by Levine, Nina
Madison dropped her mug and it smashed across the floor. I flicked my gaze to her and found her eyes narrowed at me and her lips pressed together in the way she used to when I’d pissed her off.
“Classy, J. Fucking classy.” She dropped to the floor to start cleaning up the mess. This made my day, and I continued to check out her ass and legs while she did it. Serena helped her, but not before pinning me with another glower
Perfect. I’d succeeded in pissing them both off. Time to get out of there for a while. “Towels in the bathroom?” I asked, pushing off the counter.
“Yes, in the cupboard,” Madison replied, her voice sharp.
I took one last look at her ass and then made my way to the bathroom for a shower, making sure to throw Serena a wink on my way out.
* * *
Madison
* * *
Serena and I watched J leave. “What an asshole!” She didn’t hold back.
I laughed at her indignation. “He’s worked out how to push your buttons, honey. That’s all.”
She gaped at me. “Are you standing up for him?”
“Not really, but he’s not always like that. I have my issues with him, and yes I do think he was an asshole to me years ago, but what he said to you just then... that was J messing with you.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Yeah, well, I’m withholding judgement for now. I still call asshole.”
We finished cleaning up the mess I’d made and then I helped her finish cleaning up her smoothie mess. “I don’t know how you can drink these things,” I said.
“That’s exactly what biker boy said.”
“Yeah, I doubt J even knew what it was.”
“So, now he’s here, are we still going shopping today or are you pulling out? Plus, I still need you to fill me in on what he told you last night,” she said.
I considered her question for a moment. “I don’t see why we can’t still go shopping.” Why should we let J interfere with our plans?
She raised her brows. “You really think he’s going to let you out of his sight?”
“Well, if he doesn’t, it just means he’s coming shopping too. I highly doubt he’ll want to do that.”
“Ha! Good luck with that, sugar,” she said. “I’m going to go and get ready just in case we’re allowed out.” Her eyes danced with sarcasm and I laughed as she turned and left me. Once someone had rubbed Serena the wrong way like J had, it took a lot of work on their behalf to win her over. I had no idea if J planned to try, but he had a long road ahead of him if he did.
I made the coffee I’d originally come to make and sat at the table, enjoying the quiet while I drank it. My thoughts wandered to my conversation with J the previous night. His admission confused me, and although I wanted to know what he meant, there was no way I’d ever bring it up with him. My heart was still fragile where he was concerned. Before I left Brisbane, we’d been rebuilding our friendship and I’d been sure we’d end up back together again, after I managed to free myself of Nix. But then Nix turned on me, and J had been the one to find me beaten and bloody. Something snapped in him that day, and our friendship changed again. A week later, he came to me and told me there was nothing left between us and that I should leave Brisbane to get away from Nix, to start a new life. He’d sent me away; he didn’t love or want me anymore.
Startling me from my thoughts, J came back into the kitchen, freshly showered. I took in his jeans and the way his fitted black t-shirt defined his muscles. And then his scent filled the room: sandalwood. God, I loved that smell; it was the one he’d always worn. It hit my nostrils and then it hit my heart. Memories flooded my mind and overwhelmed my senses. It was funny how a smell had the power to bring so much back to you.
Ignoring the weak sensation in my legs, I stood and, at the same time, he moved into my space. Too close. His presence, his smell, his breath – it all messed with me and I couldn’t think straight. Our eyes locked for a few silent seconds, and then I stepped backwards to escape whatever was happening between us.
“I’m sorry for being an asshole to your friend before,” he apologised, shocking the shit out of me.
This was a new side to J. I tilted my head to the side. “Since when do you apologise for things you’ve said?”
He shrugged. “Since now. Since I’m trying to get you to stop being angry at me. I know you’re still mad at me for what I did, but, babe, that was two years ago and we need to move forward if you’re gonna come back home. Be a lot easier to do that if you weren’t so hostile.”
“Who said I was coming back to Brisbane?”
“You’ll be coming back with me. That’s a given. Just a matter of time till you agree.”
“You’re still as cocky and bossy as you always were, aren’t you?”
Before he could reply, Serena waltzed back in and said to J, “So, biker boy, Madison and I have shopping planned for today. Will you be coming with us or will you allow us to go out on our own?”
J smirked, and then looking from Serena to me, he said, “I like your friend, even if she does have a smart mouth on her.” Focusing his gaze on Serena, he replied in a firm voice, “And, no, there won’t be any shopping today.”
Her body straightened and she held his gaze. “Maybe not for you. We’ll be going though.”
He stepped closer to her, all lightness gone from his eyes. Nobody said no to J. “No, you won’t be, sweetheart.”
Her eyes widened. Serena wasn’t used to men like J, men who said no to her. And she certainly wasn’t used to being spoken to in a forceful tone like the one J had just used. She quickly looked to me for backup.
“J, I think we’ll be okay shopping. I highly doubt Nix will be out looking for us in a shopping mall.” I tried to reason with him.
He turned his head in my direction. Oh, shit. The look flashing in his eyes was not one I wanted to mess with. “Did you not fucking take in what I told you about Nix last night? Do you need to see those photos again or perhaps I should show them to Serena so she can fully appreciate what we’re dealing with here,” he fumed, reaching for his phone.
I held up my hand. “Stop! No, we don’t need to see those photos. We won’t go shopping.” I gave in, but I wasn’t happy that Nix had yet again managed to disrupt our lives.
He opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind before stalking out of the room without uttering another word.
“What the fuck, Madison?” Serena rounded on me.
I held up both my palms to silence her. “Not now, honey.” I paused for a moment to think, but nothing came. “Fuck it, I need a smoke!” I left in search of one.
Five minutes later, I was outside, smoke in one hand, phone in the other. I needed Blake.
He answered on the first ring. “How’s it going over there, baby girl?”
“Well, J’s telling us what we can and can’t do. Serena’s mad at both of us, and I’m hiding outside having a smoke. What does that tell you?”
“Do you want me to come over?”
This was what made Blake a superstar in my eyes. Even with his busy schedule at the restaurant, he was willing to drop everything for me. “No, don’t do that. I just needed to hear your voice; it always makes me feel better.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
I sighed, and blew out a long breath of cigarette smoke. “I don’t want to go back, but I probably will just so I can make sure Crystal, my friend’s daughter, is okay.”
“Yeah, I get that. I would do the same thing.”
A loud bang sounded from inside the house. “Shit, Blake, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later, okay?” I said, putting my smoke out.
“Yeah, babe. Later,” he said, and hung up.
Heading inside, I yelled out, “What happened?”
I found them both in the laundry. Turned out the noise I’d heard was the dryer falling off the wall. “Bloody hell, how did that happen?” I asked.
Serena’s cheeks reddened. “I may have slammed th
e dryer door really hard and, as a result, the dryer may have fallen down.”
J stood with his back to me as he inspected the wall. God, I hoped he could fix this because our landlord would not be happy. He looked around at me. “I can fix this. But it’ll mean a trip for all of us to the hardware store.”
Serena rolled her eyes. “How did I know you were gonna say that,” she grumbled.
“Sure, just let me get dressed,” I said, and left them to bicker while I went to find some clothes.
Something told me we were in for one long ass day.
7
Madison
the trip to the hardware store was a torturous experience. Serena constantly took shots at J, who in turn, argued back. By the end of it, I was ready to stab myself in the eyes and cut my ears off; anything not to have to see or hear either of them.
I was thankful, however, that J managed to pick up all the supplies he would need to fix the mess in our laundry. He and I argued over the bill. In the end, he won and paid the bill. Men!
At home, J was busy being Mr. Handyman, while Serena and I were lounging in front of the television. I’d just filled her in on everything J had told me last night.
“Shit, what are you going to do?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” I sighed.
“Okay, so you want to check on Crystal. Yes?” Serena loved helping me solve my dramas.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“So, you go home for a visit. You check on your girl, you hang out with your family for a bit, you stay until they sort this Nix mess out. Then you come back here and live happily ever after.” She smiled, happy with her own advice.
I groaned out of frustration. “You make it sound so easy when it is as far from easy as anything could be. This shit with Nix could take a long time. I might kill my family if I have to stay that long. And what am I going to do about J?”
“Yeah, biker boy poses a problem,” she mused.
“I love how, after everything I just said, all you heard was the bit about J.”
“Oh no, honey, I heard it all. But the only problem in all of that was him.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Why?”
She smiled her wicked little smile. “I’d say that’s pretty obvious. You’re both still hot for each other so I’m worried about where that would lead.”
I buried my face in my hands. “Shit, I’m screwed, aren’t I?” I said, and then looking up, I continued, “I don’t understand my feelings. He broke my heart and yet, here I am, wanting him all over again. What is wrong with me?”
“You could just fuck him and get that out of your system,” she suggested.
I considered it for a moment. She was right. I could totally fuck J. It was what I did these days anyway – fuck and run. But would I... could I walk away, and be happy with just sex? Fuck it, this was the new me, the stronger me. The me who didn’t let a guy stomp on my heart anymore. Of course, I could do it. I smiled at Serena. “Thanks, babe. I might just do that.”
J finished up in the laundry a few hours later. I was impressed with his work, as was Serena. She even appeared to warm to him a little, offering him a drink when he was finished.
“Thanks,” he said, when she made her offer, “And the next time you want to take your anger out on something, I’d suggest you choose a different target.”
She glared at him before leaving to get his drink. I rolled my eyes. “You like pissing her off, don’t you?” I said.
He chuckled, eyes twinkling. “She’s too easy to play with, babe.”
Before we could continue this conversation, his phone rang and he went outside to take the call. I traipsed into the kitchen in search of Serena.
“I might just throw this at him instead of giving it to him,” she muttered.
I laughed. “You do know he’s just playing with you, don’t you?”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to play with him. He rubs me the wrong way.”
“Fair enough, honey. Do you want me to take him his drink?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, shoving it at me.
I took it from her and headed outside. J was still on his call when I got to him. He looked up and caught my gaze. There was no smile, but there was certainly some heat there. I watched as his eyes moved, slowly, hungrily, over my body while he continued his conversation. By the time his eyes found mine again, every nerve ending of mine had stirred with desire and my fingers ached to touch him. Butterflies danced in my stomach and my core clenched in anticipation. I wanted him. He ended his call, put his phone in his pocket, and walked to where I stood.
“That mine?” he asked, nodding at the glass.
“Yes.” I forced the word out as I handed him the drink. Bewildered from the way he’d undressed me with his eyes, I was having trouble thinking straight, let alone forming words.
He drank some water, but kept his eyes on mine the whole time. I didn’t know where this was heading, but I was beginning to feel completely exposed to him, like he was reading my thoughts, and desires.
Needing to put some space between us, I moved to leave but he reached out and grabbed my wrist. “You feel it too, don’t you?” he said, his voice low and hoarse.
I avoided his eyes and, instead, focused on his hand holding my wrist. He let me go and put his finger under my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut; I didn’t want to look at him, and I really didn’t want to look inside myself for the answer to his question.
Instead, I jerked my hand out of his hold, and said, “It doesn’t mean anything, J.”
“You sure about that, babe?”
Determined not to hide away, I looked directly into his eyes. “Yes, I’m very sure,” I replied, even though I was pretty damn sure I was lying.
He contemplated me for a couple of moments, and then slowly nodded, like he’d settled something in his mind. Then he changed the subject. “Still no word on Nix’s whereabouts.”
“So we’re still on lockdown?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’m pretty tired after not much sleep last night, so I’m going to have a nap,” I said. I also needed some time to myself; these unwanted desires and confused thoughts needed to go into lockdown too as far as I was concerned.
I left him outside and told my pussy to shut the hell up. She wasn’t getting any today.
I slept all afternoon, waking around dinner time. J and Serena had managed to not kill each other. In fact, they were in the kitchen, cooking dinner together when I found them.
I sat at the table and asked, “Have you two been playing nice?”
Serena poked her tongue out at me. “As a matter of fact, we have been. J changed the oil in my car and checked some other things too.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Really? How did she convince you to do that?”
He smirked. “Let’s just say she had her ways.”
Serena flicked him with the tea towel, almost playfully. “You make it sound dirty, biker boy,” she said, and then directed at me, “I cooked cupcakes for him.”
I had to stop myself from laughing at that. “Where’s the mess from your cooking, honey?” I asked, surveying the almost-spotless kitchen. I was always the one who had to clean up her kitchen messes so I wondered who the heck had done this one.
“J cleaned it up,” Serena replied, and I didn’t fail to notice that she seemed kind of impressed about this.
J was a clever man; winning my friend over by doing things for her. I looked at him and found him watching me, smile in place. Yeah, he knew what he was doing all right. The only question was – why was he going to the effort?
The rest of the weekend passed pretty uneventfully. J continued reporting that Nix hadn’t been found yet, so we stayed home all weekend, only heading out for food and movies. After a short-lived truce, Serena and J returned to their bickering. Because I knew J, I could tell he enjoyed it, and when I tried to point this out to Serena, she rolled her eyes and complained that he should go h
ome. Having no experience of the world I’d grown up in, I didn’t think she realised just how dangerous Nix was. I shuddered to think what he would do if he found us, but I didn’t share this with her. J didn’t push the point either. In fact, he seemed to be going out of his way to keep things light; perhaps that was why he insisted on playing with Serena – to keep the focus off the reason why we were stuck at home.
Monday morning rolled around, and Serena and I had to go to work. J tried to talk me out of going, but I stood my ground, so at nine o’clock the three of us arrived at the boutique. I tried to convince him we’d be all right without a minder, but he refused to listen.
Gina, our boss, greeted us with a smirk. Eyeing J as he stood outside the shop, she said, “I heard you had a bodyguard but they never told me he was this hot.” Gina was Blake’s sister; he must have told her about J. She was a kickass boss and I loved her hard. Unfortunately, she had no filter and said whatever came to her in the moment.
“Yeah, sorry, he’ll be hanging out here today,” I apologised.
“No need to say sorry, darl. Frankly, you’ve made my day. I do love me some eye candy,” she said with a wink.
We got to work, restocking the shelves and cleaning while J stayed outside for most of the morning. He seemed busy on his phone and I was grateful I didn’t have to deal with him in the shop.
Being around him was hard; old feelings kept resurfacing and I alternated between hurt, anger and lust. Every now and then, I caught glimpses of the J I had loved, and those times were the hardest. They hit me fair in the chest. I wondered if he had a girlfriend currently. We hadn’t really even had a friendly conversation about our lives since he’d been here so I had no clue what he’d been up to over the last couple of years. Jealousy wrapped itself around my heart when I thought of him being with someone else.
I don’t want to know.