This Time Around (Maybe #2)(18)
“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice hoarse.
“I’m not going to make love to you until you admit that you’re mine, and I know you aren’t ready to do that right now,” I tell her honestly. My dick protests, but for once, I ignore him and walk towards her door. I open it, turning back to face her. “I love you, Taiya,” I tell her. Then I walk out.
Chapter Ten
“Has Reid seen what you’re wearing?” I ask Summer, raising a sceptical eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she says, looking down at her tight white dress.
I make a choking sound. “I can see… everything.”
She rolls her eyes. “Since when do you care about seeing too much of a woman?”
“It’s you. It’s a little different. You’re not just any woman. You’re my future sister-in–law,” I complain.
Summer laughs at my sullen expression.
“And Taiya is going out with you. You both don’t need the added attention,” I tell her, scowling. Maybe I should go with them?
“You’re not coming with us. Taiya will be pissed,” she says, reading my mind. “Besides, Reid will be there, so stop worrying. And yes, Reid saw this dress. Why do you think it took me so long to get ready?”
I choose to ignore her comment, leaning back into the couch. Summer leaves the room, I assume to primp herself and I glance at the door once more, wondering when she’s going to arrive. I haven’t seen Taiya since the other day, when I walked out of her room and left her alone and naked. I went home and had three cold showers that night. Yes, three. I know Taiya; she would have let me make love to her, and then she would have pushed me away. I don’t think I could have taken it if she said it was a mistake. When I do make love to her, she will be ready to accept that we were made for each other. My brother walks into the room, wearing jeans and a black shirt. My eyes narrow when I realise it’s my black shirt. His hair is still damp from his shower. He looks at my expression and grins.
“A little jealous, are we?” he teases, running his hands through his hair.
“I could come, you know.”
“And ruin Taiyas’s girls’ night?”
I exhale loudly. “Never mind, I have a million things to do tonight anyway,” I lie. I have nothing to do. At all. I already cleaned the apartment this morning, so I can’t even do that. I suppose I could watch some TV, or something. Animal Planet might have a documentary on. For once, that doesn’t even sound appealing.
“Like what? Sit at home, watching Animal Planet and wishing you were out with Taiya instead?” he says with a smirk.
Sometimes it sucks that my brother knows me so well. Reid looks at me, and I don’t know what he sees, but his expression softens.
“It’s just a night out. I won’t let her out of my sight,” he says. He’s thinking I’m worried about her with other men. And while the thought kills me, it has been a year and she obviously would have been with someone else in that time. The thing that I’m so out of sorts about is that she will be there with my favourite people. Reid and Summer. Shouldn’t I be there too? My brother, my best friend and my wife are going out and I’m stuck at home. I feel like I’m a kid being put in the naughty corner.
“I know,” I say, forcing a smile. Reid shakes his head at me, leaving the room. The doorbell rings a few seconds later, and I instantly stand.
“I’ll get it, Ryan. Don’t you move,” Summer says as she enters the room, walking like a professional in her high heels. I hear the door open, and the sound of Taiya’s voice. A few seconds wait, and then the object of my obsession steps into the living room. Caramel curls frame her face, bouncing with each step. She’s wearing makeup on her face, but not too much, thank f*ck. A short black dress that shows off her thighs, and sparkly silver high heels. Images flash in my head about the things I want to do to her wearing nothing but those heels. Her emerald eyes widen when they see me, and then narrow.
“Ryan,” she says curtly, nodding her head.
“Hey Tay,” I say, taking in the beauty that is my wife. She gives me a weird look, one I can’t decipher. I used to be able to tell exactly what she was thinking. I wish I could just walk up to her and touch her. Hold her. Kiss those perfect lips. Isis steps in behind her, giving me a smirk and a small wave.
“Hey Isis.”
“Have a seat, girls. I’ll just be a sec,” Summer says, walking back into the bathroom.
“Do you girls want a drink?” I ask politely.
“Yes, please,” Taiya says, sitting down on the couch. “Whatever you have is fine.” Before I can go into the kitchen to get them something, Reid walks in holding a bottle of vodka, ice and orange juice.
“Hey Reid,” Taiya greets. “This is my friend Isis. Isis this is Reid.” Isis says hello, and I can see her plainly checking my brother out. Yeah, good luck with that one. Summer returns with a tiny little bag in her hand, takes a seat and starts talking with Taiya and Isis. I can tell she’s a little nervous. She’s not exactly a people’s person. I grin when she finishes her drink in a few gulps. Isis, on the other hand, chats away animatedly, like she’s known Summer her whole life. Taiya is a little more reserved, but still friendly. I see her looking over at me out of the corner of her eye. I don’t remove my gaze from her. When she walks into the kitchen to put her glass away, I take my chance.