by Susan Stoker
“Bail, of course I am. All we’re gonna do is play my This Is War game, and hang out.”
Bailey chewed her lip. “I’m not sure that game is appropriate for someone your age. Isn’t it all like . . . killing and stuff?”
Her brother rolled her eyes. “It’s just a game, Bail. It’s not real. Relax.”
Relax. Yeah, right. “Fine. But bedtime is nine.”
“Bailey! Come on! It’s Saturday!”
“Oh, all right,” she relented. “Eleven, but no later.”
“Cool!” Joel enthused.
“And call me if anything happens. If anyone comes by.”
“No one is gonna come by,” Joel said, rolling his eyes. “In the months we’ve lived here, not one person has stopped by without you knowing about it beforehand.”
He was right, but it didn’t mean that Donovan or one of his gang couldn’t show up. In fact, with every day that went by, Bailey had the feeling it was becoming more and more likely. She had no idea how long her ex would be in jail, but surely it was nearing the time for him to be released. She made a mental note to go to the library in Castle Rock and see what she could find out online. “Fine. I won’t be too late. I’ll probably be home before eleven anyway.”
“Whatever,” Joel said, clearly not concerned one way or another what his sister did.
The sound of a car pulling into the gravel driveway made both of them turn toward the door.
“He’s here!” Joel enthused, jumping up from the couch and racing for the door.
“Don’t open it without checking first!” Bailey reminded him sternly.
Showing he’d heard her, Joel stood on tiptoe and peered through the peephole Clayson had installed for her, then unlocked the dead bolt, the chain, and the lock on the door, and threw it open. He disappeared out the door, and Bailey followed behind her brother at a more leisurely pace. She grabbed the black handbag she’d picked up that day at the thrift shop, and stood in the doorway.
Joel was waiting impatiently for Nathan next to the driver’s-side door. The second Nathan climbed out, Joel was chattering away.
Bailey saw his eyes flick from her brother to her, then stick as if physically unable to look away from her.
The expression on his face showed his appreciation for the effort she’d put into dressing. She saw his eyes sweep her from head to toe, before coming back up to concentrate on her face. Her entire body tingled, merely from one look. That had never happened before, and Bailey wasn’t sure what to do with it.
She vaguely heard Joel talking about his video game and how the latest This Is War game was the best yet—involving an intense opening scene where all the players parachuted from a plane and how if they didn’t steer themselves correctly, they ended up getting hit by a flying bird and crashing to the ground.
But Bailey only had eyes for the man walking toward her. She wasn’t the only one who had put in extra effort in choosing an outfit for the night. Nathan’s normally messy hair had been tamed, and he was wearing a pair of black slacks, a white button-down shirt, a black sports jacket, and of all things, a pink tie. It should’ve looked weird against the severity of his outfit, but instead it lightened it up just enough to look more casual than formal.
He walked right up to her and leaned over. For a moment Bailey thought he was going to kiss her on the lips, but at the last minute he turned his head a fraction of an inch, and she felt his lips brush against her cheek.
“You look beautiful, Bailey,” he said in a low, earnest voice.
“So do you,” she returned automatically. And it wasn’t a lie. He cleaned up well. She saw no sign of the nerd he professed to being in the man standing in front of her. His dark eyes sparkled with an intensity she couldn’t remember seeing in any man’s eyes before.
Putting a hand on her stomach to try to calm the fluttery sensation in her belly, Bailey turned to her brother. “Joel, will you run in and grab Ma’s necklace?”
“Sure!” he said immediately and headed for the small house.
“It’s in the box under my sink,” Bailey called out.
“Got it!”
When she and Nathan were alone, Bailey wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t used to this. When she’d gone out with Donovan, she always met him at his place, and he never bothered to dress up, or try to impress her. More often than not, he’d drag her into his bedroom, fuck her, then tell her to get busy making them something to eat. Not exactly romantic.
She bit her lip as Nathan’s eyes wandered down her body again, pausing at her chest, then again at her legs. She’d dug out a pair of heels from her life in Denver, and she had to admit they did fantastic things to her calves.
Nervously, she ran her free hand down the side of the skirt. “Do I look okay?”
“Yeah. You look more than okay,” Nathan said softly, his eyes coming up to meet hers. “Way too pretty for the likes of me.”
Bailey’s lips curled up into a small smile, and she shook her head. “I think we both look good. We clean up well.”
It was his turn to smile. “Yeah, I agree.”
Joel reappeared with the necklace in his hand. “Here ya go, Bail.”
Bailey reached for the jewelry, but Nathan beat her to it. He picked it up off Joel’s hand and held it up in front of him, examining it.
“It was my ma’s. Pa gave it to me when I turned sixteen. He said he gave it to her on their first wedding anniversary. It’s not real or anything, but he said she wore it every day after that, even the day she died. Pink was her favorite color.”
Nathan didn’t say anything, but Bailey saw his eyes go soft as he looked from the large stone dangling at the end of the chain to her.
“May I?” he asked, holding the necklace up.
In response, Bailey nodded and ducked her head.
Nathan carefully lifted the long, slender gold chain over her head. After it lay against her body, he surprised her by moving his hands to her hair and gently pulling it out from under the chain.
Goose bumps raced down Bailey’s arms at the feel of his fingertips against her nape. It was a fleeting touch, not a sexual one, but she felt it between her legs all the same.
He brought one finger down, tracing the length of the chain down the front of her body until he came to the stone. He picked it up, brushing the backs of his fingers against the curve of her breast in the process, and held it in the palm of his hand.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Pa said it’s pink coral.”
The necklace wasn’t fancy. Merely a large, rounded piece of coral hanging from a simple gold clasp. But it was the only thing Bailey had of her mother’s. She didn’t remember the woman; she’d died when Bailey was still a toddler. The car she’d been in had been hit head-on after she’d dropped Bailey off at a babysitter’s house, killing her instantly.
Nathan took a step closer to her, and Bailey’s eyes came up to his. He was still looking down at the stone in his hand, and she swore she could feel the heat from his body seep into hers as he stood in front of her.
“We match perfectly,” he said in awe.
Bailey looked down then. He was holding her necklace in one hand and his tie in the other. They were side by side, and amazingly, were exactly the same color.
“I wasn’t sure they would, but when I saw your tie, I remembered the necklace and thought it might be nice if we both had some pink on,” Bailey said quietly.
His eyes came up at that, but he didn’t step away from her. He licked his lips and Bailey saw a sheen of moisture glistening on his lips where his tongue had touched them. Another shiver went through her as all the carnal things he could do with his mouth ran through her brain.
“I don’t usually wear pink, but when I was trying to decide what to wear tonight, something told me this would be perfect.”
“It is,” Bailey told him quietly.
“Look! Here comes Duke!” Joel cried out excitedly, breaking the spell between the two adults standing nearby.
<
br /> Bailey cleared her throat and took a step back at the same time Nathan let her necklace fall out of his grasp. But it was a moment before he took his eyes from it, his gaze lingering on how it nestled between her breasts.
He took a deep breath as if trying to ground himself before stepping back another pace and bringing his eyes back up to her face. Bailey caught a glimpse of the erection in his pants before he shifted, tugging the bottom of his sports jacket down nervously.
“Thank you for agreeing to come out with me tonight, Bailey,” Nathan said, his eyes intense as they looked into her own.
“Thanks for asking,” Bailey responded.
They turned at the same time when they heard Duke greeting Joel enthusiastically. The other man was her age, but Bailey felt so much older than he was. He was a good guy, funny, but he lacked the maturity that she craved in a man. He’d asked her out when she first started working at Clayson’s Auto Body, but she’d turned him down. Not only because she sensed he was only looking for a good time, but also because she wasn’t nearly ready to get into a relationship . . . if she ever would be.
“Hey, Bailey,” Duke said as he sauntered up to them, “lookin’ good.”
“Thanks. Duke, this is Nathan. Nathan, Duke.”
The two men shook hands, and Bailey continued. “We’re just going to dinner in town, so we’ll be nearby in case anything happens. You have my number, right?”
“Relax. Nothing’s gonna happen. You go and have a good time. Me ’n Joel will be hangin’ out playin’ games. Right, bud?”
“Right! And Bail said I could stay up till eleven!” Joel was quick to point out and make clear.
“Awesome!” Joel looked at his watch. “That means we have six hours of This Is War to play. Let’s get on that, yeah?”
“Yeah!” Joel practically screeched. Six uninterrupted hours of video games was obviously his idea of heaven.
After the little boy had run back inside, Bailey murmured, “Thanks for doing this, Duke. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. You’re taking my shift Monday, so it all works out.”
It wasn’t often that she needed a babysitter, but when she did, Duke was happy to let her take one of his shifts in lieu of money, something she appreciated, as she didn’t have much extra cash lying around. She didn’t mind giving up her days off in return for the other man’s time.
“I don’t expect trouble, but make sure you keep the door locked . . . just in case,” she told Duke, well aware of Nathan’s eyes on her.
Duke stopped midstride on his way into her house and turned back to Bailey. “Somethin’ I need to know about?” he asked quietly, but with a seriousness that she’d never heard from him before.
She shook her head. “No. Just being cautious.”
Duke nodded, but it was obvious he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Try not to worry. I’ll make sure he eats something, takes breaks so his eyes don’t cross, and is in bed by eleven. Don’t rush back for our sakes.”
“Thanks. Again, I appreciate it.”
“Anytime you need me to look after him, I’m happy to do it, and not because you’re takin’ my shift. You work too hard, Bailey, and deserve a day off during the week just as much as anyone. From here on out, you need to do somethin’, let me or any of the other guys know. We’ll watch him for you for free.”
“I can’t ask—”
“You ain’t askin’. I’m tellin’. It’s what friends do, Bailey. You’d do the same for us.”
Bailey felt the tears at the back of her throat, but forced them down. The last thing she wanted was for her makeup to run down her face if she started bawling. “You know I would.”
“Damn straight. Go on. Have a good time. Don’t worry about us.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” Bailey turned back to Nathan, and squeaked in surprise when she found him standing next to her. Right next to her. Close enough that their shoulders were almost touching. Close enough that to a bystander, it would look like they were more than casual acquaintances, which she supposed was his plan. His eyes were on Duke’s back as the other man entered her house, then closed the door behind him.
The thought that Nathan wanted Duke to know of his interest, and protection, made the tingles between her legs start up again, then Nathan’s hand came up and rested on her lower back. It was a light touch, his fingertips barely brushing the material of her dress.
Instead of making her feel warm and fuzzy inside, all good thoughts fled at his touch. His fingers were resting right over where the word whore was inked on her skin. Once again, revulsion closed over her like donning a cloak at the memory of who she was and what she’d done.
She couldn’t forget that she was Donovan’s whore. That she belonged to the gang, body and soul. She wouldn’t drag anyone into that life, especially not Nathan. He was too good. Too . . . nice.
Taking a side step away from him, making his hand fall away from her body, she chirped too brightly, “Ready?”
His head cocked and his gaze pierced hers, as if he could read her mind simply by looking into her eyes. But he merely nodded and held out his hand toward Marilyn. “It’s not your classic car, but she’ll get us where we need to go,” he said.
“It’s fine, Nathan. It’s not a big deal.”
She practically ran to the passenger side of his car, trying to make sure he wouldn’t touch her again. She couldn’t bear for him to touch her again. She opened the door herself and slid inside before Nathan could help her. He shut the door behind her, walked calmly around the front bumper, and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Without a word, he started the engine, which turned over immediately with no issues, and headed down her driveway to Minter Lane. Her house was located down a fairly long dirt road off Wolfensberger Road—a main thoroughfare that led into the city of Castle Rock. She was far enough away to feel secure, but close enough that if she needed something, she could easily get there. Joel’s school was small for the area, but nearby and convenient. When he started middle school, he’d be bused down into Castle Rock, but for now she was content for them to live, learn, and work in close proximity.
Not liking the uncomfortable silence, and knowing it was because of her actions, Bailey asked, “So, how did you manage to get reservations at Scarpetti’s?”
Nathan looked over at her for a quick moment before turning his eyes back to the road. He was a careful driver, keeping both hands on the steering wheel and making sure there was plenty of room before pulling out onto Wolfensberger Road. He drove the speed limit and even used his turn signal when there was no one around to see it.
“The business my brothers and I started is a couple of stores down from the restaurant. When they first opened, we gave them a lot of business. We were single and worked long hours. It was easier to walk down the street than to go home and make ourselves something to eat. It wasn’t a hardship. Even without the fancy famous chef, the food was excellent. When the owner found out what we did for a living, she declared that anytime we wanted to eat there, we’d have a table.” He shrugged. “We don’t take advantage of that now that they have more business than they can handle some days, but not once when we’ve inquired if a table would be available for us, no matter the size of our party, have they not fit us in.”
It made sense to Bailey. Loyalty was important. She had a feeling that for Nathan and his brothers, it was everything. “And what do you and your brothers do?”
He looked over at her then, with a look she had no hope of interpreting.
“I was planning on telling you all about myself tonight after we ate,” he said before putting his attention back on the road.
Bailey didn’t know how to take that. But the closer they got to Castle Rock, the more nervous she got. What did she know about the man sitting next to her except that he drove an older car that he’d named, that he could get reservations at a restaurant it was impossible to get reservations at, and her little brother loved him even
after only meeting him once? Oh, and Clayson seemed to approve of him.
It wasn’t much. No, it was nothing.
She’d opened herself up for a world of hurt if she’d misread the situation.
“You’re safe with me, Bailey. Stop thinking so much over there,” Nathan said easily into the silence. “I don’t like secrets, or lies. After tonight you’ll know everything about me. It might make you hate me. It might piss you off. But I swear on my father’s grave, you’re safe with me. As is Joel. I would never do anything to put you in danger, or to hurt you.”
His words were fervent and heartfelt. So heartfelt, Bailey felt the tears well up in her throat for the second time that night. She’d been on her own for so long, she’d forgotten how it felt to trust someone else. To feel like she had someone to lean on. While she wasn’t one hundred percent sure Nathan would fall into that category, she had a feeling that after tonight, she’d never feel the same again.
“Okay,” she whispered. Not sure what else to say.
“Okay,” Nathan echoed.
The rest of the drive was silent as both were lost in their thoughts about what the night would bring.
Chapter Nine
Nathan held open the door to Scarpetti’s and let out a calming breath. It didn’t work. He’d thought he and Bailey were really connecting, but the second he touched her back, she pulled away from him. Mentally and physically.
It drove him crazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He’d bide his time. She was bound to have some demons to work through, especially after being involved with Donovan and the Inca Boyz. Besides, after she heard him out later that night, she probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore anyway.
He vowed to wait until after they ate to bring up any business. He wanted one dinner with her, free of him being who he was and her being who she thought she was. He wanted it to be just the two of them. Nathan and Bailey. But first he needed to bring her back to where they’d been standing in front of her house, admiring each other.