by Kimi Flores
Once they were seated in his office, the manager tried to push them off and have one of his ‘top guys’, as he called him, help out. Stefen wasn’t going for that. He’d sat back comfortably, his elbows leaning on the armrest of his seat, his leg crossed over the other as he simply asked, “Do you want my business or should we move on to the next lot? It’s all the same to me.”
She’d never seen a grown man jump into action as fast as that manager. It was pretty funny, but her attention had been occupied by the confident man that sat next to her. He explained exactly what he wanted and how much he was willing to pay.
The next thing she knew, Stefen was reading through the paperwork, pointing out and amending all the errors. Moments later, they pulled up with the exact car he wanted. She couldn’t believe it when he handed over his credit card.
Who the hell pays for a car with a credit card?
She leaned over and whispered, “Aren’t you going to test drive it first?”
He smiled. “No need. If there’s something wrong with it, I’ll just bring it back.”
What?
He signed the last piece of paperwork, they got up, and headed out to his new toy. “Here.” He tossed her the keys. “I’ll drive Abby’s car and you take mine.”
She handed them back. “No way. You haven’t even driven it yet.”
Smiling, he grabbed her hand, opened her fingers and placed the keys back in her palm. “I trust you. Remember?”
Damn, that smile could melt the panties off of a girl.
Who was she to turn him down?
Needing to reel her lustful thoughts in, she tried to be mindful. They were finally in the friend zone, and she needed to stop looking at him like he was the last tamale on the Christmas dinner table. If he was, though, she would willingly wrestle anyone to the ground to get to him.
Ahhh, stop it. Friends. Okay a really smokin' hot friend. But still, just friends, and it’s for the best.
No lustful thoughts, no lustful thoughts, no lustful thoughts, she chanted to herself.
Her heels softly clacked as she strutted down the wooden stairs. Stefen was sitting in the living room, scanning through his phone. The smell of his cologne hit her first, tantalizing her senses. Her heart rate picked up as she took in the sight of him. As usual, he was gorgeous dressed in his suit, and she was glad she’d decided on this outfit.
Without a doubt, Stefen was one delectable man and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. As silly as it may be, she’d even come to appreciate the way his eye drooped just the slightest bit. It was healing nicely and probably wouldn’t have caught a stranger’s attention, but she loved it.
“Friends, just friends,” she whispered to herself. She made the mistake of taking in what she thought was a deep calming breath, but ended up with a lungful of his delicious cologne.
His easy going smile and mesmerizing hazel eyes met hers, and she had to fight all the naughty thoughts running through her head.
He grabbed his keys off of the table. “Ready?”
To take you upstairs? Um, yes.
She smiled. “Yep. Let’s get out of here.”
Is she trying to give me a damn heart attack with this outfit? That red dress is nothing compared to this one.
Stefen scanned his eyes up Leah’s body, taking in every sensual inch. Her sexy ass, mid-thigh length black dress hugged her curves in all the right ways. The heels she wore emphasized how long and kissably beautiful her tanned legs were.
If she was his, they wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight. The evening’s feast would be on each other. How Ben could ever leave her side was beyond him.
Clearing his thoughts and his throat, Stefen led her out of the house toward his new car. She stepped down the stone stairs to the driveway and his hand twitched, wanting to wander down the thin material of her dress and onto her ass.
How the fuck am I going to get through this evening without touching her?
Opening the car door, he held her hand while helping her in. She didn’t have to tell him how much she liked when he did this. The smile on her face said it all. He jogged around the car, then got in and started the ignition.
Discreetly, he adjusted himself before putting his seat belt on and turning to her with a grin. “I hope you like French cuisine.” He handed over his phone to show her the website. “I read about this place online. The restaurant is in an old historic house on a bird sanctuary. It got great reviews.”
She leaned forward and smoothed the material of her dress. “I’ve heard of this place. I don’t know much about French food. I never wanted to try it without someone who knew what to order. My luck, I’d end up with a plate full of snails.” She giggled. “Do you speak French?”
“Oui.” His grin turned into a smirk.
That got her attention. Swiveling, she gave her full attention to him. “Oh, say something else.” Subconsciously, she ran her fingertips along the outside of her thigh.
At least, he thought she was doing it without thinking. If he knew for sure that she was purposely teasing him, he would throw all this friend bullshit out and tackle her right here and now.
“Je t'aime de tout mon cœur.” Surprising himself, he spoke the words he would love for her to understand but was thankful that she wouldn’t.
Her chest rose up and down with each breath. “That sounded beautiful. Can you translate?” Her eyes darted back and forth between his.
Smirking, he breathed out, “Just that I need to stop speaking in French and get us to the damn restaurant.”
They pulled out of the driveway and headed out toward the middle of town. He liked that she was going to experience this for the first time with him. Hopefully it was as good as it sounded.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up to the restaurant, and it looked as quaint and unique as it was described.
Leah's eyes were bright with excitement as she took in the sight of the 1872 French provincial designed home turned restaurant. She reached for Stefen’s hand as he led her out of the car. He snuck another peek at those legs of hers, then her bright smile as she continued to examine the exterior.
He didn’t know how much longer he could dance around these feelings. They were getting stronger by the day.
“I love the architecture of this old house. Look at that cute white picket fence.” She pointed at the wooden fencing that surrounded the front.
After giving his name to the hostess—who couldn’t take her eyes off of him, or his new imperfections, that is—they were seated and ordered their drinks. He swallowed hard, hoping Leah didn’t notice the hostess. The last thing he could handle was Leah pitying him. The dining room was fairly empty, so he didn’t receive any more stares.
After skimming through the food options, Stefen asked, “How adventurous are you?”
She looked blankly at the menu. “Not frog leg or snail venturesome, but everything else works. Why don't you order this time since I got to order the Spanish food?” And just like when she’d ordered that food, she began to run her index finger over her bottom lip, driving him insane.
He chuckled. “Okay, so you trust me if I promise no frog legs or snails?”
She scrunched her nose, not looking all that trusting. “Yes?”
The waiter appeared, speaking in French. “Bienvenue. Puis-je prendre votre commande s'il vous plaît? “
Although Stefen spoke the language fluently, he decided to order in English, not wanting to frighten Leah. “We’d like to start with the grilled salad and crab cakes, then the lovely lady and I will share the filet mignon and chicken dinners.” He handed the waiter both of their menus.
“Would you like us to serve the filet mignon and chicken on one platter and give each of you an empty plate?” The waiter’s accent was exaggerated. Even Stefen had a difficult time understanding. This guy was not a native French man. He was just playing the part.
Stefen glanced at Leah, well aware of what she’d want. “No, we’ll be fine. Thank you.”
Rewarding him with a generous grin, she beamed. “You really do pay attention.”
“I watch you and Abby eat off each other’s plates all the time, so I figured, now that we’re friends and all, you wouldn't mind sharing with me, too. Except Abby only gives you rabbit food. You get to have meat when you eat with me.”
Stefen winked, enjoying the blush that rose up her neck.
A server dropped glasses of water off at their table, as well as the wine they’d ordered. The interruption gave Stefen the moment he needed to bring something up he’d been waiting to share. “So I met with a real estate agent this week, and I think I've found a place.” He took a sip of is wine.
She gasped. “Seriously, Stefen? That’s so exciting. Where is it?” Placing her elbows on the table, she laced her hands together and leaned both index fingers on her lips as she watched him attentively.
“I don't remember the name of the area, but it's on the beach. I really like it, and the buyer is anxious to sell. Quick divorce or something like that. They’re willing to work with the price and want a quick escrow. It’s time to give the newlyweds back their home.”
And their privacy. I don’t think I can take another night hearing them go at it. No wonder Madison thought they were always humping. They were.
“You know it's not an issue with them. They love having you,” she tried to convince him, but he knew better.
“If I’d just gotten married, I wouldn't want some guy staying with us. That's private bonding time you never get back.” He shrugged and took a drink of water this time, figuring he’d wait to have more wine until he ate something first.
Leah sat back in her chair with an astonished look on her face.
“What?” he asked as the appetizers arrived.
She cocked her head, studying him. “I just didn't expect you to feel that way, let alone talk about getting married. You said it wasn’t for you.” She fidgeted with the napkin in her lap.
Resting his elbows on the table, he contemplated what to say. “Well, things have changed. Who knows, maybe marriage is in my future...someday. If the right someone came along.”
He looked directly into Leah's eyes and watched her hold her breath.
She couldn’t hide any of her body language in that dress. “Has there ever been a right someone before?” Leah seemed more than intrigued as they both began to eat the crab cake and salad appetizer.
Caleb and Bri were the only ones that knew the story he was about to share. “I thought I did, but I'm glad it didn't end up that way.” Still eyeing Leah as they snacked, he continued, careful not to speak with food in his mouth. “I was in college. After Caleb and Rene got together, I started dating one of Rene's sorority sisters, Sheri.” Just saying her name made the acid burn in his stomach. He still couldn’t believe he fell for her bullshit.
“She was like every other girl I’d ever been with. From a good family, Barbie doll beautiful, fake everything, conceited and irritating as hell. The perfect girl to bring home to my mother.” He shook his head, thinking about that. Yeah, mom would’ve loved that bitch.
Leah looked down at her lap as though she was trying not to let that statement bother her.
When she looked up, he saw her waiting for him to go on, but he wondered if he should.
Despite his better judgment, he continued, “After they graduated, Caleb proposed to Rene. Even though I still had another year, I thought I’d do the same.” What a dumbass I was. “She actually laughed in my face. Turns out she’d been screwing one of my frat brothers behind my back, got pregnant, and he’d proposed the night before. She was there to break if off with me, and I was popping the question.” Irritated, he grunted. This story still pissed him off.
“I felt like the biggest dumbass. Everyone in both of our houses knew except for Caleb, Rene, and me. That's when I originally swore off marriage. But like I said,” he leaned forward, lowering his voice, “things have changed.”
Leah dabbed the corner of her mouth with her cloth napkin as the waiter dropped off their food. “Seriously? That’s crazy.”
They began to dig in to their dinners, and he said, “Apparently, there was a medical emergency with her daughter, and in doing some blood tests, they found out that Sheri’s husband wasn’t the father, either. It was too much for Chad to take, I guess, so he left her. She came looking for me after that. Said she’d made a mistake, wanted me back, and that the kid was mine after all.”
Leah coughed on her chicken.
“Are you okay?”
She recovered quickly. “Yeah, just caught off guard.” Placing her napkin back on her lap, she looked around, then asked under her breath, “So you have a child?”
Quickly shaking his head, he cleared up her misunderstanding, “Nooooo. I had a DNA test taken before I would even meet her. Not mine. You know how I feel about using protection. I’ve never gone without it. It would’ve been a miracle.” He frowned.
Shit, should I have reminded her of that?
Leah was aware, firsthand, that he insisted on being safe. It didn’t matter if the woman was covered or not, but his outburst might’ve been pushing this conversation a bit too far.
He switched back to the story. “The funny thing was, she’d been sleeping with at least three of us at the time, and I had absolutely no clue. I trusted her. Not sure why. I didn’t love her. I probably just got caught up in Caleb and Rene’s happy bubble and thought I could have my own. Anyway, Sheri was going down the list to see who her baby daddy was and,” he lowered his chin and voice, “I was not the father.”
“You sure know how to pick them, don't you?” She reached over and took a piece of meat off of his plate before placing the forkful in her mouth.
Swallowing his mouthful, he wiped his mouth with his napkin, then took another drink of water. “Yeah, no more bleach blonde bimbos for me. It’s given me nothing but grief…for the girls too, I guess. Not sure where things are headed for me, but I just can’t go back to that lifestyle anymore.”
She changed the subject. “That food was delicious. I'm stuffed.” Leah looked at her half-empty plate, completely avoiding eye contact.
When her phone chimed, she checked it, smiled, then text back.
Stefen’s jaw locked, assuming it was Ben. This was the reminder he needed to snap out of it. Even though she and Ben were not officially a couple, Leah wasn’t his either. End of story.
The waiter showed up and asked if they wanted dessert. Leah shook her head ‘no’.
Stefen said, “Non merci, juste le chèque s'il vous plaît.”
Responding to his request for the check, the serveur was prepared to place the bill on the table when Stefen handed him his Amex Platinum card.
The corner of Leah’s mouth and eyes tightened.
He raised his eyebrows. “My turn.”
She lifted her hands in front of her. “I know. I didn’t say anything.”
If they were going to do this back and forth paying thing, he would sure as hell make sure she didn’t pay for a five-star restaurant.
He watched her closely. “I have another favor to ask. I'm meeting the real estate agent at the house tomorrow, and I'd like you to come with me. I want to make sure I'm not jumping into something, and since you are ‘keeping things real’ with me, I’d like your opinion.”
Tapping her chin with her index finger, Leah said, “Let me think. Shopping for a Porsche one day and looking at a beach house the next.” She smiled and giggled. “Do you really want me to 'keep things real' at this point?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes or no, brat?”
Pretending to be irritated, she huffed, “Why don’t you twist my arm with all that charm, Stefen? Yes...I'll go.”
“Are you tired?” Stefen asked as they entered the house.
“Not really.” She pursed her lips and shook her head.
“It's still pretty early. Wanna watch a movie? Caleb has a huge collection. I'll even let you pick it.” He pointed to the built-in bookcases filled with
movie titles.
“Sure.” She smiled. “Let me go put something more comfortable on and grab a pillow first.” Hoping she didn’t turn and catch him again, Stefen kept his eyes planted on her as she swayed her hips on her way up the stairs. He was already missing that dress.
Giving her a little space, he waited a few minutes before going upstairs to change. He wasn't sure what she meant by ‘something more comfortable’, but he was going to play it safe with athletic shorts, a T-shirt, and thick socks.
When he got downstairs, Leah was already in front of the DVDs, scanning through the titles in skintight yoga pants that hugged her curves almost as nicely as that dress. Her T-shirt was a bit too baggy for his taste.
“What kind of movies do you like?” she asked, squatting down in front of the collection.
He shrugged. “Anything but horror.” He plopped himself onto the oversized U-shaped leather couch.
“How about one of the Bourne movies?” Her face lit up.
“Bourne?” He rubbed his hands together, just as excited as her. “Marry me,” he teased. She stiffened up and stared at him, and he instantly regretted it, stumbling to cover up his slip of the tongue. “You know, because it's my favorite series besides James Bond, of course.”
She nodded, catching on to the joke. “Okay. I'll let you put it in. I'm not great with electronics.” She sat down on the couch, pulling her legs up as she hugged her pillow.
Stefen set up the movie and laid down on his back next to Leah. “Why the pillow?”
She hugged it even tighter. “I don't know. I've always watched movies like this. It’s comfortable.”
He laughed, and she bopped him in the face with it. “Not funny.”
“Hey, what was that for?” He glared up at her.
“For being nosy.” She jokingly narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed louder. “Shhh...I'm trying to watch my favorite movie.” She bopped him again, but this time he shielded himself.
He settled into the couch, getting a little more comfortable. “You sound like your mom with her novellas.”
When she stuck her tongue out at him, he was about to lose his resolve. The urge to sling her over his shoulders and take her upstairs was overpowering. Leah had no idea how the simplest of actions made him want her more than any other woman ever had.