Finding Our Reality (The Reality Duet #2)

Chapter 24

CRUTCH

“What in the world does ‘Girls’ Night’ actually mean?”

She laughs, closing the lid on her laptop. “Why in the world is this bothering you so much?”

“I know you, Lulu. You’ve never done the things that normal women do. That includes makeover parties and drinking Cosmos.”

This time, she laughs so hard she snorts. “You’re right. I’m definitely not meeting up with other women to do their makeup and drink frilly little drinks.”

Leaning against the doorway, I cross one ankle over the other, staring at her. She glances up and I watch her eyes as they hungrily scan my body. She tries not to blush, but she does. Hiding her beautifully flushed face behind a curtain of hair, she packs her work bag. Sighing, I cross the room and tug the computer bag from her shoulder to mine. She used to fight me about that, but she doesn’t now.

Little by little, our frozen past is thawing. And I’m not sure what to think about that.

I lock the conference room door and walk her to the parking lot. When we pass by Tara at the front desk, she rolls her eyes.

“Will there ever come a time when you don’t roll your eyes when we walk past Tara?”

She leans against the door of her SUV. “Will there ever come a time we stop running into women you’ve seen naked?”

I hate it when she talks about me being with other women. I know I’ve been stupid. I don’t need the constant reminder of what a piece of shit I am. “Maybe. When I settle down. Know anyone up to the job?”

I take a step forward, lightly pressing my body against hers. She stops breathing. Her nipples peak, shining through the thin fabric of her yellow blouse. At least she has on pants today. True, they are tight-ass pants that only come to her ankles, but still. That’s better than a skirt. If she were showing me her nipples and her legs all at the same time, I would have to jack off the second I make it somewhere remotely private.

She licks her lips, making me instantly hard. “I’ll be happy to check my contact list. Perhaps a nice, mild-mannered librarian?”

Chuckling, I take a step back. I have to. Being that close to her is pure, sweet torture.

Smiling like she won the game, she turns, opening the car door. I grab the frame, leaning against it as she climbs in. Eventually, she cocks her head. “Fine. It’s just me, Raylee, and Aunt Teresa.”

“What is?”

“The ‘Girls’ Night’. Raylee got a babysitter. We’re going to dinner and to the movies. Afterward, we’re going to the bar to hear the band. Will, Holt, and Uncle Ray will be there. We’re making a whole night of it.”

“Sounds like fun.”

She grabs the steering wheel, turning her knuckles white. All of a sudden, a black car pulls up behind us, honking the horn. The passenger lowers the window, and Raylee leans half her body out the open hole.

“Ella, what the heck are you doing? Did you forget we were picking you up?”

I bend down and see Teresa behind the wheel. I give her a small wave before turning back to Lulu.

She frowns, mumbling to herself. “Oh, I forgot. I guess I got distracted.” Grabbing her purse from the seat, she jumps out, and I slam the door behind her.

Raylee hollers again before raising her window. “Come on, I’m freakin’ starving.”

“I see it runs in the family,” I tease.

“Yeah, sometimes, it’s scary how much alike she and Holt are.” For a second, Lulu fidgets with her fingers. Quickly releasing her hands, she stands straighter and lifts her chin in the air. “So, I guess I’ll see you next week sometime. I’ll let you know what my work schedule is.”

I run my fingers across my belt in habit. “Go ahead and ask me. I know you want to.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t beat around the bush, Lulu. I like you when you get to the point.”

She sighs. “Fine. Are you coming to the bar tonight? Will you be there?”

“Meaning, will I be there with you?”

She shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. “Well, sure. I just told you I would be there.”

I take a step forward, crowding her once again with my body. Before she has time to react, I bend my head, whispering against the shell of her ear. She loves it when I do that. At least she used to, so I’m assuming I still have that effect on her. “Of course, I should always be where you are. Maybe that should be our new rule. We always had rules for our games, didn’t we?”

Walking backward, I watch as her closed eyes open. Her entire face is relaxed, and her mouth is parted. What I wouldn’t give to take her, right here, right now. Make her mine, show her she’s mine.

Nodding her head, she turns and climbs into the back of her aunt’s car.

Looks like I’m going to the bar tonight. Mowing the yard will have to wait until tomorrow.

***

I take a seat next to Ray, shaking his hand, and then I lean across the bar, grabbing Holt’s attention. “Surprised to see you behind the bar. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Cullen had to work an event for his father tonight so I told him I would fill in.” He places a beer bottle in front of me. “Will has another bartender coming in to help too. The band will be starting in about an hour. They’re good. You should stick around.”

Ray chuckles underneath his breath. I can only assume he talked to Teresa and knows that I plan on sticking around until my woman gets here.

I tip my beer to Holt. “I told him before that he can always ask me for help when Cullen is out doing a catering thing with his dad. I don’t know how to mix drinks, but I know how to use a bottle opener.”

“It’s fine, man. I was gonna be here anyway. Might as well earn my keep a little bit.”

Ray and I spend the next forty-five minutes chatting. It’s the most I’ve talked to him in twelve years, and I really enjoy it. Turns out, I missed him too. Maybe that’s why my friendship with Will grew so much. I wasn’t only looking for a connection to Lulu, but to Ray and Teresa as well.

Holt and Will are serving some customers right next to me and Ray when I feel that familiar shift in the air, the one that lets me know My Lulu is close by. Turning on my stool, I watch as Teresa, Raylee, and Lulu walk in the bar. And I watch as two different guys check out My Lulu, stirring jealousy deep in the pit of my stomach.

Ray and I immediately stand, offering our seats to the ladies. All the other barstools are occupied so Lulu opts to stand, giving her aunt and cousin the seats at the bar. Raylee stands on the footrests and leans over the bar, planting a long, sexy kiss on her husband. Will immediately starts laughing. “Well, someone tastes like vodka. Drinks at dinner, my little wife?”

“Yep! Shelly already agreed to spend the night so she can get up with the kids first thing tomorrow.”

“So, this ‘Girls’ Night’ also means I have to pay a babysitter double time to spend the night at my house? You’re costing me a small fortune tonight, woman.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky. I’d like to get lucky. Multiple times,” Raylee says with a wink.

The look on Holt’s face is priceless. “Dad, seriously, you’re gonna let your little girl talk like that?”

“Son, your sister hasn’t been a little girl since the day she could speak.”

“I completely agree.” The new addition to our group takes us by surprise.

“Ridge!” Raylee covers him in a hug.

Holt leans over, shaking his hand. “I thought you were helping your dad.”

“I was,” Ridge points to his white button-up and black slacks, “but Cullen has it all handled. You know that kid is like a powerhouse.”

Lulu leans over, wrapping him in a hug. “Well, it’s good you came out for the fun.”

Fortunately, Ridge doesn’t do anything that could get his ass kicked—like sniff her hair or hold her too close or fondle her backside. I’d hate to have to ruin this night before it even begins.

“Speaking of people coming out for fun,” Will points toward the back of the bar. “Kristie’s here. And I’ve already had to stop serving her.”

When Lulu turns to peer over my shoulder, her hip brushes against my side. “She’s already that drunk?”

“Yeah. She must’ve been drinking before she got here. I sold her one beer before I realized how intoxicated she was. I told her no more. But she’s bad to send guys up here to buy her drinks.”

“With promises of getting into her panties, no doubt,” Raylee says, drinking the soda that Will set in front of her.

Lulu looks at me. “Maybe I should go say something to her, just to check on her.”

I shrug. “That’s up to you.” I really hope she says no.

Right then, the band strikes up, blaring deafening music through all the nooks and crannies of the bar.

Raylee screams. “There’s no time for that! It’s time to dance, Ella! Honey, put our purses behind the counter.” Raylee, Teresa, and Lulu stack their bags on the bar, and Raylee drags her mom and cousin clear across the bar to the music room. Without being asked, Holt sets out a fresh beer for me, Ray, and Ridge, and we follow the women.

The band’s good, playing a mix of well-known cover songs for the first thirty minutes. All upbeat, dancing songs. Ray and Teresa huddle together in a corner, whispering, and watching the crowd. Ridge runs into a couple of friends he hasn’t seen since he came back to town, so he’s talking to them and their wives. I recognize one of the guys as a patrol deputy.

That leaves me. Standing here, slowly drinking, and watching every move Lulu makes. Her body bends and twists and jumps. It’s so damn sexual. But more important than that… she looks happy. Happy and carefree. She looks like the Lulu who spent a whole week sleeping with me in a tent. She looks like the Lulu who would cuddle next to me watching hours upon hours of true crime documentaries. She looks like the Lulu who curled on my chest, tracing the lines of my ribs, while I read aloud to her. It feels so good to see her like that.

It also feels so bad. I hurt—physically hurt—to touch her.

Time moves slowly. When will she realize she’s mine? I don’t know how much more of the game I can play. Or what I need to do to show her that we can be good together again.

Will’s standing next to the stage, surveying the crowd. He just brought the band some fresh beers and water. When the song finishes, they start to play a familiar, long-winded ballad, giving the audience time to cool down. I watch as Will parts through the people, searching for his wife. Wrapping his arms around Raylee, he pulls her to the back of the crowd, and they melt into one another, dancing.

Some random girl walks up to me and smiles. Her eyes widen in delight. She’s about to ask me to dance, but I fend her off before she can even open her mouth. Politely smiling and shaking my head, I point at Lulu’s back. The girl understands what I’m saying and moves off to the side, quickly homing in on Ridge. Sliding behind Lulu, I reach out, grabbing her waist with both hands. She jumps. But only for a split second. She knows it’s me.

She smells me. Senses me. Feels me.

Nuzzling my head next to her face, I bend and whisper in her ear. “May I have this dance?” I take another step forward, molding the front of my body to her ass. Instead of tensing, instead of stiffening her back, she actually sighs, rolling her body against me even more.

It’s pure ecstasy. If you were to ask me right now, I’d say it’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever experienced. And that’s saying a lot.

Taking that as my only answer, I spin her around and fold her into my arms. Together, we dance. I’m holding her so close you couldn’t slide a piece of paper between the two of us. Without prodding, her arms snake around my neck and her fingers tangle in my hair.

I love it when she does that. It’s been too many years since she’s had those fingers entwined in my hair.

Pressing my hands against the small of her back, I crash her body against my massive erection. Her eyes dilate and her body hums with a wild energy. Energy so strong, it’s tangible, pulsing like a magnetic field. I stand straight, pulling her to her tiptoes. She loves it when I hug her with my whole body, forcing her to seek shelter in my shadow.

Her whisper is soft, barely audible against the music. “Ry, what are you doing?”

“I’m dancing. With you. Do you remember the last time we danced?”

She smirks. “I remember the four-foot-long cheesesteak and ginormous bowl of cantaloupe.”

I chuckle. “That’s what you would remember, huh?”

Her smile fades, and her face grows serious. “I remember everything, Ry. Everything. Maybe that’s why we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Maybe it’s why we should .” I lean forward, grazing my nose against hers. “Maybe it’s the only way we can fix what I broke. Make what’s wrong, right.”

She licks her lips in thought. The wetness shimmers, making me weak in the knees.

“Because it feels so right to me, Lulu. Everything about you feels so incredibly right.”

“I’m scared.”

I shake my head, never wanting to hear those words from My Lulu. “Why?”

“Because… maybe… I feel like it’s right too.”

Moving one of my hands, I cup the back of her neck, tracing my thumb over the ridge of her scar. I brush my lips against her cheek.

And then it happens.

She moans.

That all-encompassing little moan that tells me she’s ready to be kissed. That sexy little moan I’ve played on repeat throughout my every fantasy for the past twelve years.

I thought I would never hear it again.

And here it is.

The best damn sound I’ve ever heard.

The second my mouth slants over hers, her lips part. She’s ready, she’s waiting. Except we don’t kiss. I just need a minute to feel her. So… we breathe. Her hot and heavy breath pours from her lungs into mine, giving me the oxygen I’ve been living without. Moaning, breathing, panting.

And just as my tongue is about to taste her for the first time in over a decade, all hell breaks loose.

Several loud screams erupt through the crowd, followed by laughing and cheering. The band falters off key. Someone bumps into us and spills a beer down my back. Trying to gather my senses, I glance at my immediate surroundings. The crowd has pushed in front of us, blocking the stage.

“Crutch!”

I spin around as soon as I hear Will scream my name. He’s at the back of the room, holding onto Raylee and pointing wildly at the stage. “Crutch! Get her!”

The crowd parts just enough for me and Lulu to see the culprit of the commotion.

Kristie.

She’s standing on top of one of the huge amplifiers, dancing and flashing her tits to the entire bar. Her shirt is completely off, and her bra is pulled down, trussing her bare breasts in the air.

“Oh my god,” Lulu’s gasp rings in my ears.

Suddenly, the portion of the audience filled with young—slightly drunk—and super-horny guys start to mob the front of the stage. Someone knocks into Lulu, bouncing her around like a pinball. Catching Ridge’s eye, I gently push Lulu toward him. Nodding, he races up to protect her. Off in the corner, I hear Ray yelling.

“Get the family in the back room,” I order Ridge.

I barge my way through the people and jump on the stage. The second, I block Kristie’s bare chest from public view, men and women alike fuss and boo. One jackass throws a beer bottle, and it crashes in an explosion of shards against the back wall. Knowing better than to touch Kristie’s naked body and force her bra back up, I order her to dress and come with me. She slaps me across the face. She’s too drunk to put any real force behind it, but it still pisses me off.

By this time, Will’s made his way to the stage. “Put your clothes back on and get down, Kristie! Are you fucking insane?”

She just laughs. A small bubble of spit flies from her mouth. She looks me in the eyes, and that’s when I see her pupils. Yep. High as a damn kite.

Ripping the clothes from my own body, I toss my T-shirt over her chest, covering her. Several women in the crowd shriek in delight. Scooping down, I tuck my body underneath her waist and toss her over my shoulder. Scrambling from the stage, I follow Will through the bar to the back storage room.

Good thing Kristie’s a woman. If she were a man, I’d strangle the last breath from her for ruining my kiss with Lulu.

And for leaving me with balls so blue they could be mistaken for Olympic-size blueberries.