by Carina Adams
I laughed. “Neither of you know Grover well, do you?” When neither answered, I continued. “The man is the least observant person I’ve ever met. You said I’d have a mask on, so he won’t know who is up on stage at all. He’s going to be too busy checking out the sorority girls. If and when he realizes I’m there and recognizes me, then I’ll talk to him.”
“You sure?” Rome didn’t seem convinced.
“I’m sure.” I smiled. “Is there anything else?” I braced my hands on the arm chairs, ready to jump up and get out of there.
“You really want to do this?”
“No. But I need to get out of my comfort zone a little more. Plus, it might be fun. You’ll take care of me.” When he only nodded in response, I waved. “Night.”
Reid stood as I did. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Ooo,” I teased as we hit the hall. “What good dead did I do to earn alone time?”
He chuckled lightly and shook his head as if he thought the idea was absurd.
“I’m serious,” I insisted. “You’ll have to tell me so I can do it more often.”
His fingers found mine and he slowed his steps. I wanted to stretch our time together, so I matched his pace. “School is kicking my ass. I’m either studying or sleeping. Mostly studying.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That sounds miserable. I’m sorry.”
“It’ll all pay off one day,” he stopped walking and turned to me. “Right now, I’m missing out on time with you and that sucks.”
“I thought you were just avoiding me.”
He stepped in, his body almost touching mine. “And why would I do that?”
I lost my train of thought as his hands found their way to my waist. “The last time?” I hadn’t meant to state it as a question, but I struggled to focus on anything other than his lips. He walked me backward until my back was against the wall and he was pressed into me, his forearms braced on either side of my head.
“I’m not avoiding you.” His voice was so low, so incredibly sexy, it sent a shiver down my spine. He leaned down and ran the tip of his nose up my cheek. “I liked the last time.” My hands fisted in the t-shirt as his lips hovered over mine. “It made me want more.”
I tried to kiss him, needing the feel of his mouth against mine, but he pulled away slightly, teasing. His teeth nipped my bottom lip and a burst of heat spread throughout my body. I tried to yank him closer but he didn’t budge. Instead, leaned in and attacked my neck. I twisted, desperate to connect my lips to his, but he evaded me, just out of reach. I growled in frustration.
With a low chuckle, he wrapped a hand around my jaw to hold me still. His eyes never left mine as he captured my mouth. The rest of the world fell away. He tasted like cigarettes and coffee, two things that should never taste good together, yet were intoxicating as hell.
The need to touch him, to feel him under my fingertips, was too great to ignore. My hands slid under the hem of his shirt and I groaned as my fingers connected with pure muscle and smooth skin. He moaned and deepened the kiss.
“Seriously?” A voice from far away tried to intrude. “Jesus Christ. Get a fucking room, you two.”
Reid pulled away from me with a long sigh, his hands slid down my body from my neck to shoulders to hips. His cocky, lopsided grin was sexy as sin and I wanted to drag him into the closest room and have my way with him. He dropped a peck onto the tip of my nose as Roman stomped down the hall next to us.
Reid turned slightly to watch his friend go. “How’s Brooke?”
I frowned at the odd question. “I’m not sure. I see her in class and on the weekend if we have a paper due, but she seems to be avoiding me. Why?”
He swiveled back to me as his fingers massaged my side. “No real reason. I haven’t seen her since Hooligans. Any more plans to reunite the unhappy couple?”
“No,” I shook my head. “Not since my last one failed so spectacularly.”
“That’s too bad. He needs a wake-up kick in the ass. It was a great idea, but the execution was poor.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“You’re welcome,” he tipped his head sideways with a smirk. “You owe me a rain check.”
“I do?”
He nodded. “You do. And I’m cashing it in.”
“When? I’ll see if I can pencil you in.”
“Right now. Come have dinner with me.”
“I can’t go to dinner right now.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I helped my Nana clean her shed today.” I could only imagine how unkempt I looked. “I’m dirty.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
I fought a smile at his suggestive tone. “I meant my clothes aren’t clean, smart ass.”
“Then we’ll have get you out of them.” He didn’t miss a beat. After a moment he grew a bit more serious. “If you don’t want to go out, come to my house.”
“Okay.” I didn’t hesitate or take a few seconds to think it over. We were both so busy there was no telling when we’d have another chance and I didn’t want to miss it again.
I didn’t expect his face to light up like it was the best news he’d heard all year. Or for my heard to skip a little beat when he beamed at me. As we headed for his truck I reminded myself that he was just a friend, one with potential benefits, nothing more.
Twenty-Eight
Reid
My second pot of coffee for the night had just finished brewing when Roman came home. He paused by the counter and dropped his keys into the weird ceramic bowl Brooke had given me to use as a catch-all years before. I’m sure a psych major would have a wild explanation, but I had no idea why I had kept the ugly thing, or why it was displayed so prominently in my kitchen.
I held up an empty mug in his direction, “You want?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’m beat. If I drink that, I’ll be awake in two-hours and stare out my window the rest of the night.”
“I wish it would keep me up,” I yawned and scrubbed at my face, “but I could drink the entire thing and I’d still crash in ten minutes.”
He pulled a beer from the fridge. “I thought L-Threes were supposed to have it easy. Last year of law school is the equivalent of senior year in high school or some shit. All prestige and no actual work.”
I snorted as I poured the cream. “Do you even remember senior year? All we did was dance and study.”
“I think you’re the one who’s forgotten. ‘Cause that’s not all you did,” he lifted the bottle to his lips to hide his know-it-all smirk.
I sipped my coffee and thought about our last year of high school. My life had revolved around maintaining near-perfect grades so I could keep my scholarship and work at the little studio where I’d taken classes since I was five. If I wasn’t there, or home with my nose stuck in a book, I was at Rome’s with... my head jerked up and I met his eyes. “Brooke.”
With a subtle nod of his head, he moved back to the original topic, and ignored the unease that filled the room. “Why in the hell are you working so hard?”
It was a great question. I’d also wrongly assumed my last year at U-Maine Law was going to be a walk in the park, that I’d worry only about my bar application and exam and breeze through an internship with some politician the MacGregor introduced me to. That dream had been short lived.
“I think whoever said L-Threes have it easy had connections already. It might be entertainment law, too. I have different electives and externships that aren’t expected in other areas of concentration. It’s tougher when you don’t have a familiar surname or your dad isn’t owed a favor or two from someone important.”
His ringed thumb tapped against the glass bottle. “The name doesn’t help?”
“It’s your name, not mine.”
“A technicality. You’re just as much MacGregor as I am, so use it. Drop it everywhere. One phone call to my grandfather and the gates would open wide.”
“Your grandparents may have adopted me in spirit, but I’m not blood.” I shook my head. �
�If I had the MacGregor help me, I’d be connected to Alastair.” I would rather fall flat on my face and fail on my own merits than succeed with help from that scumbag fucktard.
Roman shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair. “You gotta let it go, man. That anger has been eating at you for years and doesn’t hurt anyone but you.”
“You’ve let it go? Just like that?”
“Have I forgiven and forgotten? Fuck, no. I can’t stand the smug son-of-a-bitch. But, I’m not mad anymore.”
I finished the rest of my coffee in one gulp and turned to refill the cup. I gripped the edge of the counter and stared at the wall. “Yeah, well I don’t know how to be anything but pissed off.”
“Take yourself out of the equation. Look at the facts alone. Stop personalizing it.”
“Okay,” I faced him, agitated. “Let’s do that. Alastair MacGregor was twenty-three-years-old when he propositioned a teenager; fact. A few months later, while finishing up his last year of law school, that same Mr. MacGregor engaged in a sexual relationship with the then sixteen-year old girl; fact. When that young lady wanted to break off their relationship, he threatened her; fact. And when she told her boyfriend what happened, Alastair twisted it around and attempted to paint an entirely different picture; fact. There, I’m out of the equation, and I’m still fucking angry.”
Roman leaned forward, braced his forearms on his knees, and held the bottle with both hands. “Some facts can be misleading when taken out of context.” He said the words carefully, like he was worried about my reaction. “And you know just as well as I do, truth can be bent.”
My eyes narrowed on him. “And what part are we suddenly saying didn’t happen?”
He sighed. “Brooke was young,” he started.
“That’s the fucking point,” I snarled back.
“And far from innocent.” He spoke over me.
“We’re blaming the victim, now?”
“An innocent girl doesn’t cheat on her boyfriend, no matter what the situation is. She doesn’t leave her boyfriend for his best friend. And she sure as shit doesn’t tag team the two of them.”
“All of that happened years after he took advantage of her. For all we know, the bullshit with him is what screwed her up.”
“No,” he shook his head sadly, “Brooke cheated on you with Alastair. Yeah, he was an adult and should have known better. But, you are underestimating her. She deliberately lied about going to see you at school and went to him. For months she abused your trust. When he broke it off, she drove straight to you and told you everything. She played you.”
He was talking in circles and I couldn’t keep up. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
“How many times did she flirt with me? How many times did she blatantly come on to me, sometimes right in front of you? Too many to count. You overlooked them, told me I was wrong.” He paused for a moment and looked up at me. “Did you know she still talks to him?”
Emotions all over the place, I jerked in surprise, completely flabbergasted. “What?”
“Yeah,” he lifted his eyebrows, unable to believe his own words, “they’re friends. They even have dinner when he’s home.”
Something, somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, clicked. Dread filled me and my mind whirled a hundred miles a minute. “When did find you out?”
His jaw clenched and unclenched as he fought his anger. “A few months ago. Before things fell apart.”
“That’s why you slept with Olivia.” He didn’t confirm or deny, but I knew it was the truth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Livie was a mistake. I was mad, got drunk.” His eyes dropped to the floor. “I loved Brooke and wanted to work it out. I didn’t want you to hate her.”
“Why tell me now?”
“She wanted to hurt me back then, and to do that, she hurt you. You’re holding on to it, putting your faith in half truths. I don’t want her to have that power over you anymore.”
I opened my mouth to respond but stopped myself as soon as I saw the disheveled creature walk around the corner. I’d completely forgotten she’d fallen asleep while we watched a movie and had been slumbering away peacefully on my couch. I forced myself to smile in her direction and hoped I didn’t sound angry. “Look who’s awake.”
Roman’s entire body stiffened. He didn’t turn to look at her but narrowed his eyes on me.
Cady reached up and flipped her unruly hair as her attention darted between me and roman. “Sorry I fell asleep,” she grimaced, “I totally didn’t mean to.”
I walked to her, wrapped my arms around her, and pressed a kiss into her neck. She smelled like me and it made a primal instinct I didn’t recognize wake within me. “You were exhausted.” I palmed the sides of her head and kissed her.
She gripped my wrists and smiled up at me. “So are you. I was supposed to keep you awake, remember?”
I kissed her again. She was too damn adorable not to. If I didn’t have so much damn work to do, I’d haul her back into my room and keep us both up most of the night.
“Hi Roman,” she muttered with a small wave in my friend’s direction as soon as I let her go.
“Want some coffee?” I moved back to the pot and pulled out another cup for her before she could answer.
“Thanks, but no. I need to get home.”
I looked at the clock. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Which is why I need to go,” she wrinkled her nose playfully.
“Stay. Spend the night,” I clarified. “You’d be better off crashing here for a few hours and going home in the morning.”
“I live on the other side of town. It’s like twenty minutes away,” she laughed.
“Stay anyway.”
“I can’t. Call me tomorrow when you have a free second?”
I nodded as I moved back to her, “Absolutely.”
“Cady, where’s your car?” Roman asked just as I reached her. “It’s not here.”
I snorted. “Shit, I forgot we left it at Soiree.” I dropped her hand, half relieved I didn’t have to say goodbye just yet. “Let me grab my keys and I’ll take you back.”
“No,” Roman stood up and put his bottle in the bin under the sink, “you need to study. I’ll take her.”
Cady twisted her lips. “That’s a great point, you do. I’ll call a cab.”
“You’re not calling a damn cab,” Rome barked. “It’s the middle of the night. I can drive you.”
“You’ve been drinking.” Her voice was flat as she dismissed him. She and Roman had a weird friendship, one I struggled to understand, but I hadn’t seen her act dismissive and angry toward him in weeks.
“It was one beer,” he shot back. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not on the clock,” she snapped. “You can’t tell me what to do.” She reached down and threaded her fingers through mine. “Guess I’m staying.” She rose up onto her tip toes and kissed me. “I’ll be in your room.” She turned and walked away without a backwards glance.
When I was a teenager, I constantly heard Rome’s family rave about how great being a lawyer was. The MacGregor told us law school had been a life changing experience that led to his ultimate growth and career clarity. What he really meant was that it totally and immediately destroyed his personal life. Of course he married Gran, she’d stood by his side, patient through all of it.
I hadn’t noticed just how much I’d missed of every day life until I tried to sneak out of my bed without waking up a snoring Cady. As I untangled myself from her, careful not to pull her hair, and edged toward the side of the bed, reality hit hard. I’d never snuck out of my own bed before. Others’, yeah. Hotels, sure. Never my own.
I’d also never crept out because I wanted the person sleeping next to me to get more rest. There’d been plenty of times I’d wanted to avoid the awkward morning after conversation or because I didn’t want to face what drunk me had done. Yet, right then, my only goal was to get up, go for my run
, and get back so I could wake her up slowly.
It wasn’t the first time I’d slept next to a woman who’d stayed fully clothed—that honor also went to Cady. However, it was the first time I’d slept with a woman for the second time and we hadn’t had sex. We’d barely kissed.
“Hey,” Cady whispered, voice groggy, just as I put both feet on the floor. “Where are you going?”
I turned back to her, unable to keep the smile from my face when I saw her. She looked good in my bed, her hair a crazy mess, eyes sleepy. “For a run. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She stretched and glanced at the clock. “It’s four-thirty.” I nodded. “We didn’t go to sleep until after two.”
She’d stayed awake with me while I studied, even though I’d told her to go to sleep. The stubborn wench had insisted. I wasn’t sure how I’d managed to get any work done with her lying next to me, but it had been one of my most productive sessions ever.
“I know, babe.” I smoothed a piece of hair from her face. “Go back to sleep. I promise I’ll be right back.”
She sat up and slid toward the edge of the bed. “A run?” I smiled and nodded again. “You want company?”
“You run?” I asked without thinking as I pulled a pair of shorts from my drawer.
She snorted. “No. Do I look like I run?”
I scowled at her. “What does a runner look like exactly?”
She waved her hand in my direction and pointed at my bare stomach, “That.”
“This?” I touched my abs. “That’s crunches. And weights. And lots of protein.” I shook my head playfully. “I’ll never turn down the company, but why would you want to go running with me at the ass crack of dawn?”
“Whoa. Let’s not get all crazy now. I don’t want to go running. I want to spend time with you.” She slid her sweats over the boxers she’d stolen from me a few hours before. “Can I borrow a pair of socks? I can’t put mine on dirty. The idea grosses me out.”