The Life That Mattered (Life Duet 1)

The flowers, jewelry, stolen poetry … all led up to a night of passionless sex. It felt like having sex with my best friend, and that felt wrong. We crossed a line because I had a vagina and he had a penis. Just because you can … doesn’t mean you should. Wise words I learned a little too late.

Many years separated us from that epic mistake. I knew he loved my best friend, and they had a strong physical chemistry. Still … Graham gave me the I’ve-seen-you-naked look like it was something to lord over me. Yes, he’d seen the goods. That didn’t give him the right to judge them for the rest of our lives.

“Oh my god! There he is,” Lila whispered when the elevator doors opened to the lobby just as Ronin strutted with jaw-dropping swagger toward the steakhouse.

“Oh my god? Clearly, I didn’t fuck you hard enough earlier,” Graham grumbled.

I grinned, biting my tongue. Fine. Graham had seen my goods, but his fiancée drooled over the goods of my date. That magically made up for the visions in Graham’s head that I would never be able to erase.

“Whoa …” Ronin stopped on a second glance in our direction. His head jerked back as an appreciative smile slid up his chiseled face. I felt a twinge of disappointment that he unknowingly submitted to Graham’s starchy dress code for the night by wearing a blue suit. However, his red tie damn near matched my dress and that thrilled me.

Don’t get me wrong; he was hot as fuck, just like the look he gave me as we stepped off the elevator.

“Evelyn…” his gaze swept along my entire body, more than once “…you look incredible.” He held out his hand to take mine.

Okay … this is happening.

Seven hours earlier, I had met this stranger who looked like he had just stepped off an international modeling stage, and in a blink of time, he wore a suit and a grin that dirtied my thoughts.

Graham offered Lila his arm like she was lucky to be on it, also, so he could use his hands for texting. “Good to see you again.” My starchy Graham Cracker nodded at Ronin just before leading us to the restaurant. He earned more points for treating my date with a lot more respect than he gave me most days.

I received points because Lila was so enamored with my date that she couldn’t even articulate a greeting beyond a dreamy smile and some drool.

Okay, not really, but I knew that look. It was usually the one she gave Graham. Lila glanced over her shoulder at us, gaze flicking to our clasped hands. It made my cheeks burn. Lila grinned at me. That made them burn even more. She knew me too well, so of course she knew I was seconds away from sweating through that dress, even with the chill in the hotel lobby.

The night turned into a dream. The four of us just … clicked. Come to find out, Ronin was a part-time model for five years in France. He even modeled a men’s clothing line designed by Graham’s aunt, who probably knew Ronin’s mom.

Perfection stole the night.

Expensive wine.

Course after course of the best food.

Laughter.

Engaging conversation.

It was quite possibly the most fun I’d ever had.

As people packed into the restaurant, it became harder to hear, even though we were contributing to the noise as much if not more than anyone else. Ronin occasionally leaned toward me to hear my words. When he did, he rested his hand on my leg … the part of my leg exposed from the slit in my dress. Maybe it was the wine, but every time that hand rested on my leg, it felt a fraction of an inch higher with a tighter grip.

“I need the ladies’ room.” Lila set her napkin on the table.

“Me too.” I scooted back in my chair.

Ronin stood and Graham quickly followed suit.

Holy. Shit.

Lila and I shared a quick look.

Our dates stood for women. Talk about good upbringing …

Honestly, I’m not sure Graham would have stood had Ronin not initiated it.

I smiled up at Ronin through my wine-glossed eyes, feeling a bit wobbly on my heavy legs.

“Got it?” Amusement lit up his face as he steadied me with his hand on my lower back. That sexy grin disintegrated my already thin and delicate panties.

“Mm-hmm.” My teeth trapped my lower lip to hold in my giggle. I might have been a little tipsy. A lot horny. And hot. Hours of his hand making a return trip to my leg raised my body temperature to roughly the sun’s surface.

“I’ve got her.” Lila hooked her arm around mine. She wasn’t in any better shape, but we hoped that two half-drunk women could make it to the ladies’ room with the grace of one sober woman.