Chapter Fourteen
Amiya
K nocking rouses me from a very pleasant dream, but I ignore it as I burrow deeper into the covers.
The knock gets louder.
Something moves next to me, and I reach over to feel a very hard, very naked chest as the back door clicking open and shut sounds.
Uh-oh.
I sit up and glance around the room. It’s morning.
Lennon groans beside me as I kick the sheet away and start shaking his shoulders.
“Get up.”
One eye pops open and focuses on me.
“Get up. You have to hide,” I whisper-yell.
“I have to what?” he rasps.
I bring my legs up to help leverage myself against his side and push. The man doesn’t budge.
“Seriously, get up,” I demand.
Finally, he sits up and runs his hands over his face. Leia’s giggles float down the hallway as the sound of feet moving across the floor echoes under the door.
“Lennon, up now! You have to hide!”
He shakes his head as he plants one foot on the floor. I leap from the bed and start gathering his clothes.
“Where do you want me to go?” he asks.
“The closet,” I sputter as I toss the garments at him.
He catches them with one hand and glares at me. “I’m not fucking hiding in the closet,” he announces.
“You have to,” I cry.
He tugs the sheet loose from the bed and wraps it around his naked ass as I pull the dress I was wearing last night over my head.
“No, I don’t.”
I rush over to him.
“Fine, bathroom, then,” I grunt as I push his chest.
At that moment, the bedroom door swings open, and Avie stands there, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Her eyes drink us in.
“Shit,” I mumble.
She takes a deep breath and lifts her eyes to the ceiling as she shakes her head.
“Avie, it’s not what it …”
I don’t get the sentence out before she raises her hand to stop me.
“I knew this was coming last night.”
“You did?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I did. So, you don’t have to hide in the closet, but you might want to put some pants on before you come out because your niece is in the kitchen.”
She grasps the doorknob and pulls the door shut.
Lennon’s amused eyes dip to me. My hands are still planted on his bare chest.
“You’re not going to wear that, are you?”
“No.”
“Good, because if you did, everyone would know you were a naughty girl last night.”
I growl at him as I drop my hands and run to the bathroom and shut myself in.
I can hear his laughter, and then the door opens and closes a moment later.
I peel off my dress and jump into a hot shower.
Once I’m clean and dressed in an off-white linen pantsuit, I walk out to find Avie and Eden sitting at the island, drinking coffee.
Leia is on her knees at the coffee table, coloring and chattering away to Lennon, who looks as cool as a cucumber, lounging on the couch in a pair of jogging pants and a gray T-shirt.
Avie makes a show of looking at her watch.
“I know we’re late. I’m sorry,” I say.
Leia looks up at the sound of my voice. “You look pretty, Auntie Miya.”
I glance at her. “Thanks, kiddo.”
Eden takes their mugs to the sink.
“Sebastian will pick her up in an hour,” Avie says, and Lennon throws his hand up.
“You girls have a good breakfast,” he calls as we file out the door.
“Is something wrong?” Eden asks from the back seat.
“No,” we say in unison.
“Are you sure? You guys aren’t mad about the dance lessons, are you? I could choose something besides the waltz. A tango maybe?” Eden continues.
I turn and look at her over my shoulder. “The dance was beautiful. Avie’s just peeved at me because she found Lennon in my bed this morning after I promised her I wouldn’t sleep with him again,” I explain.
Eden’s eyes go wide, and she sits back. “Oh …”
“I’m not mad. I’m just not thrilled,” Avie sputters.
Eden leans back up and pokes her head between us. “Not that you asked, but I think it’s great. Lennon’s hot, and Wade thinks the world of him. What about it bothers you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Avie’s eyes dart to the rearview mirror, and she answers, “I just think it’s a bad idea. What if things don’t work out and they end up hating each other? Lennon is going to be a part of my and Leia’s family soon.”
Eden nods. “That’s fair.”
“Why would we hate each other? I’ve never hated anyone before—besides your ex-husband. I get along fine with every man I’ve ever slept with,” I defend.
“This is different. Plus, there’s the whole Anson thing,” Avie says.
“Anson thing? What Anson thing?” I ask.
“Didn’t you and Anson …” She leaves the incomplete question hanging in the air.
I burst out laughing. “No,” I gasp. “Why does everyone think Anson and I slept together?”
Her forehead wrinkles in confusion as her eyes dart from the road to me. “But I thought … what about the time you made out on my couch, and then you left and spent the night at his condo? I was sure you two were going to sleep together,” she says.
I shrug. “We did make out a little bit, but I only went home with him to give you and Sebastian some privacy so you could get laid. I haven’t so much as batted my eyes at him since then. Jeez, I don’t just fuck every man I kiss. I’m stingy. With my time, my money, and my vagina. You have to be pretty freaking special to get access to any of them.”
“Oh.”
“Look, Anson’s sexy in that laid-back, devil-may-care kind of way, but I just wasn’t into it, and I figured once you and Sebastian worked through all your bullshit, we’d be spending a lot of time here in Sandcastle Cove with the Three Island Musketeers, so I decided to be safe and keep it all above the waist,” I explain.
“That was probably smart,” Eden says.
I turn to her. “Thanks. I thought so.”
“Besides, he’s like the male version of you. You guys would drive each other nuts,” she adds.
“But now, you’re fucking Lennon,” Avie quips.
“Who doesn’t live here,” I point out.
“But he’s Sebastian’s brother,” she stresses.
“Yeah, his brother, who doesn’t live here.”
She gapes at me. “He doesn’t live here, so there’s no potential fallout?”
“Exactly. He lives in Virginia. I live in Georgia. We’re just two ships passing in the night.”
“Passing ships, huh?”
“Yep. Passing ships who bump into each other. Repeatedly. Until we explode,” I declare.
“Wow. That’s hot,” Eden mutters.
“Passing ships. That’s how you’re gonna justify this?” Avie asks.
“No. He’s a man. Not a man-child. He can handle it; I can handle it. So, there won’t be any fallout, Avie.”
Avie smirks and shakes her head.
“What?” I ask.
“One of these days, it’s going to hit you so hard, and that tight grip you have on control is going to crumble into pieces.”
“What’s going to hit me?”
“Love.”
“Love? Love already pummeled me. I love you, Leia, my grandmother, the Atlanta Braves, chardonnay, and chocolate. I’ve succumbed to all kinds of love.”
“All but one,” she points out.
“Well, I don’t want to be selfish,” I quip.
Eden giggles. “I thought the same thing last year. After what my ex put me through and the whole stalker thing, love was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to be alone.”
“See,” Avie says, pointing at Eden. “You can say it and think it all you want, but when your time comes, you won’t be able to fight it.”
“Who’s fighting? Love just isn’t for me.”
Avie cuts her eyes to me.
“You’re so full of shit. You say you don’t believe in love but you literally pushed me into Sebastian’s arms.”
“Yeah, and me into Wade’s,” Eden agrees.
“Well, Sebastian was your Baby Daddy and Wade was a Hot Daddy, so they don’t count. Besides, just because I don’t believe in true love for me doesn’t mean I can’t believe in it for you guys,” I say.
Avie shakes her head.
“Like I said, one day some guy’s going to come along and sweep you off your feet. Even if he has to do it with you kicking and screaming.”
“And eventually, you won’t want to fight it because it’ll be everything you never knew you needed,” Eden adds.
“Ugh,” I groan as I toss a scowl over my shoulder at her. “Too much.”
“Yeah, super sappy,” Avie agrees, and then turns her narrowed eyes at me.
“What?”
“That’s twice,” she says, throwing two fingers into my face.
“Twice?”
“Yes. First, you didn’t tell me about your and Lennon’s first sexcapade. And second, I found out that you and Anson were never really into each other. You’re coming seriously close to losing your best-friend title, missy.”
“Jeez, pulling out the missy?” I tease.
“Yes, missy, it’s not cool at all. You’d be pissed, too, if the shoe were on the other foot.”
She’s right. I’d be livid if she was hiding stuff from me.
“You’ve been a little preoccupied with your own love life lately. I didn’t think you were paying close attention to mine.”
“Obviously, I wasn’t. Is there anything else?” she asks.
“Nope. You’ve pulled all my dirty little secrets out of me,” I declare.
“Good.”
“So, you’re cool with this whole thing now? Because if you’re not, I’ll put the brakes on it right now.”
Avie shakes her head. “Liar.”
“I will.”
She glares at me. “I saw you two last night and this morning. The sexual tension was so thick that you could choke on it. You wouldn’t last twenty-four hours.”
“I’d try at least,” I huff.
“No. You’re both adults. Do whatever you want. Just … whatever happens, promise me you’ll try to remain friends. Leia can’t have her favorite auntie and uncle hating each other.”
“Promise.”