by E. L. Todd
“What does Madeline think of Liam?” Was my friend wasting his time with a woman who was out of his league?
She set her phone in her lap. “You know this is a conflict of interest.”
“Oh, come on. At least let me know if my friend is wasting his time. If he is, I’ll drop hints here and there. I wouldn’t throw you under the bus.”
“Nope.”
“You’re a tough chick.” Her loyalty was a turn-on. I liked a woman who wouldn’t betray her friends. There weren’t enough people like that in the world.
“You’re sexy as hell, but that’s not enough this time.”
“Maybe I need to step up my game.”
“I don’t think you can.”
I wanted to pull over in a secluded spot and take her roughly in the passenger seat, but there was no place private enough, and we needed to make good time. “We’ll see when we get home.”
“Oh…I like the sound of that.”
I squeezed her hand on her thigh. “Going all day without fucking…that’s gonna be rough.”
“We might be able to sneak off behind a dumpster or something.”
The dirty suggestion got me hard. “A public place…that’s hot.”
“Where’s the most public place you’ve ever had sex?”
I’d had a lot of sex with a lot of women. To remember every single one was impossible. “The bathroom of a bar.”
“Had to have her then and there?”
“She wanted to suck my cock. I’m a gentleman, so I didn’t say no.”
She chuckled. “You have an interesting definition of what a gentleman is.”
“A man should please a woman—whether that’s financially, sexually, or emotionally. And I think that blow job fell into that category.”
“I guess I see your point. So if I call you in the middle of the night asking for good sex, you’ll always be there?”
I ran my thumb over her small wrist. “I’m your boy toy, aren’t I?”
“Ooh…you’re my boy toy?”
“Yep. And you’re my lady friend.”
“Lady friend…nah. I want a better name.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Sexy friend.”
“Alright. Sexy friend it is.” I followed the GPS and pulled off to the side where the winery was located. Right off the coast with stunning views of the seaside, it was breathtaking. It was the perfect day for a woman to wear a summer dress with heels—which was exactly what Austen wore.
And she looked fine as hell.
Now that we’d arrived, I had to pull my hand away and cease all affection. We were just friends—not fuck buddies. It was only for a few hours, so I should be able to control myself.
But that was easier said than done.
***
Jared brought a cute date who mixed well with the rest of the group. She was attractive and funny, outspoken like the rest of the girls. But I noticed Jared continued to look at Madeline, not being discreet about it either.
I wondered if his date noticed.
I suspected something happened between Madeline and Jared at some point in the past. He didn’t seem like a guy who struggled to ask out women, so he’d probably already made his move. Maybe they used to see each other but things didn’t work out.
Either way, I’d have to give Liam a heads-up.
Liam tended to Madeline, getting her a new glass of wine anytime her glass wasn’t full enough. He gave her all his attention, laser focused. I could be making out with his sister right at the table, and he wouldn’t even notice.
“Which one was your favorite?” Austen sat beside me, her legs crossed in the pink dress she wore. Her skin was tanned from wearing dresses outside so often. Her legs were toned and sleek, and I pictured the way they felt when they were wrapped around my waist.
It took a second for me to concentrate on what she said. “This one.” I swirled the red wine before I took another drink.
“You’re a fan of red?”
“I’m a fan of anything with alcohol, really.”
“You’re easy to please.”
“No, you’re just good at pleasing.”
Her eyes widened in alarm at my quiet outburst, staring me down like I’d just told the entire table what we did behind closed doors.
I didn’t give a damn because no one was listening to us anyway. I held her gaze as I drank my wine, wishing we were alone so her soft lips could wrap around my cock once more. This woman was good at everything in the bedroom. She was too good to be true. “What was yours?”
She went with the change in conversation. “I prefer white wines. I like the first one the most.”
“Maybe we should get a few bottles to go.”
“I drink too much as it is anyway.”
We finished the tasting and the appetizers, sitting outside under the shade of an umbrella. The waves crashed against the shore, the sound soft like music. Seagulls cried in the distance as they searched the beach for leftovers.
“I made reservations for Casanova,” Madeline said. “We should head over so we aren’t late.”
After all the wine and the appetizers, I wasn’t hungry. But if I got to sit across from Austen and look at her for the rest of the night, I would be happy. We left the table then walked back to the cars.
“I think I’m gonna ask her out.” Liam walked beside me and kept his voice low. “I’m pretty sure she’s into me.”
That’s when I noticed Jared watching us, probably trying to overhear our conversation.
I walked a little faster so we would put some distance between us. “I think there’s something between Jared and Madeline.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam asked. “He has a date.”
“But he only seems to care about Madeline. I’ve seen him stare at her all day—and on other occasions.”
“But if he was into her, wouldn’t he have already asked her out by now?”
“Maybe he has. Maybe they used to date. Did you ever ask Madeline about it?”
“No…we aren’t even dating. I can’t ask her that.”
“Maybe you could ask Austen.” I could ask her myself, but I’d rather make it seem like we were as platonic as possible.
“I won’t have any alone time with her today. Could you ask her in the car?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Liam glanced at Jared, seeing him stare back at him. “Maybe you’re right…looks like he wants to kill me.” Liam trailed back to Madeline like he was trying to protect his property.
“Sweet ride, man.” Jared admired my car with his arms crossed over his chest. “What year is she?”
“She’s brand-new.” I patted the hood like it was a pet. “She can hit 190.”
“Damn,” Jared said.
“And I get to ride in it.” Austen posed on the hood of the car, looking like a supermodel trying to advertise it for a commercial. She flipped her hair over one shoulder and gave me a smoldering look.
My cock came to life in my jeans. “Now I want to buy another.”
She laughed then hopped off the front.
“This is a car that doesn’t need a hot chick on the front to sell,” Jared teased. “But it doesn’t hurt.”
We got into our cars then drove thirty minutes to the restaurant, which was thirty minutes south.
“You wanna drive it on the ride home?” I asked.
“Are you joking?” she asked incredulously. “You would let me touch your baby?”
“It’s not like it’s a stick. You’ll be fine.”
“Are you serious?” she asked. “Because I’ll drive this bad boy.”
“Perfect. I’ll feel you up on the ride home.”
“God no,” she said. “I’ll definitely crash.”
Now that we were alone together again, I returned my hand to her soft thigh. Her skin was warm to the touch, and I wanted to bury my face between her legs and taste her again. With the taste of wine on my lips and her natural sweetness, the taste w
ould be orgasmic. “Did Madeline and Jared used to date?”
Austen quickly turned her head in my direction, her mood noticeably darker. “Why do you ask?”
“I see him stare at her a lot.”
“Oh…”
I thought it was strange she didn’t answer my question. “Is that a yes?”
“Uh…I…”
“Well, I already suspected it on my own, so you aren’t betraying Madeline. And I told Liam my suspicion.”
Once she was cornered, she dropped her hesitance. “Yeah…they used to be involved. It was a fuck buddy type situation. Madeline walked away when things became too complicated, but I don’t think Jared wanted it to end.”
“Why did she walk away?”
“Are you going to tell Liam everything I say?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.” We weren’t in a relationship, but trust was important between two people who were screwing. It allowed us to be more adventurous, to take each other to new heights.
“You can tell him I confirmed that they used to see each other. But that’s it.”
“Alright.”
“Madeline left because she was afraid of what it would do to their friendship. She didn’t think it was gonna last, so she ended it before it became too serious. I think Jared wanted to take it further.”
“Did he tell you this?”
“He tells me things sometimes because we’re really close. But he knows I’m stuck in the middle so I’m not the best person to talk to about this sort of thing.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if something happened between Austen and Jared. It wasn’t my place to ask, but I couldn’t help myself. “Jared is your bestie, you said?” I specifically remembered her saying it because I assumed Jared must be gay. But obviously, he was just as straight as I was.
“Yeah, we’re really good friends. We’ve been that way for a long time.”
“Have you guys ever hooked up?”
She stared at me with wide eyes, surprised by the question. “That was bold of you to ask.”
I really shouldn’t care who was on her list of past lovers, but for some reason, I needed to know if Jared had ever had her. Something deep inside my chest rumbled with pure agitation. “I meant no offense.”
She faced forward and kept her eyes on the road.
“So you aren’t going to tell me?” I was pushing my luck and needed to keep myself in check, but the more she didn’t answer, the more irritated I became. How did I know he didn’t want to hook up with her again? That shouldn’t matter either, but it mattered to me.
“I don’t understand why you care.”
“I’m not jealous, if that’s what you’re worried about.” The second I said it, I knew it was a lie. I felt the despair in the pit of my stomach, a shadow of what I felt when I saw Rae with Zeke. It was small, nearly insignificant. But it was there.
“Then why are you so curious?”
“The more you don’t answer the question, the more I think you have something to hide.”
She turned to me with a fiery gaze, full of menace. But she just looked cuter when she was angry. “I thought we weren’t going to interrogate each other.”
“And I thought we were going to be friends? Don’t friends talk? Tell each other stuff?”
When she realized I was right, she cooled off. “I’m sorry…I’m way too defensive sometimes.”
“No kidding…”
She narrowed her eyes in offense.
I smiled then gripped her thigh so she knew I was kidding. “I like it when you get angry…you’re sexy.”
“I’m sexy when I’m pissed?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I’m hoping you’ll give me a good slap.”
“I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”
I gave her a smoldering look as I gripped her thigh. “Because I’m not.”
She eyed me with slightly parted lips and bright eyes. When she licked her lips quickly, I knew she was thinking about the tension that just entered the car. It was searing hot like we were both being branded with a hot iron.
If there was somewhere to pull over for a quick fuck, I’d do it.
She reached across the center divider then unbuttoned my jeans and pulled my zipper down.
I took a deep breath because I knew what was coming next.
She yanked down the front so my cock popped out and rested against my stomach.
She leaned over and took my length into her mouth, taking it like a pro just like last time.
With one hand on the wheel, I used the other to shove up her dress and pull her panties to the side. I sucked my fingers before I shoved them inside her wet pussy, greeted by the moisture I was used to feeling. I fingered her as she sucked me off. We had another fifteen minutes until we arrived at the restaurant.
And it would be a great fifteen minutes.
Chapter Ten
Austen
I went to the gym after work then made dinner at home. I sat in front of the TV with my laptop on my lap. I was doing work from home, but my mind kept trailing to Ryker. We hadn’t spoken since yesterday, and my body was eager for him like I was in the middle of an intense dry spell.
Which was preposterous.
Now I was getting unbelievable sex on a regular basis. I hadn’t gone out to look for a date or even checked my Tinder account. The second Ryker was my fuck buddy, my interest in other men went to zero. I tried not to be alarmed by that because the situation was understandable.
Why would I look for another man when Ryker was already perfect?
I considered texting him and asking him to come over to give it to me good, but I felt a little self-conscious doing that. What if he was out with another woman and that message popped up on his phone? I would throw him under the bus with my horniness.
Maybe we should set up some kind of code or something.
I picked up my phone to call him, but my phone started to ring instead. My instinct told me it was Ryker calling me for the exact reason I was about to call him. But when I saw a completely different name on the screen, I nearly screamed.
Nathan.
Why the hell was he calling me?
Were my eyes playing tricks on me?
No, it really did say Nathan.
What did he want?
I watched the phone ring in my hands, frozen on the spot and unsure what to do. I didn’t have to take his call. I didn’t have to do anything. But seeing his number on my screen still felt like a breach of privacy.
I was surprised he even had my number.
I’d been off Facebook ever since that horrific day when my world came crumbling down. I didn’t want to post fake bullshit and pretend I was okay. I didn’t want people to scroll through my page and search for clues that showed how screwed up my life was now that I’d been humiliated. So I didn’t have a clue where he got my number from.
Just before it went to voicemail, I picked up.
What the hell was I doing?
“I think you called the wrong number, Nathan.” I kept my voice steady, full of unwavering confidence like a wall made of solid concrete. He needed to know his name on my screen didn’t intimidate me. He needed to know that I could speak to him like he meant nothing to me—because he did mean nothing to me.
“Austen?” His deep voice was full of surprise, like he didn’t expect me to pick up.
“Yes, sir. How can I help you?” My voice remained confident but playful. It didn’t seem like he was ever my fiancé or ever anyone remotely important to me.
“Sorry, I was expecting your voicemail.”
“Would you like me to hang up so you can call back?” I asked like a smartass.
“No,” he said with an awkward chuckle. “I’m glad you answered…just caught me off guard.”
“Well, what’s up?”
He was quiet for so long it didn’t seem like he would say anything. We hadn’t had a real conversation since I found out he was sleeping with Lily. He didn’t even defend hi
mself or explain why it happened. It wasn’t really a gruesome breakup because we just walked away from one another without looking back. So, that made this conversation even more awkward. “Can we get dinner tomorrow? I want to talk to you in person.”
I laughed because his request was absolutely absurd. “Is that a joke?”
“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me—”
“Probably? That’s not the right word, Nathan.”
“Look, I just want to apologize, Austen. Not over the phone—in person.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Nathan.”
“Of course I do…”
“No, you don’t because I haven’t thought about you in two years. If you think I’m crying over you, I’m not. I’m a happy camper.”
“Then why haven’t you had a boyfriend since we broke up?”
My words froze in my throat because I was paralyzed. The fact that he knew my weakness, knew I’d been single for so long, was just humiliating. I didn’t put up as good of a front as I hoped. “Because I love being single far too much.”
I hung up before he could say another word and stared at the screen of my phone. I covered my face as the humiliation swept through me. He knew I hadn’t been dating because people still talked about that horrific breakup. It was so embarrassing I actually wanted to cry.
“No, I’m not gonna do it.” I shook my head and took a deep breath. I’d cried enough over this man, and I wasn’t going to do it anymore. We’d been over for years, and he’d been married since. There was no reason to shed a single tear. It didn’t matter why he called. It didn’t matter what he wanted.
Nothing mattered.
I called Ryker instead and listened to the phone ring.
“Please answer…please be home…please be alone…”
He picked up after the second ring. “Hey, Stone Cold.” The flirtatiousness of his tone washed over me like an ocean breeze. It was refreshing and comforting, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.
He did so much with just his voice. “Are you busy?”
“I’m never too busy for my fuck buddy.” He always spoke with the sexiest voice, sounding like an in-demand phone sex operator. “You want me to go over there?”