by N. R. Larry
Chiquita lives in Los Angeles, CA. Before she started writing contemporary romance, she worked in the entertainment industry on notable TV shows such as the Dr Phil show, Tyra Banks show, American Idol, and Deal or No Deal. But her favorite job is the one she’s now doing, full time writing romance.
A Best-Selling Author and Award-winning Filmmaker, her first short film “Invisible” was released in Summer 2017 and screened in multiple festivals and won for Best Short Film. She also hosts a podcast that showcases the latest in Beauty, Business and Community called “Moscato and Tea.” Her debut release of Antonio and Sabrina Struck in Love has opened a new avenue of writing that she loves.
If you want to know when the next book will come out, please visit my website at http://www.chiquitadennie.com, where you can sign up to receive an email for my next release.
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What We Need
Allyson Lindt
About What We Need
For my 30th birthday, my two best friends ask for me.
I’ve crushed on my best friends, Jenna and Eric, for longer than I care to admit. And I was crushed when they married. But I’m over the disappointment, and usually I can ignore how hard it is to be on the outside looking in at their joy.
When Jenna gifts me a pair of gorgeous red stilettos for my birthday, and says the saleswoman promised pleasure like I’d never experienced before, I’m doubtful.
When Eric asks for one night with me, while Jenna watches, there’s no way I can say no. Magic shoes or not.
But how will I look them in the eye the morning after?
Chapter 1
So this was thirty. Everyone made it sound like rounding that corner was a huge deal, but I didn’t feel any different than I had yesterday, at twenty-nine. The Kayla staring back at me in the mirror had the same long, dark hair. The same brown eyes. The same everything.
I shook my head, rattling away the thoughts, and went back to getting ready for dinner. It wasn’t only my birthday. My two best friends, Jenna and Eric, turned thirty today as well.
My grandmother used to tell us the three of us were destined to do great things together, because we’d all been born on the same day. She wouldn’t have said that if she’d known the two of them would fall in love while I was abroad on an internship, and that they’d get married.
I smoothed on the dress I’d purchased special for tonight. The fabric was enchanted to shift from black to gold to a deep platinum as I walked. The magic had cost extra, but I could afford it and the dress was worth it—it made my curves look amazing.
On the drive to the restaurant, I cranked the music and sang along at the top of my lungs to every song that came on.
When Jenna and Eric told me five years ago that they were engaged, I was heartbroken. I loved them both dearly, obviously more than I should, and I felt like they’d left me behind. Things were rough between the three of us for the first year or so of their marriage.
But we’d all recovered since then, and we were happier than ever as friends.
Even if I did entertain the occasional fantasy about being with one or the other of them. I envied their relationship, but my bitterness was gone. Someday I’d find someone I loved as much as they did each other.
I reached the restaurant and picked a spot outside, away from the line winding in, to wait for my friends. Magical energy buzzed over me, and I rolled my neck in discomfort. I wasn’t adept at working with the organic, but I had a knack for the mechanical. It made me a fantastic automation specialist.
But this wasn’t something I’d ever felt before. It was like those sour sweet candies, making me wince and tempting me at the same time.
Jenna and Eric arrived just a few minutes after I did. She was gorgeous in a little black dress that shimmered with every step, despite the low light. Her pale eyes shone brightly when she saw me, and she wrapped me in a tight hug. “Happy birthday.”
“Back atcha.” I returned the squeeze.
Eric kissed me on the forehead. “You wear thirty well.”
So did he. He also wore that suit well, as it accentuated sturdy arms, a strong back, and hung down long legs.
“I’ve heard amazing things about this place.” Jenna looped one arm through each of ours and dragged us as much as strolled inside with us. “I may have skipped lunch, to make sure I have room for dessert.”
This town didn’t have a lot of high-end restaurants, and as soon as this one opened, Eric pulled a few favors with clients to make sure we had a reservation for tonight. The chef had trained with one of the top culinary magicians in the world, and each dish was supposed to be a visual delight in addition to adapting itself to a person’s tastebuds to be delicious to everyone.
We were seated quickly, thanks to Eric’s connection. He and Jenna didn’t make as much as I felt they should, but they met a lot of interesting people, and there were perks in that. He ran an art gallery and sold her work, along with paintings from other artists. Jenna had a gift for breathing emotion and vibrance into paintings—literally.
The table was draped in white linen, with swan-shaped white napkins waiting for us. Eric held out Jenna’s chair and pushed it in as she sat.
We ordered drinks and the special—let the chef pick our dishes.
“Regina Barton was in the gallery today,” Eric said casually, as we munched on bread and butter.
Jenna wrinkled her nose.
I didn’t blame her. High school was more than a decade ago, but some memories lingered stronger than others. Especially since the three of us were our school’s own nerd herd. “How’d that go?”
“She makes a good trophy wife.” There was no malice in his tone. “Uses her free time to take classes in appearance. She was pretty pleased she’d learned how to shift her hair to blue and her eyebrows to a contrasting orange.”
I winced at the visual. The trick was impressive—two different colors—but I didn’t imagine it was the best look.
“Wonder what color she’s got down below?” Jenna asked. “I hear pubes are the hardest to change, especially to different colors.”
Eric tore of a piece of bread. The butter he spread on it changed to a rich red jam. “Plum. I think. I like it.” He chewed a little more. “Maybe she’s got hardwood.”
“Seeing that would give me hard wood.” I was teasing, and they’d know it. Regina was gorgeous, but mean girl wasn’t my type.
The way Jenna wrinkled her nose again—which was super adorable, by the way—showed she shared my unspoken sentiment. “No thank you, one. And two, you were reaching too hard for that.”
“But be serious for a minute,” Eric said. “If she were some random woman on the street and looked like that, rather than coming with the emotional baggage, would you be into it?”
“Without question.” I nodded.
Jenna sipped her water, leaving a faint shine on her lips. “So that’s what I need to do to catch your eye? Magic blue hair, orange eyebrows, and a bald pussy?”
I leaned into her and gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek. “I’m already into you, gorgeous. You stole my heart ages ago.” This level of teasing hurt me for a while after they married, but I was glad we had it back. I liked not having to watch my words while they were around. Jenna and Eric were the two people in the world I could be honest with.
Except when it came to my intense crushes on them, but that was usually easy to ignore since I had their friendship.
“Are you sure that was your heart Jenna stole and not the pink frosted sugar cookie in your lunch?” Eric teased. “I get the two confused a lot too.”
Jenna smacked his arm lightly. “You can’t tell the difference between your feelings for me and a sugar cookie?”
“I know which one is more fun to lick frosting off.” Eric’s voice dropped an octave.
It didn’t matter that he was talking to her, the sound still sent goosebumps racing
over my skin. I faked a pout to hide the reaction. “Now I want a sugar cookie.”
“Not to lick frosting off Jenna?” Eric wiggled his eyebrows.
God, yes. Desire licked over my skin and pooled in my belly. This kind of teasing was normal for us, but I was usually much better at ignoring my reactions. What was up with me tonight? “You’d never get your wife back if I did that. She’d be mine forever and ever.” I managed to keep my tone light.
“I’m already yours, beautiful.” Jenna gave me a similar noisy kiss to the one I’d planted on her.
“Regina.” I needed to bring this conversation back on track, so my body could cool down. “Why was she in your gallery?”
Jenna’s smile threatened to split her face. “She bought two of my bigger pieces. The double panel set with the 3D teacups.”
“Yay.” I clapped with glee on her behalf. “That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
Pink crept over Jenna’s cheeks, highlighting the faint smattering of freckles on her nose. “Thanks. We’re super excited.”
They’d needed a sale like this. It would let them put a down payment on a bigger apartment.
The conversation moved and rolled and faded as our food arrived. We dug into three delicious looking dishes; however, I couldn’t help but look between mine and Eric’s.
“See something you like?” His tone was light.
“The chicken is good, but your steak…” To be fair, the spicy salad in front of me was what I was in the mood for, as promised, but I just wanted a taste of Eric’s meat. Yeah, I saw the joke in that.
He sectioned off a small portion and held the fork toward me. “Lucky for you, I don’t mind sharing with the right person.”
I took the bite and as the flavors melted across my tongue, I closed my eyes to savor the taste, and let a light moan escape.
When I looked again, I swore Eric was watching me, but he turned away before I could figure out what was in his gaze.
“Twenty questions. Guess what I have in my pocket,” Jenna said.
Eric screwed up his face. “Is it organic? Is it Kayla’s hardwood?”
I shook my head. “She’s not wearing anything with pockets big enough to fit that.”
“No and no.” Jenna laughed.
“Is it a mineral?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Is it a tank?”
Eric and Jenna both laughed. I loved that sound. That sight. Them enjoying themselves.
Eric recovered first. “A tank in her pocket? The same pocket you said couldn’t fit your hardwood. Someone’s got an ego.”
“I’m just realistic.” I shot back. “I assume it’s a tiny tank.”
Jenna set her handbag on the table. “It’s not. And I guess it’s not really in my pocket, either.”
“I think you’re cheating,” Eric said lightly.
“I’m just playing by different rules.” Jenna pulled a velvet ribbon out. Correction, it was a choker, with a small key as a decoration. “First part of Kayla’s birthday present.”
I traced my fingers along the soft fabric, pausing to admire the ornament. It was simple but stunning, and exactly the kind of accessory I adored, but never knew how to pick when it came to buying for myself. “It’s gorgeous. I love it. Are we exchanging gifts already? What do you mean first part? This is plenty. It’s perfect.”
Jenna handed Eric the necklace, and he moved behind me to snap it into place. His fingers on the back of my neck raised that same electricity I’d felt when I arrived. “The rest after dinner,” he said.
“Okay. Dinner’s over.” I pushed my plate away. It wasn’t that I wanted more presents, but I was excited to give them theirs.
Jenna pulled my dish back to me with a laugh. “Finish eating.”
As we ate, we chatted bit, we laughed almost as much, and we had a fantastic time.
“Best thirtieth birthday ever,” I declared as the dishes were taken away, and coffee was served.
Jenna seemed to consider this. “You sure? ‘Cuz, I wouldn’t mind a do-over in a year. And maybe the year after that.”
I could agree with that. “Think we could stay young forever?”
“I’m sure no one else has ever thought to try that ritual. Ever.” Eric’s sarcasm was laced with teasing.
I was tempted to pick up the tab when I saw the bill, but it would insult them if I stepped in like that. Birthday dinners were everyone treating everyone else.
I wasn’t ready for the night to be over, and apparently they weren’t either. We kept chatting long after we’d paid.
“Presents.” I couldn’t believe I’d almost forgotten. I grabbed my purse, extracted an envelope with a card in it, and handed it to Jenna. “For both of you. I hope it fits.”
“If it’s in that, it fits perfectly if you’re watching us try it on,” Eric said.
I heard the teasing, but I wasn’t participating in this one.
Jenna pulled out the cruise information. “No. Yes? Oh my God, it’s amazing.” Her voice was breathless.
We’d all talked about taking an Alaskan cruise forever, and this was the one time I could get away with buying them that gift where they weren’t allowed to complain. It was actually against our rules to say things like you shouldn’t have.
Jenna handed everything to Eric, whose expression slid to shock. “Kayla. You sho—”
“Should assure us you’re going with.” Jenna stopped him. “I only saw two tickets in there.”
I shook my head. “I couldn’t get on the same ship. But I’m going later this year, so we can all gush about it after.” A tiny lie was all right if there was a good reason for it. I adored them. I loved spending time with them. I’d gotten over the bitterness that they were together. But I wasn’t a good enough person to watch them be extra lovey on a cruise ship.
Jenna frowned. “We were all supposed to take this trip together.”
“It’s okay.” I didn’t like the pit in my chest. This was a great plan until I saw her reaction. “This is almost the same.”
Jenna sighed. “I guess.”
“Give her the thing, Jenn,” Eric said. His expression had gone flat, but he was back to smiling now.
So much for the perfect gift. This was the right way to do things though.
Jenna reached into her handbag again, and this time extracted a wrapped gift.
“Neat trick. Maybe you could’ve fit a tank in there,” I said.
Her grin was back too. “I’ll have to try that next time. Here.”
I tore into the pretty red paper—no I wasn’t one of those take the packaging apart carefully people—to find a shoebox inside. The box held a pair of red stilettos.
“Wow. These are gorgeous.” I set them on the ground and slipped off one of my shoes, to try them on.
“Not yet.” Jenna rested a hand on my arm and nudged my foot aside with hers. “You have to hear the story first. The saleswoman told me that while you wear these, your wildest sex dreams will come true. But if you lose or take off the shoes, the spell is broken.”
Heat flooded me. There was no way my wildest sex dreams were coming true because that involved being sandwiched between the two of them. “They’re perfect. I’ll save them for my cruise.” I carefully put them back in the box.
Jenna caught her bottom lip between her teeth. So sexy. “They’re only good for forty-eight hours.”
Ah. Well, as long as they were still sexy after, that was fine too.
“You should wear them later tonight,” Eric said.
Chapter 2
I eyed Eric with suspicion and bit back the whispers of you know what this is that begged for my attention. It wasn’t that. It couldn’t be that. “Why?”
“Because that’s what I want for my birthday.” Eric made it sound like the answer was obvious.
“To see me in red shoes? You didn’t like the cruise?”
Eric leaned closer, until his breath brushed my skin. “And I think that’s what you want too.”
I did. I really did. Or I would, if I admitted I knew he was talking about the sex. Nope and nope again.
“I mean, we’re thirty now, right?” Jenna’s tone wasn’t so confident as Eric’s, but it was adorable and made me want her just as much. “Time to stop pretending there’s no spark between all three of us?”
Eric brushed his lips along the edge of my ear, and a shiver of desire flooded me. “Let me fuck you while she watches.” His voice was low, but loud enough Jenna would hear.
Yes. The word stuck in my throat as I struggled with the way my nipples tightened against my dress and the anticipating thrumming in my veins. I wanted that so much, and now that they’d vocalized the idea, it was going to haunt me.
I also couldn’t do it. A night like that, me with the two of them, would ruin our friendship. I couldn’t lose them. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Kayla—”
I pushed away from the table, cutting Jenna off, and walked away as quickly as possible. I need to regain my composure before I could look them in the eye. This wasn’t fair. How could they ask me for this?
“Kayla, please.” Jenna caught up with me about the time I reached my car, and grabbed my wrist, tugging me to a stop. She had the shoebox tucked under her arm. “We didn’t mean to make you mad or offend you.”
“I’m not. It’s fine. I just… I can’t.” Way to be articulate, me.
Her brows knitted together. “You’re not interested, I get it. I told Eric he was reading the situation wrong.”
But he wasn’t. “Do you really both want this?” Why was I asking? Why wasn’t I taking the apology and leaving things at that?
“Yes.”
I did too. I wanted it so desperately. But if we did this, would I be able to walk away in the morning and go back to how things were?
“Look, we already talk about all the dirty details, right?” Jenna might as well have climbed into my brain and extracted the arguments I was refusing to listen to. “Haven’t you ever wanted to, you know, find out what it’s really like?”