Fair Play (13 page)

When I glance over at Rainy, I can see she’s wringing her hands again. That’s definitely her
vulnerability showing. “Things always have a way of working themselves out,” she says although it sounds like she’s trying to convince herself as much as she’s trying to convince me.

I’m a little taken aback when she turns the tables on me and asks, “Why doesn’t your mom like Evan?”

That leads me to believe that maybe she’s not as naïve about subtext as I initially thought. I’m not sure how to respond
. My mother thinks I should be the one marrying your fiancé
somehow doesn’t seem quite right. I settle for, “My mother thinks I can do better.”
She wants me to snag a lighthouse not a fishing pier
.

“I think you and Evan are a perfect match,” she states.

And I choke. “What makes you say that?”

“I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other,” she adds but doesn’t elaborate.

That makes me wonder if Aaron has also seen something going on between me and Evan.

“It’s nothing serious,” I state dismissively.

“Whatever you say,” Rainy replies.

I don’t feel like talking anymore, so the two of us sit in silence for the remainder of the ride back to
Rainy’s dorm.

As if my mother has a set of eyes following me everywhere, the minute Rainy steps out of my car,
my phone rings.

“Yes,
Mother,” I snap as I answer my cell.

She doesn’t even make use of a
ny pleasantries; she gets straight to the point. “So, what is going on with you and Evan Warner?”

“Exactly what I told you at lunch,” I repeat.
“Nothing. We’re just friends.”

“You know Aaron and Evan have been best friends since they were children.”

“I know, Mother.”

“If Aaron thinks you’re with Evan, he’ll never give you a s
econd thought.” My mother’s voice is really starting to grate on my nerves.

“I know.”

“And you know you’re supposed to be with Aaron. Theresa Donovan and I completely agree. She was so impressed with you today at lunch. If we can just get
that girl
out of the picture, I’m sure Aaron will eventually come around. They always do, especially when it concerns inheriting a large fortune. Mrs. Donovan is going to have a conversation with Aaron over the weekend. She’s going to up the stakes a bit. Offer some financial incentives to let Rainy go.”

I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. “Are we done, Mother?” I ask anxious to get off the phone.

“For now,” my mother states and she hangs up before I have a chance to say anything else.

***

After class the next day, I’m surprised to see Rainy waiting right outside our classroom door. She’s nervously wringing her hands so I know something is up.

“Hey, Sunshine,” Aaron says as he puts his arm around her and places a kiss on her cheek. The two of them are so sickenin
gly sweet they really do make me want to vomit when I’m around them. 

When Rainy says my name, I stop dead in my tracks. I look up at her and she has a little grin on her face.

“You mentioned that you wanted to spend more time with Aaron, so we decided to have a little get together at Aaron’s place, just a few students from the graduate program, my roommate and her girlfriend…”

“And Evan,” Aaron adds. When I look over at him, he’s got a devilish look on his face like he knows more than he’s letting on.

“Okay,” I agree. “I might be able to make some time to attend.” The only thing I’m really thinking about is seeing Evan again. I know I have to focus and think about it as an opportunity to come between Aaron and Rainy in any way I can; but my mind keeps drifting back to Evan. Rainy’s words echo in my mind:
I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other
. The only thing I can think about is having Evan look at me that way again.

Spending so much time with sexy Aaron Donovan has made me horny as hell but whenever I think of having
sex, my thoughts always go back to Evan. We’ve been together so often and it’s always been so good. Not only is he extremely talented, he’s so in tune with my body and what turns me on. Being with him is like being with my other half but that’s part of the problem. I don’t want either of us to get too attached and the last few times we’ve been together, we’ve been in the serious-trouble zone.

Then I remember the
very
last time we were together and how badly I completely and totally fucked things up. I’m not sure he wants to be with me again anyway, so the entire point may be moot.

But I’m at the point now where I actually crave Evan. I crave his touch and his taste and his smell. I crave having him inside me and fulfilling
the pure longing I have for him.

Six

The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference.

Elie
Wiesel

I arrive at Aaron’s place earlier than I want. I’m usually the queen of fashionably late appearances, so being on time should seem early.

But tonight feels different. 

The only explanation I can come up with is that Aaron mentioned that he was inviting Evan over and that’s all I’ve been thinking about since. I haven’t seen Evan since the night he treated me like a whore (or maybe it’s more accurate to say that I acted like one).

But I’ve thought about him—a lot. I debated phoning him or stopping by his place but I always talk myself out of it because I’m afraid of facing him.

And I don’t want to admit how much I miss him.

I’m wearing a Dolce &
Gabbana outfit that Evan once told me he absolutely loved. He said it really showed off my curves. It could have been a line to get me
out
of the outfit but I still think it’s worth a shot.

When I knock on Aaron’s door, I can feel my heart beat a little faster than normal. Why am I nervous? I’m usually the queen of cool.

Rainy opens the door and I can still see a moment of initial hesitation on her face when she sees me. I know I haven’t gained her trust and I probably never will. But then she paints on a smile and says, “Glad you could make it.”

She could be the sweetest person I’ve ever met and that just makes me want to slap her.

I do a quick scan of the room. Roxie and Les are engaged in what looks like a deep conversation in a back corner. A few other students from our graduate class are getting drinks from the refrigerator.

Rainy heads over to the sound system, where I see Aaron is playing with his speakers. She plays a Rolling Stones song, which reminds me of Evan. He’s the one who always tells me I can’t always get what I want but I can get what I need, just like the Stones song says. I know Evan believes he’s what I need and more often lately, I wonder if he’s right.

I can see Rainy whisper something to Aaron and then they both turn to look at me. Aaron gives me a slight nod then heads towards me. Of course, he has his hand entwined with Rainy’s. I’m surprised their skin hasn’t fused together yet.

“Glad you could make it,” Aaron says in the exact same tone that Rainy said it a few minutes before. 

They’re not even married and they’re already starting to sound alike. It makes me want to gag.

Aaron looks smoking hot in his black jeans and signature white polo. It’s the middle of fall and he’s still sporting a bit of a tan on his muscular arms. When people use the term
sex on a stick
they are no doubt referring to Aaron. He epitomizes the term.

What surprises me
, though, is that I don’t
feel
anything when I look at Aaron. He’s model magnificent and should instantly make me hot and bothered but I don’t feel a thing.

All I
can think about is seeing Evan again. Just the thought of him sends a wave of both nervousness and desire rushing through me.

“Is Evan here?” I say trying to keep my tone as casual as po
ssible.

“Not yet,” Aaron replies and I try to hide my disappointment.

“Would you like something to drink?” Rainy offers.

“Aaron knows what I want,” I say not even realizing the double meaning until I see the shock on
Rainy’s face. “Maker’s Mark neat.”

Rainy nods and heads toward the bar area and I join Roxie and Les, who are talking about the money to be made investing in reality television.

“My drinking buddy has finally arrived,” Roxie announces when she sees me. “But you’re empty-handed. That’s sacrilegious.”

“
Rainy’s getting me a drink.”

As if on cue, Rainy hands me a glass. “Thanks,” I say and take a sip of the whiskey.

“It’s great to see you again,” Rainy says although I can tell she’s not sincere. I’m sure she’d be happy if I dropped dead in the street on the way over here but she’s too nice to say anything mean or disrespectful.

“How are your classes going?” I say trying to make small talk.

Because she thinks I actually care, Rainy says, “My Renaissance Art class is amazing. I love immersing myself in that period of history. It was an incredible time of growth for the arts. That kind of intense immersion in my field is the reason I’m here at the university.”

And to fuck Aaron, apparently
, I think.

I used to think people were basically selfish
, self-serving and mean. All the people in my social circle seem to be that way. But that was before I met Rainy and her hippie-dippy friends. They’re actually nice and care about each other.

And it makes me want to punch them all.

I glance at my watch and realize it’s getting close to nine. “I wonder where Evan is,” I say casually.

Rainy shrugs. “He said he’d stop by.”

“Who’s Evan?” Les asks. The more time I spend with Les the more he reminds me of a young Woody Allen minus the funny.

Before I can respond, Roxie says, “He’s
Keira’s sort-of on-again-off-again boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I insist a little too forcefully, which causes Les to raise an eyebrow and Roxie to give him an I-told-you-so look.

“And what would you call him?” Roxie challenges.

I have no idea what to call Evan anymore.
Fuck buddies
is starting to sound kind of juvenile and
paramour
sounds too French. Calling him a
lover
makes me sound like I’m an actress from the 1950s. “We’re friends with benefits,” I finally decide.

“Is that all?” Roxie eye
s me like I’m a criminal. She’s one of the toughest chicks I’ve ever met and I have no doubt that’s why we get along so well.

“Yes, that’s all.” We both know it’s a lie the moment the words pop out of my mouth.

“I see the way he looks at you. Evan doesn’t look at you like he just wants to be friends with benefits.”

“Whatever,” I say dismissively. “If he was that interested, he’d be here by now.”

As if on cue, there’s a knock on the door. Rainy goes to    answer it and as soon as she sees Evan, her entire demeanor completely changes. She becomes rigid and almost frozen with fear.

As soon as Aaron sees
it’s Evan at the door, he nearly trips over himself to stand between Evan and Rainy. There seems to be a lot more going on there than Rainy revealed when we were at The Cavern. It is obvious Aaron wants to protect Rainy from Big Bad Evan. Surely, Evan didn’t hit on Rainy. He can be a prick but he isn’t stupid.

Aaron seems reluctant to put out his hand but he finally does and Evan shakes it. Then Evan’s eyes scan the room until they meet mine.

As soon as our eyes lock, it’s like magic. Everything that I want to feel when I look at Aaron rushes through my body like a runaway train when I look at Evan. We have the kind of chemistry that the heroines of romance novels always take two pages to describe but I can describe in a simple sentence:
I want to rip off his clothes and jump on for a wild ride
.

When Aaron and Rainy head toward the bar, probably to make Evan a drink, he wanders toward our group, his eyes still fixed on mine.

“We need to talk,” he says.

I nod.

“Thanks for the warm hello,” Roxie sneers.

As if he suddenly realizes I’m not alone, Evan glances at
  Roxie and Les. “Roxie, good to see you again.”

She bats her over-made eyelashes at him. “Likewise,”
she responds in a sugary Southern drawl that I know she’s perfected for television but doesn’t truly possess.

“This is Les,” I say introducing the two guys.

They both look at each other and give a civil nod.

“Step out to the patio with me,” Evan suggests even though it’s getting a bit too chilly to be outside.

Before I can respond, he takes hold of my elbow and leads me outside.

Every patio in the condo complex looks similar. Each is
   private but still has a view of the pool area and gardens. I noticed there are several potted trees decorating Aaron’s patio and I have a difficult time believing Aaron put them there. Probably Rainy’s handiwork. Somehow, I can’t see Aaron picking out decorative plants for his patio.

I wonder what Evan wants to talk to me about. I know we need to talk; we haven’t spoken since the intense session we had when he fucked me and then practically threw me out. Not that I didn’t deserve it but it still stings to think about.

I can still feel the hurt in his voice when he said:
Did you get what you wanted
? It shook me to my core. People have called me a heartless bitch but I finally understood why it wasn’t a good thing when I saw how badly I hurt Evan.

Evan pushes me to the edge of the patio, away from the large glass slider, so we can’t be easily seen. He closes the distance between us, so his body is right up next to mine. The heat radiating from him is so
strong, it dulls the intensity of the cool fall air around us.

When he looks down at me, his green eyes rage with need. Like a magnet to steel, his lips attract mine and before I can even process what’s happening, he parts my lips with his tongue and plunges it into my mouth.

Then he grabs my ass firmly with both hands and pulls me so close, I can feel the growing erection through his jeans.

“I’ve missed you,
Keira,” he whispers before he takes a nip on my earlobe, which sends a bolt of electricity straight to my core. “I’ve missed tasting you, and touching you and being inside you.”

When he says:
being inside you
, the ache of desire between my legs intensifies to near insanity-inducing proportions and I actually consider (for a split second until my rationale mind takes over) a quickie right there on the patio.

Evan thrusts his tongue into my mouth again and I moan with desire. My response seems to intensify his already hungry
mouth and tongue and I feel like he might be on the brink of devouring me.

When my mind is nearly dizzy with the overwhelming intens
ity of his need, he stops for air. “We need to slow down,” he mutters nearly breathless.

A wave of shivers surge through me as our eyes lock.

“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to see you,” he says.

“I think I do,” I admit. I’ve wanted to see Evan, to talk to him, to be with him but I was afraid he’d reject me.

“Isn’t your place close?”

I can feel my body tense at the suggestion. I don’t want guys in my apartment. And I definitely don’t want guys in my bed. It’s an unspoken rule. That way I maintain the power and control and can leave when I want.

“Why don’t we go to your place?” I counter.

Evan frowns. “But you live right next door. I’m like twenty minutes from here.”

I shake my head and he takes a step back.
“Why not?”

I exhale as I try to think of a way to say what I want without hurting his feelings. “I just don’t like having guys at my place, okay?”

I can see the hurt in his eyes returning and I actually feel guilty. “I’m not just some guy, am I?”

“No. You’re not just some guy. I just don’t feel comfortable with it.”

He bites his bottom lip as if he’s trying to stop himself from saying something he’ll regret. “Okay,” he says finally. “We’ll go to my place this time. But don’t think I’m going to stop trying.”

He leans in so close to me, I can feel his breath on my face. “I’m going to sleep in that bed of yours. And I’m going to fuck you there, too. And then I’m going to wake up beside you. When I’m determined, I get what I want.”

I swallow. I can see the look of resolve in his eyes. I know Evan is generally unstoppable when he wants something and that scares the shit out of me.

Evan grabs my hand and pulls me back into Aaron’s living room. Aaron and Rainy are standing next to Roxie and Les and it sounds like they’re talking about Dr. Clark. 

When they see us approach, Aaron and Rainy open the small circle so that we can join them.

“I think we’re going to take off,” Evan says as casually as possible. I notice that Evan hasn’t let go of my hand like he usually does when we’re around other people and this concerns me, especially because we’re standing with Aaron, who I’m supposed to be seducing.

I try to pull my hand away but Evan’s grip on me is like a vice. I know I’ll be pissed at Evan later because this stunt is going to set me back in my quest to get Aaron but right now I’m being consumed by thoughts of how great it will feel when Evan’s hard body is pressed against mine.

“Sure,” Aaron says but he seems confused. Probably because Evan just got there and also because Evan’s got his fingers entwined with mine. It makes me wonder if Aaron knows that Evan and I have been fucking each other for years. Surely the subject has come up at some point, hasn’t it?