“George, I don’t know this little tramp’s name. Paige Mustard? No, Mulligan? No. Listen I’ll find it out, and I want you to dig up as much dirt on her as you…hey!”
I grabbed the phone out of her hand, and hit the end button.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I asked.
She grinned. “I’m hiring my best private detective to dig up some dirt on Paige. Now, sweetie, what’s her last name? I’ll take care of this little witch for you.”
I shook my head. “Bianca, you’re not going to hire someone to pull up dirt on anyone, especially Paige.”
Her hands went to her hips. “If you think for one minute I’m going to let you stay in the same house as her, you are insane. You are my boyfriend, soon to be fiancé, and you’re not staying with her.”
I reached for my jeans and pulled them on. Then I grabbed the first T-shirt I could find. I went into the bathroom, grabbed all my shit and tossed it into my bag.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m packing up my stuff.”
“Thank God. We’re going home!” She practically bounced into the bathroom and started packing up the hundreds of bath products she had hauled with us to Fiji.
I set down the keys to the rental car.
“Bianca.”
“I honestly thought you were losing your damn mind there for a second. I was actually feeling a small sweat coming on. You know how much I hate to sweat.”
“Bianca.”
“My lawyers will handle everything. Don’t you worry, baby.”
“Bianca!” I shouted, causing her to freeze and look at me.
“Jesus! What?”
“I’m leaving you.”
A short laugh slipped from her lips. “I’m sorry. What are you saying?”
“This isn’t working. You want something I can’t give you.”
“Excuse me?”
I shook my head. “I’m not ever going to ask you to marry me because I don’t love you. I think you’ve known for some time. I can’t do this anymore, I’m sorry.”
Her face twisted up into an evil expression. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“Yes, and I should have done it back in Fiji and left your ass there so I could make it back in time for Granddad’s funeral. Hell, I should have done it a long time ago.”
Her mouth worked open and shut a few times. “Is this because of her?”
“This is because you and I are nothing alike, and I’ve only been pretending. I’m not happy, and I really can’t believe you’re happy with me either. If you were, you wouldn’t be trying to change me all the time to fit your idea of what a perfect boyfriend should be.”
“I only tried to change you for the better!” she spat out.
I sighed. “Enjoy your life, Bianca. I’ll send someone to Austin to pick up my clothes. Everything else, you can keep.”
I didn’t own a car, since we lived near downtown Austin. Leaving behind the place we lived in wasn’t a big deal at all. It was all in Bianca’s name, and I didn’t want a single thing. Bianca had picked out everything in our apartment. Nothing was mine. I actually hated the fucking place. It had never dawned on me how much I hated it until this very moment.
“If you walk out that door, Lucas, don’t ever come back to me.”
I grabbed my two bags and headed to the door.
“I’m being serious. I don’t need you. You were the one who needed me to get over that little whore.”
I glanced back at her and smiled. “Paige is ten times the woman you could ever dream of being.”
I walked out the door and headed down to Betty’s private residence. After knocking on the door once, it opened.
“Hey, is there any way John can give me a ride? Bianca is taking the rental car.”
Betty looked at my bags and smiled. “Please tell me you finally left her.”
“I left her.”
Her eyes went up and she said, “Thank you, Heavenly Father.”
Paige
“IF YOU EAT any more ice cream, you’re going to be upset that I didn’t plan an intervention.”
With a sigh, I let the spoon fall back into the tub and pushed it away from me.
“Thanks, Jen. I needed that.”
Jen and I were celebrating my big move. I think she was even more excited than my father when I told him I was moving back to Johnson City.
“Do you feel any better?” Jen asked.
“No. Only bloated.”
She chuckled. “That boy always did get you fired up.”
I dropped back into the chair. “That boy is not a boy. It’s so unfair. He’s better looking now.”
“Oh, I know. I saw him next to his Barbie doll in some magazine article. Honestly, I think this chick keeps him by her side because he’s so pretty.”
I laughed and then groaned. “He’s a Class-A jerk. I mean, how long is he going to punish me for following my own dream? I didn’t want to break up. He was the one who broke up with me. If anyone should be pissed off, it should be me because I loved him, and it took me forever to get over him. A part of me will never get over him.”
“You two were always good together, the perfect couple,” she said with a sigh, adding, “Men are idiots.”
“But you found a good one.”
She smiled. “I did. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but even Gene can be an idiot at times. It’s in their DNA.”
“I think you may be right. I’d better get back. I need to measure the windows. I might have time to drive into Dripping Springs and get some blinds. It’s kind of creepy being in the house without blinds. This being my first night sleeping there, I need some sense of privacy.”
Jen reached for my hand. “Paige, what if he won’t sell you his half? I hate seeing you put all your hard-earned money into that house.”
I gave her a warm smile. “I’m not wasting it. Part of it is still my house.” I looked down at the floor and then back at her. “He offered me over a million dollars for it today.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
With a nod, I replied, “I turned him down. He now knows I’m serious. I’m not leaving. I think it’s a pride thing now. He’ll go back to Austin, wait a few days, then make a deal with me to buy him out. I’m sure of it.”
Jen nodded. “I think you’re right. He was probably butthurt his granddaddy left you half the house. Once he gets back to Austin, and it’s out of his mind, he’ll sell you his half.”
I had to admit, I was feeling confident about the situation.
“If you need anything, let me know.”
I hugged her. “I will. Thanks so much.”
“Of course. I’m just tickled pink you’re back in JC!”
“Me, too.” I waved goodbye and headed back to the ranch house to measure the windows. In my mind, I went over everything that needed to be done. The costliest project would be the kitchen. I wanted the rest of the house to be exactly as it was when William and his wife May had lived there. But the kitchen was going to be state-of-the-art fabulous. My dream kitchen. If I budgeted right, I could make it happen. Especially if Milo gave me a break on the painting.
As I drove down the old gravel driveway, I couldn’t help but think back to earlier. It had hurt so much when Lucas tossed out a number, expecting me to bite. He was used to dealing with his precious Bianca. Well, no amount of money was going to make me leave. As a matter of fact, nothing would make me leave this house. Ever.
As I got closer to the house, I saw someone on the front porch sitting in one of the rocking chairs. I parked and sat there, staring at him. What in the hell was Lucas doing, sitting on the front porch? He was dressed in a green T-shirt that would undoubtedly showcase his eyes; they’d be almost mesmerizing up close.
He stood and moved closer to the steps. I quickly looked around for Bianca and saw no sign of her. If she was in my house, er, our house, I was going to throttle Lucas.
A low moan slipped from between my lips. “
No. Dear God, no. Why? Why are you punishing me with this man’s looks?!”
Lucas had changed. He now wore jeans, cowboy boots, and had put on his cowboy hat. The same one he wore all the time in high school. I swallowed hard. So, that was the game he was going to play.
Fine. Game on.
I threw open the door to my SUV and glared at him as I stomped up the steps. If he thought he could dress up like the old Lucas and still convince me to leave, he had another thing coming. I may have caved to this Lucas once upon a time, but no more.
Nope. Not happening. I am stronger now.
“Hey, roomie.”
My heart fell to my stomach and a lump formed in my throat, making it hard to speak. That word froze me in my angry tracks.
“Wh-what?”
He walked closer and looked down into my eyes. The way his hazel eyes were sparking told me I was fixin’ to be in some serious trouble.
“Congratulations. You got your wish. I’m not selling the place. Instead, I moved in. We’re housemates.”
My eyes flew past his shoulder and through the screen door. “Bianca?”
My voice sounded scared to death, which pissed me off. There was no way I could live in this house with her. That would be cruel, even for Lucas.
“She’s decided to go back to Austin. It’s just me.”
Standing up taller, I forced myself to smile.
Do not show the beast fear. You are a strong, confident woman, Paige Miller. Show this asshole who is boss.
“Sounds great. Now I’ve got an extra set of hands to help me remodel and paint.”
To Lucas’s credit, he didn’t waver. That made me nervous. He shouldn’t want to be roommates. This should be awkward. Then it hit me. This was probably Bianca’s plan. She wanted her greedy little hands on my portion of the house.
Steeling my resolve, I decided that whatever this man threw at me, I was ready for it.
He lifted his hands and winked. “In case you don’t remember, I’m good with my hands.”
My knees wobbled because I did remember. Boy, did I ever remember. Every. Moment. I’d spent many nights with my dildo lost in those memories.
I shook the memory away. No, no, no! The man has a girlfriend. Stow the dirty thoughts, Paige.
I gave him a humorless laugh. “You have clearly lied to your girlfriend and told her you were staying at your parents’.”
He shook his head. “I haven’t.”
“She’s okay with you living here, without her?”
“No, she’s not okay with it at all.”
“Then why are you here if it makes your girlfriend upset, Lucas?”
He smiled. It wasn’t a forced smile. No, it was the kind of smile that said Lucas was keeping score. Lucas, one. Paige, zero.
“Shit,” I whispered. When his eyes roamed down my body, I tried not to let him see me shiver.
Please don’t say what I think you’re fixin’ to say.
“Bianca and I broke up.”
Oh God, there it was.
“You broke up? Just like that?”
He nodded. “Truth be told, it had been a long time coming. Her calling you a tramp was the last straw.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, then snarled. “That was not the reason.”
He laughed. “No, it wasn’t. But it was long overdue. I’m going to need to borrow your car tomorrow to head into Austin. Looks like I need to buy myself a truck.”
“A truck?”
I was positive I sounded like a freaking idiot.
“Yeah. A guy who owns a ranch needs a truck.”
Slowly, I shook my head, walked back to my car.
“Hey! Roomie, where are you going? I thought we could go over the paint samples. I’m not so sure about some of these colors.”
My fists balled at my sides as I practically ran to the car. I got in and headed down the driveway. When I got to where I was out of sight, I stopped, pulled my phone out and called Jen.
“Hey, you made it home safely.”
“Yep, and there was a package of sorts on the front porch. Waiting for me.”
“Oh, what did you order?”
My head dropped to the steering wheel. “Well, I can for sure tell you I didn’t order a six-foot, dark-haired, hazel-eyed man I used to know very intimately.”
“I’m confused.”
“So am I. Lucas just informed me he’s moving in with me. Moving into the house. Living here.”
“Wow. So he’s going to go that route. Okay, well, the model won’t let that happen for too long, so you just need to buck it up until he folds.”
“It’s game on, Jen. It’s game on, and that bastard is already one point ahead.”
“Why?” she asked, nervousness in her voice.
With a groan, I answered, “He broke up with Bianca.”
“Oh. No. Hell no. Code freaking red! I’m on my way to your place with the ice cream and movies.”
Jen and I sat in the living room, in our pajamas with the TV turned up. Top Gun was playing, and we squealed like school girls when the volleyball scene came on. Lucas came walking into the room. His hand raked through his hair, clearly pissed we had woken him up.
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as he focused on the TV, wearing practically no clothes. “It’s one in the morning. Are you two serious right now? Top Gun?”
Jen placed her finger on my chin and closed my gaping mouth. I had a good excuse for it. Lucas had come out of his room dressed in nothing but thin sweats that left nothing to the imagination as far as his package was concerned. And his chest was exposed. Void of any shirt, leaving his impressive chest on display.
“Wow,” Jen whispered; I nodded. Lucas Foster had a body to die for. I found myself hating Bianca all over again for getting to sleep next to him for years. Touch him. Run her tongue over his body. Scream out his name. Bitch.
Lucas noticed both of us staring. My eyes wandered down to his crotch. Instead of letting out a moan like I wanted to, I went in the opposite direction. I scrunched up my nose and said, “Huh.” Then I flicked my eyes back up at him.
He glared at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged, glancing at his crotch again. “Nothing.”
He walked closer to us. “You just looked at my junk and scrunched up your nose, Paige. Why?”
Jen cleared her throat and stood. “Okay, so this is awkward. I’m going to go to the little girl’s room while you two…roommates…work this out.”
Once Jen was out of the room, Lucas reached down and adjusted himself. I wanted to die, but I sat there, not a single emotion on my face. He’d done it on purpose, and if he thought I was going to give him any sort of reaction, he was insane.
“It’s nothing, Lucas. I just remembered you differently.”
His eyebrow rose. “Differently?”
“Yeah,” I said with in a half shrug. “I guess because I was so young and naïve, it seemed...”
I laughed and purposely didn’t finish my sentence.
“Are you saying you think I’m small?”
My eyes drifted to his very impressive bulge. His growing bulge. Oh my goodness, why was he getting hard? Was that from me looking at him? Or was it from talking about it? A man’s penis was a weird and complex thing.
“I’m saying at the time I thought you were impressive, but you know.” I winked.
Frustration clouded his face, and it was hard not to smile. “No, Paige. I don’t know.”
I sighed and looked up at him. “I’ve seen other cocks since then and you’re…average.”
The look of pure shock almost made me burst out laughing. I looked around him and back at the TV.
“Average? You’re saying you think my cock is average?”
I waved him off. “I’m missing the movie, Lucas.”
He stepped in front of me, his midsection right at eye level. “You think I’m average?”
“Okay,” I said, standing, because let’s be honest, a girl cannot have
a way-above-average dick at eye level and not want to play with it. Lucas’s or not. Especially if that girl hasn’t had sex in forever.
“Lucas, this is silly. I’m sure you’re sporting a nice little package.”
“You just said little.”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you want me to say?”
He smiled.
I frowned and folded my arms across my chest, noticing how he quickly took a peek at my breasts before meeting my gaze again.
“You need an ego boost that bad, huh? What’s the matter, did your girlfriend not compliment your dick enough? Maybe she had a reason not to,” I said with a shrug.
His smile faded. “You are not a nice person, Paige.”
“Then move out.”
“Never. Oh, and in case you forgot, the house is haunted.”
I laughed. “It is not.”
He lifted a brow. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He turned, and I couldn’t help but look at his perfect ass as he retreated. I bit my teeth into my lip and forced myself not to moan by digging my nails into my palms.
“Stop looking at my ass,” Lucas called as he rounded the corner.
“You’re an asshole, and I wasn’t looking at your ass!” I cried out.
“Beg to differ, you were totally checking out that ass,” Jen said as she walked back into the room.
“He drives me mad,” I said, dropping back on the sofa.
“Yeah, he’s something else. I give it three weeks.” Jen grabbed her pillow and headed for the stairs.
Following her lead, I turned off the TV. “Three weeks for what?”
She remained silent until we walked into my room. Jen flopped onto the bed, hugged her pillow and closed her eyes. “Three weeks and the two of you are going to be bumping uglies.”
I laughed. “Not a chance.”
She peeked her eyes open. “Tell me, what was the first thing you thought of when he walked into that living room half naked, hair messy, his impressive cock on display in those thin pants? I’m married and even I had a dirty thought…or three.”
I opened my mouth to answer, then shut it quickly.
Jen smiled. “It’s okay to think about it but keep your head in the game. If he realizes his body makes you go all goofy, he’ll use your weakness to his advantage.”
Divided Interests Page 5