He grinned. She scowled. The game was on.
“This isn’t a date.”
“Of course it isn’t.” He feigned being appalled. “I like my women tall and sweet.”
“I’ll be sure to add that to your BS file.”
“Ah, did you make a file for me? I’m so flattered.”
“Don’t be. I scorched it, along with your favorite Asics.”
He shrugged. “Maybe I sacrificed those shoes for my own agenda. You’re always the most beautiful when you get ticked off.”
They were at her door now and he could physically see her body relaxing. She wasn’t even trying to hide the smile anymore. It grew with each fiery dialogue, transforming her entire appearance.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, the urge to gather her in his arms so fierce his body shook with the need. He’d lied. She wasn’t the most beautiful angry. She was the most beautiful when she looked at him… just like that.
“So twenty minutes?” he choked out, taking a step back. He was a strong man, but even he knew when he’d been bested. She wasn’t the only one who needed rescuing. They’d both been drowning for months.
Chapter 18
The car ride to Mulligans had been ten minutes of tension-filled small talk and white-knuckled self-control… at least on her end. Sean lounged in the passenger seat he’d pushed all the way back, feet stretched out with his hands folded against his solid stomach as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Her awareness of him was as unwelcome as it was troubling. He’d betrayed her, hurt her, lied to her. She should not want to slam the car into park, climb on his lap and kiss him until they were both out of breath.
“You missed the turn,” he said, an all too knowing grin at his lips. “You’ll have to circle the block now.”
Crap. She had missed the turn.
Growling, she cut the car to the right, circled the block and finally turned into the driveway that led to the country club entrance.
She slowed as she approached the guard shack. The security guy noted her membership sticker and the barrier arm raised before she even came to a complete stop.
The blacktop wove around the main clubhouse, area light shining against the brick as if it were a museum painting. Her mind flashed to her dinner with Aiden and a wave of guilt washed through her stomach.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Jelly Bean?”
She didn’t have to look at him to know he was staring at her profile, analyzing her facial expressions and body language. Sean could always read her implicitly.
“I’m wondering how awkward it’s going to be tonight.” Not a complete lie. The five of them hadn’t hung out in a social setting in a year.
“That’s entirely up to you.”
“Hardly. Beck and I can barely share table space right now, let alone a night of civil conversation.”
Sean’s perpetual smile fell slightly. “Beck is good. We’re here for Ty and Journey. I think we can all put our past issues aside for one night.”
Could they? It seemed so many of their bonds had been severed and she’d been the one with the scissors. “If you say so.”
After the final curve, she parked next to Ty’s Lexus and pushed the last of her unease away. One night for Journey. She could do that much.
Sean pushed open his door and folded his long, solid body out of the car. He turned and poked his head back in. “Of course, it really doesn’t matter what the rest of us do if you’re determined to be miserable.”
She gave him a sullen glare as she exited the car. “I’m not determined to be miserable.”
He responded with a sardonic lift of one brow, and April slammed the driver side door with enough force to take it off its hinges.
Adrenaline and suppressed tension was getting the better of her. Her skin tingled and her chest hurt from all the shallow breathing she’d been doing in the car. She should have worn her hair up. Worn a stiff collared shirt instead of the tank top and jeans she’d thrown on. Even her five-inch platforms were failing to give her the boost she needed.
Sean waited in front of the car, his hands casually in his pockets.
The sight of him struck a well-buried nerve. He was always grinning, as if the world were one big delightful party. His mouth was his best feature, though the rest of his face was pretty spectacular as well. He wasn’t classically handsome like Aiden. Sean’s features were too broad in some places, too sharp in others, but there was a rugged poetry in the structure that made Aiden’s beauty feel irrelevant.
“You coming?”
She shook out of her trance, annoyed that months apart hadn’t lessened her attraction to him. He could obviously sense the chemistry, you’d have to be a corpse not to. The best course of action was to accept that Sean would always be a temptation and treat it like she did any other vice. She’d keep him at an arm’s length and remain focused and fully alert.
Armed with a plan, April threw her shoulders back and walked toward the entrance. Sean rushed ahead to grab the door, opening it like a doorman, complete with a bow.
Her lips quirked up. “Stop it.”
“What? You’re acting like you’re above everyone around you. I just figured I’d play the game.”
“I am not acting like that.”
The door swung closed behind them. “Sweetheart, if you were any more stuck up tonight, you’d be your mother.”
From Sean, those words were the worst form of insult. There was not a person on earth who disliked her mother more than him.
“Maybe try and be pleasant?” he continued.
April fluttered her eyes and twirled a chunk of her hair the way the football groupies used to in college. “Is this better? Should I hang on your arm and tell you what big biceps you have? Oh Sean, that catch was soooo amazing. Will you sign my shirt, right here?” She pointed to her left boob, her lashes still moving.
“Don’t tempt me.” He ushered her into the crowded room. There was live music tonight, a guy-girl duo with an acoustic guitar and great harmonies. The area in front of the stage platform was empty, most patrons choosing to watch and listen instead of dancing. A relief considering the last time they came, Sean had held her close, whispered professions of love in her ear and promised a lifetime of nights like that one.
A shiver ran through her. There was too much history here. Far too many memories for her to let her guard down for even a second.
Sean pressed his hand against her back, pushing her to the left, through a corridor of tables to the back of the room where the octagon bar ran the length of the wall. Etched dark mahogany wood and a backdrop of liquor bottles and exposed brick gave the room an eclectic, modern vibe that appealed to the younger club members.
Again, she thought of Aiden and their elegant dinner in the main dining room. Of the promises she’d made that she was absolutely breaking. Aiden hadn’t minced words and neither had her father: We all make mistakes. What matters is that we correct them and never let those mistakes back into our lives again. If her family had any clue she was currently out with her ex-fiancé, they’d take back every email and phone call inviting her back into their lives.
She needed to leave. Make her apologies and get out before she lost everything all over again. Scanning the room, she found Journey and Ty at their favorite table, hands laced, chairs turned so Journey could lean onto him while they listened. Her resolve quickly faded away. Ty played with the strands of Journey’s hair, his face content and hopelessly in love. April would have to be made of stone not to be affected by the picture they made.
Ty straightened when he spotted them approaching. “You came?”
“Of course she came,” Sean said with fake indignation. “I told you we had a truce.”
“With April, that’s like saying she’s not going to spear you in your sleep. Not catch a ride with you.” Journey’s fashion influence on Ty was spilling over into his casual attire. Tonight he wore dark jeans and a button down checkered shirt. His hair was still messy,
though, likely from how often he shoved his hand through it when he got agitated. “Crap. Now I owe Beck twenty bucks.”
Sean grinned and wrapped his big arm around April’s shoulder. “That’s what you get for betting against me.”
“Hello. I’m standing right here.” She pushed Sean’s arm away, annoyed by the tingling his touch had left behind. “And I came for Journey, not you idiots.” April glanced at her roommate who watched her with trepidation. Apart from curt one-liners in passing, April hadn’t spoken to her since their fight. “We haven’t really celebrated.”
“No, we haven’t.” She rose and gave April a warm, forgiving hug. “I’m really happy you’re here.” Journey wasn’t capable of holding grudges, and April was tired of being angry and distant with her best friend.
“Me too,” she whispered back.
The guys did their handshake, back slap combination, then Sean pulled Journey in for one of his famous bear hugs, the back of her silky green shirt lifting slightly from the pressure. He hadn’t even let go before Beck came from behind and pulled out the chair at the head of the table.
“Ty, you really should know better by now.” Hand out, Beck’s grin was wide and arrogant. “Pay up.” He’d obviously come straight from the office. He was still in a suit, minus the tie.
“Wait a second,” Ty scoffed. “When Sean and April got engaged, y’all started a tab in my name. How am I still the one paying?”
April tensed at the reminder of their failed relationship, but Sean continued on as if the words had no impact. “They like me better than you.”
“Whatever. I’m not buying a thing tonight.”
It was amazing how quickly they fell into their old roles. Beck, the leader. Sean, the comic relief. Journey, the peacemaker. April wasn’t quite sure what role she and Ty played, but the five of them fit like perfect puzzle pieces.
“Stop whining. I’ll get the first round,” she said, the atmosphere pushing away the trepidation she’d felt all the way here. One night, Sean had said. One night to be young and remember a time before they’d all hurt each other. Surely this one little indulgence couldn’t be that dangerous.
They all piped in with drink requests, a very different order than when they were in college. With all of them posing as responsible adults now, this would likely be the one and only round of the night.
“I’ll help you carry the drinks,” Sean offered.
“No need,” Journey said, already taking position next to her. “We are due a little girl time.” She tucked her arm through April’s and they marched to the bar a solid pair, just like they’d been since kindergarten.
“I’m sorry,” Journey said when they reached their destination. “I’ve thought about it a lot and I should have told you I was emailing with Sean. And about the job offer.”
“Yes, you should have.” April heard the sharpness in her voice and intentionally lessened the bite. “But I can see why you hesitated. I haven’t exactly been open where he’s concerned.”
The bartender interrupted them and she recited their order. He disappeared just as quickly while she pulled her platinum card from her purse.
Journey nibbled on her already dull fingernail. “Why didn’t you tell me about your family?”
April stared at the floor, fighting against the clench in her gut. “Not everyone likes to talk about their feelings, Journey. Some of us just need to press on.”
“I won’t push you and Sean together anymore. If you say it’s over, then okay, it’s over.” Journey laid a hand on April’s forearm, her voice thick with apology. “But please know, if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, though her words were only to appease her friend. Unfortunately, Journey would never be a safe confidant when it came to Sean. Not that she wasn’t trustworthy, she would never repeat April’s secrets, but Journey was biased. It would be like complaining about your husband to his sister. There would always be a fine line that couldn’t be crossed. “And it is over. Tonight doesn’t change anything.”
“Okay…” She eyed her speculatively. “Why are you looking at me with your lecture face?”
“Because you have that dreamy, romantic gloss over your eyes, and I don’t want there to be any disillusions.” April tugged on a strand of Journey’s long hair. “Tonight is only about you, so enjoy it.”
“I am happy.” Her face was open and guileless, full of a trust April could no longer relate to. “Our relationship is now everything I knew it could be. It’s vulnerable and honest and he’s letting me into his heart for the first time. Ty even wants to try Caroline’s church this Sunday.”
“Why?” April didn’t have a feeling one way or the other about Caroline’s faith; to each his own, but Ty’s buying into it definitely surprised her.
“There’s a quiet strength in her. I think we both want to understand it better.”
Okay, April could concede as much. She’d seen it, too. “And the stuff with Dustin? It’s completely resolved?”
“Dustin, yes, he’s gone for good. But we still have no news on Ty’s sister.”
“Wait.” April cocked her head to the side. “Sister? I thought it was all a con?”
“Most of it was, but not this part. Her birth certificate was hidden among his grandfather’s things.” She glanced over at her fiancé, concern etched in her beautiful face. “Ty listed his information on registry sites, but it hasn’t gotten any credible response.” She sighed. “So we wait.”
The bartender setting the bottles on the bar was a welcome distraction from the turmoil twisting inside. April had spent so much time punishing Journey for bringing Sean home, she hadn’t considered what she’d missed out on in the process.
The band stopped playing, announcing a small break. A soft ballad from hidden speakers took their place, sensual and soft enough to dance to. Ty glanced over his shoulder and gestured for Journey to return. Her face bloomed with undiluted happiness, but she hesitated.
“Go on. I’ve got the drinks,” April said.
“You sure?”
“Positive.” There, she wasn’t completely selfish, no matter what Sean implied on the way in.
The bartender told her the tally, and April passed her card over and told him to start a tab. When she turned back around, the dance floor was no longer empty. Ty had Journey wrapped in his arms, their bodies moving with a comfort that only came from years of loving someone.
A cocoon in a sea of tables and loud conversation.
Despite the five drinks still waiting to be passed out, April couldn’t take her eyes off of them or process her sudden grief.
“We used to look like that, too, Jelly Bean.” Sean’s voice felt like it came through time, soft and gravelly against her ear. His hand caressed her waist as it traveled from her lower back and around to her stomach, pulling her tight against him. “We were so in love. Remember what it felt like?”
She did remember. That was the problem. All the good memories wanted to drown out the one bad one. She fell against the solid warmth along her back, Sean’s sturdy thighs a scorch through her thin denim.
His other hand came around and now she was enclosed completely by his arms, the steely hardness of his biceps tightening as he pulled her back further.
One second, she’d told herself. She’d indulge for only one more second and then break free. But a second turned into ten and the only movement she’d succeeded in doing was to close her eyes and inhale the masculinity around her.
His lips pressed against her neck, a touch so light, it left goose bumps in its wake. She exhaled, stretching further to give him access to every inch of exposed skin. Two more seconds, she pleaded with her wiser self.
“Dance with me,” he whispered.
“You know I can’t do that.”
“Coward.” The playfulness only added to the nostalgia and everything in her ached to give in.
“I’m not afraid. I just don’t want to send you any mixed signals.”
Beck watched them pass. His forehead had his trademark crease of concern, but he did as was expected of the responsible fifth wheel. He retrieved their abandoned drinks from the bar and pretended all was well.
Stepping into Mulligans had somehow set time moving backwards, and April felt lost between memory and reality, both tugging with equal persistence.
Two more couples had followed Ty’s lead, and Sean settled between them, twirling her in a slow circle before he captured her back into his arms. For such a big man, he was an amazing dancer. A solid frame around her, but smooth on his feet. His mom was an accomplished ballerina and after producing four Neanderthal boys, she insisted her youngest at least learn how to dance with a woman. Ironically, Sean turned out to be the biggest of the bunch.
His hand moved up her spine, a silken caress against the soft cotton, and landed at the back of her neck. It was a hold of possession, he’d once told her. His proclamation that she was his and his alone.
She settled her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. She blamed Journey’s confession for her weakness. It had spurred an unhealthy longing to reconnect with the people who were now slipping away. To hold on, even for a little while, to a time when she actually remembered being happy.
The song ended, followed by another immediately after. Sean’s hold grew tighter as did hers, clinging to the past that would disappear the minute they let go. He toyed with the tiny wisps at the nape of her neck, the brush of his thumb sending forbidden quivers down her spine.
“We should go back to the table,” she protested but made no move to follow through.
“Shhh…”
She sank further into him, her body remembering its place as if no time had passed between them.
The Truth Between Us (Bentwood Book 2) Page 13