Reflected in the Rain (The Storm Inside) Read online

  “Oh for fucks sake!” Jennie exclaimed. “Let’s get going! I have two party buses full of drunks waiting for their guests of honor.”

  Outside, two black buses with darkly tinted windows were parked on each side of the driveway. Jennie pranced toward the one on the left while Andrew wandered toward the one on the right. After I locked the front door, I pulled Eve against me for one last kiss. She melted her body against mine and tilted her head up expectantly.

  I wanted to kiss her all night. I wanted to do nothing but kiss her for the rest of time. It sounded like such a stupid thing, but kissing Eve was magic. Obviously I loved doing more, but it always began and ended with her kisses. I couldn’t live without them.

  She smiled, it was so obviously forced it made my chest ache. “Have fun, babe. I really do mean it. You don’t go out with the guys enough.”

  I held her face in my hands and kissed her forehead before pressing mine to the spot I just kissed. “Darlin’, I go out with the guys plenty. You enjoy your night with the girls, ok? Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  I kissed her one last time. I meant it to be quick—a sendoff—but as usual, it wasn’t what happened. My quick kiss turned into a deep kiss. Her lips opened and her tongue slid along mine and I was done for. I tilted her back so I could kiss her harder, and when her little moans of pleasure vibrated against my mouth it was all I could do to stop from taking her back into the house and telling our friends to have a nice life without us—we were becoming hermits.

  But then the buses started honking at us and our friends were obviously beating on the windows. “I think we better go,” Eve said smiling against my lips.

  I sighed and leaned her back up. “Fine.”

  She grabbed and kissed me one more time with mischief in her eyes. “Go have fun!”

  “Yes, darlin’.”

  I watched as she hopped up into the bus. There were squeals and shrieks from her friends. Eve was going to have fun with her friends and that made me happy. I might not like being apart from her, but her being happy made me happy.

  I stepped up into my own bus not quite sure what to expect. Any time Greg is in charge of planning things, there is probably going to be trouble.

  There was heavy metal playing over the speakers and porn on the TV screens. Typical. Greg was presiding over the others like a game master. He had his customary bottle of Knob Creek in one hand and a cigar in the other.

  He’d trained me in the ways of whiskey over the years and the moment he heard I was engaged, promised me an entire night of whiskey.

  He was obviously not joking.

  Andrew was sitting beside Ricardo. Behind them were two of our managers from work, and on the other side were two old friends of Greg’s I’d hung out with from time to time.

  “Hey!” they all shouted the moment I appeared.

  I waved. As much as I liked and appreciated all of these guys, I wasn’t particularly close to any of them other than Greg.

  “Alright, alright!” Greg yelled, the cigar stuck between his teeth.

  The music was lowered, though the greasy dude getting head from two giant-breasted and grunting women was still playing in the background.

  “Before we get started, I’d like to present the sacrificial lamb here with his personalized bottle of the night.”

  The guys all clapped and hollered at me while Greg wrestled something out of a bag. When he turned around he had a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It wasn’t Greg’s absolute favorite whiskey, but it was mine. And what he was holding in his hands was a two hundred dollar bottle of heaven. “I consider you a brother and I want nothing but the best for you. That includes a night of celebrating with your friends.” He opened the bottle and poured me a glass. My mouth was watering just looking at the beautiful amber liquid.

  “Cheers.”

  It was as smooth and amazing as I remembered. It burned on its way down my throat, but not like regular whiskey. This was much smoother, almost like a caress. It was like intense sex: hard and painful, but so sweet and good.

  Eve was like expensive whiskey.

  “You ready to have a fucking fun night of male debauchery?”

  I looked over at Andrew and Ricardo who were grinning at me like I had no clue what was about to happen to me. I didn’t know if I should be excited or terrified.

  I took another drink.

  ***

  With Greg in charge, anything was possible and I was prepared for every scenario. So, I was a little surprised when the bus pulled up in front of our favorite cigar bar in Ybor City. The historic district was famous for its cigar factories and had seen several transformations over the course of my lifetime. When we were in college, it was the place to party at night, but over the years, shopping, apartments, and restaurants had joined the clubs, making it an entertainment destination, day or night.

  Greg and I found Cristo’s Cigar Bar about a month after I moved back to Tampa and we’d been haunting it ever since. It was the perfect combination of dark wood, leather seating, low lighting, and relaxed customers. Plus, they had a ridiculous selection of cigars and whiskey.

  A giant round booth in the back corner was reserved for us, and Greg shoved everyone else in first, positioning himself and me on the ends before immediately ordering Knob Creek for the table and more Johnny Walker for me. He was being more bossy than usual and I couldn’t help but smile, he was so intense it was kind of touching.

  A very scantily dressed (much more than usual) waitress appeared beside me with a selection of cigars Greg had preselected for the night. She quickly and deftly explained the differences between each type before turning to me. She was young and beautiful, there was no mistaking that. And I certainly couldn’t ignore how hard she tried to seduce me. From the eyes to the breasts to the hips, she was giving it all she had, but I didn’t give her an inch. I smiled politely and selected my cigar, getting a few snickers from the guys.

  “Nice try,” I said to Greg.

  He grinned, “Thanks. Just doing my job, making sure you are absolutely positive you never want your hands on a different pair of breasts ever again.”

  “I’m good.”

  Greg laughed and lit his cigar, “You should be. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to make damn sure, though. I don’t want some mid-life crisis landing in my lap down the road.” He stuck the cigar between his teeth and smacked his hands together twice. “I’m officially absolved of all responsibility. You were given your chance and you picked forever with Evie. Change your mind and I will kill you on her behalf. I don’t want her going to prison over your loser ass.”

  I swore under my breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I can’t believe you just said that.” Greg was such an asshole for no apparent reason sometimes.

  He leaned back in the booth, letting out a long stream of smoke. “I don’t doubt you. I’m just covering all our bases. No doubts, no regrets.”

  I took a long drag of whiskey and turned my attention to the guys. They were deep in a conversation about the Super Bowl. It was getting heated, fast.

  “How’s the Gurkha?” Andrew asked.

  I held it up and examined it before answering him. “Smooth. I like it. How’s the Graycliff?”

  Andrew let the smoke slowly waft out the side of his lips. “It’s good. Greg means well, you know?”

  “I know.” I did. I knew he was just doing his best in the only way he knew how. Sometimes having Greg as a best friend was a blessing, but sometimes it was a curse.

  No, when it came to women, it was always a curse. Greg was seriously screwed up in the head about his own love life and he used it as an excuse to tell me about mine.

  Sometimes that was a great thing—he was the one who pushed me back to Tampa. He hadn’t even met Eve, but he was convinced we needed to get back together.

  But other times, I wanted to punch him in the face for being an idiot.

  Andrew leaned a little closer and waited for Greg to get pulled into the Super Bo
wl debate before speaking quietly. “There’s going to be a show in about ten minutes. It’s the only other crazy thing he has planned for the night. I promise.”

  It was the first time someone had clued me in on the plans. I nodded at Andrew to show my appreciation. I could live through a show. Hell, I might even enjoy it. We were supposed to be having fun, after all. Besides, I was going to need the distraction. If this was Greg’s idea of a good night with the boys, what was Jennie’s idea of a fun night out with the girls?

  There better not be a half-naked man dancing in front of her.

  Or hitting on her… I groaned and took another swig of whiskey.

  Chapter 3

  ~Eve~

  “If you don’t come out, we’re coming in!” Jennie called in a high-pitched voice. She was taunting me.

  Jennie and the girls had rented out my favorite lingerie shop, Satin and Lace, for the evening and they had given me a budget. They were helping me pick out a trunk full of lingerie to seduce my new husband, all while we sipped cocktails and ate finger foods served by incredibly hot guys.

  It wasn’t the worst bachelorette party in the world.

  I stared at myself in the three-way mirror as pure and utter embarrassment flooded my veins. My cheeks were pink and my chest was covered in red blotches. And, yep, my hands were shaking. I couldn’t believe she’d talked me into the dressing room. I was even more baffled she’d talked me into the outfit. But I was absolutely not stepping outside.

  The curtain flung open, “Don’t you have any boundaries?” I shrieked as I feebly attempted to cover my mostly naked body.

  “No,” she said bluntly. “This isn’t any different than a bikini. Get your ass out here and show us what we’re paying for!”

  She grabbed me by the wrist and yanked. I really didn’t have much choice but to follow her. My only other option would be to fight her off, and that just seemed ridiculous.

  My friends erupted into a cheer and round of applause, followed immediately by catcalls and (what I can only describe as) devilish laughter. I turned redder. It was one thing to spend the day in a tiny bikini, it was another thing entirely to prance around in seductive lingerie in front of my friends. The clothes (or lack thereof) that I was wearing had one purpose and one purpose only: to turn Jake on. It was like they were standing in our bedroom with us.

  It was creepy.

  “Eve, I want to have sex with you in that outfit. It is damn sexy!” Sylvia was fanning herself and I would have thought she was being silly, but her eyes were absolutely transfixed.

  I swallowed. “It’s just your pregnancy hormones, Sylvia.”

  “No,” our friend, Sarah, replied. She was also staring at me. “I’m definitely not pregnant and I’d definitely switch sides for you in that.”

  I blushed again, but relaxed a little. I was wearing a blood red and black lace bra and underwear with matching garter belt and stockings. And now that I wasn’t mortally terrified of standing in front of a room full of my best friends and the waiters they’d hired to serve us for the night (dressed in only pants), I could actually enjoy what my friends were trying to do for me.

  “I want to see the black corset!” Jennie crowed as she started pushing me back toward the dressing room. Then she leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Will you just relax and trust me already? Here—” she shoved another glass of champagne into my hands before she yanked the curtain closed.

  Jennie was pretty pissed I didn’t trust her. I really couldn’t blame her. She was my best friend and I knew (hidden deep down inside) she would never do anything that would make me so uncomfortable I couldn’t have fun. But everything about the night was making me nervous. Did Jake and I really need to spend a crazy night out with our friends?

  Really?

  Couldn’t we just skip the whole “last chance to be single” and move on with our lives? Apparently not.

  I wondered what Jake was doing. Jennie made me nervous but Greg? As much as I loved that man, his lack of boundaries sometimes frightened the hell out of me.

  Jake and I were finally together and happy and everything was making me nervous. It still felt too new. I was constantly worried we were one step away from another disaster that would tear Jake away from me all over again. I loved him and I just wanted a chance to be in love with him for a while. I didn’t want anything to stand in the way of that.

  So, I was making little things into big things when I didn’t have to.

  I stripped out of the outfit, placing it carefully on the bench. Then I found the black corset Jennie wanted to see next.

  My friends were all having fun, most were pretty drunk by that point, but Jennie seemed oddly sober. I spied her in the corner whispering with the shop owner and I had a feeling I was either going to love or hate whatever she was about to show me.

  Jennie joined me in the dressing room a minute later with a box in her hands. “I’ve got one more surprise for you and then I promise it’s smooth sailing for the rest of the night.”

  Smooth… right…

  “Seriously. Don’t give me that look! I’m starting to develop a complex.”

  “What’s in the box?” I tried distracting her.

  She looked down and smiled. “These are my favorite brand of panties on the planet.” She opened the box to reveal five pairs of the most delicate and beautiful underwear I’d ever seen. “Jake is going to want to tear these off of you with his bare hands… trust me.”

  Of that, I had no doubt. “Are these mine?”

  She nodded and handed me the box. “You should wear some home tonight, give him a little surprise when he undresses you.”

  I nodded slowly as I eyed each pair. They were all a different combination of colors.

  “Are you having fun?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed setting the box aside. “I’m sorry I’m being skittish. It’s not you, it’s me.” I grinned at using the standard breakup line.

  Jennie pulled me down onto the bench. We were quite the pair, her in a sparkly blouse, me in a corset. “Are you sad your sisters couldn’t be here?”

  I shook my head. The truth was, I was kind of glad. They were my sisters, but we were all at wildly different stages of life. June was in college and Cassandra had two little ones at home. I had a feeling if they’d been there, my night would have been more dramatic and complicated. Sure I was missing two of the most important women in my life, but they’d be standing beside me when I married Jake. I didn’t need them to get drunk with me while I showed off lingerie. That was for my silly, ridiculous, merry band of girlfriends.

  “No, tonight is perfect. Just as it should be.”

  Jennie smiled and let out a slow breath. “Good. I can’t tell you how worried I was about making you happy tonight. You and Jake both deserve a night of fun.”

  “When do I get to do this for you?” I asked with a wicked grin. Andrew had popped the question on New Year’s Eve, but they hadn’t even mentioned the idea of setting a wedding date. Yet.

  Jennie shrugged. “One thing at a time. Let’s get you married first. I got the ring on my finger and the man at my side. My mother will need at least a year to plan my wedding. Just don’t get knocked up first.”

  I knew she was teasing, but I couldn’t stop the panic that hit me. Knocked up? “One thing at a time, remember?”

  She grinned, knowing she’d successfully pushed my button. “Get dressed, we have someplace to be in an hour.”

  “Where are we headed next?”

  She stood and shook her head at me. “Trust me, it will be fun!”

  Chapter 4

  -Jake-

  The night ended with everyone—bachelors and bachelorettes—at Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar at Channelside. There was a ridiculous amount of bad singing, but overall, I’d never had so much fun drinking and listening to music with our friends. They arranged for a private limo to take Eve and I home, even though we were all of fifteen minutes from our house. So instead, I asked the
driver to take us to St. Pete and back just so we could enjoy the ride over the bay. Eve fell asleep about the time we turned around and headed back toward home.

  She was tucked into my side with her head on my shoulder and I could feel every deep breath she took against my chest. Sure I was drunk as hell, but I couldn’t remember ever being so happy. As the limo climbed over the Howard Frankland Bridge, I looked out over the twinkling lights of Tampa and the blackness of the bay.

  I’d never felt more at home in my life. For once, I finally felt like I was where I needed to be. I mattered, I had friends, and every morning when I woke up, I had a purpose. This was the life I always wanted and it kind of scared me that it could be taken from me. Life could throw curve balls at us, I knew it would, but I couldn’t lose the things that mattered. I couldn’t lose Eve.

  She burrowed in closer to me, as if it were possible. She was tucked so tightly into me there was nowhere else for her to go except into my lap. But I hugged her tighter anyway. I loved it when she wanted more. I needed more.

  I knew in college she was the one for me, but all my years without her taught me just how special our love was. There were all kinds of love in the world, but what she and I had was an extra gift.

  So my future was simple: love Eve with everything in me and protect us from the world.

  The limo pulled up in front of our house. “Hey,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head and squeezing her.

  But instead of waking up, she sighed and hugged me more. God, I loved this woman.

  The driver opened the door and grinned at my predicament. “Can I help you, sir? Maybe get your door open?”

  “That would be great, thanks.” I carefully adjusted to get the house key out of my pocket. Luckily I’d already tipped him before we left. Somehow I knew we would be too drunk and tired when we got home.

  The driver took off toward the front door while I slid across the seat with my sleeping angel. It wasn’t until the cool January air hit us that she stirred at all.