“She seemed very interested in you. How did you know her?” Jeremy had asked. “If you tell me you boned that hot older lady I’ll never believe you,” he had laughed.
If only he knew.
“She ran a company I worked for. We were close for a while. End of story. I haven’t spoken to her in years so I’m really not sure why she’s making such a big deal about seeing me now,” I had explained. It was the truth or as much of it as I was willing to share.
“You’re sure you didn’t knock boots with Mrs. Robinson?” Jeremy prodded.
I didn’t bother to answer because, for all his feigned obliviousness, Jeremy could smell a lie with the best of them. It’s why he was a great attorney.
They were all looking at me now, clearly starting to question my story about my relationship with Tiffany Hardwell.
I should take the call. I knew what would happen if I didn’t. Allowing her to have any sort of control over my life made me sick to my stomach, but then I thought of Sky, and my mom, and Sam, and so I went to my office and closed the door before picking up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Robbie, Darling, took you long enough to answer.”
I balled my hands into fists, feeling a familiar rage. “My days of dropping everything every time you call are long over, Tiffany.”
She laughed her smoky, seductive laugh. At one time I would have gotten hard at the sound but now I simply felt cold. And annoyed. “What do you want?”
“You haven’t been by to see me. I thought you would have by now.”
I gritted my teeth hard enough to break a bone. “And I told you I had no desire to see you.”
“But I want to see you, Robbie.” Her voice became chilly. “I sure hope that pretty young woman isn’t taking up all your time. That girl needs to learn how to share.”
And there it was. The fucking grenade.
“What do you know about her?” I asked, not able to help myself. I was rising to her bait and she knew it. My reaction alone would tell her she had hit a nerve and she’d use it to her advantage.
“Skylar is such a nice girl. I really like her. Though she’s not a good fit for you, Robbie. I can’t imagine her being very understanding of your...lifestyle.”
There were a lot of things to unpack here. I tackled the most pressing thing first.
“How do you know her name?”
“Skylar and I are old friends,” she chuckled, clearly enjoying herself.
“What the fuck are you playing at, Tiffany?” I snarled.
“I told you, I’m here for you, Robbie. And you know I don’t like being ignored. So, come over tonight. Let’s catch up.” She wasn’t playing her full hand. Not yet.
The fear was there again.
“I can’t. I have business out of town this weekend,” I told her.
“Reschedule then. I want to see you tonight. I thought we could order in, share a bottle of wine—”
“I can’t reschedule. I’m not coming over, Tiffany,” I interjected harshly. The sound of her voice in my ears was making my skin crawl. To think I used to fancy myself in love with this awful woman. I had been such an idiot.
“I think you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with, Robbie.” And there it was, the real Tiffany Hardwell.
“And you have no idea who I am now, Tiffany. The days of manipulating and controlling me are over. I’m not a boy anymore,” I warned her, my tone brittle and furious.
“Oh, I know that. I’ve seen with my own eyes what a big, gorgeous man you are now.”
“I have to go.”
“Fine. This weekend doesn’t work. I can be patient. Our time will come.” She sounded so sure. So confident. I used to think that made her sexy and alluring. Now I saw it for what it was—stone cold manipulation.
I hung up the phone without saying another word.
**
“That’s all you’re bringing?” I asked, tossing Skylar’s duffel bag into the trunk of my car.
“I’m not some clothes-obsessed woman that has to pack for a month when she’s going away for two days. Come on, now.” She rolled her eyes before kissing me. I grabbed her before she could move away and kissed her again, deeper this time. I briefly thought about bending her over the hood of my car and fucking her before we got on the road.
“Um, Mr. Sheehan is right there. He just came to get Edgar,” she murmured against my mouth. I broke away from her and the both of us waved to the older man walking down the road with Skylar’s beast of a dog.
“He was okay with having Edgar for the weekend?” I asked, holding the passenger door open for Skylar to get in.
“He loves having Edgar. I sometimes think my traitorous dog loves Mr. Sheehan more than he loves me.
“It has to be all the sausages Mr. Sheehan gives him.” Skylar tucked her body into her seat, and I closed the door.
Once we were all settled and on our way, I noticed Skylar tapping her knee in what appeared to be a nervous gesture. “Everything okay over there?”
Skylar’s smile was more akin to a grimace. “I’m feeling weird.”
“Weird? Why?”
She started chewing on her bottom lip. “We’re going away together for the weekend,” she began.
“Yes, we are,” I smiled.
“And you’re taking me to meet your family,” she continued. The tapping became quicker, more agitated.
My smile faded slightly. Was I pushing things? I was trying to be laid back and take my time. I didn’t want to rush her. But I also felt this frantic need to immerse her into parts of my life I had kept carefully separate from everything else. I wasn’t ashamed of my family, just intensely protective of their wellbeing. I didn’t want Sam or my mom to know how I kept them comfortable. That wasn’t a reality they needed to be aware of.
I had worked hard to compartmentalize and as such, I had split into three people. There was the Robert I became when I was with my family. There was the Robert who worked as a successful attorney. And there was the Robert who became a camboy at night, taking his clothes off to people who paid for the privilege. Each one was a different part of me, a different part of my personality. And until this moment, I hadn’t meshed them together in any way. This was the first time since I had become these three different men, that I was pushing either of those sides together. It was momentous for me. Skylar had no idea.
Tiffany had come dangerously close to blurring the lines between my lives and as such my walls were very high. And there was Skylar, looking over the top, ready to climb over.
I wanted to let her.
“Is this going too fast?” I asked her.
Skylar released her lip and stared out the window. “I have a chip on my shoulder, Rob. Let's call it a crater.” She furrowed her brow. “I’m scared to get my hopes up about us.”
I reached across the center console and took her hand, lacing our fingers together. “I’ve never introduced a woman to Sam and my mom before.”
That made her look at me. “Never? Really?
I shook my head. “I don’t really date. In fact, I haven’t had a real girlfriend since college.” I didn’t tell her that my only previous relationship was with the woman who also made money when I took off my clothes for other people. I knew that part of my life was dark and being with Skylar made me feel shame for the first time ever about the decisions I had made for myself in the past. I didn’t want to be that person. I wanted to have a clean history with no secrets.
I had some decisions to make.
“So this is a big deal for me too,” I went on, pushing those thoughts from my mind. I would deal with that later. I had to focus on Skylar and what she meant to me.
“What if your brother and mom don’t like me? I’m not an easy person to like, Rob.” She sounded so concerned that I found myself turning on the turn signal and pulling off to the side of the road.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I put the car into park once I was safely on the shoulder. I un
buckled my seat belt and turned to her, reaching out and cupping her face in my hands. “My god, Skylar, you’re fucking perfect, can’t you see that?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not fishing for compliments. And I’m not suffering from low self-esteem. I’m simply being honest with myself. Mac’s parents didn’t like me. His mom made it very obvious she thought her son could do better.” She snorted. “They must be like pigs in the shit now that I’m out of their lives.”
“Then they’re idiots. And from what you’ve told me about Mac, it’s not surprising his parents were morons. My mom is amazing. So is my brother. And they’ll love you because I—” I cut off my words abruptly. I had come dangerously close to telling her that I loved her. And given her state of near panic, that would be a very bad idea.
“You’re special to me,” I started again, “and if you’re special to me, then you’ll be special to them.” I thought briefly about the phone call I had with Tiffany earlier. A thread of disquiet unfurled in my gut at what she might do because I wasn’t bowing to her wishes. I’d have to tell Skylar about Tiffany at some point. I knew that with absolute certainty.
But this weekend wasn’t that time. This weekend was about starting a new chapter with a woman I was coming to love very much.
“For a guy that usually doesn’t have a lot to say, you’re pretty good with the whole calming people down thing,” she smirked.
“Maybe I’m just good at calming you down,” I suggested. I leaned across the console and kissed her. She let out a little sigh as she opened her mouth and I tasted her thoroughly. I pulled away after a few minutes. “Feel better?”
She smiled. “Much.”
“Then let's get this show on the road.” I re-fastened my seat belt and pulled back onto the highway.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we checked into the Four Seasons in downtown Philly a little over an hour later.
“Fancy,” Skylar remarked as we took the elevator up to our suite. I had splurged and booked the Landmark Corner Suite that overlooked the city. I wasn’t the kind of man to spend an exorbitant amount of money on high-end hotels and over-the-top meals, but for Skylar, I would make an exception. I wanted her to have the best weekend I could give her.
Okay, so what if I was trying to impress her? From the way her eyes widened when I opened the door to our suite, I was pretty sure I was off to a good start.
“Damn, Jenkins. I didn’t realize business was this good,” she joked, heading straight for the wall of glass that overlooked the city. She stared down, pressing her hands to the windows. “It’s a good thing I don’t have a fear of heights.”
I came up behind her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her back against me. I leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. “It’s a good thing we’re so far up, that way no one will see me fucking you against this window later.” I felt her shiver and was immensely proud of myself.
She turned in my arms, her hands on my belt buckle. “Why wait until later?” She raised an eyebrow and that was all the encouragement I needed.
Chapter Eleven
Skylar
I gave my dark hair a final brush and looked at myself in the mirror.
Damn, I looked good.
It wasn’t just the dress that I had bought on a whim when Rob suggested we take a trip out of town. It wasn’t just the glow on my skin that was a result of having my brains screwed out not once but twice since we checked in.
I knew what it was.
It was happiness.
I couldn’t remember another time in my life when I felt this warmth bursting in the center of my chest. Everything felt right. It felt like I had been building up to this moment, with this man.
Because it was very clear to me that I was madly, stupidly in love with Robert Jenkins.
And that terrified me.
But it was exhilarating at the same time. He wasn’t Mac and he wasn’t my parents. He was every sweet, honest, wonderful thing I could have ever imagined.
I never got dressed up. My usual uniform consisted of jeans and t-shirts. If you had asked me six months ago if I would enjoy getting all dolled up to go out to a fancy-schmancy restaurant I would have yelled ‘hell no!’
But now, I was giddy with excitement. I felt good. I felt powerful. I felt sexy as hell. Because Robert made me feel that way. And because I felt that. I wouldn’t attribute all this newfound awesomeness to Robert alone. It had a lot to do with me and finally getting rid of that massive, heavyweight that had been holding me down my whole life.
For the first time, I could picture a life without the worry of being hurt.
I came out of the bathroom and stopped for a moment to stare at...was he my boyfriend? Is that what I should call him? What else was he?
He was staring down at his phone frowning, his brown hair that he kept shaggy, hung in his face. His glasses perched on the edge of his nose. He was wearing a tailored pair of black slacks and a fitted green shirt. I could see the definition of his body and I felt my panties getting wet again at the memory of touching that chiseled flesh. Of how only an hour ago he had me bent over the bed, his fingers digging into my hips as he…
“God, you look gorgeous,” he breathed, looking up at me. He quickly tucked his phone in his pocket and crossed the room to me in long strides. He gently swept my hair behind my shoulders and kissed my forehead, his lips lingering there. It was more intimate than any other kiss he could give me.
I closed my eyes briefly, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. “Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.” My voice cracked and I had to swallow around the lump that had formed there. Stony, stoic Skylar Murphy had dissolved into an emotive pile of goo. All because of Robert freaking Jenkins.
“We should get going. Our reservations are at eight.” He picked up my jacket, holding it open for me to put on.
He took my hand, lifting it to his mouth and kissing the knuckles. We made our way to the lobby, where Robert asked the concierge to get us a taxi. Ten minutes later we were standing outside a brightly lit restaurant. It was packed. I could also see a line that had formed along the sidewalk, waiting to get in.
“Wow, this looks like a popular spot,” I observed as we made our way to the maître d. “How in the world did you get reservations at such short notice?”
“The head chef is an old friend of mine. Will Stetson.” Robert gave his name to the man at the door.
“Will Stetson is your friend? Jesus, Rob, way to be all blasé about being friends with an actual celebrity,” I gasped as the maître d immediately led us inside. Will Stetson was a well-known Michelin star chef from Philadelphia. He had cooked for everyone from the president to Lady Gaga. I used to watch his cooking show religiously.
“I didn’t realize you knew who he was,” Robert said.
“I haven’t been living under a rock,” I sputtered. “How do you know him again?”
The maître d stopped at what appeared to be one of the nicest tables in the restaurant. It was a concealed booth lit with ambient lighting.
We sat down and he ordered us a bottle of wine and the rather stiff man said he’d inform Mr. Stetson that we had arrived. I looked at the menu, not knowing where to start.
Robert took the menu from my hands and set it to the side. “Will said he’d make us a tasting menu. It will be a mixture of several dishes.”
A pretty young woman came to our table with the bottle of wine, pouring it into our glasses before leaving it in a shiny bucket of ice at the side of our table. “Mr. Stetson says he’s provided you with a special menu of courses. You’re in for a real treat,” she gushed.
“Thank you, we’re looking forward to it,” Robert smiled, his eyes only on me. Once the waitress left he lifted his glass. “To a wonderful weekend together.”
I clinked my glass to his. “To your family not hating me and me not spilling food all over my dress in this super fancy restaurant.”
We both laughed and Robert took my hand. “Even if y
ou spill stuff all over you, you’ll still be the most beautiful woman in the room.” His eyes were warm as he looked at me and he made me believe everything he said.
Our waitress brought three different appetizers to start us off. It all looked amazing. I took a bite of what was described as crab risotto with green chili and puffed rice. “Oh my god. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” I moaned.
“You have to try this. It’s black truffle and mozzarella ravioli.” Robert and I swapped plates and then ate the Spanish octopus with crispy garlic together.
“Your friend is one hell of a cook,” I complimented, wiping my mouth.
“So, I take you two are enjoying yourselves?” a deep voice said from beside me. I looked up at Will Stetson, chef to the stars. He was even better looking in person. His insanely good looks were one of the reasons he became such a hit. It was one thing to cook well, it was another to look like a Greek god while you’re doing it.
“Will, it’s so good to see you.” Robert got to his feet and hugged his friend, who seemed really happy to see him. “Thank you so much for getting us in tonight.” He sat down and took my hand. “Will, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Skylar Murphy. Sky, this is Will Stetson.”
Girlfriend. Robert just called me his girlfriend. I was positively giddy inside.
Will held out his hand, which I shook. “It’s so nice to meet you, Skylar. I can see why Robbie here is so smitten.”
I felt myself blush. “I bet you say that to all the women drooling over your crab risotto,” I joked.
Will laughed. “So, you like it? It’s one of the more popular dishes here.”
“Like it? I think I might have to marry it,” I replied.
“Thanks again, Will, for all of this,” Rob said.
Will waved away his thanks. “I’d do anything for you, man, you know that,” he said with sincerity. “When you messaged me and asked if I knew of any good places to take a special woman, of course, I wanted you to come here.” Will turned to me. “Mostly so I could see the lady who had Robbie turning himself inside out to impress her.”
Say You're Mine: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Southport Love Stories Book 4) Page 16