by Bijou Hunter
“Though I understand your suffering,” I say patting her shoulder and eliciting a glare from Heidi, “don’t take it out on me.”
“I’ll do whatever the hell I want, Gunnar. This thing today was dumb.”
“It worked, and she is warming up to me already.”
“Because you’re protecting her from the big bad biker man. What happens when you no longer have to protect her?”
“The same thing that happened when Dad didn’t have to protect Mom anymore. They stayed together for thirty years and had a laidback son and a high-maintenance daughter.”
Heidi smacks my arm once, sees it has little effect, and slugs me harder.
“Is that a mosquito biting me or are you throwing a punch?”
Heidi kicks me in the leg but only hits my boot. “I hate you.”
“I know, but I need Vidalia, and this was the only way.”
“It’s not the only way.”
“The fastest way then.”
Heidi glances around me and studies the house. “She isn’t super stupid, is she? I can’t deal with idiot women like I can with idiot men.”
Like clockwork, Jox shows up and hands her Axe. “He wants you.”
“Teach him to want you,” she says, refusing to take the baby. “Make him want you like Eleanor at the grocery store does.”
“Is it my fault she looks?”
“No, but it is your fault that you flash your pearly whites at her stupid face. Now take the baby and entertain him while I beat on my brother.”
“Why can’t I beat on Ogre and you hold the baby?”
Heidi ignores Jox and focuses on me. “How long is this supposed to last?”
“Three days to a week.”
“How long do you think it’ll be before she figures out you’re a fucking lying idiot?”
“I’m hoping to get a solid thirty years like Mom and Dad.”
Heidi smiles and slaps my face. “You felt that, didn’t you?”
“Not really. You’d think carrying around the kid all day would toughen your upper body but nope.”
“I’m going to run you over with my car one day.”
“Well, that I might feel.”
Smiling wider, Heidi finally takes the baby from Jox who starts for the door.
“No,” I growl at him. “I don’t want you scaring her.”
“How am I scarier than you?”
“She thinks I’m a nice guy. No one thinks that about you.”
“It’s true, honey. Not even Eleanor with her giant boobs thinks that about you.”
Jox rolls his eyes and stomps back to his Harley. Heidi watches him and then grins at me.
“He’s so hot when he acts like a spoiled brat.”
“Everyone has a type, and yours is weird.”
“You sound like Dad.”
Smiling, I muss up her hair and then do the same with the dark fuzz on top of Axe’s head. “If you let me have this, I won’t ask for anything else for a while.”
“You really couldn’t win this girl over in the normal way? If your answer is no, I want you to consider what that means. She only wants you because you’re her hero.”
“No, she wants me because she wants me, but she has it in her head that she shouldn’t date, so she’s trying not to want me. I’m giving her an excuse to get past her no dating rule.”
“No dating, huh? Did some man do her wrong because those kinds of women are a handful?”
“You mean like Mom?”
“You said that. I didn’t.”
“Vidalia is the one. I know it in my gut, and I tried asking her out in the normal way. That didn’t work, so now I’m doing this.”
“Spoiled brat.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“You always get what you want. Precious Gunnar and his precious feelings always win because of his stupid, sad eyes that make Mom feel guilty for saying no. Now you’re pulling that crap on this poor, stupid girl.”
“Vidalia isn’t stupid.”
“She fell for your ruse.”
“She’s not part of this life. How would she know what is real and what isn’t? You need to learn to put yourself in other people’s shoes.”
“No,” she says, kicking me again. “And stop wearing boots. I need a way to hurt you.”
“Oh, you’ve hurt me plenty,” I say and pat my chest, “in here.”
Heidi laughs and kisses her son’s head. “When can I meet the pretty dummy you’re hot for?”
“Once I win her over, I’ll throw your crazy ass at her.”
“What you call crazy is simply my passion for life and those I love. It’s why I’ll hunt down Eleanor and beat her ass for flirting with Jox in front of me. It’s also why I’ll play along with this stupid shit you’re doing.”
“Thank you.”
“Next time you pull something like this; just tell me ahead of time, will ya? Don’t make me look stupid in front of the minions.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t keep you in the loop.”
“Fine then. You do this thing with your sweet dummy, and I’ll pretend you’re not a fucking stalker.”
“You remain my biggest cheerleader.”
Heidi pats my cheek. “I want to meet her soon. Gotta check her out and make sure she’s good enough for my big, dumb brother.”
“I never got to check out Jox before you eloped with him.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t need anyone’s approval, but you’re the sensitive type, so I gotta make sure you know she’s the one.”
“Sounds good, but I need you to leave now before Vidalia’s curiosity gets the better of her.”
Heidi stares at the front door, likely wishing to hurry along the process so she can size up Vidalia. I don’t do anything to invite her to make that move. Sighing, Heidi steps back and looks at Axe.
“I should go.”
“I’ll miss you,” I say, snickering at the thought.
Narrowing her eyes, she mutters, “Behave, Ogre.”
Heidi walks back to the SUV where she puts a pissed Axe into his car seat. Jox remains nearby, staring at his phone and occasionally chuckling. The guy loves videos of people falling, so I assume he’s watching one.
As soon as my sister’s SUV pulls out of the driveway, I hurry inside to see if Vidalia spied on the conversation. Rather than finding her listening in, she’s sound asleep on a guest bed. I smile at the sight of her red hair loose around her relaxed face.
Vidalia’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I completely believe that once she’s mine, my lies won’t matter.
10
Vidalia
⊱✿ ✿⊰
After sharing a room with two small children, I’ve learned to sleep on a dime. If I close my eyes for five minutes, I’m out.
Once I decide against spying on Gunnar and his sister, I rest my head on the pillow of the double bed in one of the guest rooms. As much as I want to know what they’re up to, I know they’ll catch me. The last thing I need is to piss off these scary biker people.
Despite my fear of their lifestyle, I’m crushing hard on Gunnar, and I can’t deal with him not crushing on me. If I overhear that he’s annoyed to have to watch over me, I won’t be able to hide my disappointment. Instead of creating more problems, I cuddle up in the comfortable bed and rest my eyes for a few minutes.
My mind lingers on an image of Gunnar’s face. His baby browns so often filled with melancholy. The bridge of his nose busted so many times a bump remains. The healed gash across his left eyebrow that once needed stitches. His full lips so perfectly sexy even when he’s frowning.
I wish I didn’t fear relationships and refuse to try one. In a different world, where I was a different woman who embraced wrong choices, I’d throw myself at Gunnar without a second thought. No shame or hesitation, I’d do whatever necessary to get him to want me.
But I’m not that girl who celebrates wrong choices. Every time Gunnar touches me tests my resolve. He tempts me wit
h what I logically shouldn’t crave.
Rather than dream of Gunnar or what I’d like him to do to me, I’m chased through an alley by an army of small, adorable dogs along with an occasional cat. I wake up feeling groggy and a bit cranky.
“I’m frigging Sleeping Beauty over here,” I whisper, wiping the drool from my mouth as I sit up.
I dream of dogs and cats a lot. I always wanted one growing up, but Reg was allergic, and his kids are too.
In my ideal life, I have lots of pets and a gaggle of kids, and I cook and bake and garden and other things no one in my family ever enjoys doing. Champagne only knows how to cook spaghetti, and I’m not much better. I don’t remember my mom making anything fancier than chili in the crock-pot.
But in my dream life, I’m a great cook. Realistically, I probably suck, and I’ll probably end up with a single cat in an apartment one day where I can walk to my job. I’ll eat Ramen noodles for dinner and be lucky to have a single plant sitting by the window.
Suitably depressed now, I remember why I can only be friends with Gunnar despite his rugged looks and warm demeanor.
I walk out to an empty living room. Gunnar’s Harley is still parked in the driveway, so I search the house for him. My heart starts racing when he isn’t in any of the bedrooms. Before I panic, I hear the faint sound of music from out back where Gunnar sits on a bench.
“You’re up,” he says when I open the screen door.
Nodding, I stand on the covered deck and take in the sight of a wall of trees just behind the house.
“Are you okay?” he asks, quickly on his feet.
“Did everything work out with your sister?” I mumble, standing near the deck railing.
Gunnar senses my unease at how he crowds me with his size. Once he returns to the bench, he sighs. “Yeah. She wanted to let me know our problem will be fixed soon.”
“That’s good.”
Wearing a sad frown, Gunnar watches me for a long time before I acknowledge his gaze.
“That night at Belly Up,” I start, having worked up my courage to say the words, “I said or did something that makes you like me, right? That’s why you asked me out and why you’re now helping me.”
“Well, I didn’t know you before that night, so, yeah, you made an impression.”
“Did we, you know, screw? I mean is that why you look at me like you do?”
“You’d know if we did,” he says in a dark tone.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m a big guy, and you’re a virgin. You’d feel it afterward if we had sex.”
My cheeks redden up instantly. I feel them blazing but regain my confidence enough to say, “I prefer the word screw.”
“Screw sounds cheap. I prefer the term fucking.”
“You’re a classy man,” I mumble before adding, “How did you know I was a virgin?”
“You told me.”
“Why would I tell you that?”
“You were drunk and wanted me to…”
“Fuck me?”
When Gunnar doesn’t answer, I can’t help taking a step away from him. He notices my unease, and his face goes blank. No more sad eyes or teasing grin. Gunnar is now an unreadable stranger, and I suddenly fear what’ll happen when the sun goes down, and we’re alone in the house together.
“Don’t do that with your face,” I demand in a shaky voice.
“Do what?”
“That blank stare thing. I don’t like it.”
“It’s my face. Can’t do anything about it.”
“You look cold, and I don’t want to believe that’s the real you.”
“Do you want to know me?”
Studying his face, I know I’m stuck. Whether I want to know him or not, I must say yes. He’s dangerous, and I’m nobody.
“Yes, so fix your face.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m not kidding.”
Digging his fingers into jeans, Gunnar shrugs. “You’re distracting from the virgin thing.”
“No, I’m really not,” I mutter, crossing my arms and shaking my head.
“I can’t promise I won’t look a certain way when I don’t know why I looked that way in the first place,” he says, standing up.
“Uh-huh.”
“I want you to know we didn’t fuck that night because I said no,” he says, stepping closer and leaning over me, “Not because your friends stopped us, but because I was never going to take advantage of you.”
“I know. You’re a mama’s boy with manners and rules and a genuine love for the fairer sex.”
His brown eyes study my face. “You’re angry.”
Despite my fear, I laugh at his silly statement. “You think this is me angry? Oh, boy, you have no idea what level of crazy I can hit when I’m pissed. This, my sweet boy, is me mildly annoyed.”
Sharing my smile, Gunnar grazes my cheek with his rough knuckles. I search his handsome face for reassurance that I don’t need to fuck him tonight to live through this situation.
“So, what did we do that night?” I ask.
“We kept it classy. Just French kissing.”
“The French are a sophisticated bunch,” I whisper, exhaling softly. “Was I any good?”
“I asked you out, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yeah. Came around twice to buy pasta salad too. I must be a solid kisser.”
“That you are,” he says, leaning down to prove his point.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to date anyone,” I say, inhaling his hot scent. “Not even you.”
Gunnar searches my face before pressing his lips against my forehead. “That might change.”
His proximity sends a shiver through me, and I can’t hide my awkwardness. Gunnar doesn’t smile at my desire. He only watches me with his chestnut brown eyes until I’m forced to look away.
Gunnar returns to the bench and remains outside long after I return to the house where I watch TV. We’re both sulking, and I don’t see a way to return to the easiness we shared at lunch.
⊱✿ ✿⊰
My nap alters the mood between Gunnar and me. I’m nervous about spending the evening with him. He’s tense about my being nervous or maybe about what his sister said. Perhaps, I’m getting on his nerves, and he wishes I hadn’t gotten in the middle of his biker problem this morning.
An hour after I wake up, Gunnar opens the front door for someone even though I never heard a knock. He takes a few bags and says something in a hushed voice. After closing the door, he walks to the kitchen and glances back at me.
“I ordered sandwiches, pizza, and drinks.”
“Drinks?”
“Beer for me. Wine coolers for you. Didn’t know what kind you might like.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I ask, joining him at the sink.
“Wouldn’t mind seeing you loosen up,” he says, smirking, “but I didn’t even order the drinks. I asked for soda.”
“You’re lying.”
“Possibly, but I do have other things you can drink. If you choose to get buzzed, that’s on you, pumpkin.”
“Pumpkin because of the red hair?”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, baby cakes. I call everyone pumpkin. Besides you and my dad, no one’s had a problem with it.”
Fighting a smile, I ignore the pizza and focus on the sandwiches. “What’s in it?”
“Brisket and cheese.”
“Sounds good,” I say, taking the wrapped sandwich and a Bahama Mama wine cooler before walking to the living room. “Are your parents okay with us eating in here?”
“Dad hates sitting at the kitchen table.”
“Me too. The chair makes my ass hurt.”
I refuse to check to see if Gunnar enjoys my comment. His smiles ignite something deep inside me that I’d prefer to remain dormant.
Joining me on the couch, he allows two feet of distance between us. Gunnar hopes to fool me into trusting his intentions, but th
e darkening evening reminds me of where I am and how no one can help me if something goes wrong tonight.
“What do you want to watch?” he asks.
“Where are you sleeping tonight?”
“In the spare room.”
“Which spare room?”
Gunnar’s lips curl into a smile. “Is that why you’re walking around with a stick up your sweet ass?”
“I don’t want to share a bed.”
“I don’t either.”
“Really?” I push, not believing Gunnar when he’s wearing such a smug smile.
“Not tonight.”
“But eventually.”
“Can you blame me?” he asks and pops a pepperoni in his mouth.
“Even after I told you I had no interest in dating?”
“You said you didn’t date, not that you weren’t interested in dating me. You clearly find me quite appealing.”
“Someone is feeling arrogant,” I mumble with a mouthful of sandwich.
“I see the benefit in our current situation.”
“So, are you planning to take advantage of the situation?”
Gunnar reaches over and pokes my shoulder. “Are you afraid of me or just giving me grief?”
“Why wouldn’t I fear you?”
“Because I could have hurt you that night at the bar, but I didn’t for the same reason I won’t hurt you tonight. I’m not that guy. Some men have no problem hurting women. I know a few, but I’m not one of them.”
“And I should just take your word for it?”
“Now I know you’re giving me grief.”
Chewing the sandwich, I shake my head at his accusation. “How do you figure?”
“Your eyes. When you’re scared or nervous, they darken. When you’re feeling feisty, they brighten. Girl, they’re fucking shining now.”
A smile brightens my face before I can regain control of my expression. Then again, if my eyes are giving away my mood, what’s the point of putting on a con?
“I’ve never been alone with a man who wasn’t my brother or a threat.”
“What kind of threat?” Gunnar asks, losing his smile and all warmth.
“I’m not sharing my life story with you.”
“Since you don’t want to date, we could be friends. Friends share their life stories, and I’ve told you plenty about me.”
“I don’t even know where you live. What if you steal my purse and run away? I won’t know how to find you.”