“Have you slept with him yet?”
Adelina shook her head.
“And the reason? Or should I say the two reasons?”
Adelina released an annoyed sigh. “I know. I’m lame. I get that, I accept it, and when I’m truly ready to have sex with a man, I will not think about Jett and Flynn.”
“Yeah, right. You adore them. You want them.”
“And they do not want me. We’ve been over this. Like a broken fucking record. It’s done. Anyway, maybe just doing it with Raymond could help. You know, ease my mind off of the ones I can’t have.”
Kaitlin snorted and laughed.
“What? You don’t think I could go through with it?”
“Honey, you can go through with it, but you’ll regret it. You do not want to try and sex Flynn and Jett off your mind. If anything, you should go after them first, make sure finally that they aren’t interested, and then have sex with Raymond. That makes more sense.”
“Not from my perspective.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt. Flynn and Jett seem so trustworthy, and so sexy and resourceful. What do you really know about Raymond?”
Adelina turned toward her sister.
“I know that he runs his own businesses. He invests in businesses and backs them financially. He seems very sophisticated and sure of himself. He always compliments me and pays complete attention to me whenever we’re together. It really means a lot for a man to look into my eyes as I’m speaking and to know that he cares, that he’s listening, and that I have his full attention.”
“Sounds nice. Chester never even listened to my wants and desires. He used me, and I fell for his charms. Just be careful.”
“Hence why I haven’t slept with him yet. That will take some time and some trust. I just don’t think we’re at that point yet.”
“But he’s a man, he’s older, and if he’s as sophisticated as you say he is, then he’s going to want all of you. He’ll want a woman who can please him in bed, as well as look good on his arm.”
“Well, trust is earned. I’d better get going. I need to drop this off and then meet Raymond. It was like pulling teeth to get him to agree to me meeting him at the restaurant. He wanted to know where I was going.”
“So what did you tell him?”
“That I had an important errand to run and that I needed my privacy.”
“How did he react?”
“He said we’ll talk more when we meet.”
“Oh, sounds like he may want to punish you for your naughty behavior.”
“Hey, none of that talk. Bryer might hear you.”
“He’s napping. Besides, we both know about what types of books you like to read, and how you wish Jett and Flynn would share you.”
Adelina felt her cheeks warm and her belly tighten. It was a mix of wants and desires, mixed in with guilt.
“What’s that look for?”
Adelina grabbed her purse and the envelope of money. “Guilt. For some strange reason, whenever I go out with Raymond, I feel guilty, like I’m cheating on them. That’s so stupid, isn’t it?”
Kaitlin walked closer and had a sympathetic expression on her face. “Not stupid, honest. If you were being at all honest with yourself, you’d see that you’re dating Raymond to get your mind off of Jett and Flynn, and possibly make them jealous. You did say that they look upset when Raymond comes into The Phantom to see you.”
“They have rules about personal lives separated from work lives. All the employees have to abide by those rules.”
“Rules that neither man has to follow. Unbelievable. It must be nice to be billionaires and not give a shit about anyone?”