Pretty Ever After (Chicago Nights Book 3) Read online

  I nod. “That’s good advice.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Very stepmother-y.”

  Trix cringes. “It is, isn’t it?”

  I laugh as I sip my mimosa.

  “Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late.”

  Trix and I smile as Nora swings around the table.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, studying her heavy face.

  “Uh...” She tosses her coat over the back of her chair. “No, not really.”

  “The app?” Trix asks.

  “No, it’s Alex,” she says. “He’s officially out of jail.”

  “Seriously?” I ask.

  She nods. “My lawyer left me a voicemail last night, but I didn’t check it until we got home late. I made a bunch of calls, but there’s nothing we can do. As of seven this morning, he was a free man.”

  “How’s Clive taking it?” Trix asks.

  “Not well,” Nora answers. “He hasn’t said much, but he was up all night. Neither of us slept.”

  “Damn,” I say, reaching for her hand. “Well, that fucking sucks.”

  Trix does the same, extending toward Nora. “Do you want me to try to get Lance involved again?” she asks.

  “No,” Nora answers.

  “Then...” Trix raises a hinting brow. “Do you want me to get Marcus involved?”

  Nora chuckles at the implication. “No,” she says. “He hasn’t done anything to warrant that kind of... response.”

  “Well, if you change your mind...” Trix winks. “No one will ever trace it back to you.”

  “Thanks, but...” Nora shakes her head. “Honestly, we just want to keep moving forward and try to forget all about it.”

  I nod. “That’s probably all you can do.”

  Trix cants her head at that.

  “Legally,” I add.

  She smirks. “Yeah, try not to worry too much. You’ve got enough on your plate right now.”

  “Speaking of...” Nora grabs the menu near her empty place setting. “I am starving. I have eaten nothing but your mom’s snickerdoodles in like seventeen hours.”

  “At least the party was fun,” Trix says.

  Nora nods. “The Rose’s threw quite the shindig, as usual. Even Clive enjoyed himself… until we got home, but until then, it was a hoot.”

  I bow my head. “On behalf of the Rose family, I accept your compliments and will pass them on to the hostess. Thank you.”

  Trix leans forward, a smile tugging on her painted lips as she looks at me. “Now that Nora’s here, how about you tell us what really happened with Robbie upstairs in your childhood bedroom.”

  Nora nearly fumbles the menu. “What?!”

  I exhale with rolling eyes. “Nothing happened.”

  “You were together? Alone? When? How?” She glares at Trix. “Weren’t you watching him?”

  “I was,” Trix says, “until he escaped through the bathroom window and emerged from upstairs twenty minutes later.”

  “Nothing happened,” I repeat. “We talked through some things, buried a hatchet or two, and that was it.”

  “That was it?”

  I shrug. “Ask him yourself.”

  “Okay.” Trix looks over my head. “Robbie, what really happened last night when you and Melanie were alone in her childhood bedroom?”

  I flinch and spin around to find Robbie standing behind my chair with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Oh, Blossom,” he says in his usual leather jacket and jeans, “you know that a gentleman never asks and a lady never tells.”

  Nora grins in surprise. “Hi, Robbie!”

  “Hello, ladies,” he greets, bowing his head around the table until he gets to me. “And Melanie.”

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask, frowning.

  He places a hand on the back of my chair, leaning against it without a care in the world. “Why? Does it bother you?” he asks.

  I catch the scent of his aftershave and I desperately try to hide how much I like it. “Extremely. Leave now.”

  He leans closer as if he knows. “How about no?” he says, smiling. “Also, I have been slandered and I have the right to defend myself.”

  “Slandered?”

  “To answer your question, Trix,” he says, standing up. “What Melanie says is true. Nothing of a physical nature happened last night while we were alone together.”

  Trix deflates, disappointed. “All right...”

  “You believe him, but not me?” I ask.

  “Well...” She hesitates, never answering.

  I glare at him again. “And what part of that was slander exactly?” I ask.

  Robbie grimaces as he playfully looks me up and down. “Ew,” he simply says.

  I bite down, annoyed, but not really. “Oh, of course.”

  “I have a reputation to uphold here.”

  “If you say so.” My heart races as I glare at his leather jacket. “You realize this place has a dress code, right?”

  “I don’t hear anyone else complaining, but if you insist...”

  He slides the jacket off his shoulders, revealing his tight, white t-shirt, and I instantly realize my mistake.

  Forearms.

  I look away in case I’m caught staring.

  He smiles, victorious. “Now, I’m meeting Roger for crepes, so if you’ll excuse me, ladies...”

  “Bye, Robbie!” Trix says.

  “We love you!” Nora adds.

  Robbie winks at everyone but me again. “Bye-bye,” he says as he turns around and hustles off toward a table on the other side of the cafe.

  I stay quiet. The butterflies ravage my gut, sending a flurry of heat toward every nerve in my body.

  Fuck, I enjoyed that as much as he did.

  No one noticed, right?

  Nora leans toward me. “Are you okay?” she asks, concerned.

  I exhale a heated breath. “I’m fine,” I say.

  “Don’t let him get to you,” Trix says, still smiling. “He’s just being Robbie.”

  I look across the cafe at his table, quickly realizing that he’s not where he went before. I scan over Trix and Nora’s heads to catch him lingering in the alcove by the restrooms. We make eye contact and, just as quickly, he disappears, his devious eyes beckoning me to follow him.

  No.

  Don’t.

  Bad idea.

  I move to stand. “I’m going to use the restroom,” I say. “Cool off a bit.”

  Nora and Trix share a glance, their faces dripping with sympathy and amusement, like always. They have a serious love-hate relationship with mine and Robbie’s relationship — if you can even call it that anymore.

  It’s an obsession.

  Nora nods. “Okay.”

  I gesture at my empty flute. “If the server comes back—”

  “We’ll have her bring you another round,” Trix says, throwing a thumbs up.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  I leave the table, my ankles swaying as I make my way across the cafe to the restrooms. I reach the narrow corridor and veer to the right toward the ladies’ room door. As I pass the men’s room door, it shoots open and Robbie lunges out to grab my hand. I jolt in surprise, gasping as he yanks me through the doorway with a sinister grin on his face.

  I drag my feet. “Robbie—”

  He closes the door and pins me against it. “You know,” he says, his body flush with mine, “I actually thought you’d show up last night.”

  “Rob, I told you,” I say, catching my breath. “It’s not—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ve been thinking about what you said, and…” He shakes his head. “I think you’re full of shit.”

  Anger spikes in me, but I tremble in response, full of pent-up desire. “No,” I say. “I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

  “Melanie, I want you to do me a favor,” he says, ignoring my plight. “For old times’ sake.”

&nbs
p; I close my eyes, my skin heating up. “What?” I ask, reluctantly.

  He grips my outer thigh, slowly hiking up my skirt. “I want you to tell me, right now, that you didn’t spend all night thinking about what you walked away from…”

  I shudder, pleasure teasing me as his fingers tug my panties aside. “Rob—”

  “Just say the word, and I’ll leave you alone,” he says, looking right through me. “I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll walk out of here high and dry and I’ll never go near you again. But if you want me, even just a little bit. If you can be honest with yourself and admit you were wrong, then kiss me right now and we’ll pick up right where we left off.”

  His hand lingers where it was last night, barely touching my throbbing clit. My breaths come wild as my head and heart battle over what’s right.

  Sex with Robbie good.

  Robbie bad.

  But Robbie good, too...

  “Screw it,” I say as I kiss him.

  Robbie tugs me off the door and guides me into a stall. I smother my mouth in his shoulder, suppressing my laugh as he locks the door with a swift flick of his wrist. He turns back to me, his eyes wild and full of heat, as he pins me against the wall. I reach for his belt, yanking it loose as he hikes up my skirt and pushes my panties down to my ankles. I surrender to him as he pins me to the wall and hoists me up, aligning our bodies as I brace against the wall.

  “Fuck, I need you, Mel,” he whispers. “Here, now.”

  Our kiss is deep and greedy, full of longing and need. I close my eyes, losing myself between each gentle touch of his tongue on mine. His hands do the work, pulling out his cock and sliding inside of me. I sigh, filled with aching relief. Feeling him inside of me has always felt like the first touch of a cool pillow after a long, hard day. Soothing, aching comfort that I can’t live without. My heart pumps adrenaline, pounding away at the same speed of Robbie’s thrusts. I part my lips, moaning on his tongue, as his hips grind even harder.

  “Oh, god,” I whisper, a moan in my throat.

  “Shh.” He smiles, holding me against the wall.

  I obey, tilting my head to rest on the wall. I say nothing. I don’t move. I can’t think.

  I just get fucked.

  The restroom door opens, filling the silent room with echoes of the cafe. I open my eyes, finding Robbie’s, but this ain’t our first roll in public. We both mindfully stop breathing and he slows his thrust as whoever it is out there wanders to the first urinal on the wall.

  Robbie doesn’t stop fucking me. He does it slowly, so slowly I nearly bite a hole through my bottom lip by the time the flusher activates and the guy finally fucks off.

  The door closes. Robbie smirks at the silence.

  He braces us again and quickens his pace, an easy task now that I’m dripping on his cock. I sigh and gasp, feeling that sweet relief building in me again as he pounds me harder against the wall. I settle into place, knowing that I’m not leaving here until he lets me. I’m stuck, throbbing with pleasure and trying not to scream, until Robbie decides he’s finished with me.

  Strange how easily that desire comes rushing back.

  A heavy rush of heat tingles my entire body. Robbie senses it and smothers my mouth with his as I moan his name. I kiss him, using all of my energy to dance with his tongue as the rest of me steadily builds toward climax.

  Robbie allows one low grunt from his throat and he slows down as he comes. I mewl at the feel of his pulsating cock inside of me. The moment his cum touches me, I slip over the edge. I come just as hard, riding an achingly silent wave in his arms. My pussy nearly forces him out, but Robbie keeps me pinned in place.

  We linger for who knows how long, calmly gazing at each other. I detach my ankles from around his back and slowly lower to the floor, feeling stiff and satisfied as sticky moisture coats my inner thighs.

  Robbie adjusts himself and pulls up his pants as I grab a wad of toilet paper to clean myself with. He steps out of the stall, returning with a few wet paper towels to wipe up what dripped to the floor.

  I let my skirt fall into place. “Well, that’s something we haven’t done in a while,” I say, breaking the silence.

  Robbie laughs. “It certainly was.”

  He faces me and rests a hand on my cheek. With a strong motion, he pulls me toward him and I once again surrender to his kiss.

  “Now...” he says, our lips barely straying, “are you going to be nice from now on?”

  I smile. “Probably not.”

  “Right answer.”

  We kiss again, the heat of it sparking another fire in me, but we’re not stupid enough to do this twice.

  Or are we?

  I take a step back, bending over to reach for my panties on the floor.

  Robbie jerks down first and scoops them up. “Oh, no, no,” he says, wadding them up. “I believe I earned these.”

  My jaw drops as he stuffs them into his back pocket. “Earned them?” I repeat. “This isn’t a John Hughes movie.”

  “You’ll get them back,” he teases, “when you come get them at my place later today.”

  I bite down. You little shit.

  “Fine,” I say. “It won’t be the first time I sat through brunch commando.”

  He purses his lips, intrigued by the thought.

  I nod toward the door. “You go first.”

  Robbie doesn’t leave. He stalks over me again, his voice sweet as honey. “Come over right after. I have something for you.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “If it’s your penis, I’ve got one just like it at home. And it vibrates.”

  He kisses me once to shut me up. “Just do it, Mel.”

  I raise my hands in silent surrender.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  Robbie steps backward out of the restroom, pausing for a moment to check for witnesses before turning back and flashing me a wink.

  I stay behind, quickly checking myself in the mirror. No panties, but everything else looks fine and relatively inconspicuous.

  The restroom door opens again.

  I flinch, remembering that this is the damn men’s room, and spin around to find myself face-to-face with Roger.

  He furrows his brow. “Hm...”

  I shake my head. “Don’t ask.”

  “Wasn’t gonna,” he says.

  I step around him and escape back into the cafe.

  Nora checks her watch as I slink back into my chair. “You were gone a while,” she notes. “You feeling okay?”

  I grab the fresh mimosa in front of me. “Better than ever,” I say.

  Nora and Trix share another glance as I pour the drink down my throat.

  Twenty-Two

  Robbie

  Fuck yeah.

  I skip up the stairs of my building in a far better mood than I was when I climbed them last night. Rejection hurts, always does, but I had the feeling that if I just gave Melanie a little time to stew in her own thoughts, then all it would take is a little nudge to push her in my direction again.

  And it worked.

  Fuck yeah.

  I plow through the door to my apartment, instantly coming to a quick stop.

  Something isn’t right here.

  Didn’t I lock that?

  I glance around the apartment. The living room and kitchen are the way I left them, but the flannel skirt and red satin panties on the floor leading to the bedroom are definitely not mine.

  I step forward, stopping in the doorway as I hear a rustling sound on my bed.

  “Hello?” I ask the dark.

  A light, feminine chuckle.

  I exhale hard. I flick on the light. There’s a lump on the bed beneath the sheets…

  “Val?” I ask, annoyed.

  She sits up, my bed sheet barely covering her naked breasts. “Hey, baby,” she says.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I ask.

  Her bottom lip pouts. “I was worried about you,” she says. �
��Thought I’d come check on you, neighbor.”

  “How did you get in here?”

  She shrugs. “My dad has keys to every unit.”

  I grab the skirt and panties off the floor and toss them onto the bed. “Well, get dressed and go back to your own unit.”

  “No.” She ignores her clothes. “Not until you tell me why you skipped out on my party.”

  “Something came up,” I answer.

  “Something more important than me?”

  “Yes.”

  She feigns offense. “Ouch.”

  “And from what I heard, you weren’t exactly lonely that night, so what do you care?”

  “I still missed you,” she says as she lets the sheet drop, revealing her young, perky nipples.

  I turn away. “Get out, Val.”

  “Wait, really?” she asks.

  “Yes, really.”

  “You’re not tempted? Not even a little bit?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’re just... you’re not my type, Val. And I’m seeing someone — someone who is on her way over here as we speak, so…”

  I wave my arms, motioning toward the door.

  She frowns. “You mean that woman I saw leave your place last week?”

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “The pregnant one?” she asks, shocked.

  “No, not that one. The other one.”

  “The blonde?”

  “No.” I blink. “Man, I need some male friends.”

  “The brunette?” she asks. “With the cheekbones?”

  “Yes!” I say, pointing. “That’s her.”

  “Oh…” She settles, disappointed. “She’s really pretty.”

  I smile. “Yes, she is.”

  Val’s shoulders droop. “Okay, then…” she mumbles.

  I spot a bra on the floor and grab that, too, along with the unfamiliar blouse next to it. “I’m sorry, Val,” I say, dropping them on the bed. “You’re a very nice young woman, but I’m not interested in—”

  “No, I get it.” She snatches the bra off the bed. “You’re just yet another man who won’t go near me because...” Her voice falls as she fumbles with the bra, throwing it up her arms and securing the front clasp. “Never mind.”

  I sit down near the foot of the bed. “What do you mean?” I ask.

  She shimmies her panties on beneath the sheets. “Just forget it.”