Not About Love (This Love Book 2) Read online

“Boyd, we need to stop.” He didn’t listen though, and his mouth kept laying kisses on every inch of my skin that wasn’t covered with clothes.

  “I’m only going to stop once I’ve taken you, multiple times, in bed. I want you, Bertie.” Bertie? What the crap? That sounded like a nickname for an old woman. Terrible, terrible nickname.

  “Boyd…we need to get back inside…Ella is playing. Your brother will wonder where you are…”

  “Give me one minute.” I laughed at that while his tongue teased my earlobe. It was a beautiful summer evening, and the sky was clear that night. From where we were standing, I could see a half moon. I heard people cheering and clapping inside the venue. Ella started another song…and then another. We needed to go back inside, but I couldn’t unglue myself from him, and we kept kissing and making out for the duration of another song. The music stopped and after the people clapped I had a feeling Ella’s set was over.

  I had missed it. I felt like an idiot. It was such an important night for her.

  “Boyd…we need to go back inside now. I’m sure you don’t want to have to explain yourself—I know I don’t.” My words made him snap out of his daze, and he untangled himself from me. I sighed, already missing his touch. This is so bad.

  “You’re right…I don’t want to have to explain myself. Give me a minute.”

  I nodded and realized I was standing half naked with my blouse unbuttoned and my bra on full display. I buttoned it up and tried to fix my hair.

  Boyd straightened himself up and adjusted his jeans. I bit my lip thinking how much I wanted to undress him, how much I couldn’t wait to do just that.

  When I had first heard he would be visiting with Lou, I’d told myself I had to be casual around him, act as if nothing had happened between us. Going after someone you’d slept with once was the worst thing, especially when they were the no-commitment type like him. Nine out of ten times you’d end up getting rejected.

  After our make-out session, however, I didn’t know how to handle things, but fuck me if I didn’t want it. I did—badly. Don’t think. One more time. Just enjoy it. You know it’s going to be good.

  We went back inside the club and barely had time to look around before we came face to face with the lovebirds.

  “Where have you guys been?” Lou asked.

  “Where were you? Did you miss my set?” Ella chimed in.

  Shit. I didn’t know what to say. What would be a good thing to say? Sorry, we were making out outside. I needed to say something, quick. I cleared my throat.

  “I had to take this jackass outside. He almost got into a fight.” I pointed to the man next to me. Sorry for throwing you under the bus, Boyd, but this will keep them off our asses. I looked at him, hoping he’d go along with my story.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t. Dumbass.

  “Bullshit!” he rebuffed. “Why don’t you tell them the truth, Red? I was being a gentleman by defending your honor from that douchebag who put his hand on your ass!”

  Geez, no need to be so butt hurt about it. Tone it down, will ya?

  Well, now I had to roll with it. I blurted out the first thing I could think of.

  “For your information,” I said, getting in his face. “I’m a big girl. I can very well take care of myself, thank you very much. I was going to put that asshole in his place by yelling some very colorful Dutch words at him. No fistfight was necessary, but I’m sure that’s hard for a Neanderthal like you to comprehend!” I realized I might have been a bit too harsh, but I wanted to sound believable.

  Apparently, I did.

  “Ally!” Ella scolded me then proceeded to tell Lou, “Great! Two of the people we love the most hate each other! What do we do now?” Mission accomplished. As long as she thought we couldn’t stand each other, our cover wouldn’t be blown.

  “Shhh,” Lou replied, keeping his eyes on us. “I think you’re mistaken.” Lou wasn’t having it. I glared at Boyd and stuck my nose up in the air. We had to keep the charade up. I didn’t want to have to explain what we were doing. I wasn’t even sure myself.

  “Boyd, is that lipstick on your face?” Lou asked.

  Boyd’s hand immediately went up to his face, trying to get any traces of lipstick off his cheeks but coming up empty. The fool had fallen for it. Dammit.

  “Gotcha!” Lou said, and Boyd’s face fell. He quickly recovered and glared at his little brother, but the damage was done. We were busted. Embarrassment washed through me, and my cheeks flushed. I bit my lip.

  “No. Fucking. Way.” Ella laughed. I was ready to wipe that smirk off her face.

  “You missed a button of your blouse, Bertie,” Boyd pointed out, looking at my cleavage. Jeez, Louise. Make it worse, why don’t you? I rolled my eyes at him.

  “No one calls me Bertie, idiotic metrosexual mountain man, especially not you!” What in the world was it with him and that nickname? I buttoned up my blouse, frustrated the truth was out.

  “Were you guys seriously making out just now? Good grief, are you that hard up for each other? Get a freaking room!” Ella teased while Lou stood behind her, laughing unabashedly.

  “Oh, fuck off! Have you seen this guy? The only way to shut him up is by kissing him. And don’t act so innocent, you! I saw the looks you two were giving each other when you were up on that stage! It looked like you two were ready to get undressed in a room full of people! At least we had the decency to go outside!” I was bluffing; I had missed the entire thing, but she didn’t know how long we had been outside. I knew how intense she and Lou got, saw the longing looks they often exchanged.

  “You tell ’em, Bertie!” Boyd added, putting an arm around my shoulders.

  “Stop it with this Bertie shit, Boyd! Do you want me to get even madder at you?”

  “Only if that makes you as feisty as you were outside,” he added with a mischievous grin, shutting me up with a kiss. Oh well, our cover was blown. We had no excuse. It wouldn’t make sense to stop now since our secret was out. I might as well get my fill of him. I let him kiss me, and I wrapped my hands around his neck. His lips and his tongue devoured me; there was no other word for it. For once in my life, I wanted to let go of any restraints or rules and just go with the flow.

  Ella’s voice brought me back to reality.

  “Are you two coming?” she asked. I snapped out of my Boyd-induced daze and tried to collect myself. I nodded, and the two of us followed Ella and Lou out to the street.

  “BOYD, ARE YOU COMING WITH us or not?” my brother asked, distracting me from my daydream.

  “Where?”

  “To Germany. Are you coming with us on Ella’s tour?”

  “Hell, no! Why in the world would I want to be a third wheel with you guys?”

  “Come on, Boyd, we’re not that bad. I’m sure we could behave and make it bearable for you.”

  “Thank you, brother, but no thank you. Besides, I’ve gotten in touch with an investor who’s interested in opening a Boyd-Building gym here in Amsterdam. I’m going to see if we can make it happen. I’d love to expand internationally.”

  “Wow, really? I had no idea. Is that really something you want to do? Isn’t it enough taking care of business in New York?” My brother sounded surprised, as if he couldn’t believe I had so much ambition. I loved to delve into new opportunities. If opening a gym here in the Netherlands was a possibility, why should I say no to it?

  It was hard for me to say no to opportunity. I had gotten bit by the entrepreneurial bug, and it was tremendously exciting to build something from the ground up. With CrossFit, I loved how it changed people’s lives, making them more confident about themselves. CrossFit had helped me work through my issues and insecurities and had helped plenty of people around me turn their lives around. The sense of community you felt in a CrossFit gym was like no other gym I had been to. Gyms are usually a place full of stuck-up pricks and bitches who think they are far better than you.

  A CrossFit gym was a place where people encouraged and supported each other
to achieve their goals.

  I loved everything about opening and running a place like that. I wanted to inspire more people. I wanted to change more lives the same way mine had been changed. All that was true, but a small voice inside me told me business wasn’t the only reason. I wanted to jump on the opportunity to stay in Amsterdam for a bit so I could keep fucking Ally. It was true that I couldn’t get enough of her, and even though I did like her, the thing between us was just like the flings I had with other women. It was no-strings-attached sex, with the only difference that we had now been together one, two, three, four…well, multiple times.

  I wondered if she was busy. It was a Saturday morning and if she wasn’t working, maybe I could go see her…for a little bit. I had been over at her place several times during the last few days. Somehow we managed to keep things quiet. As far as my brother and Ella knew, we had only made out that one night.

  Are you busy?

  “Who are you texting? One of your girls? Are you texting Ally? You can’t get enough of her, can you?” my brother asked in a mocking tone. “I know she can handle herself, but you should really leave her alone. She’s different, Boyd. She’s not like one of your girls. Plus, she’s my friend, and I don’t want my womanizer of a brother to mess with her.”

  I glared at him and narrowed my eyes. I let out a breath and lied, stone-faced.

  “I’m texting the investor.”

  “Oh,” he replied, seeming disappointed.

  “Where’s Ella by the way? Aren’t the two of you attached at the hip?” I asked, raising one eyebrow.

  He laughed and shook his head. I expected him to give me a few fighting words about my joke, but he just smiled. I hadn’t seen my brother this happy in a very long time. Seeing him at peace was the best feeling; I felt so relieved.

  “She’s spending the morning with Lieke. Ella has been her babysitter for more than a year and she’s about to leave. Lieke is not taking it very well.”

  My phone buzzed, and I managed to take it in my hands before my curious brother had a chance to peek at the name on the phone.

  Woke up not too long ago. About to make some coffee. Want a cup? ;)

  I loved that this woman went straight to the point. Things were so easy, so natural between us. A sensation of warmth spread in my chest as a thought clouded my mind: This feels right. No, I had to shake that kind of idiotic notion out of my head. This thing we were doing was just a passing distraction. I had broken one of my rules, but it didn’t mean I was going to make a one-eighty about relationships.

  Relationships were not my thing. The last few years had been great because I hadn’t tied myself to anyone. I was on my own, and I liked that. I didn’t need anyone.

  We had been meeting up at her house these last few days, and I had lost count of how many times I had made her come. I’d even memorized the expression on her face when I drove her to the edge, her beautiful, luscious lips forming an O. This woman was different from the ones I usually fooled around with. She had a gorgeous face and a mouth that liked to tease me. She was smart and witty. I was as much a fan of her personality as I was of her body. Soft with curves in all the right places, sexy as hell—she was a work of art, and my cock could not get enough.

  I couldn’t get enough of her pussy or her mouth.

  Shit. I had to stop thinking about her. I was sitting with my brother, for crying out loud, not to mention walking all the way to her place with a boner was going to be rather uncomfortable.

  “Sounds like the investor wants to meet right now. I’ve got to go,” I lied. “Will I see you later?”

  “Yes, but don’t forget we’re leaving tomorrow. Don’t disappear,” Lou said in a grave tone, pointing his finger at me.

  * * *

  Ally opened the door and the first thing I looked at was her breasts.

  Well, it was her T-shirt’s fault, mostly. It said Heaven Is A Place With Cheese. I burst out laughing, and she gave me a scowl as she gestured for me to come in.

  “What? No making fun of my shirt.”

  “I’m not,” I said, snickering. She cocked an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “I’m serious. It just took me off guard. Actually, I kind of love it. I think my mother would, too. Where did you get it?”

  “Your mother, huh?” she asked, tipping her chin at me, her hands on her waist.

  “I forget you two have met.”

  “We haven’t just met. We’re actually crazy for each other. Your mother is a great lady. What can I say? She’s got great taste,” she said with a smirk.

  “You’re right. She’s great. I know I’m lucky.”

  The conversation between us stopped, and neither one of us seemed to be able to make the first move. It probably didn’t help that I had started talking about my mother. Bad move.

  “Where’s that cup of coffee you were talking about?” I asked, trying to break the tension. We went to her kitchen and she poured coffee in two mugs. She handed me one and then stood against the counter, wrapping her arms around her stomach. As I took a sip of coffee, I noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  I let out a growl and stared into her gorgeous blue eyes. She bit her lip, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. The woman was purposely taunting me. I put my coffee down on the kitchen counter. I was done messing around. I wanted her. What was she waiting for? She had told me to come over, but now she was waiting for me to make the first move. I knew she wasn’t shy.

  I leaned against the wall behind me, taking her in. Her red curls were loose and messy, her face pretty even without any makeup on, though I figured she would never agree with me on that. I looked down and only then noticed she had no pants on. I had thought she might be wearing shorts, but that wasn’t the case.

  Her milky skin was a trigger for me. It reminded me instantly of what it felt like being inside her with her soft, shapely legs wrapped around me.

  “Fuck, Ally…do you even have any underwear on?” I let out in a growl.

  I wanted to push her against the wall and fuck her until we were both satiated, but I also didn’t want to be an animal. I always seemed to be the one initiating things. I wanted her to take control.

  I looked up at the ceiling for a second, and in that fragment of time, she closed the distance between us and raised herself on her tiptoes to hug me around my neck.

  “What if I’m not wearing any underwear? What are you going to do to me? Tell me…what do you want to do to me, Boyd?” she whispered seductively as she placed lingering, searing kisses on my neck and on the part of my chest exposed by my V-neck. Her hands traveled down and slid inside my jeans, and she grasped my cock.

  Fuck.

  I groaned and placed my hands on her waist. I leaned down and met her eyes, teasing and playful.

  “God help me, Ally, I’m trying to be good here. I want to take you against this wall. I want to fuck you all over your house. I want to give it to you until you beg me to stop.”

  Her eyes went wide, but the look of shock was soon followed by a sultry smile.

  “This sounds very promising. You better get down to business then.” She took off her shirt and stood naked in front of me. Her skin was my drug. I wasn’t going to be a gentleman for much longer. I was going to take her and make her cry out with pleasure. I’d do anything she wanted me to do. My fingertips caressed her shoulders, the swells of her breasts, her waist, and her hips. I slid my hand between her soft thighs and parted her lips with my fingers. She was wet and warm. I couldn’t wait to bury myself inside her. I wanted to eat her sweet pussy. She moaned against my neck as my fingers moved into her.

  “Ah!” she cried in surprise when I grabbed her legs and lifted her over my shoulder.

  “Boyd! Put me down!”

  “No freaking way!”

  “Then take me to bed, metrosexual mountain man,” she said, feigning outrage as she grabbed hold of my ass.

  “As you wish,” I replied, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

  December 2014

&nb
sp; I STAYED IN A HOTEL the night after Ella’s show. My parents lived in a small town an hour outside Nashville and Ella wanted me to stick around for a couple of days. I hadn’t seen her in months, pretty much since she’d started touring in the US. She told me she would be leaving for New York soon to visit her parents, and she was taking Lou along with her. He needed all the luck he could get. Ella’s parents were nice people, but a little too stiff for my taste. They reminded me of my parents, in a way, although the Ferrises had never been as overbearing as Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick. They never influenced my choices. I made the choices, I called the shots, I made the mistakes all by myself.

  When Lou and Boyd’s mom Leanne heard I was staying in a hotel, she protested and talked to me on the phone, telling me they had plenty of room at her house and that she would love to have me over. My hotel was paid up for one more day, but it seemed rude to refuse, so I went to the Rivers’ house the next day. When I arrived, Leanne was busy in the kitchen preparing for a holiday party for friends and family.

  Ella was already helping her in the kitchen when I got there, and I decided to join in and help out by preparing the appetizers.

  “You’re my guest, you shouldn’t be helping in the kitchen!” she complained.

  “It’s no trouble at all.”

  “The caterer is going to show up later today, but I just wanted to make something extra. I want to make sure I’m keeping my guests fed.”

  “You sound nothing like my mom. She would have put us all to work hours ago, and she’d be as neurotic as Mrs. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. My nerves!” I cried, imitating Elizabeth Bennett’s mother, and she laughed.

  I liked Leanne. I had met her the year before when hanging out with Lou over the holidays. I could see where her youngest son got many of his traits. His mother was kind and sweet, and had such a beautiful, welcoming smile. Her eyes were a beautiful dark green, just like Lou’s. Her hair was gray, and she kept it tied in a ponytail.

  “Where’s Boyd, Leanne?” Ella asked. She shot me a glance and smiled. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to study my reaction. I rolled my eyes and looked away.