Only One (Ward Sisters Book 2) (18 page)

Jesus.

“Hey there, hot stuff,” Reggie said as she let him in the door.
Damn.
No matter what his brain said, his dick wanted to see what was under that dress.

He kissed her before she could shut the door. She always wore flavored lip gloss over whatever lip stain she was wearing. This one was coconut and, damn it, made him think of Jenna.

Shit.
He stepped back and forced a smile.

“Now that's the kind of greeting I was hoping to get. You like?” she asked, twirling for him.

Her ass was first rate and it looked even better in that dress than it had the night before. When she stopped turning and faced him again, the lust he'd felt moments before was back. He'd always liked being with Reggie. It was never a disappointment that she was his most frequent lover before he'd met Jenna.

Jenna
. Damn it.

Again, his dick went soft when he thought about her. It wasn't that he didn't want Jenna. It was as if his body was following his brain's instructions, the ones that had told him last night he should stop doing this. That he should walk out Reggie's door, get in the car and drive across town to Jenna's apartment, wait for her all fucking night if he had to do it.

Reggie must have sensed something was off, and she moved closer. She whispered, “I waxed the other day.”

Liam gulped. When she waxed, that meant Brazilian and bald as a baby. She had a tattoo where the hair should be and he'd always thought it was incredibly sexy. That and her single nipple piercing were both things he'd normally have disdained, but on Reggie, they were hot.

His dick was back in the game.

She walked to the fridge and handed him a beer. “You look like you could use one of these,” she said. Sometimes, he thought she knew him better than he realized. They sat on the couch and drank a beer, talked for a bit and he relaxed.

He could do this. If Jenna could date someone else, he could go back to the way things were before her, at least with Reggie. He still didn't want the other two anymore, but he'd always liked sleeping with Reggie.

It didn't take much encouragement – or more than two beers – for him to get lost in the moment with Reggie. She was a minx in the bedroom, always fun and hotter than hell. This time around, he watched a strip tease worthy of a pro and then she produced the massage oil she'd mentioned the night before.

Edible.

Thankfully, it was peach.

A couple hours later, they had gone a few rounds and Liam was holding Reggie, lying in bed. His mind wandered, thinking about the last person he'd held. Ally sure as hell didn't do cuddling and he'd faked passing out with Dana. He sighed involuntarily.

“What's wrong?” Reggie asked.

Liam felt bad. He liked Reggie and he didn't want to hurt her, but he needed to be honest. Jenna was the first new girl in his life since he met Reggie over five years ago.

“I need to tell you something,” he said.

Reggie sat up and looked at him, eyes passive, giving away nothing. She wasn't one to panic. “And?” No modesty with her in the bedroom, she sat there with her breasts bared, her piercing and tattoo staring at him.

He cleared his throat. “I've been seeing Rob's assistant.”

Her eyebrows shot up, but in curiosity. “Oh? How long?”

“About a year and half.”

“Exclusively?” Now she looked pissed.

“No. I mean, not now. In the beginning, I wasn't with anyone else, but we agreed to see other people later.”

“So, does she know about me?” Reggie asked.

“Yeah. She does. Knows about Ally and Dana, too. I told her before we ever went on a date.”

“You went on a
date
with her?”

Reggie sounded offended. They'd hung out at her place a few times, watched movies and she'd cooked for him, but he'd never thought to take her anywhere.
Maybe he should have.

He sheepishly replied, “Uh, yeah. She asked if I was seeing anyone else and I told her that I was.”

“She's okay with that? I won't be an interloper. I know Dana is hit or miss for you, and Ally treats you like a gigolo without the exchange of money, but I thought
we
were more than that.”

Liam flinched because her assessment of the situation was pretty spot-on. “Yeah. I mean, you're right. We have more than I had with the other two girls.”

“Had?”

“Well, no one ended things officially, but I'm not really sure if I'll ever be with them again, to be honest.”

“But you want to be with me, and this girl is okay with that?”

“We agreed to see other people.” He fucking hated the idea of Jenna seeing anyone else, but what could he do? Unless she said she wanted him to commit to her, he had a hard time asking.

Reggie kissed him. “Okay. If something changes, you tell me. I won't be the other woman.”

“Never. I have more respect for you than that.”

“Good. What's her name?”

Liam couldn't help the smile. “Jenna. She lives here, in L.A. Other side of town.”

“Oh? She rich?”

“Her father is an entertainment lawyer, but I don't imagine she makes peanuts for Rob, given what she does.”

“Wait, is she the computer chick?”

“Yeah. How'd you know that?”

“I've heard Rob talking to her before.”

“She's amazing. So damn smart. I think you'd like her.”

Reggie rolled her eyes. “Because I'm Mensa material?”

Liam touched her nose. “No, because she's sassy like you. Not that I don't think you're smart.”

“Right answer, big boy. She sexy?”

“Yes. Sorry. Different from you.”

“Oh? How so?”

“She looks like a typical California girl. You look like a New Yorker.”

“I
am
a New Yorker.”

“And you look like one. Like I said, different.”

“Let's celebrate those differences, shall we?” she suggested, and then she proceeded to remind him why it was that he'd always liked sleeping with her so much.

The elation of being in bed with Reggie lasted as long as he was still with her. As soon as he drove toward Malibu, the energy faded.

When he found himself stuck in the ridiculous L.A. traffic, he was faced with time alone to think and nothing he could do to escape the routes his brain took.

He'd always really liked Reggie. She was fun, cool and never disappointing in bed. Before Jenna, she was his sole lover who was remotely regular in frequency and the only one of the three woman he genuinely enjoyed other than in bed.

No matter what he tried to tell himself, she couldn't compare to Jenna.
The idea that Jenna could see other people or even sleep with someone else like he'd just done made his skin crawl. How could he be such a fucking hypocrite?

She'd commit if you'd ask, asshole
.

But what if she wouldn't? He didn't deserve a woman like her, who was brilliant, beautiful and gave him as much shit as Rob and Mary Cate did without pissing him off. He was terrified to take the chance that he could lose her if he asked for more.

It would kill him.

**********

Jenna inhaled. This bordered on pathetic. She was too smart for this, but she couldn't help herself. Pressing the speed dial, she tried to put on a chipper front.

“Hey there, beautiful,” Chris' caramel voice said.

“Hey, hot stuff. You free for lunch? I was thinking I'd take you to the Ivy.”

“You know I'll always say yes to that. What time?”

“I'll pick you up at the studio in an hour. Sound good?”

“See you then, sexy.”

An hour later, she pulled the S2000 up to the curb, where Chris waited for her. He laughed as he folded his gigantic frame into her little car.

“Honey, you have
got
to get yourself a car a real man can fit into or else you'll never find yourself a big stud to regularly fulfill your dreams.”

Jenna laughed along with him. “Find me a man that meets all my other requirements first,
then
I'll worry about whether or not he fits in my car.”

“You're picky. Besides, I thought you were all hot and heavy with Rob's bodyguard, Liam.” It was said with a little meow.

“We're still doing our little dance, yes,” she said as they made their way over to the Ivy from Chris' studio. “I don't know how we can call it hot and heavy anymore. He's never here.”

“He was here the other day for the premiere. I
know
I saw his hot little ass.”

Jenna laughed. “He does have a stellar ass. I didn't see him then.”

“Oh? Doesn't he always call when he's in town?”

She sighed. “Yes. He did. I...was busy.”

“Uh huh. Sure you were. Getting a manicure on those ratty nails? Dying your natural blond hair? Or wait, going out with someone else?” He gave her a look of admonition.

“Fine. I was blowing him off on purpose.”

The valet took the keys and they went inside for a table. Once they were seated, and the waiter had taken their drink orders, Jenna said, “I need a favor.”

“Of course you do, honey. You don't take me to the Ivy when you're just itching for lunch company.” Chris grinned.

“You know me too well.”

“So, what do you need? It has to be something
very
specific, because you're the right hand for one of the hottest tickets in town and you're the child prodigy of an old-money, East-Coast socialite and a well-known entertainment lawyer. There is very little you could need from me personally. So spill,” he demanded as he sipped his Sangria.

Jenna sighed. “I need you to introduce me to someone.”

“Honey, I don't know many attractive, single, straight men.”

“It's not a man, it's a woman.”

“Jenna, babe, you trying to tell me you're bi?”

Jenna laughed. “Hardly. Introduce me to Reggie.”

“Reggie? You mean the makeup artist who works for me? Why would you want to meet her? You have some big event you need help with? You know I'd do your makeup for free, hon.”

“No, nothing like that.” Jenna bit her lip.

“Ooh. I get it. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Now that she's single, you're thinking she's competition.”

“Well, given that I blew him off, I'm almost positive that he slept with her. Did you see them talking?”

“I did. You could be right. Since you've been my best friend forever, I'll do you this favor. But only because I love you. This can't end well, Jen. You're bordering on stalking him if you start friending all his other consorts.”

“I'm not Anne Boleyn. It's not like I'm planning to assassinate them or something. Besides, I didn't
friend
the other two. I can't figure out who Ally is and I hacked Dana's Facebook profile. And Reggie's.”

Chris laughed heartily. “Oh, honey, I love you.”

“Besides, Rob says he's not serious about Dana and he told me himself that Ally is even more casual about him than he is about her.”

“So, you're wondering if Reggie is the real competition, given that he hasn't committed to you, despite being in love with you.”

“Do you think I'm seriously crazy? Or just pathetic? Or maybe desperate or something?”

“Honey, I think you're in love with a man who has serious commitment issues. Until he gets past them, nothing you do is going to make much difference. But if it will make you feel better to get to know your competition, then I'll help you do that. She's as opposite you as can be. I mean, she's no idiot; she's smart. But you make her look like a dunce by comparison.”

“Oh, stop.”

“You stop. You know it's true. You're brilliant. Anyone can see that. But Reggie is funky and eclectic and a creative genius. She doesn't have your head for numbers, but she's an artist with a makeup brush. You're going to be surprised when you meet her. She changes her hair with her mood and she dresses like she's a frequent shopper at Goodwill. From behind, you'd expect to see a clown face. She has the face of an angel, though. Like a pixie angel with flawless makeup.”

“So she's pretty?”

“Yeah. Pretty. Not gorgeous like you. You could be a model.”

Jenna waved him off as she dug into her salad. “No I couldn't. I'm too short.”

“True. But if your legs were longer, you could be a model.” He looked at their waiter. “Don't you think she could be a model?” Chris asked as the guy poured Sangria in their glasses.

The waiter was a typical Hollywood type, actor-wannabe who looked generic enough to play any part in any film. He gave his best movie grin to Chris.

Yeah, he was gay.

Jenna cleared her throat. “Are we trying to get you a date or are we discussing the woman who's competition for the love of my life?”