Filthy Rich, Wild with Lust

Chapter 18

“Oh, fantastic.”

“But of course you may find something similar at a cheaper price at another store. These suppliers are top end, but I feel like this shape of couch is what we are after.”

“Awesome. Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it.”

“Send anything that you find to me, and I’ll just check the color and dimensions. You don’t want to order something and find it’s too big or small for the space when it arrives.”

“Good thinking.”

“Let’s touch base next week—maybe Tuesday I can come over on my way home from work.”

“Can’t wait. Thanks so much, Joel. Have a great week.”

“Bye, Jules.” He hangs up, and I smile at him calling me Jules. He has that kind of personality where you feel like you know him already.

I hang up and slump onto the stool. I really wanted to get this house perfect as quickly as I could. I need more money, much more money.

I think for a moment. I wonder if I could get an extra shift a week at a nursing home. They are always looking for nurses. Hmm, that’s a good idea, actually.

I’ll make some calls today. I could squeeze in one shift a week, two some weeks.

Operation Hot b***h is on. Don’t mess with me, world, because I will cut you.

I grab Barry’s leash, and he and I go out front. I’m so sore from running extra fast all week that I have to stretch a little extra. Being in a b***h mood sure does up the ante on my training schedule. I hold on to my mailbox and pull my foot back to my behind. I feel the stretch all the way through my quad. Henley’s garage door goes up.

I pretend not to look as he drives out in his Range Rover.

I glance at my watch. It’s 5:40 a.m.

Surely he doesn’t work a sixteen-hour day every single day.

He pulls onto the road and catches sight of me. He waves as he drives by as if we don’t even know each other, as if Saturday night didn’t even happen.

Did it?

Or was I just so high on his pheromones that I invented the entire thing in my head?

His car turns the corner, and I exhale heavily.

Ugh, I hate men.

“Juliet.” I hear Carol’s annoying voice from behind me, and I close my eyes.

Give me strength. Not now, Carol.

“Juliet,” she calls in her singsong voice. I turn toward her and fake a smile.

“Morning, Carol.”

“Hello, dear.” She comes bustling across the street. “What are you doing next weekend?”

Decapitating Henley James’s voodoo doll.

“Nothing much.” I smile. “Got to get going on my run.”

“Oh, that’s good, because I’ve taken the liberty and organized a little welcome-to-the-neighborhood party for you.”

“What?”

“Just the street family—we want to welcome you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

The king of the street already welcomed me on Saturday through his pants... with his d**k.

“I wanted to give you a few weeks to settle in, and time has gotten away, but now it’s already organized. I’m going inside right now to print out the invitations.”

“I don’t want a fuss, Carol.”

“Nonsense.” She smiles. “You’re a part of the Kingston family now.”

Actually, Carol, I’m a dirty dry humper who has no shame.

“Five o’clock on Saturday afternoon on my front porch.”

Feeling like the biggest b***h in the world, I smile. She’s being so nice, and here I am dreading talking to her. What the hell is wrong with me? “Thank you, Carol.”

Suddenly I’m feeling all emotional, and I hug her. “You really don’t need to throw a party, though.”

“Nonsense.” She smiles into my shoulder. “Go run that marathon.”

“Okay.” I begin with a slow jog. “Have a nice day.”

My brother Liam smiles as he looks around the house. “I love it already.”

“Do you really?” I smile hopefully.

“Uh-huh, it’s perfect.” He holds open a rickety door and closes it. “You need to replace these hinges.”

“The interior designer has come up with a plan, and we’re doing up one room at a time. This room is first, so I guess we will get to it.”

“You’re paying an interior decorator?” He frowns. “Isn’t that s**t expensive?”

“No, he’s not too bad. Charging me by the hour. But he does think it’s going to be between thirty to sixty thousand dollars to complete.”

“Fuck.” His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“I’ve got an interview at a nursing home this week.”

“I thought you liked your job?”

“I do. This is a second job, just one or two shifts a week so I can try and save faster.”

“Don’t kill yourself for a house renovation. It’s not worth it.”

“It’s fine. I’m just going to stack my shifts at the hospital, and then on my days off, I’ll just do one shift at the nursing home. The money is really good.”

He nods. “Okay.”

“So, how did your date go?”

He exhales and flops back onto the couch. “Yeah, okay, I guess.”

I watch him for a moment. “So... I’m guessing from your reaction that you had dinner and went home alone.”

“No, we got busy.” He seems bored.

“And?”

He shrugs as if uninterested. “It was... mediocre at best.”

“Oh.”

I fall silent, unsure what to say. Liam’s girlfriend died in a car accident three years ago, and he’s never been quite the same. “Maybe you’re not ready yet, babe.”

“I don’t care anyway,” he lies. “I just needed to—”

I cut him off. “I get it.”

I need to find the right girl to kiss him better. Because he deserves better, much better.

“Maybe we’re destined to be single for forever.” I smirk.

“Suits me.” He smiles. “I’ve got my tools in my truck. Want me to change the hinges?”

“Really?” I sit up, excited. “You have time?”

“Yes, but you’re making me carbonara for dinner.”

“Deal.” I beam.

Henley

“You want another beer?” I ask as I stand.

Antony lies on a deck chair by his pool, eyes closed. “Yeah, that’d be good.” He yawns, half-asleep. “Grab us a snack or something while you’re up.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, cheese.” He shrugs, eyes still closed. “Biscuits.”

“You’re going to turn into f*****g cheese and biscuit soon.”

“Probably,” he replies, uninterested.

I called over to see him this afternoon and somehow have now been out here lying by the pool for three hours. I walk inside and grab two beers and a packet of chips and walk out the back door. From the high balcony I glance up and see Juliet’s house.

Whose vehicle is that in her driveway? I stand still as I watch for a moment.

Whose f*****g car is that?

Who cares? It doesn’t matter.

I take the beers and chips down to the pool area and put them onto the table between the deck chairs, and then before I can even sit down, I turn and walk back to the house. “Where are you going now?” Ant asks.

“Checking something out.”

“Like what?”

“Back in a minute.” I stand on the steps and stare over to Juliet’s. The front door opens, and a guy walks out. He’s shirtless.

What?

Who the f**k is this?

I narrow my eyes as I try to home my vision in on him. I’ve seen him somewhere before. He looks familiar somehow.

He walks out to the truck and grabs a toolbox.

Who is he?

He turns so I can completely see his face. Where have I... the penny drops.

Get f****d.

That’s the f*****g fiancé.

She’s still with him. That’s it! I storm down to the deck chair, infuriated.

“She has got to be f*****g kidding,” I spit.

“Who?”

“Little Miss Innocent from number eleven.”

Ant exhales heavily. “What now?”

“You know who’s at her f*****g house right now? I’ll tell you who,” I fume. “It’s that dopy prick fiancé.”

“Huh?”

“She’s still with him.” I begin to pace. “So she’s dry humping me at the wedding in public, forcing me to go back to my apartment because I can’t be trusted being next door to her and not jumping the fence. Get blisters on my hand from wanking so much, and the whole entire time she’s still going to marry him,” I spit.

Ant stares at me.

“Oh... she’s good, I’ll give her that. Plays me like a f*****g fiddle.” I walk back and forth on the deck as my mind races. “You know what she is?” I point at him. “She’s venomous. She’s a lying, poisonous, voodoo-p***y wolf in a lamb suit. That’s what she is.”

Ant thinks for a moment. “Sneaky woolly muff?”

I smirk at his analogy. “Exactly.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

I drop to sit down and exhale heavily. “Nothing.”

“Nothing as in wank over her some more?”

I roll my eyes, disgusted at myself for wanting her. “Pretty much.”

I glance at my watch as I drink my coffee. s**t, I’ve got to go. I’m late.

I’m on struggle street this morning. Exhausted after tossing and turning over the witch next door.

I’m over it. I’m over her.

Fuck this.

I put my toast in my mouth to hold it, grab my coffee to go, and walk past the glass back door, and something catches my eye.

Huh...

I step back and stare into my backyard. My face drops in horror. “What the f**k?” I explode. I open the sliding door to see c*****e like you’ve never seen before.