Slightly tipsy and fresh from the shower, I slipped into one of my newest creations: a one-piece rose-colored silk sleep suit. It was slinky and sexy but perfectly acceptable even if you were sleeping alone, which I currently was. Curled up on the pillow-covered glider with my sketchpad though, none of that seemed to matter. Not my misguided feelings for Will and not the lust that bubbled up inside of me whenever he was around. Instead, I let the cool night breeze dance over my skin while I worked on a drawing for another idea of mine for a line of racy sleepwear. The kind of silky, lacy things that were created to tease and then be stripped off.
There was a reason work was the perfect distraction from life’s worries; the scratch of my pencil against the roughened sheet of paper soothed me in a way nothing else did. The flick of my wrist producing small lines that, eventually, would become a full-on design was the best stress reliever. Second best.
“I guess it’s a good thing I mean you no harm since I’ve been standing here watching you for two minutes.” I looked up at the sound of Will’s deep voice just in time to see him cast a useless glance at his bare wrist. “Three minutes.”
I rolled my eyes even as my body began to respond to his proximity, which I’d left Black Thumb to get away from. The man had a way of screwing with my equilibrium, especially when his gray gaze darkened and raked over my body. I wished like hell I couldn’t feel the way my nipples hardened beneath the silk. I wished even harder that Will couldn’t see the evidence of what that look did to me. “What are you doing here, Will? I’m not in the mood for a booty call.” That was a lie. I was always in the mood where this man was concerned, which made the lie more than necessary. It was survival.
“That kiss at the bar said otherwise.” I should have known that was why he showed up. Not because he realized he couldn’t live without me, or even that he realized I was a flesh and blood woman with needs beyond the sensual. But no. He’d come because that kiss had him believing nothing had changed.
“Yeah, well, that kiss was hours ago. I’m sober and thinking straight now. Not to mention working.” That all-seeing gaze slipped down to my sketchpad and I snapped it up and held it against my chest like a security blanket, which had the benefit of hiding the contents of the sketchpad and my hard nipples from his view. “You were telling me why you’re here.”
“To talk,” he said simply as if we were the kind of people who just talked. “I don’t like the way things are between us right now and I don’t think you do either.”
That was so typical of Will, to think I’d fall in line with his way of thinking just because he wanted it to be true. “Really? I like things the way they are.”
“Then why the hell can’t you look at me? For weeks now you’ve been avoiding my gaze with as much effort as you’ve been avoiding me. Why?” He got in my face. Not to intimidate; I could see it clearly in his eyes that he really was confused. And for some reason, that just got me all agitated.
“Maybe I don’t want to look at you, Will. Have you ever stopped to consider that? Of course not, because everyone woman in every room you’re in must worship at your feet in order for your world to feel right.”
He looked so hurt, so confused, as if it never occurred to him that that was how it might appear to the outside world. I almost felt sorry for the handsome, clueless man. Almost. “Of course not. It just … it feels like you hate me, Hope.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed at the agony in his voice. My life would be a heck of a lot easier if I could hate Will Landon. “I don’t hate you, Will.”
“You sure? Because you’re doing a damn good impression of someone who hates me.” A little half smile kicked up one side of his face, making him look boyishly handsome, which was made only more devastating by the tortured confusion burning in his eyes. He really just didn’t get it.
“Maybe it’s been too long since someone didn’t give you the attention you think you deserve and you’ve just forgotten what it feels like to be neglected. I don’t hate you, Will. I’m just keeping a safe distance.” The distance was a protective measure, and when combined with time, I estimated it would be a couple years before Will Landon was out of my heart for good.
“A safe distance from me? You think I’d hurt you, Hope?” It made me feel a little better that the idea of hurting me stung so much, because it meant he was oblivious, not cruel.
Not that my heart could tell the difference. “I don’t think you’d hurt me on purpose because you’re not that kind of guy.” It might have been easier to get a good hate going for him if he was.
His smile was sad, almost regretful, but I shook it off. Looked away. I didn’t need to see any of his regrets or his pain, because it might weaken my resolve and I couldn’t afford that. Not this time. “See you real soon, Hope.”
Watching Will walk away left me with a deep sadness I couldn’t explain, so I did what any red-blooded woman would: I pushed those thoughts deep, deep down, had another drink, and went back to the glorious distraction of work.
Will
“You hear how Big Mama got that sprain on her wrist?” Ry’s snicker told me it was a really good story, which explained why neither Hope nor Big Mama had said a word. I shook my head and Ry laughed even harder. “Man, she was dancing, shakin’ what her mama gave her, if you know what I’m saying.”
“I do. Spare me the details. Please.” The last thing I wanted to hear was about the seniors of this town acting like college kids.
“Shaking it a little too hard and she ended up falling forward. She’s lucky it wasn’t a fracture—or Hope’s lucky, I guess.” Ry was too amused and if Hope didn’t have my insides all twisted up, I might be laughing too. “I would have paid to see that.”
“You say that now, but I’d love to see your reaction to old Betty twerking like a video vixen. Ow, dammit!” His fist landed square on my arm and it didn’t hurt as much as it surprised me.
“Don’t talk about my mama like that.”
I laughed. “Big Mama is somebody’s mama. Hell, she’s the whole damn town’s grandmama.”
Silence settled over the truck as a call came in. “Show unit ten-nineteen responding,” Ry said to the dispatcher, all traces of humor gone as we got into rescue mode. “A call at the community center—nothing life threatening, just an injury.”
It took a few minutes to get to the community center and Ry and I were in full work mode as we found a group gathered in an empty room with chairs along three sides of the wall. “What seems to be the problem?” It didn’t take long to figure out where the trouble was.
Big Mama stepped forward, her pink shirt and sneakers the same fluorescent color of her cast. “Oh, Will, thank goodness you boys are here. Betty’s thrown her back out, the poor thing.”
“Ma? How did you throw your back out?” Ry knelt beside his mother who was face up on the ground, legs bent at the knee and breathing the slow cadence of the injured. “Ma, are you okay?”
I bumped Ry to the side with my hip and knelt beside the injured woman. “Betty, it’s Will. Where’s the pain?”
She winced as she tried to move and gripped my hand. “My back. I threw the damn thing out trying to drop it likes it hot. Whatever the hell it is.”
“Christ, Ma!” Ry stood up and assigned himself crowd control—not that I blamed him. My own mother was part of the group he was pushing back, and I shuddered to think of her dropping it like it was hot, lukewarm, or otherwise. “What the heck were you ladies thinking?”
I glanced up at Ry, hands fisted on his hips as he gave them all his best disapproving glare. Helen, of course, was the first to respond. “Who do you think you’re talking to, boy? You think because we’re getting up in age that we don’t deserve to have a little fun?” I felt bad for him because no one could heap on the guilt better than Helen Landon.
“Of course I don’t think that.”
“Or maybe you just think we should sit in a dark room and knit baby booties for the grandkids we’ll never have?” Eddy Henderso
n got right in my face, an intimidating glare on her face. At least it would have been intimidating if she was at least an inch over five feet tall.
Ry looked back at me for help and I merely shrugged and went back to Betty, who wore an amused smirk. “You need an X-ray. Ry, we’re taking her in.”
That grabbed his attention and in just a few minutes, Ry was settled in back of the ambulance with his mom, and I made my way to the hospital so she could get checked out. “I’ll be out soon-ish.”
“I’ll come with you so we have an excuse for taking personal time.” Tulip was a small town but things like emergency services were still a luxury the town could barely afford, which meant we had to account for all of our time. Always.
“Thanks, man.”
Since it wasn’t deemed an emergency, we kept Betty on the gurney so she was comfortable while we waited. It was shaping up to be a pretty boring day.
And then my phone rang, showing a familiar face. “Hello?”
“What’s the deal with you sending me flowers, Will Landon?” Hope’s voice sounded upset but I swore there was a hint of amusement. I could’ve been wrong but I went with it, smiling as I answered.
“Flowers are pretty and they smell good. I figured they might make you smile more than I’m able to lately.” It was sad, but true.
She sighed down the line and I could hear the smile in her voice. “They did make me smile. But still, what’s your angle? Is this about sex again?” Her frustration was palpable but, dammit, so was my anger.
Is that all she thought I was about? I gritted my teeth through answering. “No. But if it was—”
She cut me off. “No, Will, it wouldn’t have worked. I have memories. Not to mention loads and loads of batteries.” Hope let out a wicked laugh that was only cut off when she ended the call.
And now all I could think about was Hope, naked on her ultra girly bed, back arched in pleasure as she brought herself to orgasm using memories of me. Memories of us. Together. “Dammit.”
“Girl trouble?” I should have known that not even a bum back would keep Betty and the rest of the women from matchmaking.
“Not at all,” I lied smoothly and placed a hand on her arm. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling like I need a distraction. What kind of girl trouble are you having?”
Ry snickered. “The kind that he actually has to work for.”
Betty joined in with her son’s laughter, wincing between loud barks of laughter from the pain. “Oh my word, the day has finally come, has it? I always knew it would but now I’m curious to know who the lucky lady is.”
My phone buzzed again and I looked down at the message. They are beautiful and they do smell amazing. Thank you.~Hope
“Oh, that smile means she’s special. Now I have to know who she is, Will. You tell me right this second.”
“Or what?” I prodded with a teasing smile. “You’ll get up and tan my hide?”
“Worse. I’ll tell your mama there’s a girl out there who’s immune to your charms.” She flashed a smug smile because we both knew what a threat that was. My mom wouldn’t just hunt the woman down, she’d probably extoll all of my virtues until the woman agreed that I was the most perfect man to ever walk the earth.
“Plenty of women are immune to my charms. I haven’t met them yet, but I’m sure they exist.”
She laughed again. “Oh, this is gonna be fun. The girls and I were dancing because we needed something to do, but this is a mystery too juicy for anyone else to get hurt shaking our asses.”
I ignored Ry’s amused snicker and shook my head. “You guys are ruthless. You look like sweet little ladies who cook the most amazing dishes, but you’re really some kind of matchmaking mafia. Aren’t you?”
She flashed another smile, this one coy and knowing. “I’ll never say.” Soon enough, Derek came out and Ry and I rolled Betty back before she kicked us out. “I’ve been having one on one doctor-time since before you two were born. If its anything important, I’ll let you know.”
“Happy for the reprieve,” I told her with my best innocent smile, which she waved off with a laugh.
“Don’t worry, Will. I didn’t forget about our new mystery.” She winked and I practically dashed from the room, honestly terrified of the whole town finding out about me and Hope.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Ry said without preamble and there was no point pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about. Even if I didn’t, the way he shook his head and that judgmental expression told me what he thought of it.
“I wish like hell I knew what I was doing but most days I don’t even know if I’m coming or goin’.” No woman had ever twisted me up like this—because I didn’t let them.
Ry stopped and let out a laugh that was half shock and half amusement. “You like Hope.”
I rolled my eyes and my feet were moving again, a subconscious effort to avoid this conversation. “Everybody likes Hope.” What was there not to like? She was pretty and bubbly, smart and sexy, plus she never forgot an order. Oh, and she was amazing in bed.
“True, but I like Hope as a friend. A waitress. A little sister or cousin. But you like Hope the same way Walker likes Audrey.” He snickered again and I didn’t even let it bother me. When your best friend got together with your sister, it was the joke that kept on giving, which meant I would never ever hear the end of it.
“Not funny.” I flipped him off. “And I never said I liked Hope. Or that Hope had anything to do with anything.”
He barked out another laugh. “You didn’t have to say it. I have eyes and ears. The way you look at her when you think no one is looking. You eat at the diner even more now than you used to. Should I tell you when I noticed?”
“No,” I answered quickly, not willing to subject myself to this amateur interrogation.
“I’m glad you asked. Spring Fling dance, oddly enough.” His only response to my silence was another laugh. “If you like her, I say go for it. But it sounds like she’s not sold.”
That was a fucking understatement and I needed advice, some that didn’t come through the filter of my sister. So I gave Ry the abbreviated version of my relationship with Hope. “She broke it off for no reason. Says chemistry is big but she’s looking for bigger. What the hell is bigger than crazy hot chemistry?” It didn’t make any damn sense. Maybe Hope was crazy. Maybe she was one of those overly dramatic women who were never satisfied unless they had a guy all tied up in knots. My shoulders fell. Even my body knew that was a bullshit excuse.
“Crazy hot chemistry with someone you’re crazy in love with beats it all, man. Trust me. I’d never kiss and tell with my soon-to-be wife, but I’ll just say that we had chemistry from the beginning and the sex was incredible. But now, the love and the trust means we’re both able to indulge our fantasies. All of our fantasies, no matter how dark or dirty. It’s what I imagine heaven is like.” The look on his face said it was better than any heaven the preacher ever mentioned and I was intrigued.
Wary but intrigued. “When did plain ol’ chemistry become not enough?”
Ry laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “You really have no idea, do you?”
I rolled my eyes. “If this is about to turn into another lecture on my playboy ways, save it please.”
“I wish it was that, because this is just sad.”
“What?” His attempts at being vague were starting to piss me off.
“Hope has been in love with you for ages. Like an actual geological age. Since high school, at least.”
“Yeah, right.” I knew she had a little crush back in the day, but that was it. “She had a crush on you too, if I recall.”
“Of course she did. I’m amazing. But it lasted for about two weeks until she tutored me in English Lit. You my friend, have been the apple of her eye for a lot longer, which means sleeping with her was a very bad idea.”
I froze. “Because she’s gonna turn into a bunny boiler?”
“You
should be so lucky. According to Penny, sleeping with you probably made her realize that you’re never going to see her as anything more than a hookup. That’s good news for her, since you finally helped her move on.”
It should have been good news. It felt like it should have been, but if that was the case, why did I suddenly feel like I lost something precious?
Hope
The sound of my cell phone ringing on the counter in the kitchen broke my concentration. Well, calling it concentration was a stretch when I was standing in front of a form, staring, waiting for the sexy design to say something to me. The more I stared, the darn thing just looked … matronly. Still, I ignored the phone because I knew exactly who it would be.
And no, I didn’t wake up with some newfound psychic abilities, although that would’ve been better than the reality, which was that Will Landon was a determined son of a gun. For some reason, in this moment, he was determined to get me to go out with him.
And I was seconds away from caving.
So I kept staring at the form, at the silky chartreuse that should have been gaudy but wasn’t. There was something alluring about it but I just couldn’t quite see it yet. Then the dang phone rang. Again. Without thinking, my eyes snapped shut and I marched to the phone, yanked it off the counter, and swiped the screen with more force than necessary. “What is it!”
Silence met my exclamation and for a second, I thought maybe my bitchy tone had scared him off. He spoke before I could think about the pang of disappointment in my chest. “Hope. How are you?”
Undesired: A Best Friend’s Brother Romance Page 9