Meadowlarks 3 : Endless (6 page)

I blushed when he started to walk in my direction. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and bent down to pick up my luggage.

“Need some help, ladies?” He asked when he reached me.

Ladies?

I turned to see where he was looking.

“Riley!” I shrieked and lunged into her outstretched arms.

“Hey, girl! I missed you!”

I missed her too. I let her go and turned to face the security guard. Now he was the one blushing.

“I think we got this, handsome,” Riley said sweetly while taking my suitcase and pulling out the handle to tow it behind her.

“Have a nice day, ladies,” he nodded his head and turned

I smiled. I love country boys.

I was staggered when I saw Riley pop the trunk of the Charger. “Is that yours?” I asked her, grinning like a fool.

“Sure is, baby! Pretty hot, huh?”

“Hot doesn’t even cover it. How does Alex let you leave the house in this thing?”

“It takes a lot of groveling…on my knees…if you know what I mean.”

I knew what she meant. Riley loved details, she didn’t have to spell it out for me. “You’re bad.”

“I’m awful.” Riley winked and we climbed into her sexy car.

“When did you get this?”

“Last year. I wanted something of my own, plus, it was easier since Alex needed the truck sometimes.”

I frowned and looked out the window. I knew what truck she was talking about. Jeremiah’s truck. I let my mind wander slightly, thinking about him. I didn’t tell anyone that we hooked up, and I wondered if he had. Jeremiah was a playful and simply gorgeous man, but he was also a gentleman so I knew our secret was probably safe.

I remember standing on that stage in the karaoke bar, singing with him. His eyes met mine, and they were alight and so young. I thought I fell hard at that moment, but I knew I couldn’t make a life for myself in Wyoming.

Plus, I had Joel…my on-and-off boyfriend. He had been my only boyfriend, and I never thought I would cheat on him. Until, of course, I was serenaded by a charming country boy.

Jeremiah and I slept together after Addison’s wedding. He wanted me to stay, and I almost considered it. But, my life was in Maine, and I was (at the time)
this close
to getting signed with my record label .A secret I kept from everyone then.

“…so it’ll just take a few minutes, hopefully. I totally forgot about it when you called last night,” Riley said, snapping me from my reminiscing.

“Sorry, what?” I asked, smiling over at her.

“I can drop you off at Addy’s, or you can come with me. I have to meet my boss for a sec at our new property. Then I’m all yours, I promise.”

“I’ll go with, I don’t mind.”

“I’ll warn you now…he’s a fucking vision.”

I raise an eyebrow and grin. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, really. Like, a panty-dropping type of vision.”

Oh
.

“Did you?” I ask, elbowing her.

“No! I’m not crazy!” She acted wounded, but smirked. “But, I’ll be honest, it’s been hard. He’s a pursuer…and a panther in bed. I heard it first hand, Leah. But, I love Alex, and I’m not making another Dane Disaster.”

“Heard from him lately?” I ask, changing the subject.

“Dane? No.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, it is. Anyway, we’re here!”

Riley pulls into a large and empty lot. By empty, I mean no building. There are trucks with logos splashed on the sides, a huge BMW, and about ten men walking around.

“There she is!” A deep and penetrating voice echoes from around one of the pickup trucks. I can’t see who, but once I close my car door I start to walk around the bed of the truck.

“I’m here, Mr. Casey, let’s get to it,” Riley says, annoyed.

I stop. Dead in my tracks. I should have brought extra underwear.

“Leah, come here for a sec.” Riley waved to me.

I swallowed, and regaining my footing. Smiling when I reached them, I stood beside Riley and pretended to block the sun from my eyes. When really, I was trying to shield my apparent blushing. How in the hell was this the man from the club? Maybe he had a twin.

“Leah, this is Weston Casey. Weston, this is one of my very best friends, Leah Marshall.”

I curl my lip into a smile, swallow again, and extend my shaky hand to him. “Hi,” I manage.

He was pretty. I mean
really
pretty. Like, he should be strutting on a catwalk somewhere, or handling multi-million dollar acquisitions somewhere important.

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “Riley, maybe I’ll just call you later with the details.”

Riley gives him an odd look, probably one you shouldn’t give your boss, rolls her eyes and looks at me. “I’m all yours, girl. Let’s go.”

I didn’t realize my hand was still shaking his. Embarrassed, I pulled it away. This can’t be the same man from the club in New York. That one was clearly drunk and wouldn’t leave me alone…this one, was reserved and seemed very arrogant.

Weston Casey was too pretty for me.

***

I didn’t have the nerve to ask Riley about him.

Riley took me to Addison’s house, and we ate a huge breakfast that Blaine and Alex cooked for us. Afterward, we sat on the living room floor and played with the kids.

Scarlett was running around, wearing an adorable unicorn costume. Whinnying like a horse and holding her hands up like little hooves.

“It was supposed to be for Halloween, but she loves it so much I let her wear it whenever she wants. It makes her happy, and it’s so damn cute,” Riley says melodically while watching her daughter trot around us.

Addison’s boys were playing with toy John Deere tractors, and the twins were sleepily peacefully in their bedroom.

“He looks just like him,” I said softly, picking up a tractor and handing it to Chase.

“I know, he’s perfect.” Addison smiled.

I wanted to tell them about my perfect night with Jeremiah. But I couldn’t. He was gone, and it was a memory I decided to keep all to myself.

“Leah, I still can’t believe I have a rock star sitting on the floor in my living room!” Addison squealed and lean into hug me. The fifth or sixth time she had done so since I arrived.

I blushed, it still felt weird for people to see me that way.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that just yet…but, it is like a dream. I never thought it would happen, and I’m trying to live every day to its fullest.”

“I saw the video for Mesmerize. How can you sing with three hotties behind you?” Riley gushed and Addison nodded happily.

I laugh. “Well, it’s easy…two of them are married, and the other one is my new favorite shopping buddy…”

They both raise their eyebrows. “Oh…” they say in unison.

“Yeah, I’m not Neil’s type.” Neil was my drummer, and had one gorgeous face. His arms were muscular, complete with broad shoulders from all the years of drumming. Neil was also very gay, and absolutely wonderful. I loved having him in my life; he was like the protective big brother I never had.

“Where are the guys now?” Addison asks.

“Jett and Aaron are still in New York, and Neil went to California for a few weeks.”

“You were in New York?” Riley sits up, her eyes bright.

“Yeah, for the past two weeks. I just did a show last week. Craziest night. The club caught on fire.”

“Holy shit!”

“I know, it was insane. It happened while we were playing too. Thankfully everyone got out okay.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” Addison says, scowling. “You could have been killed!”

I lean down and push a toy tractor with my hand. “I wanted to see you guys first, I miss you. I miss
us
.”

“You have no idea, girl,” Riley said with a laugh.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Weston

I sat in my car, in the parking lot of the coffee shop and played over the events of the morning in my head one more time.

Got up.

Showered.

Dressed.

Drank coffee.

Drove to the site.

Talked to Pete.

Discussed the timeline.

Riley’s car pulled up.

Riley got out.

I got excited.

Riley introduced her friend.

I got
very
excited.

Oh yes, that’s what happened. I turned into a dickhead. But sending them away was all I could do. That woman knocked the breath out of my body. Never in a million years did I expect her to get out of that car.

How was having those two in that car even legal? Thinking about it made my blood thump louder in my ears.

Riley didn’t mention another friend. But then again, why would she? I already met the redhead, who was fucking gorgeous all on her own, then Riley throws me this curveball? I’m doomed.

What I didn’t understand was how the singer from South of Marshall was also the best friend of the woman I wanted to sleep with more than anything. Well, maybe she’s not the only one I wanted anymore.

There was something about Leah Marshall I just couldn’t put my finger on. And, believe me, I wanted to put my fingers and everything else on my body on and in her. Even her touch from the simple handshake sent me spiraling. I held my hand, trying to feel those little sparks she sent through me again.

Fuck
.

She was…different.

Like she knew she was hot, but not that her beauty was earth-shattering. She seemed pure, innocent even. Not the type of girl that you just grab and throw on the back seat of your car and tower over like a predator.

She was more than that.

She was dinner.

I didn’t know how to do dinner. I hadn’t done dinner ever. Not even with Elsa. I had sex with her before I even knew her name. Dinner didn’t come until we were married, and then it just seemed forced and not exciting.

Leah was like an advent calendar. One of those chocolate ones that they have for kids at Christmas. You start on Day 1, and you don’t get to open the final surprise until Christmas. Looking at Leah I knew she was the type of girl that you were patient with, enjoyed and played with.

I’m the kind of kid that tears off the packaging and eats all the chocolates on Day 1. I’m way out of my league on this one.

Convincing myself that it was a good idea, I managed to seduce the brunette barista into a quickie in the bathroom. The coffee shop was quiet, and I through my haste and eagerness to orgasm, I pushed hard and deep into her before the lunch rush arrived.

“Thanks, darlin’,” I breathed into her ear while standing behind her, caressing her hips with my hands. I lowered her shirt, and stepped back to pull up my pants.

There. I felt a little bit better.

The brunette, whose name I finally realized was Mila (duh, nametag, genius), gave me a peck on the mouth before she sauntered out of the bathroom. I pulled her back quickly and clamped down on her bottom lip with my teeth.

“Have a good day at work, baby,” I said before swatting her behind with my hand.

I sat and had coffee after my tryst with Mila. I occasionally glanced to the counter and saw her smiling at me. Her cheeks still rosy from the two climaxes I gave her just twenty minutes ago. Her smile reminds me of Sara’s, and I momentarily regret my decision to sleep with her again. I don’t need another crazy on my tail.

Thinking of Sara, I haven’t heard from her since I brushed her off in the hallway of the hotel two weeks ago. She looked wounded, and I was the guilty man that hurt her. But, I couldn’t let myself get emotional over her, I had no feelings for her in that way. I never did. She was merely a distraction from my shitty marriage.

The best sex I had with Sara was when I was trying to torture Riley. Knowing she heard me, heard Sara…drove me absolutely crazy. I fucking loved it. I knew she wanted me, but she was loyal to her man. I got it. But that didn’t mean I didn’t fantasize the entire time I was with Sara that I was really with Riley.

I swallowed the rest of my coffee and pulled out my phone.

Me: Busy?

Riley replies.
Very. Why?

Me: I told you I’d call later.

Riley: You did. What’s up?

I really wanted to ask her something about Leah, but I didn’t have the nerve. I also wanted to know if Leah asked about me. She had to have recognized me from the club in New York. I know we had a moment there, even if it was small.

Me: We need to go over paperwork. How does dinner sound?

Riley: With you? Awful.

Little minx. I smirk and reply.
If you’re more comfortable I’ll come to your house. You can cook me dinner.

Riley doesn’t reply back for another five minutes. I start to worry, but then her message chimes in.
Be here for 6.

I toss my empty coffee cup into the trash, smile at Mila, and leave. I’m going to meet Bob for lunch, then we’ll go back to the site to see Pete.

***

I decided that bringing a bouquet of flowers was a stupid idea, and I tossed them out of the car window about a mile away from Riley’s house.

Actually, now that I think about it, going to her home for dinner was a stupid idea all on its own. But, as sad as it sounds, I’d rather spend time being contrived by having to watch her play mother and wife than spend the night alone in my hotel room.

I pull into the driveway, park behind her car, and give myself a five second pep talk. I can do this…I think.

“Hi,” the boy who opened the door when I knocked said.

“Hello.”

“Who are you?”

I tried no to sneer. “I’m Weston. You must be Isaac.”

He smiled. “Yep. You’re mom’s boss?”

“That’d be me. Can I come in?”

Isaac stood back and held the door open. The moment I walked in, the scent of meat and spices hit me. I almost started to drool.