The Supermodel's Best Friend

by Gretchen Galway

  Huntley moved closer to Fawn. “I love you.”

  “I love you,” Fawn said, starting to cry.

  Did they really have to do this in a group? Naked?

  Lucy looked up at Miles. He stared back expressionlessly. She was suddenly aware of her bare ass jutting up while she splayed face down on the floor. Yet his gaze kept slipping away to Denise.

  This was the guy who’d just lectured her about monogamy?

  She decided to sit up. He’d been eager enough to get her naked before; he’d kissed and fondled her breasts with hungry enthusiasm. She’d give him a little reminder.

  Arching a little as though her back had been cramped on the floor, Lucy stretched out, nipples aiming at Miles’s eyes, and wiggled her legs. That would have ripple effects for sure.

  Miles did glance at her, but instead of smiling, or staring, or fainting dead away from lust, he frowned and turned back to Denise.

  Well, hell.

  Huntley leaned in to kiss Fawn, but Denise stopped him with a warning eh-eh-eh sound.

  “Sometimes touch is the avoidance of true intimacy,” she said.

  Huntley withdrew slightly, smiling. “You’re so incredible,” he told Fawn. “I can’t wait to be married to you.”

  “I can’t wait to be married to you,” she replied, gazing into his eyes.

  Lucy crossed her arms over her breasts. Sat cross-legged. Arched her back again.

  He never even peeked.

  “Can’t we give them some privacy?” Lucy asked finally.

  Miles glanced at her, but only for a second. “You want us to leave, guys?”

  “My mom should be here soon,” Fawn said. “It might be awkward if it’s only us.”

  “Yeah, we wouldn’t want it to be awkward,” Lucy said.

  Denise frowned at her. “Sarcasm is another layer that distorts and disguises. Try to set it aside as you would your garments.”

  Just as Lucy opened her mouth to tell her she was a phony busybody, she noticed the smile on Miles’s face. While he stared at Denise’s breasts.

  That’s it. Fawn was obviously doing fine with her new soulmate and didn’t need a cynical maid of honor ruining the love-in. “Sorry, guys, but I’m not feeling well.”

  She grabbed her clothes and put them on as fast as she could without looking back. In thirty seconds she was outside.

  She lingered on the threshold of the Peace Yurt for a few seconds. Okay, minutes.

  When it was clear Miles wasn’t going to follow her, she marched back to her cabin.

  * * *

  Miles waited ten minutes, each one tougher than the last.

  “This is ridiculous,” he said. “She’ll just think I’m an asshole.”

  Fawn and Huntley gazed into each other’s eyes, obeying the rule not to touch each other only in the most literal sense. There couldn’t have been a millimeter of air between their bodies.

  “Fawn knows best,” Huntley said, sparing him a glance. “If she said you should cool it, you should cool it.”

  “All right, so I won’t try to beat anyone else up. But I’m not going to sit back while she goes after other guys.”

  Denise, who had been frowning and smiling simultaneously during this conversation, finally broke in. “Perhaps we should return to the relationships between those present in the circle. Discussing souls that are not present is not usually productive.”

  Now Miles knew how his older kids must feel, being forced to talk about their feelings with somebody who was being paid to care. Or pretend to.

  Keeping the towel around his waist, he lumbered to his feet. “Fuck it. I’m going after her.”

  “Perhaps that’s for the best,” Denise said.

  “No!” Fawn cried. “Just give her another few minutes. Enough to realize you’re not chasing her.”

  “I am chasing her.”

  “But she can’t know that or she’ll freak out,” Fawn said. “You need to play hard to get.”

  “Like Alex?” He got his clothes on, glaring right back at Denise. “He practically proposed after their first conversation. I wouldn’t even call it a date, though I’m sure he does. Probably already planning their first anniversary.”

  Denise dropped the fake smile. “Please. This is not about you.”

  “Then why the hell was I invited?” He stalked over to the door, pausing to turn back and give Huntley an apologetic shrug before he went outside.

  Fawn might know a lot about Lucy’s family history, but she couldn’t know how terrified she was of being alone in the world. Only a fellow near-orphan could relate to that. Miles could see it in her eyes. Mom dies, and the other isn’t quite enough. No other blood relations to depend on, only the mercies of the few big-hearted people in your social circle.

  Then you get older and you’re not supposed to care anymore. You’re supposed to be tough and independent, immune, invincible. If you want a family, just make one.

  But families you make are the most fragile of all. Just pieces of paper. She needed to see how it was the emotional connection that mattered, not their legal status. The relationship itself.

  I can’t play games. He could barely stop his feet from running the rest of the way to her cabin. I need to be honest with her.

  So he jogged through the woods to her cabin, knocked on the door with the most polite level of force he could manage.

  Lucy appeared in the cabin doorway. Her hair was pulled back by a black headband, exaggerating her wide forehead and pointy chin, the green of her eyes, the pearls in her earlobes. Her lips were slightly parted, pink and shiny. Her T-shirt was low-cut and hugged her curves. She was barefoot.

  Miles was taken aback for a moment by the sight of her. Just looking at her reduced his IQ by fifty points.

  Easy, buddy. No more games. Be a man.

  “It was all Fawn’s fault,” he said.

  * * *

  Her copper eyebrows flew up. “Fawn?”

  Rubbing his temple, he hung his head. “Sorry. No. My fault. Can I come in?”

  Lucy had just poured herself a glass of wine and was looking forward to drinking it—and a few more—but she couldn’t deny the thrill that went through her at the sight of him. Even as angry as she was.

  What did he mean about it being Fawn’s fault? “This isn’t the best time,” she said. “The bachelorette party is tonight. I need to rest up.”

  “Sure, of course. Me too. I mean, for the bachelor version. But”—he rubbed his mouth, looking distressed—“back there. I’ve got to explain. The way I was acting… ignoring you…”

  She could hardly admit she was jealous about him looking at another woman. That was just the sort of possessive stupidity she’d called him out on earlier. She looked down into her wine. “It’s fine. You don’t have to dote on me every second.”

  “But I was trying to… look, can I come in? Or could we go for a walk or something?”

  “I think I’ve had enough walks.”

  He sighed. “And I’m sorry about that, too. Fighting with Alex. I overreacted.”

  “You think?”

  “Lucy. You need to know I’m not usually like this.”

  “I’d like to believe that, but—”

  “I know. Fawn explained. She told me lots of things. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

  Lucy groaned inwardly. “Just what did she explain?”

  “She gave me some advice. About not coming on too strong.”

  Fawn? Coaching Miles?

  “How long?” she asked, stepping away from the door and moving inside.

  “How long what?”

  “How long has Fawn been giving you advice?” She was going to kill that girl.

  He flinched but said, “Just today. We’d never spoken before then.” He started to come inside after her but she held up her hand.

  “You can walk with me to the lodge store.” She could survive a short stroll without losing her head, but not if he was inside her cabin. He couldn’t think she woul
d jump into bed with him whenever he felt like being friendly.

  She pulled on her socks, found her boots. “I need to see if they have some industrial-strength hair gel. I can’t have millions of pictures taken tomorrow with it frizzy like this.”

  “It looks great.”

  “It’s the bane of my existence.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  She gave him a look. “Try surviving junior high with hair like this. See if you like it then.”

  “Kids can be cruel.”

  “It was the adults who laughed the loudest.” Especially Mrs. Bergman, a sadist disguised as a science teacher. She stepped outside next to him and closed the door. “But I’m glad you like it.”

  He reached up and stroked the soft curls at the back of her head. Suddenly he pulled her close. “I love it,” he said, brushing her cheek with his lips.

  Boy, did she miss him. She froze, letting herself enjoy his touch just for a moment. “Is this part of Fawn’s plan, too?”

  “No. She told me not to come. She wants me to play hard to get. She really drilled it into me. How I needed to back off.”

  “Maybe she’s still hoping I’ll hook up with Alex.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Lucy moved away from him. “I wonder.”

  While they walked in silence, Lucy tried to set aside her emotions and study the facts.

  Back on Monday, Fawn had laughed at the idea of Lucy being attracted to Miles. Tuesday, she’d seemed happy about her spending time with Alex, though Alex wasn’t the type of guy Fawn usually liked. Wednesday, she’d intentionally left them at the B&B with a paid room. Now she was giving Miles confidential information and advice.

  “That sneaky bitch,” Lucy said suddenly, coming to a full stop in the path. “She’s been manipulating me.”

  Miles nodded. “Looks like it.”

  “What exactly did she tell you?”

  He glanced around. The lodge was still out of sight through the trees. Other cabins flanked either side of the path, but though there were distant figures walking around, nobody was close enough to hear. “She told me about your father.”

  Sighing, Lucy looked at the gray sky. “Let me guess, he’s the reason for everything that ails me.”

  “Something like that.”

  “Fawn took too many psych classes in college. Totally unscientific garbage.”

  “Hmm,” he said.

  “You don’t believe me.”

  “She’s known you a long time.”

  “What did she say?”

  He ran his hand over his eyes. “Look, I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

  “What did she say, Miles?”

  He peeked out at her. “Promise not to storm off and yell at her. She’s getting married tomorrow.”

  “I don’t yell.”

  His eyebrow went up.

  “You think I’m a hothead?”

  Smiling, he put an arm around her waist and hugged her closer. “Yes.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “You’re passionate.” He bent down buried his face in her neck. “Full of life.”

  “And you’re full of something else.” But she tilted her head to let him trail kisses up her neck. “You’re just trying to distract me.”

  “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  She put a hand on his shoulder and held him back. “What else did Fawn tell you?”

  He tried to kiss her again, but she put another few inches between them.

  Sighing, he lifted his head. “She told me I should back off a little. So you don’t think I’m obsessed with you and scare you away.”

  That was Fawn’s doing? Brides weren’t supposed to be thinking about anyone but themselves. “I got the impression you were obsessed with Denise. Maybe you should worry about scaring her.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “That was embarrassing. I never should’ve listened to a woman who thinks Huntley is a catch.”

  He sounded so mournful, so sincere. She moved a little closer to him, relieved to have an explanation. And to feel his big, strong body under her hands again. “What else did she say? I might as well know it all.”

  His hand slipped down her shoulders, down the curve of her spine, over the swell of her backside. “She thinks you avoid real relationships with men because you don’t like them to lose control of their emotions.”

  “And how do we define ‘real?’”

  His mouth searched the tender skin under her ear, kissing and licking. “For starters, a healthy sexual interest.”

  She stiffened. Fawn had told him about Dan. “I see.”

  “And it also includes”—he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed—“a little natural possessiveness.”

  “Is that what you call trying beat up some guy who talks to me?”

  “I lost my temper because I care about you.” He inhaled the smell of her hair, brushed her forehead with his lips. “A lot.”

  Alarms went off inside her head. It felt much too good to hear him say so. “We just met a few days ago.”

  “Exactly. Too soon to say goodbye.” His fingers lifted her chin, stroked her neck, held her for a tender kiss on her mouth.

  Breathless, she managed to say, “It’s only Friday. We don’t leave until Sunday.”

  “Lucy,” he said, lifting his head to look into her eyes. “Be serious.”

  “That’s exactly what I am. Serious. Ask anyone. I’m very, very serious.”

  He shook his head, his smile warming his eyes. “I want you to see my apartment, even though I’m afraid you’ll think it’s a dump. I want to meet your dad and see if he’s as eccentric as Fawn says he is. I want to take you to my favorite taqueria in the Mission and I want to see how you decorate your place.”

  “You want a wife and kids, big guy? A mortgage, life insurance—”

  His smile broadened. “I’m onto you, Lucy. You can’t scare me away with that stuff anymore.”

  “It’s not a game!” She pulled away from him. “I’m not fooling around. I’ve let myself enjoy a little fun with you this week but it’s nothing that can last.”

  “It’s been more than fun and you know it. And whatever this is, you need it as much as I do.”

  She began walking. “No. What I need is somebody who wants the same things I do. From the start. So there’s no confusion.” Or worse. She was already infatuated with him after four days; what would four weeks do?

  “What do you think you need? Let’s hear it.”

  “Don’t patronize me. I’ll tell you exactly.” She held up her hand and pointed at her fingers as she counted. “One, marriage. Two, children. Three, a home. This is it for me, Miles. I mean it.”

  “I’m not buying it.”

  She threw up her hands. “It’s impossible for you to believe I might want something you don’t?”

  “It’s impossible for me to believe you don’t want to see me again after we go home.”

  Her chest ached. This had gone much too far. She walked faster.

  “Look at me, Lucy. Stop running away.”

  She spun around and faced him. “I’m telling you what I want and you don’t believe me. It’s infuriating.”

  “You don’t want a man like your father, Lucy.”

  She gritted her teeth. I’m going to kill that supermodel. “One psych class and she hangs up her shingle,” she muttered.

  “What’s the big deal about planning on seeing each other next week? Why is that so hard for you?”

  “Don’t pretend this is all about me. You’re so freaked out about following in your own father’s footsteps the thought of marriage gives you hives.”

  “I’m talking about going on a date next week and you need me to propose first!”

  She shook her head. “I know what would happen if we dated. It would be great for a few months, maybe even a couple of years. We like each other, we’re great in bed, et cetera. But then I’d start talking about the future
and you’d start pointing out all the problems we had together. About why we’re not ready to put down money on a house. Why you’re not ready to become a dad.” She took a deep breath. “I’d be a sucker for all these arguments because I’m very practical. I’d agree with many of them. And next thing you know I’ll be forty and you’ll be just about ready to maybe have a kid, except now I’m kind of old and I’m having trouble conceiving, so another year goes by. Next thing you know, some young thing is pregnant with your child and I’m looking for a studio apartment that allows cats. Since you’ve run off to Reno to marry the mother of your child. The end.”

  He blinked. After a long moment, he laughed. “You almost had me.”

  “I’m not kidding. I have never, ever been afraid to see the hard realities. Especially when they’re six foot five and staring me in the face.” She gave up the pretense of walking to the lodge and turned back to her cabin. “Alex warned me, you know. He said I’d jumped into bed with the most commitment-phobic male I could find.”

  Mentioning Alex wiped the smile off his face. He caught up to her easily, his long stride dwarfing hers. “All right. So I’ll propose first.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I’ll ask you to marry me, you say yes, then we date. How about that? Or do I need to cough up a ring first?”

  “Don’t be a jerk.”

  “Nice. I propose and you call me a jerk.”

  “You’re mocking me.” She walked faster. “Go away, Miles. The wedding’s tomorrow. Don’t you have a bachelor party to deal with?”

  “Why should I mock you when you’re refusing to go out on a date before I promise to be the father of your children? You’re right. You are totally reasonable.”

  “If you’re trying to change my mind you’re failing miserably,” she said.

  He got ahead of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I know you care about me. Me, not the idea of me as your husband. The real guy who wants you. The real you, for yourself, not what role you might play in my life. How can you throw that away?” His voice softened. “How can you throw me away?”

  Her throat tight, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I want a family. A real one. That’s what I’ve wanted since I was a kid. That’s what I’ve wanted as an adult, and that’s what I want to have when I die.” She put her hands over his where they held her shoulders. “That’s what I don’t want to throw away.”