Lakeshore Candy: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Book 4) Page 19

  Riley hadn’t seen these two in years, although they looked pretty much the same. Macy was tall, blonde, and blue eyes like gemstones. She could manage his schedule like no other. Martin, the longest running A&R in his company, was tall, slim, edging into the geeky line, and had at one time been a close friend, but now watched him suspicion.

  “Cece is on her way,” Martin said and Riley sensed a protection for his sister. He was thankful someone had been watching out for her these last two years.

  “Can you call her and tell her I’m going home.”

  They exchanged a look and tried to keep their eyes from looking at Abby curled in his arms.

  “I would do it myself but I currently am between cell phones.” The look they sent told him they didn’t believe him. “I’m going home to my house on Cherrywood. She can meet me up there. Tell her I will be waiting.”

  As he drove out of the busy older section of the city to the other end that overlooked the water, Abby slept deeply. She hardly stirred as he lifted her out and carried inside the house. He realized his home didn’t have a single piece of warmth, which was how he used to like it, but now it felt lonely.

  Three stories high with his bedroom located on the main floor. He hadn’t even used the two other floors when he’d lived here or as he intended. The house was merely for entertaining his clients.

  He laid her on his king side bed.

  “Riley?”

  “I’m right here.” He curled up beside her, basking in simply holding her. It was all out there, every single part of his horrid life he’d exposed and she’d come back for him.

  When she fell back asleep, he left her and he waited in the kitchen for Cece’s car lights to flash through all the windows of his house. He met her at the front door, bracing himself for what was about to come.

  Riley recognized her right away. Her body was much slimmer than when he left, her hair fell loose way past her shoulders. The panic in her eyes carried her feet to him, stopping only inches from him. Those blue beauties stared at him like he was a ghost.

  “Riley,” she breathed. “You’re here. You are actually here.” She reached out and touched his face and his hand caught hers.

  “Hi Cece.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. “You’re scruffy,” she said, with a sniffled laugh, rubbing her thumb across the side of his face. “And you’re hair is so long.”

  She was accustomed to his short spiked hair.

  “I didn’t know where you were. I didn’t know what happened to you. Once I got your letter after rehab, the police wouldn’t do anything. They wouldn’t look for you. They wouldn’t find you because of that stupid letter.”

  He knew which one she was talking about. It was the one he left her waiting for Mrs. C to pick him up from rehab. He’d told her he needed time to sort out everything that had happened, that he’d finished his rehab so he was finished drugs and he would find her when he was ready. At the time he hadn’t ever thought he would be ready.

  “I looked for you...” Her low voice trailed away.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be sorry.” The tears came down faster. “You’re my brother. You’re all I have and you left me.”

  He pulled her into his strong embrace promising never to leave her again.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  BRIGHT LIGHT FROM the rising sun stirred Abby awake from another sleep that didn’t leave her with a sickening feeling in the bottom of her stomach. This was the fourth day in a row that she wasn’t sad. It helped, of course, that she was wrapped in the comforting and enchanting smell of their lovemaking. Lovemaking. She blushed, remembering waking up to find him holding her and how she hadn’t been able to go back to sleep...and he hadn’t wanted to either.

  However, she found herself alone now in the bed...again. He was such an early riser.

  Abby sat up disappointed that she couldn’t kiss him good morning and stretched her arms high above her, letting a little squeal out. The sheet fell down her naked body and gathered at her waist.

  She caught sight of one of his dress shirts laying at the end of the bed and smiled, remembering the first time in Gran’s attic.

  Reaching across the down-filled duvet she touched the thick silk material and couldn’t resist reading the tag in the collar. It was a designer shirt...an expensive shirt.

  Why did that bother her a little? He was successful and she was proud of him for that.

  Abby quickly slipped the material over her, pushing the nonsense away and walked to the double glass doors along the glass wall. She stepped onto the balcony and overlooked the lowered backyard that had a rock edge with an amazing view of the city. It that stole her breath away.

  Where was Riley?

  She followed the smell of breakfast. He was always making her breakfast and she loved it. She found Riley leaning his hip against the counter facing away from her and sipping a mug of coffee.

  The smell was familiar.

  “Apple strudels?” she asked.

  He turned with a smile on his face. She remembered his Oscar The Grouch days. They’d come so far from that in so little time. Today there was nothing holding his smile back or tensing his shoulders.

  “Good morning.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. “I would have left a robe but I like the way you look in my shirts.”

  Abby laughed and playfully slapped his bare chest.

  He kissed her neck. “I thought we could visit De’laine’s after lunch today.” His lips made their way across her shoulder.

  Her eyes dropped closed. “Okay.”

  Riley’s lips took special care making their way back up her neck. His hands touched her back and trailed down her derrière inching the material up until he touched her skin. She moaned at the warmth.

  “You like that?”

  “Yes,” she breathed against him.

  He lifted her in the air and she squealed in delight grabbing him around his neck. His lips found hers again as he carried her across the kitchen and landed her on the counter.

  “I swear this counter was designed just for you,” he said running his hands up her legs.

  “Avery and Izzy...” Abby’s protests were cut short when he touched her belly and she sucked in a breath.

  “It’s my newest favorite feature in this house,” he continued.

  “Oh is it?”

  “As long as you’re on it...”

  She laughed and he caught her mouth and dipped his coffee flavored tongue into her mouth to search hers out. His hands went up the back of her shirt and moved around to the front cupping her naked breasts. She moaned in his mouth again and pressed herself against his groin which excreted a moan from him.

  “You like that?” she teased.

  “You have no idea.”

  Her hands trailed down the front of his chest enjoying every touch. This counter was beginning to be her new favorite feature too. She found the hardness under his pants and rubbed for more groaning. She unbuckled his button. The thought of having sex in the kitchen was turning her on at an incredibly fast pace.

  “I like that,” he said.

  She laughed. “Do you?”

  “I think it’s unsanitary.” The new crisp female voice in the room startled a low scream out of Abby and her eyes flew up to find a confused brunette standing across the kitchen. She wore in a pencil-line dress, with her hair wrapped in a bun, arms crossed and looking rather pissed off.

  “Cece,” Riley snarled, pulling his hands out from under Abby’s shirt. “Seriously some privacy.” He waved his hands at her and she turned on her heels and tromped away, but not before sending Abby a glare. A glare? What did I do? Besides the obvious.

  Riley’s hands landed on either side of her against the cupboard. “She has a key.”

  Abby laughed.

  Riley did not look impressed.

  “I just have to recount here,” she said out loud. “Dad and Elaine on the dryer. Peyton and Colt in his bedroom. Sydney a
nd Jake on the boat. Now me and you on your counter. All getting walked in on while in the middle of...”

  He chuckled then. “You McAdams bring the horny out of people.”

  She laughed then and his followed right behind her. It felt good to really laugh and to hear him laugh with her, nothing holding either of them back.

  “I am so turned on right now.” She kissed him.

  He took her arms from around his neck and set her hands on the counter underneath his. “That is not helpful.”

  Her lips found his ear and nibbled on his earlobe. “You should take me now,” she whispered in his ear and all of her wished he would.

  A frustrated groan escaped him and she loved that he wanted her so badly. Cece was only on the other side of the metal wall dividing the kitchen from the grand room.

  “I can’t finish this,” he said, catching her hand that had wiggled from his grasp and was working the zipper down his pants.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Abby...”

  “Alright.” She kissed the side of his face then whispered in his ear. “I’m so wet for you right now.”

  He groaned. “You tease.”

  “You can take me right here, right now.”

  “Riley!” Cece called, likely waking up the entire house.

  Abby smirked. “Or not.”

  “Will you come meet my sister?”

  Oh, I met her and her hateful looks.

  “Maybe not while I’m between your legs.”

  But, I don’t want to go anywhere!

  Abby leaned back and glanced down between them. “How do you plan on hiding that?”

  Riley stepped back, glanced down at his bulging manhood and groaned. “Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her from the counter, her bare feet slapping the cold floor. Using her as his side shield to hide his throbbing desire, they made their way out of the kitchen and headed toward the master bedroom.

  Abby had a hard time keeping a straight face.

  Cece was standing by the back door pounding on her phone.

  “Cece, I will be right back, I’m going to go throw a shirt on,” he called, rushing them out of sight.

  Her head barely got a look at them and they were out of sight. “This is going to be the quickest quickie either of us had ever had,” he snarled like it was a problem.

  “I can’t wait.”

  ***

  JUST BECAUSE RILEY had labeled it a quickie, hadn’t meant it wasn’t powerful. Abby had to stay back and settle down when he left to go visit with his sister, promising to meet him out there after she changed.

  Abby showered quickly, alone, with the background thought that Cece was judging her. Towel drying her hair upside down, she flipped it up and scrunched her fingers through it.

  She frowned at her reflection in the mirror.

  Wet, wild dog, came to mind.

  Cece was down there, dressed to kill and Abby looked like a wet dog.

  With no other alternative, she slipped on a black chiffon dress and the bare necessities of makeup, foundation and mascara. She couldn’t go out there and face his sister who was already shooting her killer looks without a little pampering...and little it was.

  A groggy Avery and Izzy met her at the bottom of the stairs as she exited the master bedroom. “Morning,” she greeted.

  They both caught sight of the guest in the kitchen and pulled Abby out of view.

  “What happened last night? Are you okay?” Izzy demanded.

  “Who’s the cute little brunette?” Avery inquired, not as focused on Abby as he had been before spotting Cece.

  Cute was not a term Abby would place with Cece Boyd.

  “Riley and I talked and we are good...we are great. And that’s his sister, Cece. I’m not sure how she is.” She was supposed to be sweet, gentle and kind like Sydney...that wasn’t what she’d witnessed so far.

  “Good.” Izzy pulled her into a hug. “I’m happy for you.”

  “Come on.”

  Riley and Cece sat on the high stools around the metal counter island facing one another. Riley’s arm slung over the back of the metal chair, while Cece sat perfectly straight, her legs crossed, peering out from under her A-line steel colored dress with her hands folded neatly in her lap.

  Riley smiled when he saw Abby, taking away her anxiety...some of it.

  Wet, wild dog.

  “Cece. This is my girlfriend, Abby.”

  Girlfriend? Girlfriend! Oh, how she loved the sound of that. She was so excited she could hardly instruct her hand to reach out and shake his sister’s. “Abby, this is my sister Cece.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things about you.” Which are contrary to what you’ve portrayed so far. Is Macy a close friend? Because the two of you have the same fire in your eyes...directed at me.

  Cece smiled. “I haven’t heard anything about you at all.”

  Ouch.

  Izzy pinched a warning in Abby’s back, which she ignored.

  “I will talk your ear off about Abby later,” Riley promised Cece. “This is her brother Avery and their friend, Izzy.”

  Avery’s hand flew out for a greeting while Izzy had her hands planted on her hips.

  Cece narrowed her eyes on Avery for only a quick moment, without the suspicion she sent Abby, then they landed back on Abby and she felt herself being analyzed from head to toe...again. How uncomfortable.

  “How long have you two been dating?” Cece asked.

  Five days. Oh my gosh, had it only been like five days! She wasn’t about to answer that question.

  “We’ve been friends for two years and just recently decided to take the next step,” Riley answered.

  Abby felt a cold stare move across her that told her she was out of her territory.

  “Breakfast is almost ready,” Riley said. “Have a seat.”

  They all uncomfortably found a chair around the tall glass table. Avery sat beside Izzy, but his eyes were focused on Cece. That was fast, from Ems to Cece. “Rebound” came to Abby’s mind. Avery wasn’t the rebound type of man. Listening to his lyrics and his respect for women, he was a romantic at heart.

  Don’t use this woman as a rebound, she looks like she could rip the skin from your flesh with her bare hands.

  That was a cruel thought, but at the moment sitting directly across from the dagger-shooting eyes, what else was she supposed to think?

  Smile. Be nice. This is a lot for her to take in all at once.

  They sat in awkward silence listening to Riley open the stove, rustle around with the pan, pull the tray out and shut the oven. They needed a distraction.

  “Riley thought we could drop by De’laine’s after lunch,” Abby said to Avery who looked star struck.

  Get over it!

  If he was in reaching distance, Abby would have hit the stars out of his eyes. When had be become so transparent.

  “Riley offered to drive.”

  Avery asked, suddenly insulted, “What’s wrong with my vehicle?”

  Cece asked, “Where are you going Riley?”

  The panic in her voice stopped the banter around the table cold. Even Riley wouldn’t be able to miss it. Abby was almost relieved she wasn’t the only one uncomfortable by this whole situation, even if it was clear Cece was digging up fear of losing her brother again.

  “We are visiting a friend of Abby’s grandmother,” Riley said, lifting strudels onto a platter, not looking up, and seeming oblivious. “She lives in Oakston.”

  “Aren’t you coming to the label today?” Cece asked.

  The label. His label. His career...in Oakston. Don’t start down this road.

  Riley stopped mid-lift and everyone looked at him. “I wasn’t going to...”

  But did he want to? His voice sure sounded like he wanted to. Abby didn’t need him to hold her hand if he would rather go to his label.

  His label...in Oakston. Yeah, you’ve cleared that up already Abby, move it along.

  “You are the buzz around the
label Riley. You’ve been gone for two years and you show up in the middle of the night. Everyone wants to see you.”

  Abby watched Riley shift uncomfortably, a rare sight for the strong, solid man. His eyes fell on her. “Maybe we could stop by after?”

  Why was he asking her? He almost seemed nervous to go back. Or was he unsure whether to leave Abby?

  Abby nodded.

  “Okay. We will stop by after,” he told Cece, his soft smile returning and his attention going back to breakfast. He pulled the oven mitts off and tossed them on the counter.

  “What time?” Cece asked.

  “It depends how long we are at De’laine’s. I don’t have a specific time,” he said walking to the table.

  Cece was staring at him now intensely analyzing him. Abby was grateful the attention was away from her. “We have a meeting today and I want you to come. It’s at one.”

  He set the platter down and fetched a stack of plates, starting to pass it around. “I can’t promise to make it Cece. We are leaving after lunch and...”

  Cece held her hand up to stop him. “You know what Riley? It’s your business. The building, the bills, the contracts, the money, it all is in your name. So maybe after three years, you should find time to come to the meeting and catch up. This meeting is perfect. All the departments will be present and you can see where we are after three years of you being absent.”

  Abby watched Riley stiffen at the way Cece was challenging him and their strong eyes met straight on, neither bowing down. It must be a Boyd thing.

  Abby touched Riley’s arm and he broke the contact to look at her. His anger didn’t fall on her. She didn’t know if whether his promise to go to De’laine’s was his reason for missing the meeting or the fact he didn’t want to go to the meeting. Abby would have rather spoken to him in privacy, but feared that might not go well with Cece.

  “You can go to the meeting, if you want,” she told him. “Avery and Izzy are coming with me to De’laine’s house.”

  “I can drive,” Avery added, reaching for a plate and a strudel.

  Riley’s jaw clenched. His stare went harder. Abby couldn’t read him. She simply didn’t know what he was thinking and she didn’t like that she couldn’t just come straight out and ask. She wasn’t used to holding back when it came to Riley, but she felt she needed to tread carefully around his sister.