Rumors: Megan & Vinnie Read online

  Pulling the handle on the door, I hear the lock slide before I open it. The headlights flash, and then we’re enveloped in the darkness again.

  Vinnie places his hands on my hips and turns me around. I go willingly, his touch sparking my desire.

  Bad girl, Megan.

  Stepping back, I press my body against the door of the car.

  His actions mimic mine, only I’m between him and the car.

  I should tell him to stop. This is a bad idea, but I don’t want him to. I want him to come closer, lift my dress, press himself against me.

  Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “Why were you avoiding me, Megan?”

  “Because this is a bad idea.” Honestly spills from my mouth as it hangs open, my breathing heavy as the tension between us grows.

  “If this is such a bad idea, why are you shaking when I’m barely touching you?”

  My hands are trembling at my sides. I’m gripping the hem of my dress to keep from reaching out and touching him. This attraction, it’s undeniable. I don’t even know him, yet I want him.

  And that makes me a slut.

  The thought helps me calm my racing heart. My hands stop their convulsions, and I let out a breath.

  “I don’t even know you, but I want you. That’s not a good thing. In fact, it’s a really bad thing.” I keep my voice even and calm, and I state each word clearly. “I would appreciate a ride home if you’re still willing, but beyond that, I can’t offer you anything.”

  “I think you have a lot more to offer, and I don’t mean sex. Although that would be amazing, I’m sure.”

  Stepping back, Vinnie unlocks the doors, and I quickly slide into the car, anxious to get home and out of dangerous territory.

  Plugging my address into the navigational system, we wait for it to load, and finally Vinnie pulls out of the parking lot. Not before almost running someone over, though.

  Helen.

  I swear that old lady needs to retire. Did she not see the headlights? Is she drunk? She practically walked out in front of the car.

  Vinnie waves at her as he pulls away. She lifts her hand and waves back, but her eyes are focused on me. Well, shit. I almost got away without being seen.

  “Tell me something about yourself,” Vinnie says as he pulls onto the highway.

  “Are we playing twenty questions?” I joke.

  “Sure. We have time.”

  Not my idea of fun, but whatever.

  “I get to go first, then.” He grunts in acceptance, and I try to think of a good question to ask as the mile markers pass. “Okay, how do you know Tyler?”

  “College. What’s something no one else knows about you?”

  “That’s a little deep.”

  “You never said there were rules.”

  “Fine. Everyone thinks I had a boob job, but I didn’t.”

  Vinnie shuffles in his seat before clearing his throat. “Why do you let people think they’re fake?”

  “I don’t really care what people think.”

  “Bullshit!” he practically yells before I can finish my sentence.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Tell me this and be honest. You wouldn’t talk to me because you knew I was friends with Tyler. That bothers you because I’m sure he has dirt on you that you don’t want me to know.”

  “It’s my turn to ask a question,” I reply, not willing to admit he’s right. I don’t have to. “Married?”

  “No. Boyfriend?”

  “No. Girlfriend?”

  “Not currently. You offering?”

  I’m going to count that as his question. He’s trying to get under my skin. Not in a bad way like he wants to piss me off, but just the opposite. He wants to lighten the mood, and I can’t let him.

  “Nope. Best first date?”

  “Does tonight count?”

  “This isn’t a date,” I state firmly. “By the way, you missed the exit.”

  Cursing under his breath, Vinnie takes the next ramp and waits for the system to reroute him.

  “Where were we?” he asks once we’re headed in the right direction again. I could help him, guide him there myself, but that wouldn’t be any fun.

  “Why are you being so persistent?” I ask.

  “Because you’re gorgeous, and I’m intrigued by you. I saw you staring at me at the ceremony because I was staring at you. It made me want to get to know you better.”

  “And the fact that I was married to Ryder doesn’t bother you?”

  “I couldn’t care less. That just means you have great taste in men. He’s a good guy, and even though you two aren't together anymore, I know he wouldn’t have married you if you weren’t a good person. So, no, it doesn’t bother me. It does make me wonder what happened, but you don’t need to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

  “I cheated on him.”

  “Hmm. Not the answer I expected. Why?”

  “Why, what?”

  “Why did you cheat on him?”

  Laughing, I roll my eyes even though I know he can’t see me in the darkness of the car.

  “You want a reason? How about he cared more about work than me? I wasn’t a priority anymore. He barely even noticed me. Life was boring. Take your pick.”

  “So you did it to get his attention, then?”

  Seriously? How does he understand that?

  “In a way, yes.”

  “Mission accomplished. I’d say you got his attention.”

  “Are you about to lecture me? Because, if so, I can walk from here.” Not really, but I would try if that meant avoiding a lecture I’ve heard before.

  “No, just pointing out the obvious. I’ve seen it before.”

  “Seen what? Cheaters?”

  “Cheating because people lose sight of what’s important in life.”

  “Were you cheated, on or did you cheat?”

  “Both. I fell in love, dropped out of school, and followed her across the country. It was good, we were having fun until I caught her in bed with another guy. Instead of breaking up with her, I took the lower road and did the same to her. I was hurt, so in turn, I wanted her to hurt. I’m not proud of it, but I can understand why you did what you did. Our relationship started as a whirlwind and every day was a vacation. When the real world came calling and I had to work, she claims she got bored and lonely. I didn’t see it then, but we stopped having fun. We stopped being the couple we were.

  “I’d work, come home, eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then go to bed. Even our sex life was a routine. Wake up, repeat. Life wasn’t an adventure for us anymore. It was boring and dull, and she decided to spice things up. It sucked at the time, but it also taught me a lot about myself and relationships.”

  Oh. My. God.

  He just described my marriage to Ryder. Thrilling in the beginning when everything was new. Boring and lonely once we fell into a routine. We had Amara, focused on her, and ignored each other’s needs.

  “You’re silence leads me to believe your experience was something similar.”

  “It was. Can I ask you something else?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is that why you don’t date?”

  “Yes and no. I got out of a relationship a few months back. It was my first since everything happened. She was a great girl, but after a year, it was obvious that it wasn’t a long-term thing for me. I didn’t love her, so I let her go. I’d rather have companionship every now and again than a relationship that I’m not wholeheartedly committed to.”

  “And by companionship you mean…”

  “Sex. Lots and lots of dirty sex.”

  If nothing else, Vinnie’s honest. Too honest. But he makes me laugh at the same time. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone who isn’t judging me for my past. Who understands it. Who’s been there and came out the other side with battle wounds that aren’t defining his every decision in life.

  “Is that something you’re interested in, Megan?”

  “Are you propositioning me,
Mr. Redding?”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Call me by my last name. It turns me on, and unless you are propositioning me, I’ll have to take care of him myself, and that doesn’t bring me the satisfaction I’m looking for.”

  “So you only wanted to give me a ride home so you could try and get a ride?”

  “No, I gave you a ride home because I wanted to get to know you, and if the car was moving, you wouldn’t be able to run away from me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a ride from you. And just to be crystal clear, yes, I’m propositioning you because I can tell you want it as much as I do.”

  “Is that why you’ve circled my block three times now? Because if you stop the car you think I’ll run?”

  “Nope. Just waiting for an answer.”

  “And if I don’t give you one?”

  “I can drive in circles all night and enjoy just sitting next to you in the car. You’re choice.”

  “What if I don’t know what I want?”

  He thinks it over for a minute, and as we approach my house for the fourth time, he actually pulls up and parks on the street. He makes no motion to turn the car off or to keep me from leaving.

  “The way I see it, we have two options. One, you can invite me in and we can have amazing sex until neither of us can walk a straight line.”

  “Or?”

  “Or you can invite me in and we can keep this conversation going.”

  “No sex?”

  “Not unless you ask me nicely,” he states, his voice taking a serious tone, contradicting the smirk on his face.

  I don’t think I’d have to ask nicely to get what I want from him.

  Chapter Three

  Sex.

  To some, it’s a big deal. To other’s, it’s just a thing you do to satisfy your needs.

  Before Ryder, I was the latter of the two. Sex was a part of life. I liked the way it made me feel, and even though I didn’t take a lot of partners, I had a lot of sex. There was one guy, in particular, who always made it an experience I would never forget.

  The same person who introduced me to Ryder.

  The same person who ended up giving me bad advice and ruining my marriage.

  Jared.

  We met in sociology class. He was a few years older than me, the teacher’s assistant, and I was a struggling student. We struck up a friendship, and he helped me pass the class. Late nights studying led to mornings waking up in naked in his bed.

  Did I think we were in a relationship?

  No. I was okay with that. I wasn’t in love with him. In fact, I didn’t like him all that much in the beginning. He would have made a terrible boyfriend, but he was a good friend, and when I needed to roll around in the sheets to let off steam, he was always available and willing.

  So when we met up at a party and he introduced me to his best friend, I didn’t think anything of it. What I later found out was that he was seeing someone and our ‘arrangement’ was off, I was angry, at first, that he didn’t tell me the truth and, instead, decided to set me up with someone.

  The fact that I liked Ryder smoothed everything out between us. When things started to get serious with Ryder, I made Jared promise never to tell him about our past. I didn’t want Ryder to know we had slept together casually. I didn’t want him to think I was a slut.

  Because I wasn’t.

  Jared was only the second person I had slept with, the first being my high school boyfriend, who I gave my virginity to in the backseat of his mom’s van after prom.

  That, I regret. Sleeping with Jared, I do not. Well, not the first time around.

  Cheating on my husband, allowing him to talk me into it, that was not my finest moment. He caught me at my low, though, and Jared’s always been good at talking me into things I’m not sure of. His bed being one of those places the first night we spent together.

  I remember most of our conversation. It went something like…

  “I’m unhappy, and Ryder doesn’t see it. He doesn’t see me.”

  “Make him see you. You deserve a man who respects and loves you with all his heart.”

  “I’ve tried everything. If he’s not focused on work, he’s focused on Amara.”

  “Have you tried talking to him?”

  “A bunch of times. Unless I piss him off like tonight, he barely notices when I’m around. He doesn’t listen to anything I say. I can have an entire conversation with him, and he doesn’t hear a word.”

  “Then let’s make him pay attention.”

  “How? I’m not going to tie him up and force him to listen. I don’t have the energy. Maybe it’s time we go our separate ways.”

  “Divorce? No. Not you two. You’re perfect for each other. That’s why I set you up. I’ll come up there. We’ll fix this.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on his side? You’re his friend.”

  “I was your friend once, too, Megan. Let me help you.”

  “Fine. But you better have a good plan. You know how stubborn he can be.”

  “Let’s just say, once he sees you in bed with me, he’ll pay attention to anything you say.”

  “Um, no. That’s a horrible plan.”

  “Listen, Meg-pie. It’s not like we’re really going to have sex. Not that I wouldn’t jump at the chance. I know how amazing it can be. But let him think we are. Let him walk in on us and get a reaction out of him. Once he sees we’re both wearing clothes, it’ll be the smack across the face he needs.”

  I agreed to his idea only because I knew it would take something drastic to get Ryder’s attention. What I didn’t plan on was Angela finding us together. That was a horrible moment. I couldn’t tell her that I wasn’t really cheating. Why would she believe me?

  So I let her think what she wanted to think. I sent Jared back to Chicago, and we tried to come up with a better plan. The next time he came to visit, shit got out of hand, and instead of listening for Ryder to come home so we could play our parts, one thing led to another, and Jared was inside me when Ryder walked in on us.

  He didn’t look surprised. He didn’t even look like he cared.

  Two days later, he began construction on the addition to the garage. A bedroom of his own. One he didn’t have to share with me. Not that he said as much. He wasn’t talking to me.

  He didn’t talk to me for a month. Once he finally did, he didn’t mention Jared or what he walked in on. He announced we were going on vacation for two weeks to work on our marriage.

  I should have known something was up, but I was blindsided. I really thought he wanted to work things out. He was taking me to the beach, and we were going to try and fix what was broken. It was my opportunity to get him to listen.

  Not exactly.

  It had been two months since the Jared thing when we arrived. He booked us separate rooms, and at dinner the first night, he told me he had filed for divorce. What I didn’t know is that he filed long before he caught us in bed together. He filed after Angela caught us in bed the first time. That explained why he wasn’t shocked at what he saw.

  She told him.

  She ratted me out without even asking me about it.

  Not that I could be mad at her for my poor choices. I would have done the same if I had caught Tyler in a compromising situation. Or her, for that matter.

  Still, I was caught off guard, and I spent most of the first week trying to get him to listen to me, to apologize and explain. He wasn’t interested. Jared had told him about our relationship before we even started dating, so he knew us being together wasn’t a stretch. He was done with me, and our marriage was over.

  We didn’t talk much after that, and I spent most of my time in my room, crying over the worst decision I’ve ever made. Once I pulled myself together, I called Jared and ripped him a new asshole.

  He had broken his promise to me. He had lied to my face when I asked him to keep our indiscretions a secret from Ryder all those years ago. If I had known Ryder knew the truth, I never wo
uld have let Jared even suggest his plan. I would have known Ryder wouldn’t buy us faking it. We had already had sex!

  I cut Jared from my life that day.

  It was hard. He was a good friend, or so I thought. He was a great listener, and it felt like he always had my back. Things aren’t always as they appear, I guess.

  If my life was over, if my marriage was ending, I had to decide how I was going to handle it. I could either put on a brave face and fight or I could let Ryder walk all over me. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I knew what I needed to do.

  Calling Ally was hard. Giving her the details of the downfall was even harder. That meant confessing everything to her. Surprisingly, she had already heard. Not all the details, but rumors were already circulating about our divorce.

  That damn office. Everyone knows everything about everyone. It’s annoying as hell.

  So I decided then and there to own my mistake. If people were going to talk about me, let them. They only knew half the story. The half they wanted to believe. My side would remain a secret. They could speculate about what happened and why I did what I did all they wanted. I was going to keep my head down and my guard up.

  I went out with the girls.

  Focused all my attention on Amara.

  Fought with Ryder over details of the divorce.

  I wasn’t going down without a fight. I wasn’t letting him win. If he had tried as hard as I had to make our marriage work, none of this would have happened to begin with.

  Somewhere between coming home and signing our divorce papers, I lost my will to fight. With Ryder, at least. I was more than willing to fight with anyone else, and I tried. I picked battles with everyone I came in contact with. I unleashed verbal hell on Angela, Emerson, and almost on Ally once or twice.

  She was supposed to be on my side, and yet I treated her as an enemy when the other girls were around. I even let her think I was still sleeping with Jared, not that I told her who he was.

  That was the one nice thing about Jared’s involvement. The only people who knew him were Hunter and Tyler. He never came to town. His fiancée kept him on a tight leash, even caused him to miss Hunter’s wedding.

  That’s why he was calling to begin with.