Nora nods. “The Rose’s threw quite the shindig, as usual. Even Clive enjoyed himself… until we got home, but until then, it was a hoot.”
I bow my head. “On behalf of the Rose family, I accept your compliments and will pass them on to the hostess. Thank you.”
Trix leans forward, a smile tugging on her painted lips as she looks at me. “Now that Nora’s here, how about you tell us what really happened with Robbie upstairs in your childhood bedroom.”
Nora nearly fumbles the menu. “What?!”
I exhale with rolling eyes. “Nothing happened.”
“You were together? Alone? When? How?” She glares at Trix. “Weren’t you watching him?”
“I was,” Trix says, “until he escaped through the bathroom window and emerged from upstairs twenty minutes later.”
“Nothing happened,” I repeat. “We talked through some things, buried a hatchet or two, and that was it.”
“That was it?”
I shrug. “Ask him yourself.”
“Okay.” Trix looks over my head. “Robbie, what really happened last night when you and Melanie were alone in her childhood bedroom?”
I flinch and spin around to find Robbie standing behind my chair with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Oh, Blossom,” he says in his usual leather jacket and jeans, “you know that a gentleman never asks and a lady never tells.”
Nora grins in surprise. “Hi, Robbie!”
“Hello, ladies,” he greets, bowing his head around the table until he gets to me. “And Melanie.”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask, frowning.
He places a hand on the back of my chair, leaning against it without a care in the world. “Why? Does it bother you?” he asks.
I catch the scent of his aftershave and I desperately try to hide how much I like it. “Extremely. Leave now.”
He leans closer as if he knows. “How about no?” he says, smiling. “Also, I have been slandered and I have the right to defend myself.”
“Slandered?”
“To answer your question, Trix,” he says, standing up. “What Melanie says is true. Nothing of a physical nature happened last night while we were alone together.”
Trix deflates, disappointed. “All right...”
“You believe him, but not me?” I ask.
“Well...” She hesitates, never answering.
I glare at him again. “And what part of that was slander exactly?” I ask.
Robbie grimaces as he playfully looks me up and down. “Ew,” he simply says.
I bite down, annoyed, but not really. “Oh, of course.”
“I have a reputation to uphold here.”
“If you say so.” My heart races as I glare at his leather jacket. “You realize this place has a dress code, right?”
“I don’t hear anyone else complaining, but if you insist...”
He slides the jacket off his shoulders, revealing his tight, white t-shirt, and I instantly realize my mistake.
Forearms.
I look away in case I’m caught staring.
He smiles, victorious. “Now, I’m meeting Roger for crepes, so if you’ll excuse me, ladies...”
“Bye, Robbie!” Trix says.
“We love you!” Nora adds.
Robbie winks at everyone but me again. “Bye-bye,” he says as he turns around and hustles off toward a table on the other side of the cafe.
I stay quiet. The butterflies ravage my gut, sending a flurry of heat toward every nerve in my body.
Fuck, I enjoyed that as much as he did.
No one noticed, right?
Nora leans toward me. “Are you okay?” she asks, concerned.
I exhale a heated breath. “I’m fine,” I say.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Trix says, still smiling. “He’s just being Robbie.”
I look across the cafe at his table, quickly realizing that he’s not where he went before. I scan over Trix and Nora’s heads to catch him lingering in the alcove by the restrooms. We make eye contact and, just as quickly, he disappears, his devious eyes beckoning me to follow him.
No.
Don’t.
Bad idea.
I move to stand. “I’m going to use the restroom,” I say. “Cool off a bit.”
Nora and Trix share a glance, their faces dripping with sympathy and amusement, like always. They have a serious love-hate relationship with mine and Robbie’s relationship — if you can even call it that anymore.
It’s an obsession.
Nora nods. “Okay.”
I gesture at my empty flute. “If the server comes back—”
“We’ll have her bring you another round,” Trix says, throwing a thumbs up.
“Thank you,” I say.
I leave the table, my ankles swaying as I make my way across the cafe to the restrooms. I reach the narrow corridor and veer to the right toward the ladies’ room door. As I pass the men’s room door, it shoots open and Robbie lunges out to grab my hand. I jolt in surprise, gasping as he yanks me through the doorway with a sinister grin on his face.
I drag my feet. “Robbie—”
He closes the door and pins me against it. “You know,” he says, his body flush with mine, “I actually thought you’d show up last night.”
“Rob, I told you,” I say, catching my breath. “It’s not—”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve been thinking about what you said, and…” He shakes his head. “I think you’re full of shit.”
Anger spikes in me, but I tremble in response, full of pent-up desire. “No,” I say. “I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“Melanie, I want you to do me a favor,” he says, ignoring my plight. “For old times’ sake.”
I close my eyes, my skin heating up. “What?” I ask, reluctantly.
He grips my outer thigh, slowly hiking up my skirt. “I want you to tell me, right now, that you didn’t spend all night thinking about what you walked away from…”
I shudder, pleasure teasing me as his fingers tug my panties aside. “Rob—”
“Just say the word, and I’ll leave you alone,” he says, looking right through me. “I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll walk out of here high and dry and I’ll never go near you again. But if you want me, even just a little bit. If you can be honest with yourself and admit you were wrong, then kiss me right now and we’ll pick up right where we left off.”
His hand lingers where it was last night, barely touching my throbbing clit. My breaths come wild as my head and heart battle over what’s right.
Sex
