by Layla Hagen
"I don't know, Hailey. That conversation was insane."
"Good thing you stopped before it got even more insane. People tend to say things they don't mean when tempers flare."
The ladder was cutting into my back, so I moved to sit on the floor, resting my back against the wall.
"I didn't like that he just went rogue and gave Jeff money. I need to be aware of things that can impact Milo."
"Don't disagree, but I think his heart was in the right place."
"I know, but what if it was too much for him, though?"
"Okay, that's it! You can't be on your own. You'll think in circles and drive yourself crazy. Want to go to Annabelle's with me and Val? She said she received some new merchandise. It's always fun to poke around. And then we can hit up one of our favorites for a late lunch?"
Yes! God, yes! That’s exactly what I need.
"But I thought you both had plans." I distinctly remembered both of them chatting about their weekend plans during Friday’s dinner.
"They fell through," Hailey said.
I wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth, so I jumped at the opportunity.
"Meet you there in forty minutes?" she asked.
"I might need an hour, not sure how the traffic is, but I'll leave right away."
"That's a plan."
After the line went static, I changed into a sundress and twisted my hair into a French braid. My mood improved drastically. I was ready to get out of my quiet, lonely house. It was so spotless that it was unnerving. I had to mess it up a bit when I returned.
Annabelle's was a small shop in Pasadena, selling everything from incense to vintage jewelry trinkets, to scarves and hats, and occasionally even shoes. The owner, Annabelle, had gone to school with us. She always called one of us when she thought we might like her new merchandise. My mood lifted a notch when I neared Pasadena. I could see the Colorado Springs Bridge in the distance, with its beautiful Beaux-Arts arches. I loved the neighborhood; the way the old blended with the new in this part of the city was incredible.
I reached Annabelle's in thirty-five minutes. Her shop was on the ground floor of an old Victorian mansion that had a gray-tiled roof and pink facade. It smelled like jasmine incense when I stepped inside. Since this had once been a living quarters, the shop had multiple separate rooms. Annabelle was busy with a client in the main room, showing her a vintage pendant, but she pointed to the adjacent room where I found my sisters. They were the only customers inside, sorting through a pile of scarves and sipping teas. Annabelle always treated us to exotic teas. I kissed both my sisters on their cheeks and lifted the third teacup to my mouth.
"Ouch. It's boiling."
Val slapped her forehead. "Sorry. We mixed ours with lukewarm water, but not yours. Didn't want it to get cold until you arrived." She poured water from a small bottle in my cup.
I tested the temperature by taking a small sip. It was pleasantly warm.
"So how did you decide to come here?"
Val shrugged. "We figured it was a fun thing to do together."
Something wasn't adding up. "Wait a minute. How did you two know I had time?" They'd known I'd planned to spend the weekend with Graham.
Hailey tilted forward and looked at Val. "I'm out of stealth maneuvers today. How about fessing up?"
"We were supposed to get her to relax first," Val countered.
Hailey cocked a brow. "Well, we already burned her tongue, so that ship has sailed."
"What's going on?"
"Fine, let's tell her," Val said as I turned in her direction. "Jace called this morning, said we should check on you."
In retrospect, the fact that Hailey had listened to me so calmly instead of going into full mama-bear mode should have tipped me off that she already knew something.
"I filled Val in, but if you feel like it, you can tell us everything again," Hailey said.
"You're evil, making me rehash it."
Hailey wrapped a green silk scarf around my neck, narrowing her eyes before removing it. "No, I'm not. I think it helps make things clearer."
I couldn't argue with that, so I started my tale again while trying out scarves. When I was done, my sisters exchanged looks.
"I think Graham was simply having a rough moment," Hailey said.
"Lori, honey, sometimes we need time alone to process things. You do that. I do too," Val said gently, and I cringed a little, because she was using her mother tone.
"Or we just don't want to let others see us vulnerable. Maybe he didn't want you to have a front seat for that. But I don't think he was trying to push you away," Hailey explained. I ran my fingers over the delicate black embroidery on a fire-red scarf, trying to sort through my thoughts, but it was a pointless exercise. I simply had too many thoughts warring with each other.
Hailey arranged a strand of hair that had escaped from my braid. "I can't believe he paid off Jeff. Who does that?"
"I wanted to smack him and kiss him at the same time." I smiled at the memory. “He’s a great man. And I love him so much.”
"Not saying he shouldn't have talked to you about it, but damn. If that doesn't spell love, I don't know what does," Val said.
I nodded, deciding to hang onto that. "I should talk to him, but I'm... not sure how to go about it."
"Hell no!" Val exclaimed. "You're not talking to him until we get you to relax. Your back and shoulders are stiff."
Both my sisters were studying me, and then they hugged me tight at the same time.
"A Connor sandwich?" Annabelle asked, finally walking up to us. "Shit hit the fan, huh?"
"Yep," I said once my sisters gave me room to breathe.
"Well, let's see if the pretties I have here will get your mind off it."
"I know what we can do afterward," Hailey announced, holding up a finger. "We should head out for chips and guacamole."
Val nodded. "That's a plan. But first, let's part with our hard-earned money and buy all these pretty things. Nothing helps blow off steam better. I already want three scarves.”
"Hey, how about a tattoo too? We can hit up a parlor around Venice," Hailey suggested.
I glared at her. "No need to get crazy. I'm not letting anyone come near me with a needle."
Annabelle surveyed the three of us, raising a brow. "Do I need to worry about you girls?"
Hailey waved her hand in dismissal. "Not at all. We've got a brother with a badge he's very fond of. If things escalate, it's his brotherly duty to save us."
Chapter Thirty
Graham
I was giving Lori a few days to calm down, some space to think everything through. The conversation in the car had gone to hell, and I didn't want to repeat the experience. I'd said some goddamn stupid things. The more I thought about it, the more stupid they sounded.
Simply put, Saturday had not been a good day. Years ago, when I'd made that deal with Dad, I thought it was the smart thing. He'd be set up financially and wouldn't be around to cause trouble. But trouble seemed to find him anywhere. Clearly, my way of solving the issue had just swept the problem under a rug.
I saw that now, and I was going to make some changes. I didn't know what they entailed yet, but I was working on it. The phone call with Nana had made me question myself and the way I handled things.
Hearing Lori question me as well didn't help. It wasn't an excuse, but it was the truth. Had I been wrong to give that jerk a check without talking to her first? Sure. I'd known it was a bad idea while I was signing the check.
He might come back for more in the future. Lori was right about that. The last thing I wanted was to disappoint her, or make her unhappy. I'd gone through that with my divorce already. I needed to explain all this to her.
I loved Lori fiercely, but she had to understand one thing about me. When something bothered the people I loved, I took care of it. Simple as that. I'd always done it, and I wasn't going to apologize for it. I hoped Lori would see that. If not...
There was no altern
ative. I refused to lose her. If she didn't understand, I'd explain it to her until she did. Whatever it took. I admitted my technique could use some refining, and so did my communication skills, but I wasn't going to lose her or Milo over this. Just the notion made my chest twist.
In any case, we still had things to work through if her first conclusion had been that this was too much for me. She'd seemed past logical reason at that point, but her words had to be based on an underlying fear.
On Wednesday I headed to the club early. The team was coming back from their away game later today, and I wanted to prepare a pep talk. We'd suffered a brutal defeat, which was an especially tough pill to swallow after a string of victories and the celebration on Saturday. I wanted the guys to know I believed in them despite that.
The mood was grim when I entered the club. The usual chatter coming from the PR and marketing department was a whisper. I poked my head inside to greet them.
"Come on, chin up. It was just a defeat. We'll get back on our feet in no time. Amber, do you have time to go out to the stadium and double-check if everything is ready for tonight?"
The stadium was rented for a concert this evening, and I wanted to verify for myself that everything was running smoothly.
"Sure thing." She rose from her seat, smoothing her palm on her belly.
At the stadium, we started by inspecting the stage. They'd started transforming the arena on Monday. Building the stage and the requisite light installations took time. We checked in with the sound technicians as well. Everything was running according to plan. The concert was sold out, so the stadium would be at its full capacity. Lastly, I went over the emergency evacuation plans with the head of security and floor operators.
"Let's sit down a bit," Amber said once we'd completed our tour. We headed to the chairs in the VIP section that had been arranged on the arena floor itself, in front of the stage.
"I tire so fast it's not even funny. And I'm sleepy all the time." Amber brought a hand to her mouth to cover her yawn.
"If you want to take time off—"
"I don't. I'm not sick, just slower than usual." After a few beats, she folded her arms over her belly. "So... are you going to bring me up to date?"
"On what?"
"How did the talk with Lori go?"
I hadn't intended to tell Amber anything, but on Monday morning, she took one look at me and knew.
"Haven't spoken to her yet."
"I thought you wanted us to come out here as an excuse to gossip."
"God forbid we actually work, huh?"
"Why didn't you talk to her?"
"I'm giving her some time to cool off."
"How much time exactly do you think she needs?"
"I figured a few days would be good. I've got some things to explain, and I want her to be calm when I do that. I saw on your calendar that you have a meeting with her today. I want to go in your place."
Amber punched my arm. "I knew you hadn't really dragged me out here for work. Thank God. How do you know I'm meeting her?"
"You put ‘baby shower planning’ in your work calendar, which is synchronized to mine."
"Any reason you're hijacking my date instead of getting one of your own?"
"I want to take her by surprise." Their lunch date was in ninety minutes. That still gave me time to buy flowers. I wasn't big on flowers, but I wasn't about to show up empty-handed after our fight. "Where are you meeting, anyway? There was no mention of a location in your calendar."
"Griffith Park."
After she told me the exact location in the park, I kissed her cheek and took off. First stop, the nearest flower shop.
***
I wasn't going to lie; my palms were sweating a little when I entered the park. People were milling around in the alleyways, their chatter forming a constant background noise that was punctuated by horn blares now and again. As I drew nearer to the ice cream truck, I spotted her.
She was sitting on a bench with her legs crossed. Her dress reached midthigh, displaying her beautiful skin. She didn't see me approach because she was bent over a large folder that no doubt contained some samples or pictures for Amber. Her blonde hair was hanging over one shoulder, fluttering in the light breeze. She straightened up when I sat next to her.
"I was expecting Amber."
"I'm a much better date though," I said with as much cockiness as possible, hoping it would help her relax. A very small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
I held out the flowers. "These are for you."
She closed the folder, pushing it behind her, taking the flowers in her arms. The vendor said she'd mixed tulips with roses and freesias.
"Thank you. They're beautiful."
I shifted closer to her. "I want to tell you many things, Lori, but I'll start with the most important one. I love you. I'm crazy in love with you. Occasionally, that might make me do crazy things. I know I'm a bit of a hothead, and that I act on impulse. But I promise to work on that, to talk things through with you. On Saturday, I wasn't pushing you away... not exactly. It's hard to explain what was going on in my head. I guess I was disappointed in myself, and I didn't want you to see that." On a deep breath, I added, "I didn't want to disappoint you."
"You didn't disappoint me, Graham. Not at all."
Lori buried her nose in the flowers, then lowered the bouquet a little, and seeing those sweet lips parted slightly, I went in for a kiss. Sighing softly, she opened up for me. I wanted to kiss her until she'd climb in my lap, but we were in a park. I had to consider that.
"I'm sorry I overreacted. That wasn’t okay. You deserved better than that. I promise to do better. And I’m sorry I pushed so much," she muttered when I let her go. "I shouldn't have. I was feeling a little insecure, and I was afraid you were slipping away from me. I love your crazy love, and your protectiveness."
Hearing those words from her was all I needed to feel whole.
"But I'm strong. I want you to know that. Even if I look shaken, that doesn't mean I can't handle things."
"I know you're strong. It's one of the things I love about you." I played with a strand of her hair, then pushed it behind her ear. It was time to bring up something else.
***
Lori
"Whatever happens, I want you to know there will never be a day when I don't want you and Milo." He said the words gently, cupping my face in his big hands. "I understand why you have that fear, but I need you to trust me, to trust us."
"I do."
"Obviously, I know it was wrong to write that scumbag a check."
“I don’t like that he got money out of you. I don’t like it at all. I know you meant well. But you understand what I mean about making decisions together, right?” I asked.
“I do. I promise that I do.”
"So we'll work together in the future? Not just on this, but also the problems with your dad and Nana.”
"We will," he assured me. "But know this: my instinct will always be to take care of the things that might upset you. Tell me how I can make it up to you."
"You don't have anything to make up for, but if you insist, I can think of a few things," I said coyly, running my forefinger from the button of his polo shirt to his sternum. He looked at me with those blue eyes I adored. They were full of love... and heat. The latter sent a sizzle so hot through me that I involuntarily shimmied my hips. Graham slyly raised one corner of his mouth.
Could this man not tempt me like this in broad daylight? I knew he wasn't doing it on purpose, though. It was just his irresistible sex appeal.
"Yeah, I can think of a few things too." He pressed his forehead against mine. "I love you, Lori. And I have great plans for us."
"Oh? Care to share them with me?"
He pulled back a notch. "I think I'll leave you guessing for now."
I laid both palms on his chest, debating how I could lure this out of him. Blackmail? Nah, too early in the day for that. Seduction? That could work. But we were in public, so my plan w
as a bust. Besides, I liked surprises. That didn't mean I didn't want hints, though.
"You really aren't going to tell me anything, are you?"
"No, I don't think I will. You're adorable when you're curious. And I'm good at making you fret."
"Don't be so full of yourself. I can resist your charm if I have to."
His eyes flashed. I liked to provoke him even more than he liked to make me fret.
"When you put it like that, sounds like I don't have much going for me."
"I didn't say I was immune," I pointed out, and then I started counting on my fingers.
"You've got a lot going for you. See, you have these unique talents in the kitchen, and the bedroom. Plus, you charmed my son and my siblings. That's no small feat. And you—"
He feathered his lips on my neck, and I lost not only my ability to speak, but also my trail of thought. When he placed open-mouthed kisses on my sweet spot, I squirmed and fidgeted. Then I felt the tip of his tongue slide across my skin too. Oh, this vile man. He wasn't going to sweet-talk me into anything anymore. Once the tongue was involved, I knew he was going to seduce me.
"Graham," I half whispered, half moaned. I was already hot and bothered, and he was only teasing my neck.
"I'm taking you home, Lori. I'll share my plan for this afternoon," he whispered on a growl. "Starts with you under me. I'll love you until you cry out my name. That's a promise."
"I love your promises," I muttered. We had the entire day to ourselves, since Milo wasn’t coming back until tomorrow.
"I intend to make good on every single one of them."
Graham kept his promise and seduced me thoroughly that lazy afternoon at my house.
He was kissing every inch of skin that wasn’t covered with clothes. His hands were busy methodically ridding me of said clothes. Every morsel of skin he revealed, he traced with his lips.
He kissed up my left inner thigh, then the right one. Then he buried his mouth in between, stroking me with his tongue until my legs nearly gave in. I was standing in front of the bed, and I was afraid I’d topple on it any second now. My clit was on fire. With every lash of Graham’s tongue, the heat spread along my nerve endings. Pressure was building inside me. He kissed my tender flesh until he brought me so close to climaxing I almost saw stars. But then he pulled back, laying me on the bed.