Best Man with Benefits Read online

  “Addy, you really don’t have to do this,” I said. Translation: I really don’t want to do this.

  The last thing I needed was to get up there and sing in front of these women, many of whom would give me the stink-eye for the rest of the weekend because of it. I wasn’t averse to shining, letting my candle glow or whatever it was called, but I really, really didn’t want to spend the rest of the wedding annoyed.

  “Please, Chloe,” Addison said. “For me.”

  “Fine,” I said. “That’s fine. Anything for you, Addy.” I forced a too-bright smile and rose from my seat. I walked to the front, and all the women’s gazes followed me.

  I’d chosen one of my show dresses for the night because it was a bachelorette party and why the hell not? I hadn’t had the chance to wear one of these in ages. It was bright red, cut low so that it showed cleavage, and I’d paired it with strappy heels.

  “What the hell is she wearing?” Trisha stage-whispered. “Like, it’s way too slutty for the Hilton.”

  “Shut up, Trisha,” Addison growled.

  I ignored it, got up on the stage at the front, and then lifted the microphone and used the touchscreen on the computer to scroll through the songs. There were a lot of happy pop songs, a few from Ariana Grande that I wasn’t willing to attempt right now. There were a few oldies too.

  Finally, I settled on my song of choice. “Tougher than the Rest” by Bruce Springsteen.

  The first bars of the song started. Trisha sat with her arms folded, lips pursed. Beyond her was the back of the restaurant, where some of the waiters, and one waitress with platinum blonde hair and red lipstick, stood watching.

  I lifted the mic to my lips and sang, my voice warming the inside my throat. I lost track of emotion, other than the deep satisfaction that came with singing. And the pinch in my chest of what might have been, if I’d found someone who was willing to go the distance.

  My eyes squeezed shut, and I melted into the song, my voice soft then soaring, nowhere near as earthy as Springsteen’s had been when he’d first performed the song.

  I opened my eyes and nearly gasped in the middle of a verse.

  Jacob was at the back of the restaurant, standing in the doorway, his gaze fixed on mine.

  A memory surfaced—his arms around me as we danced under a tree in the back garden of my parents’ house—and was quashed fast.

  What the hell was he doing here? This was the bachelorette party, and Charlie’s bachelor party was supposed to be tonight.

  I forced myself to focus on the words on the screen, rather than on him. It was no mean feat. The man was a plague. Whenever he was around, I lost track of my thoughts, and that was exactly why I couldn’t let him close.

  How many times would I have to learn the same damn lesson? Don’t trust a man with your heart. That was the long and short of it.

  My heart caught in my throat.

  Jacob was still at the back, but now, he was in deep conversation with the waitress. Typical. Of course, he was. Of course that insanely hot kiss had meant nothing to him. Once again, I was the idiot reading too much into everything.

  I finished out the song, forced myself to smile at the cheers from Addy and some of the other women. I ignored the insistent need to ogle Jacob. I had a goal in mind, a plan, and he wasn’t a part of it.

  Five

  Jacob

  “Why did you run from me, baby?” Carolina, my ex-girlfriend, stood in the back of the restaurant and aimed a doe-eyed stare up at me. “You know, we could have made it work.”

  “What the hell are you doing in France?” I already had the answer to that. Smith had told me this would happen, that the trouble I’d made in Cali would follow me out here. And he’d been right.

  Fuck, and at Charlie’s wedding too? Christ, I was an asshole.

  “I came because we need to talk about what happened.”

  “Nothing happened,” I replied. “It’s been six months since we last spoke.”

  “I know, I know, but I thought that we could make things right again. All I’ve ever wanted was you, Jakey.” She ran her hand over my chest, and I grasped her by the wrist, lifted it, and dropped her arm.

  “No touching.” I didn’t want to hurt her more than I had already, but it was necessary. Exes were exes for a reason, and Carolina was no exception. She downright proved the rule. Our relationship had been my last attempt at emotion, and it had failed miserably.

  “Jacob, things didn’t end right between us. I know we can work this out.” It was half-whine, half-command, and it was laughable.

  I switched my attention from her to the makeshift stage they’d set up beneath the chandeliers in here. Chloe was up there, swaying to the beat of a song and singing the words. “Tougher than the Rest” by Springsteen.

  Had she chosen it on purpose? Did she remember?

  Carolina said something beside me, but I didn’t hear the words. My eyes were fixed in place, staring directly ahead.

  Chloe was so perfect. This woman had always been my downfall, and here she was again, wearing red. Singing in that clear, musical voice. She knew how much I loved red. Maybe she doesn’t remember. Goddamn, I wanted to make her remember.

  “Jacob!” Carolina laid a hand on my arm.

  I shrugged her off. “I’m not interested, Carolina. Go back to the United States. Our relationship is over.” And then I pushed off from the back of the restaurant and walked across it, toward Chloe. She was the one who needed me now.

  She’d already taken her place at the table next to Addison. “Oh, hi, Jake!” Addison said.

  “Hi,” I replied.

  Chloe had stiffened the minute Addy had said my name. “You know, this is a bachelorette party, right? You’re not technically allowed to be here,” Addison said, but her smile was soft. “But if you want to stay, I’m sure the others won’t mind.”

  “Just passing through.” I positioned myself behind Chloe’s seat.

  “Oh wow, who’s the dish?” one of the other women said.

  “This is Jacob.” Addison made the introduction. “You haven’t been formally introduced yet, but we’ll do that at a get-together tomorrow. Jacob, this is Trisha.”

  I nodded to the woman but barely noticed her. My gaze was on Chloe. Fuck it, on the back of her neck. I tapped her once on the shoulder and leaned in, close to her ear. “Can I talk to you for a second? It’s important.”

  Chloe turned her head and gave me a vicious stare. “Oh yeah? Important how?”

  “Walk with me.”

  Chloe heaved a sigh but got up and excused herself from the table.

  “Don’t be too long,” Addy said, as another of the women took to the stage to croon out a song. “Things are getting exciting.”

  “She’s using that phrase lightly, I assume.” Karaoke and champagne wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time.

  Chloe didn’t laugh but gave me another scalding look. We walked off to one side of the hall. “What’s this about?” she asked. “Why are you even here, Jacob? Shouldn’t you be at the bachelor party with my brother?”

  She pronounced “brother” like it was an insult. “No. The bachelor party starts later. We’re not planning on having an early night or…uh, singing for entertainment.”

  “OK. So? What’s up?” Chloe folded her arms underneath her breasts. It only served to accentuate them, and for a second, I was transported back to the year of her prom and the moment we’d shared on the porch.

  I shook my head to clear it. “We kissed.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it nowadays?”

  “We should talk about that.”

  “I see no reason to. What would be the point? We have a history of doing stupid shit like that. Let’s forget about it,” Chloe said and made to turn away.

  I caught her hand and held it in mine, gave the back of it a stroke with my thumb. Soft skin. “If we have a history of it, then we should talk about it.”

  “This is Charlie’s wedding vacation, week, what
ever. It’s his time. His and Addy’s. Our talking won’t change that.”

  “Walk with me,” I said.

  “Just like that, huh? Walk with me. You were always great at giving out commands.”

  “Your tone says that’s an insult. Surprising.” I had her hand in mine, and it was a struggle to let it go. I cast a gaze toward the back of the restaurant, but Carolina was gone. That was a relief, at least, but it didn’t change what had to be done. “Come on.”

  I let go of her and strode toward the exit.

  She joined me in the corridor outside of it. “OK. We walked. Now what?”

  “You’re stubborn,” I said.

  “What else is new?” She tapped her heel, tossed her hair. “Look, you wanted to talk, so let’s get this over with. It’s the kiss, yeah? The kiss that’s bothering you. Well, don’t let it. That was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”

  That was the opposite of what I wanted. But it was what had to happen. “We’re on the same page.”

  “Perfect. So, I’ll get going, then.” Chloe was pissed, all prickly like she’d gotten throughout the years of high school and after. When it had happened.

  “Wait.”

  “Oh my god, what?”

  “You OK?” I asked.

  Her eyelashes fluttered. “I’m…fine. Why?”

  “Fine, huh?” She looked amazing but for the sadness that hovered around her, a fugue of it, almost. “I’m not buying it. Come on, Chloe, it’s me. You can talk to me.”

  She pressed her lips together. “No, I really can’t. You’re…the guy who ran off after he took my virginity.”

  Fuck. I’d never live that down. But there had been a reason for what had happened. A shitty one, but still a reason. “I’m sorry.” It came out on its own, but it had been something I’d hoped to say to her. “I’m a shithead. I was a shithead. But I’m not that guy anymore, so, if you need to talk to me, then I’m all for it.”

  Chloe ran her tongue over her bottom lip.

  “You want to join me for a walk? We can check out the city skyline by night. It’s Paris.” I smiled and offered her my arm. “For old times’ sake.”

  “I have to be crazy to be doing this.” She took my arm. “But it beats listening to Trisha sing ‘Lady Marmalade,’ so why the hell not?”

  And just like that, I had her.

  Six

  Chloe

  I’d always felt safe with Jacob.

  We could’ve walked through the worst part of any town, and it wouldn’t have made a difference. It wasn’t that he was tall and strong, though he was, it was the vibe he had about him. Like he’d protect me no matter what. He’d lay his life down for me.

  That was because of Charlie.

  My brother had a knack for befriending people, for making them care, and Jacob was no exception to that. Neither was I.

  “It’s beautiful here,” I said, my arm in his. It was ridiculous—like we were in an old-timey movie, and he was my chaperone. “I know it’s cliché, but I can see why this is the city of love.”

  We’d already circled back to the hotel, after a quick glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. The city was alive with lights and smells, with people, even though night had fallen. There were wrought-iron lampposts and sparkling lights, a mimicry of the starry sky overhead.

  “Sure,” Jacob said.

  “Oh right, of course. You’re not good with talking about emotional stuff.” I removed my arm from his. I sat down on a bench on the side of the road, tucked my hands beneath my thighs. “I know because I’m the same.”

  “That wasn’t the impression I had of you back in the day.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s why they call it ‘back in the day.’ It’s gone. Long gone.”

  “What happened?” Jacob asked.

  I sucked in a breath and shifted away from him. There was so much concern there. Like he really cared what had changed me. God, it wasn’t him, if that was what he’d thought. He’d shattered my heart to pieces, but that had been my fault too.

  I’d allowed him in. I’d known he wasn’t good for me.

  A chill rose in the air and brushed past my arms. The sensation that I was safe shifted away, and creeping fear wormed down my spine. I looked over my shoulder at the street corner, shaking my head. “This is dumb. I should get back to the party.”

  His weight lowered onto the bench beside me. My side warmed at the proximity. “You’re beautiful as ever tonight, Chloe.”

  “Mmm. That your attempt at getting another kiss?”

  Jacob snorted, and I faced him.

  “You really think I need to call you beautiful to get one?” he asked. “Usually, a look is enough.”

  “Gee, thanks. I’ve never been called easy before.”

  “Not what I was saying.” Jacob draped a hand over the back of the bench. “It’s just how it is between us.”

  “I don’t like it when you say us.”

  “Me neither.” Another quiet. He cuffed me on the shoulder. “So what happened? To you. Why aren’t you Miss Romance anymore? Why’re you so sad?”

  “Sad.”

  “Yeah, sad. I’m not blind, Chloe. You’re sad and defensive. Tell me that’s not my fault. Shit, I wouldn’t be able to handle that.”

  “Holy shit, some things never change.” I laughed, rolling my eyes heavenward. “You really are as arrogant as you were back in the day.”

  “So it wasn’t me?”

  “What happened between us was years ago,” I said. “God, like what…ten?”

  “Twelve,” he corrected.

  “Exactly. Twelve whole years. I think I’ve got a stronger fortitude than that.” Did I? I’d allowed someone else to ruin my dreams, though I’d thought I’d learned my lesson with Jacob. “No, the way I am has nothing to do with you. It’s singing.”

  “Singing.”

  “Yeah, singing. I’m thirty, Jacob. Thirty. And I still haven’t succeeded as a singer. I’m not wealthy, loved, famous, any of those things. I haven’t even been signed. The ship is fast sailing me by, and it’s my fault.”

  Jacob nudged my arm with his fist again. “You’re being too hard on yourself. You’re gorgeous and talented. You’ve got success baked right in.”

  “So does everyone else,” I said and got up from the seat. “God, it’s… Uh, I should get back to the hotel. And so should you. You’ve got that bachelor party, remember? And I’ve got to spend time with Addison, I guess.”

  Jacob rose too. “That’s all there is to it?” he asked. “You think you’re not going to make it?”

  I silenced myself and walked. That strange fear was back, and I glanced over my shoulders periodically. Maybe it was an attempt at avoiding Jacob’s eyes. “No, that’s not all there is to it, but the rest of it would bore you, so eh. Better not to talk about it. Let’s face facts here, Jacob. We’re not exactly best friends. You’re my brother’s best friend, not mine, and if Charlie knew we were talking like this, or anything had happened…well, he wouldn’t be happy.”

  “Yeah, no shit. But I’m not about that not-friends thing. We are friends.”

  “What? In what world?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

  He was framed by the fairy lights sparkling in a tree outside the hotel. Half his face in shadow, the other half illuminated, smiling. Gorgeous. My heart skipped a beat, and I inhaled that familiar leather-lemon scent.

  “I’m sorry for what happened between us. I was a fool. I had a shit reason for running.”

  “It is what it is,” I said, waving a hand. The doors were in sight, an escape from this handsome man right there for the taking. If only I had the ovaries to turn my back on him and walk off. “And what it is—”

  “When you talk like that it makes me want to kiss you all over again.”

  “I never understood that,” I said. “Why you’d want to. You never even liked me, Jacob, not really. We fought more than we got along. And you were always—”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “Oh, I do
love it when you interrupt me,” I said.

  “Sorry, Chloe, I can’t believe it. That you didn’t know I wanted you all along?”

  The roof of my mouth dried out. I swallowed in vain. “Huh?”

  “You really didn’t know? I kissed you. We had sex.”

  “Yeah, but that was you being you,” I replied.

  “Me being me.” His tone was as dry as my mouth. “That’s complimentary.”

  “Oh, come on, everyone knew you were a player back in high school, and out of it, before you went to college. You were the hot shit. You had that nickname.” My cheeks grew hot. “The Big D.”

  “Wow. Actually, yeah, that is complimentary.” He grinned.

  I resisted the urge to whack him on the arm. “I’m serious.”

  “Well, you and everyone else were wrong. About the player thing, not the big dick thing. We both know that’s true.”

  “And I’m going inside now,” I said and turned on my heel.

  Jacob caught my arm and tugged me back again. His dark eyes were pools deep enough to drown in. “Listen to me, Chloe. There is no one like you, no one. You’re everything any man could want, not that you need me to tell you that. Point is, I’ve wanted you from the start, but I’m not the type of guy who fucks around. I do things the right way, and you and I both know that love isn’t on the cards. That a relationship between us would destroy the entire family dynamic you and your brother have going on. So, forgive me for holding back, for running, and for wanting you.”

  My jaw dropped. “Jacob, I—”

  “Save it.” He cupped my cheeks in both hands and stared into my eyes. “I don’t know what’s hurt you, or who, but if it’s anything I can help with, you need to tell me.”

  Was any of this real? Or was it just Jacob being Jacob?

  He was the epitome of hot and cold, and my head reeled. “Jacob.”

  “All I can think about is tasting you again.” He pressed his nose against mine, overwhelming me. “I used to hold back with you. Kept myself on a tight leash. But seeing you like this…I want to make you mine. In every way.”