Decker's Wood (13 page)

My fingers still played with one of her long curls as I glanced down at her. “Country, I would love nothing more than to travel with you, but I’m fairly sure I
won’t be needing a wing-woman. And I’d love to watch you hand Bradley his ass on a platter; it would be hot as hell.”

She smiled and my eyes dropped to her mouth. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, making me wonder if it was because they were dry or if she was anticipating a kiss. What would she do if I kissed her? What was the etiquette here? Did I just move in and kiss her? Did I ask for permission first? Was the licking of her lips some sort of unsaid kissing consent? This was so much fucking easier on a film set. I looked up into her eyes, which appeared to be full of longing and desire, but maybe I was looking too hard for something that wasn’t there. Fuck me, was a kiss supposed to be this difficult? I was just going to go for it. I’d know pretty quickly where her thoughts were: if she kissed me back we were good; however, if she kneed me in the balls, well, I would have fucked things up before they had even
began.

“Decker?” Tension immediately thrummed through my body at the sound of the familiar female voice. Andi obviously noticed the change in my rigid composure as she stilled and turned to watch two women approach. Leah and Cindy were heading towards me with questioning gazes, then Leah’s gaze landed on Andi and she smiled with a sudden comprehension. This was what one
might call an ‘oh shit’ moment.

ANDI

He was going to kiss me, the way his eyes had dropped to my lips was pretty much a screaming neon sign above his head that read, ‘earth shattering moment imminent’, but a female voice had made him withdraw faster than scalded cat. And thank my lucky stars because, hello! I was not kissing Decker Steele, porn star extraordinaire and life-long man-whore. Nu huh, I’d rather have my nipples chewed off by a pack of wild dogs than kiss Decker. Now I was thinking about Decker chewing on my nipples. Oh good grief, what was wrong with me? Decker’s warm arm behind my head was gone, a clear gap between our bodies, and with it, sense had returned to my lust riddled brain.

“Hey, Leah,” Decker nodded to the dark haired woman, then he nodded to the blonde, “Cindy.” They were so beautiful it almost hurt my eyes to look at them. Tall, slim, flat stomachs, long straight hair, perfect makeup, dresses that hung in a slippery fabric flowing over their stunning bodies like water. Their female attention was not on Decker though, it was holy and solely on me. It was awkward moments like these that I tried hard to avoid. Little ol’ Andi Jennings didn’t want to be the center of attention, ever! But I had learned to manage myself and come out of these situations with my pride intact.

“Well, howdy there. ‘Scuse Decker’s terrible manners, he’s still as big of an ass as I remembered him being as a teenager. I’m Decker’s friend, Andi.” I stood up and held out my hand. The girls both gave me surprisingly warm smiles. The dark haired one, Leah, looked as though she had just won the lottery as she beamed at me.

“I’ve heard all about you,” she purred. Huh? She had? Decker groaned from somewhere behind me. “I’m Leah, this is Cindy. We’re work colleagues of Decker’s.”

Oh, porn stars. With their incredible beauty, it didn’t surprise me. And then the thought that Decker actually had sex with these women crossed my mind. No wonder he loved his job, having sex with
these women wouldn’t be a hardship to his sexed up manhood. Leah and Cindy were quick to pull up chairs as I sunk into my seat, trying to ignore the jealousy that was burning inside me. It’s not like I should care. Decker and I were just friends, friends who had been very close to crossing a line that we wouldn’t have been able to cross back over. They had stopped us from making a terrible mistake. I should be buying them drinks, not avoiding their gazes like a green eyed monster.

“I’ll grab another round,” said Decker. He seemed eager to flee the sudden rise in X chromosome.

“Wow,” Leah began, ignoring Decker completely as he slipped quickly away. “You are stunning. I love that dress.”

Stunning? No one had ever used that word to describe me. Maybe she needed prescription glasses? I would have thought she was teasing me, except the honesty as she looked over my vintage style dress was clearly not feigned.

“Oh, thank you. I picked it up at a flea market and did a little tinkering.” Cindy seemed quietly contemplative as she watched me. “It’s nothing compared to your dresses; you both look gorgeous. I couldn’t get away with a dress like that, I’ve got a pudge.”

Leah’s brow furrowed as her eyes quickly raked me over. “There is not an ounce of pudge on you. You have subtle curves that are beautiful and feminine. Of course you could wear something like this, it’s all about confidence. As long as you stand tall, show off the goods,” she gave her shoulders a small shake, her rock hard boobs barely
moving, “you will have every man within a ten foot radius watching you.”

“As if she needs more eyes on her; almost every man in the place is ogling her,” Cindy said with a gentle smile. I glanced around nervously. Every male eye in the vicinity was glued on them, not me.

“You’re both bat shit crazy. There’s not a man here who isn’t watching you ladies like you’re a leg of steak he’s about to devour.”

“Decker was watching you,” Leah whispered.

“There you are,” boomed a loud masculine voice that had me jumping in surprise. A man appeared from behind the girls, his eyes on me as his large hand settled on Cindy’s shoulder. The girls gave him a friendly smile; it appeared they knew him.

“And Fabian,” giggled Cindy as the newcomer continued to watch me with an unnerving intensity.

“I thought you girls had ditched me,” he chuckled.

He was handsome in a boyish way. His eyes were a dark blue, his blonde hair perfectly groomed,
his teeth almost too white. His nose was straight, his jaw wide, his cheek bones high. He was clean shaven, dressed in an expensive looking suit, holding himself with a confidence that screamed wealth and success. He was also garnering his own appreciation from the surrounding women.

“You know we wouldn’t ditch you so early in the evening,” purred Leah.

Fabian was still watching me with a predatory focus that made me shift nervously.

“Stop staring, you big douche, this is Andi, Decker’s friend,” said Cindy, slapping the tall man on the arm.

“Andi, cute name for a cute girl. I’m Fabian, also a friend of Decker’s.” By friend, I immediately wondered if he was also a porn star.

“Nice to meet you, but you should be careful when you call a girl cute. You do know what that word really means, right?” Fabian’s confident persona slipped a little as he shook his head. “Cute, ugly but interesting.”

Leah and Cindy chuckled, and Fabian’s smile was bright and easy, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Oh yeah, he was attractive, but there was something behind those intense eyes that made me nervous, and he was far too perfect looking for me. I liked ruggedly handsome men, men who could still look good following a week of razor resistance. Men who could climb out of bed and finger comb their hair to start the day. I didn’t like to battle for a bathroom mirror with a high maintenance man.

“I’ll rephrase then. You are not cute at all, in fact, you are quite beautiful with an equally beautiful name.” He held out his hand and I shook it. His hand was warm and firm around mine, and when he held onto it a little longer than necessary, I found myself nervously glancing around in search of Decker.

“Keep your office boy hands to yourself, Fabian.” Decker’s familiar growl immediately made me feel at ease, and Fabian finally let go. Decker placed our drinks on the coffee table in front of us before shaking Fabian’s hand. His smile wasn’t particularly friendly though. “Been a while.” Fabian’s smile didn’t falter under Decker’s unfriendly stare. They shook hands and then Decker sat down beside me, the gap that had suddenly appeared with Leah and Cindy’s arrival gone. His leg was pressed against mine, his hand resting on his thigh, so close to mine that his pinky brushed my skin. Talk about whiplash. Following this man’s moods was tiring.

Fabian continued to stand, his hands casually in his pockets. The silence that engulfed us was awkward, to say the least.

“So, ya’ll work together?” I asked, trying to ease the obvious tension.

Fabian laughed and shook his head. “Hell no. I’m the kind of man who prefers to explore my women behind closed doors. I’m an accountant. I look after their finances. Well, not Decker’s anymore, but Cindy and Leah’s.”

Decker’s hand that rested on his thigh clenched into a fist.

“Oh, so you’re probably a really great lover,” I said with a grin. My usual fallback for an uncomfortable situation was humor. Decker, Leah, and Cindy all turned their attention my way, and I shrugged. “You know, because you’re good with figures and all.” The sound of crickets could have filled the silence before Cindy began to giggle.

“I get it, figures, not like numbers, but a woman’s body.” The blonde porn star laughed with appreciation.

Decker rolled his eyes before looking away, a small smile on his lips. Leah began laughing, though I wasn’t sure if she was laughing at my joke or at me. Fabian’s smile seemed genuine and surprised.

“Well, as it turns out, I’m an excellent lover.”

Decker gave Fabian his best death stare which didn’t seem to affect Fabian at all.

“I love your accent. Are you from Texas?” asked Cindy, oblivious to the male stare down currently in play.

“I am.”

“Is it true what they say?” Leah whispered, leaning forward in a conspiratory manner. I found myself leaning towards her.

“About what?”

“That Texas cowboys have denim in their veins and wear it well?”

I laughed. “The men wear denim like they were born in it, and for the most part, the cowboys are wicked angels on horseback that you just wanna take for a test ride.” Leah and Cindy’s eyes lit up while Fabian and Decker both rolled their eyes. Cindy sat back with a sigh.

“I want to do a cowboy scene.”

“Me too,” confessed Leah with a cheeky wink my way. “I’d let a hot cowboy take a riding crop to my ass any day.”

Finally, Decker let out a laugh. “Leah, I watched Rick take a crop to your ass more than once and you hated it.”

Leah waved Decker’s comment off. “Trust me, Deck, if he would have been a hot as hell cowboy with his denim around his ankles while riding me hard, I would have loved every stinging second of it.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to fit into this conversation, but thankfully Fabian came to the rescue.

“What brings you to New York, Andi?”

Ahhhh, safe territory. A conversation I could be a part of without blushing. “I opened a second hand bookstore in SoHo. Well, it’s kinda a coffee shop come book store and it has a studio apartment over it, so I guess it’s my home as well.”

Fabian seemed surprised. “Wow, good for you. It’s pretty damn brave starting any kind of business in today’s financial climate. I have to admit, I am a sucker for a good book and coffee, not to mention a pretty girl.”

Fabian’s forwardness was a little intimidating, and the tension wafting from Decker was giving me a headache. I reached into my bag and pulled out a business card, handing it to Fabian.

“Then you will have to come visit sometime.”

“How could a man resist such a tempting offer?” I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer so I simply smiled and stared like a dumbstruck fool. “We should get going girls,” Fabian said casually as he slipped my business card in his pocket.

Leah and Cindy both gave me friendly smiles as they stood. “We should have a girl’s night,” Leah said. I passed her a business card too.

“I’d like that; call me anytime.” Cindy gave me a wave before sauntering after Fabian who had graced me with one final smile before leaving. Leah glanced back in Decker’s direction.

“Don’t let it slip away, Decker, and don’t you dare let someone else take it.” Cryptic much? She didn’t wait for a reply as she turned to leave. I slumped back into the chair, relaxing for the first time in twenty minutes. Putting on a brave, composed, confident front was tiring.

“Be careful with Fabian,” Decker whispered.

“He’s an accountant, how dangerous can he be?” I chuckled.

“He has a reputation for getting a little rough with the girls, so just stay clear of him.” Decker drained the rest of his beer and stood. Cindy and Leah didn’t seem opposed to Fabian’s friendship. Perhaps it was a male thing, like whose twinky was bigger than the others. “Come on, let’s get out of here. We can resume your New York experience another day.”

I could tell Decker’s mood had plummeted. The ride back to my apartment was icy and silent. Once I was safely behind the door of The Book Shelter, Decker pulled away from the curb. I had just pulled my favorite sleep shirt over my head when I noticed my phone vibrating on the kitchen counter. Casey’s number flashed across the screen. I wasn’t surprised he was calling,
but I was surprised it had taken him fifteen minutes since I had walked through the door to make the call.

“Andi’s House of Meat, what’s your beef?”

“My beef is I need to speak to you about your fine meat friend, Decker. Now get your cute butt downstairs and let me in.” He hung up. Rude. I could leave him standing there on the curb, but I knew he wouldn’t go away. As I approached the front door, a bark of laughter erupted from my chest. Casey was standing in a tight fitting
Will and Grace
t-shirt with a pair of pink sweat pants that were also a little on the snug side. Beside him stood Lionel in a matching
Will and Grace
shirt, but much more conventional grey sweats. Casey’s eyes zeroed in on my shirt. It was my ‘Hug me, I’m a Muggle’ shirt. I opened the door.

“What? The final Harry Potter book was the fastest selling book in history. That just proves I’m not a geek.”

“I beg to differ. The fact you know that proves you are a geek,” Casey countered. “But geeks are hot now days, so you’re lucky.”

Lionel held up a DVD, season one of Will and Grace. “
WAGathon!” he said proudly.

“
WAGathon?” I asked.

“
Will and Grace
, W.A.G., WAGathon. We brought spirits and thought you could provide the coffee.” Casey held up a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream.

“Debra Messing and liquor, how do you guys know me so well so soon?”

Casey snorted and Lionel chuckled as they made their way up to my apartment. While I made the coffee, with a healthy dose of Baileys, Casey paced nervously. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him and Lionel have a silent argument, short nods and furious head shakes causing me to roll my eyes and smile. Once the warm liquored up drinks were ready, I turned to face them both, my best momma’s-gonna-rip-you-a-new-one look in place.