by Jamie Begley
She wished she could switch places with the woman. It was hot, and the blonde’s booth was more in the shade than hers was. Several more people stopped at her booth for the freebies she was giving away at the large street concert that had taken over a section of the city.
“Thanks, I’ve already gone through three of them. Hi, I’m Penni.”
“I’m Casey.” The two women smiled at each other before their attention was grabbed by the passing crowd. It was beginning to get dark before they had a chance to talk again.
“Here, take a T-shirt in place of your pen. I’m sorry, but it’s as empty as the rest.”
“Do you need another one?” Casey offered, reaching down to her table for another one to give her.
“No, thanks. A co-worker of mine is bringing me some more. I’ve signed all the CDs, anyways, so I’m good.”
“You signed Kaden Cross’s autograph?”
Penni waved her hand airily. “Had to. My boss doesn’t give autographs, but I have to keep the fans happy.”
Casey laughed for the first time in a week at the woman dressed in jeans and a tight Kaden Cross T-shirt.
“He doesn’t mind?” Casey asked.
“I live by the motto, ‘Don’t tell when all you’re going to get is shit for the trouble.’”
As a large group came to a stop at Penni’s table, Casey was busy with a woman who was determined to take an extra bottle opener for her daughter. When she looked up, Max and the rest of the Predators were observing her as Grace moved behind the table with Penni.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Ice talked me into fixing him lunch before he would bring me.”
“From your face, that’s not all you were giving him.”
Casey couldn’t believe the belligerent expression on Penni’s face with the Predators surrounding her table en masse.
“Cut it out, Penni,” Grace reproved her.
While Penni made a comical face at her friend, Casey couldn’t help watching the table. The blond woman was eye-catching and had the personality to match.
“Why aren’t you wearing the T-shirt I gave you?” Penni asked Grace.
“Because I wasn’t going to let my wife have another man’s picture on her tits,” Ice spoke up.
“Until you have some T-shirts printed with your face on them and someone who wants to buy them, she can wear Kaden’s.” Penni took one of the T-shirts off the table and handed it to Grace who put it on over the shirt she had on.
Casey expected the shit to hit the fan; therefore, no one was more shocked than her when Ice gave in.
“As soon as you’re done working, that comes off.” He pointed at the offending T-shirt.
“Yes, Ice.” Grace leaned across the counter and planted a kiss on her husband’s mouth. “Go scare some small kids while I work.”
“I think you should go back to teaching. She’s wearing off on you.”
“I’ll think about it. Now go so I can get some work done.”
“Yeah, run along,” Penni said. “You’re scaring the business away.” Her eyes fell to Jackal. “Are you sick?”
“No.” Jackal had been standing next to Ice. “Why?”
Penni shrugged. “You looked like you were going to puke.”
Max nudged Jackal with his elbow. “I told you not to smile.”
“Fuck off.”
“Get lost. The man I’m going to marry is heading this way.”
A frightening look came across Jackal’s face as the large group turned to watch a man walking toward Penni’s table.
Casey groaned inwardly.
“Who’s that?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t met him yet, and I’m not going to if you guys don’t leave,” Penni hissed as he drew closer.
The man stopped in front of Casey’s table, not paying attention to the others unashamedly listening.
“Casey.”
“Jayce. How are you doing?”
“Fine. I remembered you were working the booth today. When you’re finished, could we take a walk, maybe get something to eat?”
Casey stared down at the table, her nervous hands straightening the few remaining bottle openers. “I’m sorry. I’ve already eaten.”
She liked Jayce enough that she wasn’t going to drag him into the mess she was involved in. She couldn’t let the Predators know there was someone else in her life who could be used against her.
“You won’t even discuss why you broke up with me?”
“I told you it wasn’t going to work with you sharing your time between New York and Queen City. We both know it wasn’t going to work out. Breaking it off was the best decision for both of us.”
Her ex-boyfriend cast the others staring at them a questioning glance. “Friends of yours?” he asked snidely.
Casey had never introduced Jayce to Renee or Mugg, and seeing the superior attitude he projected reinforced her decision.
“No—” Casey began.
“Yes,” Max spoke up, moving closer to her table.
“Which is it?”
“Does it matter?” Casey sought to bring an end to the conversation. “We’re no longer together, Jayce.”
“I thought we had something special, Casey. Obviously, I was wrong,” Jayce snapped.
“Yes.” Casey’s voice trembled with hurt.
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Jayce.”
Before he could turn to leave, Penni came out from behind her booth, blocking his path.
“I’m Penni.” She gave Jayce a friendly grin. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m available.”
“I…”
“Here, take a T-shirt. I wrote my number on the back. Give me a call.”
“I may do that,” Jayce said, glancing toward Casey to see her reaction.
Casey kept her face impassive, watching as he disappeared into the heavy crowd.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Penni told Casey bluntly.
“No, he’s a nice guy. I want to see him happy.” Casey was embarrassed that Max had overheard her conversation with Jayce, while contrarily glad the Predators knew they were no longer together.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Grace stared in shock at Penni.
“A girl has to go after what she wants. Women outnumber men five to one. When you take age into account, the odds aren’t in my favor.”
“You went out with two men last week, and I know for a fact that you went out with seven different men last month. You’re a serial dater.”
“I’m in the search for the one.”
“The one?” Casey couldn’t help breaking into the conversation between the two arguing friends.
“The one man in the whole world who will make me happy, like my brother and sister-in-law, like Vida and Colton, Kaden and Sawyer, and Grace and Ice.”
“That pussy sure as fuck isn’t the one,” Jackal snarled.
“You don’t know that. He may be. He’s handsome, educated?” She looked at Casey in question.
“Yes, he graduated from Stanford.”
“Makes a good salary?”
“Six figures. He’s a stockbroker,” Casey informed her, seeing the excitement growing with each of her answers.
“Any kids from a previous marriage or relationship?”
“No,” Casey answered, placing her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Jackal’s thunderous expression growing darker as Penni’s excitement increased.
“Please, please tell me he’s at least an eight in bed.”
Casey bit her lip. “A nine,” she answered, unable to resist aggravating Jackal with her answer.
“Jeezus, he’s perfect,” Penni breathed.
“No, he’s not,” Jackal said from between clenched teeth.
“What’s wrong with him? He’s just the type of man I want to marry.”
Casey decided to save the girl who didn’t understand she was antagonizing a man who was almost as wild as his nickname.
“He does have one fault,” Casey tol
d Penni.
“What is it?” Penni looked at her doubtfully.
Casey had to think quickly, trying to think of something Jayce did that would put any woman off. She couldn’t think of one. She was beginning to doubt her own sanity for breaking up with him when a thought came to mind, summing up the problem she had with Jayce.
“He’s afraid of spiders.”
Chapter 14
“You seriously broke up with him because he’s afraid of spiders?” Max asked after the rest of the Predators had returned to the concert. Penni and Grace had moved toward the large stage where Kaden Cross was playing. Max had hung back to ask the question, curious as to why she had crushed Penni’s burgeoning dream.
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because Jackal looked like he was about to go after Jayce if I didn’t.”
“So you did it to protect your lame ex-boyfriend?”
“Jayce isn’t lame,” Casey snapped.
“If he’s afraid of spiders, he’s lame.” Max gazed down at the empty table. “If you’re done, I’ll help you load the table.”
Casey began breaking down the table with Max’s help. When it was folded closed, he followed her to her car, placing it in the trunk.
“Thanks, Max.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go listen to the music.” He took her hand, tugging her along behind him.
“Wait, I was going home.”
“It’s Saturday night, so you don’t have to work tomorrow. Let’s have some fun,” he told her, brushing her objections aside. He stopped at the back of the crowd, listening to Kaden Cross, and placed an arm around her waist, situating her in front of him so she could get a better view.
Max sensed her wariness.
“Relax, enjoy the show.” The anger he had first felt toward Casey after finding out she had played him had lessened in the last week. Something didn’t sit right, though he couldn’t place his finger on what it was. The motive behind her actions was still a concern, but until she trusted him, he would be no closer to an explanation.
It took several minutes before he felt her give him her weight. Then she began swaying to the music.
Kaden started a new song which had the crowd becoming more boisterous. Three men who were trying to pick up women around them kept brushing up against Casey. The first time they did it, he let it slide, giving them the benefit of doubt that it could have been an accident. The second time, he called them on their maneuver.
Reaching out, he shoved the largest of the group away. “Rub against her again, and I’ll break your fucking hand.”
“You threatening me?”
“Yeah, you going to do anything about it?”
“Me and my buddies don’t like to be threatened!” The belligerent man was standing with a cup of sloshing beer.
“Watch it!” Max moved Casey to his side so it wouldn’t spill on her.
“Can I get you a drink?” The asshole actually thought he was going to steal Casey away from him. Max didn’t like men who only found courage when drunk, and he sure as shit didn’t want him flirting with a woman who was his.
Max’s fist flew out, slamming into the grin that was aimed at Casey. He was satisfied when he saw the punk fall backward into the crowd.
“Fuck!” One of his friends threw his beer down onto the ground before lunging toward him. Max pushed Casey to the side then kicked the man in the nuts before he could take another step.
“Max, stop!” Casey clutched his arm, but his anger screamed at him to attack the men who had disrespected him.
“I’m giving you a chance to get the hell out of here. Stay and I’m going to kick all your asses.” Max gave each of them a glare, letting them know he was ready to take them all on, either one at a time or together.
The men scurried away into the crowd.
“Are you crazy? What were you thinking, trying to take them all on at once by yourself? None of the Predators are around to back you up.”
Although Max laughed at her frightened expression, some of the hurt she had done to his pride was soothed at the thought that she might care whether he was hurt or not.
“I don’t need anyone to help me. I am the back up.”
The fuckers weren’t even practice for him. Max was willing to bet his last dime that none of those pricks had ever been in a cutthroat fight.
He pulled her back in front of him as the music swelled. “I’m fine; those fuckers are fine.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you afraid of spiders?”
Max had to harden himself against her teasing, wanting to pick her up and toss her onto his bike then spend the night fucking her. He wanted to punch himself for still being attracted to her. He steeled himself against the feelings she was stirring inside of him. He was determined to play the same game with her that she had him.
“No, but snakes scare the shit out of me.”
Casey smiled up at him.
Taking advantage of her guard being down, Max slid a hand behind her neck then lowered his mouth to hers.
He felt her brief hesitation until his tongue parted her lips and thrust inside her warm mouth. Max groaned, liking the taste of her and the way she tentatively responded to him before going to her toes, giving him more than he expected. He parted her mouth wider, taking all she was giving him, their tongues dueling as their bodies pressed closer to each other. His hand went to her ass, pressing her against his cock.
Casey broke away from him, gasping for breath, her wide eyes staring up at him with trepidation.
“What’s this for?” Max brushed the frown lines on her forehead.
“I guess I’m afraid about why you’re being so nice to me after what I did. I know you still have to be mad.”
“We’ve known each other a while, and have you ever known me to hold a grudge?”
“No, but…”
“It’s cool, Casey. You could still be upset at me keeping you for that day. Are you?”
“No,” she admitted, lowering her head. “I know what you guys do is wrong, but I shouldn’t have used the trust you had in me to deceive you. I feel bad about it, Max. I really do.”
“I know you do.”
By the time he was finished with her, he intended for her to feel more than bad. He was going to destroy her to the point where there would be nothing of the old Casey remaining.
“I wish I could tell you why.” Max waited to see if she would tell him more. “But I can’t.”
He nodded, unhappy with her answer, but didn’t let her see it. “I can wait. How about we just let bygones be bygones and start over?”
“I’d really like that.”
Max felt guilty for a brief moment at the happiness mixed with suspicion shining in her eyes, until he remembered just a few days ago she was trying to have him and his friends put away.
“Then shake that ass. This is the best song Kaden sings.”
They spent the rest of the concert talking and dancing occasionally to the harder rock songs that were played. He used every opportunity to keep his hands on her. By the time he walked her to her car, she had a pretty blush on her face as she walked next to him with his arm over her shoulders.
He opened her car door for her, bending down to kiss her, using all his skill to heighten her desire, which he had no plan to relieve. He wanted her to beg for his dick before he gave it to her again.
“Goodnight,” she sighed into his mouth as she pulled away.
“Goodnight, Casey.” Max took a step away, letting her slide into the car before shutting the door for her.
She gave him a casual wave as she drove away.
“I hope this time you’re thinking with the right head,” Jackal said snidely from behind him.
“I know what I’m doing,” Max snapped over his shoulder.
“I hope so. Ice won’t be happy if you get caught in her trap twice.”
“The only one going to get caught is
Casey, and when I’m done with her, she’ll mean no more to me than any of the club whores. Besides, you don’t have to worry about me. You have your own problems.”
Jackal frowned. “I don’t have a problem.”
“No?” Max pointed at where Penni was walking next to Kaden’s head of security. Even from where they were standing, it was obvious the blonde was flirting.
“I don’t think Alex is afraid of spiders.”
* * *
Max stared at the goop cooking in the pan on the stove.
“When’s dinner going to be ready?” Maxim complained.
“When it’s done. Go help your brother with his homework.”
“It’s Friday. They don’t give homework on the weekends.”
“That’s why schools are failing you kids. I had homework on the weekend when I was a kid.”
“Mom said you never graduated high school.” Maxim reached across the counter for a bag of chips, which Max took away.
“Dinner won’t be long. Go play a game with Randy.”
“Mom sent me a TV dinner.” Maxie opened the freezer, pulling it out, but Max took it away, shoving it back inside the freezer.
“Out! Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes.” His children grumbled as they filed out of the room.
Stirring the SpaghettiOs in the pot, he realized he had the stove turned up too high and had scorched the gooey mess.
“Dammit!” Max pulled it from the stove, turning it off.
Going to the freezer, he opened the door, hoping he had more than one frozen dinner. “Fuck.” Max stared at the empty shelves. “Fuck!” Closing the freezer, he pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button.
“Hello?” Casey answered her phone on the first ring.
“What’s up?”
“Uh, nothing. Watching television.”
“Want to come to dinner at my house tonight?”
Silence met his invitation.
“Come on, my kids are here. You’re not doing anything, so why not come over for a while?” Nothing was going to allay her suspicions like having her around his kids. He wasn’t going to feel guilty for using the kids against her when she had used their parents’ marriage as way in to the club.
“All right. What’s your address?”
“I’ll text it to you. On your way over, would you mind stopping and picking up a bucket of chicken? And you might as well bring some potatoes and slaw.” He could kill two birds with one stone—feed his kids and mislead Casey.