Skyscrapers & Camelot (Renovate Book 1) (20 page)

“I want to make love to you right here, but I’m afraid Reese or my brother will walk in at any moment,” he whispers in my ear.

“I don’t care.”

He lets out the sexiest laugh as he picks me up. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I revel in his strength as he kisses me more.

Keegan begins moving us toward my bedroom. Closing the door with his foot, he then takes us to the bed where he slowly places me down so he can continue his assault. It doesn’t take long to lose our clothes, and then we make love throughout the night. It’s going to be another long day at work in the morning, but I don’t care. Every single night spent with him is worth it.

Chapter Nineteen

I’m at work, staring at my computer screen in a daze. Is it possible to be high off of someone? Keegan does that to me. I can still feel his hands covering my body. There wasn’t any part of me his lips didn’t touch. Falling asleep in his arms was beyond wonderful. Waking up to his kisses on my stomach was heavenly. I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, and my muscles ache from the previous night’s activities. Yes, I definitely had quite the work out last night.

“Well, well, well. By that smile and dreamy look on your face, I assume you and the boyfriend patched things up.” Reese takes me out of my thoughts.

She spent the night with Kaleb, thankfully, and wasn’t witness to our lovemaking last night. If she was, I’m sure I would hear about our loud moans and screams.

“Yes, we did,” I say with a wide smile.

“You have that glow, Aimee.”

“Really?”

“You’re shining. I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy, ever. Just because he’s got you all happier than a clam, it doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping an eye out on him, though. My original threat remains. He only gets one pass, so if he wants to keep his balls intact, he will think twice about hurting you.”

She won’t let up on this cutting off his balls threat. I think she hopes he messes up just so she can cut them off. My best friend is a sadist, and I fear for Kaleb’s safety if he ever crosses her.

“He won’t hurt me,” I whisper, knowing he has the power to destroy me. I’m so smitten with him I’m starting to believe this man can move mountains.

“Ladies’ night tonight with Olivia after work. I hope you haven’t forgotten.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten. I’m game.”

For a minute, I think she believed she might have to drag me out tonight. Relationships can be tricky, and although I would love to spend every waking moment with Keegan, that’s not healthy. As a result, I’m looking forward to our monthly girls’ outing.

“Cool. Drinks on me.” Thank goodness for cabs because Reese looks serious about tonight. One thing she knows is fun.

Reese leaves so we both can get back to work or, at least for me, my daydreaming.

In the middle of the day, I receive a text from Keegan.

You and me, Saturday night. Pack a bag

He’s being very bossy again, but I don’t mind. He can boss me around anytime.

I reply,
Okay. Anything specific I should pack?

Just the essentials, minus your underwear

He’s being flirty, and I love it.

Your wish is my command

He replies back with one word,
PROMISE?

ALWAYS!

Have fun tonight and be careful. Call if you need a ride.

Always the gentleman. His concern for me is heartwarming. He’s always been this way with me, and I never realized how much I missed it.

Thanks, they have these things you may have heard of called taxis, but if New York City suddenly doesn’t have any, you will be the first person I call. Love you.

One last message comes through.
I’m serious, woman. And I love you to the stars.

I let him have the last word and put my phone down.

Once it’s five o’clock, I freshen up, adding a touch of my coral lipstick. Satisfied with my appearance, I meet Olivia and Reese in the front of the office where they are waiting for me. Both are laughing about something when I approach.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

“Reese was just telling me about your um … encounters with her boyfriend’s behind,” Olivia explains.

I roll my eyes. “Next time, I’ll take a picture for you, Olivia.”

We both laugh. I think one or both of them have already started ladies’ night early.

“Ladies, are we ready?”

Each time we get together, one of us chooses our destination. It’s Reese’s turn, and she wants to hit the Sky Bar in Times Square. It’s a fun place and has great views of the Hudson and Empire State building. The atmosphere is electric, and there are several terraces to move to.

The three of us pile into a taxi, and the driver wastes no time weaving in and out of traffic to get us to midtown in record time. You would think after living in the city for several years that I would be used to being jostled around, but I’m not, and as I step out of the cab after paying the fare, I feel a little dizzy.

It’s happy hour, so the bar is packed. There isn’t much room to move around, but we finally make our way through the crowd. Reese orders us our drinks after grabbing a bartender’s attention by whistling loudly. We grab our drinks and head over to a table that a group of people just left. Sitting down, we have the perfect view to people watch.

One of the rules of our girls’ night is no work talk or boy drama. It’s just about us girls, and I look forward to this time. We don’t have to worry about impressing anyone; it’s all about us.

As we sit back and survey our surroundings, Reese and Olivia make fun of a few guys who are getting shot down. I can’t help feeling bad for them. It’s hard enough living in New York City, but dating is even worse. You might think that a city with over eight million people, it would be easy to find a date, but it’s not. I have met a few guys and gone on a date here and there. Let’s just say, none of those dates made me weak in the knees like Keegan has.

I’m watching the bar when I see a flash of blonde hair and think I’m seeing things when I see the familiar half-dressed woman. I blink a few times and focus on her again, hoping I just had too much to drink, but when she looks at me with utter coldness, I know it’s Gretchen.

Of all the places in the city we could have gone, why did we have to pick the one where she showed up?

Now, all I want to do is leave. Just because I swept this whole thing with her under the rug, it doesn’t mean I’m not still furious with the woman. She’s like a leech you can’t remove.

“No, you don’t. Look at me, Aimee,” Reese demands. “She’s not worth ruining your night or mine, for that matter.”

Olivia looks at us, confused, but then recognition shows on her face when she sees Gretchen, who appears to be flirting with an attractive looking guy I would only describe as metrosexual. He has blonde hair styled perfectly, which in a way matches hers.

“Let’s dance, girls,” Olivia says, breaking into my thoughts. We most likely will lose are table, but if I have to dance all night so I won’t have to see Gretchen, that’s fine with me.

I can feel the bass in my chest as we make our way over to where a DJ is spinning tunes. I take another sip of my drink, feeling the liquor do the trick of taking over. I begin to sway to the music with Reese and Olivia. A few men try to dance with us, but we shoot every one of them down. It’s girls’ night, no boys allowed.

Just as “Sugar” by Maroon 5 starts to play, I catch a glimpse of Gretchen from the corner of my eye. Is it my imagination or has her dress gotten shorter? She’s dancing with the guy from earlier, and they are all over each other. I can’t tell where one begins or ends.

The room suddenly gets hotter, making me believe I might be more buzzed than I thought, so I let the girls know I’m heading to the bathroom.

I look in the mirror to see my pupils are huge and a little red. Maybe I should switch to water. I splash water on my face, and it helps to sober me a little. When I look up into the mirror again, staring back at me is Gretchen. Now that I see her in the light, I am aware that the scowl she’s wearing is aimed at me. Is she following me? What does she want? I guess avoiding her wasn’t the answer because now she looks like she’s going to spit nails.

“Having fun?” she asks with venom.

Not anymore
, I say to myself.

The red stilettos she’s wearing and her barely there black dress make her look like she’s an Amazon woman, and suddenly, all I can imagine is her in the jungle, all dirty, wearing fig leafs.

I let out a laugh, mostly from what I’m imagining and a little because I’m buzzed.

“Wipe that smile off your face.”

That didn’t sound very nice. Maybe she
is
planning to spit nails. I wouldn’t put it past her.

“What do you want? You obviously have something on your mind, so just say it so I can get back to my friends,” I spit out, wishing I wasn’t in this ridiculous confrontation.

“Right. Friends. You were Keegan’s little, childhood friend who pined over him when you were a kids.”

Seriously, I can feel my face heat up with anger. She knows nothing of my feelings for Keegan. I really hate this woman.

“Keegan and my feelings for him are none of your concern.”

She steps closer to me, and I want to gag at the smell of her perfume. Didn’t anyone ever tell her about moderation?

“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been with Keegan for years, and I have invested a lot in him. I’m not going to let some girl like you ruin my hard work.”

What the fuck is she on? I feel like I’m in a soap opera where, soon enough, we will be in a cat fight, rolling on the floor of this bathroom.

“Do us both a favor and crawl back in the hole you came from,” I tell her.

I’m starting to feel really nauseous, and I’m sure she would love me even more if I threw up on her nine hundred dollar shoes. On second thought, that would complete the evening.

She moves in even closer to me. “Listen to me. You aren’t special. You, my girl, are ordinary.” She touches a strand of my hair, and I freeze. “This hair is godawful, those clothes should be burned. I don’t know what he sees in you, but trust me, it won’t last. I’ve watched him go through women like water. It’s fun for him when it’s new, and I’m guessing he likes the challenge with you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when he gets his fill.”

“What is the matter with you? Did your parents never tell you they loved you?”

“Oh, my dear, love is for the foolish.”

Although I can hear someone entering the bathroom, Gretchen merely continues our stare down. Then the person clears their throat, and Gretchen looks over to see Reese standing tall with her arms crossed.

“Nice chatting with you,” she says in a sweet voice.

Only when she exits my personal space can I breathe again.

Reese blocks Gretchen’s path. “She may be too nice to kick your ass, but I’m not. If I hear you say another spiteful word to her, I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

Reese moves out of the way, and Gretchen quickly exits, looking a little frightened of her. That’s my mama bear, protecting her own, and I would do the exact same thing for her.

Suddenly, I make a dash for the bathroom stall and release the contents of my stomach. I’m not sure if it was my confrontation with Gretchen or simply having too much to drink, but nonetheless, here I am, praying to the porcelain gods.

Reese is at my side immediately, holding my hair while my tears begin to flow from mostly embarrassment at my current state. No words are spoken between us as we walk over to the sink where I splash some more water on my face and use a tissue to wipe the tears from under my eyes.

“Are you all right?” Reese looks at me with concern.

“I’m fine. Thanks for that,” I reply, staring at myself in the mirror.

Reese puts a hand on my shoulder. “You know nothing that bitch said is true, right?”

I know I’m not super glamorous, and I don’t wear a ton of designer clothes. Those things don’t matter to me. I grew up happy in a middle-class home. I had everything I needed and wanted. Hearing her words hurt a little, but I’m not going to go home and wallow in a pint of Chunky Monkey.

“How much did you hear?”

“I think most of it, but you handled yourself well. I wouldn’t have had as much restraint as you.”

I have never been in a fight in my entire life, never thrown a punch, and I’m not going to start now. Make peace, not war and all that.

“I think I’m going to catch a cab and head home. I doubt I’ll be any fun tonight.” I just want to put on my comfy jammies and crawl into my safe, warm bed.

“I’ll let Olivia know we’re leaving.”

I grab her arm. “No, you don’t have to leave on my account. I don’t want to ruin your evening.”

She looks at me, a little angry. “Are you serious right now? I’m not letting you go home by yourself. I would worry about you all night. It’s you and me, Aimee, always. You are the bread to my butter.”