That was the thought that moved me from Audrey’s driveway behind her dark green compact car, up the steps, and to her door, knocking like a man on a mission.
The door flew open and as soon as she saw my face, Audrey shut the door again. Started to anyway, but I was faster, grabbing the edge and pushing it open before it shut completely. “Invite me in, Audrey.”
“No. Go away.” Her violet eyes were practically black as they took me in, not too happy at all with my presence on her doorstep.
“Invite me in,” I said again with more determination this time.
“Say what you have to say right here.” Her words were a dare and I stared for a long time, hoping it would make her give in and issue the invite, but Audrey was still as stubborn as the day was long. It was time to fight dirty. I leaned in to kiss her and when she stepped back, I pressed my advantage and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.
“We have to talk, Audrey.”
“When you want to talk, we have to talk,” she muttered and gave me her back as she walked away from me.
“You’re right, okay? I was a jerk but—”
“Don’t care.” Arms folded with a chair and a coffee table between us, she was giving off all kinds of “fuck off” vibes that I refused to heed.
“If you don’t care, why are you so upset?” She had to be pissed off if she wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t talk to me.
“I’m not upset, Walker. Not at all. I thought we were friends, at least a little, and we’re not, as evidenced by your behavior. So what point is there in pretending otherwise?” She stood there, so confident in her words and rationale, I wanted to scream.
“One mistake and our entire friendship is over?”
“There was no friendship!” Her shouted words bounced off the empty walls and almost echoed her anger. “And it wasn’t one mistake, Walker. It was an ongoing, yearlong mistake. You wouldn’t even be here now if Will hadn’t forced you to come to dinner, so just keep on ignoring me. It’s worked well this far.”
“No, dammit.” I stepped closer, feeling knives stab into my chest with every step she took away from me. “I don’t want to ignore you, Audrey.”
“And of course it’s all about what you want, right?” She shook her head, black waves falling around her shoulders that my fingers itched to touch. “You don’t have to worry about me telling Will. Or anyone else, for that matter. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Our secret,” I insisted but she only shrugged.
“I’ll just be humiliated if this gets out.” She didn’t say the rest of that statement because she didn’t need to. Will, my best friend and brother, might never forgive me.
“Is that a threat?”
“No,” she said, suddenly tired. “There are no games on my end, Walker.”
“Unlike on mine?” I asked and closed the gap between us completely until she was backed against a wall, violet eyes fiery as they looked up at me like a trapped animal.
“You said it, not me.” Her voice was shaky with lust and desire.
I smiled. “You want me, Audrey. Admit it.”
“That’s just my body. Luckily my brain is smarter than that.” She didn’t look sure and I didn’t believe her.
“Then you won’t mind a little test,” I told her and lowered my mouth to hers, waiting for the punch or slap that never came. What did come was submission, or maybe it was merely acquiescence—either way the result was the same. My lips on hers, the taste of her mouth exploding inside mine.
Her tongue dancing with mine, her warm flesh pebbling under my touch. She arched into me like she needed to be closer. It was a heady thing, to turn on a woman so quickly. I took full advantage, letting my hands roam every dip and curve of her feminine body until she trembled under my touch.
A growl escaped and I pulled back, staring into lust-filled eyes before I dove in again for another taste. Audrey’s hands were on my shoulders, moving down my chest and abs before circling around to my back, caressing and massaging.
My hand found a bare leg, reminding me of the little skirt that replaced her usual jeans, and I pushed into her with my body. She groaned and wrapped a leg around my waist. It was the only hint I needed that she wanted this as much as I did, and I pulled back to stare at her as I lifted her in my arms while her hands worked to release my cock.
“Audrey,” I groaned when she began to stroke me between our smashed bodies.
“Shh,” she insisted and put her mouth back on mine, letting her tongue taste and explore while I found my way into her damp heat, that hot, wet channel that pulsed for me. Ached for me. Dripped just for me. “Ah,” she let out a tiny sigh of pleasure once I was buried deep. She closed her eyes.
I would have loved to know what was going on inside that pretty little head of hers but my body had other ideas, specifically my hips as they pumped hard and fast into her damp, pulsating heat. Over and over I drove into her while she clung to me, moaned incoherent words as I filled her body with pleasure. My pleasure.
Her fingers clawed at my back and her teeth sank into the tendons between my shoulder and neck as her orgasm started somewhere deep inside of her. “Oh!” A quiet, restrained moan escaped from her, the only sign she was enjoying herself.
Audrey’s head fell back and her legs tightened around my waist, giving me perfect access to her neck, which I bit and nibbled while I thrust into her. It was hard and fast, intense and so goddamn gritty, I couldn’t look away, not from the sight she made when she was overtaken by lust.
“Audrey,” I said in warning as her body clamped down on my cock, pulsing and squeezing as her orgasm started to take over.
“Yes! Oh fuck, yes!” And just like that, Audrey flew apart in my arms with my name on her lips and my cock buried deep, prolonging her pleasure. Her torture.
As she slowly went limp, I pumped harder and faster into her, determined that she would remember how good it was between us for some damn reason I couldn’t comprehend. Her hips moved in a slow tantalizing circle and finally my orgasm hit. It was hard and fast and completely out of control. It was fucking incredible.
I held Audrey for a long time as we came down. She was wrapped in my arms so tight, I could feel the rough beat of her heart, the slick sweat of ecstasy making us stick together.
“Audrey,” I moaned and brushed a kiss across her collarbone.
She froze and pushed at my chest until I took a step back, allowing her to slide down my body until her feet hit solid ground. Arms folded across herself, she glanced up at me with a look cold enough to stop my heart. “You got what you wanted. Now get out.”
I stood for several long seconds, stunned by her words. By the lethal cool of them. “I’ll leave now. But this isn’t over, Audrey.”
She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t have to. We both knew the truth.
* * *
“So, how goes the hunt for a date to the Spring Fling dance?”
I should have expected the question, but I didn’t.
“Since when do we talk about this?” If I had known that Will, Preston, and Nate would flap their jaws like women, I would have gone to the gym. Maybe taken a solo run.
“Since we nominated you Mr. Spring Fling,” Will said, not doing a damn thing to hold back his laughter. “So? Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Don’t know yet because I haven’t given it much thought. Why do you care so much?”
Preston shrugged as we made our way around the few farms on the outskirts of town. “Mostly just idle curiosity but also Nina will be very happy if I have any info so, you know, help a brother out.”
Preston’s words shocked a laugh out of me. He wasn’t known for his sense of humor but maybe getting laid on a regular basis did that to a guy. “Just ... wow. What about you two?”
Nate shoved Will out of his path and moved ahead of the pack. “I’m not looking for anything but friendship,” Nate said, “so just tell me who you have your eye on and I’ll ask someone else.”
“Afraid of a little competition?”
Nate laughed. “Hell no. But I don’t want to make your girl fall in love with me when I’m not looking for that.” He batted his eyelashes for good measure and took off as we entered Tulip proper. “Don’t be pissed when you don’t get the woman you want!”
Luckily, that wasn’t something I needed to worry about because there was no woman I wanted. At least not that I could have without some serious groveling and blowing up a lifelong friendship. So no, there was no woman who I wanted.
Not a one.
As we rounded the square where Tulip’s Tribute stood—the reason we were all allowing Janey to act like a tiny tyrant—I spotted Penny and Max. Penny and Ry were serious and would probably be married soon, so she was out. But Max and I had been friends our whole lives, and we’d even dated for about two weeks in the eighth grade. She wouldn’t get the wrong idea, would she?
I couldn’t be sure and a small part of me asked a question I had no business wondering about: what would Audrey think if I took Max to the dance? She wouldn’t think anything because she wasn’t going.
Or so she said.
In the end, we ran past the women with little more than a wave. I decided not to ask Max to the dance. If she was looking for something more, she should be free to find it. With no progress made at all, I went home to shower and dress for work. Another long day of negotiating with people who exercised poor judgment or, rather, with the professionals hired or appointed by the county to represent them. Just as I was thinking what a tedious day I had ahead of me, I ran into Audrey.
“Hey. Fancy meeting you here.”
She froze and spent a few seconds with her gaze staring a hole into my chest before those violet eyes met mine. “Walker. Morning.”
Near civility. That was progress. Wasn’t it? “Were you looking for me?”
“No. I was tending to business.” She was so serious, so unmoving.
“Personal business?”
“All of my business is personal, Walker. I need to get back to work.” She skirted around me but I couldn’t let her go. Not yet.
“Wait.” She looked down at the hand wrapped around her wrist in a gently firm hold. “What are you plans for dinner?”
She blinked, inky lashes briefly hiding the confusion swimming in those purplish-blue depths, mesmerizing me. “I plan to eat dinner, if that’s what you’re asking. I do it most nights.”
“Have dinner with me.” Her pouty lips were poised for rejection but I wouldn’t hear it. Couldn’t. “Unless you’re afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself.” It was a desperate challenge, but one I knew she would be unable to resist.
Audrey stepped back and looked up at me, assessing me, and I wondered what she saw when she looked at me. Her brother’s best friend? Lawyer? Childhood crush? No, the heat in her eyes was only overshadowed by regret. “We’ll both keep our hands to ourselves. And if I say yes to this meal, you’ll stop whatever this is. Deal?”
“You mean talking to you and trying to get to know you as an adult?” It was starting to piss me off that she doubted me so much, like I hadn’t spent more time at her house than my own.
“No, I mean you pretending to give a shit.” Her expression was deadly serious.
The fact that she believed what she said only made me more determined to change her mind about me. “You say tomato and I say to-mah-to. But I reserve the right to change your mind.”
“You can try, Walker. Just don’t get your hopes up.” She shook her head and stepped around me, careful to make sure our bodies didn’t touch. Yeah, she was affected.
“Wear something sexy!” I called after her, laughing when she flipped me off.
It was too bad she didn’t meet most of my requirements because Audrey was proving to be a challenge I couldn’t resist.
Audrey
Of course Walker chose this place. It was boiling over with romantic ambience from the dim lights all around the place, the candlelit tables, and the deep burgundy tablecloths. Even the music was low and intrusive, encouraging you to lean a little closer to be heard. It ticked all the boxes of what he expected a woman to want, which made me think maybe this was about assuaging his guilt. Still, none of that mattered because this date was a means to an end. A way to get Walker to stop his phony attempts to get back into my good graces.
It was bad enough I’d slept with him again; I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in nonsense. His games. There would be no touching tonight. No kissing.
No nudity.
“This place is nice,” I told him because there was nothing else to say, not really.
“You like it?”
I shrugged. “Not really but it’s nice.” His lips twitched—slight amusement at my attempts to keep distance between us. “It’s fine, Walker. This just isn’t my type of place.” The food was good so far but the portions were too damn small and the plates were works of art—tiny little unsatisfying works of art.
“I’ll do better next time,” he said, moving on before I had a chance to tell him there wouldn’t be a next time. “What happened to your job in New York? You left suddenly when I thought you were back in Tulip to stay.”
“I would’ve thought it was a relief to have me gone.”
“Audrey,” he began and shook his head, taking a sip from the glass of water to his left. “I didn’t want you to leave.”
No, you just didn’t want me. “Water under the bridge.” I flashed a phony smile. “The contract came up at the right time and the money was too good to pass up. That’s why I took it. It wasn’t about you.” Mostly. “Are you planning to run for county attorney?”
He blinked. “What makes you think that’s what I want?”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes because it was written all over him, from his stuffed-shirt suits, his too-serious expression, and his aversion to anything serious that wasn’t the law. Instead of all that, I simply said, “Next logical step, I suppose.”
“It is the next step but I’m not sure it’s what I want.” If I hadn’t been so familiar with Walker and his moods, his gestures, I might have missed the way his shoulders sank imperceptibly. Like just saying the words took a weight off his shoulders.
“You want it.” That much I knew. Walker had been grooming himself to be just like his physician father and researcher mother from the moment he was born—I’d bet good money on that. It wasn’t a future someone like me fit into and I was fine with that.
“Only time will tell,” he said and took a bite of his scampi. “Can I apologize now?”
“Nope.” The food, tiny as it was, had been delicious and there was no need to ruin a perfectly good meal by bringing up the past.
“You can’t just leave it like this.”
I shrugged. “Sure, I can. I’m not upset, not anymore anyway, and I’ve made my peace with what happened. You should too.”
He snorted. “You’ve ‘made peace’ with it but you don’t want anything to do with me?”
“I’m just giving you exactly what you want, Walker. You went out of your way to avoid me and now that I’m okay with it, you’re upset. Typical.” It was more proof that I’d never known or seen the real Walker all those years I crushed on him. He was spoiled and too used to getting his own way. That was what this was about.
He frowned, looking around the restaurant to make sure no other diners were listening. “I slept with my best friend’s kid sister, Audrey. It required some time to process. To think. To plan.”
“Bullshit. You’ve had a year, Walker. You could ha—”
“I hope you folks are enjoying your meal. Can I interest you in dessert?”
I swallowed the rest of those words and turned to the waitress.
“No,” I said at the same time Walker said,
“Yes.”
She frowned and took a step back like even she felt how thick the tension was at our table. “I’ll let you folks decide and come back in a few, okay?”
We
both gave distracted nods as she hurried away from the table.
I turned to Walker. “I kept up my end of the deal and I expect you to do the same.”
He frowned and leaned forward, trying to grab my hand but I sat back too quickly, dropping my hands in my lap. “You never planned to accept my apology.”
He was right. “I never said I would. Walker, you don’t need to apologize for being who you are. Not ever.” I shouldered some of the blame for assuming we were more than just ships crossing in the night, that maybe we were friends. With the potential for more.
“I’m sure you can’t wait to tell me exactly who I am.” Arms folded defensively, he leaned back, waiting for me to insult him.
“Why are you so offended? You are a ‘hit it and quit it’ kind of guy. You like the chase and as soon as you catch your prey, sayonara interest.” I didn’t blame him for that. I blamed myself for thinking I warranted better than that from him. “You’re not alone in that, Walker.” Will was the exact same way. The only difference was that he didn’t pretend otherwise.
“I never made any promises,” he insisted.
“Never said you did.”
“You don’t know me.” He finally settled on that argument as if it meant anything.
“Clearly.” It was probably for the best that I didn’t really know Walker. That the crush I harbored throughout my teens was no different than crushing on a celebrity, based on no real facts and nothing more than a projection of my own fantasies. I should have known that a man who looked through me for years wouldn’t suddenly wake up and see me for me.
He’d seen a willing woman and took what she offered.
Walker
“You still don’t have a date for the dance?” Nina stormed into my office and put her hand on top of the case notes I was going over, ducking down until her green eyes were all I could see. ““You still don’t have a date for the dance? How in the hell are we supposed to do any kind of promo for the dance without a name? Or photos?”
I leaned back in my chair and snorted. “This dance has taken place in Tulip for a million years, Nina. There’s no promo necessary. Honestly.” I gave Nina a long look. She was pretty enough with her tattoos and nose piercing, but the woman never wore anything but jeans and T-shirts. She was five and a half feet of attitude. How she and Preston managed to get together and stay happy was beyond me. Didn’t they know their differences would eventually tear them apart?
Mr Justice Page 4