Reveal (A Wild Nights Novel) Read online

  His cheeks reddened, and call me evil, but I liked making men feel awkward with my sexual openness. Again, it was empowering, and their response was always rather cute.

  “Vibrator? Well, best we get your suitcase to safety as soon as possible then. What colour is it?”

  “My vibrator? BOB is pink.”

  “Not BOB.” He chuckled. “Your suitcase.”

  Huh … impressive. His dismissal of my temerity made me smile. I liked a challenge, and Brad was shaping up to be just that.

  “Ahh … right. It’s over there!” I said, pointing to the turquoise case. “It’s the blue one.”

  “Onto it.” He bounded off like a playful puppy playing fetch, and I couldn’t help but giggle. He was hot and adorable—my two favourite things, sans Tim Tams.

  Watching him bend over and retrieve my case from the carousel, the sight of his navy boardshorts now snug against his arse had me biting my bottom lip. Mmm. Yummy.

  I was a self-confessed arse girl.

  Loved butts.

  Loved everything about butts.

  Rounded balls of muscle and flesh I could grab and sink my teeth into.

  Yeah … loved them.

  “Is this the only one you have?” he asked, as he wheeled it toward me. Yep, but feel free to remove everyone else’s cases while I sit back and watch.

  I nodded and bit back a cheeky smile. “Yes. Thank you.”

  “Anytime.” He kept hold of the handle and gestured that we should walk back to where we left Cori and Josh. “After you,” he offered. A gentleman, too! Nice.

  Brad had definitely held my attention in the mere minutes we’d been together. He was a cocktail of fun, chivalry and sex, yet he also held an air of arrogance and control. And I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t easily drink those ingredients and get drunk, very drunk, because I could. And I wanted to.

  Oh I will.

  Cori and Josh were performing deep-throat exploration with each other’s tongues as we approached them. “You two done sucking face?” I asked, interrupting their snog-fest and holding my hand out to Josh, this time keeping it vertical for shaking purposes. “Hi, I’m Em, Cori’s best friend.”

  “Hi, I’m Josh, Cori’s …” Josh hesitated and gave Cori an unsure, nervous glance.

  “Boyfriend,” she answered.

  “Yeah, boyfriend,” he repeated. “I’m Cori’s boyfriend.”

  Hmm. That was … interesting.

  I raised my eyebrow and looked him straight in the eye. “You’re Camera-smasher Josh. I’ve heard all about you.”

  Josh’s expression turned to one of shame, and so it should’ve. He’d been a bad boy during his and Cori’s very first encounter. Actually, he’d been the biggest jerkoff of all time, mistaking her for paparazzi and smashing her expensive camera as a result.

  She’d forgiven him. Obviously.

  “I think I’ll keep this one,” Brad said with a laugh while draping his arm over my shoulder and nodding in my direction.

  I inwardly applauded his brash move and looked down at his dangling hand, my eyes widening in delight. “Why, Brad, that hand of yours is rather large.”

  Cori face-palmed.

  Josh scoffed.

  And Brad nodded proudly. “Yep. Definitely keeping this one.”

  Damn, he’s good.

  Challenge accepted.

  ***

  Standing in Cori’s hotel room, I swivelled on the spot and admired my surroundings. This short break in paradise was just what I needed. I’d been a little down as of late due to the production I was currently performing in being temporarily postponed because ‘legal issues’—those issues kept under wraps by the production company. Apparently, the cast and crew were on a need-to-know basis, and we ‘didn’t need to know’ anything beyond the fact that we were all on a short-term break. I wasn’t overly concerned at this point, because things like this happened in showbiz all the time. That said, I’d be lying if I said morale around the theatre wasn’t at an all-time low, because it was. We were performers, and we wanted to perform for an audience under lights. Not in an empty theatre with the faux visions of faces fillings the shadows in front of us. So yeah, this beach escape was more than welcome. It was going to be the distraction I needed.

  “This room is so funky! Check out these flip-flops in a bag on the wall. And oh my God, is that a cockatoo lamp?” I skipped over to the bird-shaped white lamp sitting next to the TV.

  “It’s horrid and gives me the creeps,” Cori said with a shudder. “I unplugged it.”

  I furrowed my brow at her and picked up the lamp, giving it a stroke. “Don’t be so mean. Poor cocky.”

  “I swear it’s possessed.” She patted the mattress beside her. “Come on, put it back and tell me what’s been happening.”

  I sat the lamp back down and made a point of plugging it in. “Don’t worry about what’s been happening with me,” I said, turning and heading toward the bed. I sat down and crossed my legs before raising my hand and creating an O shape with my thumb and forefinger. “A big fat zero, that’s what. I want to know what’s been happening with you. You and that beast you’re fucking.”

  She shrugged. “Who says I’m fucking him?”

  “Oh please,” I droned, rolling my eyes. “It’s written all over your vagina.”

  She laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ve fucked Josh … once.”

  “Annnnd?”

  “And I’m in love with him.”

  Whaaaaaa? I swear my eyes bugged out of my head, cartoon-style. “Wow! He must have the cock of the century.”

  “Yeah, he does,” she said dreamily, flopping back on the bed and concealing her blushed cheeks with her hands, “but that’s not it.”

  “No? Well, good. I’d hate to think you’d become that shallow after only a month away from me.”

  All of a sudden, Cori burst into tears, and it took me by surprise. I was only joking … kinda.

  “I hate him, and I love him. He makes me so angry and so happy. I laugh and I cry. I kiss and I punch. He hurts me and then fixes me. He touches me and cuts me. He leaves me so fucking raw and bare, Em.”

  Fuck me standing, that’s a whole lot of … things. My heart broke seeing her so distraught, not to mention that I had absolutely no idea she’d been so confused about her new relationship.

  Lying down beside her, I placed my head on her chest and hugged her tight. “Cori, honey, that sounds wonderful.”

  “It is and it isn’t. When he hurts me, he kills me,” she sobbed.

  I reached up and pried one of her fingers from her eyes so that I could see her expression when she answered my next question. “But does he bring you back to life?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then live him—breathe him. Set boundaries and enjoy staying within them together. You can’t compare all relationships to what you had with your arsehole ex-boyfriend. What you guys shared was controlled, safe. It was suffocating. Your days with him were set out before you. You both walked that knowing line and never deviated. That’s not what love is, Cori. Love is being spun around on the spot really fast, and then trying to walk a straight line after been slapped in the face with a wet fish. Love is and should be spontaneous and exciting.”

  “I fucked Brad to get back at Josh,” she blurted out. “Is that love?”

  Ahh … well … holy fuck! She did what?

  My stomach dropped and I sat up, her confession shocking me a little. “Josh hurt you real bad, huh? You’d never dream of doing a thing like that unless he seriously screwed you over.”

  “He broke me, Em. Into a million little pieces.”

  I sighed. “Did he put you back together again?”

  “Not yet. But he wants to.”

  “Then fucking let him,” I said with a smile. “Let the bastard glue you back together.”

  Cori sat up, resting on her elbows, a look of determination on her face. “I am, starting from today.”

  “Good,” I said with a wink.

>   Relief washed over me at her eagerness to move forward, yet everything she just said came as a massive surprise. She hadn’t known Josh long, and by the sounds of it they’d put each other through hell. That was concerning. But Cori was a big girl. She had a level head—most of the time—and if she was happy, I was happy for her. And if she was determined to see where her and Josh could lead, I would be right there beside her along the way. She seemed to know what it was she wanted, and although I felt a little disappointed about her fucking Brad, now was not the time to ask her what the hell had happened.

  I would do that tomorrow.

  ***

  “Ugh! That’s it. I’m getting a boob job,” I groaned, fastening my strapless push-up bra and adjusting what little cleavage I had.

  Cori walked into the bathroom and leaned over the basin to get close to the mirror. “On’t be ’upid,” she mumbled while meticulously applying her red lipstick.

  “I’m not. I want tits. Big, round, perky tits.”

  She turned toward me and eyed my beestings. “No, you don’t.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You have tits.”

  “So do you!”

  “Lies. All lies. Best friends are not supposed to lie to one another,” I huffed, lifting my arms and applying deodorant.

  “Fine. You belong to the Itty Bitty Titty committee. Big deal. At least you don’t have an arse the size of a small swimming pool.” She twisted and assessed her butt.

  “Pah-lease! You’ve got to be kidding. There’s nothing wrong with your arse.”

  “Says you!” she mocked, pressing her lips together and blotting her lipstick. “Seriously though, listen to us. We females are never entirely happy with our appearance. Always nit-picking. Always finding faults. We’re our own worst enemies and biggest critics. And for what reason other than to highlight our flaws and feel inadequate? It’s just stupid.”

  I stared down at my little breasticles with sorrow. They deserved love. It wasn’t their fault they were smaller than most. I really should treat them better. “You’re right,” I said, looking back up. “They’re underdogs, and everyone should love underdogs.”

  She blotted her lips together once more. “They should.”

  “In fact, I will parade my teeny puppies tonight. I will wear them with pride.”

  She nodded. “Good girl.”

  I hiked them in my cupped hands, feeling empowered. “I know! Let’s start a revolution.”

  Cori laughed. “Let’s not. I know what your revolutions entail.”

  Greatness. That’s what they entail. Pure fucking greatness.

  Walking out of the bathroom, I flipped open my suitcase and rummaged through it for my low-cut, off-the-shoulder, tight-fitting top. The red material peeked out from underneath my jeans so I pulled it free, threaded my arms through the long sleeves and pulled it over my head. I wouldn’t normally wear it without my chicken fillet inserts, but tonight, tonight I would embrace my body as it was. Tonight I would own it.

  Stepping in front of the full-length mirror, I adjusted my ensemble when my phone beeped. It was H’s message chime, so I lunged over the bed, pulled the phone out of my bag, and swiped the screen.

  Mr Happy: Are you avoiding me again?

  A touch of guilt swept over me, because I’d ended our last chat badly.

  Em: No. Sorry. Just busy.

  Mr Happy: Are you touching yourself?

  I subdued a giggle and shook my head. Always happy and horny. Quickly glancing over my shoulder to make sure Cori wasn’t in the room, I typed my response.

  Em: Well, yes. Kinda.

  I’m getting dressed.

  Mr Happy: I think you should get undressed.

  Less clothes are best.

  Em: So you think I should go out naked, huh?

  Interesting.

  Mr Happy: No. I think you should stay in … naked.

  Em: Why? What would you do if I did?

  Mr Happy: First, I’d tell you to glide your hands over your breasts,

  and then pinch your nipples.

  Shit! My nipples reacted to his reference, as if their ears had been burning.

  Em: Then what?

  Mr Happy: Then I’d tell you to travel farther south,

  skimming your bellybutton and stopping to rest on your panties.

  I found myself subconsciously following his directions, my fingers now resting at the seam of my lace underwear.

  Em: And?

  Mr Happy: And then you’d lift the material and dip inside,

  sliding into your wet folds.

  Ugh! I hate when he says folds. Folds of what? Toilet paper? Fat? Folded washing?

  Em: Err … you lost me at folds. Sorry.

  Gotta go. xo

  Flipping the cover of my phone shut, I popped it back into my clutch just as Cori entered the room.

  “Nice top,” she said, “it matches your face.”

  “What?” I put my hands on my cheeks. They felt hot … flushed. “Oh. It’s hot in here, yeah?”

  “It’s Queensland. Of course it’s hot.” Cori narrowed her gaze at me. “You alright?”

  “Yeah. I’m just … just feeling a little warm. Must’ve been the hairdryer.”

  “Yeah, must’ve.” Her eyebrow was raised, her expression unconvinced.

  My heart pumped fast and hard, something it always did after a conversation with H. The guy just stirred so much adrenaline within me—him and his words. That’s why you keep him around, Em. That’s why you won’t let him go.

  I quickly shook that notion out of my head, because I didn’t want to believe it. He was so much more than just a quick sexual rise. Deep down, I knew that.

  “So, other than Brad, who else will be at the bar tonight?” I asked, wanting to change the subject of my heated body temperature.

  “Um … Chief, Dimps, and Brad’s twin brother, Noah … also known as Slick.”

  “Chief? Dimps? Slick? Hang on a minute … twin brother? Brad is a TWIN?” I exclaimed.

  Cori smiled and handed me a room key. “Sure is!”

  My jaw fell open.

  My eyebrows rose.

  And my vagina threw a welcome party.

  I couldn’t conceal my smile as we descended in the elevator to the ground floor. Brad is a twin! A twin!

  Double the sex god.

  Double the fun.

  “Are they identical?” I asked, lightly tapping my exposed midriff.

  “Who? Brad and Noah? Yeah, as identical as they come. It took me a couple of weeks before I could tell them apart.” Cori smoothed down her short black dress. “Good luck with that.”

  I too smoothed down my tight, red knee-length skirt, both of us assessing our reflections in the mirrored panelling of the elevator cart. “Luck? I won’t need it.”

  “Actually, I agree. I don’t think you will.”

  I shrugged playfully.

  “Em, play safe,” she warned.

  I gave her a wry smile. “I always do, hon.”

  “I’m serious. Those boys are competitive at the best of times. Take it easy on them, okay?”

  Oh, Cori, you sweet little pudding. She really was adorable, but I didn’t take it easy on anyone, and she knew that. Life was too short to take shit easy. It was saying no when you should say yes, and saying yes when you should say fuck you. Easy was waving a white flag, and I preferred to wave a red one. I’d been through enough in my life already to want to take the easy road.

  The ding of the elevator sounded and the doors of the cart opened. We both stepped out, the clicking of our heels echoing as we walked toward the restaurant and bar. “I’m only here for a week, Cor. Come on, what’s the worst that can happen?”

  “Seriously?” she asked with a laugh, linking her arm with mine. “All-out war. That’s what.”

  I giggled at her exaggeration, but then a tingle of excitement waved through my body when I spotted Brad in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black tight-fitting tank top. His hair was tied back in a sho
rt bun, and he was leaning against the bar and talking to a younger-looking blond guy. Fla fla fl … fff. Fuck! My God he looked hot, hot with an edge of danger and a tinge of come-play-with-my-vagina. Hot with a capital H and … what are the other letters of that word again? Fuck it, who cares?

  Swallowing, I straightened my shoulders and readied myself for a night of flirtatious fun when Cori steered me in the opposite direction. “Wha … where are we goi—”

  “Em, you look … shit, you look great!” a man’s voice said, the sexy tone reeling my attention away from Brad.

  I turned my head to find … Brad, standing before me. Whaa? Oh, crap! That wasn’t Brad at the bar. That was Noah. Shit!

  “H … h … hi. Thanks. You look great, too,” I stuttered, still dazed by my ‘double vision’.

  Unlike his brother, who epitomised dark and dangerous, Brad channeled sexy-casual sprinkled with heated mischief. His light-wash jeans sat low on his hips and were tight enough to enunciate his strong legs and toned arse, and the material of his white T-shirt clung to every bump and groove that were his arms, chest and torso. My eyes lingered for a moment before I quickly willed them to climb back up his body to his blond shoulder-length hair, which was scruffy yet strangely neat. And his skin … holy fuck! It glowed a gorgeous sun-kissed bronze, even in the dimmed lights of the hotel restaurant.

  “Hungry?” he asked, his voice low.

  I met his stare and nodded. “Yes. Very. And you?”

  “I’m so hungry I could eat you.”

  Cori choked on the drink Josh had given her, and I couldn’t do much else but laugh. “Well … bon appetite. I don’t mind the odd biter or two.” I nudged him playfully and accepted the beer he handed me.

  He chinked the rim of my bottle with his own. “I’ll remember that.”

  “I hope you do,” I said invitingly, bringing the bottle to my lips.