"No."
He hands over the plate. Nods to the condiments.
I grab mustard and a fork. Drown the patty in Dijon.
Dean scoops a second burger onto a plate. Piles it high with toppings.
He turns the grill down and plops in the blue patio chair.
He looks over the glass table to me. "Be careful with her."
"Leigh is tough. She doesn't need—"
"Yeah. She does. Don't let her forget it's pretend."
"She's into someone else."
"And you're hung up on Penny."
The sound of her name threatens to close my airways.
But I'm not hung up on her.
I don't want her.
I want her out of my thoughts.
And now.
"I'm getting over it." I bring a slice of my burger to my lips. "This is good shit. Thanks." The word is awkward on my tongue. My brother and I have never had an earnest relationship. And our parents aren't exactly the thank you, you did great, we're proud of you types.
"You're welcome." He takes a messy bite.
"You hate this idiot as much as I do?"
"I know a lot of idiots. You'll have to be more specific."
"This guy who doesn't see how great Leighton is."
Dean laughs. "He's an idiot, but what matters is how he treats her. Right?"
Fuck, he knows something.
But he's not gonna tell me.
I nod. Settle into my chair. Finish half my burger.
Footsteps pad against the concrete.
The sun falls over Leighton's soft skin.
Dean shoots her a look.
She waves him off.
Slides into my lap and wraps her arms around me.
Fuck. That feels good.
Too good.
She leans in to whisper. "They're here."
And for a second I thought that was for me.
Maybe Dean is right.
I need to be careful with this.
I need to keep my head on straight.
Leighton slides out of my lap, offers her hand, helps me up.
Sure enough, Penny and Frank are standing at the side gate.
Smiling.
Stealing the warmth from the air.
Stealing my oxygen.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryan
"What a cute swimsuit." Penny hugs Leighton hello.
Leighton presses her berry lips—somehow, her lipstick is still perfect—into a smile. Squeezes Penny, wetting her breezy white sundress.
She always wears white now.
It's like she's screaming I'm about to get married.
I'm not the girl you fell in love with, the one who rolled her eyes at the idea of a Maui wedding, who only wore jewel tones, who refused to take Daddy's money.
She turns to me. Spreads her arms to offer a hug.
I stare back at her.
Her honey eyes soften. "Of course." She fights a frown as she offers her hand.
I take it. Shake.
"You look good, Ryan. Happy." She wraps her arms around her fiancé. "Aren't they a cute couple, Frank?"
He nods for sure.
She still prefers quiet guys.
I'll give her that much.
"It was sweet of Dean to invite us." She tugs at Frank's white t-shirt. "Should we go over and say thanks?"
Dean is still on the other side of the backyard, sitting in a blue and white striped lounge chair, staring at Penny like she's the devil incarnate.
"Later." I motion to the sliding glass door to the house. "Bathroom's inside if you need to change."
Her lips curl into a frown. "I know."
"How long was it you and Ryan were together?" Leighton copies Penny's gesture. She slides her arm around my waist, pulls my body into hers, rests her head on my shoulder. "I forget."
Penny fails to fight her frown. "Nine years. But Ryan only lived at home for the first few."
"Oh. Of course. So that means the two of you started dating when you were—"
"I was sixteen. He was seventeen." She tugs Frank's arm. "Will you get me a drink, sweetie?"
He shoots her a curious look. Are you okay? Or maybe do you really expect me to trust you with your ex after the way we started? "You want anything to eat?"
"No. We have dinner with my parents." She finally manages a smile. "Daddy has been really supportive."
"I imagine." He must be jazzed about Penny upgrading from tattoo artist to finance bro. "How's work?"
Her honey eyes fill with frustration. She blinks and it's gone. "Great, actually. I just got a promotion."
"Oh? What do you do?" Leighton asks.
"Ryan never mentioned it?" Penny asks.
"No." Leighton pulls me closer. "We don't really talk about the past. Well, most of the time, we aren't exactly talking."
My laugh dissolves the tension in my shoulders.
She's too good at this.
I rest my hand on Leighton's hip. Right over the strap of her tiny bikini. "Baby, you're insatiable today."
"Look at what you're wearing." Her fingers skim my bare stomach. She draws circles on my skin.
My eyelids press together.
That feels too fucking good.
Too fucking real.
I pull every soft inch of her body against mine.
Lean down to press my lips to hers.
Her hand knots in my hair. She holds my head against hers, sucking on my bottom lip.
Groaning as I scrape my teeth against her lip.
My body wakes up.
Desire races through my veins.
Blood flows south.
Finally, I feel the warmth of the sun.
No, it's her. Every soft inch of her.
Then she pulls back, and Penny is there, and clouds are everywhere again.
Fuck, this is confusing.
I shake it off. Step into my role.
Acting isn't my strong suit. But I know Penny well enough to do this.
She's standing there, her wide-brimmed straw hat casting a shadow over her pretty face. She's as beautiful as she was the day we met. Still a head shorter than I am. Still model thin. Still polished.
"I work in marketing." She digs a French manicured nail into the tip of her thumb. "My father works with Ryan's."
"Oh." Leighton's blue-green eyes bore into mine. "At the ‘anonymous' MBA job."
"They introduced us when we were kids," Penny says. "Mom used to tease me about how I was going to marry Ryan one day."
"Her parents lost interest in that idea after I got my first tattoo." My fingers go to the Latin quote on Leighton's ribs. Trace the letters.
Her lips part with a sigh. Her knees press together. Her head turns to one side.
This is doing something to her.
Something that isn't pretend.
I should stop.
But I can't.
It feels too good, my hands on her skin.
"No." Penny's gaze goes to my hand. She watches as I trace the lines of Leighton's tattoo again and again. "Mom always loved you. She still does." She turns. Watches Frank laugh at something Dean is saying. "She's had a lot of unkind words for me."
"She wasn't big on you cheating on Ryan? Imagine that?" Leighton snaps.