Chasing Imperfection (Chasing Series 2) (10 page)

     “Sorry fellas—but I’m peckish
,
” Toby declared.

    
“What do you fancy? We could grab something on the way.” Luce kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.

   
“Spaghetti
.
”

     S
he smiled, “
T
hen spaghetti it is.” Kissing her forehead, he whispered
“
I love you
”
and she happily sighed and returned the sentiment.

     I looked away and faced the window trying to distract myself
.
H
ordes of people walking about drunk and boisterous
clearly enjoying their night
—and yet I was blindly seeing nothing.
How I wish
my mom and dad
were alive. They would guide
me
and give me
good advice—then maybe I wouldn’t be such a broken person and
I
didn’t have to go through the living nightmare in
hell
with the Browns. If I grew up with my parents,
I’d be
a different person. But alas, luck wasn’t on my side. I am what I am—no point in wishing and dwelling otherwise.
I want what Toby and Luce have. But
for me to be able to achieve
that
,
I have to break
down all the barriers I have erected around me.
That’s a tough predicament to embark upon.
And I’m not ready to be barefaced and open.

     The cab stopped outside our flat building and Toby paid the driver. We all
departed
the cab and went inside. Once inside the confines of the apartment, Luce made her way to the kitchen to cook
pasta
.
The smell of warm vanilla and honey permeated the air. I felt calm and relaxed for the very first time in the last few weeks.

    
I was about to place my purse down on the counter when I heard my phone vibrate.
Fishing it out of my purse, I scanned the screen.
I had thirty-two missed calls from Kyle. Ten voicemails and a dozen tex
t messages, guilt ate at me.
I had seriously forgotten about him. I didn’t ev
en say goodbye because we were a
riot the moment we heard Chad woke up.

    
My
, I’m so terrible. Why doesn’t he give up on me?
Because he loves you and vowed to marry you since he was ten years old,
that’s why
.

     I went into
the living room,
sat on the couch
and dialed Kyle
. Our flat had an open space floor plan and I could hear Luce chopping her heart away in the kitchen while Toby and Blake sat around the counter drinking wine as they chatted about.

     “Hey…sorry I didn’t say goodbye before leaving, but the hospital called and informed me that Chad woke up. We all
rushed to get
there without much thought.” Hearing his depressing sigh, I waited for him to say something.

     “You could have at least texted me on the way—but you didn’t even bother.”
H
e sounded so sad. And it’s all because of me. Why didn’t I just shoot him a text message? Why didn’t I think of it? I berated myself. Because you simply forgot about him…period.

     “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d worry like this.”

     “Just try to remember that the next time you do.”

    
We chatted for another ten minutes and he asked about Chad. It didn’t feel right to tell him about what Chad revealed to us tonight. So, I left that part out. It wasn’
t my story to tell, it was Chad’s. He made me promise to call him tomorrow and we said our goodnights.

     I made my way into the kitchen and the smell of brewing tomato sauce and basil made my stomach growl.

    
Smiling, I sat on the stool in between Blake and Toby. Blake poured me a glass of red wine and carefully placed it before me. He was still distant but he was reaching out. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach
as I murmured
“T
hank you
.
”

     “Can someone please set the table?” Lucy asked while she tasted her pasta sauce. Both of the men offered and set out to their duty.

   
“What can I do to help? Do you guys want garlic bread?”
T
hey all said yes in unison. My mood was cheerful and I dashed to get my ph
one and placed it on the player for some music. I chose the light jazzy beats of Emilie-Claire Barlow and started with
Les Yeux Ouverts
her own French rendition of the famed song
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
.

     I
n the kitchen, I scoured for a
French loaf and cut them up. Taking out a baking tray, I placed all the slice
s
of bread accordingly. I
slathered it with butter
with a
dash of garlic and onion powder and finished it with a hint of dried parsley. I placed the tray in the oven and timed it for eight minutes.

     Dinner was served and we devoured the entire dish. We finished the pasta to the last drop of sauce and to the very last crumb of garlic bread. We drank three bottles of red wine together and we were
soon
feeling the effects of food coma.

    
Toby stretched lazily, yawned loudly and tapped his flat stomach. “That was marvelous! You’ve delightfully
sated
my appetite Luce. Now it’s time to quench my other ravenous cravings.”

   
She laughed and threw a napkin at him. “Toby! Have you no shame?”
H
er cheeks turn
ed
a bright shade of pink.

     “Oh, what rubbish
—we all
like sex here. What do you say mate? Mind telling us how those two mind-blowing orgasms came about in the mile high club?”

    
I bit my lip not knowing if I should laugh or cringe. Toby’s tongue was loosened b
y the wine and
he was
grilling Blake about his fucking sex life with Ivanna. Toby mentioned the
“
mile high club
”
meaning Blake was fucking the lights out of her on his way to Italy. That can only mean one
thing….if he brought Ivanna with him to meet his family…then they might be really serious about each other.

     “I don’t want to discuss my sex life Toby
,
” his jaw muscles locked, the question clearly bothered him.

     “Toby that’s enough
,
love. You’re clearly knackered and in dire need of sleep. Go get ready for bed while I clean and wash up.”
Luce
pull
ed
him out of the chair
and directed him to her
bedroom.

    
“You two go—I’ll wash up. You cooked already—it’s my turn
to clean
,
”
I offered.
Grateful, Luce gave me a quick hug and did the same with Blake and bid us both goodnight.

    
The flat seemed a bit quiet without those two in the room. Even with the soft music playing, the tension was palpable.

     I got up and gathered all the plates and dishes and deposited
them in the sink. I rinsed
and placed them the dishwasher. Blake quietly handed me all used wine glasses to wash while he took care of wiping the table and the counter. He returned the coasters, table placemats and bottle openers amongst other things on the table
and
placed them back accordingly to where they’re supposed to be. He knew this apartment like it was his own.

     Wiping my wet hands with the dish towel, I went over to where my phone was sitting on the holder and took it out of the music player. Blake was leaning against the counter with his arms folded on his chest and his right foot over the other one. His e
yes zeroed
in
on me
,
liquid midnight blue/silver eyes
beautifully flecked with scattered gold.
The silver and blue overpower each other sometimes—depending on his mood.
I had slightly forgotten the kind of power
his magnetic gaze over me—now I’m fully
reacquainted
by th
eir compelling magnetism and the sexual aura the owner has.

     “Thanks for helping me clean up—you didn’t have to but I
appreciated it all the same.
”
He
merely
shrugged never taking those liquid silver eyes off me.

     Pressing my lips together
,
I studied his big manly-shaped hands with intense scrutiny and the thought dawned on me that those same hands caressed another woman today. 

     Don’t
. Don’t go there. Don’t torture yourself.

     “I’m going to bed now—do you want me to call you a cab or
are
you going to call your driver to pick you up?”

     “I gave Robert the rest of the night off. I didn’t see the need of him wai
ting whenever I emerge
d
from the hospital. He has a family to go home to.” A considerate man that’ll be running a billion dollar company—I bet the people
who
worked for him love
d that about him. He was
a fair man and quite receptive to other’s needs.

     “You
want me to call you a cab to take you back
to your apartment in Mayfair or you’d rather be somewhere else?” I couldn’t bring myself to say
“
or you’d rather go to Ivanna’s place
”
because I’m a ninny and I’m not sure I’d love to relinquish on the idea, yet again, about their mile high orgasms.

     “I don’t go
home
to Mayfair. I could go to my office or get a room at the Savoy but I can’t be bothered. I’m exceptionally
and genuinely k
nackered. Do you mind if I crash
on the couch?” asking whilst raking
a hand through
those wavy locks of his.

    
What happened to his flat in Mayfair?

     “Are you
sure
? You’re quite tall…you won’t fit in there.” 

    
Fuck, why wouldn’t he just go home and leave me in peace?

     “I’m sure. All I need is pillow and
a
blanket then I’m quite set to snooze.” He did look tired but still dange
rously…breathtakingly handsome…and sexy…
and
I’m sexually frustrated.

    
“Why don’t you just share the bed with me?
The size would allow us enough room and still sleep comfortably.” Stupid, stupid woman! Go ahead and set yourself up with more torture.

    
Sweet torture
, perhaps?

     “You don’t mind?”
he
asked, bewildered.
I shook my head feeling nervous all of a sudden.

    
Fuck!
Blake
in
my bed
…
again!
Shit
. Don’t get too excited or have you forgotten abou
t Ivanna?
T
here it was
. The thought cleared away all of the fog hanging over my semi-functional brain.

    
No
sexy time for me.
I should rejoice really…not a go
od choice to hook up with an ex…that
I’m not over with.

   
Turning off the lights in the kitche
n, I strolled to my bedroom. I
was fully aware of Blake’s presence
following
closely behind me. Once in the room, I took my nightwear from the drawer and excused myself to the bathroom to shower. I hung my pistachio-colored silk sleep shorts with a matching
silk camisole on the silver rack. I was about to take my clothes off and cursed myself for being an idiot. How the hell am I going to take this
damned
corset off? I can’t reach it.

     Reaching the doorknob, I waltzed back to my bedroom with Blake lying on my bed fully clothed without his shoes and his eyes shut.
Crap
, do I wake him up? He looked
so peaceful.

    
I moved a little closer to the bed wanting to drown in his dark beau
ty. Dark
,
long lashes sat fanned
above his cheekbones. The memory of those lips
and what it did to me made me flush with need.
I wetted
my dry lips and swallowed. Maybe it’s been too long since the last time?