by C. A. Harms
I tried to step forward, because someone needed to create some space between them before they went at it and demolished my apartment. Before I took a second step, Lucas held his arm out to stop me and positioned himself in front of me like a shield.
“I ain’t apologizing for shit,” Deacon spat. “She’s in here with you whoring around and I’m supposed to say I’m sorry?”
I looked up at Luke, trying once again to move around him and was mesmerized by the tension in his shoulders and neck. He was barely holding on to his aggression, and I instantly regretted not listening to him when he said I should ignore the knocking.
“Call her a whore again,” Lucas taunted Deacon and my stomach tensed.
I knew as soon as Deacon said it, Luke wouldn’t hold back.
Deacon’s smirk told me that he knew it too.
“Wh—” he began in a slow, exaggerated growl and Lucas moved forward.
“Enough,” I said as I shoved against Lucas’s side, but it was like trying to move Shadow, my horse. “Deacon, leave,” I insisted, but they were beyond the point of listening to me, which only infuriated me more. “Damn it, get out.”
“Is this asshole the reason you wanted to call it off with me the other day?” Deacon asked, and I ignored the look of curiosity Lucas shot me. “He rides back into town and suddenly you and me don’t mean shit anymore?”
“You know you and I were falling apart long before that,” I stated because it was true. Our relationship was never special. He knew that, and so did everyone else that ever saw us together.
“Maybe I should have acted as if you meant nothing to me,” he threw back, completely ignoring Lucas still hovering over me, keeping a safe distance between Deacon and me. “I should have tossed your feelings around, played you for an idiot, and taken what I wanted when I could. It’s what he did, and he’s somehow a good guy for it.”
Before I could defend Lucas, he fisted Deacon’s shirt and dragged him backward toward the open door, holding him upright even as Deacon stumbled along the way. Outside, he pinned Deacon against the wall to the left of the door and moved in closer to him.
“You don’t know a damn thing about us. You may think you do, but that’s all you got. If you wanna keep slinging shit about it, though, you sling it at me. Don’t ever speak to Madelyn the way you just did, because I can assure you that next time”—Lucas puffed out his chest as he spoke the next words slowly—”I won’t be so nice.”
He shoved Deacon’s chest before stepping back, blocking the doorway.
I could tell from the fire in Deacon’s eyes that he wanted this to continue. He stood tall and pulled at the front of his shirt, which was now stretched and misshaped. He glared back at Lucas as if weighing his odds of being able to overpower Lucas before shaking his head and squaring his shoulders.
“You two can have each other,” he said before turning and weaving down the stairs. At one point, about halfway down, I thought he was going to fall, but he used the wall to steady himself.
Once he reached the bottom, he turned and very maturely flipped us off before stumbling into the darkness.
For a moment neither of us spoke. Instead I stood behind Lucas and focused on the way his shoulders lifted and fell as he took deep, calming breaths.
I’d seen Luke angry a few times, but this time felt different.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, but I heard him clearly. “I shouldn’t have.”
I gripped his shoulder and tugged, forcing him to face me.
“There is nothing for you to be sorry about,” I stated clearly. “He was drunk and completely out of line.”
Luke looked directly at me with a hesitant expression.
“If anything, I should be thanking you for sticking up for me,” I said, realizing I was still gripping his arm. I quickly let go and crossed my arms over my chest, then tilted my head to the side. “I should also thank you for stepping between us, because had you not, I would have been forced to kick his ass. Could you imagine the flack he’d get when folks around town got wind that Short Shit handed his ass to him?” I shrugged, turned, and moved back toward the pile of pillows. Flopping back, I crossed my hands behind my head and gave him a ridiculous grin “Poor guy would have been the laughingstock of Alvord.”
Lucas’s eyes raked over me from my feet to my face before they locked on mine. Chills covered my arms and shoulders and traveled up my neck. I wanted to shiver but did my best to hide the reaction.
“The town is already laughing at the guy,” he insisted before finally moving toward the couch. “He’s an assclown, Mad.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
“What the hell were you thinking dating that guy anyway?”
I wanted to tell him that he had no right to ask me that. I also wanted to say that I’d needed someone, anyone, to distract me from constantly thinking of him. Instead I got up and moved toward the kitchen, ignoring his question. I kept my back to him as I packed up the extra pizza and rinsed the dishes.
I was so focused on the task that I didn’t notice he’d walked up behind me until he caged me in with his arms as his warmth pressed tightly against my back.
I should have moved away, but I couldn’t.
I had dreamed many times of Luke being this close. Minus the occasional friendly hug we’d exchanged growing up, this was the closest we’d ever been. I leaned back against him, and his warm breath fanned out over my shoulder and neck as I closed my eyes, trying my best not to tilt my head to the side, silently asking for more.
“I shouldn’t have asked that,” he whispered. “But I think we both know that Deacon doesn’t deserve you.”
My focus was slipping.
“But Madelyn.” He leaned in closer, so close his stubble gently rubbed along my cheek. “I will never let anyone talk to you or treat you the way he did. He’s lucky he was able to stumble away from here in one piece.”
My body hummed as my nipples hardened and my thighs squeezed together.
I’m not sure what effect Lucas was trying to have on me. I just knew I was seconds away from turning around and climbing him like a tree. I kept chanting, We’re just friends, over and over in my head, but my body wasn’t in agreement with my mind.
“Good night, Madelyn,” Luke whispered before he pressed a soft kiss against my cheek, then along my jaw, but the contact was still much too brief. He stepped back and I think I may have whimpered at the loss. “We should do this again real soon.”
When I turned to face him, he was already moving toward the door, and if my face mirrored my thoughts, I knew the look on it was one of desperation. I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted him back, right where he was moments ago. Only this time I wanted to follow my heart and do what my body craved.
“I mean, we should repeat the pizza, beer, and friends-hanging-out part, not the other stuff.” He offered me a wink as he opened the door and flashed that sinful grin of his.
And there it was. We were just friends, nothing more.
Chapter 13
LUCAS
Aside from Deacon’s unwelcome interruption, I’d say that night with Maddy was pretty close to perfect.
We laughed a lot and we flirted more than I expected, and when I made a move, even if it was the smallest of moves, she didn’t push me away.
I craved more, but I had to pace myself. This thing between us, whatever it was, had been rocky and unstable at first. I didn’t want to ruin the comfortable groove I found us in now. The idea of losing her yet again, or making her uncomfortable with my forwardness when it came to being close to her, had me pumping the brakes at every turn. The problem was that when I’d stood behind her with my arms on either side of her, I sensed her desire. She’d leaned back against me with her back molded to my chest. I wanted to repeat that feeling as often as possible.
I left her apartment and sat in my truck for over thirty minutes, debating if I should go back and pick up where I left off, but I decided it was too soon. Not to mention Deacon
showing up and running his mouth off sorta put a damper on the night.
So I went home, crawled in bed, and lay awake imagining the things I wanted to do to her instead. My night ended with a low groan of her name and a lazy smile.
“Get your head out of the clouds, Romeo.” I looked to my left just as Jeb dropped another two-by-four on the pile a few feet away.
He’d been calling me Romeo from the moment I arrived on site just after 6:00 a.m.
“What?” he said with a shrug. “You don’t like Romeo? Maybe I should call you Rocky instead.”
He chuckled and this piqued my interest. I imagined stories were already rolling around about the tussle Deacon and I had. Alvord is a small town, so shit like that spreads like wildfire here, and everyone knows everyone else’s business. At times that was okay, but not when things like what took place last night happened. Maddy didn’t need to field questions about Deacon and the way he’d disrespected her.
“I prefer you call me Luke,” I said as I turned back to the board I was driving a screw through.
“You’re not gonna give me any dirt, are ya?” he asked, looking over at me curiously. “Because from what I hear, Deacon really laid into you, and had it not been for Madelyn stepping between ya, he may have really caused some damage.” When I didn’t bite he continued. “Being caught with your pants down in bed with another guy’s girl is like taking your life into your own hands, brother.”
I dropped my drill and stood, facing him. “Jeb, we’re friends, but keep spouting that shit and I will give you a taste of what truly happened last night. But I’ll warn ya, I still have a whole lot of anger built up that I need to relieve, so it may not end as well for you as it did for Deacon.”
Jeb was a few inches shorter than me and was about half my size. During high school we all referred to him as String Bean because he was about the same size as most of the girls. He wasn’t a fighter, he was a jokester. But none of that mattered here. I had a hairline trigger when it came to Maddy and her honor.
Jeb picked up on this quickly and a pleased chuckle fell from his lips. “Damn, Shannon was right.” I didn’t ask him what he meant, but the interested look on my face was enough for him to continue. “She told Madelyn that night at the bar that you were interested. Plus every day since she’s been repeating that shit to me.”
He gripped my shoulder and gave it a firm shake. “I told her, ‘Hell no, they’re just two friends that need to leave the past in the past.’ But she insisted and there it is.” He pulled back, waving his finger at me as he shook his head. “That flame, the burn. The need to protect. You got it for Short Shit, and it has nothing to do with an old friendship. It’s more.”
Pushy son of a bitch was still fishing for information, only this time he took a different route. “Is that why she dumped Deacon? Because you and her…?” He let the question die and I knelt and got back to work. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He chuckled
Eventually he realized he wasn’t getting any more out of me and walked off laughing.
I wouldn’t share whatever happened between Madelyn and me. Hell, I didn’t even know what we were yet, but I knew what I wanted. She’d be the first person I shared those desires with, when the time was right.
Or I’d show her.
***
Maybe I was imagining shit, but it sure felt as if Maddy was avoiding me.
Each time I looked in her direction, she’d look away, either at someone else as if she was pretending to be interested in what they were saying, or off in the distance.
It was all bullshit, but I didn’t let it stop me from watching her closely—or more accurately staring at her. I wasn’t ashamed to admit she had my full attention. Whether she wanted it or not, it was coming her way.
Her cutoff jean shorts showed off a helluva lot of leg. How the hell was a grown man supposed the think straight when they rode up even more as she bent over to feed the chickens? My palms itched to feel the sweet cheeks beneath them.
“Wipe your chin, I think you got a little drool right there.” Liam reached for me and I swatted away his hand. He chuckled as he leaned back in the chair next to me. “Just saying, man, you might wanna clean that shit up.” He cleared his throat. “It’s embarrassing. What are you, twelve?”
“Fuck off,” I growled, just loud enough that only he could hear.
We’d all been invited over to the Emerys’ for a Sunday afternoon cookout, “all” meaning my parents, my brother, his wife, Sierra, and their two kids. I think Madelyn was surprised when she showed up to find us all here. Something told me our pushy mothers were trying a bit of matchmaking. Now I won’t question their motives, because I was Team Matchmaker all the way, but Maddy would set them straight if they pushed too hard.
As I turned back toward Madelyn, she was leaning over the cooler, probably in search of a grape soda in the slushy ice. I slid from the chair a little faster than I intended, making it wobble, and I quickly steadied it with my hand before anyone noticed. Liam snorted and I realized the prick saw the entire thing, but I wasted no more time on him.
I moved across the yard and stepped up behind Maddy. I placed one hand on her hip and reached into the cooler with the other. Her body stiffened against mine, but I continued as if her reactions didn’t make my heart race even faster. I lifted the grape Crush out of the cold water and ice and held it out in front of her. “This what you were looking for?”
“Yeah, thanks.” She tried taking it from my hand, but I held on tight. “You gonna let go?” she asked, still refusing to look my way.
“That depends.” I leaned in closer, trying to get her to look at me. “Are you gonna keep avoiding me, or are you gonna explain what’s going on?”
“Not avoiding,” she replied, still trying to tug the soda from my hand. “Will you just let go?” she said, pushing her hip against me. I circled my arms around her and she turned into me, which brought our bodies even closer together. She laughed as she tried to yank the soda from my hand again and I tucked it behind her back.
She lifted her gaze to meet mine, and her smile faltered as she tried to look away. I cupped her jaw and forced her to look at me. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, feeling an ache deep in my stomach and worrying I’d upset her.
Maddy shook her head and closed her eyes. “We need to stop this,” she whispered.
“Stop what?”
“The flirting,” she added and the ache in my stomach intensified. “Friends don’t flirt like this, Luke. We’re gonna ruin this new beginning of ours, and before you know it, we’ll be back to square one.”
Her words surprised me. I thought we’d finally cleared that hurdle, but I felt like she’d just knocked me ten steps back. I wanted to haul her off somewhere and force her to explain where this was coming from, but the questions our families would ask weren’t worth the hassle. So instead of fighting her, I released my hold and held out the soda before her.
As she wrapped her fingers around the can, our fingers brushed over one another’s and her gaze locked on mine once more.
“We’ll continue this conversation a little later,” I assured her.
“What conversation?” she said as she spun on her heel and walked toward the table where Sierra and our mothers sat.
After a few minutes I walked back to the chair next to Liam and flopped down, feeling suddenly defeated.
“That was cute and all, but brother, you just got shot down.”
I slapped his stomach, making him jackknife in his chair, which tipped to the side and spilled him onto the grass, dumping his beer down his front.
“Asshole,” he mumbled as he glared up at me.
“For your information, I didn’t get shot down. She just hasn’t figured out yet that she and I are gonna end up together.” He arched an eyebrow and I chuckled. “But she will,” I assured him as I leaned back in my chair and crossed my ankles, looking out over the large backyard.
And just when I started to doubt my words, Madelyn looked
back at me and we became fixated on one another, neither of us looking away, as if playing a silent battle for dominance.
A trace of a smile tugged at her lips, making my heart race. Yes, Madelyn Emery would accept that we would be together.
Chapter 14
MADELYN
Thick waves of tension and anxiety surrounded me, and they were all coming from one person. One handsome, broody man who I couldn’t stop looking at no matter how hard I tried. It was like an invisible force pulled me to him and refused to let go.
Luke sat on a barstool near the bar, surrounded by the guys he worked with. They were talking and laughing, but he remained quiet, solely focused on me. Something about the way he squinted and held his mouth as he zoned in on me felt different. Earlier today I thought I’d placed us back in safe territory, but I think I may have only made things worse. In my defense, he was the one who said we were only two friends hanging out that night at my apartment. I thought I was doing the right thing by making things easier for both of us.
I was blindsided by our moment in my apartment, consumed by the feeling of his lips on my jaw, completely lost in the way his body pressed firmly to mine… then he brought out the friends comment.
I was only protecting myself from humiliation. Only his words didn’t make sense. The way he watched me now and the way he touched me earlier at my parents’ place confused me. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this unsettled.
“That’s a heated stare if I’ve ever seen one,” Shannon murmured next to me. “I don’t think he’s looked away once in the last ten minutes.”
I glanced down at the beer in my hands and picked at the label, as if I had no idea what she was referring to. I couldn’t talk about it, because I had no way to explain something I didn’t fully understand myself.
“Do you ladies need anything?” the waitress asked as she paused next to our table.
“Yes, another, please,” I said, looking up at her and lifting my bottle to indicate what I was drinking.