Chapter 22
Here She Comes
GREER
A knock sounds on the door to the closet before it opens to reveal Wyatt. He whistles low as his hazel eyes sweep over every inch of me, warming me.
“Damn, kitten. I’m glad Aiden will be watching over you tonight. Otherwise, some guy would try to lure you off into a quiet corner.”
“I’m watching Aiden.” I cock my eyebrow. Not the other way around.
“Sure.” He smirks and comes forward as Mason steps back. “And I’m some guy wanting to take you into the corner and make you uncomfortably wet during our dinner party.”
His hands go to my hips like Mason’s did, and he tugs me back against his erection. I look tiny compared to him. My hand barely circled his cock, and I didn’t really get a chance to study it last night. I’m almost afraid to see it.
Wyatt smirks and lifts my chin. “We figured you probably didn’t have much for makeup or hair, so we called in reinforcements.”
My brow furrows as he takes my hand. Mason smiles as he smells his finger. Heat and embarrassment flow over me. Wyatt draws me out of the closet and out of Mason’s room.
“There’s my new bestie.” Zoe’s smile is perfect and huge as she comes toward me with a large case. “I brought a ton of stuff so we can experiment if we need to.”
Wyatt tugs me into his side. “I’m on hair duty.”
Zoe shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “He thinks he’s all that.” She leans in and says, “Honestly, he did a better job than Mom could. I usually went to him.”
She gives Wyatt a quizzical look. “Where are we setting up?”
Wyatt jerks his head toward his room. A little rush goes through me. This is the only bedroom I haven’t seen. He pulls me inside. It’s light blue and white everywhere, like the ocean is inside his room.
His large windows face the ocean, and he has them open to let the air flow through. He leads me through to his bathroom, which is large enough for two people, with a vanity built into the counter. Extra lights surround it, and there’s even a white bench.
Wyatt shrugs when I meet his eyes. “The bedrooms are all like this. Built for double occupancy. Except yours, kitten.”
Zoe stops setting things out and turns to study her brother. “Kitten?”
He rolls his eyes and helps me sit down. “She’s tiny and compact, but pretty sure her claws are sharp if you get on her bad side, so kitten.”
“You’re weird, WyWy.” Zoe’s hazel eyes land on me. She smiles. “Okay, so we probably want to remain fairly neutral even though it’s evening. How do you feel about red lipstick?”
I bite my lip and look at all the stuff she’s unloaded. “I’ve never really done makeup.”
One time, Bristol made me sit down and let her give me a makeover when she was bored. She did a much better job than I ever could. She used so many things that I was even scared to ask her what and how she did it. I couldn’t afford the kind of makeup she had.
“Hmm, blank slate. I like it.” Zoe leans against the counter in front of me. “Your eyes are amazing on their own. A little eyeliner, maybe some mascara, a sprinkling of brown on the lid. Maybe a little gold. Definitely a red stain that won’t smear, since you’ll be eating. Your skin is practically flawless on its own.”
Wyatt catches my gaze in the mirror and smiles. A rush of warmth flows through me.
“Let’s do tiny braids around her face and drape them back into a bun. We’ll leave the rest down.” Zoe taps a pencil against her lip as she studies my face and then grins. “Don’t worry. The McBride siblings have you.”
#
AIDEN
We’ve kept to ourselves since my rehab. The guys were worried about pushing my limits. But it’s time to get back out there. To celebrate my recovery and the new film we’re finally working on. We’ve had this night planned for a couple weeks now.
On a scale from oops, someone’s drinking in front of me to holy shit, this is a rave with drugs being handed out like Halloween candy, this party ranks a solid I’m not the only one who’s done drugs here.
I fix my cuff links and make sure my hair isn’t out of control in the mirror. My fingers tremble with nerves, but I’m good.
I’m healthy and have a new outlook on life. Greer will be beside me all night. My marriage is over, but I have someone to look forward to.
Someone knocks on my bedroom door. The guys are trying to give me space now as opposed to the constant worry after I got out of rehab. The guys didn’t give me privacy because they couldn’t let me slip. Mason threatened to take my door off the hinges if I ever locked it.
The knock is nice and makes my chest swell a little. They’re starting to trust me again.
“Come in.”
Roarke opens the door and grins. He looks like a pirate from a romance novel cover. He has on leather pants and a billowy shirt that has more buttons undone than they did in the seventies.
“Fuck, Aiden, you look good enough to kiss.” He puckers his lips and starts for me.
“Fuck off, Roarke.” I shake my head because he’s tormenting me about my decision to not kiss Greer or fuck her for four months. I duck back into the bathroom.
“It’s just ridiculous when you consider you’re going to kiss someone on set at least once a week while filming.” Roarke sits on the edge of my bed and shakes his head. “That, and you’ve had your dick in her mouth.”
I make a noise to acknowledge I heard him, but the reality is I want her kiss too much. I want her too much. I don’t know if I’ll make it a week, let alone a month, but it’s just another test to make sure I’m not going to cave again.
“Next time she wants you to kiss her, let me know.” Roarke’s chuckle fills the room. “I’ll take your kisses and mine. She needs them.”
“At least I know she won’t be denied the pleasure, then.” I step out of the bathroom. “Time to go face the music.”
Roarke’s smile fades as he rises. “No one’s going to arrive for another hour. Fuck, I hate hosting.”
He’s right—no one shows up to the party at the time listed. But just in case some newbie doesn’t know the rules yet, we need to be ready.
I clap him on the shoulder as we walk out into the hallway and head downstairs. The chefs have been joined by a few servers in black slacks and white buttoned shirts. A woman server with her blond hair in a high ponytail tugs excitedly on the arm of the guy with his hair spiked as we walk across the floor. The dark-haired woman server stays in the back, doing whatever her job of the moment is.
Roarke gives the blond a cocky, encouraging smile, but I just ignore them as we sit down.
“Claire!” The woman chef stops and glares at the server.
The blond, whose brown eyes lit up at Roarke’s attention, turns and hurries into the kitchen.
“You going to turn that off?” I ask as we sit on the couch, gesturing to all of him.
Roarke grins. “Turn what off?”
“The flirting?” I lean forward and wait for him to join me. “What will your poppet think of you flirting with other women?”
He smiles. “She is mine, isn’t she?” He puffs his chest up like the rooster he is. “She’ll understand that I can’t turn off this kind of animal magnetism, but I won’t do anything about it. I’m saving all that for her.”
Sitting back, I shake my head. This is a disaster waiting to happen, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces of Greer when Hurricane Roarke moves on.
I’m curious how many other women Roarke will have to fawn over him this evening. He knows how to work a room and not commit to any woman but make every woman feel wanted.
Mason created the guest list, but that’s the way it always is. He brings the people who want to rub elbows with us, and we put on our dog and pony show, entertaining the guests with stories and anecdotes until the wine stops flowing. It’s networking in its rawest form.
And tonight Greer will be by my side. Fuck, I shouldn’t have touched her earlier. I don’t regret giving her an orgasm or watching her tip over the edge from my touch, but it will be that much harder to keep from pushing further. From doing it again, until all my control shatters and I’m buried deep inside her while she cries out my name.
“Can I get you a drink?” The blond, Claire, I think, gets my attention.
“Nothing for me, Claire.” My gaze falls on the stairs behind her, waiting for Greer to make an appearance.
Claire’s cheeks turn pink, and her attention moves to Roarke. “For you, sir?”
“Sir? Don’t tell me you don’t know who I am?” Roarke’s tone is teasing as he flashes her his award-winning smile.
The pink of her cheeks grows deeper. She stammers a little when she says, “Of course, Mr. Flynn. Can I bring you a drink?”
“I’d love a scotch on the rocks, love.” He winks and she hurries away.
Chuckling, Roarke watches her hips sway. I clear my throat.
“What?” He smirks back at me. “It’s not like I’ll do anything with her.”
“Greer isn’t like other women, Roarke.” I cross my ankle over my knee.
“No, she most definitely is not.” Roarke’s gaze blurs over with whatever thought he’s having. Maybe this morning in my bed. Her no jerked me out of sleep, but she was trapped in it, struggling to the surface from her nightmare.
“Come on, kitten.” Wyatt’s voice draws our attention to the stairs.
Zoe comes down first in flowing wide-legged pants and a tied top, showing off her small waist. As soon as she reaches the floor, the guy with the spiked hair comes up beside her and asks if she’d like a drink.
Smiling, Zoe puts her hand on the guy’s arm, squeezing it as she leans into him and murmurs something before she laughs. Claire walks over at that moment.
“Your drink, Mr. Flynn.” She holds out a glass with round ice and two fingers of scotch.
“Thank you, love.” Roarke takes the drink, but his focus remains on the stairs.
Claire waits a moment, probably hoping for his attention, before she heads back to the kitchen. Her shoulders slump a little, but I’m sure it’s only a momentary defeat. She’ll come back stronger next time.
Wyatt walks down with Greer. Her shoes appear first before her legs. I don’t realize I’m standing until I’m walking toward them. The black dress showcases her figure perfectly. Her hair falls in waves around her shoulders and down her back.
When they reach the main floor, she lifts her head, and my jaw almost drops open. Greer unmade up is cute and quirky and gorgeous in her own right. Greer with red lips and eye makeup, her hair pulled back, and clothes that fit like a second skin, is spectacular.
“Fuck, never kiss her, I’ll take them all.” Roarke steps in front of me and draws Greer away from Wyatt before spinning her in his arms and dipping her low. When he whispers something in her ear, her cheeks darken pink. She makes a little undignified noise, but her eyes sparkle up at him like he hung the fucking moon.
He draws her back up and holds her against his side. “You need a new sobriety buddy, Aiden. This one’s mine.”
She laughs that delightfully husky laugh and puts her hand on his chest before she moves away from him and over to me. Every step closer makes my blood pulse harder through my veins.
“I’m taken for the night.” She stops in front of me with the best smile, and it’s all mine. Fuck, I want to kiss her. I want to claim her. I want to fuck her.
Her light brown eyes lift to mine, and I’m speechless. There’s trust in her eyes and longing. Maybe we’re all playing with fire with her. Maybe we’ll all let her down.
But when she looks at me like that, I feel like the superhero I play in the movies and not the broken man I’ve become.
#
GREER
Aiden takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. My heart skips a beat as he raises his light blue eyes to mine. The way he looks at me takes my breath away. A shiver of desire rushes through me.
“Good evening, Ms. Morrow.” His words and his smile make my insides glow. “You look stunning this evening.”
My cheeks are already warm from Roarke, but that compliment from Aiden makes a fresh surge of heat rise.
Aiden wears a black shirt with black slacks. Silver cuff links wink in the light. He’s stunningly handsome himself. But he knows that.
Aiden draws me into his side, wrapping my hand around his elbow and putting his hand over mine. I’m not doing a good job at keeping sex and love separate, at least not in my head. It would be so easy to imagine this is more than what it is. I’m here for a job, but they’re offering me this sneak peek into their lives and an opportunity to explore my sexuality with four gorgeous men.
They aren’t offering me love. But I don’t need love. I barely remember what it feels like. I walled off my heart years ago, and every year since, I fortify it a little more.
Aiden leads me over to the couch and sits me next to him. I cross my legs, and Roarke sits on my other side.
He ducks his head next to mine. “Poppet, when this is over, I’m going to make you come so hard, the neighbors will hear my name.”
“There are those sweet nothings I was hoping for.” I meet his laughing eyes with a smile.
“How about I let you ride my face?” He picks up my hand and tangles our fingers together. His eyes make my blood burn hotter. “I’m willing to drown in your cum, poppet. How is that not romantic?”
He arches his eyebrow, and a giggle escapes me.
“It’s very hard to take you seriously right now.”
“Only right now?” He smirks. “I’ll have to work harder.”
Wyatt and Zoe join us on the wraparound couch. Mason walks into the room, and I swear my pussy tightens at the heated look he sends my way.
“You’re staying for the party, Zoe?” Mason’s gaze falls on her.
“Even if it’s a boring talking party and no one ends up naked on the table by the end.” Zoe sighs and shrugs. “I promised Wyatt to keep him company a week ago. I still can’t believe you’re holding me to this.”
Wyatt lounges back on the couch, stretching out his dark denim–clad legs. His leather shoes are shiny. He wears a green dress shirt that brings out the color in his eyes. After helping style my hair, he slipped into his bedroom and changed his shirt.
Honestly, it should be illegal for that man to cover that chest with clothes, even if they do look good on him. He looks yummy without them.
“Don’t make promises you don’t want to keep, ZoZo.” Wyatt winks at me.
“I was puking my guts out and you were being nice. It seemed easier to give in.” She pouts, and her eyes focus on Mason. “You’ll keep me company, won’t you, Mason?”
“I have enough to worry about.” Mason steps closer to me, and suddenly there’s less air in the room. His gaze locks on mine. “You won’t get starstruck, right?”
I shake my head. Pretty sure I’ve done all the fangirling over the two superstars next to me. I don’t know if anyone could walk in here and distract me from these two.
“Good.” He tips my chin up and studies my makeup. Zoe did a flawless job. “You do clean up well, little mouse.”
I’m going to take that as a huge compliment. “Thank you.”
Nodding, he removes his hand. He strides off into the kitchen to talk with the chefs and the servers. I notice the blond server eyeing Roarke like he’s a prized piece of meat. His fingers slide against mine.
“Maybe we can sneak away before the other guests get here,” Roarke murmurs next to my ear. His breath tickles and heats my ear. “I want you splayed out on my bed with no panties on. I promise to get you off over and over again. What do you say, poppet? Want to sneak away with me?”
I turn, and his face is right there. His gaze drops to my lips and I lick them. I would happily disappear with Roarke for whatever he’s offering, but my duty is to Aiden tonight. I squeeze Roarke’s hand.
“I have to earn my keep tonight.” I rest my head on Aiden’s shoulder.
“I hope that’s not the only reason you stay with me, little warrior.” Aiden’s words are soft.
“It’s not all about the money,” I admit. The promise of a future and college is a huge draw, but there’s more here that I want to explore. With all of them.
“I would totally do it for the money.” Zoe leans forward. “What else would a girl have to look forward to?”
My eyes meet Aiden’s, and he gives me a smirk. So much to look forward to.