Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Drea
“So, have you and Blair tried to kill each other yet? I’m surprised Cara doesn’t attend every meeting between you two.” Penelope laughed.
It had been a few weeks since our “meeting,” and I would be lying if I wasn’t tempted to call her at least a few times a week for a repeat. As much as I liked Cara, I wasn’t interested in having Mother Goose around asking questions or even worse, finding out about what happened.
I rolled my eyes. “We are adults. We can be civil… sometimes. No one has been threatened, yet. It’s actually been going pretty decent, to be honest. We have a mutual understanding.”
Fallon looked at me skeptically. “What, are you two best friends now? A month ago you wanted to strangle her.”
I tried to hide my smile at the memory of her strangling my face with her thighs as she was coming apart from my touch. “We are not best friends, love. That spot is taken already. But I guess you could call us casual acquaintances?”
She snorted. “Okay, if you say so. Anyway, are you bringing anyone to the wedding?”
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married!” Penelope grinned widely at our friend.
It was still weird to hear Fallon talking about marriage. How did time pass by so fast? Pen was trying to get pregnant and Fallon had found her other half. Was I the only one refusing to grow up?
A softer smile replaced the playful look on her face. “Every day I wake up, thinking it’s all a dream, but then I turn to see Mackenzie next to me and I realize it’s not. I’m really getting married, you guys.”
Tears started forming behind her eyes, and I playfully swatted at her. “All right, that’s enough. You better not cry or you’re going to make us cry!”
“Exactly! We are insanely happy for you, babe,” Penelope added. “We love you, and we can’t even put into words how it feels to see you with your person.”
My face lit up with joy at Penelope’s words, but I couldn’t ignore what my heart had desired for sometime now. I was so happy for my best friend. She had been through a lot, even with Mackenzie, and she deserved her happy ending.
I couldn’t deny, though, that I felt a tinge of jealousy. Getting married had never been on my bucket list; hell, even being in a committed relationship never made it onto that list.
But as I sat there with my two best friends, one happily married for over a decade and one soon to be married, I had no choice but to think about what my future would look like.
Who would be in it, if anyone? Would they have warm hazel eyes and soft skin? Or was I destined to spend the rest of my life alone and going from bed to bed because I was afraid any relationship I had would end the same way as the ones I grew up surrounded by?
The thought came out of nowhere, and I blinked it away, clearing my throat. “So, actually, I was thinking of asking Blair to the wedding. I really don’t want to go alone, and going with an employee doesn’t sound too appealing, as much as I like Kaia.”
Fallon and Penelope stared at me. “Wow, Drea. You want to bring Blair, as your date, to my wedding?” Fallon asked.
I rolled my eyes. “As a date, no. As my… casual acquaintance, yes. I don’t want to go alone. Is that a problem?”
She raised her hands in surrender and shook her head. “No, no problem at all. It’s just a little surprising, that’s all. But I’m glad you made a new friend.”
“I guess. Listen, I love you, babe, but I need to take care of a few things at the store. Call you later?”
“Of course, boss lady. Love you, too.” Fallon looked at me warily, like she didn’t totally believe me. I didn’t totally believe me either, to be honest.
I hugged my friends before heading to work. It wasn’t a total lie; I did have some things to take care of, but none of them needed to be finished today. I just didn’t want to stay for more questioning about my… Blair.
We went from fighting to kissing to having sex, which neither of us have brought up since then. She said it couldn’t happen again, and I agreed. It would make things too messy.
That didn’t mean I was happy about it, though. I wanted nothing more than to feel her coming apart for me. To taste her orgasm above me. To see what she looked like from behind, shaking and desperate.
Several hours later, I was sitting in my office, going over last month’s receipts, when I heard a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I said without looking up.
“When are you going to get some paintings for this office? It looks so boring.” My eyes darted up to see a smirking Blair looking drop-dead gorgeous in a tight little black dress that hugged every curve and made me want to smother myself in her tits. Good fucking God!
“What…” I cleared my throat. What had I done in a past life to deserve this sight? “What are you doing here, and why are you dressed like that?”
Now was not a good time for Kaia to be on break. Being alone with Blair while she looked like that was very dangerous. My mind was running wild with all the dirty things I wanted to do to her. On top of my desk, specifically.
She pouted and looked down at her dress. “What’s wrong with my dress? I thought it looked good.”
That was an understatement. Saying she looked good would have been an insult. She looked like the definition of pure perfection, and I swallowed hard.
“That is definitely not what I said. There is no denying how good you look in that dress.” I didn’t add that she would look better with the dress on the floor… “Back to my original question, what are you doing here?” I asked.
She smiled and walked closer. I met her on the other side of my desk as I leaned against it. “I wanted to talk about the other night, when I said it couldn’t happen again.”
I frowned at the mention of how that night ended. “I remember vividly.”
She played with the top button of my shirt. I had gone for a professional look today with a burnt-orange button-down shirt and black pants.
“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and maybe I made that decision a little too hastily.”
“Is that so? I’m inclined to agree with you there, darling. What are you saying, then?”
She undid another button and didn’t take her eyes off me. “I don’t think one night is nearly enough for all the things I want us to do, and I’m pretty sure you don’t either.”
“Again, I’m inclined to agree.” I smirked. “You have to know, I’m not one to put a label on things, but I enjoy spending time with you, and I’d really like to keep doing that.”
“That’s fine with me. I’m not asking for a commitment or anything. I’m usually the opposite and need to label what I’m doing with someone. Casual dating is not really my thing, but at the same time, wanting you was never my thing either, but here we are.” She grinned.
“Yes, here we are.”
“So, we’re going to keep seeing each other?” she asked.
She was looking so nervous that I couldn’t help but chuckle. Did she honestly think, after our night together, I wouldn’t want to experience her again?
“I guess we are.” I smiled and lifted her dress, but she stopped me.
“Not here, at my place. I don’t want to have to be quiet.”
I groaned. Fuck, this woman! “I’m off now.” I winked.
She frowned. “I can’t tonight. I really need to get some writing done. I have a deadline, but I’ll call you?”
I lowered her dress and tugged it closer to me. “I don’t want to interfere with your work. That sounds like a plan.”
I propped myself onto my desk and spread my legs, pulling her closer. She settled in between them and placed her hands on my thighs. “So, how do you feel about straps, darling?” I asked as I caressed her arms.
She moaned, pulling my shirt so we were inches apart. “I really like the sound of that.”
“Good,” I whispered. “I look forward to being able to fuck you properly.” I grabbed her chin and kissed her.
Kissing her was like floating on a cloud that had been warmed by the sun. I wanted to melt into it every time and let the kiss consume me.
She grinned into the kiss when I lifted her dress up to her hips and rested my hands on her ass, just underneath her underwear. Her ass felt so soft that I had to give it a light squeeze. I reveled in the little sound she made when I did.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company. I… I should’ve knocked.” A familiar voice brought us back to reality, and a flushed Kaia was standing at the door with her eyes covered.
Blair took a step back, cheeks fire red, and fixed her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles and ensuring no glorious body parts were in view.
“I should go.” Blair cleared her throat and ran out the door without another word.
“Blair!” I yelled after her but she didn’t stop. I sighed and covered my face.
“Drea, I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t…” Kaia stammered but I put a hand up, stopping her.
“Kaia, stop.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She was trembling, and I could see her watery eyes from my desk.
She was scared, as if she was in trouble.
Normally, she might’ve been, but I was still high from Blair, so I let it slide.
Nothing was going to happen, anyway. But once I was home and alone? That was a different story.
I sent her a look and motioned her to my desk. “Kaia, sit down.” I sat in the chair next to her.
“So, you and… I’m confused. I thought you hated each other?”
I groaned. “We did… It’s complicated. Listen, can you pretend you didn’t see anything?”
She frowned. “Of course, Drea. But I thought you weren’t supposed to be having sex?”
I rolled my eyes. Fucking Fallon! “Who said anything about sex?”
She smirked. “I mean, that didn’t look like a business meeting. Aren’t you?”
I groaned. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Right. Well, again, I’m really sorry, and I will keep this to myself. I just came in to tell you I was leaving.”
She stood up and headed to the door. “Oh, and Drea? Whatever is going on, I’m happy for you.” She smiled sweetly, and I couldn’t help but do the same.
“Goodnight, Kaia.”