Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1)

by Brooke Blaine

  I had put my hair half up that night and made sure to bring a cardigan, remembering the last time we went out and the freezing, not-quite-sexy scene at the beach. I’d told myself things would be different tonight. Just a casual, fun time with friends and a guy I’d still like to kiss one of these days. Besides, Hunter was bringing a date too, so it wasn’t like it’d be some awkward threesome.

  “Remind me not to leave you for so long next time. I missed the view,” Cameron said when he opened the passenger door and pulled me to my feet. He laced his fingers through mine and smiled as we made our way into La Trattoria. It was a gorgeous night, one of the many perks of living in Southern California. We chose a table outside on the veranda, strands of yellow lights and ivy hanging from the wooden lattice above us. It was intimate, but jovial, the sound of laughter and the scent of Italian spices permeating the air.

  “I’m regretting inviting anyone else,” Cameron said as he laid his arm on the back of my chair. “I think I should call them and cancel.”

  I was about to respond when a familiar head of hair caught my eye. Hunter was heading toward the table, accompanied by a brunette in a very tight, very short red minidress.

  You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that his type?

  “Too late,” Cameron said, following my gaze, before standing and greeting Hunter with a clap on the back. I stayed right where I was, still looking at the short hem of the girl’s dress. If she bent over, the whole restaurant would get a nice view, there was no doubt about that. Under the dimmed lights, her deep tan looked almost orange, or at least that’s what I was telling myself. Okay, so she was kind of pretty, even though most people would look skankalicious in something like that.

  “Hey, Ryleigh,” Hunter said, nodding at me without smiling. “Ryleigh, this is Cassidy, Cassidy, Ryleigh.” And that was as far as the introductions went before he sat down and waved down a waiter to order a bottle of wine for the two of them. Red wine.

  “I’ll have a double Grey Goose, straight, and a…” Cameron looked at me expectantly.

  “Oh, I’ll have a, um…” I scanned over the drink menu, trying to find something that wasn’t wine or pure vodka.

  “She’ll have a frozen peach bellini,” Hunter said, his eyes focused on the food menu in front of him.

  I smiled at the waiter. “A frozen peach bellini would be great. Thank you.”

  “Looks like I’ve got to catch up on your tastes,” Cameron said. “I’ve never had one of those. Mind if I try yours?”

  “Absolutely you can have a taste,” I said.

  Hunter coughed and reached for his water, taking a long swallow before stretching out his arm over the back of his date’s chair. “So how was Hong Kong? Congrats on the funding. I had a feeling you’d put up a hard fight.”

  Laughing, Cameron said, “You know I don’t like to be told no. Had to wear the fuckers down, but it happened.”

  “What is it you do?” Cassidy asked, causing Cameron to launch into a long spiel about what his work entailed. I was half listening, my eyes drifting over to Hunter, who had picked up the menu again. He looked up then and caught me staring, and his eyes flickered with some emotion I couldn’t put my finger on. Whatever that look was, I had a feeling it didn’t mean anything good. Would he tell Cameron what happened? No, I didn’t think so. Would he end up at Cassidy’s house later? Now that was the more probable possibility. And it made me sick to think about.

  “…and Ryleigh owns an ice cream shop.”

  “Oh how cute,” Cassidy said. “Do you have anything vegan there?”

  I tried not to wrinkle my nose. Healthy ice cream was my worst nightmare. It was so wrong on every level. And don’t get me started on the damn vegans. “Uh, no. The more chocolate and cream I can throw in the mixer, the better.”

  “That’s a shame. I bet it’d sell really well.”

  I bet it wouldn’t. Instead of getting into a debate with the non-sugar-eating size zero across from me, I plastered a tight smile on my face, and said, “Maybe.”

  The waiter came around with the drinks then. Perfect timing.

  “Speaking of Licked, how’s it looking?” Cameron asked. “Grand opening’s coming soon, right?”

  “Oh God, don’t remind me.” I took a long sip of the bellini and tried not to think about how crazy the next few weeks would be, or that I’d be the owner of not one store, but two. With the potential to spin off a few chains, if the show went well and I received the majority of viewer votes. Nope, not thinking about that at all. Hmm, this drink is amazing…

  “That bad? Hunter, I thought you had things worked out over there?” Cameron said.

  “I do—”

  “He does—”

  Hunter and I looked at each other when we both answered at the same time.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean that part was oh God,” I said. “Hunter and his team have killed it. There wouldn’t be a store without him. And definitely not one ready a few short weeks from now.” My cheeks warmed, whether from sucking down half of my drink so fast or from admitting that I needed Hunter in some part of my life. I wondered if they could all see right through me.

  “Thank you,” Hunter said quietly. He swirled the wine in his glass before raising it. “A toast, shall we? To Cameron and Ryleigh’s successful ventures, my impeccable taste, and Cassidy’s”—he winked at the woman next to him—“short little skirt.”

  Cameron laughed and clinked his glass with Hunter’s. “Cheers to that.”

  Swallowing thickly, I raised my glass and cheered along with them even as the bile went up my throat.

  Stupid, I know. What did I care if Hunter went out with that woman? Or any woman. I had a stunningly handsome man to my left, and this moment was one I’d dreamed about a thousand times. Although in my dream I didn’t have a knot in my stomach. And I wasn’t trying to avoid giving anyone at the table an evil eye.

  The waiter came around to take our orders, and I glanced at the menu, even though there was no need. I always got the same thing at Italian places.

  “And for you, miss?” the waiter asked, his accent super thick and pronounced, though it sounded slightly off to my ears. An actor practicing, I bet. “I’ll have the cheese ravioli, please.”

  “No way,” Cameron said. “You have to get something better than that. The conchiglie with clams and mussels is amazing. Or maybe the saltimbocca alla Romana.”

  “Um.” The guy had been eating crazy food in Hong Kong too long. We didn’t know each other well enough for him to get that I didn’t like to venture outside my comfort foods, but that wasn’t his fault. I could feel Hunter’s eyes on me, waiting for my response. “No, I think the ravioli is more my style,” I said, handing the menu to the waiter before smiling at Cameron. “But thank you for the suggestions.”

  “You’re missing out,” he told me. “But you can try mine.”

  Hunter’s lips twisted as he closed his menu and finished off his glass of red.

  “Hey, if you guys are free on Sunday there’s a Walk for Wounded Vets event my company signed up for. I’d love it if you could join us.”

  Okay, other than vegan ice cream, exercise was up there on my all time please-don’t-make-me-do-it list. But then Cameron said wounded vets, and if I said no that would make me a heartless bastard.

  “We’ve actually got to get a few things set up on Sunday, so that might not work out,” Hunter chimed in, saving me from making up an excuse. I tried to get his attention to silently thank him, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  “I’d love to join,” Cassidy said. “I’m all about philanthropy.”

  Cameron tilted his head to the side. “Is that right. And how did you meet Hunter again?”

  “Well, it’s a little embarrassing,” she said, before taking a sip of her wine and beaming at Hunter. “I saw him on this list at a matchmaking place, and I just knew we’d hit it off.”

  I almost dropped my glass. “Matchmaking place…you wouldn’t mean HLS, would you?”

>   “That’s the one,” she said, giving me a broad smile. “How’d you know?”

  There was no way Shayne had given her Hunter’s info, so I played a hunch. “Well, who doesn’t know Val?”

  “I know, right? She is so glamorous for her age. When I’m that old, I hope I look that good.”

  It took biting my lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from laughing. If Val heard her say that, the only thing she would’ve given this girl is a stiletto up her ass.

  “Matchmaker,” Cameron said, a wrinkle forming between his brows as he studied his friend. “You signed up with a matchmaking service? And Ryleigh mentioned you went to an event or something.”

  Hunter drank half of his second glass of wine before responding. “It’s a long story,” he said before looking directly at me. “Ryleigh’s fault.”

  What? Like I’d been the one to push him at Val and force him to join the mixer. Or accept a date with the miniature Val across from me.

  Cameron looked at me expectantly for an explanation.

  “Uh…” I had no idea what to say to that. “I’m not sure how I’m responsible for this coupling, but you’re welcome, I guess.”

  “Aw, take some credit,” Hunter said, throwing his arm around the back of Cassidy’s chair. “Do we look as good together as the two of you do?”

  What the hell was wrong with him? Shut up, my eyes screamed, but it was like Cameron had read my mind.

  “What’s going on with you?” he asked.

  “Not sure what you mean. I’m just relaxing with my best friend and his girl, and this pretty little thing. We may not have much in common, but hey, what does that matter?” He finished off his second glass and reached for the bottle, but Cameron grabbed it first.

  “I think you need to lay off wine and apologize to her.”

  Hunter looked dead at me. “I apologize, Ryleigh.”

  “Not to her,” Cameron said. “To your date.”

  “Oh, he doesn’t need to say he’s sorry for calling me pretty,” Cassidy said, nuzzling in closer to Hunter. “You can do it again if you want.”

  You could cut the sudden tension in the room with a knife as Cameron stared at Hunter, who didn’t back down from his gaze. There seemed to be a whole conversation taking place between the two of them that we weren’t privy to.

  After the entrees were passed around we ate in uncomfortable silence. I didn’t know what to say, or if anything I uttered would be welcome. Cassidy, on the other hand, had no problem babbling on about herself and didn’t mind that no one was responding to anything she said. She was a one-woman show.

  I considered both men in between bites of my ravioli. On one hand, there was Cameron, with his apparent nice-guy persona and stunning good looks. I hadn’t even gotten a real chance to get to know him yet, but from what I’d seen so far…we got along great, but were we even compatible as anything more than friends? Was there sexual chemistry? Every chance at a kiss and anything after had blown up in our faces, and it almost felt like a sign.

  Then there was Hunter. Darker in looks and personality, but with an unbeatable sense of humor and a possessive quality to him that was sexy—and dangerous—as hell. He seemed to just get me in a way not even some of my closest friends did. But he also scared me to death—was he just a playboy out for a good time?

  As I looked between them both, I knew that any woman would be lucky to have a chance with either of them. How the hell did I get in this position? And would there even be a decision to make after tonight? I knew firsthand how important friendships were, especially in my own life, so how could I use such bad fucking judgment? There was no way I would let myself be a Yoko Ono in any situation.

  But one thought still nagged at me: If I were truly honest with myself, which guy would I choose? The man I’d always wanted? Or the man I’d never forget?

  I pondered that for the rest of the dinner. When the check came, the two guys battled over it for two minutes before I quietly slipped the waiter my credit card and let them continue to carry on over who would pay. Alpha dogs at their finest. They didn’t take too kindly to the fact that I had paid the bill—I know, such gentleman, right?—but I was so ready to get out of there.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” Cameron said as he opened the passenger door for me. Before I slid inside, I caught Hunter’s eyes from across the parking lot. The look I saw there sent a pang straight through my heart. Don’t go home with him, they said. Don’t choose him.

  Fuck. I could never unsee that look.

  “It’s a nice night. Want to try the beach again?” Cameron asked when he got in the car. “I promise there’s no chance of rain tonight. I looked.”

  My gaze was still on Hunter’s truck as it pulled out of the parking lot. Where is he going? He wouldn’t go to Cassidy’s place…would he?

  “Ryleigh?” Cameron asked again.

  I gave him a thin smile. “A walk on the beach sounds great.”

  HE’D BEEN RIGHT; it was a gorgeous night. Not too cold, no smell of rain in the air. It was the perfect date.

  Then why does it feel so wrong?

  He took my hand in his and we walked down to the water, the sand feathery soft under my feet.

  “I’m sorry again for whatever that was at dinner,” Cameron said. “I’ve never seen Hunter act like that.”

  Never? “It’s fine. Really. Maybe he just had a bad day. Or maybe Cassidy was grating on his nerves already.”

  “It could be that. She’s not his type at all.”

  My ears perked up. Not his type? What was his type? I wanted to ask, but thankfully common sense kicked in and I kept my mouth shut.

  “So…no more trips for a while?” I asked.

  “Nah. The film is based here, so now that we’ve got enough funding, we can get started on the fun stuff.”

  “The not begging for money stuff, you mean.”

  A laugh rumbled from his chest. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  The farther we strolled down the beach, the more it felt as though the heavy weight of tension was fading, being swept away with the rolling tide. Cameron’s thumb rubbed back and forth over mine, and I waited for the words he was working himself up to say.

  “I’m not sure if I told you before, but you look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you,” I said, laying my head on his arm. “You always say the nicest things.” And he really did. In fact, I couldn’t find any faults with him at all, other than the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever we were alone. But that had to be nerves and the anticipation of the first kiss that I knew had to be coming sometime this century.

  And then he pulled me around in front of him, and I saw that look again. The it’s-really-gonna-happen-this-time-so-you-better-buckle-up-and-kiss-me-long-and-hard look.

  Finally. It was really happening this time. No rain, no blaring alarms, no freezing wind…nothing in the world to interrupt us.

  His hand left mine as he cradled my face. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

  “Me too,” I said honestly.

  As he leaned down, I stood up on my tiptoes to meet him. Please feel something. Please let this be right. His lips met mine softly, once, twice. Then my mouth parted for his tongue, my head tilting to the side as we tasted each other.

  And it was wrong.

  So wrong.

  It wasn’t even his kiss, which under normal circumstances would be fucking amazing. My body screamed out, red warning flags flashing all around us that this wasn’t right. Why? Why, why, why can I not have this?

  When you’ve wanted someone for so long, it only made sense that it was for a good reason. It wasn’t supposed to be a big stop sign and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” blaring through your mind. It was supposed to be passion and fireworks and the all-encompassing feeling of rightness. Instead, I felt…lips. And tongue. The physical act of kissing that had no impact on me whatsoever.

  “Cameron…” I said as I pulled away.

&n
bsp; He sighed and dropped his hands. “I know.”

  “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, I just…can’t.”

  He stared at me, his sky blue eyes searching mine. Then he looked away, and with another deep sigh he nodded. “I had a feeling this was coming.”

  He did? It wasn’t just me? Or maybe it was me, and I was losing my mind.

  “You did?”

  “I’m not a completely oblivious guy.”

  “No, you’re amazing,” I said. “Perfect, really, but I just…” How the hell was I supposed to say, You’re just not three inches shorter with brown fuck-me eyes and a magic tongue?

  “You don’t have to explain.”

  “I know I don’t, but I want to.”

  Cameron gave a small chuckle. “Look, Ryleigh, you’re incredible. Beautiful. Smart. The whole package. You don’t have anything to explain or apologize for.”

  I groaned. “See, then you go and say something utterly perfect that makes me want to rip all your clothes off.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Okay, maybe more of like…a high five.”

  With a laugh, he ran his hands up and down my arms. “You should find someone you want to do more than high-five with. In fact, I think maybe you already have.”

  I froze. Did he know? There’s no way he could know.

  “I’m playing a hunch here,” he continued, “but I saw the way Hunter looked at you tonight when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. And the way you kept glancing at him too.”

  “But that doesn’t—”

  “Not to mention he was not himself at all. And he knew what you’d want to drink. He knew without even knowing you what you’d want your bar to look like.” He stopped and rubbed his jaw before shaking his head. “I can’t compete with that.”