“So you’ve had one guy, once?” He ran his hand through his shaggy hair, his eyes looking down on her. Is that even possible these days?
She nodded.
“Yeah, I think we better call it a night. I’m not looking for anything, you know, serious, and I get the impression you’re not the type to eat supper before you say grace.” He stepped away from her.
She moved up the stairs.
He wanted to go after her but knew better. She’d need some slow taming to get her confidence back, and he’d be gone in a few days. Maybe putting the halt on this rodeo was all for the best. Or maybe he should just kick that ass wipe of an ex-boyfriend of hers for messing things up so bad in the sack. The loser was probably all coked up. Just jumped at her like the slimy little ferret he was, lost his wood, and blamed her for it all.
He waited to hear Darling shut her door before going upstairs himself. He needed a cold shower and some perspective. He’d calm down and crack open a book. He was working through Laughter in the Dark. Oh fuck, he was playing Albert to her Margot, and Zack was Axel. Fucking perfect.
Chapter 15
She’d slept all night and the whole next day. Something she hadn’t done since freshman year of college when Madison had talked her into staying awake cramming for finals for three days by chugging coffee and taking NoDoz every four hours. When she finally crashed, she’d known two things—Madison was her best friend and a terrible influence. She’d aced her exams, but she should have been studying all along, not doing marathons of work in a week. She looked at the bedside clock, still a bit shocked at how long she’d been out. Time to face the music.
Yes, she was very attracted to Ross, but he was out of here any day now. She still had to put her big girl panties on and figure out what she was doing with her life. So she’d gotten hurt by Zack. That didn’t mean she had to hide from men forever. He was, as Madison so succinctly labeled him, an “ass hat.” She cringed, remembering how messed up things had been.
Zack’s band Zombie Punch was popular at the city bars when they had met by chance. She’d been talked into playing the role of wingwoman by Madison and was shocked that anyone at the trendy club wanted to talk to her. Zack chatted with her the whole time Madison and Link were hooking up. He further shocked her by calling a few days later. They started hanging out as friends.
She was like a lonely puppy hanging on his every word, but he would only throw her scraps of his attention. Once Madison and Link became a serious item, Zack seemed to get inspired to become more than her friend. He’d come by her apartment, usually drunk and a bit high on something. They’d watch movies, or she’d cook for him. Finally one night he was willing to take things a little further, and Darling couldn’t have been happier.
Zack was so cool and so different than she. He had only kissed her a few times, but he liked to have her give him blowjobs. She wasn’t crazy about doing that—it wasn’t any moral issue, just a dislike of the pleasure never being reciprocated. Things seemed to be going okay on the fateful night. He’d pulled her mouth away from his dick and slipped her T-shirt over her head. Darling was excited and nervous. She’d worn a lacy bra and was thrilled when his eyes widened at her impressive cleavage. He pushed her down on the couch and pinched her breasts a couple of times. She slipped out of her jeans and rubbed her legs against his. She tried to whisper some endearments to him, but he shhhed her words and started poking at her between her legs. His breath was heavy with the scent of bourbon and cigarettes, so she knew he’d been partying after band practice. She’d have preferred minty aromas and flowers, but she’d been waiting for this moment for months.
“Hey, we need a condom, okay?” she insisted, but he shook his head.
“Nah, I’m clean and you’re clean, so I’ll just pull out.” Zack pushed himself against her opening, but she pulled her hips back.
“I can’t. Sorry, Zack, but that would be too risky.”
“Come on, don’t be such a prude. It will feel way better this way. Besides, you said you loved me. Doesn’t that mean you trust me?” he slurred into her ear, giving another swivel of his hips.
“I do love you, but I can’t risk getting pregnant—my roommate made one mistake and look at the mess she’s in.”
“Fucking women.” He chuckled, reaching down to his discarded jeans and pulling out a condom from his wallet. “Your roommate is being chased down by a member of fucking Becket, not dropped off at a back alley abortionist. We should all be so fucking troubled.” He slipped the condom on and dropped back down between her legs. Darling had lost much of her interest in doing it. Somehow this wasn’t as romantic as she’d always envisioned things. Perhaps it would get better once the initial part was underway. She focused on stroking Zack’s arm and hoped her tummy wasn’t too bloated looking.
Zack used one arm to support his weight, the other to position his penis. He’d just pushed through her folds when his torso bucked forward, impaling her. Her insides stung, and he pulled out a bit. He was sweating when he jerked into her again. Darling pulled away but not fast enough. Zach heaved again, throwing up all over her racy black bra. He rolled off her with a groan. “Sorry, babe. Guess I shouldn’t have had that last shot.” He looked over at her and snickered at her vomit-covered chest. “Damn, your tits are covered.”
Darling shot up off the couch, grabbed her shirt, and ran into the bathroom. She looked at her image in the mirror. Brassy blonde hair, washed-out blue eyes. Her chunky body and one sexy bra covered in vomit scented by Yukon Jack. She turned the hot water on and peeled off her bra, tossing it into the trash. The whole time she cried in the shower, she kept thinking he would come knocking and apologize. Something. He never did. She came out wrapped in a towel. He had left, not even bothering to clean up after himself. It had been a flashing neon sign, but she still wasn’t ready to see it. She scrubbed the carpet and the couch, glancing over at her phone on the coffee table expecting a call.
Link had gotten Zombie Punch on part of the West Coast tour opening for Becket at some of their midsize shows. The news sure went to Zack’s head fast. He left her a text as a break-up message two nights later. She spent the week hiding in her apartment, binging on pizza and ice cream. Zack had been her first boyfriend, and he’d dropped her in a nanosecond to go play rock star. In the end, the joke was on him. He had proven himself to be the worst sort of spoiled jackass. He managed to alienate members of Becket, fool around with groupies, and in general, be a complete jerk. In a way, it had been a wakeup call for her too. She needed to start figuring out what she wanted out of life and make it happen. No more doormat.
Darling pushed the sheet off herself and stumbled into the attached bathroom. A quick shower and she would face the world. She needed to call Carrie to set up a time to meet for drinks or something. It would be good to talk to her and get out of the house for something other than groceries and packing boxes.
* * * *
She came down the stairs to find Ross on the couch reading again. It seemed he spent a lot of time with either reading or writing in his journal. Not what she would have expected looking at him—between his large frame, longish hair, and tattoos—but the look suited him. His legs were propped up on the ottoman; a dog-eared copy of East of Eden was settled in his big hands. He glanced her way before quickly removing his oval-shaped reading glasses. She knew he hated having anyone see him with them on. She understood since she’d been wearing contact lenses for the last few days rather than her glasses. She was being silly—he’d been very clear with her.
“I was beginning to worry about you. You’ve been sleeping so long I thought you might be trying to hibernate in the summer.” His rich voice sent tingles up her spine.
“Just needed to get some rest. Sorry I haven’t been a better hostess.”
He patted the couch next to him. “You’ve been great—you know I just shouldn’t have pushed. I mean the other night. I’m sorry. And hey, I got a call from Madison, and she says my paperwork will be ready by the
end of next week, so I will be out of your hair eventually.”
She plopped with little grace onto the leather couch, careful not to sit too close.
“It’s not you, it’s me.” She laughed a bit, hating the cliché. “Okay, how about I go pick us up a movie rental, what do you say? Comedy, horror, or a foreign drama?”
“I think we could both use a few laughs. If the television has the right hook-ups, I could stream almost anything from my cloud library.” Ross got up to check the TV connections.
“It figures. You probably do own, like, every movie ever made.”
“I know the rock star thing sounds glamorous, but you’d be surprised how much time is really spent just hanging around waiting. I am pretty awesome at video games and can quote the dialogue from most movies—anything to kill time in between practice and performances. Maybe that’s why my wife never wanted to go on tour.” The last phrase was out before he could stop it. He hid his face behind the TV.
“I know this doesn’t offer any real comfort, but I am sorry for your loss.” Darling got up quietly and headed into the kitchen to check for snacks. She needed to keep her distance. She was messed up when it came to men, and he had lost a wife less than a year before. Not only did it make her feel like a kid, but she felt guilty for even touching someone who must just be lonely after such a trauma. There was nothing that appealed to her in the kitchen, so she reached for the loaner Mercedes keys and opened the door. “I’m going to just run over to the market and pick up something. You need anything while I’m out?” she called from the threshold.
“No, thanks, it’s all—” he began before her gasp cut him off.
“Oh my God! What the heck happened? Madison is going to kill me.” Darling was screeching as she ran toward the driveway, Ross right on her heels. She dropped down to the side of the car, covering her mouth with her hands. The entire car had been covered in florescent spray paint that spelled out LEAVE NOW BITCH. The tires were slashed and the leather seats slit open. She must not have locked the car up. But still, who could have done this?
Chapter 16
“Whoever did this must be low enough to steal the nickels off a dead man’s eyes.” Ross walked around the SUV assessing the damage before coming full circle and putting his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t hear a thing, and the dog was quiet all day. Heck, I’ve been in the living room either reading or on the phone and missed this. Whatever snake that slithered over here wanted to keep a low profile.”
“Why is this happening? Who could want to hurt me so bad? This isn’t even my car, Madison just loaned it to me since I was staying out of the city for the summer and was taking Beauty Belle. She’s going to kill me.” Darling wailed a bit.
Ross pulled her off the gravel drive. “Relax, it’s a mess but nothing that can’t be fixed.” He reassured.
“Do you know what kind of a repair bill this will be? I don’t have that kind of money—I’m a first-year teacher.” Darling covered her face.
“Oh come on, Uptown, you’ve got some family money, so don’t go getting all weak in the knees on me now.”
“My dad’s a real estate attorney, but he’s not rich or anything. He spends what extra he makes on his wife. This house is worth a bit, but it needs to be prepared for sale, and with the history behind it, there might be a delay in finding a buyer.” She whimpered a bit.
“Huh, well, you fooled me. I always thought you were the silver-spoon type: private schools and daddy paying your city rent.”
Darling let out a hollow laugh. “I went to a Catholic boarding school because my dad couldn’t bear to have me around—said I looked too much like my mother. He helped out some with apartment rent while I was in school on scholarship, but did you ever see where Madison and I lived? A tiny little place but it was ours. I guess I always liked people believing I came from old money, but we’re actually living just above the median of middle class.” She was doomed. Her head knew that Madison and Link wouldn’t be in any real financial trouble over a messed-up car, but it bothered her that it happened on her watch. Sort of like a sign in her head screaming, “If It Breaks, You Buy.”
“Hey, don’t go all water works on me again. I’ll take care of it, I’ve got the money.” He crossed his arms, anticipating her argument.
“I can’t use your money, but I appreciate the offer. I will figure this out,” Darling stated bravely. What the hell am I going to do?
“How about I get Madison’s car fixed, and we call it room and board for me staying here. And before you protest, save your breath—You’ve got no choice unless you’re planning on doing haunted house tours of this place over the summer.” He turned and went back into the house, stopping her from making any more useless declarations. She was cornered. The bigger issue, though, was who wanted her gone and why? She’d call the sheriff and make a report. Perhaps she should try and get a hold of Madison in England. It was a six-hour time difference, so she’d need to wait until tomorrow. It was not a phone call she looked forward to.
Chapter 17
He knew he was being an idiot, but that wasn’t enough to stop him. After last night’s revelation and the car getting once-overed, he felt like he had to protect her. The local police showed up ten minutes after she called, so obviously the town wasn’t a hotbed of crime. They took some pictures, asked a few basic questions, and suggested that local teens were probably to blame. Apparently some of them had been coming down here and using the damaged dock as a skinny-dipping and party spot. Perhaps Darling’s taking up residence had disrupted their hangout plans, and they were getting some petty revenge.
However, it really wasn’t a damaged car that had him all tied up in knots. It was Darling. She’d been practically melting into him until he tried third base, and then she reared up like a mare in a field of rattlesnakes. A girl whose first time went so bad it left her feeling like there was something wrong with her just messed with him. There had to be some way to let her get out and have some fun. He was crazy attracted to her, but he didn’t want her to wake up with regrets. That’s all she’d probably get from him. Damn, he sounded like someone’s dad, not a rock-and-roll drummer. Snap out of it.
He just couldn’t quite figure out how he felt about the whole thing. At the time it was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on him, his ardor cooled so quickly. He’d never been anyone’s first time. Lisa had far more experience than he did when they got together. Was he afraid he’d hurt her, or was he thinking that she would get all attached when he left in another week and there’d be hard feelings? The whole thing was bothering him in a fucked up sort of Lolita way. He was only a few years older than she—okay, like nine years older—but she was such a mixture of sweet innocence and resiliency, like a wild rose growing in the desert. She made him feel like lusting after her was corrupting purity itself. Whatever was going on between them needed serious thought, and he knew just how he could best do some thinking. He’d get her out of the house and do some drumming. He was sure he could get a set delivered quick enough. Hell, he needed it to help get his head back on straight. Just anticipating a drum set got his mind in motion.
Darling’s friend Carrie had come by the house just before lunch and had turned what had been a quiet and awkward morning into a flutter of sound and activity. Yesterday’s disaster with the car and her obvious discomfort with borrowing money from him left a blanket of tension in the air. She had tiptoed around him, practically jumping out of the way when he came into her kitchen to get coffee. He had hoped they could try and forge a friendship out of things, but it was complicated. He was attracted to her, she was attracted to him, she was sweet and kind, and he was expecting a call from Canterbury Records any day now that would put him thousands of miles away. Ugh, what a mess.
Carrie was hell-bent on dragging Darling out for a beauty makeover day at the spa and some shopping. At least after he suggested the idea to a slightly starstruck Carrie. It probably hadn’t hurt his cause that she was a hardcore Becket fan. One
signed concert DVD, and she was putty in his hands. Carrie wasn’t quite as much as a bulldozer as Madison, but she would get the job done and give Darling a fun girls’ day out. Heck, she needed it after getting all freaked out over the SUV being trashed.
Now, he didn’t know much about women’s fashion and brands, but he did have to admit silently—Ross was no fool—that Darling’s wardrobe certainly left room for improvement. It wasn’t that her clothes were tacky, they were just so big and baggy that they’d be unflattering on anyone. It was like she hid how beautiful she was from the world—except when she wore her bathing suit and that little wrap skirt. The rest of the time she wore T-shirts with pictures on them and loose Capri pants with flip-flops as if it was a required uniform. And she wore no makeup, which was strange for him since most of the women he’d ever known tended to put it on with a shovel. Of course they also tended to wake up looking like a raccoon that’d been hit by a bus. Darling usually emerged from her room with freshly scrubbed pink skin and bright eyes, and he thought that was how she looked the best.
Darling wasn’t quite as taken with the spa and shopping day idea, but his ace in the hole worked like a charm. Carrie’s enthusiasm for the project finally won her over, albeit it was reluctant. She left the house looking like she was headed to the gallows. She was dragging her feet and making excuses about why she really shouldn’t go out and spend the day shopping and spoiling herself. Ross suggested she just get out there and enjoy herself; he’d even pulled his credit card out and tried to shove it into her palm, but she wasn’t having any of that.
He was all in favor of this girls’ day out thing right up until they were walking out the door, and Carrie happened to toss over her shoulder, “Hey, you wanna go out a bit this week? I’m taking Darling out tomorrow night to meet my boyfriend at the Melody, and Friday night is the carnival’s fireworks display. My boyfriend’s helping with the launch, so Darling offered to keep me company for the show.”
Darling's Desire Page 8