I meet with two brides who I make a note to call back tomorrow for confirmation, and when I finally look outside, I see the sun is starting to go down, and the office is eerily quiet. The phone rings in my hand, and I look down and see his name. Bennett is calling. My stomach gets tight, and my heart speeds up, but I push it all down and away. I think about not answering, but by the second ring, my finger is swiping the screen. "Presley Baker." I close my eyes when I hear his chuckle.
"Hey, gorgeous." His voice comes out smooth, and right away, I'm back to being sixteen years old. It was then that I fell in love with him. He was and still is my brother Travis's best friend and, to this day, the only man I've ever been with. "Where are you?"
"Work," I say, walking back to my office. "Where are you?"
"Just got out of a meeting." I hear him huff out, and then a car door slams, and I know he's in his car. "What are we doing for dinner?" he asks me, and I roll my eyes. "You can stop rolling your eyes, gorgeous."
"One, I've told you to stop calling me that." But you love it, my head screams out to me. "And two, I didn't roll my eyes." I hear him chuckle, and the butterflies start in my stomach. "And three, I'm busy."
"Really?" he says as I hear the call switch from his phone to his Bluetooth. "That's too bad because I was going to grab a couple of those burgers from the place you like."
"Smooth." I look at the clock. "When will you be home?"
"About forty-five minutes," he says, and I think about an excuse. I should just go home and soak in a tub.
What I should not do, is go to him. "Fine, I'll meet you at your place." I don't even bother saying goodbye. I just disconnect on him. I ignore the laughing in my head while I close up my things, and forty-five minutes later, I pull up to his house at the same time as he does. I'm about to open my door when I turn and see him there opening the door for me. "Annoying," I mumble when he holds his hand out to me, and I grab it. The hammering in my chest calms as soon as I step out and come face-to-face with him.
His black hair pushed back to the side, his five o'clock shadow already showing. His musky smell fills my nose as he takes a step in. "Hi, gorgeous," he says, wrapping one arm around my waist and then bending to kiss my lips. "I missed you."
Chapter 2
Bennett
I wait for her to walk out of the bedroom before I open my eyes, blinking a couple of times to get used to the darkness. The sound of her creeping around the bedroom always wakes me up. I flip the covers off me and get out, grabbing my boxers that were thrown on the floor last night when we got upstairs. It started on the couch, and then by the time we got upstairs, we were both frantic with need. There was a trail of clothing all the way to the bedroom. I smile to myself, knowing she's going to be searching for her panties that I tucked into the couch when I pulled her on me to straddle my lap.
Walking out of the bedroom, I try my best not to make any noise. The sun is slowly coming up, but it's still dark out, yet I can make out her face with the soft light coming from the kitchen. Every time I see her, I'm always taken aback by how gorgeous she is. She tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear as she moves from the stairs to the living room, picking up the discarded clothes as she makes her way around the house.
I see her looking for her panties and have to roll my lips before I make a noise. She finally gives up, grabbing one of her shoes and then walking a couple more steps until she finds the other one. She doesn't put them on for fear that she will make a noise. I take a couple of steps down until I'm in the middle of the staircase. I see her grabbing her purse that she left on the table in the hallway. She holds her shoes and purse close to her chest as she tiptoes to the front door. Her black hair sways side to side as she makes her way to the door. I shake my head. She's snuck out of my house every time she's stayed here. I wait for her hand to unlock the door before I speak. "See you tonight." Her hand stops on the handle, and her body goes tense. It's the first time I've gotten out of bed and confronted her on her way out. "Do you want to stay and have some coffee?" I roll my lips when she shakes her head and opens the door. "Have a good day, gorgeous." She doesn't turn back to look at me. Instead, she walks out and slams the door behind her, making me burst out laughing. "Presley, Presley, Presley," I say to myself as I walk down the rest of the steps toward the front door.
Pulling it open, I lean against the doorjamb and watch her walk to her car. The whole time, my eyes are on her perfect ass. Folding my arms over my chest, I look around the neighborhood, finding not one single house has lights on. The only sounds are the birds chirping. She looks over at me when she opens her car door, and I see the smile she is trying to hide by rolling her eyes as she gets into her car. When she looks over at me, it's with a glare as I smile and wave at her, no doubt pissing her off even more. She takes off with her head shaking, and I wait until I can't see her before I walk back into the house and close the door behind me. "I'm so fucked," I say out loud as I walk over to the kitchen and see that it's just a little bit after five in the morning. Turning on the television to the news, I make my coffee, wishing she’d stayed. My chest gets tight when I think about it, and I ignore it just like I always do.
Getting involved with Presley was the best thing that I've ever done, hands down, and a decision I will never, ever regret. Was it a smart move? Probably not. Did I want to go back and change how it happened? Fuck no. It was our history, and it was always going to be how we became. Was I tired of her sneaking out all the time and not staying? One hundred and fifty million percent yes.
Twelve years ago, I was at the bar a town over when I spotted her coming in. She had just turned eighteen a couple of months before, so I knew she had a fake ID to even get into this place. I watched her laugh with a couple of friends before she felt me staring, and when she did, she looked up at the ceiling. She also mouthed, “Motherfucker,” before she came over to me. My cock literally rose to the occasion, and I internally yelled at it, telling him that she was off-limits. I knew the look she was giving me was trouble. I just didn't know how much. I leaned into the bar and ignored the way my body was reacting to her. I ignored the screaming that was going on in my head. I ignored the fact that she was my best friend's little sister. I. Ignored. It. All. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, could have prepared me for what came out of her mouth next. "Hey, I need you to do me a huge favor." She leaned on the bar and then took my bottle of beer from my hand, bringing it to her mouth. At that point, so many things were going through my head. She wants me to lie about seeing her. She wants me to drive her home so she can drink. She wants me to pretend that I don't know her. I mean, the scenarios were endless. But nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for what she said next. "Can we have sex?"
I pour the coffee in the cup and laugh at the memory. I was both shocked and aroused. Also, I told her no right away. I take a sip of the coffee and head over to the couch, grabbing my iPad. I put the coffee down on the side table and look around at the almost empty house. It's coming along for sure, but I've been dragging my feet waiting for Presley to add her touch to it. Even without her knowing, I smile when I think about her. Every single part of me is in love with her.