The Wrong Girl

by M. Piper

  I roll over and push my lips to hers before hopping out of bed to toss the condom, then walk back into the bedroom after a pit stop in the kitchen.

  “Coffee?” I sit on the bed next to her, the sheet’s completely off the bed so I get a full view of her body still sated from that orgasm. Hell, I wish I could see this view every day.

  “I can’t feel my fingers,” she mumbles, making me laugh. I take a drink of coffee and set her mug on the nightstand.

  “That just means I did my job right.”

  She curses and wiggles her toes then her fingers. Finally she sighs and shifts to sit up.

  “I’m sorry but you’re not allowed to leave this room.” She pulls the coffee mug from my hand and I stare at her in shock.

  “I’ve killed people for less than that,” I blurt, staring in horror as she chugs down my mug like it’s not burning hot.

  “You’ve killed someone?” Her eyes go wide and I roll mine.

  “No, dork. But I would over coffee.” I glance at my empty mug when she hands it back to me and pout.

  “Thanks, babe.” She pecks her lips to my cheek before hopping off the bed and closing the bathroom door behind her.

  I grab her mug and start to drink, heading out to the kitchen to refill the one she emptied. I need to get home to make sure we don’t have to work today. I’ve been doing my fair share the past couple weeks but my mind’s been on Finley and being with her so I’m sure my dad’s getting annoyed with me. I close my eyes and breathe in the coffee, my thoughts wandering to places they shouldn’t but I can’t get enough of her.

  “Hey,” I hear her mumble, shuffling into the kitchen. I watch her grab the full mug and as she takes her first sip her phone rings from the bedroom. With her eyebrows pushed together, she cocks her head. “It’s my sister’s ringtone…” she trails off.

  “Have you told her yet? About us?”

  She gives her head a shake ‘no’ as she moves for her bedroom and my stomach plummets. Don’t ask me why. I’m not dating her sister. Never did.

  So why do I feel so guilty?

  Oh, maybe it’s because I’ve never broken a promise to her in the past. And this is a huge one.

  “Kat?” I hear her say in a tone I don’t recognize. Does she feel the same way I do right now? “You usually call later on. Everything okay?” I watch her walk back into the room with wide eyes and see the slight tremble in her hand. “Oh.” Her eyes go wider. “Oh, wow. Um… Okay!” she chirps way too loud and I start to panic. What’s going on? What’s she saying? “Right. An hour?” She glances at me with panic written all over that beautiful face and rushes back to her room. “Yep! No. Perfect. Yay!” I hear the fakeness in her tone and walk to her doorway to watch her as she frantically starts pulling the sheets off the bed and rummaging through drawers to find new ones.

  She’s frantic. I feel like I should be frantic! Fuck!

  “Finley, what’s going on?” I whisper hiss to her as she listens to her sister. Her finger flies to her lips and her eyes go wide. She points to her phone then to the ground in front of her. Again, harshly. The phone. The ground.

  Her sister.

  Here.

  Her sister!

  Here!

  “Fuck,” I mutter, moving quickly into her bedroom and rush to take down the straps from last night and toss everything we used in the drawer before snagging my clothes and throwing them on. She’s almost finished with the bed sheets so I pick up the dirty ones and find her hamper, shoving them in.

  All evidence gone. Well…minus me. I’m still here.

  “Right. No I’m excited, it’s just a surprise!” She chirps loudly.

  There’s that forced happy tone I used to hear back in school when something was bothering her but she refused to open up. God she was painfully shy. Smirking, I stare at the bed, wondering how that shy little girl turned into this kinky sex freak. Not that I’m complaining.

  “Levi.” She barks from the living room and I dodge my head out the door to see the frantic look on her face. “She’ll be here in less than an hour.” Her eyes are wide. “I haven’t told her. I don’t know how to!” Her hand flies to her mouth and I sigh, dropping my shirt to the floor and walking over to her. I take her face in my hands and look into her eyes. Beautiful, colorful, emotion filled eyes.

  That look like they’re about to start crying.

  “I’m not going to say anything, Finley. I promised I’d let you tell her. Don’t worry about me.” I push my lips to hers and she relaxes the slightest. I hate this. I hate that we’re both terrified of telling her sister about us. If the situation with Kat weren’t left feeling so awkward and unfinished the last time we talked I would tell Finley to come right out and say it. To stop being worried about it. Because I’d be certain her sister would be happy that we’ve finally both found our happy.

  But because the last time I was with Kat I felt like she wanted it to be more of a date than anything else…I can’t honestly tell Finley that now. Because I’m not certain what to expect. This could ruin everything.

  “She said she called me three times,” Finely mutters, gripping her phone and looking at the screen. Laughing, she shakes her head. “Oh. We were too busy fucking to hear the calls.” Cursing, she shakes her head and tosses her phone on the counter.

  “I’m going to head out.” I say, tapping her nose and picking up my shirt. She looks so worried with her hands wrapped around her midsection as she stares at the same spot on the floor. “Squirt.”

  Her worried eyes move to mine and I smile.

  “She’ll be here all week,” she mutters. Her eyebrows pull together and a frown mars that beautiful face.

  “Okay?” I push. “You love your sister, Finley. This should be exciting!” It’s not. It’s sad. Because even if I do end up hanging out with them, I’m not going to be able to look at her like I want to. To touch her like I want to. To claim her in front of anyone around that will pay attention.

  Shit.

  “Yeah.” She smiles for me but it’s not her full smile. “And I’m sure we’ll see each other still.”

  After pulling my shirt over my head finally, I walk over and wrap my arms around her. Holding her tight against me, her hair smells like vanilla and her body feels absolutely perfect tucked into mine.

  “Maybe she won’t take it as bad as you think,” I whisper, knowing that’s a lie but praying I’m right. “I won’t push you, though. Do it on your time.”

  “I know.” She pulls back and looks up at me, then reaches to her toes and pushes her lips against mine slowly. Softly. Lingering like she doesn’t want it to end.

  “I should get going,” I whisper on her lips, reluctantly pulling back from her. “Text me when she gets here.”

  “I will.” She smiles.

  And as much as I don’t want to, I leave her. I take my time walking back to my place. My dad’s probably going to be full of questions and I’m going to get razzed by the guys for staying over again so I walk along the shoreline slowly, letting the cool water hit my bare feet. This place is amazing. Every year I’ve come here I’ve never stopped to appreciate the wonder of the nature, but it’s truly the most gorgeous place I’ve traveled to. Not a big city. Not buzzing with excitement at all hours of the night. It’s real.

  I love it here.

  By the time I walk into the back door of the beach house my mind has been a thousand different directions. I told Finley I want her while I can have her, which was a fucking stupid thing to say. I want more than that. I want her near me at all times. I want her even when I’m not here.

  But to be honest, I want her forever. And I want to be here with her.

  That thought alone scares me. How the hell can I think that without even having the balls to come clean to her sister about the way I feel? And how can I feel this way about a girl after just a couple weeks? Okay…so really it’s been my entire life. An entire lifetime of feelings all held by one girl.

  “Where the fuck you been?” King
blurts from the couch as I walk past and head to the hallway. I glance at him with his body full of tattoos, wondering if anyone ever looks at him and wonders what prison he just came out of. King never went to prison. He’s just a badass who has exactly zero fucks to give. He’s also the meanest one out of our weird little family this business has created, but I love the guy like he’s my brother. Even if I don’t understand his lifestyle.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I wink at him.

  “Asshole.” He laughs. “You keep bailing on our guys’ nights out. Anders says you’ve got a girl now?” He shifts on the couch to look at me as I keep walking by.

  “Anders is right.” I tap the doorframe and keep walking. I don’t necessarily want to talk about her to these guys, mainly because I don’t want to share her and King’s all about sharing.

  “Hey,” Anders says, appearing in my doorway seconds after I start to pull my shirt over my head to grab a clean one.

  “Fuck!” I throw it at him and he grimaces, tossing it to the ground. “You heard of knocking, asshole?”

  “Fuck that. This is important.” He walks over to my bed, making himself at home. “Miranda texted me last night. Said something about surprising you by showing up here. You apparently miss her too much to tell her you miss her.”

  “What?” I blurt, going for my phone that I left here last night. Five. Five missed calls from her. And a text from Kat. Apparently she didn’t forget I was in Florida. “Fuck my life.” I groan. “I broke up with her! Twice!”

  “Yeah,” he says then laughs hard. “You’re fucked, dude. You think Finley’s going to be pissed?”

  “No. I’ve told her how crazy Miranda is.” I curse again and run my hands through my hair, staring out my windows to the beach. I wanted to spend the day out there today. With Finley. In the sun, soaking up the rays before the next storm that’s supposed to roll through next week hits.

  Now I’ll be playing damage control on all fronts of my life apparently.

  “Yeah. She’s sneaky, too.” He raises his eyebrow at me and I curse.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  “I know. And to make it worse Kat’s coming in town today.”

  “Remind me again which one that is?” He smirks at my growl.

  “You fucking know who Kat is, asshole,” I mumble, pacing the room.

  “That’s right!” He acts like he just figured it out. “The best friend from childhood. Obviously not the best friend now,” he stresses. “The one whose sister you’re fucking.”

  “Dating,” I blurt then curse at the look on his face.

  “Pussy whipped, you mean?”

  “Fuck off. Do you need anything else?”

  “Naw.” He relaxes back against the pillow. “Just chilling while I watch your world implode.”

  I narrow my eyes at him and growl.

  “You’re going to help me,” I mutter, trying to figure out how to get Miranda out of here, spend time with Finley, and not let it spill to Kat before Finley’s ready, that we’re an item. That, and hold off the potential come-on’s that Kat’s got coming my way.

  Her text?

  Kat: I’m coming to Florida. I don’t remember where exactly you are but we need to talk. Call me so we can get together, please.

  Perfect. So fucking perfect.

  “Hey, maybe I can win over the sister.” He stands and pats my shoulder before heading for the door. “We’re all going out tonight. I fully expect you to be there. King’s a shit wingman.”

  I glance back at him and furrow my brows. “I’m not going out tonight.”

  “Well Miranda will be here in a couple hours,” he says, checking his watch. “Just come out with us. Safety in numbers, right?” he says, shrugging at the look of disgust on my face. How can shit have gotten so fucking crazy that fast? “You staying here will give her reason to think you want to spend some alone time with her.”

  “Fuck,” I grunt.

  “You know I’m right.” He pulls the door closed behind him and my fists tighten at my sides. Can’t I just rewind the last twelve hours and go back to Finley’s bed? Why is that so hard to ask?

  My phone dings with a text in my pocket and I pull it out, somewhat cooling off at the picture. Finley took a selfie with her sister in the background, paperwork spread all over the table and her laptop open in front of her. Deep in work mode.

  Finley: She came here…to visit. *Eyeroll*

  I chuckle and type out a reply, attaching a picture of my current view of the ocean.

  Me: Is she going to work all week? My view’s better ;) Ps: I miss you

  I see her read it and watch those dots dance across the bottom of the screen.

  Finley: You just saw me an hour ago. LOL!

  Me: It’s been a hell of an hour.

  Finley: Yeah? Like your sister paying a surprise visit when your boyfriend, who happens to be her best friend, lives two houses down and you can’t find the balls to tell her about the two of you type of hell?

  Me: Yes. That. And the fact that my crazy ex-girlfriend is on her way here right now to spend the weekend with me…

  Finley starts typing. Then stops. I watch as this pattern repeats over and over for three minutes before it stops all together. Groaning, I rub my hand down my face and head for the shower. She’s either pissed…or…well she’s probably pissed. I would be if an ex of hers decided he wasn’t going to agree to a break up and shows up randomly for a weekend.

  I feel like so much is out of my control and I hate it.

  The only thing I know for sure is Finley’s officially mine.

  God, that thought alone makes everything else today dull in comparison.

  She’s mine.

  Shit. Yes.

  Chapter 7

  Finley

  My sister showed up twenty minutes ago. Right after I got out of the shower to wash the smell of sex off me. She took one look at the apartment and her lip curled slightly before she masked her disappointment that I don’t live in the ritzy end of a big city. I love my sister, don’t get me wrong, but we’re so completely opposite most people who don’t know us are shocked to hear we’re siblings.

  Where I’m athletic, dark hair, tan easily and love nature, she’s pale, light reddish blonde hair, dark (sometimes soulless) eyes and the straightest back I’ve ever seen on anyone when she sits down.

  It’s like we were raised in two separate houses.

  Kat didn’t always used to be like this. College ruined her, in my opinion. I enjoyed my college years. Going to the Ivy League bullshit school she did turned her into a fifty year old money hungry woman at the ripe age of twenty five. Now that she’s nearing thirty? Ha!

  I’d like to think my sister’s still in there somewhere and I’d love to think she’s salvageable.

  “Who are you texting over there?” she speaks up after being nose deep in that laptop for the last ten minutes. Yep. She’s been here twenty minutes and half of that has been working.

  “No one,” I mutter, sliding the phone into my pocket trying to figure out how to reply to Levi’s last text. His crazy ex is on her way here? Just perfect.

  “You were grinning like an idiot staring at that phone. Don’t tell me no one. I’m a lawyer, I have my ways of finding out.” She looks at me pointedly and I feel sorry for all those poor unsuspecting people she battles in the courtroom. Beast is a good way to describe my sister at work.

  “Just a friend. He sent me a funny meme.” I bite my nail and glance back at my phone after pulling it out to see if he sent anything else.

  “He, huh?” she closes her laptop and wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Little sister’s got a boyfriend already?”

  My stomach plummets and I just want to tell her yes, I do! But I can’t make the words come out.

  “Just a friend” I say. God, what if that’s all we are? He said he wants me as long as he can have me. No one else. But that was before my sister showed up randomly. That was before his ex-girlfriend shoved her way back into his lif
e.

  I have to talk to him.

  “I need to run out,” I blurt, heading for my shoes with insecurity boiling to the surface.

  “What?” Kat laughs annoyed. “I just got here, Finley.”

  I spin and give her that same laugh.

  “And you’re working.” I raise my eyebrows and cross my arms in front of me. “I’m happy you’re here, Kat. But I have a life I can’t stop just because of it. Obviously you can’t either, so when I get back you’re going to explain why you’re here when you obviously have work to get done.” Her face falls and I grab my purse before heading out the front door, closing it behind me.

  I get in my car, because if she’s watching me I don’t want a beeline shot to Levi. I round the block and pull in front of the house two doors down from him in the opposite direction and hop out, slamming my door as I jog to the front door. There’s a white explorer out front and my stomach drops that maybe I’m too late. Maybe she’s here and he’s decided breaking up with her was a bad idea.

  Knocking hard, I steel myself for possibly meeting this crazy woman.

  “Yeah?” A guy I’ve never met before answers the door and I remember him saying he lives here with five others.

  “Levi here?” I shift and try not to let my nerves show. The man’s lips lift slightly and he nods, opening the door wider.

  “Come on in.” He steps aside to let me in. “I’m Anders.” He smiles at me and it registers that he’s handsome as all hell, but I’m on a mission for Levi.

  “Finley,” I say, looking around. “Is he available?”

  “Oh yeah, just this way.” He grins slyly and walks down the hallway, stopping in front of the bathroom door. “He’s showering. You can wait in his room if you want.” He nods across the hall and I smile.

  “Thanks.” I head into his room, closing the door behind me and wait on his bed getting lost in the view. He’s got the best damn view I’ve ever seen. The teals and blues of the ocean reflect on his white walls and somehow even the room smells like a beach should. Fresh. Clean. Bright. Not like a guys’ room at all.