Meadowlarks 3 : Endless (7 page)

“Mom! Your boss is here!” Isaac shouted before bounding into another room, leaving me alone and awkward by the door.

Riley stepped into view, and almost took my breath away. She looked amazing in her work clothing, and the few times I’ve seen her in jeans. But now, she’s wearing nothing but black cotton shorts and a plan grey t-shirt.

“Are you wearing pajamas?” I ask, gazing up her body.

“Be happy I’m wearing a bra. It’s the first thing that comes off when I get home.” Riley smirks and crosses her arms. “I hope you’re hungry.”

I traipse my eyes up her once more. “Starving.”

“I hope you like tacos.”

I follow her into the kitchen, trying my damn hardest not to stare, and I thank my lucky stars that I’ve been able to resist getting excited when I see her husband sitting at the table.

“Hey, Weston, how’s it going?” Alex asks.

“Good, Alex. Nice to see you again. Thanks for having me over tonight.” I extend my hand and he shakes it.

Fuck, if he doesn’t remind me of myself. I swear he even looks like a younger me. Maybe that’s why Riley wants me…
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Casey.

Dinner was surprisingly not that bad. I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle sitting down and having a normal meal with Riley and her family…but I did, and it went well. I started to see her in a different light. She was young, and playful with her children, and it made me feel like a creep that I’ve ogled her so much.

This is really where she’s meant to be. Seeing how Alex looks at her, makes me realize that there is absolutely, unequivocally, not a fucking chance in the world that she’ll ever be with me.

Oh, that was a hard one to swallow.

Alex takes the kids into the living room after dinner to leave Riley and me to discuss business. She scoots her chair closer to mine and I almost push mine away just to keep from leaning in and smelling her delicious scent.

“So all of your information will go in this file. I’ll need a copy of your banking information so everything will do directly into an account for you. I know we didn’t discuss it before, but let’s negotiate a salary.”

Riley smiles at me. “What number were you thinking?”

“I was thinking one hundred.”

Riley blinks. “One hundred thousand a year? Weston, this is Wyoming. What do you think I’ll be selling?”

“You’ll be co-CEO, what do you expect to make? I won’t take no for an answer, Riley.”

“You won’t see me putting up a fight. Thank you.”

“You deserve it.” I push the folder toward her. “Now, sign your life away, ma’am.”

Riley gives me a sexy little glare, and I clear my throat and look away. “So, where’s Leah?”

“Leah? Why?”

“Curious.”

“Oh no you don’t. She’s a good girl, Weston. You’re not gonna taint her with your…experience.”

I bulge my eyes and lean in. “You’re still considering a taste of the forbidden wine, aren’t you?”

“I love my husband.” Riley scribbles her signature and shoves the paperwork back across the table. “Leah’s not from here anyway.”

“So I could take her out for coffee then.”

“No.”

I cross my arms on my chest. Now I really want to know why she’s being so defensive.

“Leah is too good for you.”

“You’re probably right. But, that still does hurt a little. I’ll have you know, I don’t go down without a fight.”

“That’s a shame for women.”

I raise an eyebrow and lower my voice. “I’d crawl under this table and change your opinion in two seconds…”

Alex walks in just as Riley’s mouth is about to open and spurt back at me. “Scarlett fell asleep, I’m gonna put her in bed.”

“Okay, babe. Thank you.” Riley smiled sweetly and then glared at me when Alex turned and walked back out.

“Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Cole. I look forward to seeing your behind at work.” I get up to leave and extend my hand to her. She takes it, and doesn’t say another word.

Riley stands on the porch while I walk to my car. She leans on one of the posts, and waves her fingers when I open my car door.

“Think about it, will ya?”

“Think about what?” She asks.

“Leah.”

“Not a chance, Casey.” And with that, she walks into her house and closes the door.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Leah

I have never had a dream like
that
before.

Ever.

I woke up, panting, clawing at the sheets, and sweating profusely. I dreamed about Weston Casey.

He was watching me. Just like he did in New York.

I was singing for him. A song I hadn’t sung before, but now the lyrics are stuck in my head. A salacious melody whispered out of my mouth, over my lips, and down to where he stood on the floor. I was on the stage, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. Once my song was over, he walked up to me and pulled me from the stage. Kissing my lips and ravaging me senseless.

I flipped over, and pulled my iPad from its case. I quickly typed on the screen, the lyrics my mind let me remember from my dream. Once I was done, I clicked the Google app, and I typed in Weston Casey.

Image results poured in of a man in a suit. That man, the man from the site. Not that man from the club. The man that stared back at me from the iPad was beyond gorgeous…he was a freaking vision. Riley’s words rang true.

At the same time, he seemed untouchable. A heartbreaker. A panty-dropping lady-killer. Didn’t help at all that most of the photos were of him with a much older blonde woman. Some captions read Mr. and Mrs. Casey.

Fabulous
.

Riley forgot to mention a slight detail about him. I don’t do the home wrecking thing.

Falling back into bed, I hold up the tablet and look at him once more. Picturing him the way he was in the club, the way he dressed, his playful eyes and youthful smile.

Woe is me.

I slept over at Addison and Blaine’s last night. The moment I heard Riley was having her boss over for dinner, I panicked and made some excuse that I really wanted to devote time with Addy’s kids so I thought spending the night would be fun. It wasn’t all a lie…I did enjoy spending time with the boys, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of seeing Weston at her house. Not after yesterday. Not after I felt like a fool in front of him.

“Breakfast!” Addison called from downstairs.

I groaned, rolled over, and stared once more at the pictures of Mr. Untouchable.
Forget him, Leah…

“Want to go for a ride today?”

I perked up at Addison’s words. “Yes! I would love to!”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Riley’s mom is coming over to watch the kids so we can all go out. I hope you’re hungry, I cooked way too many pancakes.”

“I’m starving, thank you. They look delicious.”

Addison piles three fluffy pancakes on a plate and sets it down in front of me. I pour too much maple syrup on them, but I don’t care—I’m on vacation.

“Hey girls!” Riley beams when she opens the door and walks into the kitchen.

“Hey!” I said happily. “Ann! I’m so happy to see you. How are you?” I got out of my seat and went to hug Riley’s mom.

“Oh, Leah, I’m so happy to see you too, darling. Stand back, let me take a look at you.”

She held me at arm’s length. “Beautiful, Leah. I’m so happy for you. I always knew you would make it big.”

“Thank you, Ann. It’s really still hard to believe it’s happening. But, it’s so exciting. Each day is different.”

“Any special men in your life?” Ann asks before pulling out a chair to sit down.

“Not presently.”

Riley smirks. “There would be if I didn’t cock-block her.”

“Riley!” Ann shrieked, then grinned. “What kind of language is that?”

Riley smirked and shrugged. “Sorry, mother. It’s true. Leah, remember my boss?”

Addison snorted. “Leah! You didn’t tell me you met Tattoo!”

“Tattoo?” I asked.

“Oh, God. Riley, she didn’t see it, did she?” Addison grinned and threw her head back, sighing.

“Nope, and she’s not gonna! Leah, Weston is not good enough for you. He came over last night for dinner and pestered me about you. I said NO! He’s not tarnishing my girl.”

I blushed. If they only knew what I dreamed about. I think we equally tarnished each other in that delicious fantasy.

“So why do you call him Tattoo?”

Addison giggled and pulled out a chair to sit down with us. She leaned in and whispered, as if there were people around that she didn’t want in on the secret. “He’s got one of those bicep tattoos, on the inside. It says “Because I can”…”

I blinked. “Because I can?”

“Exactly! Do you have any idea what that can entail? Oh, Leah…that man is his own biggest fan.” Riley laughed. “But, it does add a mouth-watering element of intrigue.”

“Listen to you two!” Ann chimes in, pointing at Riley and Addison. “You’re married!”

“We’re not dead, mother.”

Addison nodded. “That’s right. Besides, we can look.”

I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I wanted to ask them to rewind for a second and listen to the part again about Weston asking about me. I wonder what he said…I’m dying to know. “I saw him, you know.”

“Saw who?” Riley asked with a mouthful of pancake.

“Weston. In New York. He was at the club that caught fire. I knew I recognized him.”

“No fucking way.”

“Riley! Good Lord…” Ann covered her face with her hand.

“Sorry.” Riley wiped her mouth with a napkin. “It’s Weston! He brings out the bad girl. See why I don’t want Leah slumming with the likes of him?”

I want to slum. How if they only knew who badly I wanted to slum with that man. I’m tired of being a good girl. “Maybe I want to be tarnished.”

Addison, Riley and Ann silenced and blinked at me like I had spoken in a foreign dialect. I shrugged, and continued to eat my pancakes.

“Well, if you want the best sex of your life, I’ll give him your number.” Riley grinned at me.

“And just how you would know that, my dear?” Ann asked quizzically.

“Mom, last year in Cheyenne, at that home show…We had adjoining rooms.” Riley leans in closer to her mother. “I heard him having the most animalistic sex with someone…for HOURS.”

I choked on a piece of pancake.

Did she just say
hours?
Holy shit. I don’t even know what thirty minutes of sex feels like.

Addison started to blush. “I wouldn’t have any idea what that was like.”

“Liar,” Riley said loudly. “I bet Blaine would put Weston to shame.”

Addison just shrugged and looked down at her plate innocently, not giving anything else away.

Lucky bitch.

“Isn’t he married anyway?” I ask, not wanting to hear her answer.

“Not anymore.”

Oh
…

***

Hi, my name is Leah and I’m a fifth-wheel. No, not the type of truck. The fifth person in a group, with two couples. You know the one. It’s awkward and
super
fun
…

I squeezed my legs around Cylas, the white Arab, and he trotted up in front of everyone else. If I’m going to have to ride with them, and all their lovey-dovey goo, I’m not going to be subjected to watching like a big loser from the back.

I’m also grinning like an idiot trying to ignore that I just overheard Blaine suggest he and Addison find a bush and shake it. I’m so happy that she’s happy…but things like that make me feel incredibly lonely and sad at the same time.

I’ve decided that when we get back, I’m going to pull Riley aside and tell her I want to meet Weston again. Even if she refuses, I’ll pull the BFF card. Lord knows I haven’t redeemed those points, ever.

“So, Leah! You wanna hook up with Riley’s boss, huh?” Alex shouts from behind me.

I actually squirm in the saddle. Damn, Riley!

I turn around and look at him. “Maybe!”

“Well, damn…Just be careful. I bet that guy can get a girl pregnant just by looking at her.” Alex teases.

“Isn’t that how you knocked Riley up?” I asked, my voice sarcastically sweet.

“There must be something in the water at the Cole residence in Maine. Both their children are horndogs.” Riley rang in.

“I’m not complaining,” Blaine said, laughing.

After the talk of sex filled my morning, I’m almost desperate now. It’s been way too long since Joel, and I’m too embarrassed to actually tell the girls there has only been him and Jeremiah. Not that I’m counting how long it’s been since I had sex.

Eleven months, three weeks, and four days…

CHAPTER NINE

Weston

“Well, whaddaya think?” Pete asks when I climb out of my car at the new property.

“I think I’m very happy with my choice of contractor.”

“Thought you might say that. C’mon and take a look at the foundation.”

I follow Pete around the base of my new structure, smiling and nodding while he explains everything I already know. If he’s already got this much done in four days, he’ll have the rest up in no time. I’m a very happy man right now.

“I’m heading back to New York for a few week, but I’ll be back in time to cut the ribbon.” I extend my hand to Pete and he shakes it. “If you need anything, in person, call Riley Cole. Her number should be on all the paperwork.”

Riley is meeting me for lunch today, to discuss a few more things before we leave for New York. She’s coming with me to the convention—and I’m still very excited about it.

When I pull into the parking lot of the restaurant she chose, I park beside her car.
What a nice His and Hers pair.

As soon as I walk into the place, her laughter echoes through the place, and I immediately zone in on where she is seated. Although from here I can only see the back of her, I can tell she’s talking to someone and whoever they are, they’ve got her in stitches.

I smile at the hostess and take off my jacket. “I’ve found my seat already, thank you.”

She smiles sweetly and looks back down at the papers on the podium.

I walk in, confidently, with a grin on my face that Riley’s beautiful laughter has created. And then it hits me. She’s brought Leah.