The Attraction

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

FORREST

“Y ou know all our credit cards are crying right now because of you. Who sends a group of women off together and tells them that we are shouting them a shopping spree?” Flynn complains from the other side of the volleyball net.

“Stop your bitching and serve the ball,” Nic yells at him.

Flynn organized for a volleyball court to be set up on the back lawn at the villa so we had something to occupy our time while the girls were out.

Throwing the ball up and slapping it with his hand, his serve heads Rem’s direction, who pops it up for me toward the net. I jump and spike it at the ground on the other side, but Nic lunges and gets one hand to it, springing it back up for Flynn, who then lofts it back up into the air. Nic is up and under it again, slamming it at me. I pop it back into the air, and Rem tries to get it back over the net, but it just misses and falls back onto our side.

“Damn it.” Rem kicks the grass.

“It’s all good, we’ve got the next one.” I high-five Rem as I pick up the ball, throwing it back under the net for Nic to serve, and then look over at Flynn.

“You do know it’s a token statement to send them on a shopping spree, right? They all have enough of their own money to buy whatever they like. I’m sure it just feels nice to be treated by their significant other.” I crouch down, readying myself for the serve from Nic.

“Derrr, I’m not embarrassed to say my fiancée has far more money than me. She tells me it takes a real man not to care about that.” He stands at the net and flexes his muscles while we all start to pretend gag.

“Man, your naked chest does absolutely nothing for me. I’ve seen you fully naked since the day you were born, and nothing has really gotten any bigger since then,” I yell at him as the ball is in the air and about to drop short over the net where Rem is waiting for it.

The timing could not have been more perfect as Rem spikes it up, and I slam it down at Flynn’s feet as he’s still trying to get over what I said.

“I need to talk to my friend Harper. I’m not sure she is good for you. Your jokes are getting better, and we can’t have that. You wear the grumpy asshole hat in this group, and you can’t just change that now.” He stands with his hands on his hips as Rem and I are too busy celebrating winning the point and taking back the serve for our team.

“I beg to differ. I think she is fucking great for Forrest. I haven’t seen him this happy since the day I met him. Which means he might let me spend a bit more of my own money now.” Nic winks at me as he gets prepared for the next serve from me.

“Sex will do that do a man,” Rem replies as my serve goes flying over the net right to Nic, and away we go again, with both the rallying and with the banter.

* * *

The games started with Flynn taking his shirt off, but by the time we were three games in, we’ve all stripped off our shirts, and the sweat is pouring off us. If there is one thing that is guaranteed, it’s how competitive we are. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a game or a boardroom, we never give in. It’s part of why we are so successful. For all the times in my life that I felt like I carried all the responsibility of looking out for Flynn, this friendship group that he brought me was worth the stress.

As we are about to finish up what we had already decided would be the last game, whistles and cheers come from the balcony off the villa’s main living area.

“Who’s pretending to be Maverick and who’s Ice Man?” Tori calls out. “Because we know that Flynn is Goose, there’s no debate on that.” All the girls are laughing so hard.

Nic rolls his eyes at all of us. “Oh my God, ever since the last Top Gun movie came out, she has been obsessed with the first movie as well. I’m sure she rewinds that volleyball scene over and over again. She wasn’t even born when it came out, for God’s sake.”

“Well, time to give her a show so she stops fantasizing about a movie and only pictures you in her real-life volleyball game.” Rem smirks and serves the ball up, and it’s game on. Like I said, we are competitive bastards, so regardless of the running commentary from the balcony, we ignore it and concentrate on winning the next point.

* * *

Walking out of the shower with the towel wrapped around me, I see all the shopping bags on the bed, but Harper is not in the bedroom.

I can’t help myself, looking into the bag and hoping that there may be a little present in there for me too. The smaller the better and lace preferably.

“Doubt anything in there will fit you.” Harper’s voice from behind me makes me step back and turn around to face her standing just inside the doorway to the room, closing the door behind her.

“Well, I’m hoping that something in there is so small it will barely fit you either.” I walk to the closet, finding my underwear and sliding them up under my towel as Harper just laughs at me.

“You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you. You aren’t the only one who gets to plan surprises this weekend.” Her eyes drop to my crotch as I walk back toward her with just my boxer shorts on and a very obvious growing cock showing that it’s already half hard.

“Nope, back away. We are not having sex now. Everyone is meeting downstairs in ten minutes for cocktails on the terrace.” She starts trying to move away from me.

“I know, I organized the weekend, remember?” I’m still following her as she circles around the bed. “And don’t worry, I can have you screaming my name in less than ten minutes, you know that’s a proven fact.”

“Maybe so, but not right now. Put that big boy away.”

I laugh at her panicked face as I get closer. “Well, at least you acknowledge the size.” I stare at her, trying to work out what her next move will be. And just as she is about to run, I torment her. “But it’s okay, it’s your loss, so don’t complain later when the same offer may no longer be on the table.” I run my hand over my boxers nice and slow, which sounded like a good idea in my head, but instead, it’s just making the torture worse for me.

“Who are you kidding? We both know that, and more, will be on my whole menu tonight. So, get dressed so we can get downstairs and not walk in to jeers for being late.”

And I can’t refute that because she’s right. I have plans for her, many, many plans. But they can wait, there will be plenty of time later tonight.

Now it’s time to continue the celebration of Harper.

HARPER

Walking over to where Cherie is standing looking out to the water, I figure now is as good a time as any to talk to her about Forrest. Just the two of us.

We became friends months ago when Flynn and Felisha got together, and I really like her. She is a no-nonsense kind of woman. Fierce but loyal, and I think she has a deep sense of kindness lying under the surface. She had a tough life growing up that I don’t really know all the details about but enough to know that she has worked hard to have the life she lives today.

“It’s such a spectacular view, isn’t it?” I say, leaning on the rail next to her.

“Not a place I ever thought I would be visiting when I grew up.” Cherie laughs to herself.

“Yeah, but we all know money isn’t everything. It doesn’t guarantee happiness. And for so many, money just makes them entitled assholes because they haven’t worked to get it. You, on the other hand, my friend, have earned the right to feel proud of what you’ve achieved, from what I’ve heard.”

Cherie shrugs her shoulders at me, and I can tell she doesn’t like to hear praise. “When you come from the bottom of the ladder, the only way is up, but you need to want to climb it. Don’t take the easy way out and jump off when you feel comfortable at that level. You need to keep climbing every single day.” Her words make so much sense, and I can tell why she is so good at working with the youth who are struggling to stay on the right side of the tracks.

“Besides, what about you? From what I know about the situation with your father, you had nothing either, and look at you now,” Cherie says, standing and turning around so the water is at her back and leaning against the railing.

Moving so we are standing the same way, I laugh. “True, but I also had Felisha to help me climb my ladder, and she would’ve picked me up if I fell.”

“Bullshit, you are a ball breaker. I’ve seen you in action when there is a crisis and the few times you have helped me out with things on the charity. You didn’t need her help. I can imagine you worked so hard on your own to get to where you are now. If you were shit at your job, no matter how good of a friend you were, Felisha wouldn’t have you as her second-in-charge. Own that.” There is something about Cherie that makes me feel empowered when she speaks.

“Thank you,” is all I can answer to that. But I know my time with just the two of us standing here on our own is running out, so I need to ask my questions.

“Can I talk to you about Forrest?” I blurt out.

She just smiles, takes another sip of her cocktail, and looks at me. “Let me guess. Because of the kind of man he is, he told you that he thought he felt something for me, but after I pushed back, he discovered we are totally wrong for each other. But you want to know my side of that. Do I want your man?” Just like I expected, Cherie is straight to the point, and that’s what I need.

“Umm, not sure he’s my man, maybe my man for right now. But when you put it like that, then I suppose that is what I want to know.” For someone who is a super confident and an out-there woman, in all aspects of my life, I’m not feeling that confidence right now.

“Harper, who are you kidding. That man over there, the one that has not taken his eyes off you all night, is your man. You can deny your feelings all you like, but there is a force of nature between you two that is pulling you together.”

“Yeah, it’s called lust,” I say, trying to shake off her words.

“No, not lust, that’s a fleeting moment in time, a feeling that your body sees someone and thinks they can make me feel good right now. What you and Forrest have between you, that’s far more than lust, and I think you know that deep down.” Why the hell is everyone around me at the moment so damn insightful? I might wish for that, but I’m not giving in to those feelings.

Trying to deflect from talking about me, I want to know more about what she sees in Forrest.

“Why do you think he was attracted to you? Are you trying to tell me that was a lust thing?” Please say no, please say no , is all I can think. I don’t want to hear that he is attracted to another woman in our friend group.

Cherie starts laughing. “Fuck no.” She puts her glass down on a table that is next to us then takes my hands in hers. Until I flinch, and then she registers. “Sorry, I forgot.” But the movement got what she wanted, which is to have my full attention.

“Harper, I’m sure you have already worked out that Forrest is a complex man. He carries weight on his shoulders that has molded him into the man he is. I don’t know him very well, but from my interactions with him, I’d say he feels a need to protect people. He was misguided thinking I needed that from him. But he was wrong. The pull toward me had nothing to do with lust or feelings. My guess is, watching from the outside, that he has spent most of his life taking care of his parents and Flynn at times, and then all the guys once they were in business together. So, when everyone else was settling into relationships and didn’t need him as much, he was adrift. He felt he had lost his purpose of being there for everyone and was on his own. You were flirting with him, and he wanted you and couldn’t deny his feelings but knew you didn’t want him the same way, so I was someone he could focus his energy on. But from the outside, I could see what was happening, and although it took a few heated discussions, he finally got it through his thick head that I was not who he needed.” Cherie looks at me, waiting for her words to sink in.

“So, I’m just the next person who needs saving?” My heart is spiraling, and I’m now kicking myself for even talking to her. This was a mistake. I start to move away from her, but Cherie steps in front of me.

“No, you’ve got that so wrong. You are saving him from himself. I doubt that man has ever let anyone in behind his walls, yet here he is organizing a surprise fortieth birthday for you and is the most relaxed I have ever seen him since the first night I met him. He knows you don’t need saving. Yes, he is protective of you against the current threat, as any man would be for the woman he cares about, but it’s not in the way your mind is telling you. Just take a deep breath and think about it. Have you had any big, deep, and meaningful discussions since you moved in with him?” Why am I starting to feel like I’m in a therapy session with Cherie?

“I’ve opened up to him more than I could’ve ever imagined with a man,” I admit, thinking to myself that she’s right.

“And has he done the same?” Her voice is soft and reassuring but a tone that for some reason I can’t stop from answering whatever she asks.

“Yes. Things I doubt he has ever shared with anyone else.” And the more she has me talking, the more things are falling into place in my head.

“So now think about what you said again. Do you think you are just a savior project for him?” Tilting her head to the side a little, her eyebrows rise, and her lips give a small uplift, waiting for me to answer.

“How do you know so much? You’re just like him. You can read me, and it’s annoying.” I laugh a little, smiling back at her.

“I have made a living out of reading and counselling people. It’s what I was put on this earth to do. To help people who can’t get out of their own way.” Cherie starts to giggle.

“Yep, that’s me. You nailed that in one sentence.” Reaching out, I put my hand on her arm, to which she looked as shocked as I am that I did it.

“Thank you, your words are more important than you know. But can we keep that between us? These people know more about me and my life than I ever wanted to share.”

“Oh, I hear you, sister. I have told them more about me than I ever anticipated, but it was needed at the time. But it’s all safe with me, and I just hope I’ve helped you see that this is much more than you keep telling yourself it is. You might have started at lust, but both of you are way past that now. Eventually you need to let go of those chains that are holding you back. But you’ll know when it’s the right time, and nobody gets to decide that but you.” Cherie places her hand gently on top of mine and gives it a little squeeze before moving it away again.

“Now enough of this heavy talk, but just know, I’m always here as a friend, or if you ever want to get some exercise and do a boxing session, let me know. You’d be surprised what it will do for some of that tangled mess in your head. Just think about it.” Picking up her glass, she tilts it to me to indicate that we need refills.

“Let’s get back to the celebrations and have some laughs, because Forrest’s laser-beam stares at me are getting a bit much. He is trying to melt me from a distance so he can get you back.” We both start giggling as we walk back to the group, and my laugh gets deeper as he heads straight for me.

“See, I told you. ‘Doesn’t share well with others’ was probably on every school report card,” Cherie whispers to me, and we both can’t stop laughing now.

“You are so right,” I reply as she heads off over to where Elouise and Tori are standing.

“Should I be worried about that little talk?” Forrest asks, pretending he is joking, but I know he isn’t really.

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” I go up on my toes and kiss him on the lips with a little nip on his lower lip, giving a hint of more to come later.

“Funny that you think I would let you leave.” He pulls me into his side as he wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we join the others.

* * *

Dinner was so beautiful. French food is one of my favorites, and now we are all in the nightclub Les Caves du Roy, continuing with the party. This celebrating me is something I could get used to.

“Come on, this is my favorite song.” Tori grabs my hand and pulls me up off the chair where I was snuggled in nicely next to Forrest. She then grabs all the girls, and we head for the dance floor. We move to the beat of Ed Sheeran’s new song “Azizam,” which has us all waving our hands and dancing together in a circle.

I may have had a few drinks tonight and am feeling a little bit tipsy, but I’m looking around, and it washes over me that these girls are my tribe. The ones who know things about me most people don’t, yet they don’t judge, they just take me as I am and love me anyway. It actually feels so nice to have a bigger circle than just Felisha and me. I have been really missing her since Flynn came onto the scene, but now, I understand that I have Tori, Elouise, and Cherie too. I can spend time with other women and not be worried if Felisha is with Flynn. Or when we are together in this big group, it’s way more fun than I ever expected to have with the men out with us. For so long I have pushed them away, but this weekend has shown me I might have made a mistake on that hard stance of mine. I mean, Flynn has become like a brother to me, as much as he pretends to annoy me, as I do to him, but he was the first man I let get close to me since my father left. To be honest, I didn’t have much choice since he pushed his way into my life, and in the end, I gave up.

Come to think of it, Forrest has done exactly the same, which is not a bad thing.

Actually, it’s been a very sexually satisfying time, and I’m all for that.

Who am I kidding, it’s been more than that.

Tori crashes into Elouise, losing her balance a bit, but we all catch her and continue singing at the top of our voices.

There is one thing that is always a surety when most of us have alcohol in our body, and that’s that we will say things we normally wouldn’t.

“We need to find Cherie a man! She needs a dick to take home and bounce on like the rest of us will be tonight,” I shout out to them all, and Elouise gasps at me.

“Harper, you can’t say that.” But then she puts her hands up over her mouth and drunk giggles.

“Yes!” Tori screams “Ten points for whoever picks out the hottest guy in the room if he’s single.”

“That’s enough, ladies. I’m fine on my own, truly.” Cherie is trying to get everyone’s attention as we are all spinning around, looking across the room in the dim light.

“But are you really? Be honest.” I see a little flinch from Cherie that I don’t think anyone else noticed. I don’t think she is as happy on her own as she tries to make out she is. “I mean, look at me. I swore off men for my whole life, yet a dreamlike dick can change that. Even if it’s just temporarily.”

Cherie rolls her eyes at me, and then Felisha grabs my hand. “Okay, that’s enough from you. Time to get you home. I know what’s about to happen, and nobody needs to witness that.” Felisha now drags me off the dance floor, with the protests of the girls yelling at her from behind us.

“Forrest, you need to take her home. Things are about to get ugly—in a funny way but still ugly.” Felisha dumps me in his lap.

“Wheeeeee!” I call out as my feet lift off the ground and my body falls back a bit, until his arms wrap me up and stop me from falling.

“She is such a party pooper.” I point at Felisha who is now talking to Flynn, and I can see that Rem and Nic are making their way onto the dance floor too, convincing the girls that it’s time to call it a night.

The closer they get to us, I can hear Tori protesting loudly. “No, we can’t go, we have to find Cherie a pogo-stick hook-up.” Oh yeah, Tori has had enough to drink too. This is getting good.

“What the hell?” Nic looks down at her.

“Yeah, you know, a man with a dick she can bounce up and down on all night.” I giggle as I join in, reaching forward to high-five Tori’s hand, my partner in crime in getting Cherie some action tonight.

“Christ,” Forrest growls. “Get the cars here now.” He looks to Rem who is already on it.

“ETA two minutes,” Rem replies, and before I can say anything, Forrest stands with me in his lap and puts my feet on the floor.

Elouise giggles. “That’s funny, Rem, a pogo-stick dick, you know, like when she…” Rem’s hand is over Elouise’s mouth before she can finish her sentence.

“I don’t need an explanation, El.” Rem eyes her but doesn’t take his hand off her mouth yet.

“Oh, and you all have a go at me. This is gold.” Flynn guides Felisha to start walking to the exit too.

“What, it’s my birthday, we have been partying. Isn’t that we came here for? You know, to party at my party. Lots of partying. Oh, I like the word party, don’t you, Forrest? Party hard!” I yell above the music, and all the girls cry out, “Party hard!” in unison.

“Yeah, baby, this is what I wanted for you, to party, maybe just not so much the hard part, but I’m sure I’ll get the blame for letting you do that in the morning. Nothing like waking up on your fortieth birthday with a hangover, I guess.” Forrest walks me outside, and the crisp night air hits me, and that’s when reality also slaps me. My head is a little dizzy, and I can feel the alcohol now taking full effect. But I don’t care. I had a great night.

As Forrest helps me into one of the cars, I hear him talking to Cherie. “Sorry about that. You know they just want you to be as happy as they are.”

“It’s all fine, and what makes you think I don’t want that too?” Her laughter starts getting a little further away, but I don’t care. She is obviously not as drunk as I am because she sounds like she can say a normal sentence.

“Told you so!” I scream out the door, and everyone else starts laughing too, especially the girls.

“Move over to the other seat.” Forrest just shakes his head at me but smiles at the same time.

And as soon as we are seated and the car is pulling away from the curb, I drop my head onto his shoulder.

“In case I forget when we get home, thank you. No one has ever thrown me a party before.” Sure, I had children’s parties, but I never let Felisha do it after my father left. I didn’t want to be the center of any attention.

Closing my eyes with my head settled there, I hear his soft voice. “Sleep, beautiful, you will always be the center of my attention.”

Wait, did I say all that out loud?

But I don’t have time to ask as the darkness takes over, and I’m out cold.

FORREST

I feel Harper start moving next to me, and I’m surprised she is awake so early. I wait to see if she settles back into her sleep, but her eyes flutter open.

“Happy fortieth birthday, my goddess,” I whisper, lifting her chin and kissing her on the lips.

“Best birthday present ever, you got my name right.” She smiles and starts to stretch out, which just makes my cock even harder than it has been all night sleeping next to her dressed in just her lingerie. My hands roam over the black lace bodysuit she has on. With her black hair falling over her shoulders and down towards her breasts and the black lace, she looks every part a true goddess.

“How do you feel?” I ask, kissing her on the forehead while I assess her.

“Like I’m forty.” She groans, but then before I can say anything, she rolls to the side and pushes me onto my back on the bed. She is up and straddling my naked body.

“Forty and flirty.” My hands lock on to her hips, holding her still because if she moves on top of my cock right now, I’m not sure I can hold back from coming on the spot.

“Wait, why am I dressed, and you aren’t? Well, half-dressed, I guess you can call it.”

“Because you fell asleep,” I reply.

“But you’re naked and you took my dress off, so why not this as well?” She runs her hands down the lace, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop from exploding.

“Sleeping in anything with this...” I push my hips up off the bed as she gasps at my cock rubbing up against her pussy, “was too much torture. And I wanted you awake when I finally got to rip you out of it.” She knows exactly what she is doing now, trying to wriggle around on top of me. “It might be your birthday, but I wanted to unwrap my surprise present, watching you writhing as I did it. Not my style to try anything when you are in an alcohol coma.”

“Such a gentleman.” She leans forward, bringing her face so close I can feel her breathing.

“Oh, you know I’m no gentleman in the bedroom when it comes to you. Get on your back, birthday girl, because I’m about strip you bare and give you the first of many presents you will be receiving today.” My hands slip around to her ass and squeeze each cheek.

I listen to her squeal as I roll her over and tickle her as I do it. Rising up onto my knees above her, I take one of the shoulder straps and rip it apart with my hands.

“You know, I have a thing for lace,” I whisper in her ear as I rip the strip on the other side off. The hitch in her breathing lets me know she is enjoying this. Taking the lace in my teeth, I start pulling it down the front of her body.

“Happy birthday to me,” she moans, and I know this is a birthday she will never forget.

Mission accomplished.

Or so I thought.