Breaking Away

by Toni Aleo

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah, but it’s only for a week,” she said with a nod. “Oh, by the way, I think we are going to get a house in the city. We’ve been looking.”

  Reese nodded. She had been asking Piper to move back to Nashville for months. When she first got pregnant, Piper decided to hide the pregnancy and moved out to Sweetbriar to her family friend, Elli Adler’s old house. Reese should have known something was up, but at the time, Piper wanted to be an illustrator, and said she needed the peace and quiet to draw. Really, she was pregnant and didn’t want anyone to know.

  “That’s great; I can’t wait to have you and Dimitri closer to me.”

  “And Erik,” Piper supplied.

  “Yeah, him too,” Reese said teasingly as she dried a plate. “He’s okay, I guess. He’s growing on me.”

  “He’s amazing, I love him so much.”

  A small grin came across Reese face.

  “Have you talked to Harper today?” Piper asked.

  Reese shook her head. “Nope, what’s up?”

  Piper smiled widely at her before saying, “Sadie is pregnant. The eggs stuck this time!”

  Reese wanted to scream out in joy. It had been two months since they picked out Sadie Murray as the surrogate mother for Harper and Jakob. Sadie was a mother of two with a loving husband who believed that everyone needed a baby. She had been a surrogate once before, and she took great care of herself. Reese knew from first glance that Sadie was perfect. Knowing that everything was working out perfectly made Reese want to cry. Harper was probably elated.

  But why hadn’t she called Reese?

  “Oh my god, that’s awesome,” Reese said, but then asked, “I wonder why she didn’t call me? I picked Sadie out, for goodness sakes!”

  Piper smiled. “She did call you, but your phone doesn’t work out here. That’s why I’m telling you.”

  “Oh… Well, damn, that’s awesome. I can’t wait for another little baby!”

  Piper laughed. “Me either. I’m so happy for them.”

  Reese smiled. “Me too. So when you popping out another one?”

  Piper dropped the plate she had in her hands, splashing water all over her shirt. Reese laughed as she took a step back.

  “Do you not remember how loud I was screaming during the birth of my son? That shit is not a joke, it hurts, and it will take longer than six months for me to forget that pain, thank you. I don’t know how Elli did this back to back the way she did,” Piper said with a shake of her head.

  Reese didn’t understand how Elli could pop out four kids in the past three years while being the owner of the Nashville Assassins either but, then again, she didn’t understand why people thought they needed to procreate anyways. There was too much to do in life. Why wipe ass and feed a little person, when you could tour Italy or something? It wasn’t the life for her, but she wasn’t one of those people that pushed her views on everyone else. She was happy to be an aunt. She loved Dimitri and Ally with all her heart and was happy that her sisters had found happiness with two great guys. Reese just never thought that would happen for her. Guys weren’t a necessity; they were just a pleasure.

  Which reminded her…

  “All right, I’m heading out,” Reese said, throwing her towel down and wrapping her arms around her sister.

  “Okay, be careful and call me later.”

  Reese rolled her eyes. “Piper, we didn’t take those self-defense classes for nothing. If a guy gets stupid, he gets his ass kicked. Simple as that.”

  “I know, but don’t you think you’re getting too old for this? We are twenty seven; don’t you think it’s time for you to settle down?”

  Reese let out an annoyed sigh as she met her sister’s clear blue eyes. After people found their soul mates, they thought everyone else should, too. It was so annoying.

  “I’m happy with my life. I don’t want a man, or kids, or anything like that. I want me, with the occasional bedmate and, tonight, I’m in the mood for some hair-pulling, rough sex.”

  “Okay, but you could find a guy that would do that all the time, instead of having to find a different guy each time.”

  Reese shook her head. “No, because maybe next week, I’ll want sweet, loving sex. You never know with me.”

  Piper smiled. “If you took the time, you could find a man that would give you all of it, but whatever. Be careful, and love you.”

  Reese could have argued the point, but she was glad for the out and smiled.

  “Love you,” she said, turning to leave. “Bye, Erik.”

  “See you later,” he called from Dimitri’s room. She should have gone back there and said bye. She knew once Dimitri had her in his gaze, though, that she’d never leave, and Reese needed to leave. She was in the mood for some company of the male variety.

  Wanna B’s was Reese’s stomping ground. She loved the bar, loved the atmosphere, and the assortment of men out in front of her. There were cowboys, lawyers, musicians, businessmen, and every other brand of man for her to choose from. Reese leaned against the bar, a beer at her lips, as she scanned for the perfect bedmate. She had a system. After picking the guy out of the crowd, she’d watch him and usually he’d notice. They would make eyes at each other and, if he had the balls to come up to her, and he checked out as not a sleaze, then she usually went home with him. She never went to their house though, no matter what. She’d go home alone before she’d do that. The reason was because she knew where all the weapons were in her house. Had to keep safe, mind you.

  Taking a long pull of her beer, her eyes kept busy until she found him. It didn’t take long. When her eyes landed on him, all she could do was think, Hello, gorgeous. He had to be at least 6’5, big, brawny shoulders, trim waist, great ass, blond hair in a short cut, and dark brown eyes that met hers head on. When his lips curved in a devilish grin, Reese found herself gripping the side of the bar. He was a hair puller. She could tell just by that grin, and she prayed he had the balls to come talk to her. He did, and soon he was crossing the bar. As he closed the distance between them, Reese took in his tight jeans, his western blue shirt that had pearl snaps, and of course, his black cowboy hat. The song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” came to mind, and Reese was all about saving every horse in America just to ride this one cowboy.

  With a grin on his face, he bent in and said, “Hi.”

  As he pulled back, Reese’s smile grew. He smelled fantastic, not like a cigarette or anything. He had beer on his breath, but she thought that was hot. Bringing her lip between her teeth, she held his gaze before she said hi back.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  He had a deep voice, one that could make her come on demand. Oh, she couldn’t wait to get him home.

  “Reese.”

  “Reese, I like that.”

  “Thank you, and yours?”

  “Dillon.”

  She grinned, still holding his gaze as she moved a piece of hair out of her eyes. She felt a tingle in her stomach as heat rushed to the spot between her thighs. They had a connection, and she was ready to go home and test that while getting tangled in her sheets.

  “Do you have a girlfriend, wife, or anyone that will protest to you leaving and having your way with me?”

  His grin grew as he slowly shook his head.

  “No ma’am, I don’t.”

  Yup, she was pretty sure her thong caught on fire. She took a step towards him, running her hand up his hard abs before resting it on his equally hard chest. When his hand rested against her ass, she knew she was about to have a whole lot of fun with this country hottie.

  “Well then, let’s go.”

  He was all right.

  Nothing mind blowing, and he needed to work on his hair-pulling technique. How hard was it to pull and thrust at the exact right time? He was banging her so hard, and then pulling her hair at the wrong time, that she was convinced he was going to break something. But overall, he did the job and she got her release, which was all she was r
eally worried about. Now Reese had the issue of getting him out of her apartment. Looking down at where Dillon was passed out across her stomach, she let out a breath. She hated this. Why couldn’t guys just fuck her and leave? What was the problem? Why’d they want to stay and cuddle?

  Ack.

  Why hadn’t she enjoyed him more? It bothered her that she didn’t and, the more she thought about it, the more she realized this was Piper’s fault. If she didn’t have her sister in her head telling her she was getting old and needed to find a guy that would give her great hair-pulling, sweet, loving sex, she probably would have enjoyed him more. Instead, she rushed him through foreplay, straight to the prize that was in his pants. But was it really a prize? It was a nice dick, nothing to gush over, but again, it did the job.

  Blah, what a waste of a night.

  Deciding that it was time for him to go, she moved out from underneath him, causing him to fall off her and wake up. He looked up at her with a lazy smile, his eyes dancing along her naked body. He really was hot, but that was it. Oh well. Reaching for Dillon’s clothes, she threw them on the bed before sliding into her robe.

  “All right, I had a great time, but I gotta get up early. Time to go.”

  Dillon looked up at her, confused.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You need to go,” she said, pointing to the door.

  “Why? Can’t I stay? We could chill, and I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”

  “No, and no, and no again,” she said as she cringed. The breakfast part wasn’t so bad since she loved breakfast food, but there was no way she was cuddling with this guy. She didn’t cuddle.

  “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Again, it was fun, but I need you to go.”

  He looked at her astonished, but thankfully, he got up and started to get dressed. She went to the kitchen for a glass of water and when she turned, he was walking towards her. Placing his hat on his head, he leaned in, giving her a small kiss on her lips before pulling away to look at her.

  “Can I get your number?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry buddy, one-time deal here.”

  “Really? Wow. I’ve never met someone like you.”

  Reese smiled. “Yeah, I’m one in a million.”

  It’s not his fault… he doesn’t know.

  Phillip wasn’t going to kill Patrick Franklin, but Claire was fair game.

  Walking into the room he shared with Claire to find her in bed with the new rookie wasn’t how he wanted to end his night but, for the last three months, Claire had done any and everything to piss him the fuck off. He usually kept his cool but, this time, this time she had succeeded. While she looked up at him, her legs crossed with a conniving little look on her face, Patrick, or as the guys called him, Patty, rushed to pull his jeans up before throwing his shirt on. He wasn’t sure how far they got, but surely not far since Claire was still in her bra and panties.

  Right? When a vision of all the things he has done to girls that wore more than that came to mind, he shut his eyes, shaking his head. “Put some clothes on,” he spat out at her.

  She rolled her eyes before doing as he asked. Patty tried to get by him, but Phillip pushed him into the wall, holding him in place by his shoulder. He could see the fear in his eyes, and he should be scared. He was lucky that Phillip wasn’t killing him right now, but he knew this wasn’t Patty’s doing. The kid was as quiet as a mouse and overall a good guy. Phillip thought he had a girlfriend, but maybe he was wrong.

  “Do you know how old she is, Patty?”

  “She said she was nineteen.”

  Phillip cut Claire a look and she just smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders. Shaking his head, he looked back at the shaking rookie.

  “She’s sixteen.”

  Patty almost lost his footing as his eyes went wide.

  “Oh fuck, please, Phillip, don’t tell anyone. I didn’t know. I didn’t even sleep with her, I promise.”

  “We were about to, until we were interrupted,” Claire added. “Thanks for ruining my night.”

  Phillip could only see red as his grip on Patty’s arm tightened.

  “She is my niece, and she is completely off limits. I’m pretty sure I told everyone that.”

  He shook his head quickly. “I don’t remember that, man. I’m so sorry. It will never happen again.”

  “You got that right.”

  Phillip let go of his shoulder and watched as he almost fell trying to get out of the room. He kicked the door shut and turned to find Claire with her hands on her hips and that same defiant look on her face. If he hadn’t caught her smiling while she was watching a movie, he’d think she was permanently angry.

  “What the hell, Phillip? You were supposed to go out tonight!”

  Whoa, wait a minute. Was she actually mad at him?

  “Um, excuse me, I did go out, but I came back to make sure you weren’t hungry,” Phillip pointed out.

  “Not for food, but my hunger for Patrick is another story. That boy is Grade A fine.”

  Phillip pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in deep breaths. In the last three months since bringing Claire to Nashville, nothing had changed. Other than the lack of a sex life Phillip was going through, Claire was still a mouthy, angry teenager that was out to ruin him. She did everything in her power to drive him insane. She wouldn’t talk to him, unless she was yelling at him about keeping her on the road with him. He constantly had to hear about her being bored, how she wanted to sleep in a real bed, and how she wanted to hang out with people her own age. She made it seem like all she wanted was to be back in Minnesota. When he suggested she go back to living with Alice, she would get irate, and they would spend most of the night screaming at each other.

  It drove him crazy. She was a typical woman. There was no pleasing her, and Phillip didn’t know what to do anymore. He tried to get her to go to counseling, but he was basically paying for her to sit there and be a mute. She wouldn’t talk. She didn’t want to talk to anyone; she only wanted to sit with her damn headphones in her ears and dance around the damn room, completely ignoring him. He was getting tired of it. He wanted the girl he knew before back, he wanted this to be fixed, and he wanted her to be happy. He knew she was everything but that, and he didn’t know how to make it better. He couldn’t stop traveling, it was part of his job, so what the hell was he supposed to do?

  Looking back at her, he decided that this time she had went too far. It was the first time he found her in bed with anyone, and it was going to be the last. Glaring at her, he said, “This will never happen again. Do you know you could have ruined that kid’s career?”

  “I don’t care,” she said with an uncooperative shrug. “All I care about is getting laid. You won’t let me out of your sight long enough for me to find someone to do the deed. I saw him by the coke machine and next thing I know, he has me against it. His girlfriend just dumped him; he needed a sympathy fuck.”

  For fuck’s sake.

  “You are sixteen; you don’t need to be sleeping with anybody, much less a nineteen-year-old rookie!”

  “So you never had sex at my age?”

  He was proud he only sputtered for a moment.

  “That has nothing to do with what we are talking about right now. I don’t want you trying to seduce my hockey team! This is my career, Claire. Don’t you understand that you can get me in trouble?”

  She flung her arms in the air. “Then let me go! Let me leave and go live my life!”

  “How will you have money?” he asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll work.”

  “What about school?”

  She made a face, as if something nasty was in her mouth. “I’m not worried about school. You don’t need an education to take your clothes off.”

  Phillip’s fist clenched as he tried to take in calming breaths. What was he supposed to do? This girl did not want his help, she didn’t want anything from him, and he didn’t know how much more
he could take.

  “Why do you say things like that? I know damn well you don’t want to be like your mom.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I want, it’s who I am,” she said and, for the first time, it wasn’t with an attitude. She really believed that she was destined to be what her mother was.

  Over his dead body.

  “If you’d let me, I could help you change that. I’m giving you all the options, Claire. I want you to do more; I want you to be happy.”

  She shook her head, the hostile attitude back.

  “I’m not happy unless I’m fucking.”

  He let out a defeated breath as his shoulders fell.

  “Claire, why are you doing this to me?” he asked, holding her angry gaze. “I am trying to do right by you, trying to make sure you are taken care of, but you keep pushing me away. I want to help you. Don’t you understand that I love you, and want more for you?”

  “Whatever,” she muttered, turning around to get back in her bed. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have left me.”

  Here we go again, he thought as he let out an aggravated sigh. They always seemed to have this argument, and he didn’t even know why he continued to do so. Maybe, he hoped that she would believe him this time.

  “I was eighteen!”

  “You could have come back. Instead, I was left behind like an old rag and never saw you again,” she spat, pulling her long, red hair up into a bun.

  “That was your mother’s doing. I wanted to see you, but there was nothing I could do.”

  Claire pinned him with a glare before saying, “You could have tried harder, but whatever, it’s over with.”

  “Then let it be over with… let’s move on from it. I’m here now, let me help you, Claire,” he stressed, but she was already shaking her head.

  “I don’t need help, Phillip. I just need a place to crash until I’m eighteen because I know if I run right now, you’ll get the cops on me, or you’ll chase me down yourself. I’m not trying to do all that.”