Love on the Ledge (20 page)

When our two hours are up, and Sean and Clara load us up with an extra case of bubbly for the wedding toast (they’re invited now), River and Leti and I pile into Hayden’s car.

“Dude,” Leti tells him. “You’ve gotten everyone in the family to like you in two hours. No boyfriend or girlfriend has ever done that in the history of our family.”

“A little wine goes a long way,” he says.

“That,” Leti says, “and I’m pretty sure everyone has been mentally undressing you for weeks. That helps. Wow, our family is terrible. Right, River?”

Leti nudges River in the ribs. She didn’t have a drop to drink. She didn’t even smoke once. She smiles weakly and looks out the window.

“A pretty face helps, too.” Her smile is forced and meant to placate us. She’ll talk when she’s ready. She always does.

Before I go inside, Hayden kisses me. He holds my face in his hands and explores my lips with his. His fingers find their way through a tangle of my hair. He tugs and pulls me even closer. I answer his kisses with a flick of my tongue. I let my hands slide from his chest to his crotch. His dick strains through his jeans.

If we turn the car around and go to his place, everyone will notice. My family might like him now, but sex is
not
a topic we bring up—unless we’re gossiping.

I pull myself away from him. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done all day. “Thank you again.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Sky. I don’t know how long we have together, so I just want to make every moment last.”

“If you’re not watching your calories,” I tell him, “tomorrow the chef is going to do a little tasting for the family.”

He leans into my neck and kisses me over and over. “There is one thing I’ve had a craving for since I got a taste.”

I reach for his pants. The pulse in his dick answers to the wetness between my legs. “Or…can you come over tonight?”

“Sneak in?” He winks. He takes my hand and crosses his fingers with mine.

“Yeah.”

He sighs, long and hard. “I have to be on a job tomorrow. It’s a little far out on the Island. But I’ll be back by the evening.”

I try not to pout. He kisses my lips softly. He leaves me floating so high on clouds that I’m sure nothing can make me come down. Not even Maria’s jealous puss or my Mom’s still disapproving glare. Not the young ones screaming as they run around the pool, or Leti’s complaining that Gary hasn’t called her in twenty-four hours.

Not even the single text from Bradley that says:
You don’t mean what you said. I miss you.

“I don’t think I made enough food,” James whispers to Lucky and me.

All thirty members of my family staying in the house stare in James’s direction. In his white chef’s jacket, with Lucky as a stand in sous chef by his side, he looks like the miracle he is.

“It’s fine,” I say. “They’ll share.”

“Tony, Pepe, this is Chef James Hughes.”

They shake his hand enthusiastically.

“Of course we know that already,” Pepe says, squeezing his own cheeks. “I can’t believe you’re doing this! Sky, this is the best wedding gift.”

When I told them that James Hughes had agreed to cater the wedding, it was like I jolted them with a defibrillator. Now that they’re staring at James, I think I might literally need that defibrillator.

Lucky sits on top of the counter, drawing the ire of some of the Viejas, but at this point Lucky can set the house on fire and I’ll be okay with it as long as James can pull this off.

He unwraps a tray at a time. First up are deep fried scallops with a sweet relish.

“Sky told me you have over two hundred people. My thinking is that we do lots of small plates centered around a really big protein.”

Everyone is too busy nodding and making yummy noises to form any coherent sentences. “What protein?” Pepe asks.

“I was thinking of doing a pernil, Latin style. Everyone loves roasted pork. Forty-eight hour marinade. You already have the pit in the backyard. My buddy can get me two of those, and bam. We’re set there.”

Pepe blows on one of the scallops. “We can have the bartenders make Mai Tais! I’m digging the luau switch. Still beachy, but more tropical. What else do you have under there?”

James pulls back the foil on his famous lamb pops.

Those pretty much evaporate. The lamb pops are followed by the most succulent crab cakes I’ve ever had. The meat flakes right off with the right amount of crunch. But I have to say that the best is the tray of lobster taquitos.

“Sky said you wanted an Italian dish, so I have some veal meatballs that’ll knock your socks off. If they don’t, then let’s just say that the recipe came from my sous chef, Nunzio.”

The meatballs vanish in seconds.

“Are you guys happy?” I ask Pepe and Tony.

I take their smiling, stuffed faces as an answer. I think the answer to keeping my family happy is good food and good wine. Why has this taken me so long to figure out? They decimate the food like they haven’t been fed in a week.

While James signs a couple of autographs, Lucky pulls me into the living room.

“So?” she asks.

“So?” I say.

She slaps my arm. “How are things with the sexy roofer?”

“He’s not just a roofer,” I say. “He’s a carpenter, too.”

“I do love a man who works with his hands. It just makes them know how to hold you a little bit better.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Bring him over tonight. James’ll make dinner, obvs. Can you bring some of that Goose Walk wine? I had some the other day and let’s just say there isn’t any left.”

“Anything,” I tell her. “You saved my skin.”

Her gray eyes are bright and happy. “What are friends for?”

• • •

Later that night when the family is gathered around for dinner, I go to my room to change into my bathing suit. As I tie my bikini strings, the door to my bedroom opens and Xandro stands at the door.

“Excuse you?” I hiss.

He stands up straight. “Hey, Sky. Sorry. I was looking for the bathroom.”

I grab the dress on my bed and throw it on, knowing that it’s useless. He’s already seen me.

“Don’t be shy, babe.” He leans against my doorframe. “I’ve seen you in your bikini when you go for your little swims. It’s like underwear that you’re allowed to get wet in.”

His words make my skin crawl. “Well, we’re not in the pool. You’re in my bedroom. Now get out.”

“Where are you off to tonight? Dinner’s almost ready. I missed the fancy schmancy chef lunch. I was out on my partner’s boat.”

“Out, Xandro.”

“I heard your little roofer took everyone wine tasting.”

I shove extra clothes into a backpack. Everything about this is wrong. Xandro standing in my bedroom is wrong. Xandro in this house is wrong. His eyes are drunk with lust and it makes me feel more than naked, it makes me feel exposed.

“It’s nice that he’s trying to get your mom to like him. But it’s never going to work. That’s not how our mothers are.”

“You don’t know anything about my family,” I raise my voice. “You think that because you knew me when we were little kids you have a right to barge into my life? You’re delusional.”

“You’re wrong Sky. I know a whole lot about your family. I know that when your mother couldn’t afford to buy food she’d come down the hall and my mom would give her a plate for you. I know that your uncle used to sneak guys into the apartment when none of you were paying attention. Everyone talked about it.”

“Are you trying to make a point?” I step closer to him with balled fists. “Or are you trying to really piss me off?”

“I’m trying to make you see that you and I have history. Aren’t you tired of going through relationships that’ll never go anywhere? Your mom told me how your last boyfriend cheated on you. Do you think that this guy is any different?”

I laugh in his face. My phone buzzes. Hayden is probably downstairs.

“Don’t you have a model who needs a new boob job?”

“Sky, do you know why I’m even bothering with you?”

I roll my eyes. “Why?”

“Because you are already perfect. Everything about your face, your body, it doesn’t need any work. With me you’d have everything. You wouldn’t have to work. We could buy a house for your mom. Hey, our moms could even live together.”

“Is this how you talk to women?” I ask. “Because it isn’t getting you anywhere.”

I step back. He follows. He grabs my arm, squeezing too hard. With my free hand I slap him and he lets go.

“Xandro, I’m not interested in you.”

“That’s unacceptable, Sky.”

He reaches for me, but I swing my bag at him. “Don’t touch me. Not ever.”

Just then River walks past the hall on her way to the bathroom. She notices my door open and catches my eye. She does a 180 and comes right in. “Hey, Ricky Martin. What’s up?”

I don’t hear his reply because my heart feels like it’s hammering in my ears. He blows a kiss at me and walks back downstairs.

“What was that?” she asks.

“That’s a problem.”

“We have to say something.” She turns around but I stop her.

“Not right now.”

“Sky, the creep was in your room. Unless you’re going to tell me that you invited him in here, we have to tell someone and make him stop trying to court you or whatever he thinks he’s doing.”

“I’m going to talk to my mom, but not when he’s in the house. She doesn’t get what he’s like. He’s only like that when no one’s around.”

“Has he done this before?”

I shake my head. “Not like this. This is extreme. But he says things to me, like he thinks we’re written in the stars or something. It’s seriously unhinged.”

She studies my face. I fear she’s not going to listen. I fear she’s going to run downstairs and break something over his head. “Fine. But, if he pulls this again, I’ll rip him to shreds.”

And I know that she means it.

“Are you okay?” Hayden asks when I’m in the car. “You seem off.”

I smile and kiss his face in response. He doesn’t believe me a hundred percent, but we drive to Lucky’s anyway. Hayden and I strip down to our swimwear and join them in the hot tub.

“What smells amazing?” Hayden asks.

“Short ribs,” James answers. He leans back with an arm around Lucky.

Hayden tries to pull me closer to him, but my body is rigid. Xandro really threw me off. That, and my forearm hurts where he grabbed me. I keep it submerged in the bubbles.

Lucky widens her eyes at me, which confirms my suspicions that I am, in fact, acting weird.

“I’ve heard a lot about your cooking,” Hayden tells James. “My mom goes crazy over you when you’re on TV.”

James chuckles, but brushes it off. “They make everything look harder with really tight cuts. Like on the last episode when I was down to the wire, I still had two minutes on the clock, but they made it look like five seconds.”

Lucky slaps him on the back of the head. “Stop ruining TV magic!”

“Shut your pretty face.”

“You shut
your
pretty face.”

They both shut each other up at the same time with a kiss.

“You wouldn’t think so from looking at them now,” I tell Hayden, “but these two didn’t get off to such a great start.”

“People surprise you,” Hayden says, looking at me.

“Chef Big Head over here was the one who rejected me first.”

James makes a face. “I seem to recall someone stealing my coffee.”

“It wasn’t even yours.”

“See?” I tell Hayden.

They share a laugh when the timer buzzes. James steps out of the hot tub. “Hope you guys are hungry.”

Lucky winks at me. “I’ll go get us another round. There are towels over on the bench.”

“They’re really great,” Hayden tells me.

“See? I know people, too,” I tell him.

He nips at my ear. I take a deep breath and push Xandro’s face out of my mind.

“It was weird not seeing you all day,” he says. “I’m used to watching you drink your coffee at your balcony. You’re like the princess and I’m the farm boy.”

“Does this mean I can order you around?”

He nods, and this time I let him pull me onto his lap. He touches his nose to mine. “As you wish.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and press my breasts against his chest. He brushes my hair back, droplets of water trailing down my face. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you, farm boy.”

He laughs and lets me go for a moment. “I got you something.”

“Really?”

He leans over to where his jeans are folded on the chair beside us. “Really. I was going to give it to you later, but these two are so lovey dovey that I feel the need to step up my game.”

I splash a little. “Goody. Give it.”

“Don’t get that excited. It’s not much.”

He pulls out a silver bracelet with turquoise beads.

“Oh, Hayden.”

He takes my hand gently and secures it around my wrist. “You wear a lot of blue, so…”

I brush his hair back and look into his eyes. “It’s my favorite color.”

He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. One, two, three, he trails those kisses up my arm. I shut my eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth on my skin, the water bubbling all around us, the fire crackling in the center of the yard. Then it stops and I’m forced to open my eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

His thumb traces the green thumb mark on my forearm. “What happened here?”

He holds me like I’m made of glass. My mouth is suddenly dry.

“Sky…”

I pull my hand back towards my chest. Hayden takes me off his lap so that we’re facing each other. Between the hot tub and his stare, I’m hotter than should be comfortable. I don’t want to lie to him, but this is also my problem to take care of. So I tell him.

“I’ve already warned him that he needs to stop.”

“You told me, Sky,” Hayden says. “You told me that if this guy got aggressive you’d tell me.”

He starts to stand. I grab his wrist. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to give him a matching bruise.”

“Hayden,” I yell. “Please. Tonight is perfect. I’m going to talk to my mother tomorrow and tell her to uninvite him from the wedding. Please don’t go.”

He looks at my hand on his. He steps out of the hot tub and looks up at the night sky with his hands placed on his hips, like he’s asking the heavens for patience.