Avoiding Intimacy (3 page)

“Oh, shut up. It’s Jack.”

“Don’t I know it?”

“Anyway,” Lexi drawled out, “how is Milan? Anything new?”

Besides her aching backside? “I’m about to change into my outfit for Glam Ball. It starts in an hour or so,” Chyna told her.

“Are you still the focus or whatever?

That’s a pretty killer opportunity.”

“Yeah. I am.”

“And…” Lexi prompted.

Damn, she knew her too well
.

“There’s this fashion designer—“

Lexi immediately started laughing. “Of course there is.”

“Whatever, chica. I don’t know what to do about him.” Chyna hated admitting it.

As furious as she was with Marco, she wasn’t sure she actually wanted to give up whatever they had.

“Give him up and come home.” Chyna wished it was that easy. “New York is where you’re meant to be. You own New York City,” Lexi reminded her. “I didn’t think any guy would change that.”

“It’s not that he’s changing that.” Man, it was weird for Alexa to be the one giving advice. “He’s just a complication.”

“Speaking of complicated—” Lexi began.

“What else have you gotten yourself into?”

“Not me! I’m talking about your complicated. I’ve been hanging out with Adam lately…”

The sentence hung in the silence.

Chyna tried to push Adam out of her brain.

She didn’t need to think about him. They had made the right choice in breaking it off before she left. She wasn’t a good girlfriend in New York, so she would be a terrible one halfway across the world.

Why was she even still thinking about Adam?

She couldn’t help it though. “How is he doing?” she asked.

“He’s alright, C. We’ve been an interesting pair this past week—two heart-torn lovers and all,” she said with a giggle. Chyna couldn’t miss it, not from Alexa.

“Sorry I couldn’t be there. I’d totally watch you veg on pot after pot of black coffee and gallons of double chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream.”

“While you ate carrots and complained about being fat?”

“Only when I am fat,” she told her, knowing full well that she was
far
from fat.

“Miss you, C,” Lexi said softly. “I miss my no-nonsense best friend.”

Was that her? Then, why did she take nonsense from every guy she actually thought she wanted?

A knock on the door brought her back to reality. Tonight was Glam. “I miss you, too, Alexa. I’ll be home before you know it, and I’ll let you drag me to Serendipity despite the calories. But, right now, I have a show to put on.”

MARCH FOUR MONTHS EARLIER

“Frederick, darling, don’t you love this?” Chyna asked, pointing at a crystal-cut vase.

“Don’t you have one like that already?” he asked, placing a hand on his hip.

God, why did he have to be gay?

“Don’t act like you know my entire collection.”

“Honey, I fucking picked out your collection. Remember who has the good taste in the relationship. If I leave you alone, you’ll probably strip down the black leather sofas again and add animal print and bamboo,” he cried dramatically.

“Then, don’t leave me again, fucker,”

she said, walking away from the crystal display.

“Don’t be such a cunt then,” he said as a matter-of-fact.

She loved him! Any man who used the c-word as a compliment was someone she could appreciate.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do you want to get lunch? I know this incredible vegan cuisine a block from here. To die for. I took my boyfriend, Dallas—”

Chyna

groaned,

interrupting

his

statement.

“there last week. Also, shut up, hooker. And, he fell in love!”

“With you or the food?”

“Well, when I took him home and fucked his brains out…me.”

“Well played.”

“Thank you,” he said with a knowing smirk. “So, lunch?”

“I can’t. I have to meet my boyfriend, Adam—”

Frederick groaned, mimicking her.

“Adam. Also, groan all you want.

Take me on a silver platter at your convenience,” she said, spreading her arms wide.

“You couldn’t handle it, sweetheart.”

He patted her arm sympathetically.

“Bring it,” she challenged.

Frederick just laughed and followed her out of the boutique. They walked arm and arm down Madison Avenue. Chyna wrapped her cashmere scarf tighter around her neck, bracing against the winter temperatures. They both paused before the new store being constructed on their favorite stretch of Madison.

There was an endless amount of buzz about the new store. An up-and-coming Italian designer had broken Madison before he turned thirty years old. She had hardly been able to believe it until his one-of-a-kinds started circulating in her group of friends. She had been shocked by their style, elegance, and creativity.

Today, they had unveiled the gorgeous, shiny gold sign that topped the Italian boutique—Marco’s.

She practically salivated at the store. It was more than perfect. It was her— everything she loved and more.

“Fuck. I can’t wait to get my hands on those clothes,” she said.

“You and everyone else in the city, hun.”

“Why haven’t I requested him to commission something for me yet?” she asked Frederick, reluctantly walking away from the display.

“Probably because he’s not taking orders,” he reminded her.

“Right. Damn. Bad timing for him to go pre-made on me,” she complained.

“Yes, how inconsiderate of him to expand his career. Doesn’t he know better?” Frederick asked with dripping sarcasm.

“I know, right?! Doesn’t he know who I am?”

“I doubt men with that much drive care, sweetie.”

“I’d make him care,” she said with a knowing smirk.

“You’d just get your ass in trouble.”

“Probably,” she agreed with a giggle.

“But, I like trouble.”

“Don’t we all?”

“Anyway, girlfriend duties to attend to.

Gotta go, lover.” She kissed both of his cheeks before darting across the street to her waiting town car.

Chyna hopped in the backseat and rode off of Madison Avenue. She was supposed to meet Adam at the gym, and then they were going to go get lunch. She was a little early, but that was alright. She liked to see him all sweaty.

Rounding the corner toward the New York Sports Club, her driver pulled up in front of the building.

“You don’t have to wait today, Carl.

Adam likes to drive for some unknown reason. Take the rest of the night off.”

“Thank you, Miss Chyna. Have a nice night.”

“You, too, Carl.”

Chyna exited the town car and rushed quickly into the empty gym. The attendant waved her through. She had been here enough that they all recognized her now.

“I think he’s on the basketball courts,”

the young perky blonde directed.

She couldn’t have been older than eighteen. Probably getting lost in the city, trying to pursue her dream. Chyna wondered what that was like. She had never loved anything enough to do that.

Pushing aside those thoughts, she opened the door to the courts and entered, slipping silently into the room. Adam was there with one other guy playing one-on-one ball. Both guys were covered in sweat, drenching through their cut-off shirts. Adam’s longish hair was a mop, sticking to his forehead and slinging around as he attempted to maneuver around his opponent. He was so cute and aggressive when he didn’t know she was watching.

Her eyes moved to his opponent just as he stole the ball from Adam. Her eyebrows rose when she got a closer look at him. Hello! Excuse me, who the hell was he? He was even in height with Adam but broader. Gah, those shoulders! His hair was very short brown, almost military cut, but it worked for him. And, tattoos—she was such a sucker for well-placed tattoos. She could see one etched into the inside of his left bicep, and when he raised his arms, another one was written across the side of his right ribs.

Where else do you have those?

Tattoo Guy pulled a sharp pivot move on Adam, passed him, and did a layup, scoring. “Game,” he said, raising his eyebrows and that lovely left arm into the air.

Hmm…what was written there?

“Fuck!” Adam cried. “I hate that move.”

“Gets you every time,” he said with a lazy smile.

Oh, this guy was used to winning
.

Interesting
.
She knew Adam was really, really good.

Breaking the confrontation, Chyna walked her heeled feet on the court. The clicking noise drew both of their attention.

Yep, there it was
—interest.

“Hey, baby,” Adam said, rushing over to her with a big goofy grin on his face.

He brushed a kiss across her lips, careful not to get her sweaty.

“Hey,” she said, breaking into a smile.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to introduce you two, but there was never a good moment. This is my older brother, John.”

Well, fuck
.

“John, this is my girlfriend, Chyna.”

“Nice to meet you,” John said, sticking out his right hand.

She shook it, making eye contact.

Well, it
’
was still there
.
Perhaps, John was thinking
fuck
, too. Adam’s brother was gorgeous. There were similarities between the two, but fucking hell if John wasn’t exactly the kind of guy she normally went for. Just her type.

“You, too. I didn’t realize you were in town.”

“Yeah, I have the long weekend off before I have to fly to Japan on business.”

“Oh, interesting. So glad Adam clued me in,” she said, glancing at her boyfriend.

“Can’t be mad at him. I never told him.

I just never know when I’ll be in the city.”

“Ah,” she said with a smile.

“Hey, we’re gonna go clean up, and then let’s get lunch. We won’t be long,”

Adam told her.

“Alright. I’ll just wait out front.”

Chyna stole a glance at John once more before exiting. He was staring at her rather attentively, his eyes smoldering.

She made a hasty retreat. Not good.

She walked off the court and back over to the front desk area. The blonde attendant was on the phone talking insistently to a girlfriend of hers rather loudly. Chyna tried to tune her out as her thoughts drifted to what had just happened.

She didn’t want to be attracted to her boyfriend’s brother. This had never been a problem before because…well, she had never had a boyfriend that she stuck with for more than a couple of weeks. There was something about Adam that she really liked. She wasn’t sure what that was exactly, but she did like him. He wasn’t the kind of guy that she normally went for by a long shot but damn if he wasn’t so sincere. He liked her for who she was and had never cared about anything else—not her money, her family issues, or her illicit social life. He had helped her out in her time of need when he totally could have taken advantage of the situation, and he had asked for nothing in return. She knew labeling someone a
nice guy
was the kiss of death, but Adam brought nice guy into its own category.

Then, why was she swooning over his brother? Because he had broad shoulders with tattoos and a smirk? She really needed little else.

Why the fuck was Alexa at the beach with her boy toy this week
?
That was so inconvenient. She should have known that Chyna was going to have a hot guy melt-down.

Chyna whipped out her compact and reapplied a coat of lip gloss. She already knew that she looked good; some guys had been checking her out while she was shopping with Frederick. Still, she wanted to double check. She didn’t want to look sloppy the first time she hung out with her boyfriend’s brother. That was all, right?

God, she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t be attracted to John. It was out of the question. She wasn’t like her parents—she didn’t cheat! Inside, she preferred to just not get attached. If she was going to be with Adam, then she was going to fucking be with him. It didn’t mean she couldn’t look at and admire his brother—what girl wouldn
’
t?
—
but that was where the line was drawn. She could eye-fuck John and his goddamn tattoos but nothing else. This would be an exercise in self-control.

Lord, help us all!

Chyna replaced her mirror into her purse and immediately began chewing on her glossy bottom lip. She could do this.

Yep. She could totally do this.

“Hey.” She heard someone call behind her. She turned away from the desk toward the entrance to the locker rooms.

Oh, holy hell! Fuck! Really? How could one man be so attractive? She couldn’t get past that strong jaw, those hazel eyes, and those fucking shoulders.

When did he have time to build that Adonis body? All she knew about him was that he worked
all
the time, and now, she wanted to know everything. Did he actually have that good of taste in clothing, or did he have a personal assistant? Those dark-wash jeans fit him a bit too well, and the green button-up shirt mostly hidden beneath the grey pea coat was outstanding.

If he didn’t have someone dress him and he actually had a fashion sense well enough to look like he had walked out of a Barneys catalog, she might die. She would take two, please!