Cease Fire (Blackbridge Security 9)

“Care to share?”

“What?” I snap, my best friend coming back into focus.

“Your thoughts,” she says.

“I have no thoughts.”

“Says the woman staring off into space with a silly smile stretched all the way across her face.”

“I’m just so happy for you and Spencer.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah. That’s exactly what that look is for, even though the last time I saw it was after you spent the night with that guy sophomore year of college. You remember, the one who stuck his finger in your—”

I clap a hand over her mouth, uncaring at this point if I ruin her lipstick.

“I don’t need to be reminded of Joey. Thank you.”

What she doesn’t know is that she’s never seen this look on my face because nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life compares to Kit “fucking off-limits” Riggs, and because of who he is, she’ll never know. She can’t know.

“I haven’t heard the story though,” Brooks says, a devious smile on his face that makes me wonder if Kit opened his fucking mouth to his best friend and told him what happened last night.

I look around the room for the man in question, but I can’t find him. Actually, come to think of it, he’s been absent most of the day.

I imagine he’ll turn up later because the guys are supposed to be having a bachelor party for Spencer, and I don’t imagine he’s going to want to miss that.

We had Beth’s bachelorette party several weeks ago, and it consisted of a trip to New York City and way too much money spent on shopping and fine dining.

“Don’t leave me hanging. What exactly did Joey do?”

Beth chuckles when I glare at him.

“He stuck his finger in her—”

“I will murder you the day before your wedding, Beth Anne Riggs,” I growl, earning a chuckle from Brooks.

Joey was a wildcat in bed. He had no boundaries and taught me so many things. We were fire together, absolute passion, burning hot, until we weren’t. We fizzled out about as fast as we caught flame. We broke up and he all but vanished as if he was solely put in my path to teach me all the things I didn’t know about myself from the bumbling boyfriends I’d had prior to him.

“Maybe Beth told Kit about Joey,” Brooks continues to probe. “I’ll go ask him.”

I grab Brooks by the arm the second I notice Kit standing across the room speaking to his mom and dad.

“In my ass,” I hiss. “Joey was the first guy to stick his finger in my ass. Are you fucking happy? Can we just drop it?”

Brooks beams at me, while my best friend rolls her lips between her teeth to keep from laughing.

“What are we talking about?” Kit asks as he joins our little group.

I can’t even make eye contact with the man as Beth sucks in a sharp breath.

“Spencer’s bachelor party,” Brooks lies, and I could kiss the man for not telling my-not-so-secret secret.

“There better not be strippers,” Beth says on a pout, but I doubt she would actually have an issue with a naked woman dancing for Spencer. She knows who the man is devoted to and has nothing to worry about.

“We’ll make sure no one touches your man,” Brooks assures her. “Right, Kit?”

My eyes instinctively go to the man before he can answer, and the same goosebumps I got when he touched me last night once again cover my skin.

“I was actually just coming to tell you that I’m not feeling well,” Kit says, his eyes on his friend instead of me. “I don’t think going out the night before my only sister’s wedding would be the best decision.”

“Sick?” Brooks asks.

“Just didn’t get much sleep last night,” he mutters, and those cold chills are back because I swear I just heard innuendo in his voice directed at me. “Probably won’t get much sleep again tonight.”

“Is the bed uncomfortable?” Beth asks, concerned now that all of her guests could possibly be suffering at night.

“The bed I was in last night was the most comfortable one I’ve ever laid down in. Just couldn’t fall asleep.”

I can feel Brooks’s eyes drifting between me and his best friend, but thankfully he doesn’t say a word in front of Beth. It tells me that Kit didn’t confide in his friend how his evening hours were spent.

“We’re getting ready to leave. You two coming?” Spencer asks as he inches closer, kissing Beth on the lips as if he’s never going to see her again.

“Just me, man. Kit has other plans.”

Spencer walks away with Brooks, taking Beth right along with him. It leaves Kit and I standing there in the middle of the lobby. I came down with Beth because she didn’t want to miss out on saying bye to her fiancé before his last night of freedom.

“Sorry you didn’t get enough sleep last night,” I tell him, my eyes focused on my feet rather than looking at him directly.