Tough To Love Read online

  “Are you working so hard now that you have to take a nap at work?” A soft familiar voice joked from the doorway.

  Rally’s eyes opened and peered to the left. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face at the sight of her standing in the doorway. She looked gorgeous in her dark purple dress. It displayed her hourglass body perfectly.

  There wasn’t any time like the present to see where things stood with Sage.

  “You’re always so concerned about me,” he said. “I like that. So, what brings you by here? Shouldn’t you be at work?” He hadn’t given up on finding a way to make Sage come back here and work for him.

  “I’m at lunch and I wanted to stop by and see if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. Julian and I are having a small get-together at his place. You can ask Shawn, but I doubt he’ll come. He spends all of his free time with Lara.”

  “Why are you having a party with Julian? What do the two of you have to celebrate?” He stood up and slowly made his way over to Sage. He wanted to be up close and personal when he got this news.

  Sage seemed all confident until he got within touching distance, and then she took a step back from him. He tried ignoring the pain that shot straight to his heart.

  Had he hurt her so badly that she no longer wanted him close to her?

  “Julian and I are going to try and give it a shot.”

  “Give what a shot?” Surely, she wasn’t about to tell him something stupid.

  “Dating. We’re both single and decided why not.”

  How can you date him when you want me? Rally thought bitterly, but he didn’t say it. Instead, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, pulling the fabric tight across his thighs.

  “Whose idea was this?” he asked.

  Sage frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Did you come up with this fictitious relationship or was it Julian?” He couldn’t let Sage ruin her life with Julian. Julian had too much baggage from his past to be placing on her.

  “I like him a lot. Julian is an amazing man,” Sage told him. “Why wouldn’t I want to give dating him a shot? What do I have to lose? My God, I can’t do anything right in your eyes, can I, Rally? You tell me to get out of your life and I do it, but it isn’t fast enough. I start trying to build a relationship with another man, yet you think it’s a lie.”

  “Sage, I didn’t mean it like that,” Rally said, trying to apologize.

  She was such an optimistic, friendly, and upbeat person. If she stayed around Julian too long, Sage would lose that part of herself while helping his friend through his trials and tribulations.

  “Julian is too old for you,” he said, trying to go a different angle with her.

  “You’re older than Vanity, but you’re dating her,” she tossed back.

  “Five years and ten years are two different things. Julian has lived through so much compared to you. I just think it would be better if you didn’t start anything with him.”

  “Now I understand why Shawn moved out. You can’t control our lives anymore. I’m going to date whomever I want. Dinner is at six o’clock. I hope to see you there.” Sage turned around and walked out the door before he could tell her anything else.

  Shit! What in the hell was he supposed to do now?

  When he was finally ready to give things with Sage a chance, he was too late. He had to fix this problem and quick.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You’re alone,” Sage said, stepping back from the door. Rally came inside, bringing the wonderful scent of his cologne. She tried not to notice how gorgeous he looked in his dark green shirt and black slacks.

  “You were right. Shawn already had plans with his girlfriend, so I went ahead and came by myself because I didn’t want to cancel on you,” Rally said.

  He stood to the side, waiting while she closed the door. Sage tried to remember she was with Julian and Rally was part of her past. All she had to do was make her body realize it.

  I can do this. Rally wasn’t going to seduce her with his green eyes, dark complexion, and sexy as hell grin.

  “Thanks for coming. Julian and I really appreciate it,” she said, turning around to face him.

  “You’re welcome, brat,” Rally answered.

  Bending down, he kissed her on the mouth, running his tongue along the side. Shocked by the surprise movement, she gasped, giving Rally the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth.

  “Hmmm…you taste good,” he growled low in his throat.

  “What is wrong with you?” Sage hissed, shoving Rally away She quickly glanced around, making sure Julian hadn’t seen anything. She wasn’t about to let him ruin this night for her.

  “Nothing, I only gave you a kiss. Is there something wrong with that?” he asked innocently.

  “I’m dating Julian and you know it means your tongue has no business in my mouth,” she hissed low so Julian wouldn’t hear her.

  “Fine, I’ll just have to find another place to stick it before the night is over,” Rally replied, winking at her.

  Sage felt her face turning warmer at the thought of Rally’s tongue anywhere on her body, but she shoved those images away. He wasn’t going to do anything else to her.

  “Come on, Julian is in the kitchen.” Sage turned on her heel and led the way.

  “Why did you let me think you were moving in with Julian?”

  “You didn’t give me a chance to tell you I wasn’t. As usual, you jumped to the wrong conclusion,” Sage answered, looking back over her shoulder. “That’s just how you are.”

  “I can show you a different side of me, if you allow me,” Rally whispered and then brushed his fingers over her ass.

  “Will you stop?” She slapped Rally’s wandering hand away and walked a little faster.

  She wasn’t sure what had gotten into Rally, but he wasn’t going to use her as some form of amusement tonight. Those days for her were over; she wasn’t interested in getting his attention. He had his chance and he lost it weeks ago.

  ****

  Walking behind Sage, Rally noticed how the spaghetti strapped dress hugged her nice, full ass. How did he ever think he could make it through this ridiculous dinner without his cock getting hard for her?

  He couldn’t help but smile to himself. Sage was going to be so shocked when he asked her out on a real date. First, he still had to break things off with Vanity, and then get Sage to end things with Julian, which shouldn’t be too hard. They hadn’t been together that long. Hell, he couldn’t wait. He had to tell her now.

  “Sage, we need to talk.”

  “Not now, Rally.” Sage kept walking into the kitchen. She stopped right in front of Julian and kissed him.

  No! It took all his self-control not to punch his old college roommate in the face. He couldn’t believe Sage just kissed Julian like he wasn’t even in the same room with them.

  “Glad you could come, Rally. It has been a while. How’s Vanity?” Julian asked, wrapping his arm around Sage’s waist in a possessive manner.

  Rally saw red and it almost made him yank Julian’s arm off Sage’s body, but he held back. “Thank you for the invitation. Vanity is doing fine. She’s probably working late. I’m not sure because I haven’t talked to her in a few days.

  “Rally, we have plenty of food. Sage is too good to me. She makes sure I’m well taken care of,” Julian replied. “I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend.”

  Well, she won’t be your girlfriend for much longer, Rally thought.

  “Sage is very giving. I think it’s one of the reasons I love her so much.”

  “It’s hard not to love someone as fantastic as Sage. She’s one of a kind, and I’m glad she’s with me. A man would be crazy to let someone like her slip through his fingers for no good reason.”

  Only for the time being, old friend, Rally thought. I won’t let you have Sage.

  “Guys, how about we start to eat before the food gets cold,” Sage suggested.

  “Okay, babe.” Julian grin
ned. “Rally, why don’t you grab something and take it into the dining room?”

  “Sure, I can do something,” he answered, grabbing a dish of mashed potatoes off the table and following Julian while Sage stayed in the kitchen. He would find a way to get another moment alone with Sage before he left.

  ****

  Pushing her food around on her plate, Sage couldn’t help but notice the tension simmering between Rally and Julian. They were trying to act like it wasn’t there, but it could be cut with a knife.

  Tonight was supposed to be a celebration of her and Julian becoming a couple, but nothing was going as she planned. Her hand had actually brushed against Rally and she kept her composure about it. Yet, he kept trying to get her into a conversation by asking her question after question. He never was this interested in her life before, so what brought around the sudden change?

  Julian had even touched her hand a couple of times and asked if she was all right. She must have given him an answer that satisfied him because he left her alone.

  “Rally, how are things going at work?” she asked, joining the conversation.

  Rally swung his gaze away from Julian over to her. They looked like green, polished jade. “I’m not going to lie. I wish you were still there. This new guy is good, but he isn’t you.”

  “I wasn’t there that long for you to feel like that,” she replied. “I’m pretty sure you aren’t giving him a fair chance. After a few weeks I’ll be a distant memory to you.”

  “No, I seriously doubt I will ever think Tom is as good as you. Your mind was like a snapshot. I showed you something once and you knew it. You were always quick to respond to anything that I wanted. I never had a problem with you not giving me enough details.”

  “You’re only saying that now because he’s still new. I’m positive Tom will get better in a few weeks. Everyone needs the proper time to adjust to a new job.”

  “No,” Rally denied. “I’m telling you the truth. I miss how easy you made my life. I only had to worry about my problems, not everyone else’s.”

  “He’s right, you know,” Julian chimed in. “I see the difference at Serenity since you became my assistant. You’re such a task oriented person. I never made one list until I hired you.”

  Leaning over, she kissed Julian on the cheek. “Thank you. I’m trying my best to get you in order over there. You’re such a mess, but it’s cute. I love the little slips of sticky notes you had on your computer.”

  “I’m becoming less of a mess since you entered my life,” Julian said. “You have changed me for the better. I─” The sound of his cell phone cut him off.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said before picking it up and answering it. “Hey, I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Can you hold on for a minute? Sweetheart, do you mind if I take this call?” Julian held the cell phone against his chest and looked back and forth between her and Rally.

  “Go ahead. I can clear the table and get dessert ready,” Sage replied.

  “Thank you, baby.” Julian kissed her on the cheek and then got up from the table and left the room. A second later the door to his bedroom closed.

  “Does he do that a lot?”

  “What?” she asked, standing up. Sage began gathering up the plates off the table.

  She moved away from the table and carried them into the kitchen. Walking over to the trashcan, she raked the food inside before carrying the empty plates over to the sink. From the corner of her eye, Sage noticed Rally bringing their glasses into the kitchen. He placed them on the island before joining her at the sink.

  “Leave you alone to answer phone calls. This is your first dinner party and he left you alone with me,” Rally said. He was so close that she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

  “Can’t you just leave it alone?” Spinning around, she fell back against the counter as Rally boxed her in with his body. She tried shoving him away, but he wouldn’t budge. “God…what is your deal?”

  “Nothing,” he whispered, running his hands up and down her arms. “I only wanted to see if you needed help with the dishes.”

  “It isn’t possible for us to wash dishes this close together,” she said. “Now, if you move back, I’ll let you wash while I dry.”

  He shook his head at her suggestion. “I’m sure I can think of something else,” Rally assured her as his fingers toyed with the strap on her purple dress. “Do you know how much I’ve been fighting not to kiss you all night right in front of Julian?”

  “Rally, stop,” Sage hissed, trying to pull his hand away, but she ended up moaning when he exposed her breasts to the cool air inside the kitchen. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but we can’t do this.”

  “What are we doing?”

  “You’re trying to make Julian catch us in a compromising position. You know that he’s less than twenty feet from us.”

  “I’m not seducing you. Flirting…yes, but no to the seduction,” he answered before lowering his head and running his tongue across her swollen nipples.

  She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming out. It wasn’t fair that Rally could still make her come alive like this. Sage shook her hand, trying to get her senses together. She was with Julian. She couldn’t be doing this with Rally. He was playing with her emotions just like he used to do.

  “Stop, we can’t do this. I don’t want you anymore. I have Julian now.”

  “Hmmm…let me see about how true that is,” Rally said before he shoved her dress up to her hips. “I bet you’re wetter for me than you have ever been for him.”

  “Fuck,” he growled, looking down at her. “I didn’t know you weren’t wearing any damn panties.” He brushed his knuckles over her damp curls before working two fingers inside her pussy.

  Her breath hissed out before she bit down on her bottom lip. Rally’s fingers felt so damn thick and long. She grabbed a handful of Rally’s white shirt to steady herself so she wouldn’t fall over.

  “I couldn’t with this dress.” Lord, she was going to hell for this. Julian could come out any minute and catch them. “We’ve got to stop,” she uttered, trying to regain her common sense.

  “In a minute,” Rally answered, removing his fingers leaving her empty and wanting more. “I’m going to taste you before I leave.”

  Before she could move, Rally lifted her up on the counter. He placed his hand on her thighs and spread them apart. She didn’t have a time to react before he dropped to his knees and placed his face between her legs.

  Covering her mouth with one hand, Sage grabbed onto Rally’s shoulder with the other as his tongue licked at her clit. Some of the strokes were long and fast while others were slow and tempting. As quick as it had started it ended as Rally lifted her off the counter and fixed her clothing.

  What in hell just happened?

  Sage blinked and tried to regain her senses as Rally moved away from her. One minute Rally’s talented tongue was between her legs licking her like an ice cream cone and in the next minute, he was standing halfway across the kitchen.

  The sound of feet pounding down the hall shook her to her senses. Oh, God! Rally stopped because he had heard Julian coming back. She’d almost ruined her relationship with Julian because of her sexual attraction to Rally.

  She made a promise to herself right then and there to make sure Rally never got a chance to manipulate her again. He knew what he was doing. He wanted to prove that he still had power over her and she didn’t do one thing to prove him wrong!

  “Sage, I have incredible news,” Julian uttered as he rushed across the kitchen and pulled her into his arms. “You’ll never believe what happened.”

  She leaned back in Julian’s arms. “I don’t have a clue, but why don’t you tell me?”

  “The extra money I needed got donated, so I’ll be able to have the charity drive.”

  “Oh, Julian.” She grinned. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you. Is there anything I can do?” She had to do something to make up for wha
t she just did with Rally.

  “Do you mind starting on the list for everyone I want to invite?” he suggested. “After that is finished we can work on the invitations together.”

  “I’ll get right on it after I escort Rally to the door,” Sage said. She eased out of Julian’s arms and went up to Rally.

  “Let me show you to the front door,” Sage told Rally, then walked past him out of the kitchen.

  “I’ll be right behind you,” Rally answered.

  Sage opened the front door and shoved Rally into the hallway. She quickly shut the door behind them so Julian wouldn’t hear their conversation. She was going to get to the bottom of what Rally was trying to pull tonight.

  “What’s going on with you tonight? How could to do that to me in Julian’s house? Do you how bad I feel now? He didn’t deserve it. You need to stay away from me. I mean it, Rally.”

  Rally reached out to touch her, but she brushed his hand away. “I mean it.”

  His green eyes narrowed at her. “You don’t want Julian. You did all of this to make me jealous and it worked. I hated seeing you with my best friend. Quit your job and move back home.”

  “Have you been hitting the hard liquor or something?” Sage asked, watching Rally closely. “You aren’t acting like yourself.”

  “How do I usually act around you?”

  “Distant, cold, and unfeeling,” she answered. “I have no need to move back to your house. I’m very happy where I’m living. Why don’t you go and find Vanity? I’m sure she’ll be glad to move in with you. Truthfully, I used to hold out hope you would change your mind about me, but I’m letting that go. For a while after I moved out, I hated you.”

  ****

  It would have hurt less if Sage compared him to something on the bottom of her shoe. How could she think she hated him? Yes, he had been hard on her in the past, but that was because he was trying to fight his attraction for her. Well, if she wanted to hate him he would give her something to hate when she was alone in her bed tonight.