Left Behind (Lost & Found #1)

by C. L. Stacey

  If I call her now, I’ll only be bothering her.

  Daniel’s sitting outside the establishment, acting as my eyes from the outside, but that’s useless to me right now. I want to know what’s going on in the inside.

  It’s a good thing I made sure to have someone on the inside.

  I tap my thumb against the contact and bring the phone to my ear. It rings a bunch of times, and just as I get ready to hang up to try again, he answers.

  “Jackson, what’s up, man?”

  “How’s she doing?” I ask. I hate that I’m spying on her, but not really, because that’s all I’ve ever done. And if I don’t get some sort of report soon, I’m going to lose my mind.

  “She’s fine. She’s drinking.”

  That worries me. “A lot?”

  “Should I lie?”

  “No, you shouldn’t.”

  “Then, yes.”

  I sigh, deeply frustrated that Caleb’s there and I’m not. It’s just easier to believe Caleb’s presence to be genuine. People expect him to be in places like that, even if it is on a fucking Thursday. Plus, he wants a second chance to prove to me that he isn’t a useless friend to Lexi, so… I have no choice but to agree to this shit plan. He’s the only whore I know. Well, other than Brad, but that’s now out of the question.

  “Should I go over there? One of the bridesmaids is eye-fucking the shit out of me from across the room. I think I’d like to say hello.”

  “Lexi knows you’re there?” I shout.

  “Well, I’m not exactly a low-profile customer, Jackson. Come on,” he poorly defends himself.

  “What’d she say to you?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “And what did you say?”

  “To watch the naked ladies dance.”

  I close my eyes and exhale a frustrated breath, dragging a hand over my face. “Do you hear the things you say?”

  “I’m not deaf.”

  “Would you like a dance, Mr. Carlisle?” a female’s voice comes from off in the background somewhere.

  “Tell the naked lady no, Caleb.”

  “Hell yes, I do,” he answers over me. “I gotta go, man. I’d rather not have you in my head when she’s grinding on my dick. K, bye.”

  “No, Caleb. No!”

  He hangs up.

  “Fucking useless!” I growl, squeezing my phone in my hand.

  I seriously consider throwing my phone against the wall, just to watch it shatter to pieces, but I decide to give Daniel a call instead.

  What am I doing? I have no fucking clue.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Anderson?” he answers on the first ring.

  “Come back and pick me up, please.” I’m not aware of my own plan until I speak my order aloud to him.

  He doesn’t question my command, though. “Right away, sir.”

  I hang up.

  Shit.

  Naked ladies. Naked ladies everywhere.

  Except for the cocktail waitresses, they’re just in close-to-nothing costumes, but I pay none of them any attention while I squint to see through the dark, smoky room.

  I spot a head of black hair, utter a curse under my breath and continue scanning until my eyes eventually seek out the one I came here for.

  Lexi is safe with her friends in one of the booths in the back. They’re laughing and having a good time, and it brings me the relief I need.

  I walk over to where Caleb is seated with one girl on his lap and another massaging his shoulders.

  “You useless motherfucker,” I mutter down to him as I claim the seat next to his.

  “Oh, you came!” He grins my way before returning his attention to the ass of the girl grinding against his lap. “Hold on, I’ll be right with you.”

  “Would you like a dance, sir?” the one working on Caleb’s shoulders turns to ask me.

  “No,” I reply, making sure my tone held firm. “Will you ladies excuse us, please?”

  Caleb tips the dancer generously, and she and her friend leave us be. “You just ruined my dance, Anderson.”

  “You’re not here for lap dances, Caleb, are you fucking kidding me?” I hiss, keeping my voice low. I don’t know why I do, the music is blaring right over me anyway.

  “You would rather me sit here and stare at Lexi?” he asks, and I realize how stupid that sounds. “Because that won’t appear obvious or anything.”

  “You’re supposed to watch her, Caleb. Discreetly.”

  “I am!” he insists. “I have one eye on the ass, and the other on your girlfriend.”

  The word feels like a ton of bricks being dropped on my chest. Heavy as hell, but in no way unpleasant.

  “She’s fine, Jackson. You need to calm down. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not ever again,” he assures me.

  I nod, my eyes swinging in the direction of the girls’ table again. “So no men have been by their table?”

  Caleb laughs. “Take a look around, Jackson. There are men everywhere, surrounded by women they have to pay for. Now look over there,” he nods in the direction of their table, “a table full of women. A bachelorette party, to be precise. Women who are willing to make mistakes with a drunken one-night stand. For free. Of course men have been by.”

  I whip my head back in Caleb’s direction, and he holds his hands up, then points one back to the table again. “The bride’s got fire. None of men left the table lucky. Though one or two of the bridesmaids did get up later on their own accord, but that’s their decision, so she didn’t stop them.” Then he adds, “Lexi didn’t seem interested in anyone but the bride, so she’s been under her protection most of the night. She’s fine, Jackson,” he reassures me again. “And she’s coming over—oh, shit, don’t look.” Caleb brings his hands up in front of his face, as if it will do anything but make things more obvious.

  I turn my head to look, and I like everything I see.

  Her black dress reveals a lot, short in length, the material hugging her every curve, and some parts of it are cut out in the midsection. It leaves very little to the imagination.

  And just like that, I hate this dress.

  Lexi squints her eyes to get a better look at me. “Jackson?”

  “Lexi.” My eyes drop slowly from her face to her chest, to her tight stomach, all the way down to my favorite thing about her. Her legs.

  Not wanting to get caught for the way I’m openly gawking at her, I look up again.

  You’d think she’d be anything but happy to see me here, but she’s grinning from ear to ear.

  She’s drunk.

  “Oh, my God, what are you doing here?” She plops herself down on my lap, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug before landing a wet kiss against my cheek.

  A flirty drunk.

  I wrap an arm around her, returning her hug, and look off to the side to find Caleb staring at me with wide eyes. He seems impressed with how easy she let me off, and the only thing on my mind right now is: Did she greet him this way?

  “Are you here to see the naked ladies dance, too?” Lexi asks as she pulls away just enough, slightly slurring her speech.

  “No,” I blurt.

  Caleb lifts a hand, imitating a whipping motion with it, and I flick him off. He laughs. Lexi doesn’t notice our exchange at all, not with her face this close to mine.

  I can smell the tequila on her breath, mixed with the smell of that perfume of hers I love so much, and suddenly, I feel like the one who’s drunk.

  “How is it you always seem to find me?” she asks, snapping me out of it.

  “Impromptu business meeting with Caleb,” I lie. “He chose the venue.”

  Lexi turns her head to look at him. Her hair brushes against my face, and I get a good whiff of the very familiar scent of her shampoo. “You’re gross, Caleb,” she says to him.

  “That’s me.” He shrugs guiltily. “Then again, you’re here, too,” he points out, and she giggles. “Don’t bachelorette parties usually have naked dancing men, not women?”

>   “Not at the ones I throw.” Lexi shakes her head. “Naked dancing men freak me out, so I chose the naked ladies instead.” She turns back to me, giggling again. I smile up at her, enjoying that innocent remark way too much.

  “Aw man, I was hoping to hear you say you swing both ways,” Caleb says what only Caleb Carlisle would say.

  “Maybe.” Lexi shrugs with a grin. “You never know. Get me drunk enough, and I just might.”

  Caleb’s hand shoots up as he yells, “More tequila over here!”

  I laugh, amused by the side of this woman I’ve yet to meet. But I can’t ignore the fact that she’s had enough. “Want me to take you home?” I ask her.

  “What?” Lexi leans in, her hair draping all around me as she tries to bring her ear closer for a better listen.

  I turn so my lips are pressed against her ear, ready to repeat my question, but I pause when I feel her shudder softly in my arms.

  Witnessing the effect I have on her only works to test my limits, clouding my conscience. I have her here in my arms, ass on my lap with her body pressed up against mine. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get her on her back. Maybe if she were anyone else, I would have. But it’s Lexi.

  All I’ve ever wanted was to protect her. I can never take advantage of her like that.

  She’s still waiting for me to repeat what I said, so I do. “Do you want me to take you home?” I ask again.

  She pulls back to look at me, her perfectly plump mouth smiling down at me again. “We have a fully stocked limo outside waiting for us. I think we’re moving the party to a bar. Crush, I think.”

  Learning that they have more planned for the rest of the night doesn’t please me at all. I’ve gotten away with a half-assed excuse for showing up here, but I don’t have one ready to give for following her to Crush.

  “I think you’ve had enough, Lexi. Let me take you home,” I insist, careful not to make it sound like an order, or to come off territorial in any way.

  Lexi bites her lip, drawing my attention to it. “What about your meeting with Caleb?”

  “We’re done here.”

  She thinks on it, and in my head I’m begging her to agree to leave with me. I’m relieved when she chuckles softly and says, “I am a little drunk, aren’t I?”

  “A smidge.”

  “Okay.” Lexi plants her hands against my chest to help lift her weight off of me, and my hands come to her aid, gripping her by the waist to help keep her steady. “Wait for me, I’m going to tell Harper I’m done for the night.”

  “Do you need help?” I stare down worriedly at her wobbly feet.

  “No, I’m fine.” She runs her hands over her dress to smooth out the wrinkles, and I zero in on them, my gaze following their every move.

  I watch her as she crosses the room, impressed by the fact that she makes it back to the table without tripping.

  A hard slap against my back reminds me that I’m not sitting here alone, and I shoot an irritated look Caleb’s way. “What?”

  “You are in big fucking trouble.”

  Tell me something I don’t already fucking know.

  “She is a beautiful girl,” he states. “I get it. But if she really means that much to you, maybe you should think twice about switching lanes. Keep to your friend zone.”

  The one smart thing to ever leave the dumb fucker’s mouth, and I don’t want to hear it.

  “Shut the fuck up, Caleb,” I sigh, sinking into my seat with my hands running roughly down my face.

  He’s absolutely right, though.

  Get it together, Jackson. She’s not for you, it’s never gonna happen.

  You know when something interesting happens with your friend and some guy, and all you can think to do is gossip about it?

  Yea, that’s happening. Right now. Harper is loudly shushing our friends when I walk up to the table.

  “Subtle, ladies,” I laugh.

  “Oh, my God, Lexi…” Nikki, one of the interns at my father’s firm, peeks around me to get another glimpse of the guys. “You know Caleb Carlisle and Jackson Anderson, and you never told me?” she hisses.

  I right myself, forcing myself to stand a few inches taller. “There’s nothing to tell.”

  Nikki arches her brow at me. “Really? So you’re not dating either of them?”

  “No,” I answer with the truth, but I don’t like where this is heading.

  Harper’s mouth draws into a frown when she notices my discomfort, then it picks right back up into a smile when she looks past me.

  I turn to look over my shoulder just as Jackson walks up behind me, hand wrapping gently around my elbow. “Hey.” I smile up at him.

  “You ready?” he asks me.

  “Not quite, I haven’t told Harper yet.”

  “Mr. Anderson, can I talk to you a sec?” Nikki’s voice goes up an octave, unrecognizably high in her attempt to flirt with him.

  Jackson stares down at me and I shrug. I don’t mean to, but it just happens. What I really wanted to say was, ‘No’ or ‘Sorry, we gotta get going,’ but instead, I shrugged. I regret that now, but Jackson was already answering her. “Sure,” he says to Nikki, releasing my arm when she leads him a few feet away.

  “Hey,” Harper waves me over, and I slide in next to her. “What’s going on?”

  I shake my head. “I think I’ve had too much already. Jackson wants to take me home. Is that okay?”

  “No, of course it is, but that’s not what I’m asking you…” she says.

  “What are you asking me?”

  “Lexi…” she regards me with a knowing look. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? I thought you liked the guy…”

  I turn my head in the direction Nikki had pulled Jackson away to, and I don’t like what I see. Jackson is smiling comfortably down at her, while she twirls her hair nervously around her finger.

  “No,” I interject, turning to face Harper again. “I said that maybe I could, but…” I shrug. “I don’t know. I think we’re better off friends.”

  “Bullshit,” she calls me out on my lie.

  “If he liked me, he would’ve already made a move by now, Harper.” I grab my clutch and slide out of the booth. “Love you, see you tomorrow.” I lean in to kiss her on the cheek.

  “Spa day?” she asks.

  “Spa day,” I confirm with a nod.

  “I’ll call you.”

  “Yep.” I force a smile.

  Jackson looks up from Nikki, his eyes finding mine when I begin to make my way over. “Ready?”

  “Yep.”

  “Great, let’s go.” He returns his attention to Nikki before he says, “I’ll see you at the wedding,” to which she smiles.

  I’ve always liked Nikki. She’s perfectly nice. But right now, I hate her.

  I hate her stupid exotic face with her exotic Columbian genes. I want to claw her eyes right out of her pretty little skull. Screw her and her voluptuous body with curves that can make any woman jealous. And who doesn’t love a petite brunette with warm brown eyes? She’s fucking adorable, and all the guys we know absolutely love her. Even I love her.

  Except right now. I fucking hate her.

  “Bye, Lex.” Nikki waves her tiny little fingers at me in passing.

  “Bye!” I greet as nicely as I can possibly fake it.

  We close in on Caleb on our way to the exit. He holds his arm out to me, and I step in underneath his big, bulgy limb to hug him goodbye. “I hope you enjoyed your nasty naked lady dances, creep.” I squeal when he wraps me in a big bear hug.

  “Maybe one day I’ll get one from you?” he jokes.

  “Lexi,” Jackson calls for me.

  “Hold on, Jackson. I waited for you, don’t be rude.” I don’t mean to snap at him, but I did.

  Whatever.

  Blame the tequila. Always blame the tequila.

  A sigh passes through my lips, annoyed with myself for displaying such attitude toward someone who had no fault, and I angle my head back to
accommodate to Caleb’s height over me. The same way I do when I stare up at Jackson.

  Stupid Jackson.

  “Don’t hold your breath on that lap dance, Caleb. You’d die.”

  Caleb chuckles. “You leaving with Jackson?”

  I nod. “He’s taking me home.”

  “K, I’ll see you later.” He leaves me with a parting kiss on the cheek and releases me.

  “Alright, Joker. Try not to catch anything on your way out,” I quip.

  “Ooh, that wit!” Caleb shouts after me as I pass through the threshold with Jackson.

  Daniel’s already waiting for us outside with the door held open for me. I smile at him and pause when I get to it, trying to think of how to get in without flashing Jackson my ass. What the hell is it with men and their huge SUVs?

  Jackson turns me around and picks me up by my waist, setting me down gently against the soft leather seats.

  I blush. I freaking blush, because what the hell?

  If that weren’t already sweet enough, Jackson shrugs out of his jacket and drapes it across my lap so I’m not at risk of flashing my hoo-ha to anyone.

  “Slide over,” he orders me, and I do. He doesn’t sound too happy all of a sudden, and it kind of kills the moment.

  I trade my smile for a frown, but I don’t say anything.

  We’re halfway home when he decides to speak to me. “Don’t let him kiss you again.”

  I’m dumbfounded by the order. An order!

  What the crap!

  Now, I’m angry.

  When we pull up to my building twenty minutes later, I toss Jackson’s jacket aside and don’t wait for Daniel to get my door. I jump out, my heels clacking angrily against the concrete.

  “Wait here,” I hear Jackson tell Daniel.

  “Don’t bother, I can see myself up!” I shout over my shoulder.

  “Lexi!” Jackson shouts after me in that tone he usually takes with everyone else but me. I huff and stomp on. “Lexi, don’t cause a scene!”

  “Then don’t follow me!” I bite back. “Walter, don’t let him up!” I give my order in passing.

  “Touch me, and I’ll have you fired,” Jackson threatens him as he passes him right by.