Coming Apart at the Seams (36 page)

She probably had a hundred rings on her fingers, and the sight of them glimmering in the sunlight mesmerized him. They made him think about what her hands would look like on his body, wrapped around his cock, stroking him to orgasm.

He let his gaze wander lower, lingering on her narrow waist and the subtle curve of her hips. She wore a pair of Rileys, and satisfaction trickled through him. He loved seeing his last name stamped on a nice ass, and he'd stared at Bebe's enough to know hers was more than nice.

The sound of Teagan's laughter filtered to him, and Cal pulled his gaze from Bebe. He searched for his sister and found her across the room with her new husband. Priest was perched on the back of one of the leather club chairs, and Teagan stood between his legs. His hands clasped her hips, and a huge smile lit up her face.

Bebe looked over her shoulder, her gaze landing on the
newlyweds. After a moment, she brought her attention back to Cal.

“I was worried that I'd never see her again,” he admitted.

When Teagan had come back from Boston, she'd seemed like a completely different person. The funny, loving sister he had grown up with had turned into a sarcastic, angry woman. Cal hadn't known, but Teagan had suffered from a broken heart. Now that she and Priest had worked things out, the sister he had adored was making a comeback.

Bebe tilted her head, her eyes intent on his face. She obviously understood exactly what he meant because she smiled slowly—a real smile—and his heart kicked in his chest.

“I was, too,” she replied softly. “And I'm really glad she's back. I missed her.”

Cal nodded. He had missed her, too.

They stared at each other, and he realized it was the first time he and Bebe had managed to have a conversation that didn't involve sly digs and over-the-top insults. He didn't want her to walk away, so he tossed out the first thing that came into his head.

“How's the new job going?” he asked.

“Great. It was a smart move for me.”

Earlier this year, Bebe had taken a position at Generation Global Biotechnology, GGB for short. Its headquarters were located in downtown San Francisco, just a few blocks from Riley O'Brien & Co.'s high-rise.

When Bebe had lived in Boston, he'd only seen her a few times a year. He had always looked forward to her visits but had dreaded them, too. Each time, he'd hoped she would miraculously like him, and when it became obvious she didn't, he would provoke her just so she wouldn't ignore him.

Now that Bebe lived in San Francisco, he saw her all the time. Teagan invited her to most of the O'Brien family gatherings, and Bebe dropped by Riley Plaza to see his sister at least twice a week.

He knew he should stay away from Bebe, but he always sought her out, whether they were at a barbeque, a baseball game, or Sunday brunch. And he always found a reason to stop by his sister's office when Bebe visited. He picked and poked
and prodded until her golden eyes narrowed in anger and her sharp tongue slashed into him.

Deep inside, he knew the real reason why he fucked with Bebe. He did it because he couldn't do what he really wanted to do: fuck
her.

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