The Suit (22 page)

“I think you two need to come with us,” the burly voice of the larger one bellows as he watches us dress.

“Actually, take your time. Do you see that girl’s ass?” the other adds, and that’s when I realize they’re both watching me. Like,
really
watching me.

“Stop staring at her, fuckwad.” Suit growls. “We’ll be right out.” Suit holds his jacket up as a makeshift shield for me as I pull my dress up. My face feels like it’s on fire; I’m so heated. This is humiliating.
Funny how the idea of someone catching us was such a turn on ten minutes ago.

The bouncer grabs the collar of Suit’s jacket and tugs him, but Suit swings around and slams him in the jaw.

Ah, crap.

As I sign myself out of jail and make my way outside, Parker is standing, leaning against the brick wall of the building, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“How’d you sleep, slugger?” he laughs. He’s obviously been back to the apartment because he’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

“I didn’t. Where’s Edie?”

“She and Nikki are in the cab.”

“Is she okay?” I ask. The last time I saw her was when I was being forced into the back of the cop car and she was apologizing to me profusely.

“A little shaken up. Mostly, she feels bad. But hey, the bouncer is not pressing charges. You owe me five hundred dollars.”

“You paid him off?”

“Yeah. And you’re banned from the club. Apparently they don’t like people banging in their cleaning closets.” Parker grins. “Damn, man. Where’d you find her? You hit the jackpot. She’s all innocent looking, but deep down she’s a little freak.”

“Don’t talk about her,” I growl.

Parker laughs loudly and pats my back. “Okay, man. Let’s go.”

We walk over to the cab and when Parker opens the door he leans in. “Nik, why don’t we go out for a bit and let these two have a little time.”

Nikki agrees enthusiastically and climbs out giving me a wink. “Try to keep it in your pants, lover boy. You guys will have the apartment all to yourselves for a couple of hours. Hopefully that’s not too boring for you.”

“Nikki!” Edie shrieks, having heard her from inside the cab.

“Have fun!” She ignores Edie and
her and Parker walk off.

I climb in and shut the door. Edie immediately latches on to me, kissing my face everywhere. “I’m so sorry, Suit.”

“For what?” I pull her back.

“Where to?” the cabbie asks, and I quickly give him the address.

“For putting you in that situation. My little fantasy got you arrested.”

“Edie.” I kiss her lips softly. “
I
got me arrested. I’m the one that punched that guy. Not you.”

“Yeah, but—”

“But nothing. Last night was awesome. You were so fucking hot. Granted, the ending was rough, but that was because I didn’t want those slimeballs looking at you naked.”

“Well, thank you for defending my honor,” she laughs. “Not that I had much at that point to defend. But it
was
incredible.” She nods as her eyes kind of haze over as if she’s thinking about it. “I know you’ve had a rough night. I’d like to make it up to you,” she purrs as she kisses my neck. “Tell me something you’d like me to do.”

“Honestly, I’m starving. Would you cook me breakfast?”

She pulls away and smiles. I can tell she’s disappointed. She was hoping I’d ask for something naughty. God, I love this woman.

Whoa. Gotta stop thinking things like that.

“Sure,” she agrees with a shrug. “Anything you want.”

“Well, I’d like you to be naked the entire time you’re cooking and I’d like you to speak to me in a French accent,” I add.

Edie’s grin spreads across her beautiful face and her eyes light up. Where did this woman come from? She’s like every man’s horny little dream wrapped up in an awesome body. “Oui, Monsieur,” she whispers. And just like that, we’re back in familiar territory.

The morning is amazing, and I easily forget my night in jail. How can I think of jail when Edie has been cooking for me…naked? She performs her part to a T and even adds in her usual sexual banter by telling me she really wishes she could’ve had some sausage instead of bacon, all while rubbing my dick. She really knows how to get in a man’s head.

After we have sex, twice, we take a nap, neither of us having slept the night before and awake sometime around five in the evening. Parker and Nikki still aren’t back, so we dress and head out on our own. Honestly, I was hoping it would turn out this way. I planned a surprise for Edie and prepared for the four of us to be there, but this will be so much better. Maybe Nikki and Parker knew that and purposely stayed away.

After we take in some sights and drive around the city, we grab a quick dinner, and I take her for a walk through Central Park, our fingers laced together as we stroll through the park.

“I can see you here, Suit,” Edie admits.

“In the city?”

“Yeah. I can tell you’ll be happy here,” she adds, but her tone doesn’t match her words.

“Maybe you can come visit me. The fall is beautiful here,” I offer. I’m going out on a limb here by asking. I don’t want this summer to end. I don’t want to let her go.

“Maybe,” she nods with a small smile. “What will an average day here be like for you?”

“That’s if I find a job here and pass the New York Bar,” I add.

“I know you will accomplish both.” She squeezes my hand.

“Well, I appreciate the faith, Ms. James.”

“It’s easy to give, Suit.”

“Let’s see. I’ll get up really early and I’ll probably stop at a Starbucks on the way to work. My first years will be really busy. Lots of kissing ass and taking small cases, but it will pay off. I can promise you I’ll be eating a lot of take-out and drinking a lot of beer. Maybe Parker and I will find some halfway decent apartment to share, which will always be a mess.”

“Sounds riveting,” she jests.

“I know. It’s going to suck ass, but eventually I’ll make my way and have everything I ever wanted.” Some kids whiz by us on roller blades and I pull Edie to me so they don’t hit her. “And what about you Ms. James? What will you do once you’ve gotten rid of me?”

“You’ve seen my days, Suit. You know what I’ll be doing,” she laughs.

“Living your dream.”

“Yeah.”

But there will be more for her. I know this. Edie’s too good to stay alone. Eventually some lucky bastard will come along and scoop her up. He’ll get to have her pressed against him each night, watch her eyes light up when she laughs, and feel the pride of having a woman like Edie. It’ll probably be that asshole Dierk. Before I can help myself, I say, “It won’t be long until someone comes along and settles you down. Maybe…Dierk?”

Edie snorts. “No, not Dierk.”

“He
’s good looking and has money.”
And he’s a total douchebag.

Her head snaps to me as her eyes narrow. “Do you think me so shallow, suit?”

Shit! I’ve offended her. “No!” I say, defensively. “Not at all, I can just tell he wants you.”

“He wants everyone, but I think mostly he just likes the idea of me.” She pulls me to a bench and we sit.

“The idea of you?”

“Yeah. He’s screwed every girl in town but me and Nikki, and I think now that he’s sowed his wild oats, as they say, he wants to settle
down with a so-called ‘good’ girl. Hence, his interest in me.” She leans her head on my shoulder, our hands still locked.

“So you don’t like him?”

“Not like that,” she laughs and looks up at me. “I know you’re jealous of him, but you don’t need to be.”

I look straight ahead. “Not just of him, but of any man that comes after you. I know I shouldn’t be, but even without the incredible sex we’ve had, you’re kind of like my best friend right now. It’s hard for me to think any man will deserve you.” When I look back at Edie, her eyes are filled with tears. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry.” I pull her to me and hug her.

“That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” she sniffles. “It’s going to be hard for me to let you go, too.”

“We could keep in touch, Edie. I know long-distance relationships are hard to keep going sometimes, but we could try.”

She pulls back and smiles at me. “I’ve thought about it, Suit, but for what? Your dream is here and mine is in Holly Springs. There’s no way to make those join. Even so, you hate the horses and the farm life. You were right that first morning outside of Carl’s office. We are very different. It will be better if we just rip it off like a Band-Aid.”

Her words are tough to hear. It’s so hard to be so torn between your life’s dream and love. I want them both equally, but she’s right. There’s no way to have the best of both worlds. “Then let’s give this summer everything we’ve got. I know I’ll never have another like it in my life and I’ll need these memories to hold me through when I leave.”

Edie nods and wipes under her eyes. “I agree.”

“I have a surprise for you.”

“You do?” She glances up at me.

“Right this way,” I motion for her to climb a small hill and she does so hesitantly. At the top of the hill there’s a blanket spread out with a picnic basket. A young man waits for us and I hand him a fifty dollar bill and with a nod of gratitude he is on his way.

“What is this?” Edie asks as she looks from the picnic blanket to me.

“You wouldn’t let me get you a birthday present, so I got you a cake. Well, a cheesecake,” I answer with a shrug.

Her eyes go wide when she realizes what I’ve done. It’s the exact reaction I was hoping for and my chest swells as her eyes light up. “You didn’t!” She beams a big beautiful smile.

“Little Red Hens’ cheesecake, right?” I smile.

“Oh my God!” She flings her arms around me, planting a hard kiss to my lips. “This is amazing! Thank you!”

“Well I thought you’d like it. Besides, I have to try this cheesecake that’s your number one favorite thing about New York.” I grin at her and give her a quick peck before bending down and pulling out everything we need to eat.

“It will be your favorite now, too,” she adds as she joins me.

“We’ll see about that.”

We sit down and take out several slices with different toppings. One with chocolate, another with strawberries, and so on. We do the corny couple thing where we feed each other and laugh about it.

“Will you tell me one thing about your past that makes you smile, Suit?”

I swallow hard, thrown by her question. “Where did that question come from?”

“You’ve told me the parts that hurt. I want to know something that makes you smile when you remember it.” She wipes her mouth with a napkin before grabbing the bottled water beside her.

I take a deep breath and lie back on the blanket, staring up into the night sky. “Hulk,” I finally say.

“Hulk?” she smirks as she stares down at me.

“He was my pony when I was little,” I sort of laugh. “I rode him everywhere, all day long, bareback.”