“Look man, no disrespect, but I’m talking to Devin here.”
“Well, she’s not interested,” Wes stated sharply.
“I think she can speak for herself,” I finally snapped, coming out of whatever state of shock I’d been in, and spun to glare at Wes.
His face was hard as he glared right back at me with a clenched jaw and a frown line across his forehead. My heart thrummed anxiously against my ribcage as we silently stared each other down. All eyes were on us, volleying between Wes, me, and Ben like they were watching a tennis match.
Ben finally broke the silence. “You said you were single.” He took a step back.
“I am,” I grated between my teeth, still glaring at Wes.
“Well whatever this is, I’m not getting in the middle. Maybe another time, Devin,” he said, picking up his beer and walking away.
I tore my eyes from Wes to watch Ben’s retreating back. I hadn’t changed my mind. I had no plans on going home with him, but I was still livid that Wes felt he had the right to speak for me.
“What the hell was that?” I spun on Wes, my blood boiling, ready to pummel him.
“I’m gonna get another round!” Leighton chirped hurriedly.
“I’ll go with you!” Lottie volunteered, jumping from her seat.
“I gotta pee!” Hannah threw out as she eased herself from her seat as quickly as she could.
I’d barely registered a word they said as all three of them rushed off, leaving me alone with Wes. “I can’t believe you just did that!” I yelled.
He roughed a hand through his hair, glancing away from me to where Ben now stood at the bar with all his buddies. “Were you seriously going to go home with that guy?” he growled, throwing his arm out from his side in Ben’s direction.
“No!” I blurted, my chest heaving.
The stiffness slowly faded from his shoulders as he registered my admission, the wrinkles in his forehead softening and smoothing. And for some reason, the rage I’d been feeling started to dissolve.
“But even if I was,” I added in a much calmer voice, trying desperately to make my point anyway, “it’d be none of your damn business.”
A slow smile tipped his lips as his eyes pierced mine. “Dance with me.”
“What?” My eyes grew with the fluttering in my tummy. “No!”
“Come on, Doc.” He nudged me playfully. “Dance with me.”
“I said no.”
“Doc.” His smile widened.
“No. And what is wrong with you, anyway? You can’t just show up here, scare away the only guy interested in me, then expect me to dance with you.”
“He’s not the only guy. If you think that, then you’re not as smart as I thought.”
“Oh? And who else in here is interested?”
“Every man in here is interested. They’re just intimidated.”
“By you?”
“No. By you.”
“And you aren’t?”
“I’m not trying to get in your pants right now. I’m just trying to dance with you.”
My head cocked with a raised eyebrow at his “right now” clarifier. He continued to smile that intoxicating smile. And I tried my best to hold on to some of the anger from earlier, but the man was making it nearly impossible, weakening whatever defenses I had left.
“Come on, brown eyes. I promise to keep it PG.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes. “If I dance with you, will that shut you up?”
“It’s worth a shot.”
He held out his hand for me as Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” began to play. I took it, following him to the dance floor. Tugging at my hands, he pulled me close, and I linked my hands at his neck, closing my eyes, resting my cheek on his chest. My whole body warmed in his arms as a wave of tingles trickled through me.
I concentrated on steadying my breathing and reminding myself nothing could ever happen between us, no matter how badly my body was begging for him to touch me everywhere. With our bodies pressed so tightly together, swaying to the seductive beat of the song, I was afraid I’d lose that internal struggle.
“You’re awfully quiet. What’s up, Doc?” he prodded, his head dipping so his lips brushed against the crown of my head, sending shivers down my spine. His voice was full of a knowing cockiness.
I opened my eyes, glancing down between us, where I felt his hard-on pressing against me. “Apparently, you,” I quipped, looking up at him with an equally cocky smile.
His head fell back. His gorgeous green eyes crinkled at the corners with his loud laughter as he peered back down at me. “Can’t blame a man. Especially when you’re wearing that dress.” His eyes fell to my chest before looking back at my face.
“What’s wrong with my dress?”
“Not a damn thing,” he whispered, gliding the tips of his fingers over my cheek, and tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear. His other hand increased its pressure against the small of my back, forcing us closer together.
Staring up at him, my whole body heated. My heart raced, sending vibrating tingles to every limb. The urge to taste his lips was suddenly winning over my morals. His head lowered and I closed my eyes again as he poised our mouths inches apart.
All it would take was for me to lift slightly onto my toes. Our lips would press together. And the anticipation, the curiosity, would all end. I felt myself giving in, his warm breath sucking me in, his whole body dragging me under a wave of lust. I rose slightly and a throat beside us cleared.
I jumped, pulling back, breaking out of his arms abruptly as we both looked over to the person who had interrupted us.
Mandy stood there, a saccharine smile on her face. “Mind if I cut in?”
“Mandy—” Wes started, his face and tone firm.
“Of course,” I said, taking another step back as I got my wits about me. “He’s all yours.” I spun to leave.
Wes latched onto my wrist. “Devin.”
“It’s fine, slick… Besides, you two had a date tonight, isn’t that right?” I glanced at Mandy with a forced smile and then back at Wes. “I’m sure that’s why you’re here.”
His face pinched in confusion, his grip loosening. I twisted my wrist from his grasp and took off, pushing through the crowd to find the girls. They were back at our table, and from the expressions on their faces, they’d seen everything. They stood instantly, grabbing our things to leave. It was in that moment, I knew these girls had my back, and that knowledge alone made me want to burst into tears. Lottie’s arm was around my shoulders immediately, ushering me out the door as the other two followed behind us like a shield of armor.
* * *
I groaned as I rolled over, silencing my phone. Noah. Again. I crawled out of bed, tripping on the boots I’d worn last night and stubbing my toe on the dresser.
Mother. Effer.
I hopped on one foot, stumbling into the bathroom with nothing but my panties and a tank top on in search of some headache medicine. Twisting off the cap, I popped two Excedrin into my mouth and washed them down with a handful of cold water from the faucet.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror, it didn’t take long for all the regrets from the night’s events to hit me like a sledgehammer. Wes Monroe and our almost-kiss being at the top of the list. No more tequila. Ever. Again.
I splashed some water on my face, brushed my teeth, and pulled my hair up into a knot on top of my head before walking back to my room to tug on a pair of jeans. I cuffed the bottom hem of each pant leg. There was a drafty chill in the air, causing me to rub at my arms as I searched for a flannel button down in my closet. I slipped my arms through the sleeves, leaving it open, exposing the tank top I still wore underneath, and headed to the kitchen in need of some coffee.
I leaned against the counter as I waited for it to finish brewing, mentally comparing my outdated kitchen to Lottie’s beautifully renovated one. When I bought my house, it was in decent shape and exactly what I wanted: an older home in an established neighborhood, origina
l wood floors, two bedrooms, one bath, and a nice front porch where I could sit and drink my morning coffee.
I knew there would be things I wanted to update, like the kitchen and bath, in the future. For the most part, all the house needed was a fresh coat of paint throughout and maybe some new landscaping, which I planned to do myself in the coming spring. But all the updates would have to wait. I’d decided getting settled into my new life and job was my primary focus.
For now, the house was perfect. And mine. Only mine. Knowing that was both empowering and slightly depressing at the same time.
I blocked the latter part of that thought, reaching for a mug to fill with the freshly brewed coffee. I grabbed a yogurt from the fridge and made my way to the front porch for a quick breakfast. I sipped from my mug on the porch swing, with my bare feet resting on the seat’s edge as I texted Leighton to see if she and Aaron could give me a ride to the Davis farm later. After leaving Dudley’s last night, Hannah had dropped us both at our houses in town before driving Lottie and herself home.
Once she had confirmed, I set the phone aside and enjoyed my coffee, nursing my hangover while soaking in the peacefulness of my neighborhood. With the final sip, I stood from the swing. It was time to get to work on unpacking the last of the moving boxes in my house.
* * *
Bobbing my head lightly and swaying my hips a little to the sounds of Fitz and The Tantrums’ “Handclap” blasting through my house, I hung my last family photo on the wall in the hall that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. It was one of my favorite pictures of Jenna and me from her wedding. As I stepped back to admire the photo collage I’d hung, there was a knock on my front door.
I padded toward it, carrying the hammer I’d been using. There was another knock, this time delivered with the catchy rhythm of “Shave and a Haircut.” A small grin graced my face. Leighton was obviously not letting a hangover bring down her mood. She’d been much worse off than me last night, so I could only imagine hers was ten times more painful. Or maybe she bounced back easier than me.
I swung open the door, a giant smile on my face that slipped instantly. “What are you doing here?”
“Come on now, brown eyes. Is that any way to greet a man who came all this way to do you a favor?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, my defenses going up. “What favor?”
“I figured you might need a ride to the farm, seeing how your car is still parked there.”
“Well it’s a shame you came all this way, because I have a ride already,” I hissed, slamming the door in Wes’ face.
My tense shoulders relaxed as I walked away to finish decorating my living room. My steps stalled with more pounding on the door behind me. Ignoring it, I pushed forward. As the pounding increased, I increased the volume of my speakers, hoping he’d get the hint and go away. Forever.
8
WES
Her music blared through the screens of her open windows. I chuckled at her attempts to ignore me. If she thought I was going away that fucking easy, she was in for a surprise. There was no way I was leaving her front porch until she had that cute little ass firmly planted in the seat of my truck.
I took a wild guess and fired off a text to Aaron, letting him know I’d be giving her a ride to the farm and not to worry about it. He responded a few seconds later with the numbers “10-4.”
I slipped my phone back in my pocket, stepping to the side to look through her living room window. I couldn’t help the wide-ass smile on my face as I watched her dance around, placing trinkets and books on some bookshelves.
I stepped back, inspecting the edges of the screen before popping it out of the window frame and setting it to the side. Lifting a leg, I crawled through her window and into her house while her back was to me. She bent over, reaching into the box in front of her.
My dick twitched, seeing her in that position. It’d already been growing against my pants from watching her shake her damn hips to the rhythm of the music. Without thinking, my hands flew to those taunting hips, gripping them tight.
She screamed, jumping as she spun, kneeing me in the balls.
Fuuuuckkkk. I groaned, folding over as my hands instinctively cupped my dick.
“Oh my God!” she screeched, her hands flying to her mouth. “I’m so sorry!”
“What the hell, Doc?” I half-growled half-groaned, still hunched over.
She scurried across the room to turn down the music. Taking a few deep breaths, I stood upright to look at her, the pain still radiating as I moved my hands to my hips.
Whatever remorse she initially might’ve felt was gone. She mirrored my stance as she glared at me. “What the hell are you doing in my house?”
“You wouldn’t answer the door.”
“So, you resorted to breaking and entering?”
“You didn’t really leave me a choice.”
“You’re absurd,” she scoffed, walking toward her front door, flinging it open. “Get out,” she demanded.
“If you kick me out and force me to leave, how do you expect to get your car?”
“I already told you. I have a ride.”
“You mean with the Bradleys? Yeah. They’re not coming.”
“How did you—” She stopped herself, her eyes squeezing shut as she took a deep, calming breath. Her eyes flicked open and narrowed. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying.” She flipped a hand toward the opened door, silently directing me to leave.
“I wouldn’t lie.”
“You broke into my house,” she pointed out, her tone still full of accusation.
“You’re right. You should probably call the cops.”
“I would, but they’re probably all your drinking buddies and it’d do me no good.” She gave me a sarcastic smile.
I dug into the front pocket of my jeans, pulling out my phone and navigating to my text exchange with Aaron. Walking to stand directly in front of her, I lifted my phone to her face, so she could read it.
Her eyes widened as they roamed across the screen. “Oh my gosh. You’re certifiably crazy.”
I lowered the phone with a proud smirk, tucking it back away. “Told ya.”
Her eyes thinned again. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll find another ride. I’ll call my aunt and uncle.”
“You’re really going to call them and interrupt their Saturday morning when I’m standing right here, offering to take you?”
“Yes.”
Pivoting on my heels, I walked away and took a seat on her couch, stretching my arms across the back of it, exaggerating the process of getting comfortable in her home with a loud sigh.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Waiting for you to get your shoes on.”
“I said I wasn’t going with you.”
“And I’m telling you, I’m not leaving here until you do.”
“You’re annoying,” she huffed.
“I prefer persistent. And most women like it. It’s part of my charm, I’ve been told.” I winked, giving her my smile that had those same women dropping their panties within seconds.
“Well, I’m not most women,” she argued.
I had no doubt about that. It’s the exact reason I figured I couldn’t get her out of my mind, no matter how hard I tried, or how bad of an idea I knew it was to pursue any kind of relationship with her.
After our dance last night and having been so close to kissing her, knowing she wanted me to, I was done fighting the inevitable. I wanted Devin Chaplin. And I was going to fucking have her. Maybe if we screwed and got it out of our systems, I could move on with my life and get back to not caring what she was doing every minute of every day.
I didn’t respond to the very true statement she’d just made. Instead, I leaned forward, reaching for her remote.
“You’re serious,” she gawked.
“As a heart attack,” I retorted, flipping on her TV and settling back against the couch, suppressing a smile.
Five. Four. Three. Two—
Arching an eyebrow, I looked over at her agitated expression.
“If it’s the only way to get you to leave, I’ll let you take me to my car.” She slipped on a pair of flip-flops that sat in her entryway. “But if you give me one of your smug grins or stupid winks, I’ll slap that smile right off your face,” she warned.
I contained my grin as best I could, standing to meet her at the door. I wanted to do more than just take her to the farm. I wanted to take her to my bed. Baby steps, though. I may have decided to give in to my urges, but it was obvious Dr. Chaplin was determined to keep up the charade.
“You sure you don’t want some boots or something? The temperature is supposed to keep dropping today.”
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, waiting for me to lead the way.
My lips twitched with another grin, knowing it was highly likely she’d slam the door and lock it behind me as soon as I stepped across the threshold. “After you,” I taunted.
She huffed, grumbling something inaudible as she stomped from window to window, closing them. Snatching her purse and phone from the entry table, she walked straight out the door. I flipped the lock on the knob, shutting the door as she continued her tantrum on the way to my truck.
She flung open the passenger door and I broke into a light jog, not missing the opportunity to put my hands on her again and help her into my truck. Her body stilled for a beat with my touch. Taking a deep inhale, she continued to climb onto the seat. My grin was huge behind her back, knowing she’d felt it. The same way I had. I was even more confident she wouldn’t be able to fight against that feeling much longer.
After closing her door, I ran around and hopped into my truck, glancing over at her profile as I put the keys in the ignition. She continued to ignore me, scooting herself against the passenger door. Amused by her hardheadedness, I shook my head, turning over the ignition. Slinging my arm over the back of her seat, I looked over my shoulder as I reversed out of the driveway.
She peered from the corner of her eye at the bag of fresh pastries sitting on the console between us, the sweet aroma filling the cab. I’d stopped to pick them up on the way to her house, along with two coffees.
Taming Wes: BOOK THREE|BILLINGSLEY SERIES Page 7