanse of the dining area between them. George, Georgia, Petal, and Henry sat at the same table while Clyde and Bonnie sat at a table by themselves. I actually felt sorry for Bonnie and would’ve invited them to join us, but our table only seated six people.

  Yanny threw his head back and laughed. “I like you, Mitzi.”

  “We’re truly cousins,” Laurel said. “Oddly enough, our
names really are Laurel and Yanny. We get teased mercilessly now since the audio clip came out.”

  “Seriously?” Josh asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Seriously,” Yanny said. He pulled his wallet out and showed us his name was indeed Yannis which he shortened to Yanny.

  “Would you like to see mine too?” Laurel asked. We declined because Yanny’s name was more unbelievable than hers.

  Throughout dinner, we chatted about our lives. I didn’t know how much was true, but Mitzi looked and sounded like a former Miss Alabama, and Candace certainly had the look and demeanor of a Hollywood starlet from the fifties. Laurel claimed to be a nurse, and Yanny told us he was a surgeon. I saw the way Josh eyed Yanny’s cutting skills when he attacked the beef Wellington after it was served. Either the knife was dull, or Yanny had zero finesse with one. Josh’s raised brow said he hoped like hell Yanny was making up his profession, and if not, we wanted to make sure we’d never be laid out before him on an operating table.

  “This is so tender you could cut it with a fork,” Mitzi said, eyeing Yanny too.

  “Thank you,” Josh said.

  Our table companions looked at him strangely. “Josh got to spend the day with Pierre making this delicious feast.” I aimed a proud smile at my husband. “You did get the recipes, right?”

  “Pierre will print them off for me before we head home. His creativity has gotten you to do something I never could.”

  There was only one food I refused to eat. I scrutinized my plate and saw zero signs of hateful fungi. I figured he was just giving me a hard time and continued eating.

  “Is it your birthday or something?” Laurel asked.

  “No,” Josh said. “I just love to cook, so Gabe arranged it as a surprise for me.”

  “That’s so sweet,” Mitzi said, smiling her approval at me.

  “It sounds like an apology or a bribe,” Yanny said with a mouthful of food.

  “Which is it? A thoughtful gift, an apology, or a bribe?” Candace asked.

  I looked at Josh with a raised brow, encouraging him to field the question.