What Lovers Do(45)

He kisses me. Asshole. Really. Worst friend ever.

I push at his chest to no avail. He slides a finger under my shorts and my panties like a pro with stealth precision. And … oh my god … my knees start to buckle. Then he pulls his lips away but leaves his fingers between my legs. Heat blooms along my cheeks and need makes its way to the very spot his fingers are stroking.

For fuck’s sake. We’re in public, even if I don’t see anyone around us. There’s Google satellites and shit like that.

Need wins.

I lunge for him, eager to have his mouth on mine again. But … he denies me. And he does it with so much cockiness I could rip his throat out with my teeth.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

He backs away from me, dragging his fingers (those fingers) along his bottom lip. Then he swipes his tongue along the same path. “Told ya. See you Friday. I’ll text you the time and location.”

There’s not enough time to pull myself together or concoct the right comeback. In a flash, he and his dogs are twenty-five yards away without so much as a glance back at the remains of me and my scorched dignity.





CHAPTER TWENTY





“I filed a complaint with the court to begin the eviction process,” I say to Jules as we watch her kids swim in the pool. Her husband is out of town for a few days, so I offered to buy pizza for her crew in exchange for pool time and BFF therapy, even if I do know it’s going to lead to a major lecture.

“He’s a dick. The world’s biggest dick. I get why you’re not supposed to tell him about the pregnancy, but still … if he ever did love you or love himself for that matter, he’d move out and move on.”

“Jimmy purchasing a new driveway complicates things a bit. It’s ridiculous, just incomprehensible. It’s my house. I didn’t ask him to do that. So does that mean I can put a pool in my neighbors’ backyard while they are out of town, and I’m magically entitled to live with them?”

“Exactly. This just blows my mind. You should be able to call the police and say you broke up with your boyfriend and he won’t leave your house, and they should remove him from the premises. Period. I mean … could you get a restraining order against him? Surely they can’t let someone live in your house if they pose a danger to you.”

“I can’t go down that road. I have a reputation as a business owner in this town. I’m not going to let Jimmy drag it through the mud unless I can’t avoid it. And sadly, I fear it’s headed in that direction. But I want to do it honestly.”

“You’re a better woman than I am. Kylie, don’t splash your sister!”

I lean my head back and soak up the remaining sunlight of the day.

“So … how long are we going to beat around the bush? Do you think it’s time we discuss your trip to Sedona?”

“There’s nothing to tell. We golfed. Walked Cersei on the trails. Lounged by the pool. Ate good food. Chatted.”

“Had sex?”

“No.”

“Sophie.”

“We didn’t.” I stare at the pool.

“Sophie.”

“Jules,” I mimic her like a child.

“Sophie.”

“We just talked.”

“Body language?”

I can’t. She’s too good. I snort. “It’s … not …”

“You need help, Sophie. Your behavior is self-destructive. Have you thought about seeing a therapist?”

A therapist? God … I can’t imagine what a therapist would do with the details of my life. The real ones and the “fake” ones.

“Okay, here’s the thing …” I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the lounge chair, giving her my full attention.

“Oh good. I’ve been waiting for the thing.”

“He’s not real—”

“Oh, Sophie …” She facepalms her forehead.

“Just hear me out, Jules. I had no plans of pursuing Shep. None. But he called me, and I enjoyed talking with him. And taking the dogs to the park. Topgolf. Lunch. More talking on the phone. I don’t tell him about my life and all its problems. He doesn’t tell me about his.”

That’s a half lie.

“I can’t expedite the removal of Jimmy from my house. And I can’t change my mind about this pregnancy, not that I want to. I don’t. This pregnancy is the one thing in my life that I feel most certain about. And because of this baby, I don’t want to feel stressed all the time. It’s not good for the baby. When I’m with Shep, it’s like all the stress in my life disappears. It’s easy with him. No stress. No expectations. Shep World is a fantasy. And sometimes, I need that fantasy. He’s a good book. He’s a break from life to meditate. A vacation. A long jog to clear my head. He’s the best guy at the worst time, but we’re making it work.”

Jules lifts her sunglasses onto her head. “What does that mean, making it work?”

“I mean, it’s mutually beneficial. I’ve been completely upfront with him. We’re living in the moment with no expectations.”

“You’ve been upfront with him? So he knows about Jimmy? Knows about the baby?”