California Nights: Rich Boys of California Duet

A very, very good idea.

“Yes.”

“Let me get a condom. Don’t move.”

He got up from the bed, kissing my neck.

I resisted the urge to reach out and drag him back to bed with me.

His phone dinged where it lay on the floor. It must have fallen out of his jeans.

I didn’t mean to look. I didn’t even touch the phone. But the message he’d gotten was clear as day. It was a picture. It was just there for half a second but that was all it took.

Shannon.

The blond from the track.

And she was naked.

I felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped all over me.

I felt nauseous suddenly. If he wasn’t involved with her how would she have his number? Why would she send him a picture like that?

I knew suddenly I’d been played for a fool.

Maybe this was all a joke.

It was too perfect.

He was too perfect.

I was going to wake up one day and everyone would be laughing at me.

Jace walked back in, his hands already undoing his pants. I grabbed a pillow, holding it in front of me.

“I think you should leave.”

“What?”

“I want you to go. Now.”

He was pretty obviously not expecting that. No, he was expecting to fuck the fat chick. Get off. Make fun of her.

Well, I wasn’t having it.

“Frannie…”

I stood up, walking around him. I gave him a wide berth. He still reached out for me but I ran away.

I ran all the way into the bathroom and locked the door.

He was standing outside the door in a second.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But I want you to leave.”

“What the fuck, Frannie? Did I do something wrong?”

I didn’t say anything. I could feel tears clogging the back of my throat. I knew if I spoke he would hear it in my voice.

I turned the shower on so he wouldn’t hear it when I started to cry.

“Frannie.. Let me in.”

“No.”

I heard him curse. It sounded like he punched something. The wall maybe.

Then I heard him walk away.

The front door opened and closed.

I waited twenty minutes to make sure he was really gone.

Then I locked the door. I stumbled into my bedroom and curled up into a ball, crying.

I did the only thing I could do.

I called Nev.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Nevada

“Babe, come back to bed,” Clay purred from behind me. I was typing fast, working on an article for the online magazine I worked for. I was on a roll. Nothing could interrupt me.

Not even my sexy fiancé asking for seconds.

Actually, we’d gone to bed early. And if you counted this morning, it was thirds.

“Soon. I promise.”

He sighed loudly, his hands settling over my shoulders to rub them. I smiled and kept typing. He was always jealous of anything that kept me away from spending time with him. But he didn’t make a fuss about it.

He just sighed.

The man was really a giant cat.

He owned his own business, so his schedule was different. I was using all my time for scrounging up freelance gigs. Meanwhile, Clay had walked out of numerous meetings to come home for a quickie or to pick me up and take me out to eat.

He was extremely devoted. And rich. He kept trying to get me to let him fund one of my start up ideas.

Yeah, I had a shoe box full.

My phone rang and I ignored it, typing faster.

“Frannie doesn’t usually call this late,” Clay said.

My fingers were off the keyboard and grabbing the phone in half a second.

“Frannie?”

I heard the sound of a sob, and cursed inwardly. Frannie didn’t cry. And after everything she went through growing up, that was saying something.

“What happened?”

“He was here… I almost… we almost…” then the bawling started again.

“What did he do? Did he hurt you?”

“No but… I think it was… a practical joke…”

“Oh, Jesus, why?”

“There was this girl. She was so mean to me, Nev. She said I was too fat for him.”

I stood up, almost knocking my chair over.

“Who is she? I will kill her.”

“And then while we were… we were about to… I saw a text on his phone. It was a picture of her naked. She’s so skinny and I’m so…”

“Do not say it. You are perfect.” I started pacing back and forth. “And if this is some elaborate prank, I will raise holy hell.”

Frannie giggled a little through her tears.

“Why would he do that to me, Nev? What was the point of everything?”

I bit my lip.

“I think… maybe this girl is an ex or someone he doesn’t want to date. Maybe it’s real.”

“But if it is, I just ruined it!”

The sobbing started again.

“Do you need me to come over there?”

“No. It’s late. I don’t want you driving around.”

“Do you want to come here?”

“I’ll go get her. Or we’ll send a car.”

I gave Clay a grateful look. He might have a one track mind, but he stepped up when it mattered. And he loved Frannie too.