Page 15 of Falling Hard
"Well, nice running into you," Demetria said, then dragged me away from the awkward meeting.
We were no more than a few steps away when Alex spoke. "I’m in."
"In what?"
"You obviously need help destroying this wedding, and I can be counted on to ruin shit. I'll help you get rid of Solenne Vernier and leave Fox & Cie unscathed."
Never did I imagine I'd have a partner in my plan to separate the future Mr. and Mrs. Forrester.
"Great; two heads are better than one," I said.
"Both of you are stupid. Liv can have the man today if she just told Luke how she felt," Demetria cut in.
"How can you be sure of that?" Mei asked, then looked at me. "I'm afraid if Luke finds out you tried to ruin his wedding, he'll get upset and you'll lose him anyway."
Damn it. These two knew how to kill a mood.
"Any more helpful words?" I asked.
Demetria nodded. "I’m still on your side, just wish you'd take an easier path. Trust me on one thing: All routes end up back to you and Luke."
Goosebumps covered every inch of my arm after she spoke.
"It's like she’s a fortune teller," Alex said jokingly.
Mei shrugged. "Demetria isn't often wrong. Maybe sheisright.
"Just promise to think about it," Demetria said in a pleading tone.
"I will," I said and really meant it. Maybe with a dose of courage and confidence, I'd confess my heart to Luke. First, I'd have to admit that I didn't just love him, I was ready to be with him in every way. Or, like Alex said, I was only wasting time.
We walked side by side down the crowded street that the city had closed off for the festival. The sound of sizzling foodand laughter swirled all around us. I tugged at my jacket as the scent of roasted chestnut and grilled meat overwhelmed me. My girls and I walked through the festival, bumping shoulders and stealing bites from each other's plates. For a brief moment, I forgot Luke and his wedding and just enjoyed the day.
After the festival,I returned to my townhouse to find an unwanted visitor. Normally, Rick was someone I welcomed. In fact, last month I invited him to stop by when he was in town. He was standing at my door, smiling like he belonged there, and my stomach churned. I couldn't say for sure, but I was willing to bet none of the questionable meats I’d eaten earlier were to blame.
"Beautiful, I thought you forgot our plans."
"I sort of did. Can I have a rain check?" I confessed.
Rick pulled me into a hug I didn’t want. His arms were tight around me. When his lips brushed the side of my neck, my skin crawl.
"Why do we need to do that when you're here and I'm here? And you have plenty of beds in there?"
The man came all the way from Washington, DC. He was in town for business, and I offered him a place to stay. It seemed unfair to tell him to kick rocks now, and my townhouse had six bedrooms; he didn’t have to use mine. I unlocked the door, and we walked in. "Listen, Rick, you can stay, but that’s it. I'm not fucking you."
"Are you on your period or something?" he asked, scrunching his features into an annoyed expression.
I almost lied, but why the hell should I have to? "No, just no longer interested."
"What? Just last week, you were promising to let my cock hit the back of your throat. What's changed?"
Walking farther into the house, I spoke plainly. "Rick, it's my throat and pussy. If I change my mind, you can either accept it or get out."
"Fucking tease. Why are you wasting my time?"
I regretted letting him in. He’d never acted like this before, but he was twice my size, and for the first time, I felt uneasy in my own house.
I wished it wasn't Dorothy and Hopeton's day off.
