“I agree,” Morgan jumped in. “I knew there was something big that had happened between you, and now it all makes sense. Plus, your chemistry is off the charts. You two in the same room together makes me want to jump Cal immediately.”
Sydney groaned. “No, that’s just sex. We’ve always had mind-blowing, amazing sex. Tristan wants to base our marriage on sex and raising Becca and working together. In theory, it sounds solid. Reasonable. But in my heart—”
“It sucks,” Raven finished. “Because you want his love, not his dick.”
Morgan giggled. “Well said, sister.”
“Well, I want both,” Sydney admitted. They all shared a glance and burst into laughter. “Right now, I refuse to sleep with him. We’ve spent the last weeks either barely talking or fighting. I’ll get all mixed up with the emotional versus physical thing. Men never get that.”
Morgan sighed. “Emotional stuff is harder for them. Their brains get a bit foggy when things get complicated. They solve a lot of their issues through sex.”
“A pleasurable but less effective way of communication,” Raven added. “The problem is Tristan wants you just as bad as you want him. He’s just not able to sort it out. I understand so much more now, Syd. Why you kept Becca from him. How he pulled away from you. But I’ve also never seen Tristan so hurt before. In his mind, I think he was ready to give you everything he had, and when he found out the truth, it dragged him back to the past and made him question himself. I think he’s scared shitless.”
Morgan nodded. “I agree.”
Emotion clogged her throat. Her friends were right. It took him so much to allow himself to be vulnerable that he’d shut himself away from any possibility of loving her again. The knowledge of how deeply she’d hurt him broke her inside. And still, the main question haunted her. Could they find their way back to each other? Could he learn to let go and allow himself to love her the way she deserved?
“What should I do?” she asked. “There’s still a chance for us.”
“I know this advice may suck, but maybe he just needs more time. Time to build back the trust and make him see how important you are to him.”
“Or you can seduce him until you have him wrapped up tight and then torture him till he admits he loves you?” Morgan suggested.
Raven whistled. “I love your ruthless side. It’s just so badass.”
Morgan smiled. “I’m learning from you.”
“I think for now we need to focus on Becca and spending time together,” Sydney said. “He’s been so distant.”
“Another good reason for sex. It breaks down the barriers,” Raven said.
“I just don’t know if I can handle that type of hurt again,” she said softly. “Maybe he’ll never really love me the way I need.”
“Maybe he’s just being stubborn,” Morgan said. “The only way to find out is time. But I wouldn’t hold back. You’re fighting for something greater here. If you open up a bit, he may not be able to push you away anymore.”
“You could be right.” Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you for listening. All this time, I’ve had no one to talk to. With Diane gone, and having to keep my secret, I’ve been so lonely.”
The women linked hands. “We’re always here for you. There’s never any need to be lonely again,” Morgan said firmly.
“We’re all family now,” Raven said. “Sisters. How cool is that?”
Morgan caught her breath. “Is it almost official? You and Dalton?”
Raven grinned. “I found the ring hidden in one of my shoe boxes.” She shook her head. “Don’t men know never to hide anything with a woman’s shoes?”
Morgan and Sydney clapped their hands with delight. “I can’t wait!”
“Yeah, it’s kinda fun to imagine when and mess with his head.”
Sydney grinned. “You’re so bad. Okay, love you guys. I have to get home. Between the poker, Cynthia, and spilling my heart out, I’m exhausted.”
“I hear ya,” Raven said. “It’s been a hell of a day. Started for me way too early. Guy at the bar was spiking his coffee with Baileys and went nuts. Had to throw him out.”
“What did he do?” she asked.
“Mooned me in front of my customers.”
Sydney pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. “Well, that’s not too terrible. I haven’t seen a good mooning in forever.”
Raven raised a brow. “From the front.”
They paused for a moment. Then burst into laughter.
Lord, she’d missed her friends. Knowing they were back on her side made all the difference.
Morgan drove her home, and after quickly checking on Becca, she hesitated in front of the master bedroom. She didn’t have the energy to try hiding in another room tonight. But she wasn’t ready to have sex with him, either. She needed to sort through some of what Raven had told her regarding Tristan and figure out if she could break through the walls he’d built around his heart.
Squaring her shoulders, she marched in. He was sitting up in bed, the television droning low in the background. A book lay open in his lap. He had an obsession with Steve Berry books. He looked up from the page. “How’d it go?”
She lost her voice for a moment. All that gorgeous toasty skin displayed by his bare chest stole rational thought. Her nipples peaked, ready to come out and play, so she casually crossed her arms in front of her breasts to hide them. “Good. We talked. I’m glad I went. How’s Becca?”
He broke into a genuine, happy smile. Those white teeth flashed and showed off the result of Diane’s insistence he wear braces through the seventh grade. “She ate all the stew, even though there was stuff mixed together.”
“How’d you get her to do that?”
Guilt flickered across his face. “Bribed her with a second dessert.”
Her lips twitched. She’d tried that tactic before but it had stopped working. Guess it was different with Tristan. “Works for me. Sometimes I feel like I’m on a battleground and have to make certain decisions to offset blowing it all up.”
“Got homework done and watched America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
“Ah, that’s one of her favorites. Here’s another hint: Anything on HGTV puts her in a trance. She loves it.”
“You’re kidding.”
She laughed. “No, I’m serious. She’s definitely going to take after you. Besides redesigning her room on a rotating basis, she adores Fixer Upper and says she’d love to have her own show one day.”
His eyes glinted with a rush of emotion that threatened to burst her heart. “She kind of amazes me. I’m just afraid she may be smarter than me one day and then it’s all over.”
They shared a smile, and the surge of connection lit between them. The air sizzled with electricity and sexual awareness. Suddenly her muscles loosened, and liquid heat warmed between her legs. His gaze narrowed, raking over her figure, as if he already scented her arousal and was thinking of crossing the room to pull her into his arms, take her mouth, spread her thighs, and—
“Sydney?”
His rough growl stroked her ears. She shuddered. Blinked.
“I’m gonna—gonna—take a shower. Don’t wait up.”
She dashed past him and dove for the door, shutting and locking it behind her. She waited breathlessly as the minutes ticked by. Finally the light clicked off and she sagged in relief.