She snorted a sarcastic laugh. “I’m not surprised.”
We sat in awkward silence. It was a foreign feeling for us. I’d never felt like I couldn’t just divulge every thought I had to Jen. She was the person I trusted the most.
“I don’t have to go,” I offered. “I was looking for an excuse not to. His grams invited me, and I just figured it would be rude to say no.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know.” I did know. I just didn’t know how to tell her. Even thinking about telling her that I might kind of like a man she once thought she’d marry someday made me want to hurl.
“Of course, you should go, Dee. I would never ask you not to. It’d be like turning down a dinner invitation from the first lady. The Monroes are good people and I’m glad they’re taking you under their wings. Not everyone gets an invite to Sunday dinner.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “If you’re sure.”
“Devin?”
“Hmm?” My voice cracked even with a simple hum.
“Are you two…you know?”
“No! We’re just friends!”
That sounded like a lie even to my ears. Not to mention, it was absurd to use that line with Jenna. She’d used it herself for many years. But as far as I knew, they never even kissed. He’d been an epic crush of hers for as long as I could remember.
“It’s okay if you are, Dee. I wouldn’t be upset with you.” There was amusement in her tone.
I was surprised at how blasé she sounded. It’s not that I thought she still had a thing for him or anything. She loved her husband. I just figured it’d be weird for her. Maybe I’d been worrying for nothing. But her feelings weren’t the only thing holding me back.
“If you’re looking for a rebound and for a good time, then Wes is your guy,” she went on. “He’s the perfect guy for that. A bit of advice, though… Whether you’re just friends or not, make sure to protect your heart. He’s an easy guy to fall for. He doesn’t do it on purpose. I don’t think he even realizes how many damaged hearts he’s left in his wake. Even without all that humor and charm, he’s one of the best guys I’ve known. I’m just not sure he’s capable of fully giving himself to anyone. And I don’t want to see you get hurt again, especially after everything you just went through with Noah.”
“I know all this, Jen. It’s exactly why friends is all I plan to be with him.”
“Okay,” she conceded with little faith in her voice.
A knock on my front door robbed me of the chance to reassure either one of us. I popped up off my bed, positive my ears were playing tricks on me. There was another knock. I glanced down at my lack of clothing. Shit.
“Jen, I have to go.”
“Oh. Okay. I understand.”
“No. I’m not upset with you. He’s here and I’m still not dressed.”
“Oh! Well, have fun. Be safe. And wear protection!”
“Oh my gosh, seriously, Jen. We aren’t.”
“Whatever you say. Later, tater.”
“Bye, fry. Oh, and Jen…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Love you too, cuz.”
I ended the call, tossing my phone on the bed. With another knock on the door, I tugged on the first thing I grabbed off my floor, hopping on one foot and stumbling into the wall as I made my way down the hall. After taking a quick glance downward to make sure all the important parts were covered, I flung the door open.
Wes stood there looking sinful. And gorgeous. His green eyes scanned me. His lips curved in amusement.
“Ready?”
“You’re early,” I accused.
“Does that mean you plan to change?”
Tucking my chin to my chest, I looked at the shirt I had on. It was a gag gift from Jenna years ago. It had two fried egg yolks strategically placed over each boob. “Nope,” I deadpanned.
He shrugged, seemingly undisturbed. “Your call, sweetheart.”
My mouth fell open. “I can’t believe you’d seriously let me wear this to your family’s Sunday dinner.”
“Who doesn’t like fried eggs? And those eggs look very appetizing, if you ask me,” he added with a suggestive tone and his eyes glued to my boobs.
“Real cute, funny guy.” I opened the door wider to allow him into my home. “Take a seat. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
He shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack before picking up the remote to my TV and plopping onto the couch like he owned the place. Watching him make himself at home should’ve annoyed me. Instead, it warmed something inside of me that traveled straight to between my legs. Going to dinner with his family became less appealing than spending another night together on my couch.
We’re only friends.
I repeated the words in my head as I marched back to my bedroom.
* * *
The house was filled with warm laughter and mouthwatering smells as we walked into Grams’ place. The boisterous chatter slowly faded as we entered the room. Lottie and Hannah were the first to greet me in a welcoming hug, quickly followed by Lily. Billy gave me a side hug before I was officially introduced to Grams, Tucker, and their father, Beau.
After all the introductions were out of the way and I’d personally thanked Grams for my chicken noodle soup, we migrated into the formal dining room.
“Everything looks great,” I said to Grams, taking my seat next to Wes. “I can’t believe this spread. You do this every week?”
“Don’t let Grams fool you. We don’t normally do things this fancy,” Wes announced.
“Oh, hush up, you.” She poked him in the rib with her finger. “And thank you, dear. It’s nice to know my hard work is appreciated by someone.”
Wes leaned to the side, his hand slipping onto my thigh, causing the hair on my nape to rise. His mouth hovered near my ear and I held my breath as he whispered in a low voice, “Kiss ass.”
I shoved him back, puckering my lips as I blew him a mocking kiss while praying he didn’t notice my reaction to his touch. He shook his head with a chuckle, removing his hand as he placed a cloth napkin in his lap.
The rest of the dinner, Wes continued to tease me with his words and his touch. I was hyperaware of every move he made. I was constantly on edge, anxiously waiting for even the slightest touch, whether a brush of our legs, a playful nudge with his shoulder, or his breath feathering over my skin as he whispered in my ear to fill me in on the inside jokes being told at the table.
When I started to relax and return his flirting, Jenna’s warning would ring loud in my ears, along with my own apprehensions. He made it so damn easy to look past one of the biggest warning bells. The deal breaker.
Part of me wished it didn’t matter, wished I could just have casual sex and not get hurt. But I didn’t work that way. And I was already growing attached to him, even without sex as a factor. My heart was too fragile and weak. It couldn’t withstand a heartbreak the size of Texas—one that was guaranteed when it came to Wes Monroe.
12
WES
“Devin’s pretty cool. What’s the deal with you two?” Tucker asked as we stacked some more logs into the rusty, blue wheelbarrow.
Grams had sent the two of us and Billy outside to gather her some of the firewood she had stacked behind the shed. Another cold front was moving in and she wanted a fire for after dinner.
I glanced toward the house, where I could hear the muffled prattle of the women inside. “Nothing. We’re friends.”
Billy snickered from behind me. The man was gunning for a beating. Or unemployment. Maybe both.
I spun back around, biting my tongue before I fired him out of spite. Tucker stood stock-still, staring at me with a weird expression on his face.
“What?” I asked, immediately regretting it.
“You shittin’ me right now?”
I shrugged. I didn’t need Tucker in my business. “Why is that so hard for you dumbasses to believe?” I smirked. “Never mind
. Answered my own question.”
Tucker ignored my verbal jab, jerking his thumb toward the house. “I know how you look at the women you’re friends with. And you’re not looking at Devin like she’s only a friend. Shit, I don’t even think you look at the women you screw that way.”
“She friend zoned him,” Billy piped up.
My eyes darted to Billy. Sometimes, he was as bad as his sister Leighton when it came to keeping his mouth shut. “Hey, Miller, did Hannah ever tell you about that time I came to visit her in Seattle when you were out of town? I think it was about nine months ago, if I remember correctly.”
His pupils flared. “Fuck you, man,” he spat.
“I’ll take that as a no.” I winked.
“Not cool, dude,” Tucker chuckled, shaking his head as he piled the last couple of logs on top.
“What’s not cool is you two putting your noses where they don’t belong.”
They both gave me the same look. Their eyes narrowed as they crossed their arms over their chests, like synchronized dipshits.
Maybe I was a hypocrite. I’d done the same to them, sure, but that was completely different. They were both already in relationships with Lottie and Hannah—ones they would have fucked up for sure, had I not given them a little push. They should be thanking me, not looking at me like I was the asshole in this situation.
I gripped the handles of the wheelbarrow, lifting and rolling it back toward the house. I could feel their eyes boring into my back as I left them behind. I was done having this conversation. They were getting on my nerves. Mainly because I hated that they were both right. I wanted more. She didn’t. End of story.
The women were all sitting in the den when I walked back in with my hands full of wood. And, if I was being honest, my pants full of wood too, thanks to little miss brown eyes bending over directly in front of me as I entered. Devin had her hands propped on her knees, her ass in the air as she positioned herself at eye level to talk to Lily.
She’d changed into a tight pair of jeans tucked into some brown riding boots and a thin, fitted sweater that left little to the imagination, even though every inch of her skin was covered. I blew out my cheeks, muttering a curse under my breath as I squeezed past where they stood in the middle of the only entry to the room. She popped up, her eyes wide as my semi-erect cock brushed against her ass. Served her right.
Devin’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink as she looked over at me. Lily continued to babble, tugging at Devin’s hand to regain her full attention. A heat flickered in her eyes before she returned them to Lily. The two of them moved out of the doorway as Billy and Tucker trudged inside with their own hands full of logs. Lily crawled into Grams’ lap and Devin sat on the armrest of the couch near Hannah and Lottie. The three of them immediately struck up a conversation while Lottie held Colton in her arms, wrapped up in a blanket, sound asleep.
I passed the firewood off to my dad, who was already working on building a fire in the fireplace. Without a word between us, I stalked into the kitchen. I hadn’t asked him if he needed a drink, because it didn’t matter. I needed a reason to leave the room. And I’d never known the old man to turn one down when offered.
When I returned to the den, everyone had found their places. The only remaining spot was beside Devin on the love seat. As if that shit wasn’t obvious. My family thought they’d play matchmaker. Fuck that.
I passed my dad the beer then stepped to the side, leaning a shoulder against the wall. I felt Devin’s curious eyes on me, but I refused to meet them. I was done playing games. She wanted to be friends. Fine. We’d be friends. But I wasn’t going to keep allowing that line to be blurred.
Being near her only made me want to reach for her. Touch her. Pull her into my arms. Somewhere between my conversation with Tucker and coming back in this room, I’d decided I needed to put an end to our flirting. I’d been doing a shit job of keeping my distance tonight. Now my whole family had the wrong impression.
“Wes, take a seat,” Grams demanded.
I shook my head, jamming my hands in my pockets. “I’m good, Grams.”
The whole room fell silent. Every pair of eyes in there was suddenly on me, growing wide like I’d lost my damn mind. Maybe I had. Every pair, that was, except for Devin’s. She sat there with no idea of the significance of my defiance.
I never disobeyed a request by Grams. None of us did. The woman was as sweet as honey, as loyal as they came, and as strong as an ox. When you stepped out of line, her bite was more lethal than a rattlesnake’s.
I knew the storm that would be coming my way later. I could see it brewing in her gray-green eyes as her brows drew together. My face hardened with my resolve.
Devin cleared her throat, standing from the couch I refused to sit on. “Actually, I should be getting home. I have an early surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning.”
The tension in the room had slowly shifted, but was still hanging on.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for a bit longer?” Grams asked.
“No. I’m sorry to eat and dash. It was a lovely dinner and I appreciate you including me.”
“Well, it was a pleasure finally meeting you, Devin,” Dad chimed in, stepping forward to shake her hand. “It’ll be nice having two vets in town.”
Everyone followed Dad’s lead telling Devin good-bye, ignoring me completely with the exception of Lily, who’d slipped off Grams’ lap to run and hug my legs.
“Later, Lily-pad,” I hugged her back, kissing the top of her head, before walking over to Lottie to give her a hug. I gently brushed the fuzzy hair on Colton’s head, then faced Hannah.
She glared at me, crossing her arms over her round belly. “I’d get up to give you a hug, but you aren’t worth the effort,” she stated sharply.
“Don’t worry about it, City. I’m used to doing all the work in this relationship, anyway,” I retorted, bending over to give her a hurried kiss on the cheek before she smacked me.
Grams was the caboose of the farewell train. I waited patiently as she pulled Devin in for a tight hug. “You’re always welcome here. Whether for Sunday dinner or just dropping by for a glass of tea.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Monroe.”
“None of that. You call me Grams like the rest of them.”
Devin’s lips turned up in a soft smile with her chin still firmly tucked over Grams’ shoulder. “Will do.”
Grams pulled back from their hug, keeping her hands planted on each of Devin’s shoulders as she looked her in the eye. “I mean it on both counts. You don’t need an invitation and you can come with or without my good-for-nothing grandson.”
Hands on my hips, I bowed my head with a light shake. She just had to get that final punch in. When I lifted my head, Devin had already moved to the front door and Grams had her eyes firmly on me, full of challenge. We hugged despite the current animosity between us.
“Get out of that stubborn head of yours, boy. It’s time to smarten up and grow up. You’re about to let a good thing pass you by,” she warned in a low voice, for my ears only.
“Let it go. It’s not happening,” I grated. Apparently, I was on a roll tonight. Hell was already freezing over, no sense in holding back now. I kissed her warm cheek and then stalked out the door with Devin’s short legs following hurriedly behind me.
* * *
“You want to tell me what that was all about?” Devin asked as we turned off the dirt drive and onto the main highway that led to town.
“You’re gonna have to be more specific, Doc.” I kept my eyes ahead, my jaw growing tight. I wasn’t discussing this shit anymore tonight.
“I’m not an idiot, Wes. There was a lot of tension in that room, all because you refused to sit by me.”
“What makes you think it had anything to do with you?”
“Okay. Fine,” she huffed, tossing her hands up, landing them with a smack on her lap. “If you don’t want to tell me why you’re suddenly giving me the cold shoulder, that’s fine. I’m not gonna m
ake you. It’s not like I didn’t expect this.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t play dumb, Wes,” she scowled at my profile. “We both know this is what you do. You run. As soon as things get real for you, you run and never look back. Well you don’t have to worry, cowboy. I’m not gonna tie you down. You can have all the space you want.”
A torrent of anger rushed through me. I was tired of everyone thinking they knew me, knew what I wanted, knew what was best for me. “You don’t know shit about me, Devin.”
“I know more than you think,” she muttered, crossing her arms and staring out the passenger window.
“That’s right,” I scoffed a humorless laugh, “because you and Jenna tell each other everything. Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but Jenna wasn’t the expert on me. If she had been, she’d have known how I felt about her years before she met the dumbass she married.”
“Pull over!”
“What?” I glanced over at her. She was a stretched rubber band, ready to snap, her nostrils flaring, her teeth grinding together. “No.”
“I said, pull. Over.”
“And I said, no.”
“I want out. I’m not staying in this truck with you another damn minute while you treat me like crap and talk badly about my cousin and her husband.”
“We’re still miles from town. I’m not pulling over.”
“I don’t care! I’ll walk!”
I ignored her. Her fist flew across the truck, nailing me in the arm. Damn! “What the hell was that?” I rubbed at the spot where she’d pegged me. That shit hurt.
“I’ll kick your ass if you don’t pull over right now.”
I shifted my eyes between her and the road. From head to toe, I could see the war raging inside her—the same one raging in me. I yanked the wheel to the right, skidding to a stop on the graveled shoulder. I wasn’t about to let her walk home, but both of us were too worked up for me to drive us safely. We both needed to cool the hell off.
Taming Wes: BOOK THREE|BILLINGSLEY SERIES Page 11