“Oh.” She waved him off but blushed.
“Are you driving back to the city tonight?” I asked, my voice thick. I immediately regretted speaking when David looked directly at me.
Lucy gasped. “Youmuststay, David. It’s too late to drive back. We have room. Er,Danihas room.”
I stilled under Bill’s hand.
“Ah . . .” David shifted between his feet. “No, thank you. I don’t have anything with me.”
“Who cares? You can borrow stuff. Dani, come here!” Lucy’s hand flapped enthusiastically, and she almost fell over.
“Easy,” I said.
Her eyes widened with excitement as her sister approached. “We can play board games. Dani, shouldn’t David stay the night?”
“Yes, for sure,” Dani agreed quickly, joining the circle.
David shook his head. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable—”
“Oh, David, you’re such a gentleman,” Lucy said, swatting his arm. “I was just teasing. We’ll give you your own room. Jonathan was supposed to stay the night but can’t. You can take his spot.”
Dani’s mouth fell open, but David nodded before she could protest. “All right,” he said. “I, uh . . . sure.”
“Great, come with me,” Dani said with a bright smile and started toward the house. She looked back over her shoulder when nobody moved. “David, come on. This way.”
He rubbed his jaw and hesitated before pivoting to follow her.
I watched their retreating figures until Bill stepped around in front of me. “Did you have some cake?”
“Yes.” I’d had a bite, so it wasn’t a lie. My stomach was far too distressed for something so sweet, though.
“Good. Let’s get the hell out of these clothes,” he said, resting his hand on my upper back and leading me up the steps.
“I’ll be right up,” Lucy called loudly.
Bill laughed and shook his head as he whispered, “She’s wasted.”
When we entered the house, I searched furtively for David or Dani, but neither was in sight. I groaned inwardly. Was this really happening? Would David finally make his move on Dani tonight, while I was under the same roof?
She’d be thrilled about it, I thought bitterly. But could I really blame her?
Just let it go. Let him be happy. Isn’t that what I want ultimately? For everyone to just be happy—myself included?
6
In a guest room on the second floor of the Greenes’ estate, Bill slid his hand down my shoulder. With a quick kiss, he pulled softly on my dress strap until it fell. I stood watching him as he backed away and undressed.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I pulled my dress off the rest of the way and tried to shake David’s lingering touch from my back. I tugged Bill by the waistband of his boxers, and he stumbled to me.
His lips found mine for a deeper kiss. I grabbed his hand roughly and put it around me, trying to erase any hint of David. I recognized the softness of Bill’s tongue and the smell of his soap, but the kiss was flat. My hair came free when I pulled on it, and he brushed it from my neck. Behind closed eyes, I remembered David’s expansive hand sliding down to my lower back, his fingertips alone driving me wild. I moaned into Bill’s mouth, and he became instantly hard.
I squeezed my eyes tighter. I needed to forget David and to remember what Bill felt like. I had done this to us, and now I had to make things right. Or had we always been this disconnected? I dashed away the thought and fell back on the bed, splaying out my arms. “Come on, Bill,” I said gruffly. I arched my back, offering my breasts. “Fuck me.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” I said. When he didn’t move, I huffed and sat up to grab his arm. “Get over here.”
