Friendship on Fire (29 page)

AFTER SPENDING CHRISTMAS with their families, Josh and Riley had come back to New York to prepare for the annual JBD New Year’s Eve party and to wrap up the loose ends regarding Claudia. Her attorney had been in touch with Josh’s attorney, and Josh had agreed to drop the sexual harassment charges in exchange for a public statement from Claudia stating that all allegations against Riley were unfounded. In addition, he demanded that she personally apologize to Riley, which she reluctantly had done. Now, as Riley stood beside the bed in their apartment, watching Josh secure his cuff links in place, her stomach was doing acrobatics for a different reason. Josh was going to announce their engagement tonight at the JBD New Year’s party. Riley had yet to see anyone other than Mia since returning to the city, and she had no idea how the others might react. Thankfully, Mia was genuinely happy for them.

“Nervous?” Josh asked as he slipped his arms into his tuxedo coat.

“Very,” she admitted.

“Don’t be.” He crossed the room and touched her cheek with his palm.

Riley leaned in to the familiar caress.

“I’m not going anywhere. Not everyone is as cutthroat as you know who, and if anyone makes a remark about you sleeping your way to the top, you just smile and hold your head high,” Josh said.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Riley said. She smoothed her long black gown along her waist.

“Babe, do I embarrass you?” Josh asked.

Riley spun around and ran her eyes down every inch of his six-foot-three frame, lingering over his arms, chest, and between his legs. She drew her eyes back up to his freshly shaven cheeks and took a step closer. She placed her hands on his cheeks, her engagement ring sparking in the light. She ran her hand through the side of his hair, loving the feel of him.

“Never,” she said, then pulled him in to a deep kiss and pressed her body against his, feeling his arousal against her.

“We’re not missing this,” he said with a smile. “You can seduce me all you want, but we’re going. We’re doing this, Ri.”

“God, how can you know me so well?” She slipped her feet into her heels, secured the diamond earrings Josh had given her for Christmas in place, and feigned annoyance. “Shall we go?”

Josh wrapped his arms around her from behind and nibbled her ear. “We can make time…before…if you want.”

Riley playfully pushed him away. “You canned my strategy to dodge the party. Now you’ll have to wait.”

MIA MET THEM at the front door, wearing a form-fitting navy gown with a plunging neckline and long, arm-hugging sleeves. “Everyone’s talking about you two; I just want to warn you.” She hugged Riley. “You look gorgeous. I knew that would be the perfect dress. Josh, wow, you clean up real nice,” she teased.

“Thanks, Mia,” Josh said.

“I’m a wreck. Are they saying horrible things about me?” Riley was so nervous she thought she might be sick. She clung to Josh’s hand with a vice grip.

“They’d better not,” Josh said.

She felt his arm tense.

“No, no,” Mia said. “All anyone knows is that you two are dating, so they’re still in the have-you-heard-the-news stage of gossiping and trying to figure out what they missed over the holiday.”

Riley let out a long breath. “Okay, I guess we need to get this over with.”

Josh put his arm around her. “I’m right here. Besides, Savannah’s coming, so you’ll have even more support.”

“She is?” Riley asked.

“Yeah. She’s all bark, you know. She loves you,” Josh said.

They headed into the ballroom, which was alive with festive music and the employees mingling among themselves.

All eyes turned toward them when they entered the room. Riley tried to swallow past the lump that was pressing on her windpipe.
OhGodohGodohGod
. She clung to Josh’s hand and felt a hand slip around her waist.

“You are gorgeous,” Savannah whispered in her ear.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Riley said, remembering Savannah’s semithreat. “Savannah, I’m not going to hurt Josh,” she said.

“I know. But if you ever are tempted to, you’ll hear my voice in your ear,” Savannah said with a wide smile.

 Josh and Riley made their way around the room hand in hand. Simone and K.T. were drinking champagne together when they approached. Riley felt the heat of Simone’s stare, wishing Mia were there to play interference. She and Simone had gotten close before the holiday, but Simone had an edge, and by the look in Simone’s eyes, Riley was on the wrong side of it at the moment.

“Simone, K.T., I hope you’re having a nice evening,” Josh said.

“Oh yes, Mr. B.,” K.T. said. “Riley, you look smashing. No Juicy for you tonight, huh? JBD all the way.”

Riley bristled.
Is he making fun of me?
She looked down at her JBD gown, then forced herself to smile. “Thanks, K.T., you look great, too,” she said. “I love your dress, Simone.”

“Thanks,” Simone said.

Her answer came with a wave of icy wind.
Here it goes
. “I know I should have told you and Mia, but I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m sorry,” Riley said.

Simone worked her jaw from side to side. She looked into her glass and shrugged.

“Simone,” Josh said.

“It’s okay,” Riley said. “I would be upset, too. Simone, I’m not a conniving, devious woman. I love Josh and I’ve loved him since we were kids. I just tried to ignore it and pushed it all away. I know you and I were getting close, and I should have trusted you and told you, but I was so scared. I didn’t want to be known as the girl who slept her way to the top, and it was—” She looked away as tears filled her eyes.

“Babe, you don’t have to do this,” Josh said. He cast a stern look at Simone.

“Yes, I do,” Riley whispered. “I’m fine.”

Savannah sidled between Riley and Simone in her long green dress and tossed her fiery hair over her shoulder. “Simone? Hi, I’m Savannah, Josh’s sister. I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Hi.” Simone eyed Savannah.

“This whole stink-eye thing that’s going on? That’s not going to continue,” Savannah said. “It wasn’t easy for Josh and Riley to make the decision to keep their relationship private, but they had to because of scrutiny just like you’re showing right now.”

Josh stepped in between the two women. “Savannah, that’s enough.”

“No, Josh, it’s not. That look she gave Riley is exactly why Riley was afraid to let people know about you two,” Savannah said. “Riley’s going to be my sister-in-law, and if you think I’ll sit back and let anyone hurt her, you’re dead wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” Simone said. “I’m not upset about you two seeing each other. I’m only upset because I thought Riley and I were getting close, and friends share shit like this.” Simone crossed her slim arms over her chest.

Great. Now I’ve lost a friend, too
.

“Simone, honey,” K.T. said. “Calm down.”

“No, this is all bullshit,” Simone said. Every muscle in her lean legs was taut and clearly visible beneath her short black dress. She motioned toward the other staff members as she spoke. “Yeah, Riley, everyone thinks you’ve slept your way to the top, so what?”

“Simone, that’s enough,” Josh demanded.

Riley took a step backward as the room went silent, save for Simone’s rant.

“So what?” Simone continued. “You’re happy. Mr. B.’s happy. Who cares what anyone thinks? What I care about are friendships.” Simone looked from Riley to Josh, the sharp ends of her hair whipping against her cheek.

“I said that’s enough, Simone,” Josh said. He took a step forward.

“Simone!” Mia ran to her side. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Talking to Riley,” Simone snapped. Her black eyeglass frames slid down her nose. She pushed them up with her index finger and lifted her chin.

“God, sometimes I wish you had an electric collar so I could zap you when you went off the deep end.” Mia dragged her a few feet away and said to Josh and Riley, “I’m sorry. You know how she can get when her feelings are hurt.”

“It’s okay. Simone, get ahold of yourself,” Josh said.

Riley pulled her hand free from Josh’s and went to Simone. “I’m a damned good friend. I am. You may not believe it, but you could ask Jade, my best friend…if she were here…which she’s not.”
Oh God, where was I going with this?
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m not very thick-skinned. What my coworkers think
is
a big deal to me, and I wanted nothing more than to spill my guts to you and Mia, but I was so freaking scared. Even now, standing in the middle of this room with everyone looking at me, it’s my worst nightmare. So let me just say this, to everyone…” She turned and faced the other employees.

“Riley.” Josh reached for her.

She twisted away and raised her voice. “I’m sorry, okay?” she said to the others. “I fell in love with Josh and we kept it a secret, but it wasn’t meant to hurt anyone, and I didn’t sleep with him because he’s my boss.” She looked at Josh and lowered her voice as she took his hand. “I’ve known Josh all my life, and I spent years trying to push away the feelings I had for him and feeling like he was too good for me, and you know what? That’s what’s bullshit. Josh is the kindest, most generous person I know, and I’m proud to be with him. I’m not going to hide anymore, or feel bad because any of ya’ll think I did something wrong.”
Oh God,
ya’ll
. She turned back to Simone. “And I’ll never hurt my friends if I can help it. I’m sorry, Simone.”

“Okay, well, nothing like a grand entrance,” Josh said.

A muffled laugh rose from the group.

Josh addressed them. “Look, this is pretty simple. We’re in love. We’re getting married, and JBD is going to be JRBD very soon. I value each of you, and I have a speech ready that outlines exactly what I value about each one of you, but none of that matters at this juncture.” He went to Riley’s side and took her hands in his.

Riley tried to steady her trembling limbs.

Josh let go of one of her hands and turned back to the staff. “The bottom line is that whether it’s JBD or JRBD, we’re the same designing family we were before. We just have one more family member, and an important one. Ya’ll know I’m not one for ultimatums, but tonight I’m making one, so please listen carefully. Riley is going to be my wife, which means she’s more important to me than anything else. If you cannot see yourself working in our offices with Riley and me as equal partners in the business, or if you feel that you’ll cast sneers in her direction, or you cannot refrain from gossiping about her, or us, then please take this time to walk out those doors forever, because I will not tolerate snide looks, nasty comments, or any type of innuendos.”

“Ya’ll?” Riley whispered.

“Sometimes I slip,” he said with a wink.

“Sorry I gave you the stink eye,” Simone said to Riley.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you about me and Josh.” Riley embraced Simone.

Hushed whispers rose from the crowd. Savannah and Mia appeared by Josh’s side.

“That’s what you should have done ages ago,” Savannah said.

“I’m just learning about this relationship stuff,” Josh said.

 “Mr. B., look.” Mia turned toward Riley, who was now surrounded by the other staff members. “I think things are going to be okay,” Mia said.

Josh let out a breath as he watched his fiancée with the employees he trusted, and he realized that the protective instincts he’d felt for Riley were never going to change.

Riley noticed Josh watching her with the other staff members with a concerned look in his eye, and she went to his side.

“Thanks for standing up for me. I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much,” she said.

He pulled her against him. “Nothing you do could ever embarrass me. I’m just going to have to get used to the Incredible Hulk rearing his powerful head and taking my body over every once in a while.”

Riley pressed her hips against his. “Mm. Incredible Hulk? Powerful head? Now, that’s something we should explore.”

“Get a room,” Savannah teased.

“You know, that’s not a bad idea.” Josh kissed Riley. “Mia, can you handle the rest of this?”

“I’ve got this,” Mia said.

“You have to make your speech,” Riley reminded him as he pulled her toward the door.

“I think I just did. Come on. Let’s go find some his-and-her edible underwear.”

The End

Please enjoy a preview of the next
Love in Bloom
novel

Sea of Love

The Bradens, Book Four

L
ove in Bloom Series

M
elissa
F
oster

LACY SNOW SAT between Kaylie Crew and Danica Carter, literally surrounded by her half sisters. In the year and a half since she’d met them, they’d become her closest friends, her coconspirators, and the women she most looked up to. She’d known they existed her whole life, but as the child of their father’s mistress of more than twenty years, she couldn’t exactly knock on their front door and introduce herself.

Kaylie reached for her hand and squeezed, flashing a sisterly smile. She and Lacy shared the same robin’s-egg-blue eyes and buttery blond hair, though Kaylie’s was shiny with a natural wave and Lacy’s was a mass of spiral curls, like Danica’s, save for the color. Danica took after their father with dark hair and olive skin.

“God, this place is gorgeous,” Kaylie said.

“It was built in a similar fashion to the original Chequesset Inn, which perished during an ice storm in the 1930s,” Lacy said.

Max and Treat had fallen in love in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and it was only fitting that they wed at the Wellfleet Inn. The two-story inn overlooked the bay. Treat owned resorts all over the world, so it came as no surprise when he purchased the inn and added it to his collection.

“Oh my God,” Kaylie whispered. “You’re such a fact girl.” She looked at the altar. “Excited?”

Nervous
, Lacy mouthed. She’d waited fifteen months to see Dane Braden, Treat’s younger brother, in-person again. Fifteen long months of sharing emails, intimate phone calls, sexy video chats, and too many unfulfilled fantasies to count. Fifteen months of Lacy working twelve-hour days seven days a week, vying for a promotion at her job, and long nights spent dreaming of Dane. She reached for Danica’s hand and—deep in conversation with her husband, Blake—Danica took Lacy’s hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. She’d met Danica and Kaylie just before their double wedding, in a Nassau resort owned by Treat Braden, the six-foot-six, darkly handsome man now standing at the altar, gazing into their friend Max Armstrong’s eyes. Max’s dark hair fell in gentle waves over the spaghetti straps and soft lines of the beachy wedding gown that Riley Banks, Treat’s brother Josh’s fiancée, designed for her. Weddings had a way of making the beautiful even more glamorous. Max and Treat were a striking couple, and they should have held Lacy’s attention as Treat held Max’s hand and looked lovingly into her eyes, promising her a lifetime of adoration, but Lacy’s gaze shifted to his right. To the line of Treat’s four striking brothers, proudly standing as his groomsmen, each one more handsome than the next. Each brother’s dark eyes were trained on their eldest brother as he vowed to love, honor, and cherish his soon-to-be wife—each one except Dane. Dane’s smoldering dark eyes stared hungrily at Lacy, sending a shock of heat right through her.
Damn, he’s sexy
. Lacy couldn’t blink. She couldn’t look away. Hell, she couldn’t breathe.

“Careful,” Kaylie whispered, “you’ll drool on that pretty dress of yours.”

Lacy felt her face flush, but she still couldn’t tear her gaze away. Each of the Braden brothers had thick dark hair, and while Treat and Josh wore their hair short and Rex wore his cowboy-long, covering his collar, Dane’s hair fell somewhere in between, as if he’d missed his last trim; it brushed the tops of his ears, with sides that looked like he’d just run his hands through them.
No
. Lacy narrowed her eyes.
That’s not it at all
. As she watched Dane’s lips lift into a smile, she bit her lower lip and thought,
He looks like he could have just come from the bedroom—or, like he’s ready for it
. 

He winked, and Lacy caught her breath.

“Behave,” Kaylie warned.

“Oh my God,” Lacy whispered, drawing her eyes to her lap. “He’s so…”

“Sexy? Gorgeous? Hot?” Kaylie offered, arching a brow.

“Shh.” Danica shot a harsh stare at them.

Lacy and Kaylie drew their blond heads together with a silent giggle. Danica shook her head, and though Lacy couldn’t see her face, she knew that her eldest sister was rolling her eyes at them with her lips pinched in a tight line.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Mr. and Mrs. Treat Braden.”

The announcement sent a shiver of nervous energy through her stomach. Everyone stood as Max and Treat walked down the aisle hand in hand. Max’s smile lit up her eyes, and Treat walked with his shoulders back, his eyes on Max, beaming with pride. Kaylie’s blond hair tumbled down her back as she reached her sinewy arms around her husband Chaz’s neck and kissed him. Lacy watched Danica smile lovingly at Blake; then he took her chin in his hand and kissed her. Lacy turned away, thinking about Dane.

As Treat and Max approached, Lacy and her sisters tossed rose petals.

“Congratulations!” Lacy shouted, but her eyes had already left Treat and Max and had settled on Dane once again. She hadn’t remembered how broad his chest was, and the wanton look in his eyes hadn’t seemed quite as strong over Skype and FaceTime. Her pulse ratcheted up a notch.

“You’re so beautiful!” Danica said to Max.

The groomsmen made their way down the aisle next, and Kaylie squeezed Lacy’s hand so hard that Lacy winced.

“There he is,” Kaylie said.

“Stop,” Lacy said under her breath. “I’m nervous enough.”

Dane walked toward her, his perfect pearly white teeth visible through his wide smile. His broad shoulders swayed slightly, and those dark eyes of his never wavered from hers. Her legs turned to Jell-O, and she gripped the back of the chair for stability. The man in the aisle in front of hers reached for Dane.

“Hey, buddy. I haven’t seen you in months. Good to see you,” the older man said.

Dane embraced the tall, thin man, his eyes still pinning Lacy in place. “You, too, Smitty. We’ll catch up at the reception.” Dane took a step closer to Lacy’s row. He embraced his cousin. “Blake, great to see you.” Then he pulled Danica into a soft hug and kissed her cheek. “You look as gorgeous as ever,” he said. He reached for Kaylie next.

Lacy’s heart slammed against her chest as Blake and Danica moved into the aisle, following the rest of the guests into the reception room. She had forgotten how tall he felt when he was near, and as she watched him wrap his arms around Kaylie, she realized that she’d also forgotten how large his hands were.
Big hands, big— Stop it!

“We need to call our sitter before the reception. Good to see you,” Kaylie said. She gave Dane a quick hug and pulled Chaz behind her, leaving Lacy alone with Dane.

IT HAD BEEN four hundred and fifty-seven days since Dane had seen Lacy in person.
Too damn long
. He reached for her hands and then drew her close, placing one soft kiss on each cheek and inhaling the sweet smell that he remembered: a combination of citrus and floral with an underlying hint of musk.  To anyone else, it was Chanel Coco Noir. To Dane, it was the smell of Lacy that he remembered from the day they’d met, and their only afternoon together, the day before her sisters’ double wedding in Nassau. The smell he’d dreamed of, which had carried him through those long afternoons out at sea when they were tagging sharks miles from shore.

“Lacy.”

Her slim fingers trembled against his palms. A shy smile lifted her supple lips and sent Dane’s pulse into overdrive.

“Hi,” she said softly.

Her blond curls fell in thick spiral ropes across her tanned, lean shoulders. She wore a royal-blue halter dress that fell to the middle of her thighs, revealing her long, toned legs. It just barely covered the edge of the scar Dane knew held the worst of her fears. Dane lowered his lips to one of her slender hands and pressed a soft kiss to it. All those months of emails, phone calls, and video chats came rushing back. They had never been enough, but his demanding travel schedule as founder of the Brave Foundation made it almost impossible to steal away for a weekend, and Lacy was working day and night in hopes of obtaining a promotion, so even if he had found the time, she probably wouldn’t have been able to break away. Brave’s mission was to use education and innovative advocacy programs to protect sharks, and in a broader sense, the world’s oceans. Dane’s passion for saving and educating had begun right after college and had only grown since. He’d created a life around doing what he loved, and now he lived on a boat on the coast of Florida, where Brave’s headquarters were located. He had a small administrative staff and was well connected enough to have temporary staff and volunteers in the areas where he worked. When he wasn’t in the water, he could be found running the foundation, which required heavy travel, a busy social calendar, and a boatload of ass-kissing. Unfortunately, over those months, his and Lacy’s schedules hadn’t come together.

“Are you going to introduce me, or just block the aisle?” Dane’s younger brother Rex pushed in between them.

Dane shook his head to clear his thoughts. Rex was a year and a half younger than him and had worked their family ranch for years, which was apparent in his brawny cowboy build. Dane turned to face his brother with a joking sneer.

“Isn’t Jade around here somewhere?” Dane asked.

A year earlier, Rex had fallen in love with Jade Johnson, and their love had brought a long-standing family feud to a head—and then to a long-overdue end. Dane had never seen his brother so happy. Rex and Jade had bought the property in between the two families’ ranches in Weston, Colorado, and had recently built a house there.

As he stared into Rex’s dark eyes, he had a momentary flash of unease. His height matched Rex’s six-foot-three inches, but his brother’s arms were as thick as tree trunks, and the way his tux stretched tightly over his massive chest would turn on any woman. He knew his brother’s ever-present five-o’clock shadow and longish hair gave him a bad-boy quality that had sent even the strongest women into a state of rapture. But Dane also knew that there was no need for a silent warning, or even a hint of possessiveness where Lacy was concerned. Rex had eyes only for Jade, and he was all too aware that Lacy wasn’t his to possess.

“Step aside.” Rex pushed his massive forearm across Dane’s chest and held out a hand to Lacy. “I’m Rex, Dane’s brother. You must be Lacy.”

Lacy blushed. “Yes, hi,” she said. Her eyes darted to Dane, and the surprise in them was blatant. “He’s mentioned me?”

Rex laughed. “Oh, he might have mentioned you once or twice.” He cracked a crooked smile at Dane. “Pleasure to meet you, Lacy. No wonder Dane was so distracted during the ceremony. Well”—he let out a dramatic sigh—“you two kids have fun. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find my girlfriend.”

“Bastard,” Dane whispered as Rex passed with a sly grin and gave Dane a playful shove. The room emptied quickly as the guests moved toward the reception hall. Dane turned his attention back to Lacy.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Lacy smiled. “Your brother seems nice.”

“Yeah, he is,” Dane said. The image of Lacy wearing the tiny bikini she’d worn in Nassau came rushing back to him. He swallowed hard to repress the memory before it could excite him the way it had over recent nights, when he knew he’d be seeing her again.

“Save me a dance?” He’d felt the anticipation of seeing Lacy mounting for weeks, but he hadn’t expected his nerves to be strewn so tight, or the desire to kiss her to be so strong.  He stood so close to her that all it would take was the slightest dip of his head to settle his lips over hers, to tangle his hands in her hair and pull her against him.

“Sure,” she answered, and he’d almost forgotten that he’d asked her a question.

“Dane.”

His father’s deep voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Hal Braden took a couple steps toward them. He stood a few inches taller than Dane. His skin was a deep bronze, rivaling Dane’s rich tan. Fine lines snaked out from his father’s eyes and mouth, and a deep vee hunkered between his thick brows. “Excuse me. I’m sorry for interrupting.” He held his hand out to Lacy. “Hal Braden, Dane’s father.”

Lacy shook his hand. “I’m Lacy.”

“Dad, this is Lacy Snow.” Dane watched his father’s dark eyes change from serious to warm.

“Lacy Snow. Related to Blake’s wife, Danica?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m her half…her youngest sister.” She flushed again.

Dane had an urge to put his arm around her and comfort the nerves he heard in her voice.

Hal nodded. “Well, any sister of Danica’s is a friend of ours. It’s a pleasure to meet you. They’re taking pictures, Dane. Don’t be too long.”

“I’ll be right in, Dad,” Dane said. He watched his father walk away and felt pride swell in his heart. He’d always had a good relationship with his father, and now, at almost thirty-seven years old, he found himself seeing his father in a different way. Dane’s mother had passed away when he was only nine years old, and his father had raised him, his four brothers, and their sister. And to this day, when he spoke of their mother, the love he exuded hadn’t dimmed. Dane hadn’t thought of marriage very often, but lately he wondered—no, he hoped—that one day he’d find whatever it was that his parents had found together. He wanted to experience that love.

“You’d better go in,” Lacy said. She blinked her long lashes several times and fidgeted with her hands.

God, she’s cute when she’s nervous
. Dane wondered if she could tell that he was just as nervous as she was. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her side, but the sooner he got those pictures over with, the sooner he could be with her again. “Yeah. I’d better. Remember our dance, okay?”

“I look forward to it.”

(End of Sneak Peek)

To continue reading, be sure to pick up the next

LOVE IN BLOOM release:

SEA OF LOVE,
The Bradens
, Book Four

Love in Bloom Series,
Book Seven