by Sam Crescent
“Hey,” she said.
“Did you have a good weekend?”
“Yes, you?”
“It was a dream. The wife made me my favorite pie, and then for dessert, she made me my favorite cake. I’m living the best life,” he said.
She dropped her hands onto the desk and looked at him. “Is there a reason you’re bragging about this to me? Any reason at all?”
Martin frowned. “I’m not bragging.”
“That’s what you do. See, Guy, over there, he’s dealing with a messy breakup. He loves his wife and his four kids with every fiber of his being but his wife finds him boring. She wants a divorce and is contesting for custody as well. He’s having a really bad time of it, and you just like to keep on talking about how amazing and wonderful your life is.” She shrugged. “Not everyone wants to hear it. I’ve got work to do.”
She’d never had an outburst like that. Never. She didn’t know Martin very well, nor did she know Guy. She’d been eating her lunch one day a few weeks ago at her desk, and he’d dropped down in the very chair Martin was sitting in and just unloaded on her all this raw, deep, emotional pain. It had been really fucking intense.
Rubbing at her temples, she tried to clear her head.
Boring accountant.
She’d heard what Night had said about her. She had amazing hearing and it wasn’t like they’d checked the windows or were silent. Rix hadn’t disputed it either. She was a boring accountant.
Why did it hurt?
Why did it feel like a betrayal that he hadn’t stood up for her?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t actually come here to brag. I came to ask if you’re doing anything this Friday night,” he said.
She lifted her head with a frown. “Huh?”
“I’m not asking you out, but it does come across that way. Er, I’ve got a friend and he’s, well, he’s really nice. Works at the bank. He’s got a steady job, a house, a car, and I thought you two would hit it off.”
“You want to set me up on a date with your friend?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I think it would be good for the two of you.”
“Do I look like I can’t get my own dates?” she asked.
“Not at all. I was just helping cupid and all that.”
“And why did you have to talk about his job and his car, and his house? I have a house. My own house and I have a car. I like walking everywhere, is that a problem?” she asked.
Martin held his hands up. “Whoa, is this a PMS thing? I was trying to be nice.”
“Wow, just wow. Leave,” she said. “Just go.”
He left and she took a deep breath. She didn’t understand some men. Who did they think they were? Shaking her head, she got back to work, but her mind wasn’t on numbers. No, her thoughts were on Rix and sex.
For the first time in her life, she had something more important happening in her world other than work. It was kind of refreshing but also scary as hell. She finished up her work at exactly five o’clock and she’d been counting down the very hours and minutes until she could finally be released. She didn’t take any files home. Grabbing her bag and jacket, she headed out into the last of the day’s light. She loved sunsets. It was one of the many reasons she walked home.
“Anna-Beth, wait up,” Martin said.
She rolled her eyes but rather than walk as far away from him as she could possibly get, she stopped and waited. “No and no.”
“Hear me out. He’s a good guy, okay? My wife was the one who suggested that I offer out his good prospects. Some women dig that.”
“You’re really going to blame your wife?”
“Hell, yeah.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Call her. She’ll tell you herself. I only do what my wife wants.”
“Thank you for thinking of me, but no.”
“Why not?”
“Why not what?” she asked.
“Go on a date. It’s no harm, or is this about those two houses thing you live in?”
“Huh?” Was he drunk? He didn’t make any sense at all.
“You live in the cursed houses.” He told her the location and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Cursed houses, seriously? How old are you?” She’d heard enough. She had to stop off at the store for some supplies, not listen to this.
“I’m being serious,” Martin said. “Do you have a neighbor?”
“Of course I do.”
“See, the cursed houses strike again.”
“Look, this is kind of creepy.”
Martin held his hand up and she really wanted to slug him in the face. Gritting her teeth, she was more than ready to do just that, but he laughed. “Okay, it depends on your perspective of the whole cursed houses. It’s the title that has been attached to them.”
“I’m finding this conversation really boring. I live in a lovely house. Believe me, it’s not cursed and there sure as hell is no ghost.”
She went to move on but he caught her arm.
“Forgive me. No, I didn’t say ghosts and like I said, perspective. Personally, I think the houses are a gift.”
“And why do you think that?” If he wasn’t going to let her go then she may as well find out what was so important about the houses.
“They help the owners find love.”
Now she did burst out laughing.
“You can laugh all you want, Anna-Beth, but it doesn’t change the fact that every single couple who live in those houses, yeah, you guessed it, they have all ended up together. Look at the last couple. They were moving because they married and got a house together. Same with the couple, actually no, the three people that time.”
“So the curse was broken?” This was crazy.
“Nope, they very much became a relationship. The couple before that, and that, and before then. Look into the previous owners, or better yet, the gossip. Whoever you are living next to, he is going to be yours, and you’re going to live happily ever after. I should have known. I’ll tell my wife. She’ll be more interested in who you’re living next to.”
“I have to go. Can I go now? Or are you going to start talking about spirits and ghosts?”
“Go ahead, mock me. I will be the one at your wedding, throwing the rice.” He winked at her and walked away.
There was no way. Not true.
She shook her head and tried to push it out of her mind. There was no way she and Rix could become a couple. The sex was crazy good, better than good, but to fall in love and to actually be together? No, there was just no freaking way. She packed her cart with all the necessary groceries for the week, trying not to think about what she’d learned in the last half an hour.
Would it be so wrong to check out the previous couple? She had no idea how she was going to do that. They’d moved out of town, at least, she thought they had.
What the hell are you doing? Houses bringing couples together does not happen.
She wasn’t going to hold stock in some old fancy tale. With a newfound sense of reality, she paid for her groceries and carried them all the way home. She nodded at kids and some of her neighbors who were out still tending their lawns in the last rays of sunshine. As she got to the edge of the street, Rix was fixing his bike, which he stopped to come and help her with the groceries.
“You know it’ll be easier to drive your car.”
“Not happening. I like to walk.” She didn’t enjoy driving her car. She passed her test and everything but she always feared being in a crash. Besides, walking with her two feet firmly on the ground meant something to her.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked, sliding her key into her house.
“Sure.”
She looked at Rix. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, displaying his heavily inked chest and what looked like some scars from old bullet holes. They didn’t talk about his life before moving here, and she knew he didn’t intend to stay here either.
“You know what, never mind. It’s not
important.”
“You sure? You can ask me anything.”
“Nah, it’s just, you know, crazy talk. Don’t worry about it.”
He didn’t defend his friend’s assessment of her being boring, and there was no way she was going to tell him what she’d learned. It wasn’t important enough simply because it was never going to happen.
Chapter Five
One week later
The brunette who’d hit on him was the rat. Rix should have known there was something off about her, but at least she wasn’t with the club too long. She’d been hoping to get under his skin, for him to trust her. As if he’d ever trust her piece of ass. Club whores were tricky.
It was rare for a brother to take one as a wife, and in most cases, they did stop sleeping around. If they ended up pregnant, that was a whole different problem.
Fixing up Night’s bike, he knew it was already in perfect condition, but his men didn’t like just anyone repairing their machines. Each bike spoke a different tale of the men who sat astride their machines and seeing as he was once a mechanic, he had no problem getting grease on his hands and working until they purred to life exactly how they should.
Thinking of another woman who purred, not quite in the same way, he got the feeling Anna-Beth was avoiding him. She hadn’t come to his place, and when he’d knocked at her door, she hadn’t answered. He’d caught her this morning before work and she’d told him she didn’t hear anyone at her door. How tired she was and needed some sleep. She wasn’t a good liar. Clearly, he’d pissed her off, and he didn’t know how he’d done that.
He’d been wracking his brain trying to figure the woman out.
Night didn’t like him getting close to Anna-Beth as he saw her as a liability to the club. She wasn’t fit to become part of the MC, but that was one of the reasons he wanted her. Unlike some of the women who threw themselves at him at the club, Anna-Beth hadn’t spread her legs for every single man there. He didn’t have to listen to his boys talk about what a prize pussy he got because they would never know. She would belong completely to him and there was no way he’d share.
He’d never considered himself a greedy man but Anna-Beth brought something out of him, and he didn’t want to allow anyone to touch her but him. His feelings were so strong, he’d even considered telling the boys she was his old lady and to back the fuck off.
Of course, having an old lady in his club would be a cause for celebration. Few of the boys actually had one, and those who did rarely let them visit the club.
Crazy.
There was no way he was going to let Anna-Beth go to the club. This was just some fun and at the moment, she didn’t even want to have that, so he really was blank as to what to do to fix it.
Just as he leaned down to look at the tire’s tread, something wet and slippery licked across his face. He looked up into the face of one of the cutest dogs he’d ever seen.
“Come back here, boy,” an older woman said. She had several more dogs around him. “I’m so sorry. My latest dog walker decided she didn’t want the money for walking or picking up dog shit.”
Rix smirked as he wiped his hands on the cloth before stroking the dog’s soft amber fur.
“It’s fine. She’s a real beaut,” he said.
“It’s a boy and be careful he likes to…” Too late. “Cock his leg and pee.” She winced. “I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine. Believe me. I’ve had worse.” Piss was all down his leg as he stood up, holding the small dog in his arms.
He didn’t want to even think about what he looked like with a small dog in his arms, especially with all of his ink. He’d gone without a shirt as he wanted to surprise Anna-Beth today and to try to lure her back into his house so he could fuck her silly.
“The name’s Rix,” he said.
“Elizabeth.” They shook hands and the woman had a firm grip. “I live just up the road. The previous owner used to walk my dogs for me.”
“She did?”
“Yes. She does try to come and make sure I’m okay and all that, but it’s hard for her with a kid on the way, and well, life.” Elizabeth smiled. “How are you getting on? How are you settling in?”
“It’s fine.” He glanced down at his leg. “Do you want to come in for a coffee while I change?”
“Love to, but my dogs.”
“Are they better trained?”
“They are. Rufus here was just being overly nice. He wanted to tell you he liked you.”
“Well, I’ve got to say, I think I kind of like him.” He opened the door, letting Elizabeth and her dogs inside.
He put Rufus down and disappeared upstairs to change out of his pants, throwing them onto the laundry pile along with most of his clothes. The only thing he had left was some shorts.
Fuck.
There was nothing he could do.
Pulling on a pair of shorts with palm trees, he thanked his lucky stars none of his club brothers would be popping by. Living out in the suburbs was clearly starting to affect him if he was more than happy to dress like he was on vacation.
Returning downstairs, he found Elizabeth at the doorway to his backyard.
“Sugar? Cream?” he asked.
“Both, please. Make it sweet and I like mine strong as well but don’t skimp on the cream.”
He smiled and got to work on the kettle. She was certainly a woman who knew what she wanted.
“So tell me, Rix, how are you liking it here?” she asked, taking a seat at his counter. The dogs were happily yapping away. There was no risk of them in the pool because he’d already secured it as he didn’t want leaves and shit blowing in and dirtying up the water. He would need to find a decent cleaner but he didn’t exactly trust easily.
“It’s pretty good. A nice neighborhood.”
“I heard a rumor you’re not planning on staying long,” she said.
He tensed up. “That’s a pretty accurate rumor.”
“Or it’s just random gossip. I love listening to it.”
He chuckled. “Okay, so what is the gossip?”
“You want to know?”
“Why not?” He had nothing else to do, at least until Anna-Beth arrived. He wasn’t going to allow her to keep on avoiding him. He didn’t like it when shit like that happened. If he’d done something wrong, the only way he could fix it was if she told him the truth. Not do all this hiding and secrecy stuff.
“If you must know, some believe you’re an ex-convict. That you’re only here for your time out on bail or something. Or is it parole?”
He wasn’t going to elaborate his business for her.
“Some think you’re an undercover cop.”
“That’s a good one,” he said, finishing up their coffee. He couldn’t believe he’d invited this woman in for coffee when he usually made things that were inedible.
She took the cup from him. “You’re a biker though, right? One of those MC types.”
“Yes, and you’re right, I did my time. Now I’m staying out of trouble. You and the neighbors have nothing to fear.”
“And the woman who lives next door to you, how is that going?” she asked.
“Do you know Anna-Beth?”
“Oh, her name’s Anna-Beth. The woman who lived in this house before you was named Ann. Such a sweet woman.”
“Right,” he said, not interested in any previous owner. He sipped at his coffee and it took every ounce of strength not to make a face at how disgusting it was.
“I can see it now. You and Anna-Beth, is there already a thing going?”
Older woman or not, dogs or not, he didn’t like how much she seemed to know about him. It wasn’t fucking right.
“Look, lady, I don’t know who you are.”
“Me, I’m no one. You don’t have to worry about that. I know you’re probably a little freaked out and that is all well and good. No reason to be, believe me. You and Anna-Beth, I saw her on the day she moved in and I just knew you two would hit it off. It’s all in the cards,
you see.” She clapped her hands and cheered. “This is going to be a lot of fun.”
“Are you spying on me?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “You don’t know?”
“What don’t I know?”
“About these houses, of course. How magical they are and how, my friend, you are already pulled within its trap.”
“No one has told me anything about these houses, so why don’t you enlighten me?” She better have a good fucking story because right now, he wondered if she had any family who’d miss her.
****
Rix hadn’t been outside his house when she returned.
Anna-Beth wasn’t disappointed. She’d been avoiding him and whenever he was easy to find, she couldn’t exactly hide, no matter how hard she tried. Once inside her house, she pulled out some vegetables. She didn’t have the energy to cook something exciting, so she settled on a stir fry. Something quick and easy. The sauce she’d use was already in the fridge as she used it as a dip.
Her stomach growled and just as she put the wok on the heat, a knock sounded on the door..
She groaned.
Maybe if she ignored it like she’d done the past couple of times, he’d get the hint and leave.
Why are you behaving this way? It’s not like you’re going to get married and have a bunch of kids.
It’s sex.
Treat it like it.
Another knock. This time it sounded more like a fist banging against the wood and she could safely say from experience it was a very unhappy fist.
She’d already kicked her heels off and removed her jacket, and she flung the door open to find Rix about to knock again.
“Hello,” she said.
“You’re home. Finally. What time do you call this?”
“You’re not my dad,” she said. “I can get home any time I want.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not your dad.” He brushed past her. “I’d have you over my knee so fucking fast and your ass a beautiful shade of red, but then I’d start thinking what I want to do to you, and it’s not right.”
She closed her door. Force of habit had her locking it again.
If she ignored him, he might get the hint.
Stepping back into her kitchen, she fired up the wok. She saw the pot of water was already boiling for the noodles.