My Accidental Forever (Love You Forever Book 5) Read online

  I remove myself from her and lie back on the bed, pulling her on top of me. With her hips in my hands, I lift her up and lower her back down. At first, she’s tired and worn out, but after a few moments, her body comes alive again and she’s grinding against me, racing herself for another release. I lift my hips, giving her more of me as she comes undone. Feeling her shattering around me does me in. I let go and enjoy the high for myself. I pump every last drop into her until we’re both too weak to move another inch.

  She collapses on top of me and I hold her against my chest. Our hearts are racing—our lungs working twice as hard to take in the oxygen we both desperately need. I lift my head and press a kiss to her shoulder, then my eyes fall closed and I’m out.

  I wake in the morning and find her still naked beside me. I scoot closer, pressing my chest to her back as I start littering her skin with kisses: her neck, shoulders, and back. She wiggles her ass against me and it makes me harden. Without rolling over, she turns her head back as if she were looking at me from over her shoulder, and her mouth captures mine. I take myself in hand and she lifts one leg, allowing me to position myself back where I need to be. She’s the world’s strongest drug to me. Even though I just woke from the blackout she caused, I’m ready for another hit, another taste, another high. I push into her and fill her from behind. She lets out a soft moan as my hand moves around to her chest, kneading her breast, pinching her nipple. While my hips move, our lips stay as one. Neither of us moves until we’re right back where we started.

  “We should probably get up,” she says once we’ve finished. She tries to sit up but I pull her back down.

  “Why? Right here seems like the perfect place to spend our Sunday.”

  She smiles and opens her mouth to say something, but my phone rings, cutting her off. With a sigh, I roll over and pick it up off the bedside table.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Foster,” Bianca says.

  “What’s up?” I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

  “Well, my dad ran into your dad this morning. Can you guess what they talked about?”

  I think it over. “An engagement ring?” I ask, and I feel Harley tense at my side.

  “Ding, ding, ding!” she says sarcastically. “What the hell? Why did you tell him that?”

  “I’m sorry. Harley and I ran into him at the lawyer’s office and I panicked. I mean, I couldn’t tell him we were there to get a divorce.”

  “Ugh, this is just great, Foster.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. But I can always draw it out. I mean, it could take months to find the perfect engagement ring.”

  “I need more than a few months. I need a few years, and I don’t see us being able to draw it out that long. Especially since you told your dad that Harley is one of my friends. My dad’s invited me to lunch today at the country club and has asked me to bring my new friend.”

  I laugh.

  “It’s not funny. She doesn’t like me. I could see it all over her face last night. Will you talk her into joining our stupid gang of rebels and coming to this lunch with me? Please?”

  “Ask her yourself. She’s right here,” I say, passing the phone over to her.

  She looks confused but takes it. “Hello?” she asks, brows furrowing together.

  There’s a long pause as Bianca explains our situation. Then Harley rolls her eyes. “Okay, stop panicking. I’ll go,” she says.

  I feel my eyes widen in surprise.

  “Yes, I’ll go. I’ll text you my number from Foster’s phone, then you can send me all the details.”

  I lie back now, more relaxed.

  “Okay, bye.” She hangs up the phone and sets it on my chest with a shake of her head. “What have you gotten me into?”

  I laugh. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

  “I have to pretend to be her best friend and I don’t know a thing about the woman.” She starts to get up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get a shower. I can’t meet her father smelling like the man she’s about to marry, now can I?”

  I don’t answer. It feels like that was a rhetorical question.

  “And while I shower, you’re going to tell me everything you know about her so I can play my role a little better.” She takes my hand in hers and pulls me toward the bathroom to shower.

  I give Harley every bit of information I can think of when it comes to Bianca, and watch as she gets ready for her lunch. It’s easy to see how nervous she is, but I mention it as little as possible. Instead, I sit back, laughing silently when she’s not watching. But it comes time for her to leave and I’m not ready to let her go. Who knows when I’ll see her again? I grab her in the foyer and pull her to my chest.

  “When will I see you again?” I ask, resting my forehead against hers.

  “When do you want to see me again?” she asks, looking up at me from beneath her lashes.

  “As soon as you’re done. Will you stay here tonight?”

  “My dogs . . .” she starts.

  “Then can I stay with you tonight?”

  She smiles. “I’d like that.”

  I move my lips to hers and kiss her one last time before she slips out the door. Standing back and letting her go is harder than I thought possible, especially since I know I’ll be with her all night tonight. But what can I say? I’m addicted and will be counting down the minutes until I can be with her again.

  With my Sunday afternoon cleared, I call Matt to see what he’s up to today.

  “Hey, man. What’s going on?” he asks when he picks up.

  “Nothing much. I have some free time on my hands today. Want to hang out?”

  “Sure. Poppy’s gone shopping with some friends or something. What do you want to do?”

  I shrug even though I know he can’t see me. “I’m down for anything.”

  “You eat yet?”

  “Nope, we can get lunch. The usual spot?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll head in that direction now.”

  I hang up the phone and pull on some clothes. Then I head to the garage to climb behind the wheel of my car. It doesn’t take me long to drive the few blocks to the bar and grill we frequent. When I get there, Matt hasn’t made it yet, so I find a booth in the back that faces the big-screen TV hanging on the wall.

  The waitress comes over and I order a pitcher of beer with two glasses. The beer arrives before Matt does, so I pour myself a glass and sip on it until I see him walk through the door. He finds me, heads over, and sits across from me.

  “You order yet?”

  “Not yet. I’ve been waiting for you.” I grab a menu and look it over.

  “How are things going?” he asks with a smirk.

  “Why did you ask like that? What’s with the smile?”

  He shrugs but his smirk doesn’t falter. “I was just wondering how things are going with your jailbird.”

  I laugh. “Things are great.”

  “Really?” he asks, lifting one eyebrow.

  “Yeah, why?”

  Again, he shrugs. “I just didn’t think there was much hope there. Not with you promised to someone else. How is Bianca, by the way?”

  I roll my eyes. “Bianca’s fine. She’s having lunch with Harley as we speak.”

  His eyes stretch wide. “Whoa, really?”

  I nod, not bothering to look away from the menu.

  “How the hell did you get your girlfriend and soon-to-be wife to be friends?”

  I laugh at the way he phrased it. “She’s not my girlfriend, for one. She’s . . . I don’t know, just someone I hang out with.”

  “And sleep with,” he points out.

  “And two, Bianca doesn’t want to get married any more than I do. So it’s not like she’s resentful of Harley or anything. In fact, the two are probably trying to figure out how to get this whole marriage thing called off right now.”

  “Why don’t you just tell your dad that you’re not interested in marrying Bianca? Woul
dn’t he appreciate the honesty?”

  Matt may have a point, but that’s a big gamble. I mean, Harley and I have just been messing around. Neither of us has let it go too far. We’re addicted but not attached. I might have trouble walking away from her, but the pain will fade. I don’t feel as if I can’t live without her. Plus I have no real idea of what she feels for me. I can’t take the gamble of calling off the marriage to Bianca and risk losing everything for the small chance that Harley will want to spend the rest of her life with me.

  “I actually kind of already married Harley,” I confess.

  “What?” he asks, dropping his menu on the table.

  I laugh and nod. “Yeah, in Vegas we got hammered and got married. I’m jumping through hoops now to get out of it. Illinois doesn’t fuck around when it comes to marriage.”

  “Just don’t break it off. Then your family can’t force you to marry Bianca,” he laughs out.

  “That’s actually how we rationalized it in our drunken state.” I shake my head. “No, I’ve been going down this road for a long time. If Bianca and I were going to call anything off, it should’ve been done years ago. I can’t call shit off now—not after stringing them along all this time.”

  He shakes his head but directs his eyes back to the menu. “You’re fucked.”

  “Yep.” I agree.

  Eleven

  Harley

  I get to the restaurant and find Bianca waiting outside. She looks perfect in her tailored black dress that ends just below her knees. It fits her curves to perfection and her hair and makeup look just as flawless as her dress. How Foster could ever pick me over her, I don’t know. She’s damn near a supermodel and working on her PhD? Seriously, a girl doesn’t stand a chance. Her plump lips are painted a deep red color and her blonde hair is curled and professionally highlighted. Everything about her screams wealth and money. And then you have me. I’m wearing a dress I bought off the clearance rack at Marshalls. My black heels are from Target, and my hair and makeup don’t look nearly as neat or nice as hers. She screams money and I scream broke as a joke.

  Regardless, I take a deep breath, smooth down my dress, and push myself forward. Her eyes find mine and her smile turns up. “Harley, thank you so much for coming,” she says, rushing forward to pull me against her.

  “Oh!” I say out of surprise when my chest smashes against hers. “No problem. Glad I could help.”

  She pulls back but keeps her hands on my biceps. “Look at you! You’re stunning! No wonder Foster can’t leave you alone.”

  “Oh, please,” I breathe out. “You’re the stunning one.”

  She leans in as her arm wraps around mine. “All smoke and mirrors, darling. Now, come on. We have lunch to get to.” She drags me into the restaurant and over to the table where a middle-aged man is already sitting.

  He looks just as fancy and important in his pressed black suit. He has a red pocket square in his breast pocket, and his posture is something that can only be learned in finishing school. The man is obviously important.

  “Hi, Daddy. This is my friend you’ve heard so much about, Harley.” She looks at me. “Harley, this is my father, William Greer IV.”

  The man stands up and holds out his hand to shake. I slide mine into his. “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.”

  He shakes my hand softly as a smile pulls at his lips. “Likewise. Please, have a seat.” He motions to the empty chairs around the small table.

  Bianca and I sit down, and moments later, the waiter is at our table, pouring us each a glass of wine.

  “Thank you,” I tell him, picking up the glass of ice water in front of me. I take a sip and am startled when Mr. Greer speaks up.

  “So, Harley, what is it that you do?”

  I nearly choke but manage to get it down. “I’m in nonprofit work. I manage a local no-kill shelter. I foster dogs, find them homes, organize all the of adoption events, and handle advertising.”

  “Ah, that sounds very interesting,” he says, but his face gives him away and I can tell he has no interest in my line of work.

  “That’s really interesting. I’ve been thinking about adopting a cat,” Bianca says, taking a sip of her wine.

  “You should come by,” I offer. “I’ll show you around and help you pick out someone special.”

  “I don’t have a lot of time to devote to an animal. That’s my problem.”

  “I have the perfect cat for you. She’s already been fixed and microchipped. She’s very much a loner. She wants attention on her terms and that’s it.”

  She giggles. “Sounds like my kind of lady,” she jokes.

  “Bianca,” her father says, ending our little conversation, “do you really think now is a good time to get an animal? I mean, soon you’ll be getting married and going off on your honeymoon. Then hopefully your main focus will be on starting a family. Cats aren’t good when you have babies around.”

  I look over in time to see her rolling her eyes. “Like I’ve said before, Dad, Foster and I are in no hurry.”

  “No hurry? He’s in his 30s already. Poor man doesn’t want to be chasing kids around when he’s 50. You need to get serious. Get it done so you can enjoy your later years in life like your mother and me.” He picks up his glass of whiskey and takes a sip.

  “Dad, I didn’t come here to have this discussion again. You wanted lunch and you insisted I bring my friend. I highly doubt she wants to hear all of this. Can we please just have a pleasant lunch?”

  His cell phone rings and the conversation drops as he answers it. I look over at Bianca and she mouths the words I’m sorry. I offer up a small smile, telling her that it’s fine. Her father gets off the phone soon after and pushes his chair back as he finishes off his drink.

  “Please forgive me, but I’m needed at the office. Order whatever you’d like. Lunch is on me.”

  He stands up and briskly walks away, leaving Bianca and me alone.

  Bianca giggles then says, “Well, I think I’m ordering the surf and turf. I don’t usually have such a big lunch, but I can’t resist racking up a big bill on his tab.”

  “So you and Foster have been destined for marriage your whole lives, huh? How does that even work?” I ask, maybe a little too bluntly.

  Her eyes jump from her menu to my eyes. She takes a long breath then releases it. “Our mothers were best friends. They brought our fathers together. Then our dads turned into trusted business partners, having each other’s backs when needed, donating money to whatever charity they were promoting, and sharing valuable information. Then when my mom got pregnant with me, it just seemed like an unspoken agreement that we’d be together. It was like everyone knew, but no one actually said anything. That came later. We were forced together for everything when we were young, then when we got a little older, we were basically each other’s dates to all the functions our parents made us go to. But after growing up together, there was no romantic connection. I didn’t like him and he didn’t like me . . . not in that way, anyway. It was more like we were brother and sister. So we’ve always had each other’s backs when it comes to dealing with our parents. I’d cover for him so he could go out with the girls he liked, and he’d do the same for me when I found a guy I liked.”

  “So you two . . . you, like, really don’t want to be together,” I say, mostly thinking out loud.

  “No way. I can’t even imagine kissing him. Seriously, he’s like my brother.” She shivers.

  My eyes grow wide. “You’ve never kissed?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, I guess that answers my next question,” I laugh out.

  “Nope, we’ve never slept together either. We really are the best of friends. Nothing more, nothing less. I want him to be happy. And that’s something he won’t be with me.”

  I offer up a small smile. I can’t believe that all this time I’ve been so jealous for no reason whatsoever. I thought Foster was crazy for wanting me when he could have her, but he must see her the same way she sees
him. Like a sibling. That thought almost makes me want to shiver too.

  “Foster really likes you, you know?” she says, bringing me out of my thoughts.

  I wave my hand, dismissing her comment.

  “Really, he does. And I hope—no, I pray that you’re the one who makes him see how much he needs to go against his father’s wishes. I know he’s only playing along with this as a way of moving up in the company, but some things are more important, you know?”

  “Absolutely,” I agree. “We actually already screwed up and got married when we were in Vegas.”

  She laughs. “I know. Foster told me. And my fingers are crossed that you two stay that way. He won’t admit it, but he needs you more than he lets on. I’ve never seen him this happy before. Plus, if he’s married to you, then our parents can’t force us to get married.”

  “What if he doesn’t go against his father’s wishes? Will you?”

  Her facial expressions soften and she bites her lower lip. “It’s something I’ve thought about many times over the years.” She picks up her glass of wine and takes a drink. “I don’t know. I just keep praying that we find a way out of this that will keep everyone pleased. The truth is, there’s more to it than him just wanting to keep his family money or his job. He’s doing this for me too. I’ve been working so hard to get funding and establish my dream division at my dad’s company, and he’s afraid that if he tells our family he wants out, it will destroy everything I’ve worked for as well.”

  “Pleasing everyone isn’t your job, Bianca. Or his. You both need to realize that.”

  “I know.” She nods. “I just have to grow the balls to actually say the words.”

  I pick up my glass of water and take a drink.

  “You love him, don’t you?” she asks softly.

  I nearly choke on my water.

  “It’s easy to see. I could see how jealous you were when you came over and found us together. I’m sorry about that, by the way. That’s also why I was glad to get lunch with you today. I want you to know that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about between the two of us. I see how happy you make him and I’m sure he makes you just as happy.”