Easton Read online

  Entering the swimming pool room, he paused, watching Scar as she swam from one end of the pool to the other. She stopped at the opposite side of the pool, dipped under the water, and pushed her hair off her face.

  “Hey,” he said. “I see you’ve gotten stronger.”

  She turned toward him. “Easton. Where’s Liam?” she asked.

  “Making a call. He said you were here. I figure I could see if you’d gotten stronger.”

  “As you can see, I have.”

  He kicked off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and sat on the edge of the pool, pushing his feet into the water.

  It wasn’t exactly paddling or an ocean, but the water felt good on his feet. “Junior’s in bed.”

  “He’s probably not,” she said.

  “He yawned, and I put him to bed.”

  “I’m not saying you put him to bed wrong. He’s probably reading one of his comic books or something on the science world. He’ll read for a short time and pass out. I go in before bed, and close whatever he’s sneaked into his room.”

  “Wow, and here I was thinking I’d done a good job.”

  “You have. You just got to know Junior to know he’s a sneaky little rascal. All in good fun though. I love him so much.”

  “You’ve done a good job with him.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Was it always easy?” he asked.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve only just met you again after all this time, and I’m curious. There’s so much about you and Junior, and even Liam, I don’t know.”

  She swam to the middle of the pool, and he was able to see her clearly.

  “No, it wasn’t easy. After I got pregnant, my family, when I told them but refused to name the father, they kicked me out. I was called a slut and whore and disowned within an hour. I became homeless. I had a small amount of money from working, so I was able to rent a place, far, far away from them.”

  Easton wanted their names. He wanted to fucking pummel them and hurt them. How dare they push her away. Family was supposed to take care of each other, not punish.

  “Anyway, I waited tables in the city. I took as many jobs as I could while also expecting. It wasn’t easy, but I saved money, and then of course, I had the baby. The expense went through the roof, and earning money while raising a child wasn’t easy. I was able to do it though. I took Junior with me everywhere I went. Along the way, I met a guy. We hit it off, and I thought I’d finally found the one, you know. That ended badly, and as I was recovering, I met Liam. We got married, and here we are.”

  He noticed she brushed aside the other guy.

  “Liam’s incredible,” Easton said.

  “He is.”

  “I don’t know if he’s a magician or something. Whenever he touches me, I swear, I feel more calm and relaxed.”

  “He has that effect on me. For a long time, I’d have nightmares, and whenever he wrapped his arms around me, the whole world didn’t matter. All I cared about was him.”

  Jealousy struck him hard.

  “Are you all talking about me? I get the sense you are,” Liam said. He was carrying a walkie-talkie.

  “Is he still awake?” Scar asked.

  “Yes, and reading.” Liam put the walkie-talkie down. “We have one to keep an eye on him. He’s a great kid regardless.”

  “Why don’t you hire a nanny?” Easton asked. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to find one.”

  “I love raising my son myself. I don’t need a nanny.”

  “And I don’t like the invasion of privacy it often creates. The key to a successful marriage and having your life not smeared across the tabloids, is to be careful who you have in your circle of friends.”

  “And I’m in the circle of friends?” he asked.

  “I’m sure you’ll understand why privacy is so important. After having your name over the press, it must be a relief to get away from it?” Liam asked.

  Easton watched as the other man pulled off his shirt.

  For the first time, he was admiring another man’s body, which he’d never done in all of his life. He’d never been attracted to men before.

  Averting his gaze, he found Scar watching Liam as well. Her teeth were sunk into her lip, and he saw the arousal in her face.

  Liam pushed down his pants and dived into the pool.

  Easton watched as he swam to Scar, wrapping his arms around her and taking possession of her lips.

  “Why don’t you come in and enjoy the water?” Liam asked.

  Scar looked at him even as Liam trailed his lips down her neck.

  He wasn’t ready to leave the room, especially if it was going to lead to them having sex. He wasn’t that stupid, or maybe he was.

  Being around Scar, she was awakening old feelings within him, and he didn’t even know if he had a shot.

  You know you don’t have a shot. You’re in their home, sharing their son, even though he’s yours.

  Getting to his feet, he pulled his shirt over his head and dispensed with his pants.

  After coming out of rehab, he’d lost a considerable amount of weight, and he’d started to go to the gym in order to bulk up.

  He was rather impressed. Liam, out of the two of them, was by far more muscular, but Easton didn’t think he was too shabby.

  He dived into the pool and broke the surface.

  Scar had already moved away from Liam and was doing some gentle strokes.

  “I taught her how to swim,” he said, the words blurting out of his mouth.

  “She told me,” Liam said.

  “She did?”

  “No secrets, remember?” Liam shrugged. “You did a great job.”

  Just once he wanted to be or do something that didn’t include Liam. It seemed pointless to him.

  “I know about your time at camp,” Liam said.

  “So you know I was her first.”

  “Easton!” Scar glared at him. She swam toward them and stood up. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but stop it. Liam invited you here to be part of our family. Not to start waving your cock around as if it’s some kind of contest.” She shook her head.

  “It’s okay, Scarlett. I know what he’s doing.” Liam smiled. “I’m guessing you still have feelings for her, as otherwise you wouldn’t be reacting this way.”

  “Liam, don’t,” Scar said.

  Easton didn’t say a word.

  “I’ve got no problem with you having a crush on my wife. I get it, believe me, I do, but if you’re planning on using Junior to get to her, then you’re mistaken.”

  “I’m not going to use my son to get anyone or anything.” Easton gritted his teeth. His hand clenching into a fist. “I apologize. I shouldn’t act this way. I’m sorry.”

  “Accepted,” Liam said.

  He watched as Liam began to swim leaving him and Scar standing, watching him.

  She whirled around toward him. “Don’t do this, I mean it. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove or what you hope to gain, but stop it.”

  “Come on, Scar, I didn’t mean anything bad about it. I was just stating a fact.”

  “Ugh, please, enough. Liam’s not the kind of guy that needs to get his man parts out and measure them, okay? You’re not going to win me back. I’m staying with Liam.”

  Easton couldn’t resist taking a step closer. “There was a time you told me you loved me. That you’d fallen hard and fast, and you just wanted to spend the rest of your life with me.”

  He saw the tears in her eyes and knew he’d pushed too far.

  “Yeah, I know. I remember. You know what else I remember? You pushing me away, throwing my feelings for you right back in my face. Thanks for the reminder.” She moved to the edge of the pool and climbed out.

  He watched her go, wanting to take it all back.

  “Scar.”

  She didn’t stop but kept on moving.

  He wanted to call her back, to stop her from leaving, but he’d been a dick and now he h
ad to suffer for it.

  ****

  For the past three weeks, Easton had been coming to her and Liam’s house. After the disaster of the first week, she’d ignored him every single time he came around. She knew she was being a bitch and it wasn’t fair to him at all, but it didn’t change the fact he’d deliberately reminded her of a time in her life she wanted to forget, needed to forget, and would do anything in her power to forget.

  It was already a problem because she knew deep down she should have done more in order to find him, at least to let him know she was pregnant. She’d been an idiot and stubborn, and now seeing him with their son made what she did that much harder to bear. She’d made a huge mistake, and she was going to have to live with that for the rest of her life. Easton wouldn’t ever get back any of the time spent with Junior.

  This wasn’t how she wanted to live her life though. Junior talked about Easton constantly, and it was hard for her not to love hearing how animated he was when he did talk. There was a frostiness with him toward her, though, one she couldn’t control, not that she wanted to. She just wished she hadn’t been such a huge disappointment to him. She knew she’d made a mistake in keeping them apart. It was her biggest regret. Junior had even told her he wished she hadn’t kept him apart from Easton because of how awesome he was, and that he should have known.

  She would deal with Junior’s disappointment, and hope in time, he would forgive her.

  At least her relationship with Liam had only gotten better. Their sex life was amazing. Every single night, he teased her body, showing her things she didn’t even know she was capable of feeling, and she was addicted to his touch, craved it, yearned for it, and welcomed it at every single turn.

  “I’ve got to take Junior out for an hour. He wanted to go to the store for something,” Liam said, coming into the kitchen.

  “Can’t you order it online? Have it delivered tomorrow?”

  “It’s okay. I’ll be an hour at most. I’ll call you when we’re on the way back.”

  “Wait, what about Easton?”

  “Invite him in. You know the drill, Scarlett.” Liam cupped her hip, kissing her cheek.

  “What if I told him to stop coming?”

  Liam sighed. He pulled away and rested his ass against the counter. “You want him to stop coming?”

  “I’m thinking about it.”

  “Scarlett, I love you so much, but I think you need to have a think about why it hurt you so much when he told you those things that he did.”

  “You heard him?”

  “Kind of hard not to hear him. You still have feelings for him.”

  “No, I don’t. That’s just stupid and insane.”

  “And yet here you are, upset, emotional, and all because of him.” Liam pulled her into his arms. “I won’t mind if you want him.”

  She tried to jerk back in his arms, but Liam wouldn’t let her go. “I’m not going to judge your choices.” He kissed her cheek. “I think this will be good for the two of you to finally get this out.”

  “Are you ready?” Junior asked. “Mom, I am going to make Dad go crazy with what I’ve got planned.”

  “Just so long as it doesn’t blow up the house. I’ll be fine.”

  Junior laughed, and she saw them both out of the door.

  Alone.

  She wrapped her arms around herself going straight to the kitchen. Her security blanket. This wasn’t supposed to be so hard. Not with Easton, not with anyone.

  Why did he have to say those things?

  She knew her son was happy to be with Easton, and even Liam enjoyed having him around.

  Scarlett paused.

  Liam enjoyed Easton’s company.

  Now, she frowned. What if Liam had a … crush on Easton? Did he like him that way? Liam had been honest about what he wanted in a relationship, but she’d never asked him to delve any deeper than necessary. Was that a mistake on her part?

  Rubbing at her temples, she tried to think of Liam and Easton together. It aroused her to think of them having sex, but that was only a fantasy.

  The doorbell rang, and she walked slowly to the door.

  Easton was there, waiting.

  When she opened the door, Easton smiled, which slowly died when he looked at her.

  “Liam’s had to take Junior out to the store. They’ll be back in a little bit,” Scarlett said.

  She rushed back to the kitchen without shutting the door. She heard it close and Easton’s footsteps as he followed her.

  “We’re alone?”

  “Yes. You can go and do whatever it is you want to do.” She had absolutely nothing to do, and now she wished she had something to keep her hands busy, to do anything but look lost.

  “We need to talk.”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “We don’t.”

  “I didn’t mean to bring up the past.”

  “And you did. Our past isn’t exactly a good one.”

  “It’s not the devil either, Scar.”

  “What is it you want from me? We have a son, I get that, but you don’t need to throw reminders of how little my feelings meant to you.”

  “I lied,” Easton said.

  “What?”

  “Your feelings, eleven years ago, they didn’t mean nothing to me. They meant fucking everything. You think it was easy after those three weeks to do what I did?”

  Her heart was pounding, her mouth open.

  “I fell in love with you. I wanted to be with you.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “I’m not. I’m not lying. Not to you. Not anymore. Before I came to that camp, I met a girl. I told you about her.”

  “Yes, she died.”

  “Yes. My father killed her. He made sure I knew that under no circumstances was I to marry ‘below my pay grade.’ I was nothing more than a pawn for him to use, to play. Carla was carrying my child. I intended to run away with her, to keep them both safe, but before I got the chance to, they were ripped away from me.” Tears filled her eyes at the pain she saw within his. “Do you know the worst part?”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t love her. I didn’t feel the way you made me feel all those years ago.”

  The tears fell down.

  “I wanted to be with you, but I had no idea who you were. When you told me you loved me and how much, I was ecstatic, for a couple of seconds at least. I was allowed to be happy that you could love someone like me.”

  “Someone like you?”

  “I’m not a good person. One girl had already died, and I didn’t love her like I thought I did. But you, the girl that was so fucking annoying she wouldn’t leave me alone. A girl who … couldn’t swim. Who would sit with me in long silences and they wouldn’t be awkward. A girl who called my name as I made love to her. Yeah, I fell in love with you, Scar. I’ve never forgotten you, and it kills me to see you with someone else. Do you know the even crazier part?”

  “What?” She really didn’t know what to say or do.

  “For all the jealousy I feel, I love watching you with Liam. Call me confused. I love and hate it at the same time.”

  She sniffled and looked away.

  “I know you’ve been ignoring me, and I deserve that. I’m new to all of this. It scares me. It fucking terrifies me more than anything else in the world. I don’t want to lose you or Junior, or even Liam. Each Monday when I have to leave, I feel a part of myself is being torn from my body, and I won’t ever get it back. Friday is my favorite day of the week.”

  “You don’t deserve me ignoring you. And I think it’s everyone’s favorite day, Easton.” She offered a smile.

  He took a step toward her, and she took one back.

  “No, you don’t understand. I get to see you, Junior, and Liam—for me, that is one hell of a day. These weekends are the best part of my life.” He cupped the back of her neck. She put her hands on his chest but didn’t push him away.

  “Easton, it’s only been three weeks.”

  “I’ve b
een miserable for eleven years, and this is the only happiness I’ve felt. I don’t want to lose that.”

  “Then you’ve got to stop.”

  He slammed his lips down on hers, and for a few seconds, Scarlett let him. She didn’t kiss him back, but the young woman inside her wanted to. She wanted to forget the past eleven years and be at camp again, laughing and joking with the broody guy who didn’t have the ability to smile.

  She wanted it, and yet it scared her.

  Pulling away from him, she shook her head. “I’m a married woman, and I love Liam.” She put some distance between them. “You’re going to have to go and put your bag away.”

  “Scar?”

  “I don’t cheat. I took my vows seriously. Please, go and put your bag away.”

  Guilt washed over her, and she hated that she had wanted to kiss him back. With shaking hands, she started to prepare dinner. She didn’t see Easton, and when Liam came home, she heard Junior shouting to his father. She didn’t know what happened next, but Liam came into the kitchen.

  One look at him, she just couldn’t handle it.

  “What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

  “Easton kissed me.” She felt the tears once again. “He kissed me, and I didn’t hate it.”

  Liam wrapped his arms around her, like he always did, and she wanted to sink into him.

  “You should hate me,” she said.

  “It’s not possible for me to hate you or to feel anything like that.”

  She lifted her head, staring into his eyes, confused. “Why?”

  He cupped her face, and his lips covered hers. She kissed him back, feeing the need rising up. Her attraction to Liam wasn’t dying down; it was getting stronger.

  Liam broke from the kiss. His lips trailed to her ear. “Now he has kissed both of us.”

  She jerked back, confused. “He’s kissed you as well?”

  “No, I took the kiss from your lips. Now we have both been kissed.”

  “Liam?” She frowned. “Are you wanting him to be your male? Your boyfriend?”

  “We need to talk about this in private.”

  She had to talk about it now. Grabbing Liam’s hand, she marched him up to their bedroom.

  Easton was outside Junior’s door.

  “We’re going to talk for a few minutes. Good to see you, Easton,” Liam said.