by Linda Kage
With a grin, I winked. “At least they didn’t take a video.”
“Ohhhh….” Shock filled her face when she realized I’d just made a dig at her. “You bastard.” Grabbing the condom box, she flung it at me. “That was low.”
I laughed, rebuffing the blow with my arm. “Oh, come on. It was a little funny.”
“You just compared me to a pair of peeping-tom rats!”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t so funny. I winced and paused before putting my overcoat on to kneel beseechingly in front of her. Taking her hands, I said, “I’m sorry. Honestly, I will be forever grateful you watched me that night.”
Her scowl dropped, but she didn’t appear completely swayed, so I kissed her hands and continued, “After that night with Melody, I thought being with her had been the biggest mistake of my life. But if I had it all to do over again, I would in a heartbeat. Up until this very moment, that’s the way I saw it.”
Her eyebrows puckered, showing her confusion. “So you don’t regret sleeping with her anymore?”
“Oh no. I still totally regret it,” I corrected. “Just thinking about it makes me want to scrub my dick clean with some turpentine and a wire brush. But no matter how awful and traumatizing it was, I’d go through it all over again. Because it ended me right here with you. We never would’ve spoken again after that night, or seen each other, or hell, probably thought of each other if it wasn’t for what she did. And that’s why I’d bear it over and over again no matter how many times I was given a repeat. Because I’m here with you. So, honestly, I love and appreciate your voyeuristic ways.”
She smiled and touched my cheek. “Okay, I forgive you.” But then she gripped my arm and hauled me too my feet with her. “But still…rats just watched me have sex. That’s creepy. I want to take a shower now.”
I laughed. “Yeah. Rodent paws just groped my ass. I’m right there with you.”
So, as I bent to retrieve the space heater, she scooped up the blanket and condoms. Then we hurried from the barn and made our way to the house, where no one was home but us.
* * *
Shower sex wasn’t quite what it was cracked up to be. The water proved to be less of a lubricant and more of a resistant. It was hard to prop a sexy wet, slippery woman against a cold wet, slippery wall, and equally impossible to get a good hold on anything to provide a nice hearty thrust.
Oh, but we still got the job done, of course. No worries there. We just laughed more and moaned less, I probably bruised my elbow by smacking it against the shower wall, and Bailey stubbed her toe, but I did make her come again. She said it didn’t count as number four because we’d put our clothes back on and changed locations, but I totally counted it.
I was the O-champion. The winner! Not that any of the other guys even realized they’d been in the competition, but still…
I ruled.
I definitely felt like I was on top of the world when I glanced over at Bailey and watched her sleep heavily, passed out on her stomach in her bed with her cheek nestled deep in her pillow. Yeah, I was definitely the champion.
She was so precious and full of life. I’d had no idea someone could come to mean so much to me.
I touched her naked back before drawing the blanket up further to warm her.
Just as I removed my hand, my cell phone rang from my pocket. People called me so rarely it was a little startling to hear. Only Bailey or her dad rang me these days.
Wondering if it was Ben, I fished it from my pocket to stop the sound from waking Bailey.
I didn’t recognize the number, but went ahead and answered to quiet it.
“Hello?” I asked with plenty of caution.
“Is Bailey there with you? Please, God, tell me Bailey’s with you.”
Thrown off by the lack of greeting and harried question, I didn’t immediately recognize the voice. “Uh…who is this?”
“It’s Tess,” she screeched, growing more insistent by the second.
Tess?
That would make sense why I hadn’t recognized her voice—the girl rarely talked around me—but I still had no idea why Bailey’s best friend would contact me.
Maybe it was another Tess…not that I knew any other Tess. My brain was still kind of mushy from post-coital satisfaction. I’m not sure anything could really alarm me or make me think completely straight right now.
“The same Tess who’s too shy to talk to me because she thinks I’m hot, Tess?” I asked.
“YES!” She growled. “Now focus. Is Bailey with you or not?”
“Yeah.” I glanced down at the sleeping naked goddess next to me. Oh, yeah…she was definitely with me. “Of course. She’s right here. Sleeping. What’s going on?”
“I have no clue. That’s why I’m talking to you, you idjit. She’s not answering her phone, and no one here knows where she is or what’s going on. All we have is this stupid, vague note she left, saying she was dropping out of college and she’d be back sometime to pack her things and move out.”
It took me a second for all that to really sink in. But that second later, I jerked upright, completely alert now. And utterly alarmed. “Say what?” She hadn’t said anything to me about quitting school.
Though that would explain what had been going on with her when she’d first showed up.
Still, I felt the need to say, “She didn’t drop out of school. Why would she drop out of school? That would be crazy,” even as my gaze moved to her sleeping form, and dread built in my stomach.
What would prompt her to drop out of school?
I had a bad feeling it had something to do with me.
“Well, Crazy’s her middle name,” Tess exploded. “She stood up and walked out of the middle of class today, too. And then…then her boss called, wanting to discuss the incident at work.”
I shook my head, clueless. “What incident at work?”
“I have no clue, Beckett,” she growled. “That’s why I’m talking to you.”
“She wasn’t herself when she got here,” I admitted. “But she hasn’t mentioned school, or work, or classes, or any of that.”
“Oh my God! If she hasn’t told you anything, then what the fuck have you two been doing since she arrived? It’s been hours.”
Hearing Tess say the word fuck was a bit staggering. I knew I didn’t know her well, but I had the feeling she didn’t say it a lot. So I just said, “Uh…” not sure how to properly answer her question.
“Find out what’s going on, for God’s sake,” she demanded. “And then make her call me. Oh, and please inform her she’s also dead for telling you about my stupid shy gene around hot guys. The traitor.”
I started to laugh, but Tess had already hung up on me. I could get used to Bailey’s friend. She was funny. Her angry mode was cute, like a soft furry bunny flashing its fangs at you. You still wanted to pet all its adorableness and only chuckle in amusement when it bit you.
But the reason she was freaking out wasn’t funny at all. Absorbing all the claims she’d made, I turned my attention to my sleeping girlfriend and let out a long sigh.
I didn’t want to wake her. I mean, after the way I’d worn her out, she needed her rest. But there was obviously something going on, and I was going to find out what it was.
Then I was going to fix it.
Chapter 35
BAILEY
I came awake slowly to the soft brush of fingers through my hair, and my lover gently cooing my name. Relaxed and refreshed and warm in my own bed, under my own blankets, I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes to smile up into Beck’s face.
He smiled back, looking awed by me, which awed me.
“God, you look perfect, waking up naked in bed with me,” he whispered, tracing the backs of his fingers over my cheek.
I sighed sleepily. “You look pretty good yourself, Mr. Hilliard. Feel free to wake up in bed with me any...” When I glanced around, realizing it had turned dark out and wasn’t a new day yet, I finished with, “time,” instead of morning.
“Deal.” The affection in his gaze lasted another second before he scowled. “Now, would you like to tell me what the fuck’s been going on in Granton?”
I blinked, not expecting that question. “Wha—what?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Tess just called my phone.”
“Oh.” Dread pooled in my stomach. Not able to face this conversation lying down and naked, I sat upright and pulled the sheets to my chin.
“Oh?” He repeated, starting to lose his cool. “I just found out from someone else—because you sure as hell didn’t seem like you were going to tell me—that you quit school and maybe even your job, and all you have to say is oh?”
“I didn’t quit my job,” I mumbled to my knees. “I was fired.”
“Fired?” he cried. “Why in the hell would your boss fire you? I thought she loved you and always praised you for doing a good job.”
“She did.” I sighed and turned away, not wanting to talk about this and break the perfect time we’d been having. But Beck caught my arm and urged me back to him, his electric blue eyes piercing as he watched me and waited for an answer.
I closed my eyes, knowing he wasn’t going to like this. “Melody came in and told Vivian I refused her service. And Vivian believed her, not me.”
“Melody,” he said slowly. “Melody Fairfield?”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t the Melody dating my brother,” I answered bitterly, only to wince and shake my head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you, I just—”
“That bitch!” he exploded, springing off the bed to pace the room and spike his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe she…I’m going to kill her. She went after you because of me. She can’t go after you because of me. I won’t…I’m just not going to allow this.”
Okay, yikes. I knew he wouldn’t be pleased, but I hadn’t expected quite this level of rage. Crawling off the mattress after him, I grabbed his arm, forcing him to look into my face. I kind of thought being naked would help distract him, but he was too busy fuming to even notice my lack of clothes.
“No one’s going to hurt you because of me.”
Though I loved his passion and the fervor and feeling behind his words, I needed to calm him down. “It’s not because of you,” I insisted. “She’s just mad at me for outing her. And attacking me every chance she can get.”
But that only set him off again. “What do you mean every chance she can get? What else has she done to you?”
I cringed. Dammit, why couldn’t I watch my mouth sometimes? “I just,well, you know how some of the rumors have been going around that I lied to get you free?”
His eyes grew wide. “They’re still saying that?”
“I’m pretty sure Melody’s been fanning the flames. The gossips gotten worse instead of better.”
He blew. “Motherfucker!” Spiking his hands through his hair, he spun away as if to go do something about the injustice of it that very second, but then realized he couldn’t do anything.
He whirled back to me. “I can’t believe she’s still after you. We need to stop her and get this straightened out so you can—”
I shook my head and grasped his wrists to gain his attention. “No. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t even bother me.”
With a snort, he muttered, “Yeah, that’s why you dropped out of school days before semester finals, because it doesn’t bother you.”
There was no way to argue that. I stared at him mutinously before mumbling, “You dropped out of school too.”
“No,” he growled. “I was kicked out. Big difference.”
“Well, you left Granton,” I argued. “And look at you now. Everything is better for you away from there.” My eyes pleaded as I dropped my hands limply to my sides. “Maybe everything will be better for me too if I leave.”
Affection and symphony filled his gaze as he cupped my face in his hands. But then he softly said, “No. You’re not quitting school. My problems were the consequences of my own stupid actions. You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t deserve any of this. They’re picking on you because of me, because of what I did. And I’m not going to let them scare you away from your own future.”
I only shook my head. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you, either, Beck.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Whether I did or didn’t, I’ve adjusted to and dealt with what happened to me. This one’s about you, baby. And we’re not going to lay down and take it when they turn on you. We’re going back to Granton and getting your life back. Tonight.”
When I looked at him, I wanted to argue—maybe just for the sake of disagreeing—but I couldn’t deny there was a part of me aching to return to my normal life, my future.
I didn’t have to say anything, but I knew the moment he realized I’d given in.
He took my hand and nodded. “Let’s go.”
* * *
It was nearly eleven when we reached Granton. I was ready to crawl back into my bed and hide away from the world, but Beck was ready to barrel ahead, full bore. He had no qualms about knocking on my roommates’ doors and rousing them all from bed for a meeting in the living room.
Tess and Paige hugged me when they saw me, and Tess even took my hand and held onto it as she sat us side-by-side on the couch. A month ago, I never would’ve allowed such touchy-emotional treatment. Now it just made me feel warm and loved.
Beck paced the living room as he filled everyone in on what had happened—the me dropping out of school, being harassed and losing my job part, not the three orgasms part.
Paige just shook her head, looking tormented. “My God, Bailey. I knew things weren’t good but I didn’t realize how bad they’d gotten.”
“Well, they have,” Beck boomed. “Everyone went after her because of me. They might go after all you next because of her. We need to stop it here and now before anyone catches any more heat.”
Paige arched her eyebrows. “You don’t have to sell us, you know, we already want to help Bailey.”
“Oh.” He seemed surprised by that. “Well, then good.” He rubbed his hands together. “Does anyone have any ideas of what to do?”
Jonah shrugged. “I say we take out this Melody chick.”
Tess gasped and slapped his leg. “Murder, Jonah? Really?”
“I didn’t say we should kill her, just take away her ability to torment anyone anymore.”
Beck pointed at him. “I like where you’re going with that. Keep thinking.” Before Jonah could respond, someone knocked on the front door, the sound echoing up the stairwell and making us exchange confused glances, because who would be visiting us at eleven o’clock on a Thursday night. Beck motioned to Logan. “Get that, will you?”
I sat up straight, really confused, because he was the only one not acting surprised by the knock. “Are you expecting someone?”
Beck didn’t answer me, his attention back on Jonah, “We need to find out everything we can about her, where she works, lives, hangs out, talks to, everything.”
Wondering who the heck was at the door, I eased up from the sofa just as Logan climbed up the steps with—
“Sam!” Paige cried in surprise. “What’re you doing here?”
The single mother who headed the grief group at Granton had helped both Paige and Logan as well as Jonah through some traumatic shit. She’d visited the apartment a handful of times since we’d all moved in together this summer. But she’d never showed up after dark and unannounced like this before.
With a bemused shrug, she gave us all a peppy wave. “I was summoned,” she announced.
“But…” Logan glanced around, frowning. “Who…?”
Beck stepped forward. “I called her.” He held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”
My jaw dropped as I watched Sam and Beck shake hands and look each other over before she told him it was nice to meet him right back.
“Wait.” I waved my hands. “You know Samantha? How do you know Samantha?
You don’t know Samantha!”
His lips quirked with amusement. “I told you I’ve been talking to someone to get better.” He tipped his head toward Sam. “She’s who I’ve been talking to.”
“And he’s been the nicest, young man.” Sam glowed at him before glancing toward me and winking. “You picked yourself a good one, Prescott.”
I could only blink, because…what? What was happening here? Beck knew Sam. He’d been talking to Sam? And she already knew we were a couple?
This was so bizarre.
“So, what’s the situation?” Sam asked, taking off her coat and rubbing her hands together as if ready to get down to business. Then she plopped down onto the loveseat next to Paige and squeezed her knee affectionately, joining the group discussion with ease.
“They’re going after Bailey,” Beck said. “The rumors about her are getting worse. And it’s not like she can really stand up for herself with proof that she’s not lying.”
“Right,” Samantha murmured. “Because of the video. If they don’t label her a liar, then she’ll be that dirty little peeping tom.” After crossing her arms, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I see the dilemma.”
Oh my God. I whirled to Beck, feeling my face drain of color. “She knows about the video?”
He finally sat next to me, grasping my shoulder and pulling me back against his side to kiss my temple. “Don’t worry,” he said into my ear before lifting his face to Sam. “And Melody’s been harassing her. She went to Bailey’s boss with some lie that got her fired. Now Bailey’s trying to drop out of school and leave Granton for good.”
Hey, I wasn’t trying to drop out.
I had dropped out.
“It’s one thing for them to ruin my reputation and send me packing,” Beck added. “But I’m not going to just stand around and do nothing while they turn on Bailey too. No one fucks Bailey.”
My heart thudded hard inside my chest as I tipped my chin up and gazed at the man so adamantly defending me. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. My eyes and throat began to burn as emotion, overwhelmed me.