by Chelle Bliss
“Well…yeah, but…”
“There’s always a but,” he utters, running his palm over his beard and across his mouth. “Women always have buts.”
“You ever meet someone, and you just click?”
“Yeah. A few times a week, at least.”
I roll my eyes.
“I ain’t about love, babe.”
“Jo,” I correct him.
“Ain’t about love, Jo. I’ve had my heart broken once, never doing that shit again. I’m a one-and-done kind of guy.”
“Nick is the kindest and most maddening bossy man I’ve ever met, and I’ve known some pretty bossy fuckers back in LA.”
“LA is filled with pricks.”
“That shit is the truth,” I laugh, smiling at Tobias.
“So, you met a guy, instantly fell for him, and now you’re running away because…”
“My life is too complicated for him to handle.”
“He feel the same way about you?” Tobias asks before taking a slug of the beer he’s been nursing since he sat down.
“I don’t know,” I mutter with a shrug. “I think so. His mom made me soup today.”
“You’ve known him for a few days, and you’ve met his mom—or, wait.” Tobias pauses, sliding the beer back on the bar top. “Does he live with his mom?”
I scrunch my nose. “No, he has his own place. I wasn’t feeling well, so he called her, and she made me homemade soup.”
“Yeah, you fucked up.” His eyes narrow. “Super fucked up.”
“Tobias, you’re not helping.”
“When a man calls his mom and brings her into the circle, introducing her to any woman…that means something.”
“I was sick, and he was being nice.”
“No man is that nice. You fuck him?” Tobias asks point-blank, and I don’t even flinch at his candor.
“No.”
Tobias rocks back. “Guy didn’t even get inside you yet, and he’s already staking his claim, showing you off to his mom. That right there is some heavy shit.”
“That’s not how it works.”
Tobias leans back in the chair, laughing. “Babe,” he mutters.
I always hated that word…until Nick. He was the only one I liked who called me babe. The only person who ever said it in a way that made my chest flutter and my belly roll.
“You fucked up because that’s exactly how it works. I know shit’s different in LA, but here in the South, when you bring together the family and a woman, that means something deep and heavy.”
“He doesn’t know who I am, though.”
“You a killer?”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “No.”
“Stalker?”
“No.”
“Thief?”
“No.”
He taps the hair hanging where his chin should be. “Rapist?”
“What?” I jerk my head back. “No.”
“What the fuck is there to know?” he asks, shrugging a shoulder. “Guy found himself a beautiful woman, kind of normal in the head but with the right amount of crazy.”
I narrow my eyes at his assessment of me. I’m completely normal. Well, at least I am compared to the other people around me in LA.
“Killer rack. Long legs. Pretty mouth. Beautiful eyes. Probably a sweet heart too, but also a total pain in the ass nonetheless. And yet, he still wants that. But the first chance, she takes off, stealing that decision from him. That’s some fucked-up shit.”
“It’s not. He’ll never be able to understand because we come from two different worlds,” I tell Tobias, never able to fully explain the fucked-upness of my life to someone from the outside.
“You from Mars?”
“No.”
“Mercury?”
“No.” I roll my eyes.
“Earth?”
“Yes, Tobias, I’m from Earth.”
“Same world, babe. Same fuckin’ world. Just because you think it’s different in your head doesn’t make it reality. I know men get a lot of shit, but we’re pretty damn resilient. He should at least get a say in what he wants before you yank all your sweetness away from him. You fucked up. Fucked up big.”
“Yes, she did, Tobias.” Nick’s voice is unmistakable, and so is the anger in his tone.
“Nicky,” Tobias greets, turning his body and reaching his hand out to him. “How the fuck you been, man? It’s been a hot minute.”
Nick takes his hand, shaking it, but his eyes are completely focused on me. “I was good until I met this chick and she ran away like her ass was on fire before I had a chance to talk to her.”
Tobias’s eyes slide to me and then back to Nick as their hands drift apart. “Ah. I was running out of shit to say, man. Didn’t think you were ever going to get here.”
Nick shakes his head. “Fuckin’ traffic, Tob. Sorry, bro.”
“No prob. You introduced her to Angel, dude? That’s some pretty heavy shit.”
“Does everybody know everybody around here?” I mumble under my breath, earning a glare from both men. Fuckin’ great.
“I see she spilled her whole life story to you already. Must be nice to share something with a complete stranger that you can’t share with me.”
Tobias puts up his hands, sliding off the stool. “This is some nutty shit. I think I’m going to let you two work it out alone. Nice to see you again, buddy.”
“Thanks, Tobias. Stop by the shop sometime soon and say hi. I’m sure Tam and Mammoth would love to see you.”
Tobias smiles, showing those white teeth from behind his beard. “Love the fuck out of those two.”
Tobias isn’t gone for more than a few seconds when Nick stretches out his arms on either side of me, his hands resting palm down on the bar top. “No more running, babe.” The hardness of his chest presses into my back as his warm breath skids across the skin of my neck. “It’s time to talk. No more bullshit. No more lies. We’re about to get very real.”
13
Nick
“Don’t be mad at me,” she begs, not turning her head to meet my gaze.
“Babe, way beyond mad. You took off. No explanation. No hesitation. Left. Poof. Gone.”
“I’m sorry,” she says in a softer, even more hushed tone, her head tipped down, staring at her lap.
I lean closer, almost resting my lips against her ear. “Why run? I was going to take care of the guy, making sure whatever was going on wasn’t going to blow back on you. You didn’t give me that chance, though, before you set off, not even bothering to look back.”
“I looked,” she argues.
“When was that? Before or after you ended up at this shit-ass bar?” My thumb brushes against her pinkie, and the same electric shock I felt when I touched her before zaps me again.
“I tried to leave. Tried to drive away. I figured it was better for you. Easier, even,” she explains, tipping her head toward me, causing my lips to press softly against her ear. “But I couldn’t. Jesus, I couldn’t. It’s why I’m at this shit-ass bar in the middle of fucking nowhere, spilling my guts to a biker named Tobias, instead of lounging at the beach or boarding a plane.”
“You weren’t leaving?” I whisper into her ear, moving my hands over hers, my arms pressing against her exposed skin.
“No.” She turns her head until my mouth is next to her lips instead of her ear. “I tried, but it’s like you have an invisible tether, holding me back, keeping me from moving forward.” She lifts her fingers, intertwining them with mine. “I’ve only known you for a short time. This shouldn’t be so hard. But you don’t deserve the shitstorm that’s about to rain down on you because of what happened earlier.”
“The photos?” I ask, staring into her blue eyes, seeing the sadness and remorse buried deep inside them.
“Yeah,” she breathes, smelling of sweet whiskey.
“I don’t give a fuck about photos, Jo. The only way I give two shits is if the photos are going to cause problems for you. I have nothing to hide. Some asshole
posting photos of us kissing isn’t going to cause that much trouble in my life.”
Her eyes flash with anger. “You have no idea what it’s like, Nick. I’m not a simple girl. I come with baggage. Way more baggage than anyone you’ve probably ever met. That single second, the one damn snapshot, will change your world forever.”
I slide my hand up her arm until my hand is at her neck, resting my thumb on her cheek. “Do you think I give a single fuck what anyone thinks about me?”
“No,” she admits, her eyes locked on mine. “I don’t think you do.”
“Will it ruin you?”
“Hopefully.” She smiles softly.
“You lookin’ for a little trouble, babe? Want to drive a wedge between your past and your future?”
“I want out. The last few days have been…” She swallows, pausing for only a moment as I keep my eyes on her, not moving a muscle. “The best I’ve ever had.”
Grim.
It’s the only way I can describe whatever her life has been if the last few days have been the best she’s ever had. She’s attempted sleeping in a parking lot, gotten drunk and ended up kneeling on my bathroom floor, and had a massive hangover. I don’t know of too many people who put those things on any best experience lists.
“That’s fucked up,” I mutter, my gaze dipping toward her mouth as her tongue slides out, sweeping across her upper lip.
“I know.”
“Come home with me,” I tell her, not one hundred percent understanding why I’m working so hard to keep around a girl I’ve just met.
I’ve never chased, always sitting back, waiting for them to do whatever they wanted. But then again, I never had someone stick around for more than a fuck before showing them the door and helping them right out.
Jo’s eyebrows rise. “You still want me? Even after I ran?”
My fingers tighten around the back of her neck as I pull her face toward mine until our lips are touching. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted somebody more,” I admit against her mouth, being as truthful with her as I am with myself, even if I don’t understand the why of it either.
She shifts her entire body to the side, and she slides her arm around my waist as I take her lips hard and fast. Diving my tongue deep, I breathe in her whiskey-scented moans, taking what she has to give without remorse.
She pulls back, taking her soft lips with her. “Take me home,” she pleads between labored breaths.
“No more running.”
“No more running,” she promises.
Keeping our hands locked, I toss a twenty on the bar and help her from the stool. Before we get too far, I swing my arm around her shoulder, stalking toward the door.
Tobias catches my eye, raising a glass in the air, lifting his chin in approval. I return the gesture, not stopping for a talk or a thank-you. Whatever he did or said kept her here long enough for me to get here.
When we hit the parking lot, Jo starts moving toward her car, but I pull her back by the waist. “Leave it. We’ll get it tomorrow. You’ve been drinking, and you’re not driving. The last thing we need is you pulled over for suspicion of DUI.”
She turns to me with pursed lips. “I’m not drunk, Nicky.”
“You may not be, but the smell of whiskey coming off you is more than enough to at least get a breathalyzer, and although my dad is ex-law enforcement, the last thing I want to deal with is a cop right now. We’ll swing by and grab it tomorrow.”
“You’re the boss,” she mutters.
I smile, unable to stop myself. “You’re learning.” I open my truck door, helping her inside. “Last chance to finish taking that run, leaving me and all this in your past.”
She looks around, then back at me, her gaze sweeping across my face. “I’m done running. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you.”
My chest tightens at her words, and I grunt my approval, not trusting my voice enough to speak. I seal her inside, move to my side of the truck, and take off toward home.
14
Jo
We’re within a mile of his house when my phone rings, but I ignore it, instantly sending the call to voice mail.
Kimberly.
She’s going to chew my ear off or maybe my ass out for the photos that have no doubt been leaked already.
“You should probably answer that.” Nick glances toward me, his eyes flickering to my phone.
“I don’t want to.” The words are barely out of my mouth when the phone starts again.
Kimberly’s relentless. It’s why I hired her as my PR person five years ago, needing a pit bull on my side instead of relying on my parents’ people to have my best interests at heart.
I sigh, tapping the answer call button. “Hello.” I swallow, instantly regretting listening to him.
“I’ve been calling you for two hours. Where the hell have you been?” she bites out.
“Around.” I peer over at Nick and grimace.
“The photos are everywhere. You’re failing at lying low.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was, but then—”
“The guy is freaking hot, by the way,” she says so loud that even though she’s not on speakerphone, I know he heard every word because Kimberly is never soft-spoken.
Nick turns his head, his eyes on me, smile on his face.
I bite my lip as my face heats. “Kimberly…”
“Well, I’m only saying. He’s, like, way hot. Freakishly hot.”
“You’ve now used freak twice within thirty seconds.” I turn my body toward the side window and away from Nick. “He’s right here. Can we talk about this later?”
“Don’t stop on my account,” Nick teases behind me.
“He’s right there?” she asks.
“Um, I said that. He’s next to me.”
“Put me on speakerphone,” she demands.
“No.”
“Yes,” she pleads.
I sigh. “Fine,” I snap, pressing the button on the screen so we can both hear her. “You’re on speaker now.”
“Good. Hey there, handsome. I’m Kimberly, Jo’s publicist. You two have caused quite a stir.”
“Already?” he says, shifting in his seat and sitting up a little straighter.
“Yep. Hard not to when you two have your hands all over each other like two horny teenagers. It’s not often a Hollywood starlet is found being groped by a greased-up hottie outside the circle.”
I give him a sorrowful smile. “Sorry.”
“I’ve fielded a few calls, and I’m sure they’re digging into your background. Anything I should know so I can start a plan of attack?”
He turns his head, staring at me as we sit at the stoplight. “A plan of attack for what?”
“For whatever skeletons you have hanging in that closet of yours. We all have something to hide, some more than others, and it’s my job to crush those bones or make sure they’re at least downplayed enough that the dirt never gets disturbed deep enough for them to be found.”
His eyebrows draw in, and his face darkens. “For fuck’s sake.”
“Sorry.”
“Babe,” he says in that cool, sweet way that’s grown on me faster than I could have ever imagined. “Don’t be sorry. Ain’t your problem. It’s mine.”
“So, there are skeletons?” Kimberly asks.
“Not many, but I’m sure they’ll find the few I have.”
“I need details,” Kimberly demands, followed by the sound of papers moving. “Let me find a pen.”
“It’s not that long of a list,” he tells her, gripping the steering wheel harder and pulling himself closer to the windshield.
“Well, I don’t want to forget something that may be critical. Okay, I’m ready. Hit me with the worst of it.”
“I was sent to boarding school at fifteen,” he admits, looking out the windshield as we move through the intersection.
Boarding school? He doesn’t seem like any boarding school kid I’ve ever met. They were always so prim a
nd proper, being molded for greatness and greed. I would’ve bet my entire fortune he’d gone to public school, staying close to home.
“Why?” she asks.
“I was a little wild.”
I laugh, finding those words completely believable. There’s nothing about him that says boring or even rule-follower. Maybe that’s why I like him as much as I do. I’ve spent my life trying to play by the rules and follow the status quo, when all I wanted to do was break free, spread my wings, and experience freedoms only regular people seemed to enjoy.
“I stole a car with my buddies. Pop wasn’t happy about that shit since he was ex-DEA. He had a fit. Said I was out of control and needed to learn something more than he could teach me. He was grooming me to follow in his footsteps, maybe join the military even, but I wasn’t about that life and set out to do whatever I had to do in order to make sure those choices were impossible.”
I blink, soaking all that in because it is a lot. So much information to unpack there. First, his father was DEA and worked for the government. Second, Nick wanted to make sure he couldn’t be pushed into the same position or follow the same path as his father. Third, he stole a car. Freaking stole someone’s ride and was caught. That’s the big thing. His pop would not have sent him to boarding school if he didn’t know, and the only way he’d find out was if Nick were arrested.
“Was that the only time you were arrested?” Kimberly asks.
“No, but it was the first.”
I blink again, my mouth falling open. “Serve any time?”
“Not that time. My pop got me out with a few phone calls, but the next day, my ass was sitting in the headmaster’s office at the most conservative military boarding school in the state.”
“And that school would be?”
“Andrews Academy.”
“Graduate from there?”
“No.”
“Why?”
My eyes widen, and I can’t stop myself from staring at him in disbelief. He’d stirred up all this shit, but you wouldn’t know it from the way his mom talks to him and about him. She adores her son, never uttered a bad word about him to me in the brief amount of time we spent together. She gushed over him like any normal doting mother. Never said anything about his past indiscretions.