Roll the Dice: Part Two. A Second Chance Romance Novella. (Between the Rescued Series Book 2)
Page 4
I returned to my apartment almost an hour later. Shane was kicked back, watching TV. “Where the hell you been?” he asked as soon as I walked through the door.
“Sorry, man. I ran into a friend. Here.” I handed him his blueberry muffin and went to the kitchen to heat up his coffee.
He flicked through the channels and ate his blueberry muffin. “It’s all good. I figured something came up. What’s the game plan for the rest of the day?”
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed half of it. “Um, I gotta go to Wesley’s later tonight. More wedding stuff. You wanna go?”
“Yeah, I’ll go. Otherwise, I’ll just be sitting here watching reruns of The Walking Dead.”
“That doesn’t sound like an awful night, actually. Are you back in the wedding? Do you know?” Originally, Wes had asked Shane to be in their wedding, too, but he’d backed out because he thought he wouldn’t be able to take off work. Which ended up working out because that meant everyone had someone to walk with down the aisle. Otherwise, I would have been the single man out until Rowan could find someone to walk with me. Now with Shane back, she’d have to rework everything.
“Neither of them mentioned it, but I’m perfectly fine just having a front-row seat. I don’t want to add to Rowan’s stress.”
“True. She kind of stays on edge these days. I’m sure her wheels started cranking as soon as you walked through the door.”
“I don’t wanna cause any problems. Ya know?”
I walked over and handed him his reheated coffee. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
***
Shane and I made our way over to Wes’s, and I was crazy nervous as hell about seeing Chloe for the first time since our breakfast debacle. She’d gotten away from me as fast as she could, and I felt like shit for scaring her away. That was the last thing I’d wanted.
As soon as we’d arrived at Wesley’s, Rowan started talking wedding plans, confirming that she and Wes wanted Shane back in the wedding. Shane and everyone else, myself included, gave the okay. Not that we’d had a choice. I’d never tell a bride-to-be that she couldn’t have her way with her own wedding.
“So,” Rowan began—the whole crew was together, sitting around Wes’s living room—"that puts Katie with Warren, Chloe walking with Shane, and Daniel…I’ve gotta find someone to walk with you, otherwise you’re singled-out.”
“I don’t mind. I can walk alone or sit in the front row. Makes no difference to me. Hell, make me your flower girl. This is your wedding; you do whatever makes you happy. I’m just here for moral support.”
She looked around searching for ideas from anyone who was willing to offer one up. No one said a word. So far Rowan hadn’t been Bridezilla, but we weren’t about to risk it now.
“Oh come on,” she said. “Y’all know I don’t have very many friends here, or any, for that matter. I only know like five people.” She plopped down on Wes’s lap with an exaggerated huff.
Wesley was the first one to speak up. “What about Camilla? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind playing dress-up with you ladies.”
Rowan bit her bottom lip. “You think she would? I mean, it’s super last-minute. The wedding is in a week.”
“Eh, might be worth a shot,” Wesley encouraged her. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask. I mean, that’s if you want three couples. Otherwise, it’ll just be the two, and we can find a different role for Daniel.”
I thought asking Camilla to be in their wedding was a terrible idea because that would mean she and I would have to walk together. “I’m okay sitting this one out,” I countered, hoping she wouldn’t press the idea. “I don’t want shit to get any more stressful for Rowan.” Or me or Chloe. I was perfectly okay with Chloe walking with Shane, but my being in a wedding with Camilla was the last thing I’d wanted.
“No,” Rowan said. “It’s fine. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. I’d prefer three couples. I know it sounds weird, but I really want an odd number of people on either side Wesley and me.”
I felt Chloe’s stare before I saw it. Thanks, Wes.
As if Chloe didn’t already have her doubts about me and Camilla, even though I’d already told her otherwise, now she’d have to stand by and watch me walk down the aisle with her?
“Sounds like a plan, then. Daniel? Are you gonna be okay with that? If I can get Camilla on board?”
“I mean, yeah, whatever you need. I’m your man.”
Rowan immediately called Camilla, extended an offer for her to be in their wedding, then asked if she was free to come over while she had everyone together. Please be busy. Please be busy. “Okay, its settled,” she said as she hung up the phone. “Daniel, you’re gonna walk down the aisle with Camilla.”
Fucking wonderful. “Great.” Can’t wait.
My mood lightened as the night went on and things fell into place. Everything felt like it was getting back to normal…whatever that was. Chloe laughed more times than not, and she’d seemed to be enjoying herself. I didn’t say any more dumb shit to make her not want to be in the same room as me, so that was nice.
Then Camilla showed up.
I mean, Rowan did invite her, but she never did mention one way or another whether or not Camilla was coming over to hang out tonight, and I didn’t care enough to ask.
But what the fuck, Camilla? She waltzed in dressed unnecessarily for the runway, again. Even for her, it was a little over-the-top.
The air in the room felt dense, even though Chloe and I were probably the only two people who felt it.
As soon as Camilla sat down, Rowan picked up right where she’d left off, going over wedding plans, ironing out details for the rest of the week and day of the wedding. “I think this will really work out. Thanks, again, for volunteering on such short notice.”
“It’s my pleasure to help you out in any way I can. Let me know if you need anything else.” She cut her eyes to me. “I’ll make sure to leave everything wide-open for the next week.”
Oh, come on! Could she make this shit anymore obvious?
“So, what are we going to wear?” Katie asked Rowan. “You said you narrowed it down to a few options. I liked all of the ones you’ve sent me.”
“Well, the guys are all fitted and ready to go, except for Shane. Wesley can take him. Us girls will all go soon so we can pick out our dresses. I’m thinking sometime this weekend?”
Chloe piped in. “What about you? Isn’t it kind of late in the game to be getting fitted for a wedding dress?”
“Oh, I’m already fitted for at least three. I just need y’all to help me pick one out. Y’all should be fine too. I have a few different styles set aside and already know the color. I’ll leave it up to each of y’all to pick your own style of dress. And the shop has a guy who’s on standby for a rush job, if anyone needs their dress tailored.”
Camilla gave Chloe a low-key side-eye.
Shit like this was exactly why I preferred to stay single. Life was far less complicated. It was bad enough I had one woman I knew without a doubt wanted me and a second woman I hoped felt the same. The one I had zero interest in, I had to see on a regular basis. The other one I was crazy about but wasn’t entirely convinced I’d ever see her again once she left town. Now both of them were together in the same room as me, which had already occurred two times too many.
As the women drank wine and carried on, Wesley, Warren, and Shane went out on to the balcony, probably to enjoy the silence and light up a cigar. I headed to the butler pantry and raided Wesley’s liquor cabinet. “Bingo.”
“Find what you’re looking for?”
I jumped at the sound of the voice but didn’t need to look to know who it was. “Indeed, I did. You want some?” I held up a bottle of Patrón.
“Not my drink of choice. I’ll pass.” Camilla walked up beside me, closing in on the already tight space, wedging herself between me and the door. “What’s with that woman out there?” she said, nodding the direction of the living room toward the laughter. �
�You two seem…cozy tonight.”
Not cozy enough. “If you’re talking about Chloe, that’s none of your business.” The already small space felt like it was closing in as Camilla blocked the exit.
See, the thing about Camilla was she was used to getting her way. She was cutthroat by nature, and with her being in sales in a man’s world, she had to work extra hard to get what she wanted. Even if that meant her working the men themselves—myself included. Other than that one-time years ago, I’d never caved into any of her advances. She wasn’t used to hearing the word “no.” But I had to give her an A for effort.
“You know we were good together once.”
“Once. It was one time and one time only. That was the rule. Nothing has changed.”
“Oh, I see a lot has changed.”
“Maybe. We’ll see. Now, if you’ll excuse me? Please.”
Surprisingly, she stepped to the side without further resistance, leaving me just enough room to squeeze between her and the door frame.
“There you are!” A glassy-eyed Chloe walked up to me just as I exited the kitchen with Camilla hot on my heels. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were busy.”
I never lost eye contact with Chloe as Camilla passed by, rejoining the others. “I wasn’t. Not in the least bit. But I did find this.” I held up the Patrón.
She smirked at the sight of the bottle.
“It’s not top-shelf, but it’ll get the job done.”
She bit her bottom lip, and I almost came undone. It was the most unmistakably flirty she had been with me since we’d reconnected.
I rubbed the pad of my thumb across her lip. “Fuck I wish I could do that,” I whispered under my breath just loud enough for her to hear me.
She snatched the bottle from my grip, popped off the cork top, took a shot straight from the bottle, and handed it back to me. “One more of those and I might let you.”
“Glad to see you’re drinking again.” I looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be distracted with either food, conversation, or alcohol. So I grabbed Chloe’s hand and pulled her down the hallway into a place I knew I could get her alone for even just a few minutes.
She stumbled to catch her footing behind me. “Where are we—?”
“Shh.”
Glancing back over my shoulder, making sure the coast was still clear, I gave her a nudge ahead of me and closed the door, locking us in the dark room. Not that we really needed to hide from anyone. We were two grown, consenting adults. But it was more out respect for Rowan and the fact that Chloe was her best friend. I didn’t need Rowan thinking I was only after her for only one thing.
I set the bottle down on the nightstand, shoved the cork back in place, and flicked on the bedside light. “Come here.”
She strolled over to me, and I finally took her into my arms. The smell of liquor mixed with her sweet perfume hung in the air between us. I looked down at her—well, at the top of her head. “What are you, like four foot ten?”
She poked her finger into my rib cage, causing me to jump, then she pinched my nipple. “Ouch. What was that for?”
“Payback. And it’s eleven and a half,” she said with a huff, looking up at me with her chest all puffed out—like she’d really needed to. Those things entered the room before she did.
Chloe was a mouthy little shit, and odd as it was, it was a huge fucking turn-on. She was a whole lot of fire and spice and everything I’d ever wanted in a woman and never knew I’d needed. The last thing I’d wanted was to try to tame her. But I was ready for whatever burn she was going to give me.
“You know you sure talk a lot of shit for someone who can’t reach the middle shelf of an upper cabinet.”
“Is that why you locked me in here with you? So you could give me crap about my height?”
“Not in the least bit. I needed a few minutes alone with you.”
“Hmm. Well, you talk a lot of game for someone with a seemingly decent dick he doesn’t want to use,” she said to me in a sarcastic tone, mocking my words.
I squeezed her tight, pressed my seemingly decent dick into her front and grazed my mouth against her ear. “Whoever said I didn’t want to use it?”
She wrapped her arms around my waist. “You did. In Vegas.”
“Good point. And while I did deny you the pleasure back then, that didn’t mean I didn’t want to bend you over and bury my dick deep inside of you. Because that was exactly what I had planned on doing until Warren called me. Otherwise, I would have. I already told you that.”
She let out a soft moan as she melted in my arms. “So what’s stopping you now?”
“The fact that we’re standing in Wes and Rowan’s guest bedroom with a room full of people less than twenty feet away. And neither of us can seem to catch a fucking break away from this wedding shit to be alone together long enough to do anything.”
“True.”
“But I’ll make it up to you.”
She dropped her forehead into my chest. “Promise?”
I rubbed my hand up and down her back. “Eventually, yes.”
“If you say so.”
“Chloe?”
“Hmm?” She looked up at me and I cupped her face in my hands. Then I leaned down and firmly, but gently, pressed my lips to hers without wasting another second with her. When she didn’t pull away or kick me in the balls, I slid my tongue across her lips, nudging my way inside. Her opened up for me, and as soon as she let me in, I devoured her mouth with my own.
After what felt like forever, I reluctantly forced myself to break our kiss, both of us completely winded. “I do say so. And don’t ever refer to my dick as decent again. I'll have no choice but to show you just how sufficient it is.”
CHAPTER SIX
DANIEL
The longest three days of my life were waiting to find out if I’d been accepted into med school, and the length of time it’d been since I’d last seen or talked to Chloe. I could not believe how much of a pussy I’d become when it came to her, how I’d somehow let myself fall victim to those annoying little things called feelings. Even more surprising was how little I cared about what was even happening to me.
“Earth to Daniel.”
“Yeah, what? I’m as present as ever.”
“Dude, you’re more distant than these women who were supposed to be here over ten minutes ago.”
“Oh, yeah, where are they?” I asked like I didn’t care that they were late, but truth be told, the longer they took, the more anxious I became.
“I just texted Rowan a few minutes ago. She said they were on their way. She also said that the first time I messaged her.”
Wesley had unknowingly reminded me I still didn’t have Chloe’s phone number. That would be remedied today. She was not leaving my sight until we swapped contact info. At this point, I was ready to send her a carrier pigeon.
No sooner than I thought about all of the dirty little messages I could be sending her, the woman who was quickly turning into my most favorite person walked through the door. Leave it to her to show up dressed like some sexy librarian or secretary. Now all I’d be able to think about was bending her over this dining room table.
I adjusted my dick under the table as Chloe walked in behind Rowan and Katie, soon followed by none other than the vixen herself, Camilla. Of course she’d entered last and a few feet behind the others. Camilla wanted all eyes on her.
But not mine. They were locked in on one woman and one woman only.
My mouthy little firecracker.
Rowan greeted Wesley then made all of us guys get up so she could rearrange where she wanted everyone to sit. I had the un-fucking-believable misfortune of sitting smack-dab between what should have been every man’s wet dream but given my circumstances had the potential of turning into a nightmare. Camilla crowded me on one side, Chloe the other.
We sat uncomfortably—well at least I did—as we ate lunch and knocked back a few much-needed drinks. A couple of times I had to scoot my chair away
from Camilla because, whether or not it was intentional, she was inching hers closer to mine. Although, I didn’t mind moving because it meant my getting closer to Chloe. But at one point, Camilla had set her hand on my thigh under the table, and I almost came unglued. She hadn’t been this brazen in a long time, and her antics were starting to piss me off.
As lunch wound down, we all stood and stretched. A few people made their way outside for fresh air, Camilla being one of them and thank fuck.
Warren checked his watch. “What’s the plan tonight, Daniel?”
Shit. Really, Warren? He wanted to talk about tonight now? It was awkward enough discussing my Friday night plans around Chloe once; I didn’t want to do it again. “Haven’t thought that far ahead.” Asshole.
Chloe excused herself to the bathroom, my assumption was to avoid overhearing our conversation.
“Well, you bailed out on me early last weekend. You going for round two?”
“I’ll have to see what the rest of the afternoon has in store.”
“You created this monster,” Wesley said to me. “Don’t start dicking around and leaving him off his leash unattended now.”
“For fuck’s sake. Warren is a grown man. He doesn’t need me to get laid.”
“I didn’t say I needed you to get laid, but it’s nice to have a wingman, Doc,” he said with a wink.
“Smart-ass. We’ll talk about tonight later. I gotta piss.” I loosened the collar of my shirt as I casually strolled across the restaurant to the far corner, heading to the bathroom. As soon as I rounded the corner down the hall, I ran straight into Chloe as she stepped out of the women’s bathroom, which was exactly what I’d hoped for.
I caught her under her arm as I moved past her, spun her around and dragged her into a dim, empty banquet hall. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“Oh? Is that so? How do you have time for me if you’re out with Warren getting laid?”