The Life That Mattered (Life #1)(75)
“Go for it. Graham has been extra nice to me since the accident. I don’t think he’ll sweat over towels.”
I wet a cotton swab with fingernail polish remover and scrubbed at her nails. “Graham should be extra nice to you every single day. That was the deal.”
“What deal?”
I glanced up and winked. “The deal we made when I said I’d be his advocate to get you to fall in love with him. You’re on loan … from me. Wedding vows or not, he knows the deal that was made.”
“So if he breaks the deal, you get me back?”
“Yes.”
“And I’ll come live with you and Ronin?”
“Yes.” I focused on her nails and the stubborn polish.
“Will we have a threesome?”
“Hell to the no fucking way.”
She giggled. “Why not?”
“Because Ronin is a one-woman man.”
“How do you know? Have you asked him?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Lila cocked her head to the side.
“Because he’s not Graham. I don’t have to have threesome conversations with him. We’re married. We have two kids. That’s not our life.”
“But you did it with us in Vancouver.”
I paused and glanced up again, brow furrowed. “Seriously? That was years ago. And we didn’t ‘do it.’ We … messed around. Then I left. And you two ‘did it.’ No one was married. No kids. And it wasn’t my idea.”
“But you went along with it.”
I sighed. “Why are we having this conversation? You were the one who said we should never discuss it again.”
“Have you told Ronin? Does he know just how close your friendship is with Graham and me?”
Wiping her hand with the expensive white towel, I shook my head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Grr …”
Lila giggled. I hated that stupid conversation, but I sure did love her giggle. It meant so many things—she was alive, feeling better, and happy.
“Did you just growl at me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you’re on something. Did you start taking more pain meds?”
“No.”
“Marijuana?”
“Nope. I’m just high on life and feeling nostalgic, and I’m in the mood to walk down memory lane because my BFF is here and doing something really sweet for me.”
“I know … I’m pretty amazing.”
“You are. Let’s talk about your amazingness and why you didn’t tell your husband about that night in Vancouver.”
“Because it never came up. I’m not intentionally hiding it from him. I just haven’t told him about every thing I’ve ever done in my whole life. Remember when we went horseback riding in sixth grade and I fell and broke my arm?”
“Yeah.”
“Well…” I shrugged “…I don’t think I’ve ever told Ronin about it. If we got on the subject of broken limbs or horseback riding, I’m sure I’d tell him the story. But … we haven’t.”
“Maybe I should bring up that night in Vancouver sometime when we’re all together. I’d love to see the look on his face.”
“Why?”
“Because I think he would find it pretty hot.”
“No. He wouldn’t.”
“How can you say that?” she asked in disbelief.
“Because I’m his wife, the mother of his children. Maybe … just maybe he might have found humor in it or found it … slightly erotic before we got married. But not now. Graham is his friend. I think it would change their relationship.”
“You mean he doesn’t know that you slept with my husband in college?”
Again, I shot her a glare, giving her an incredulous look. “That just sounds horrible, Lila. Like Graham was your husband and I slept with him.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do. But if you said those words to anyone else, they would not know what you meant.”
“Do you think …” Her words faded.
“Do I think what?” I moved to her other hand, scrubbing off the polish.
“Do you think Graham will be attracted to me again?”
I stopped, unable to look up at her because I didn’t think I heard her correctly. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“How long do you think it will take for him to want to have sex with me again?”
“Well,” I resumed, “I think he shouldn’t expect that until you’re healed, and that could take a while.”
“What do you think he’ll do in the meantime?”
“Jerk off more.”
Lila snorted. “I’m serious.”
I shrugged. “So am I.”
“Do you think he’ll … wander?”
I snapped my head up. “What?”
Her lips twisted for a few seconds. “He has needs.”
“Lila Rae Porter … you had better be joking or dealing with some sort of PTSD. Why would you think for one second that Graham would cheat on you?”