The Good Sister: Part One (35 page)

But….”

“No,” I said, “I am not going to argue with you.” Reid glared at me. “And if you are going to be mean and pissy—”

“Okay,” he said, sitting down in a huff of legs and arms.

I brought the phone back to my ear. “I am sorry,” I said.

“My dove, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Ashton assured then gave a brief pause. “Tell me, how would you feel if I come a bit sooner, not wait until the end of next week?”

“Really?”

Ashton gave a low laugh. “Yes, really.”

“That would be great.”

“Would it make you happy, my dove?”

“Oh, yes,” I confirmed.

“Then it is settled. I shall see you on Sunday.”

“Sunday? Really?”

“Yes, my sweet Trinity.”

“I’ll let Jacqueline know to expect you then.”

Ashton chuckled. “You do that, my dove, and I shall see you soon.”

“Okay. I will see you soon.” My heart raced with the thought of seeing him.

“And, my dove?”

“Yes?”

“Please be careful tonight.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Good night, my dove, I shall think of nothing but you.”

“Good night, Ashton.” I bit my lip. “Me too.”

“So, I take it Archer is coming back on Sunday,” Reid said in a not too polite tone. The way he said Archer sounded like he choked out the word.

“Yes.” I placed the phone on the foot of my bed before walking over to Reid.

“Nice flowers. These are from Archer too, right?”

“Yes,” I replied then quickly added, “Are you ready to get your ass kicked again?” Reid’s silver gaze flickered from the flowers to me. “Maybe we should play another game since poker seems to be too tough for you.”

Reid smiled, but not his best smile. “I’m ready,” he said. He took off his coat and removed the deck of cards from his pocket. “One eyed jacks wild?”

“Sure.”

One plate of sandwiches along with two bags of chips later, Reid was down three hands to one. We talked, joked, and ate all the while listening to music, blaring some old school Ozzy.

“Maybe we should up the ante,” he suggested.

I was suspicious. “Up the ante how?”

“Strip poker.”

I laughed.

“What about no risky business? Besides, you would be the one left cold and shivering in your birthday suit,” I quipped.

“Well, maybe if I thought of you naked I would play better. Come on, chicken?”

“I’m not chicken,” I snapped with the lift of my chin.

Reid started making chicken wings, flapping his bent elbows in a taunt.

“Okay,” I said, “but before we start maybe I should go get us some more soda. I’m thirsty.” I swiped my forehead in a mock gesture of wiping sweat from my brow. “Kicking your ass has given me quite the workout.”

“Oh, very funny,” Reid said, reaching over to flick my nose. I ducked, he laughed but within a moment I was tangled into his arms with his mouth pressed to mine.

I was going to be the stronger person so I pulled back. I couldn’t keep doing this with him, blurring the lines of a friendship, and for what? Reid kept telling me I needed to find someone else. Besides, Ashton wouldn’t leave my thoughts. I wanted to help Reid, but if I kissed him it would lead to other things, and those others things would end badly.

“We really do need more soda,” I said, getting up.

“I’m going with you. There are too many men around here tonight,” he commented.

“They are probably more than preoccupied by now.”

“Even so, I don’t want anyone getting any ideas about you.”

“Ideas?”

“Trinity, knock it off,” Reid huffed, “you know exactly what they would want to do if they saw you and—”

“And you are going to protect my virginity from rogue scoundrels?” I laughed.

Reid took my hand. “Exactly,” he said with a smirk of victory.

“And who’s going to protect me from you?”

“I don’t know,” Reid replied.

I knew he meant that comment.

When I rounded the bottom of the stairs I heard… “My lady?” I turned. “My lady, is that you?”

“Lord Ironington,” I said, shocked to see him.

Lord Ironington’s milky white face turned from surprise to a strange expression as he spoke. “If I had known you were on the menu here I would have waited to place my order.” His dark glare roamed over my body, resting upon my breasts.

Reid stepped up, physically moving me into his side. “She’s not on the menu here, and never will be.”

“Lord Ironington, I do not work here,” I said.

“Than what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Jacqueline is a friend of mine.”

Lord Ironington eyed Reid then returned his attention to me. “And Archer? Does he know of this friendship?”

“Yes,” I said. “Now, if you will excuse me.”

Lord Ironington reached out. He was quick. He grabbed hold of my arm. Reid pushed Ironington back, breaking his grip from me.

“I don’t think so,” Reid said, shaking his head. “I don’t give a fucking rat’s ass who you are or what your title is. Touch her again, and I will beat your smug aristocratic ass.”

Alec came from the shadows. “Do we have a problem here?”

“No, Alec, I was just admiring the goods, stating my preference for…” Ironington hesitated, looking back at me. “I must apologize, I do not know your real name,” he winked, “my dove.”

“Lord Ironington, her name is Trinity; however, she is not to be considered goods,” Alec said harshly.

“So I have been told,” Lord Ironington said with a smug smile while twirling the end of his mustache.

“Then may I wish you a good night,” Alec said. He placed his hand upon Ironington's shoulder and proceeded to walk him to the door.

Lord Ironington put on his black overcoat and hat then turned to smile like an evil goblin. “It has been enlightening seeing you again, Trinity.”

I just bet it was.

Reid pulled me down the hall and into the kitchen. He shut the doors behind us. With a peeved tone he asked, “Who the fuck was that dude?”

“Someone I met at Lord Archer’s.”

“You went to Lord Archer’s house?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” he asked. He took a step forward and took hold of my shoulders.

“Because he invited me, and because I wanted to go,” I huffed, jerking back from Reid in defiance.

Reid’s jaw flexed. He looked into the depths of my eyes.

“Do you like Lord Archer, Trinity?”

“Of course I like him.”

“Do you find him attractive?”

“Yes.”

Reid took a large breath. “And so…”

“And so what?” I asked.

“Are you planning to let him touch you?”

“He’s already touched me,” I assured, although I wasn’t going to elaborate how Ashton had touched me.

A dark storm rolled over Reid’s demeanor. His body tensed, his nostrils flared, and his chiseled features set hard upon his face.

“Fucking hell, Trinity. What do you mean he has touched you?”

I crossed my arms without a response in words. I imagined Reid wanted to shake me until my teeth rattled. He stalked forward, pressing himself against me. His excitement rubbed my lower belly through his jeans.

“Did he touch you like I have?” Reid asked, his mouth inches of my cheek. “Did he put his mouth on your sweet little pussy and make you come?”

I smirked at Reid. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“Did he touch you here?” Reid asked, cupping my breast.

I twisted away, but he took me in hand. I hit Reid's chest. He moved back from me, face chiseled hard. His silver eyes turned to liquid fury.

“Are you going to let him fuck you, Trinity?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“So you have been considering it!”

I stared at Reid dead straight in the eyes and without the bat of an eyelash said, “Yes, but I’m quite sure if I do decide on saying yes to him, I won’t get fucked by Ashton.”

“Fucking hell!” he yelled. His fist hit the counter top. “He’s a man, Trinity, so if you think he wants to do anything more than fuck you—”

“Regardless of what you believe, Reid, I may be worth more to a man than a fuck. Maybe even worth loving, and being made love to.”

Reid raged. He was slamming his fist against the counter tops, kicking the floorboards while cursing quite creatively. I even heard something in regard to an arrogant uptight pompous jackass, shit from shinola, water fowl, and a sphincter.

“Stop making a scene or Alec will throw you out too,” I said, turning to grab some more sodas.

“Is it because he has money, a title?”

I twirled on him, curls whipping, eyes narrowing. “No! Do you think I like you because of your money?”

Reid’s hard face softened. “No.”

“Then do not insult me because I might find someone other than you attractive. You’re not the only man in the world, Reid Addison, so get over yourself.”

“Trinity, look at me,” Reid insisted. “We need to talk about this.”

“No,” I said, keeping my back turned to him.

“Trinity Lane Winslow, look at me now,” he said in a low voice that demanded no refusal.

“No,” I repeated, miffed. While taking the sodas I said, “You don't own me.” Then I left the kitchen in determined steps.

Reid trailed after me. I ignored him as I flitted up the stairs to my room. I opened my door, walked in, placed the sodas by the snacks then popped the tab on one soda can and took a drink. I walked over to the stereo, and turned the music down before I plopped down on the bed. I crossed my legs in a yoga position, took a deep cleansing breath then in a masterful move I lifted the soda can to my lips, took another drink of my soda, and sat quietly as if nothing was going on, as if Reid did not exist.

“Are you going to talk to me, Trinity?”

Stony silence rang out from my direction.

“Trinity?”

No response but a cool zero.

“Okay then, I’ll just wait here until you decide you are going to talk to me,” Reid assured, crossing his arms across his rock hard chest.

It was going to be a long wait
. I got up from the bed, finishing my soda and wishing it was a Coke, tossed the can into the trash receptacle then turned on my heel. I grabbed a book, headed back to my bed, and proceeded to lie down on my stomach across the middle of the bed. I never afforded Reid one glance as I began to read
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands
by Chelsea Handler.

Reid snorted.

****

From the distance I heard Reid. “Trinity,” he whispered. “Trinity, wake up.”

I opened my eyes. The last thing I remembered was reading a book. I must have fallen asleep.

“Reid, what are you doing?”

“Trying to wake you up,” he said. “It’s after seven in the morning, and I really need to go to the bathroom.”

I glanced down at myself. I was only wearing a T-shirt and panties. I glowered at Reid who was wearing his dark blue Calvin Klein's, sporting a raging hard on.

“How did I get into bed?” I asked.

“You feel asleep so I put you in bed then I joined you.” I stared at him. “Nothing happened,” Reid assured.

“I know nothing happened, Reid. I’m sure I wouldn’t have slept through it,” I sniffed. He laughed.

“So are we going to talk about things now?” he said, coolly. “As you can see I waited out your silent treatment.”

“Not if you want to talk about Ashton and get pissy like last night.”

“I want to talk about him, you, me, us.”

“There is no us.”

“Maybe I want there to be an us,” he said.

“Reid, you really are killing me. You can’t have things both ways. Either you want to let someone else love me or you love me. You can’t tell me to give herself to someone else but keep pulling me back into your struggle. I want to help you, Reid, but I can’t play these games.”

Reid slid my body into his. His bulging crotch pressed against my backside. “I want to hold you, Trinity. I really mean it. It’s no game.” Soon the holding turned into Reid’s hands roaming over my arm, my hip, pulling me tightly into his hot erection. “Trinity, you feel so good,” Reid said, nuzzling his nose between my shoulder blades.

I couldn’t do this. And then there was Ashton. I felt something for Ashton. I even dreamed about him last night. I dreamed it was Ashton beside of me, Ashton who I clung to, and had I said
I love him?

I pulled away. “Do something with that,” I said, pointing to his tented briefs.

Reid smiled toothy white. “What do you suggest I do with it?”

“Don’t you have to go to the bathroom?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Well then, go, and while you’re in there take care of that.”