Chapter Eighteen
Riley
After we finished and had put everything in the dishwasher, I intended to seduce this sexy man. Not that I thought he needed much seducing, judging by how quickly he'd gotten hard earlier. It wouldn't take long to get him exactly where I wanted him.
But just as I was ready to move this into the bedroom, the screen of my phone lit up with a message. I knew without even checking that it would be from my sister. Julia and Christine wouldn’t wake up before noon today, if even by then.
I was right. Paula had sent me a message.
Paula: Hey, sis, are you up?
I called her right away. "Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good." She sounded like she literally just woke up and texted me first thing. "Do you have plans today?"
"I'm going to drop by your place."
"Oh thank God! I was going to ask you if you could meet up.”
“Want me to drop by in, like, I don't know, thirty minutes or something with breakfast?"
"You're my favorite person ever."
"I love you too," I said.
"All right, then. Let's hang up because I need to shower if I want to look presentable when you come. Love you.”
“I'll spoil you today, you'll see."
After hanging up, I turned around, looking at Duncan regretfully. "No time for a sexy interlude after all. You’re not mad?"
"Babe, family first. Go and help her," he said. "You're a great sister."
"I really think she needs me today."
"No doubt. I'll drop you off."
"I need to buy some breakfast for her too."
"There are lots of waffles left. Why don’t you just take them with you?"
I could have swooned. Is this man not the most thoughtful? "She’d love that."
Duncan grabbed a Ziploc bag and put the waffles in it.
Lord help me, I was truly finding a man holding a Ziploc bag sexy. This single dad had warmed his way into my heart.
"Okay, then, we're ready to go," I said.
I was feeling a bit weird, walking commando around the city, but I didn't want to stop by my place and put on panties. I’d promised my sister breakfast, and I was going to deliver.
Once we reached the front of her building, Duncan said, "Her place doesn't look better in daylight."
“I agree. I hate that she lives here; I’m always worried about her.” Eventually, I wanted to work something out so she could take over my lease once I started my new job. At that point, I should be able to afford another place.
"I'm walking you upstairs."
"Duncan, that's not necessary. The place looks dingy, but there have been no incidents during the day. That I know of." My sister had a habit of not telling me when really bad stuff happened. "Actually, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you come up with me."
We both got out of the car at the same time. Duncan was next to me in an instant, arm around my waist. He kept looking around. The area was deserted except for the three homeless guys two blocks away who we saw on the drive over, but they didn't pay attention to us.
Just like yesterday, the elevator wasn’t working, so we trudged up two flights of stairs.
“You don’t have to come up,” I told him. “These stairs are insane.”
"It's the least I can do. And it'll count as my cardio for the day."
I snorted. "As if I’d believe that you got that hot bod just because of some cardio."
"I didn't say I wouldn't hit the weights afterward." I could hear the grin in his voice.
"What else are you doing today?" I asked him as we went up.
"I'll probably do some laps. If I hurry, there won't be anyone in the pool. The rest of the neighbors typically show up in the afternoon. Although sometimes I do see some of the single moms. Though none of them swim."
I stopped walking and turned around, smiling from ear to ear. "And you have no idea what they’re doing there?"
"Suntanning, I guess."
Oh my God. Duncan was so naive. He seriously didn’t know?
"Here’s an idea," I said. "They might come just to watch the show."
"What show?" he asked, bewilderment obvious across his features.
"You swimming. You’re a hot, sexy guy."
He wrapped both arms around my waist. The bag of waffles was dangling at my side. "Really? You think everyone's out to get me?"
"I hope not. But they are for sure out to ogle you.
And I don't blame them. But just so you know, you're super irresistible when you do the butterfly stroke.
Maybe you can put a helmet on or something so you look like a dork and lower your sexiness factor.
But I don't think it’ll work." I could tell he was getting a kick out of my antics.
"You're so damn adorable and funny. I love that about you."
I bit the inside of my cheek. "Really? I've been told my humor might be a bit too much, so I was trying to tone it down around you.” Duncan was still my boss, after all, but we’d moved past that to… what was this?
Don’t get all philosophical Riley. Just enjoy it.
"Well, don’t. I like sassy, fun Riley."
"Excellent, because it’s really hard for me to not be me."
We both laughed, and I couldn’t help but to think how strange this situation had become.
Technically, he was my boss, and I was sleeping with him. But I wasn’t going to work for him for very long. Regardless, I wasn’t prepared to let go of what we had; I wanted to see where we could end up. If the three of us could find happiness.
He pushed my hair to one side, kissing my neck before we resumed climbing the staircase. When we reached Paula’s door, it swung open before I even rang the bell.
"Finally. I was afraid something happened—oh, hi, Duncan," she said. My sister was clearly only at coffee number one, because her forehead was full of creases. Her eyes widened, and she jerked her head back so forcefully that she nearly stumbled.
"This is where I leave you," Duncan said. He handed my sister the Ziploc bag. "This is your breakfast. I hope you have syrup. Have fun, you two. Call me if you need anything."
"Thanks, Duncan," I said, then stepped inside as he went down the stairs.
The second the door closed behind us, Paula cleared her throat. "What was that? What is this?" She pointed to the waffles.
"Ah, I should have probably given you a heads-up.”
"It would have helped. I did put two and two together last night, although I figured maybe he'd come with you because you were still working when you got my call.
I did wonder why you were wearing this dress.
And oh my God, you're wearing it today too.
You're doing the walk of shame!" she concluded.
I laughed. "Did you even finish coffee number one?"
"No," she said. "Isn't it obvious?”
We went into her kitchen. It was tiny, just a stove and a minuscule countertop. She grabbed the half-empty cup from the edge of the sink and downed it in one shot.
"Let's see if this helped. So, you are doing the walk of shame?"
"Sort of, although I'm not really ashamed." I blushed.
"I can't believe it.”
“Let's talk about you first. What happened?"
"Please, what is there to talk about? I live in a shithole, work at a shithole, and got robbed. End of the story. Can you believe he actually sent me a message last night saying he expects me to show up at work today? After he fired me."
I stilled. "Tell me you're not going back there. Paula, you can’t."
"Hell no. I know I'm stubborn, but I'm not stupid. That place is unsafe. I'm not taking any night jobs in gas stations anymore. There’s a reason there are so many openings. No one wants them, and now I know why." She blew out a frustrated breath, making herself a second coffee.
"Waffles?" I asked, pointing to the bag. She seemed to have forgotten about them. My sister truly wasn't a morning person.
"Yes, please. I was going to eat some oatmeal, but this looks so much better."
"They’re delicious, trust me."
Paula paused while getting the syrup from the cupboard and asked, "Why are they in a Ziploc bag?"
The corners of my mouth lifted. "Because Duncan made them, and he bagged some for you."
Her face changed so fast, it was as if she was in a cartoon. Her jaw dropped, and I could almost see her eyes bulge.
"Let's sit down," I suggested. I brought over her plate and utensils, and we sat on the wooden chairs at the small table.
She put the bag of waffles, syrup, and the coffee in front of her.
"You had breakfast already?" she checked.
"Yes."
"So these are all mine."
"Knock yourself out."
She looked at me for a few seconds before saying, "So, you’re sleeping with him, huh? But he also made you breakfast, which means you two are… I don't know… going out? Tell me what happened. I want to know what’s going on."
"I can explain some of it. I literally had the hots for him from the second I started the interview with him." I loved my sister. I could tell her anything—this was a judgment-free zone.
"Hey, I don't blame you. I mean, he's superhot. But he's kind of old, isn't he? Not that he looks it, but he’s got a kid and a good job, right?"
"He's only nine years older than me. But when we’re together, I don’t notice the age difference."
She winced. "Sorry, that sounds like a million years to me.”
I did understand her point of view. When I first started college, I would have considered an almost-ten-year gap monstrous. "He's a good person. I love watching him with Jeremy. One day, I was with Jeremy in the pool, and Duncan joined us. Honestly, sis, I basically melted."
"I can see that. I mean, he's hot with clothes on. I can imagine that in swim trunks, he's even hotter."
"Yesterday, we went to see a movie, and?—"
"And then I called," she said. "I would say I'm a cockblocker, but clearly that didn't keep you from getting down and dirty."
I laughed. "He was very considerate with me. Last night and this morning too."
"All right," she said. "Let me drink another coffee, and then we can make plans.”
I spent the entire day with my sister. We went to the beach and enjoyed the sun, and then we looked at some jobs. I offered to put her in contact with some of the places where I’d waitressed, and she agreed, thank God. I also tried to talk her into moving out, but she flat-out refused.
One thing at a time. When it came to Paula, I had to pace myself. She'd only said yes to changing jobs, though I didn't have to do any convincing. But she wouldn't agree to move any time soon.
Paula dropped me off at my house in the evening and I made myself a salad—Paula and I ate junk food all day on the beach, and it was high time for something healthy. As I sat on the small couch in the backyard with a bowl of salad in my arms, I wondered where everyone was.
Knowing my roommates, they probably went to some kind of party.
That was a part of their usual schedule on the weekends.
They went out on Friday evenings, slept until late, and then went out on Saturday again and on Sunday too.
I'd always been the party pooper because I worked throughout my entire law school program.
Most of my waitressing shifts were Saturday and Sunday because no one wanted those hours.
Even when I did go clubbing, I usually returned shortly after midnight, sometimes even before. The last few years of law school, I’d really noticed the change in myself. I enjoyed the blissful silence of our small yard. Yeah, my life was amazing and even becoming better.
My phone beeped, and I saw a message from my sister.
Paula: Just got home safe. I think I'm going to sleep again. We ate so much that I'm not even hungry.
Then I saw other messages. Oh my God, Duncan had texted me today. I hadn’t seen them before. I had three texts from him.
Duncan: Hey, gorgeous, how are you doing?
Duncan: You were right about swimming.
Duncan: Text me whenever you've got a free moment.
That was four hours ago. I typed back quickly.
Riley: Hey, sorry, I just saw this. I wasn't ignoring you. I was right about what?
He replied a second later.
Duncan: About the reason so many single women head out to the pool when I’m there.
I burst out laughing so hard that I nearly dropped my bowl of salad.
Riley: How could you tell?
Duncan: Because I started talking to one, and she full-on flirted with me.
My laughter died in my throat. No. What the hell? Just no!
I’d never felt jealousy like this. It simply raged through me. Someone had flirted with my man.
Whoa, hold your horses, Riley. He's not your man. He's Duncan Sterling, hot, successful woman magnet, and you don't know if you're even exclusive .
But he’d told me this morning that I was the first woman he’d brought to the condo. That had to mean something, right?
I took in a deep breath and then texted back.
Riley: I don’t know if I should tell you this, but I feel weirdly jealous.
A weight lifted off my shoulders once I put it out there. All the guys I'd dated in the past were never serious and liked to play games. Of course, they were younger, less mature—as was I, for that matter. But things had changed.
Duncan: You don't have any reason to be jealous. You're the only one I want in my bed, Riley.
This was the precise moment that he confirmed that he was nothing like anyone I'd dated before. He was a man through and through, and he knew exactly what he wanted—and that was me! Squeeee!
This was so different from my past relationships. The guys I dated had FOMO—their fear of missing out was too big. Or maybe they were just all assholes.
Duncan: The only one.
I smiled at my phone, putting the bowl of salad on the table.
This wasn't going to be easy or straightforward because he had Jeremy.
I vividly remembered when he told me that he wouldn't introduce a woman to his son until Jeremy was at least sixteen.
So, whatever this was between us may not have a future.
But that didn't matter, at least not right now. I was happy as a clam with what we had.