River Read online

  “If this guy hasn’t been interested why would he suddenly change his mind?”

  “Because I taught her a few things,” I said. “She’s one of those natural beauties, the kind that doesn’t have to wear make up to be sexy. But I changed her wardrobe and made her wear heavy make up. As soon as the guy saw her he was hard.”

  “I prefer the no make up look,” Jett said. “When Ophelia wakes up in the morning she looks amazing.”

  “I prefer it too. And that’s another thing that irritates me about her. She’s willing to change who she is for some dumbfuck.”

  Jett gripped his beer and eyed me. “You sound involved in this…”

  “I just care about my client,” I said immediately. “What does she expect to accomplish? Even if she did get him, she wouldn’t be happy. And he would get tired of her eventually then kick her to the side. A beautiful girl like that should have her pick of the crop, not the other way around.”

  Jett continued to stare at me suspiciously. “You got a thing for this girl?”

  “No,” I blurted. “But I think she’s cute.”

  “You speak highly of her.”

  “I hardly know her.” I took a drink of my beer.

  “But you—”

  “I’m still pissed off at you over the Theresa fiasco. Don’t piss me off more.”

  Jett pressed his lips tightly together and shut his mouth.

  The door opened and a pretty brunette walked inside. She wore a short dress that hugged every curve like it was an extra layer of skin. As she came closer to me I realized it was Meadow. And I smiled.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” I stood from the booth and looked down at her. “Glad you could make it.”

  Jett watched us while he drank his beer.

  “Well, you ordered me to get my ass down here. It didn’t seem like I had much of a choice in the matter.” Her voice contained her sarcasm. I liked the way she used it. She could be sweet but sassy at the same time.

  “You’re right. You didn’t.” My arm moved around her waist and I moved her to the booth. “Take a seat.”

  She scooted over and looked at Jett. “Hi, I’m Meadow.”

  Jett stared at her like she was unidentifiable sea creature. “Meadow? That’s your name?”

  “Yeah…” She cocked an eyebrow.

  “Like, your birth name?” he asked.

  “Yes, dickhead,” I said. “That’s her name.” I turned to Meadow. “Sorry, he’s a little slow.”

  “I’m not making fun of her name,” Jett snapped. “It’s just ironic that you guys both have hippie names.”

  “They are awesome names,” I said. “You’re just jealous.”

  “Yeah,” Meadow said. “They are super cool.”

  Jett rolled his eyes. “Fine. Gang up on me.”

  “That’s what you get for setting me up with a monster.” I leaned back in the booth and put my arm over the back of the chair, touching the top of Meadow’s shoulders. The act was impulsive.

  Jett watched my movements with keen eyes.

  “What monster?” Meadow asked.

  I sighed. “Jett set me up on a date from hell.”

  “Dude, I didn’t know she was psycho,” Jett argued. “Get off my case.”

  “What did she do?” Meadow asked.

  “First of all, she ate like a pig,” I said. “She even snorted a few times. Then she was superficial, rude, and man, she wouldn’t shut the hell up. Then when I walked her home, she said I was just trying to sleep with her when I was just being nice. And then when I snapped, she smacked me around with her purse until I finally got inside a cab.”

  Meadow pressed her lips tightly together like she was trying not to laugh. “That does sound terrible.”

  I released a deep sigh. “She was a fucking nightmare.”

  “I can tell.”

  “You’re a peach compared to her—even if you are a little annoying.”

  “I’m not annoying,” she argued. “You’re the one who’s annoying.”

  “It didn’t seem like I was annoying you when I was kissing you and making you swoon.”

  Meadow rolled her eyes. “Maybe I wasn’t swooning. Maybe I was just in shock.”

  “No. If I touched your panties they would be soaked.”

  She smacked my arm. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “I know,” I said. “I get that a lot.”

  She hit me again.

  Her slaps were so weak it was just funny. “I sincerely hope you can hit harder than that when you need to.”

  “You want to find out?” she challenged.

  Her eyes were bright in irritation, and her lips were slightly parted like she was about to dish out another insult. I found the look innately sexy, alluring. Her soft hair framed her face, and her tits looked nice in the dress. I didn’t think about my actions before I did them. I swooped in and gave her a hard kiss. “You’re more of a lover than a fighter.”

  Meadow stared at me blankly, like I just took her breath away.

  “Point proven.” I turned back to Jett, and his jaw was dropped.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he mouthed.

  I ignored his silent words.

  “You’re lucky you’re hot,” Meadow said when she finally found her words.

  “And I’m a good kisser.”

  “And you’re an arrogant prick,” she snapped.

  “Wow, then I’m just like Nathan,” I said. “That’s exactly what you want.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

  Jett excused himself from the table. “I need to head out. River, I’ll talk to you later.” He gave me a look that said, “We will be talking about this later.”

  “See ya,” I said with a slight wave.

  “It was nice to meet you,” Meadow said politely.

  “You too,” Jett said before he walked away.

  I turned to Meadow when he was gone. “So, what happened after I left?”

  A wide smile stretched on her face and her eyes lightened noticeably. They glowed by their own energy, reminding me of a mighty oak tree the moment the sun rises and its rays touch the tips of the green leaves. Instead of filling me with awe or joy, I was irritated. I couldn’t even appreciate her beauty. “When we first walked into the office and he saw me in my new look, he stared at me a lot before he headed to his office. And after you left he asked me about you.”

  I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice. “And what did he ask?”

  “If we were serious, how we met, stuff like that.”

  I wasn’t surprised. Meadow wearing a dress tight on her ass and chest and having her be adored by a pretty man would get any guy wondering what he was missing out on. “And what did you say?”

  “I kept it casual, like I wasn’t sure if I was into you or not.”

  “Good.” I took a drink to mask my look of disappointment.

  “Nathan has never paid me so much attention before.” Her eyes looked away, staring at something in the distance. Her mind seemed to be focusing on past memories. “He’s never even asked me about my love life. But then he was standing at my desk, asking all those questions. It was…nice. I’m not sure if he was at all interested in me or jealous but…at least he noticed. I learned the hard way not to read too deeply into his actions.”

  “That’d be smart.”

  “I try not to get my hopes up that he might see me the way I see him…but sometimes it’s hard. I felt like the only person in the office.”

  Seriously, what did she see in this clown? He was a jerk off. I kept my insult back because she made it clear it annoyed her, and more importantly, it wouldn’t change her mind. I’d been searching for a girl to settle down with, and the first cool girl I meet wants some douche that doesn’t want her. Was that a sign I should stop searching and just embrace my bachelor life? Maybe it was. “He will, Meadow. As long as he’s not gay, it’ll happen.”

  “Why are you so sure?”

  “Just trus
t me on this.” There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he got a hard-on the moment he saw me grope her like she was an orange about to be juiced. I saw his eyes move to her firm ass while I held her. He was definitely checking her out. But what Meadow didn’t understand was his interest was purely lustful. There would be no happily ever after even if she got him.

  “Trust doesn’t come easy for me,” she said. “But I guess I will.”

  “Can I ask you something?” I said as I turned to her. “In all seriousness.”

  “I suppose.” She turned her face toward mine. To an outsider it would look like we were together.

  “If you do get Nathan’s interest…where do you see it going?”

  She stared into my eyes for a moment before she found her response. “I don’t know. But does anyone ever really know? Isn’t that the beauty of it?”

  “If you just wanted to sleep with him to get this crush out of your system I would agree with you. But it’s pretty clear that guy isn’t a one-woman type of man. And those types of people never make exceptions. Since you’re in love with him, I’m afraid he’s going to hurt you. I just don’t want to watch you get crushed.”

  “Well, he might change his mind…”

  Nothing I said would change her mind. “I guess.”

  She turned away and changed the subject. “So, does Jett work with you?”

  “He’s an escort too.”

  “I guessed as much,” she said. “He’s really cute.”

  “He’s taken,” I blurted.

  She chuckled. “I wasn’t going to go for him. Calm down, River.”

  “I’m just warning you. His lady is feisty.”

  “You think I’m not?” she asked.

  “I think she can take you.”

  “Hey, I do kickboxing.”

  “Yeah?” I asked with a grin. “That’s pretty hot.”

  “So, don’t mess with me. I could kick your ass—literally.”

  I chuckled. “I don’t know about that. But okay.”

  “I could,” she pressed.

  “Well, I have a move that will beat anything you throw at me.”

  Her eyes narrowed in interest. “What is it? How does the move work?”

  My hand dug into her hair then I stole another kiss. This time, I made it last longer than all the other ones. My lips massaged hers and I slipped my tongue into her mouth. Hers met mine and they danced together.

  I kissed her because I loved doing it. She was unnaturally good at it, and it got me fired up. She gave me just enough of her, but didn’t overdue it. Some girls had no idea what they were doing. But Meadow did. Her full lips massaged mine with just enough aggression to make it passionate but not intense.

  I was the one to pull away first, like always.

  Her eyes looked dazed, like she just awoke from a beautiful dream. “Why do you always kiss me?”

  “Why do you always kiss me back?”

  She stared at me but held her silence.

  Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I guess I hoped I could make her fall for me and forget about that asshole, Nathan. She’d been in love with the guy forever so I knew I was wasting my time. But that didn’t stop me. “You want to come over for dinner?” I blurted that out without thinking.

  “That depends. What do you mean by dinner?”

  “As in, a home-cooked meal. What else would it mean?”

  “Judging the way you keep kissing me, I assumed dinner was either a make out session on your couch or a passionate round of sex.”

  “If that’s what you want…I’m not going to say no.”

  She glared at me but there was amusement deep in her eyes.

  I chuckled. “I really meant dinner. Cooking is a hobby of mine.”

  “Yeah?” She seemed impressed.

  “Yep. So, what do you say?”

  “I’m not going to say no to free food.”

  “Good. You want to head over now?”

  “Sure. But I have a question.”

  I stared at her, noting the green color of her eyes. “Yeah?”

  “Why are you inviting me at all?”

  I shrugged. “I like you. Is there a problem with that?”

  “And what does that mean, exactly?” She watched my reaction.

  “You’re reading too much into it.”

  “I would agree with that if you didn’t keep kissing me.”

  “Does it bother you?” I asked. I knew it didn’t.

  “No…but you know I’m in love with some other guy. And I hired you to help me get him. I just hope you don’t think this is going anywhere.” She watched my face. “I don’t say that to be rude or offensive, and I’m not assuming anything. But, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “I think you’re really cool and pretty. I wouldn’t mind if this went somewhere physically. There’s a chance nothing may happen with Nathan. And I have needs and so do you. If it went somewhere, I wouldn’t be against it.”

  “So, this is another one-night stand situation for you?”

  How did I answer that? If my answer was no she might push me away out of guilt. But if I said yes, she might think I’m a pig. Either answer might screw me over. “I guess.”

  “Because I don’t see this ever going anywhere, River. I mean, I like kissing you because you’re drop-dead gorgeous—”

  “Why, thank you.”

  She kept going. “But you mentioned you were looking for something serious. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression and hurt you. Honestly, I’ve been hooked on Nathan for years and I don’t think that will ever change. If you’re looking for a happily ever after, it’s not with me.”

  Her words stung and I wasn’t sure why. I guess I’d never had a girl tell me she didn’t want something serious with me. It seemed to always be the other way around, where women were begging for a monogamous relationship. I really didn’t know Meadow that well so there was no way I could want something like that with her. But it hurt anyway. “You’re reading too much into it, Meadow. Just come over for dinner.”

  She relaxed. “Okay. I think you’re a conceited jerk but I also think you’re really sweet. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m made of titanium,” I said. “You can’t hurt me.”

  “Then what’s for dinner?”

  “What are you doing?” I asked as I watched her slice the asparagus.

  “Um, slicing and dicing?”

  “You don’t wash your vegetables before you eat them?” I asked incredulously. “You could get sick that way. It’s just like raw meat.” I turned on the water then ran the asparagus underneath it.

  “Look, I don’t cook much. Well, except for Top Ramen.”

  “That shit ain’t food.” I patted the asparagus dry then returned it to the cutting board.

  “It is when you’re broke.”

  I returned to the chicken and mixed it with the sauce.

  “What are we making anyway?”

  “Thai chicken with noodles.”

  “Sounds fancy…”

  “If I weren’t a escort I’d probably be a chef.”

  “Maybe you can do both,” she suggested.

  “No, I don’t have time for that.” I stirred the pan then added the asparagus to it.

  When everything started to sizzle, Meadow sniffed the air. “Man, that smells good.”

  “Me?”

  She chuckled. “The food, River.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “I wear Armani.”

  “Well, they both smell good.”

  I turned off the stove then poured the food onto two plates. “I’m glad I taught you a few things. Now when you make dinner you won’t make that shit you call food.”

  “Stop hating on Top Ramen,” she said. “There are a million college students living off of it right now.”

  I set the table then sat across from her. “And they all have elevated levels of salt along with high cholesterol.”

  “Are you one of those annoying health freaks?”r />
  I looked down at myself. “You think I look like this from eating crap?”

  “I assumed you look like that because you don’t have a life and spend all your time at the gym.” There was a teasing note to her voice so I knew she was joking.

  “You’re one to talk. A girl doesn’t have legs like that unless she’s active.”

  “I like to bike outside the city.”

  “Cool.” I knew she did something.

  “I have a gym membership but I never go,” she said. “There’s always too many people and I could just go to the bar next door and order a drink…that sounds like more fun to me.”

  I chuckled. “That sounds like the better choice anyway.”

  “And you’ll never guess what they just put in on the other side of my gym.” She had an irritated look in her eyes.

  I shrugged. “Another bar?”

  “No. A damn bakery.”

  I tried not to laugh.

  “With cupcakes and treats on display through the window. Like it isn’t hard enough for people to lose weight, but then you put a bakery next to a gym?” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Who does that?”

  “Have you been inside it?”

  She shrugged with a guilty look on her face.

  “I’m not judging you.”

  “They have the best pecan pie in the world,” she blurted. “And they have mini pecan pies. It’s so good.”

  I chuckled. “That’s cute.”

  “What? The small pies?”

  “No. You.”

  She cocked an eyebrow while she ate. “That I have no self-control?”

  “No. Just picturing you in a small bakery is cute to me.” I couldn’t really explain why.

  She continued to eat. “Wow, this is really good, River.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “But you helped, remember?”

  “I didn’t wash the asparagus,” she said with a laugh. “I could have killed us.”

  “Nah, I have the stomach of a bear. I can eat anything.”

  “Well, if I ever cook Top Ramen for you that will give me peace of mind.”

  I shook my head. “You couldn’t pay me to eat that crap.”

  “Have you ever tried it?” she asked as she looked at me over her plate.

  “No.”

  “Then don’t rag on it unless you give it a try.”

  “I’ll pass,” I said.