“It’s not my fault, Whitney is a bad influence.” He chuckles and my ears immediately perk up when I hear her name.

  “Whitney?” I ask as nonchalantly as possible. She’s there already? So much for a study break. A smile pulls at my lips that she’s there because I told her I was spending the day there.

  “Yeah, she came over for breakfast and to work on her paper. I guess she’s bored at her house. But I don’t think she’s getting much work done today if she’s already had a mimosa.” I hear her voice in the background and I wish I could hear what she said. “Oh, she says, one won’t hurt.” He laughs and I’m grateful that he spoke the words that had gotten lost in translation. “So, breakfast?”

  “Yeah, of course. You know I can’t say no to Michelle’s waffles.” Or the idea of being around Whitney.

  But you’re going to be around Kev and Miche, act accordingly.

  Whitney is seated on the couch, with her legs propped up on the coffee table in front of her with her computer perched in her lap. Her notebook is next to her and a variety of textbooks occupy the space next to her and on the table. A pen is nestled between her teeth and air pods are in her ears. I narrow my gaze when I note the round frames around her eyes and I wonder when she started wearing glasses. Upon further inspection, I’m wondering if they’re blue light glasses based on the reflection I see on the lenses. She still hasn’t noticed me, and Kevin and Michelle must be in another room because she’s in the living room by herself with the pre-game show playing. The San Francisco 49ers are playing the Seattle Seahawks making for one of the biggest games of the day.

  I move into Whitney’s line of sight and drop to the couch next to her. Her tanned bare legs are on display under the black cotton dress she’s wearing. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  She smiles as she pulls an air pod out. “I just thought…”

  “Can’t stay away from me, huh?” I tease and she crosses her arms in front of her chest, drawing my attention to her sexy little tits. I pry my eyes away from them, to meet her gaze. “Hey, I told you I was coming here first. So that means that you followed me here. Don’t get me wrong, I am flattered that you wanted to see me.”

  She rolls her eyes before turning back to her paper. “I can leave, you know.”

  “Please don’t,” I whisper and I watch as she shivers. She swallows and squirms in her seat and the fact that she might be getting turned on by me makes my cock throb in my jeans. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” I tell her. “I tried. I went for a run this morning and you were all I could think about.” She’s not looking at me, but I can tell she’s not paying attention to whatever’s on her screen. She lets out a sigh, letting her eyes flutter closed before opening them again. I decide to push her because she’s here at her parents’ house and there has to be a reason for that. “Did you think about me at all last night?”

  “I plead the fifth.”

  “Alright calm down, law school,” I tease and she giggles. I nod toward her computer. “How’s your paper coming anyway?”

  “Fine—” she starts when Kevin comes into the room with two stemless wine glasses of champagne.

  “I thought I heard you in here,” he says, handing me one of the glasses. “Whit, you need a refill?”

  “Dad, I am literally trying to do homework! And I’m the bad influence?” She shakes her head as Kevin drops to the love seat adjacent to the couch where Whitney and I are seated. A huge flat-screen television is mounted on the wall in front of us making it feel like we are damn near seated on the field with how large it is.

  “Michelle is almost done with breakfast, I think Mase is coming over in a bit too,” he says without removing his eyes from the television.

  Fucking great. I just wanted some alone time with Whitney without any knowing eyes. Whitney stiffens slightly next to me making me believe she wasn’t aware that her brother was coming over either. I am somewhat aware that Kevin is still talking but I can’t focus on anything he’s saying. My attention is entirely focused on the woman next to me despite the fact that I’m not looking at her.

  “Price.” I hear my name, breaking me out of my thoughts and I turn toward Kevin.

  “Sorry, what did you say? I spaced out.”

  “We didn’t really get a chance to talk last night, but are you going back to work at the hospital? Or thinking about doing something different? Opening your own practice, maybe? You’re not going back to Mexico, are you?”

  Not without there being a very different ring on Whitney’s finger.

  “I don’t have any plans to go back, but we’ll see.”

  “You’ll see what?” Her voice pipes up and I turn away from Kevin to see Whitney staring at me. I can see the unasked question all over her face. It has to do with me, doesn’t it?

  “Just… if I’m still needed here.” I shrug, trying my best to answer her question without alerting Kevin of anything.

  “You’re one of the best general surgeons in the tri-state area, you’re needed everywhere,” Kevin responds. There was a time not so long ago that I’d thought about opening my own practice, but then I spent two years spending every bit of my free time between Whitney’s legs so those plans had been put on the back burner.

  “I’m taking a few weeks off to just reset but I have a meeting with the chief of surgery at my old hospital at the end of the month. More of a formality.” I shrug, because they’ve been begging me to come back since the day after I left for Mexico three years ago.

  “Dad,” she says, closing her laptop and giving him an innocent smile. “I think I’m ready for another mimosa, can you please get me one?” she says, clasping her hands under her chin and smiling widely at him.

  “You’re younger than me, shouldn’t you be getting me another one?” He laughs, but I know he’s going to do it. Whitney has her father wrapped around her little finger.

  Me too.

  “Dad, pleeeeease.” She points at the work surrounding her. “I’m slaving away here!”

  “Yes, I see that.” He snorts, as he gets up leaving us alone again.

  She follows her dad with her eyes out of the room and peeks over the couch to make sure he’s not within earshot. “You’re only back in town because of me.” Her tone isn’t hopeful or judgmental, it’s even and I can’t tell what she wants to hear.

  Enough of the games already. “Yes, Whitney. I’m back in town because I heard you were getting fucking married and I…”

  “Waffles are ready!” I hear Michelle call from the kitchen and I let out a sigh of exasperation over being interrupted again.

  “This is why I wanted to talk about this in private, where there was no chance of interruptions.” I lower my voice as I stand up. I reach my hand out for her and pull her to her feet, rubbing my thumb instinctively over her ring finger again. “I hate this here.”

  “Well, I hate that you left me, so we’re even.” She snatches her hand out of my hand. “You didn’t ask me to wait for you, Jacob and I’m tired of you insinuating that I should have. You told me to move on, so that’s what I did.”

  So, you know that “the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference” thing? Yeah, that’s been shot to hell, I think to myself as I all but stomp through the kitchen. I told myself I wouldn’t get worked up. I told myself that I could handle being around JP but clearly, I was wrong because his presence coupled with what had to have been a strong as fuck mimosa to already be feeling the effects of it, has me on edge. He’s baiting me and I’m over it. Like he wasn’t the one who ended things. And now suddenly I’m in the wrong for not waiting around pining for him for years?

  He’s not saying you’re in the wrong, Whitney. He’s saying he understands but get rid of Parker.

  Okay, so because now he’s ready and wants to be with me, I have to oblige? “How high?” That’s what he wants to hear?

  No, he loves you and doesn’t want you making a mistake because you obviously still love him.

  Obviously!? No, I don’t.

  Ummm yes, do you see how good he looks? You know you want to sit on his face. Or his dick. Or both. Don’t you remember what coming during sex feels like? You know it’s been a while.

  Love and sex are two different things.

  Okay, so you still love him AND you still want to fuck him. Better?

  “Honey, are you okay?” My mother breaks me of my thoughts thankfully because the back and forth going on in my head right now makes me want to scream.

  “Yes. Yep. Great.” My voice sounds about three octaves higher than I usually sound and I feel like my heart is about to beat out of my chest. I let out a deep breath and my fingers go to my engagement ring and begin sliding it around.

  “Are you sure?” She comes around the island and puts her hand on my cheek. “You’re flushed, how many drinks did you have?”

  “One! I just… I’m stressed about my paper.” I swallow and she frowns before wrapping me in her arms.

  “Well honey, don’t get yourself worked up. I am so proud of how well you’ve been doing.” She presses a kiss to my forehead before pointing at the breakfast she’d made. “But come eat some food, you can’t work on an empty stomach. I’m going to go take a shower,” she says before she heads out of the room. I know he’s staring at me and probably can tell I’m on the verge of a breakdown so I hope he can also feel the ‘don’t fucking talk to me’ vibes I’m shooting his way. I grab two of the fluffy waffles my mother made and put them on a plate. I’m still in the process of cutting them up when the container of syrup is slid in front of me. I look up and see the sadness all over his face.

  “I’m sorry,” he says and I snap my head around the room to see if my dad is still around and notice that we’re alone, making me wonder just how long I was in my own world cutting my food.

  “For…?”

  “Making you mad… again. What can I do to make you less angry with me, Whitney? Do you want me to leave? Will that make it better? Please just tell me.” I look up at him and the sincerity radiates from his blue eyes. He gives me a sad smile making the skin wrinkle next to his eyes. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face into his hard chest and breathing in his scent. He must seem shocked at first because he doesn’t hug me back right away, but after a second his arms wrap around me and I feel his cheek resting on the top of my head just like he always did.

  “No. I don’t want you to leave.” I pull out of his grasp before I get too comfortable and one of my parents walk in and begin asking questions. “I want this to be… easier.” His hands are still on me but now he’s slowly dragging them down my arms before gripping my wrists. He squeezes them gently before dragging his thumb over them and letting them go and just that innocent touch has me affected.

  I want him. My mind finally speaks what my body has been saying since I saw him yesterday. But I can’t have him.

  “Whitney.” His voice is low and has a direct line of communication to the space between my legs. Memories of him calling me a good girl in that same voice while I rode him comes flooding back and I suddenly feel an overwhelming need to come. Like now.

  Fuck. He STILL has that power?

  I remember him telling me that he was going to condition me to need an orgasm with just the sound of his voice. It didn’t matter what he said, but the tone he used. A sexy low almost growl that apparently still speaks to the most primal urges in me.

  I back away slowly and grab my plate wanting to run from him and this space that’s suddenly way too small for the both of us to inhabit. Just avoid being alone with him. Stay with your parents. Nothing will happen if I stay around them.

  Or better yet, why am I not going home? My subconscious snaps snarkily. I ignore it, because I’m not ready to answer that question.

  It isn’t until a few hours later, during a study break prolonged by more mimosas and a shot of tequila when the universe decides to test me once and for all.

  “Hey hey!” I hear a voice called from the entrance to my house. It’s not Chloe, she was still indisposed with Trey even after I all but begged her to come over and run interference and it doesn’t sound like anyone that would walk into my house unannounced. Which actually could be a lot of people, my parents were not familiar with boundaries and wanted everyone to feel like family. But seriously, who the fuck is that?

  My eyes widen to the size of saucers I’m sure when I see the recently divorced Georgina Martin, from down the street holding a bottle of champagne and what looks like fucking cookies!? My parents are so fucking obvious it’s insane and the look on JP’s face means he knows what this is as well.

  My mother had called me the night Georgina’s husband moved out quite literally from the window as she watched them argue in the front yard about his secretary or boss or whatever cliched mistress he had from work. She and I had always said we had a hunch that something was off about their marriage. Whenever they came to my parent’s parties, he was always a little too flirty and she was always a little too drunk and or oblivious. So evidently, he had a wandering dick and alas, they divorced.

  And now they’re evidently trying to set her up with JP.

  Great.

  Now we have to add my fucking jealousy into the mix. I rub my forehead as my mother hops off the couch where she’s now seated next to me and pulls her in for a hug. I share a look with Jacob and I’m pretty sure his reads something along the lines of “I’m not planning to” in response to my look that says, “do not test me.”

  “Georgina, this is me and Kev’s oldest friend! You moved in shortly after he left for Mexico, so you’ve never met! Jacob Price, this is Georgina Martin!” She claps her hands as if she’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s trying to fix them up or her intense enthusiasm over it for that matter.

  Really, Mom?

  Georgina is pretty, I am not going to deny that. She’s tall and blonde with powder blue eyes and a body she keeps very tight thanks to a lot of yoga and Pilates. She was also much closer in age to Jacob, probably midthirties if I had to guess and wouldn’t cause a giant scandal in my family if they were to get together.

  So, points for her, I guess.

  Despite the fact that it was an obvious fix up, she doesn’t seem to be trying too hard. No heels or overly done makeup. She truly looks like she’s just a neighbor coming over to hangout and it irks the shit out of me that she’s actually playing it cool.

  Jacob stands up and shakes her hand after Mom had rid her of the alcohol and cookies she brought over. “It’s nice to meet you Georgina, any friend of Kev and Michelle’s…” He looks at the two of them before turning back to her, “deserves a medal.” They all laugh and I force a smile so that I’m not the only one in the room not amused by this nightmare I’m forced to witness.

  “Whatever! Georgina, come let’s get you a drink,” my mom says and just as they leave the room, Georgina looks at me and gives me a smile that I’m not completely sure is genuine before she speaks. Maybe I’m imagining it, or maybe she is annoyed about the potential fifth wheel on this ‘double date.’

  “Oh, hi Whitney! Didn’t see ya there at first!”

  I feel like that’s untrue, but okay. “Hi Georgina.”

  “I had nothing to do with this,” my father says when they leave the room without drawing his eyes away from the television.

  “This has your wife written all over it, I already know.” Jacob laughs as he pulls the bottled IPA beer to his lips.

  “You know she wants you to settle down. Meet someone. Give her a baby to babysit while we wait for grandchildren, I don’t know.” He waves his hand around and the idea of him meeting someone makes me sick to my stomach. Fucking some other woman and giving her a baby. The alcohol mixed with my jealousy is causing an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach and I suddenly want to throw up the waffles I’d eaten.

  His eyes flit to mine as inconspicuous as possible but that quickly I can see the apology in his eyes. He turns back toward the television and away from me. “So, this is what I’m going to be dealing with for the next few hours? Entertaining this? I thought you and I were supposed to be watching the game. I didn’t realize this was a… whatever this is,” Jacob says, and I’m glad he doesn’t seem to be into the idea.

  “What do you want me to do? Tell her to go home? J, if you’re not interested, she’ll live.”

  “I don’t want to have to be warding off her attempts to flirt or talk. I can’t be rude to the woman.”

  “Why does it matter anyway? So, she flirts? What, you can’t talk to a single good-looking woman without it turning into something?” He’s still looking at the television so he doesn’t notice me stiffen at the question with the underlying accusation. What was the big deal? After today, never talk to her again if you’re not interested. The big deal had to do with me sitting in the same room witnessing said flirtation and seething with jealousy over something I had no business being jealous over. But he couldn’t tell my father that.

  “Nothing, never mind,” he mutters, because really what could he say? I don’t like women flirting with me now? It makes me uncomfortable especially in front of your daughter who just so happens to be my ex-girlfriend?

  “You’re being weird,” Kevin says, looking at Jacob and I quickly look down at my phone before his gaze pans to mine and can potentially see something in my eyes that I can’t hide from one of the people responsible for bringing me into this world.

  No more than a minute later, my mom and Georgina are back in the room and suddenly I feel like my spacious living room is again way too small. Georgina sits next to Jacob on the love seat as it’s one of the few seats open and why not? Despite her sitting next to him and the whole reason for her being here, she turns her attention to me.

  “Congratulations by the way! How excited are you?” She leans across and holds her hand out. “Let me see your ring!” I’m used to this. It’s all I’ve heard for the past month. I hold out my hand and she beams. “It’s beautiful! He did good!” Typical response. My eyes flit toward Jacob for no more than a second who’s staring daggers at my finger.