Paul’s eyes went wide and slapped me on the arm. He nodded toward the door, and when I looked, I practically threw the woman off me. “Oh shit.”
Her eyes followed mine and went wide. “Is that her?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, so there are two ways we can play this…One, you can make out with me and then we walk out of here, making sure to walk right past her. Let her know what she’s missing.”
I grimaced. “What’s option two?”
“You look sexy as hell tonight, and that douchebag she’s with means nothing.”
“He’s not a douchebag. Just a friend.”
“Perfect,” her eyes gleamed.
“Not perfect,” Paul cut in. “Don’t do this, man.”
“What do you suggest?” I asked the lady.
“You walk right up to her. You don’t say anything, you just grab her hand and pull her out of the bar and press her up against the wall, and kiss the hell out of her.”
“Do not do that.”
“I’m gonna do that,” I said, completely ignoring Paul’s advice.
“Here,” the woman said, unbuttoning one of my buttons. “Perfect. Now, go get her and remind her what she’s missing.”
“Do you think I can get her back?”
“We’re not getting her back,” Paul cut in. “We’re getting over her by getting another woman under you.”
“Definitely,” the woman smiled. “She won’t be able to resist you. And look at how she’s trying to pretend that she’s fine. She’s not. She’s missing you just as much, and when you kiss her, she’s going to take you home and spend the night remembering what it’s like to have a strong, virile man in her grasp.”
“Not strong and virile,” Paul shook his head. “Broken heart, shards of broken glass sticking out of your soul,” he reminded me. “Don’t do it.”
“I’m gonna do this.” I slapped my hand down on the table and drank down my beer.
“This was not the plan,” Paul said, getting up to stand in front of me.
“This is such a good plan,” the woman grinned.
“Stop contradicting everything I say!”
“Go get her back,” the woman grinned, stepping out of my way.
“Thanks, sweetheart. I hope you get your man back. Hey, that guy with her, he’s great in bed.” She looked at me quizzically. “Not that I have experience. She told me.”
“She’s slept with him?”
“They had a- you know what, not important. I’m gonna get laid and so are you.”
I grabbed her hand and started marching across the bar, hearing Paul shout after me. “This was not the plan!”
I saw her eyes flick over to mine, the surprise and the loathing when she saw my hand in another woman’s. I stepped up to her, and pushed the other woman forward. “Nathan, meet…” I glanced at her and frowned.
“Melissa,” she said, holding out her hand.
“Right.”
I snatched Charlie’s hand, just as Melissa had told me to do and pulled her up out of her seat, snatching her coat off the spare chair. I dragged her to the door and walked outside, shoving her up against the building. My mouth slid over hers and my body exploded with need. I was lost to her.
Charlie
A flash of pain shot through me when I saw him walking with the woman, his hand wrapped around hers. But then he handed her over to Nathan and I couldn’t help the relief that shot through me. He wasn’t taking her home. And when he pulled me out of the chair, I forgot about all the bullshit about relationships and just went with it. I wanted him. I needed him.
His lips sucked at my neck as his hands worked over my body, reminding me of his burning touch. I shivered, my whole body lit on fire. I couldn’t take it. I was breaking apart, my hardened heart cracking with every touch. He lifted me up, walking toward the parking lot as he kissed me. I didn’t know how he knew where to go with his lips attached to mine, but I didn’t care.
“Keys,” he mumbled against my lips. I broke the kiss just long enough to grab my keys and hand them over. Before I knew it, I was deposited into the passenger seat and he was driving me away from the bar. But we weren’t headed toward my apartment.
“Where are we going?”
“My house. I want you in my bed tonight.”
“What about…” I was stupid to bring it up, but I worried this was going to hurt us both. I heard a low grumble come from the other side of the car.
“You’re mine.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Did…did you just claim me like some kind of animal?”
“Yes,” he growled, his eyes coming to meet mine. He pulled into his driveway minutes later and shut off the car, turning to me. “I don’t give a shit about anything else. Tonight, you’re mine. I never got a last time with you, and I’m not walking away without it.”
He opened his door and got out, coming around to my side and pulling me out. He was being so possessive and territorial. It was hot. If he pissed on me right now, I would probably melt into a mushy puddle.
Once inside, it didn’t take long for the clothes to come off. I was naked and in his bed in a matter of minutes. His lips kissed every inch of my body and his hands did things that made me squirm with need. Why had I ever let him go? Why had I let him walk away?
His mouth kissed down my body until he was right over my heat, drinking me in and kissing away the desperate need pulsing through me. I cried out over and over as his lips did delicious things to me. I was writhing in agony, needing more.
And then he was hovering over me, his eyes boring down on me, telling me how much he needed me. But instead of the fast, hard fuck I had been expecting, he slowly slid inside me and thrust with a need that had my heart melting. His eyes never left mine, but his hands threaded through my hair lovingly, brushing my sweaty strands away from my face. He bent and kissed my lips, gently making love to me, as if it was the last time. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him in closer.
His hot breath kissed my skin as his lips skimmed over my neck, kissing just below my ear and then down the column of my neck. I was lost in him, lost in the feeling of being loved. I hadn’t had this in so long. I had forgotten what it felt like, how wonderful and amazing it was to have a man cherish me in this way.
“I love you,” I heard him whisper, like he hadn’t meant me to hear it. My eyes filled with tears and I kissed him, pouring my heart and soul into that kiss. I wanted to say it. I wanted him to know that I was falling for him too, but would he believe me? Would he even care? I had thrown him away. Nathan was right. I had lost him. I knew that this wasn’t him trying to win me back. This was him proving to me that I belonged to him, and I always would.
When he came, his kisses comforted me and soothed my heart. I was my own worst enemy, and as he stared at me, brushing his thumb across my cheek, I knew it was now or never. I needed to say it. I needed to tell him how much I loved him and wanted him, but the more that his eyes burned into mine, the more I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was terrified. If I took this step and moved forward with this, I would be committing to him, committing to more. And we would eventually reach that point that we both couldn’t stand each other. This would be tainted by hatred.
As if sensing the moment had passed, he shifted off me and pulled me into his arms. I felt his strong heartbeat against my cheek and let it lull me off to sleep. When I woke in the morning, it was to a cold bed and a mountain of regret.
* * *
“Are you gonna tell me how it went last night?” Nathan asked.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say that she made me forget about all the shit I was spouting the other night.”
“So, you don’t want a relationship anymore?”
He shrugged. “Not sure, but she definitely made me feel better. So, what about Will?”
I sighed and picked at the non-existent fur on my leg. “He said he loved me, but I don’t think I w
as supposed to hear it.”
“Well, you did tear out his heart and stomp all over it.”
“True.”
“So, you didn’t say it back.”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid I’m too fucked up. Don’t you think that if I was meant to be with someone, I would have grown a heart by now?”
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in close. “Sweetie, you do have a heart. It’s just buried under denial and regret.”
“I would hate myself forever if I hurt Will. He doesn’t deserve my kind of fucked up relationship.”
“Your relationships aren’t fucked up. Maybe to some people, but I get it.”
“Yeah, well, not everyone is like you. The thing is, I wanted to say it to him last night. There was this moment where I should have said it.”
“So, why didn’t you?”
“Because if I said it and then things went south, I would hurt him.”
“I hate to tell you this, but you’re already hurting him.”
“Hey, he came over to me last night,” I said indignantly.
“I know, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. Look, the way I see it, you’re doing this because this is all you know. Maybe you guys will end up annoying each other and hating each other, but if you love him, isn’t it worth a shot?”
“To have my heart broken again and stomped all over?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Now, we both know that’s not what happened with your ex. Just because living with one man was hard doesn’t mean living with Will is going to be.”
“Would be,” I corrected. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“You have to piss or get off the pot. Make your move now or leave the poor man alone.”
I sighed, not sure what to do. “He left me at his house this morning.”
His eyebrows rose in shock. “Wait, he walked out of his own house?”
“If that’s not a sign that it’s over, I’m not sure what is.”
“Do you want him?”
“Of course, I do. But-“
“No buts. Either you decide to take a chance with him or you leave him the hell alone. You can’t have it both ways. Humans aren’t meant to be alone forever.”
“I am,” I snorted.
“Are you sure about that?” I looked up at him and shook my head. “You know what I think? I think that you just hadn’t met the right person until Will came along. You needed someone that forced you out of your comfort zone. Sure, it’s fun to live alone, but do you really want that for the rest of your life? What happens when Oliver is all grown up? Are you just going to keep bringing random men home for a night of fun?”
“Hey, I thought we weren’t being judgmental,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“I’m not being judgmental. I’m saying, you’re going to regret it if you don’t take a chance with him.”
“Okay, so how do I get him back?”
He grinned slightly. “Well, that depends. How bad do you want him back?”
Will
“You just left her at your house?” Robert asked me incredulously. I was at his office sulking over the fact that I had just walked out of my own house because the woman I was mad about wasn’t mad about me.
“What the hell was I supposed to do? Wake up and have her walk out on me again? Make me feel worse for taking her home last night when I knew to stay away?”
“Yeah, but…she’s just sitting at your house. That’s kind of a douchebag move.”
I stared at the wall, not wanting to admit my stupidity. I knew when I saw her last night that my chances of convincing her to take me back were slim to none, but I followed the advice of another woman, hoping it would set me on the right track. And then I went and fucked it all up.
“I told her I loved her.”
He burst out laughing, thinking I was telling a damn joke, but when he realized that I wasn’t, he leaned back in his office chair and sighed. “What the fuck possessed you to tell a woman against commitment that you loved her?”
“Oh, like you have room to talk? You told Anna you loved her after like two seconds of having her back.”
“Yeah, but we at least had a relationship.”
“Uh-huh. Thirteen years ago.”
He flipped me off. “Do you want my help or not?”
“Not. I just came here because I had nowhere else to go.”
“Right, because you left a naked woman at your house. Not quite sure how that works in your favor. Leaving after you tell her you love her isn’t very convincing of said love.”
“You know, you really sound like an asshole.”
“Well, I took classes for it. I’m glad they paid off.”
I stared at the desk, wondering what the hell I was going to do. It was torture, knowing she was in my bed and I couldn’t have her.
“Are you just going to sit here all day? Because I have clients that I have to see,” he said, staring me down.
“Alright, let’s say that I needed advice— which I don’t.” Robert huffed in irritation, but I continued. “What would that advice be?”
“Well, if it was me, I would take what I could get.”
“You think I should keep seeing her? Even after declaring my undying love to her?”
He cringed. “You didn’t actually say it like that, did you?”
“Yes, and then I went and battled King Richard’s enemies.”
“Dude, you really need some better comebacks.” He tossed his pen down on the desk and leaned forward. “Look, if you really like this woman, and you’re not ready to give her up, then don’t. Just prepare yourself going in that you know you’ll only get so much from her.”
“And that would be enough for you?”
“If I could only have Anna on her terms? I’d take it in a heartbeat. You can’t make yourself fall out of love with her. I mean, you can, but it’ll take time. So, how bad do you want her?”
I glanced out the window, thinking of my shattered heart. That was exactly what it felt like. Shards of glass in my chest would be less painful than this.
“So, I just play it cool. Go in and get the job done and get out.”
“Well, sure if you want to think of sex as a job. You can either do that or you can spend time with her, enjoy that time for what it is, but know you’ll never have more.”
“I want her, but I don’t know that I can actually spend time with her. I think I would just fall more in love with her.”
“Then sex it is.”
“Or I could just walk away.”
He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Are you gonna pick a side? I mean, seriously, I have shit to do. Either you walk away or you stay and fuck her, but make up your mind so I can do what I need to do.”
The door opened and Corduroy walked in. “Sounds intense in here. I could hear you all the way at the front door.”
“Since this is a two room office, that’s not very far,” Robert retorted.
“Still, sounds like someone’s having woman troubles. Do I sense trouble in paradise? Because I’m always willing to take Anna off your hands for you.”
Robert narrowed his eyes, his whole body tensing. “We weren’t discussing my love life, asshole.”
“Damn, well, that sucks. I’m sure she’ll come around.”
“You don’t even know her,” I said, confused at his advice.
“Oh, not your woman. Anna,” he grinned. “Yep, it won’t be long before Corduroy comes in and picks up the pieces you left behind.”
“Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?” I asked, irritated when people did that.
“Corduroy did, and you know why? Because Corduroy knows that there’s only so much Cortell one woman can take.”
“Yet, they always end up with a Cortell and never a Corduroy,” Robert shot back. “How many have you lost to us?”
“Just the two, but if you want to go for three, I can give Will’s woman a shot.”
“Big in
to failure, are you?” I asked. “I don’t think you could handle Charlie. She’s too much woman for you.”
“Oh, and I suppose that you’re enough man for her?” he mocked. “Then again, if you were, I don’t think you’d be in here arguing about your love life.”
“Did you have a purpose in coming here, Corduroy?” Robert sighed.
“Actually, I’m here because I have some paperwork that needs to be updated.”
He pulled out the papers and handed them over to Robert. I watched his face morph into displeasure as he read through the documents. “Jack’s not coming back?”
All mocking had left Corduroy’s tone now. He actually seemed sad that Jack was gone. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“Have you talked to him?” I asked.
He nodded. “Briefly. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, he’s not interested in coming back to town.”
“Christ, I wish we could help him,” Robert said, tossing down the papers.
“Look, I know this has to be hard on Josh and Carly, but it’s not their fault. No one around town blames them.”
“Except Jack,” Robert pointed out.
“He’ll come around. He just needs time.”
“And you’ll step aside if he decides to come back?” Robert asked.
“You may not like me, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Jack. He’s been a friend and a mentor for years. I would give anything to have him back here.”
Robert nodded, ending the verbal sparring match. “I’ll take a look over this and make sure all the changes are made.”
“Thank you.”
When he left, I looked at Robert, shaking my head. “This is gonna be hard on Josh. If this pushes him over the edge, he might walk away for good.”
“He’s been living on the edge for years,” I reminded him. “We have to hope that having us around is enough to keep him grounded.”
“And if it’s not?”
Neither of us said anything. I didn’t think anyone in the family could handle Josh walking away, not after we just got him back.
* * *
Textbook Approach: A Small Town Romance Page 24