Salvation

by Ahren Sanders

  Jonas comes out first, followed by his friend, and I audibly gasp. Both of them have transformed from cute college boys, to handsome young men. The grey dinner suits hug their bodies in all the right places, showing off the look we were going for. Suave, polished, professional.

  “We look good, huh?” Jonas spins dramatically.

  “You do. I’d even say you look dapper.”

  “Dapper. That’s sweet. Going to use that tomorrow night. Although, I’d like to think we have swagger.”

  “Oh, you do. That too.” I shake my head, amused.

  James chuckles from his seat, watching the exchange.

  “You sure I can’t talk you into ditching your date and coming with me?”

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Not when I know we’ll have the night of our lives.” He tugs me into him and sways to the sound of his own humming, causing me to laugh even harder.

  “What’s going on here?” Robbie’s rough voice sounds through the room, and Jonas stops our imaginary dance. His eyes are dark and heated, watching me closely.

  “‘Bout time, son. Looks like you have some competition.” James claps his hands together and leans forward.

  “Dad?”

  “Yeah, been wondering when you’d get here.”

  I step back from Jonas and face Robbie, who now has an unreadable expression.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Had a hunch. This morning gave me my in, so I decided to head over here and see if I was right. Saw the way you looked at her before. Knew the minute I walked in the door. Waited to see for myself.”

  “Yo, Ember, these guys talk in English? Is this some sort of code?” Jonas whispers in my ear.

  “I’m not quite sure. I haven’t been around uber-macho-male speak before.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Robbie says to his dad.

  “No, you may not believe it, but I’m excellent at my job.”

  “Still not following,” Jonas says.

  “Ember, get over here.” Robbie extends one arm and jerks his chin. His voice is firm.

  I go slowly, processing his father is watching us attentively. As soon as I’m close enough, Robbie reaches out and wraps both arms around my waist possessively, kissing the scar on my temple.

  “Babe, you need to change your shampoo.”

  “Too late now. Discovery’s done,” James states.

  Feeling extremely uncomfortable, I turn to Jonas and his friend. “Maybe you two should get changed.”

  They look around the small room and nod before heading into their respective dressing rooms.

  “Can someone tell me what just happened here?”

  “You may think your cousin is intrusive, but he has nothing on the Hayes clan. My dad’s here because he’s nosy. My guess is that showering at your house this morning was a dead giveaway. Who knew these guys were so informed about feminine hair products.”

  “I’m still lost.”

  “I smelled like you this morning when I got to work. Like I said, dead giveaway.”

  Oh my God! Did he just confirm to his dad that he stayed the night with me? Heat creeps up my neck and cheeks. Without even seeing myself, I can tell they’re a glowing shade of red, maybe scarlet.

  “But how’d he know it was me?”

  “Probably because I mentioned you last week when I stopped by. Finn cornered me this morning, too.”

  “Holy shit! Is this the ‘meet the dad’ moment?” Jonas interrupts. and I want to crawl into a hole and hide.

  “Yeah, guess you could say that. You play for Vanderbilt, right?” James asks him, taking the unwanted attention from me.

  “Absolutely! You watch the games?” Jonas beams with pride.

  “I knew I recognized you. I go to some games. Provide security when needed.”

  “Ummm, let me get you the receipts, and you can drop those off Monday morning.” I try to break free, but Robbie pulls me into him completely, kissing my lips hastily.

  The next few minutes are a flurry of male dominant conversation about sports, security, and other things I’m not familiar with. Robbie holds me close and runs his lips across my head periodically. His fingertips draw lazy patterns on my arms, causing my skin to prickle. I catch James watching us with a knowing grin.

  Finally, I gather my thoughts and step out of Robbie’s hold, and start shutting down. “Is everyone ready to go?” I ask the crowd.

  “Yo, Ember, if it’s not too much to ask, can we get a picture with you in front of the store for instagram? Tomorrow night’s gonna rock…” Jonas takes out his phone and motions to me.

  “Yeah, but only if you mention Clyde’s.”

  I walk out front and stand between the two enormously tall guys, trying to smile at a selfie. Then Jonas surprises me by picking me up with one arm and positioning us. “You’re a shrimp. I need to bring you up here,” he says, making me giggle.

  When he’s satisfied, he puts me down and thanks me again. Then he and his friend go to their cars. I walk back into the shop, where Robbie and his dad are waiting on me.

  “Okay, James, here you go.” I hand him the tie.

  “This was really a necessary errand, but Jenna would have done it for me. I had to see for myself.”

  “Dad, stop badgering. We’ve got plans tonight.”

  James nods and looks at me with sincerity. “Hope to see you again soon, Ember.” He gives Robbie a slap on the shoulder and leaves.

  Once he is gone, Robbie locks the front door and turns off the lights, coming to me. “You ready?”

  “I was hoping to go home and change. Do we have time?”

  “Yeah, and I wanted to drop off your car. We’ll ride together.” He threads his fingers through mine and squeezes. When he lifts our intertwined hands to his lips and kisses my knuckles lightly, my head spins.

  With only the gentle gesture, my crush on Robbie Hayes grows ten-fold.

  Chapter 9

  This is Real

  Ember

  “You know, we could go inside.” I break away from Robbie’s lips long enough to speak.

  “I won’t go home. Trying to be a gentleman.” He crushes his mouth back to mine and grips my neck firmly.

  Our tongues swirl together, and my body presses against his, feeling every hard angle. Dizziness washes over me from lack of oxygen, but I don’t dare pull away. Even though we’ve kissed a handful of times before, this is different. He’s controlling yet gentle, making my insides twist with desire.

  “We’re making out on the front porch like a pair of horny teenagers. “Let’s go inside,” I say breathlessly.

  He lays his forehead against mine, catching his breath as well. “Ember, you have absolutely no idea how much I want to walk through that door and drag you to your bedroom, so please don’t tempt me.”

  “Okay.” Extreme disappointment washes through me.

  “Hey, don’t do that. This is really hard on me.”

  “What’s hard on you? You’re invited in and turn down the invitation. I can’t help but think it’s because of me.”

  “Jesus Christ, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re amazing, and you’re also special.” He runs his fingertips across my cheek.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ember, the more I’m around you, the more I realize this is real. We’ve only been hanging out a week. It feels like longer because we have this connection, a connection I’ve never felt before. As much as it kills me to walk away, I’m doing it for both of us. There will come a time I won’t walk away.” His eyes lock with mine, and the sincerity of his words hit deep.

  I nod against him and breathe in deeply. “I had a great time tonight. Your friends are really nice.”

  “Tripp is questionable, but he was on his best behavior. Finn’s just Finn.”

  “I like them.”

  “Glad to hear it. Now, give me another kiss and go inside.”

  My lips cross his lightly, and I step back, missi
ng his warmth. I open the door and turn to watch him walk to his car. He honks as he pulls away, and I close the door, leaning against it for support.

  “Fucking never seen anything as hot as that. I may even have a small crush on him now.” Cruz startles me, stepping away from the window.

  “Were you spying on me?”

  “Yep, no shame in it. I wanted to watch him walk you to the door, but when you started making out, it was impossible to stop. Never in my life did I think you had it in you. And just to let you know up front, it should be illegal for a man to look that good in jeans. His fucking ass is perfect.”

  “Don’t you have your own boyfriend?” I try to sound exasperated, but it comes out in a chuckle.

  “Oooh, he’s your boyfriend now?”

  I slap my hand over my mouth as my eyes widen in shock. “I can’t believe I said that.”

  “I want details. Tell me about your night with the guys.”

  We go to the kitchen, and I grab a beer for us both. I start by telling him about James’s visit to the shop today, and finish with the details of playing pool all night with Robbie, Finn, and Tripp.

  “Man, he moves fast.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “First his dad and then his friends. He’s bringing you into his circle in record time.”

  “I truly think his dad was a surprise, but the whole night with his friends, he was different than I expected. I wasn’t anticipating the way he acted. He was affectionate.”

  “That’s proof positive he’s a real man. You don’t invite a girl you recently started dating to come out with your friends and treat her like she’s inconsequential. You make her feel comfortable, wanted, and like you’re glad she’s there.”

  “He did. Although, he did growl when he saw my choice of shirts. Said something about me covering up. The only time I felt uncomfortable, I was coming back from the restroom and watched as the waitress touched his arm. It was exactly out of some cheesy movie. She threw her head back, laughing, and pushed her chest out. He removed her hand and stepped away. She looked at him, rejected, and rolled her eyes when I joined them. Finn shook his head, but Tripp started laughing at her.”

  “Get used to it. Men like Robbie attract attention, and you already told me the rest of his friends turn heads too.”

  His words hit me hard, and for a slight second, my insecurities bubble but I push them down. He gave me no reason to worry tonight.

  “Little Star, it goes both ways. He’s going to have to stay on his toes with you. People stop and stare when you walk into a room.”

  I open my mouth to respond, but my phone dings with an incoming text.

  Robbie: You still awake?

  Me: Yes

  Twenty seconds later, my phone rings and his name flashes across the screen. My stomach dips, and I suppress the urge to giggle. I kiss Cruz on the cheek quickly as I walk toward my room.

  “Hello?”

  “You in bed?”

  “Not yet. I was talking to Cruz.”

  “Is he mad?”

  “No, why?”

  “Ember, I’m trained to know when I’m being watched. Knew the minute we hit your porch he was there.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, babe, he’s the only thing that held me back from backing you into the wall and wrapping you around my body.”

  Fucking Cruz!

  His chuckle flows through the phone.

  “Did I say that out loud?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why does that keep happening with you?” Heat creeps up my cheeks, remembering our passionate kisses. He didn’t hold back, even knowing we had an audience.

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Well, I do. It’s embarrassing.”

  “Don’t see how, but I’ve never tried to read a woman’s mind. I usually don’t hold back.”

  I plop back on my bed and inhale the scent of him lingering on my sheets.

  “Tomorrow night, I want to cook you dinner over here. Are you comfortable with that?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll pick you up.”

  “Wouldn’t you rather me drive?”

  “Nope, I’ll take you home.”

  “Okay, see you then. Sweet dreams.”

  “You too.” He hangs up.

  I get ready and crawl into bed, clutching the pillow he slept on close. Maybe Robbie Hayes is the man to help me forget my past.

  Robbie

  I can feel his eyes sear through my skin as I push through the last rep and set the weight bar back in the cradle. Sweat covers my face, neck, and chest, but I welcome the burn of my protesting muscles. It’s been a while since we’ve done a hardcore workout.

  “You want to talk about anything?” Finn asks, adjusting the weights on the leg press.

  “No, why?”

  “Maybe because you called my ass out of bed at seven on a Saturday and you’ve pushed yourself to the limit since walking through the fucking door.”

  He finishes his reps, watching me from the mirror in front of us.

  “Maybe I needed a good workout.”

  “Bullshit. Obviously, you didn’t sleep.”

  I shrug and consider exactly what I want to say. “Do you think it’s possible to truly get over what happened? Did we make the right decisions?”

  “No and yes. We didn’t kill our men. We didn’t plant that roadside bomb. We were going into what we thought was a friendly. I’ll remember them forever, but I have to move on. As for making the right decisions, ultimately, yes.”

  “I had another nightmare last night, but this time, it was you on the ground with a mangled leg. It shook me up.” I finally answer him truthfully. “Guess it got to me.”

  “I live with the image every day of you lying there and the fear you were dead. It’s not pretty, but I’ve learned to compress it.”

  “Yeah, guess I might need to talk to that counselor again.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe it’s time to talk to a pretty little red-head that helps you sleep and makes you smile.”

  “Are you fucking kidding?”

  “Nope. I have a feeling about this girl.”

  “We’ve been seeing each other a week.”

  “Whose fault is that? You dicked around for months. I saw the way you looked at her last night. “

  “And how the fuck was that?”

  “You really want to know?” He smirks.

  “Yeah, since it’ll confirm you’ve grown a vagina.”

  “You looked at her the same way Declan looked at Raven the first night he showed up at her house, the same way Jimi looked at Abbi, and those guys are getting married.”

  “Shit.” I run my hands through my hair, shaking my head. I wait for the panic to set in. Surely, it’s too soon. But nothing happens. No terror, no panic, no anxiety. A small ripple travels up my chest from thinking about her.

  “Get with the program and snatch her up before someone else does.”

  Jealousy runs through my veins at the idea of anyone else ever holding her close, feeling her breathe against their necks, or sharing her secrets.

  “We have a date tonight,” I blurt out, more for reassurance than his approval.

  His grin says it all, and he slaps my shoulder, walking to the locker room. I follow, shaking my head. The thought of Ember with someone else twists my gut.

  Chapter 10

  Not Going Anywhere

  Ember

  How is it that a girl who works in fashion, studied fashion design and sketches formal dresses, can’t find anything to wear to a casual Saturday night dinner? Clothes are scattered everywhere as I finally decide on wide leg jeans and an off–the-shoulder sweater.

  The doorbell chimes, and I hear Cruz greeting Robbie. When he strolls into my room a minute later, my mouth goes completely dry. The sight of him sends a sizzling sensation through my nerves. His hair is damp and unruly, his face is unshaven with slight stubble, and the black leather jacket hugs his broad shoulders. He’s rugge
d, he’s sexy, and I’m completely mesmerized.

  His eyes darken as they roam up and down slowly. A bead of sweat runs down my back as the room turns warmer. When he licks his lips, I watch, hypnotized by the simple action. Once his gaze finally locks on mine, a small tremor rocks my body.

  He stalks over and cups my chin gently, lowering his mouth to mine in a quick kiss. “You do know we’re just doing dinner at my house, right? You look incredible.”

  “Thanks.”

  Both his hands run over my shoulders and down my arms until reaching my hands. He moves my fingertips to his mouth and runs his lips along my knuckles. “This sweater is much softer than the other one.”

  “It’s angora.”

  “I don’t know what the fuck angora is, but this won’t scratch my skin when you lay on top of me tonight.”

  I try to hide my blush by leaning into his shoulder. His chest shakes as he chuckles and puts his mouth to my ear.

  “Need help cleaning up the disaster that was once your room?” He steps back and drops our hands. Immediately, I miss the warmth. “What the hell happened in here?”

  “I’d like to lie and say I was organizing my closet, but truth is, I had no idea what to wear so this is the result.”

  “Ember, I appreciate the effort, but you could have worn holey, torn sweats and looked as beautiful as you do now.”

  “You really shouldn’t say that to a woman who just spent an hour trying on clothes.”

  “How about if I say, the image of you in this blue sweater will be burned into my brain? It’s the exact same color as your eyes, which, by the way, I get lost every time I stare into them.”

  His words sink in, and in this moment, something changes. I gaze at the man who walked into my store three months ago and took my breath away. Realization washes over me as feelings I’ve never experienced threaten to explode. This is no longer a measly crush on a hot guy; I’m falling for him. Completely and utterly falling for him.

  His face studies mine and he grins. “So do you need help cleaning this up?”

  “No, let’s go.” I reach for my purse and then his hand. Suddenly, there’s an urgent need to get to his house and get him alone.