Alive With You (Real Love #1) (5 page)

CHAPTER 6

Claire

I sat in the back of Starbucks waiting to meet the woman who would decide whether my work was good enough for the Penne Visa Gallery. The place was beautiful, newly renovated and modernized for a younger crowd. I was hoping my cinnamon dolce latte would ease my nerves, but it didn't, not one bit. Even though I felt like a shaky mess, my inner diva was in full control, and I was dressed to impress. I had borrowed Tyler's knee-length, gray dress and yellow thigh highs for a pop of color. Her gray stilettos were killing me already—I just don't get how some women wear them all the time—and as nice as they look, I couldn't wait to get them off. I sent Gavin a text saying I'd let him know as soon as the meeting was over. Just as I put my phone down, Ms. Sarah Jenkins walked in. She grabbed a latte and a scone and joined me at my table.

"Hi, I'm Sarah, you must be Claire."

She was pretty in a hard sort of way, like Gillian Anderson in
The X-Files
. The dress suit and her hair in the tight bun made her look older than her years. I wondered if she really was into Gavin; it could work to my advantage if she was. I'd pictured her wanting a more clean-cut type, although I assumed she'd only seen him in his work clothes with his hair pulled back. His handsome face and intoxicating eyes could attract anyone, but I couldn't see her on the back of his Harley.

"So, Mr. Price said you work at a tattoo shop."

"Well, I own the tattoo shop and the adjoining comic book store. Photography is a hobby for me, always has been." I pulled out my portfolio to show her the pictures from the party and of Tara.

"I love this one." She pointed at one of the pictures from last year.

Two people from the party were dressed as zombies from the 50s. The girl had on a white halter-top and pink poodle skirt, and she wore victory rolls in her hair. The guy looked like a zombie greaser with his slicked back hair and leather jacket.

"It was taken at Ace's Diner. I bought them a milkshake, put two straws in it, and they let me photograph them in exchange for a copy of the picture."

"These are wonderful, too. She's very beautiful. Who is she?"

"My friend Tara. She's a tattoo artist at my shop."

"Each photographer is allowed to bring six pictures to present. Bring as many copies as you like as well as business cards. I hope you choose one of your friend; it's up to you though. I'd like to buy one of her for the gallery, so I'll be in touch about that. Remember, Devil's Night at 6 o'clock. I'll email you details. Congratulations, Ms. Michaels!"

"Thank you so much, Ms. Jenkins!"

I shot Gavin a text telling him to come meet me and went to get another latte. As I sat back, I tried to take it all in. This was so exciting. Not only were my pictures going to be part of a real expo, but it would be on Devil's Night. I couldn't think of a theme more fun to do, except comics of course. I was pulled out of my trance when the door opened and Detective Morgan Rice strolled in. Rice had been Cole's partner since Cole made Detective when Audrey was four. He's also Gavin's cousin. Even though he's eye candy at its finest, he's the most arrogant man I've ever met. He's a light-skinned black man with striking green eyes, and his body looks like it's straight out of a men's fitness magazine. I had to admit there were times I wanted to run my hands over his smooth shaved head, but Cole would have killed me. I've tried to steer clear of him because, ever since I left Cole, he's been trying to get me to sleep with him. He's not used to hearing the word
no
from the ladies, so I'm pretty sure he's taken it as a personal challenge to get me into bed. I thought about telling Cole, but that would end badly; one would be dead and the other in prison.

Once he spotted me, he came over to say hi. He leaned in for a hug, so I followed his lead, hugging him back and hating every second of it. Before I knew it, his hands were creeping up the back of my dress, his fingertips just slightly under the bottom of my panties. I'm not sure how much was visible to onlookers, but they'd seen my garter belt at the very least.

"Hey, my love, you look mighty fine today."

I felt nauseous, partially because I'd been violated in the middle of Starbucks and partially because he thought the badge on his belt told him he could.

"Get your hands off me! I am not, nor will I ever be 'your love', so give it up. If you touch me again, I'm not going to have to tell Cole what a scumbag his partner is; he'll know it when I rip your dick off and use it to stir my coffee."

I heard a chair move behind us and a voice said, "Dude sit down, it's not our business, and he's a cop. She's not hurt, so don't play hero." I couldn't even bring myself to turn around and see who was behind me; sheer embarrassment wouldn't allow it.

"Those are some big words from such a pretty little thing. You'll give it to me one day; they always do. My cousin might not be man enough to keep trying, but I, my dear, can be very persuasive."

I had to laugh because I noticed Gavin standing right behind him.

The only reason Gavin didn't get any was bad timing. I wasn't ready to move on. If he weren’t my best friend, I'd have fucked him senseless by now; I still may.

Morgan noticed Gavin standing behind him and stormed off in a huff. "Well, Thanksgiving should be interesting this year."

"I'm in! I can display six pictures and bring as many copies as I want. She wants to buy one of Tara and keep it in the gallery. Gav, I can't even tell you how much this means to me. I'm thinking you should slip her some dick as a sign of gratitude, a special thank you for picking me."

"Either that, or we can discuss not being best friends anymore so you can fuck me senseless; I do believe those were your exact words. I'll even pick up the best friend title again afterwards."

"Don't you wish?" I scooped some whipped cream off my latte and slowly sucked it off my finger.

"You have no idea. Actually, I'm sure you do."

My phone rang; it was Tyler. She always had the knack of calling at the worst possible time.

"Hey, girl."

"So, are we celebrating tonight?"

"Yup, sure are. Holy shit, I have a crazy story for you."

"Cool, well, 9 o'clock at Brown's. Call Gavin and tell him to meet us."

"He's here with me. I'll tell him."

"I should have known he'd be locked to your hip since he's not at work."

"Goodbye, ass."

I ended the call and turned back to Gavin. "We're meeting at Brown's at 9 o'clock."

"No," he countered. "I'm picking you up for dinner at 6 o'clock. Let's have the Three Amigos be an amigo short for a little bit. It doesn't have to be a date, just some time for us." He kissed my forehead and said, "Sweeter than a thousand!"

I got in my car and called Tyler back to tell her everything, the meeting, Rice, and all that had happened with Gavin.

"Tyler, I just can't shake him. The man made me cum twice in the span of ten minutes, and he barely touched me."

"Holy shit! Enough is enough; just get on your knees already."

"I just might. Dinner is at 6 so come dress me at 5."

"I'll be there at 4:30 so we can do your hair. I want you looking irresistible"

"It's not a date, Ty. It's just dinner."

"If it was just dinner then I'd be invited. Gotta go, though. I'll see ya soon."

Tyler actually showed up on time with a tote bag full of God knows what and a bottle of wine.

"You pour, I'll go set out the clothes." I think she was almost as excited as I was.

I had the same butterflies I did when Tyler primped me for prom. We were each other's dates and had an absolute blast. Quite a few disappointed boys had asked her, but she wanted us to be the real life Romy and Michelle.

I poured our wine and headed up to my room for some girlie fun. She had my king size bed covered with a mix of my clothes and hers. There were so many outfits I wondered how she'd done it in the short time I was downstairs.

"Ty, I told you it's not a date, and I'm not getting all dressed up to go to Brown's after. Besides, he knows I'm not the princess type. I'm going as myself."

"How about a compromise? I'll pick the pants and shoes; you pick the shirt and hairstyle. I want you to wear my black leather pants with a tee shirt of your choice. Wear your biker boots with it and you'll look hot as hell."

I pulled out my red Mrs. Vincent Elliot shirt and leather cuffs. "Well?"

"Perfect! If Penny and Leonard from
The Big Bang Theory
had a daughter, it would be you!"

After I got dressed and did my makeup, she packed her bag up. "I'm taking your black corset top to wear and your black boots." She softly kissed my lips and smiled. "You really do look beautiful, Claire."

CHAPTER 7

Gavin

Why did I say it wasn't a date? What the hell was I thinking?
I scolded myself the whole way to her house.
She let me put my fingers inside her; there's no way she'd turn down a dinner date. I just need her to take that damn ring off. Moving it isn't enough, I need it off completely.
When I got there, I went right in. I loved having the key to her house; it made it seem like we were a real couple.

"Where are you, baby girl?"

"I'm in the kitchen letting Calvin in."

I went to get her, and she was bent over petting him. Good God, what a sight. The top of her red lace thong was showing a little. I swear I wanted to rip it off and bend her over the kitchen table. It was getting a lot harder to control myself with her; I wasn't sure how much longer I could. She turned to me and smiled, and I had to act like I wasn't lost in my own dirty mind.

"Hey beautiful, I love those pants on you."

"Thanks! I was hoping you would."

"Oh, were you? It's nice to know you dress to impress me, although wearing no clothes would impress me even more." I kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug. "Where do you want to go for dinner? Your choice."

"How's Red Robin sound? I could use some beef in my life." She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

"Well then, lets skip dinner, I got your beef right here!" I pulled our hands down to my dick to make her laugh. I loved her beautiful smile.

"You're nasty! It does sound tempting, but if I get you into my bed, we aren't getting out. Let's go, lover boy!"

"Burgers it is!"

She loved those burgers with the pineapple on them; it's the only thing she orders when we come here. I watched her as she bit into her burger, and some of the sauce stayed at the corner of her lip. I couldn't help myself, and I wiped it away with my thumb and sucked it off. I felt a flutter in my stomach. It's the closest I've been to those luscious lips. Why does this girl make me feel like a lovesick teenager?

"I don't know whether to feel like a slob or blush."

"If we go with blush, then that means I'm doing something right."

After dinner, we had about an hour to kill so we went to the beach to talk. I drove the truck right up to the shoreline, and we hopped into the bed. It felt so right, just lying there under the starry sky. We joked around about the Sasha situation and talked about the expo a bit but ended up just lying there, her cuddled into my chest.

Looking at me with a sweet yet serious expression, she said, "Have you ever just stopped and paid attention to how beautiful the moon is? Everyone talks about or wishes on stars, but not many people talk about the moon."

"I guess I really haven't."

"I used to tell Audrey the moon was special because it was the one thing we could look at and know that, no matter how far away from each other we were, we would be looking at the same big, beautiful moon. She loved the moon." She lifted her head to look at me. "If I ever get to have another baby, maybe I'll name him or her Luna."

"After that song you love?"

"No, silly,
luna
is the Spanish word for moon."

All I could do was gaze into her big blue eyes and smile. She amazed me; every word she said made me love her more. I wanted to tell her how much I love her, but I promised myself I wouldn't until she took the ring off. A small tear ran down her cheek, and her beautiful pink lips started to quiver. I twirled some of her long hair around my finger and ran my thumb down her cheek, tracing the path of the tear. I knew she wanted me to kiss her; I could see it in her eyes, but I just couldn't.

"Time to go, baby girl, it's almost 9. Thanks for the one-on-one time. I liked having you all to myself."

"Anytime, I loved it! Just between us, I don't like the idea of sharing you with anyone."

CHAPTER 8

Claire

We pulled into Brown's, and I saw Tyler waiting outside looking as gorgeous as ever. Her size D breasts are bigger than mine usually, but in my corset, they were massive.

"Damn, she looks good!"

"Ahhh, is that why I got shot down? Did you switch teams on me?" His grin was evil and made those dimples I loved show. "Now, that's a show I'd love to watch!"

"No watching today, big boy. I'm just admiring the view tonight. My question is why didn't you try to scoop her up?

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think she's beautiful, but let's just say"—he slowly ran his hand up my thigh until his fingers squeezed between my legs—"my sights are set elsewhere. Lucky for me, I'm a very patient man. Let's go before she kicks my ass for making her wait."

Tyler came running up and slapped my ass hard. "Damn, you look good in my pants. I'm sure you look hotter out of them though." Her gaze crept up to Gavin's.

He stood between us. "Hey now, little lady, nobody's smackin' that but me!"

"I know I'm loved, but I'm going inside. You can fight over my ass in there!"

Dave saw us walk in. "Look who it is: My dynamic duo, Blondie and Little Miss Trouble!" He ran up and gave us our regular bear hug, and the barely legal blonde he had been sitting with gave us looks that could kill.

"Looks like your youngster is feeling a little left out, Dave." Ty laughed and waved at her.

"Stop Ty, you know the old man needs some young pussy before he can sleep at night."

Dave noticed Gavin with us and shook his hand. "I'm Dave, and I own this dump."

"I'm Gavin. I'm the guy responsible for turning your dynamic duo into the three amigos!"

"Well, in that case, Gavin, go get my girls their drinks and tell the bartender your stuff's on the house. I've got a young lady to tend to!"

We made our way to one of the round bar tables next to the jukebox. I knew the free play code so I intended to bring down the house tonight. First on the list was "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet. That song makes me and Tyler dance like fools even when we're sober, so what better way to start the fun?

Gavin came back with round one. "Coronas for my queens!"

"Thanks, homie!" Tyler grabbed her beer and started singing to me as if the bottle was a microphone.

"Thank you, my king." I blew him a kiss and winked

My fingers grazed his hand as I took the bottle. I looked him straight in the eyes as I drank my beer, giving flirty smiles between sips. I had the power; I'd make him mine. He stepped closer and pressed me against the table. As his soft hair grazed my cheek, my heart began to race, goosebumps ran up my arms, and my legs turned shaky and weak. This man was my kryptonite.

He whispered in my ear, "I'm not sure where you're going with all the extra flirting, baby girl, but if your goal is to make me hard, it's working."

Softly biting my neck, he rubbed his erection over my hip just enough for me to know it was there. He gave me a small peck on the cheek and stepped back. I was so frustrated; I was supposed to be the tease. His phone rang, and I couldn't take my eyes off his perfect ass when he stepped outside to talk.

"What the hell did I just see?" Tyler's gaze alternated between me and the door. "Just fuck him already. Save the lovemaking for round two because you need it rough and dirty the first time." She leaned against the jukebox, pointing and laughing at me. "You're so wet right now that even
I
can feel it."

Just then, I heard a familiar voice behind me, but I couldn't place it. "I like your shirt."

"Sorry buddy, but that line is reserved for girls with titties popping out." I started to turn around. "I'm not inter—" Words escaped me when I saw him, my TV husband, the one and only Winston Ryan, and man, did he look good.

"I was wondering if I could buy my wife"—he pointed at my shirt—"and her incredibly sexy friend a drink."

Tyler blushed, and she was speechless. In twenty years of friendship, I've never once seen Tyler speechless. She liked him more than I did. She was all about the show, but I'm pretty sure she only watched it because of him. His co-star, Dylan Cross, was cuter. They did a good job making Dylan look like a bad boy for the show, but in all the off-screen pictures I've seen since he shaved of his beard three seasons ago, he had more of a pretty boy look.

"Do you lovely ladies have names?"

"I'm Claire, and my slightly star-struck friend over there is Tyler."

"It's nice to meet you. Tyler, I have to say it's a good thing that you're the one who struck my fancy because I'm very fond of my dick, and word on the street is that Claire likes to use them to stir her coffee." He stepped closer to Tyler. "Would I be out of line if I said I'd like to make you very fond of it as well?"

"Um, maybe, but I'm not going to fall on my knees just because you ask me to. You need to try a little harder if you want me."

"Well then, I love a good challenge. Can I at least get you ladies to go trade shirts? I'm enjoying the view in that one but I'd love to see my name spread across those beauties."

I hated to break up the steamy conversation, but I couldn't help it. "Wait, were you in the coffee shop today? Was it you who almost said something?"

"No, that was Dylan; I was the asshole who made him sit down. We can't get in trouble with the law, and it seemed like that's exactly what would have happened. You seemed to have it under control anyway; he ran off with his tail between his legs."

"Dylan, as in Dylan Cross? Like Aaron Dean, President of Brothers of Mayhem?" I realized how overly excited I must have seemed because even Tyler laughed at me. "I just sounded like a teenage fangirl, didn't I?"

There he was, walking up to us with his hands full of beer. His thick, black hair was gelled into a spiky mess. His sharp jawline made the defined cleft in his chin more noticeable, and he had the most awkward smile. "Hi, I'm Dylan. We were hoping to make a few new friends. Do you mind if we join you?"

"Not at all. I'm Claire and this is Tyler."

"I saw a guy with you so I grabbed five beers. Did he leave?"

I felt Gavin squeeze my hips and push his body against me, like he was claiming me. Call me crazy, but him being so territorial was such a turn-on.

"No, I'm right here. He turned to me and smiled. "That was the babysitter. Miles is sick, but my Mom is going to go stay at my house tonight so I don't have to leave. I told her I was with you, and I didn't even have to ask."

"What can I say? She loves me!"

Tyler chimed in. "Winston wants me and Claire to switch shirts so he can claim my rack." She grabbed his beard and made him face her. "If he plays his cards right, he may end up claiming a lot more before the night is over."

"I see, so is Mr. Cross trying to snap you up?" I could see the jealousy burning in his eyes."

"As gorgeous as she is, I'm a married man. I also get the impression she's taken."

"I'm not taken by anyone…
yet
!"

Gavin ran his fingers down my cheek and kissed the tip of my nose. "Go trade shirts then meet me outside. We need to talk about this...us."

Tyler grabbed my hand and looked at Winston. "Five minutes and I'm all yours!"

We hurried off to the bathroom as requested. Was this really happening? Had today really happened? I was on cloud nine. Not only did I get into this awesome expo, but I was hanging out with two of my favorite celebrities. Not to mention, I would probably leave here as Gavin's girlfriend.

"Claire, tell me I'm not a whore. We both know this isn't my style at all. What would you do if you were me? Be honest with me."

"Dude, it's Winston Ryan. If I wasn't crazy in love with Gavin, I'd be begging you to share. Get some dick and tell me all about it in the morning!"

I walked out the front door of Brown's just in time to see a woman with her back to me leaning into Gavin and running her fingers through his hair. I felt a huge pit form in my stomach, and I instantly needed to throw up. Then I saw him push her off him. My excitement turned to anger, and the hurt turned to fury. She turned around, and all I saw was black. It was Lark. The beautiful Lark, Cole's mistress. I hated her for her ugly soul but had to admit she was gorgeous on the outside. Her flawless, caramel-colored skin, perfect blonde curls, and emerald green eyes gave her the most exotic look I'd ever seen.

"Hey lover, long time no see. I saw you and figured I'd introduce myself to your new arm candy." She glanced at Gavin. "I thought about taking a ride on the last one, but rocker boy tattoo artists aren't my thing. This one, on the other hand, is very pretty. It might take some work, but I'm sure I'll have him on his knees, too. I'll even let you watch...for old times' sake."

She knew how to get under my skin and did a damn good job of it. Once I left Cole, he dropped her like a hot potato thinking it would make me come back. She must have really loved him in her own twisted way because she still held a grudge all these years later.

My blood was boiling, and I felt myself turning into a different person, one I never knew existed. "Bitch, if you're smart, you'll back the fuck up right now. Walk away before I beat your ass to the ground."

"Says the little one who curls up and cries. I've watched you crumble; I'm not afraid of you one bit."

Gavin ran in to get Tyler, I assumed, to try and stop a fight that was obviously coming. I stepped up to her, face-to-face, my shaky fists clenched tight. Ty and Gavin stood there watching. I've never been quite sure why they didn't break it up. I'm not a fighter, so this rush of adrenaline was all new to me; I couldn't control it.

"You knew a different me, a weak and battered wife. I was never afraid of you; I was afraid of Cole. So my question is: Princess, do you really miss the taste of my pussy so bad that you'll try and suck off every man I'm with, or are you just a bitter whore? Either way, you're pathetic."

I saw her pull back her fist to swing so I stepped back, grabbed her by the hair, and planted my fist into her face...twice. I think I broke her nose because blood gushed everywhere and mixed with her tears. It was such a rush to know I had it in me, that I could put her in her place. I felt Tyler pull me off her and start dragging me to the truck. "You want more?" I called out. "Come find me, bitch." Tyler threw me into Gavin's truck and slammed the door.

I watched Tyler give Winston a kiss on the cheek and smile. She shrugged her shoulders. I heard her even through the closed window. "I'm sorry; that bitch had it coming, though. I'm actually kind of proud of Claire for finally standing up to her. If you guys want to follow us to her house that would be awesome, but if not, I totally understand. Either way, it was amazing to meet you. Who would have thought my TV crush would be so awesome in real life...and think I'm hot!"

Winston gave her a smile. "Well you're all mine tonight so I guess we're coming. Lead the way, gorgeous."

On the way home, nothing was said, and I just stared at my bloody hands. I could tell Gavin was pissed off, but I didn't regret it, no matter how childish it was. At my house, he flopped on the couch, and I went upstairs to clean up. I was so tired of trying to impress him, trying to seduce him, and all the back and forth. After washing my face and hands, I looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. I slipped on some sweats and a tank top. It was time to get back to the basics, back to being me. By the time I got downstairs, everyone was sitting there talking. God only knows what was going through Dylan's and Winston's head. They all looked up, and I couldn't hold my tongue anymore.

"Gavin, I can't do this anymore, all the flirty games we play. They're fun, but this whole situation is driving me crazy. Look at us; we're a goddamn Taylor Swift song waiting to be written. That girl fucked my husband for years, and I did nothing. Tonight, I broke her nose just for touching your hair. What do I need to do to show you that I want you, that you're the one? What's it going to take for you to want me?"

"Claire it's not that simple."

"Why not? Why won't you be straight with me? I was damn near naked in bed with you the other night, and all you did was say goodnight; then earlier you pull what you did in the back of my shop, and tonight you're back to not wanting me. Am I too late? Is there someone else that you don't want to tell me about?"

"
Someone else?
Are you insane? I haven't touched another woman since the day I met you. I've been waiting all this time for you to be ready. For the last two years, I've been competing with a goddamn ghost, Claire. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is? I'm not giving you all of me until I know that I have
all
of you." He raked his hands through his hair trying to calm down. "You left Cole; you took your daughter and left. Kayleb died saving your life, trying to save Audrey's. If that accident hadn't happened, we'd have never met, and you'd be married to him."

"I'm ready; I've been ready. Why won't you believe me? I've been in love with you for so long and felt guilty for it. Guilt was the only thing holding me back. Well, fuck guilt; I love you. I love you, and I love Miles."

He lowered his voice. "Then why do you still wear his ring? You should be wearing my ring. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to adopt Miles so we can be a real family, but I need to know I'm the only one in your heart. I won't share my wife with anyone, alive or dead."