“It’s Morgan. He looks at me like he can’t comprehend who I am.” And refused to tell her what weighed so heavy on his mind.
“Shit.” Devon cleared his throat. His hand fell away. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he told Fallon as they began strolling, “Do not get wrapped around the axle over Morgan’s current mood. I promise it has nothing to do with you. It’s me he’s pissed at. We’re going through a rough patch, I guess you could say.”
She gazed up at him. “Dev, you and Morgan have been like brothers since birth. The good kind of brothers. Not the annoying biological ones you have. Christ, I can’t believe they came out of the same womb as you. Max and Davis are just . . . So pretentious. And self-righteous. Don’t even get me started on their wives. Every time they come into the lounge, it’s all I can do to keep from ‘accidently’ spilling red wine on their overly starched white Ralph Lauren tennis skirts.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t get fired when you eventually crack. Though be sure to snap a photo and send it to me.” He winked.
A wicked thrill ran down her spine. “You’re evil.”
“It was your idea.”
“Oh, yeah.” She nodded. “Right.”
They continued down the cobblestone path. The tide undulated and gentle waves broke and rushed along the pristine sand several yards away.
Serenity always washed over her when Fallon made the trek to and from work. But tonight, her usual tranquility was fringed by a sexual charging she’d never felt before. Devon’s arm around her was firm enough to have her tucked close to his hard body. And that felt incredible. Not in his past big-brother way. But in a territorial way that aroused her senses.
So it was particularly disheartening when they approached Bayfront Towers rising on the opposite side of the street, rapidly bringing their time together to a close.
Pointing toward the ten-story building, she said, “That’s me.”
“Sweet location. How’d you score a condo in the complex? There’s always been a huge waiting list.”
“Yes, but I’m subletting into the spring. Liv Tyner has a new Broadway gig, so she handed me the keys when I arrived back in town.”
“Last I heard, Liv was trying for a record deal in L.A.”
“New York put that on hold. But when she gets back to the East Coast—move over Taylor Swift!”
Devon scowled.
“Do not lie to me,” Fallon challenged. “You know who she is.”
“Can’t name a single song.”
“You do own a radio, right?”
“I like AC/DC.”
“You like being unconventional.”
“Rock and roll is unconventional?” he scoffed.
Fallon rolled her eyes. That wasn’t really what she was hinting at. Though she surmised he wouldn’t own up to his “unconventional” love life.
Wouldn’t own up to it unless she really pressed.
And what, exactly, would that entail? Could she really handle the tantalizing details? Not succumb to a hellacious bout of jealousy and envy that other women had been the recipient of Devon and Morgan’s dual bedroom talents?
She considered this as they crossed at the light. But while Devon was apparently now cozying up to her and was less shocked to the core by her physical changes, there was still the matter of Morgan not being nearly as open minded. Which kept her stomach churning over whether she’d inadvertently driven a wedge between them.
How convoluted had she made her friendships?
Fallon had no idea. Just let it all fester in the far recesses of her mind. She and Devon stepped into the elevator in the opulent, marbled lobby. She hadn’t expected him to deliver her to her front door, and exhilaration trilled through her as they exited on her floor and traveled the long hallway to the coveted unit she now occupied.
Devon propped a broad shoulder against the door frame as she dug around in her backpack for her keys.
Folding his arms over his wide chest, he asked her, “Why’d you return to Bayfront when your mom’s in Florida and most of your friends have moved on?”
“I didn’t know most of my friends had moved on,” she said. “You and Morgan have never been on business trips for more than a couple of weeks at a time. But I hear you’ve both mostly been gone for a year. What’s that all about?”
She unlocked the door and they entered the beautifully decorated one-bedroom condo with plush white furniture, polished wood accent tables, and spectacular views of the bay from the sliding glass doors and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Fallon set her keys on the foyer table and left her backpack at its base. She crossed to the large semicircular island in the open kitchen as Devon cryptically said, “Morgan and I are at a crossroads.”
“What sort of crossroads?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “It’s a bit complex. Something neither of us wants to sort out, currently.”
Her stomach twisted tighter. “That doesn’t sound like you two at all. You don’t let things come between you. Not differences of opinions or women.” She gasped. Her eyes popped. “Oh, my God. Is it a woman?”
Devon glowered. “I don’t want to talk about it, Fallon.” His now cloudy gaze scanned the immediate area and he efficiently changed the subject once more, asking, “What’s with all the boxes? You’ve been back for three months and you haven’t even unpacked your stuff?”
Her gaze drifted over the stacks lining one wall of the kitchen. She told him, “I unpacked my clothes, but I mostly sold all of my dishes, furniture, and electronics before I moved, since Liv’s place is fully stocked. These are my products.”
His brow crooked.
Fallon smiled, letting the apparent rift between Devon and Morgan slide for the moment as she proudly announced, “I’ve put my mad-chemistry skills to work and created a line of lotions, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and self-tanners. Lip balm, too. All organic and herbal. Environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic. No testing on animals.”
“Low carb and gluten-free, too?”
She laughed. “Let’s not get too crazy.”
Devon lifted the flap of one box and eyed the contents.
“This was inventory for Sylvia Carter’s new day spa, until Noah Donovan blew into town to build a luxury hotel with a spa that would swallow hers whole. Guessing you haven’t met either of them yet, since you’ve only been in town for a day. Unless you were introduced at Seth’s Bliss Mountain revival.”
“No, though I do know of Donovan and his Covington Collection—I’ve stayed at some of his hotels.”
“He’s also interested in stocking my products.”
Devon whistled under his breath. “Impressive.”
“Helps that I have Sylvia as a connection. She came to Bayfront right around the same time I returned and brought her best friend, Chloe Lockhart, with her. They’re both now designing Noah’s spa and will manage it.”
“John’s new fiancée,” he mused. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Chloe yet.”
“You’ll adore her. She’s perfect for John. As perfect as Sylvia is for Noah and Seth.”
Intrigue flickered in Devon’s hypnotic irises, sparking a tingle along Fallon’s clit and making her inner thighs flame.
Interesting.
“You’re telling me that Seth and Noah have the same girlfriend?”
“Yes,” she said, a bit breathlessly. “Seems our little community has become more progressive of late. Or maybe it was you and Morgan who started the threesome trend.”
She eyed him speculatively, hoping to prompt him into pursuing this topic. Instead, he scowled and returned the focus to her business.
He said, “So you’re a little ahead of the game if you have product already and Donovan’s spa hasn’t opened yet.”
“Actually, I’m in negotiations with Mitzy Talkington for this supply. Once upon a time, she owned the only day spa in town, long before Sylvia came to Bayfront. But Mitzy relocated her operations to Beverly Hills. I’m offering her a stellar discount, which I hope will be advantageous to me in the long run. If she likes this batch, she might continue ordering from me. The bad news is that I don’t really have the space here for mass production or for storage. Sorry it’s a little cramped. But I’ve got to keep all of this in a dry, cool place until I ship it out.”
“Look at you, Miss Savvy Entrepreneur. This is incredible.”
“Thanks,” she beamed. “The lotion I’m wearing is my most popular scent. I have a Web site. Small orders only at the moment. Though when I sell this current stock, I’ll be able to rent a facility for bigger operations and distribution—the building Sylvia owns that she was going to use for her business.”
“Until a large corporation squeezed her out.”
“Yes, essentially. Though Noah didn’t know he was stealing her spa-thunder when he bought the oceanfront property. From your brother, actually.”
Devon nodded. “I did know the family sold the land.”
“Seems to all be panning out to everyone’s benefit. Well, mostly to Sylvia’s.” Fallon gave a coy smile. “She’s living with Seth and Noah in a new ski-in/ski-out condo complex on the mountain.”
Devon regarded Fallon closely, the intrigue still shimmering in his beautiful blue eyes. “You’re not offended by their love triangle? Or consider it scandalous?”
“Not in the least,” she daringly told him. “I think it’s sexy. And from what I hear about you and Morgan . . . the two of you feel the same way about threesomes. Right?” she gave him a pointed look.
There. She’d outright put the topic on the table. Would he nibble on it?