Out of the Blue

by Dee J. Adams

This was her last night at the St. Johns’ house. She could finally get back to her apartment tomorrow and Brendan said he’d drop her off at the rental car agency so she’d have her own wheels.

  Monday had been too much. She’d never forget it as long as she lived. Never forget the horror of watching a man lose a chunk of his head or the sticky warmth of his blood on her skin. Life was fragile. It could end any second. She knew it, but seeing death so up close and personal gave her a new prospective. It was time she took control of the life she had.

  Someone rapped on the door.

  “Case, it’s me. You okay?” Brendan had been so attentive the last two days. He hadn’t let her out of his sight. He hadn’t said too much, but he was dealing with the same thing so she knew he was doubly freaked out since he’d had his hand on the gun when it went off.

  Casey hadn’t realized Brendan’s father worked as a defense attorney. Not that any charges would be brought up because it was clearly a case of self-defense and their stories corroborated each other.

  It didn’t change the horrifying circumstances or the fact that she was once again—or still—in the public eye. Miles was in publicity heaven. He even took the news of temporarily losing his studio in stride. He’d told her to work on more songs while he searched for a studio to record at. Casey didn’t know how much time that would take, but with the threat gone and her apartment cleaned up, she could go back home.

  “Yeah,” she said, setting the towel on the bar and opening the door. The Jack and Jill bathroom adjoined her room to Brendan’s. “I’m good.” She studied the red scratches on his chin from the airbag and tried not to ogle his six pack abs or the light trail of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his nylon shorts. She didn’t stand a chance when the guy went topless. “How about you? How’s the shoulder feel?”

  “Sore.” He adjusted the sling. “I’ll be glad when I’m out of this stupid thing.” He licked his lips. “So are you sure about tomorrow? Sure that you’re ready to go back to your place. Because you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need.”

  “Bren, I can’t stay at your parents’ house indefinitely.”

  “I didn’t mean indefinitely. Just until you’re ready to go home.”

  “I’m ready. The threat is gone.” A quick picture of Jeff storming her apartment two months ago flashed through her brain, but she shoved it aside. She’d be sure to keep her eye out for him in the future. “Although I might have to come back if your dad ever barbeques again. That was a pretty awesome dinner tonight.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had as good a meal. Actually, dinner with Brendan in Hawaii had been pretty amazing.

  “Yeah, my dad grills a mean salmon. You know they’d love to have you over whenever you want.”

  His parents had welcomed her with open arms. The whole family had treated her as if she was one of them. It made it doubly hard to leave, but she had to. Her parents had asked her to come home on Monday, and Casey actually considered it, until her mom made a comment about the trouble she got into because of the show. Though she didn’t doubt her parents’ love, she also knew she couldn’t live under the same roof with them. Not even for two days.

  “Are you as wiped out as I am?” Brendan asked.

  She hadn’t slept much the past couple of nights. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Mitch’s head blow off. “I think the dark circles under my eyes can probably answer that,” Casey mused.

  He took her hand. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, following his lead. “My bed is behind me.”

  “I want to spend the night with you.”

  She stopped, forcing him to stop. When he turned, she shook her head. “Bren, I’m not comfortable with that. Not with your parents down the hall.”

  “I didn’t say we were going to screw around. I said I want to sleep with you. I want you in my arms. I want to reach over in the middle of the night and feel you next to me, know you’re safe. C’mon, Case, my parents are cool with it. You know that.” He laughed softly and pulled her close. “I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell Blake I told you.” His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glow.

  He piqued her interest. “What?”

  “Blake was hurt a year ago and his girlfriend Abbey was here. Mom and Dad were on the way out for the night, and Mom took Abbey aside and told her if they had sex that she needed to be on top because Blake needed to take it easy.”

  Casey’s jaw dropped open. “No way. She did not say that. I don’t believe you.”

  “Cross my heart. Swear to God. My mom knows the deal. But like I said in the beginning, I’m not going to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He tugged her along with him. “We’re only sleeping…and possibly cuddling.”

  “Cuddling? Did you just use the C word?” He laughed again and the sound filled up every vacant part of her heart. “Seriously,” she went on, “I’ve never met a guy who had too much interest in cuddling. You have to understand my skepticism.”

  He took her the last few steps to his bed. “I do. Look, I may not act like it most of the time, because I can’t seem to get Hawaii out of my mind and I want a replay of that night desperately, or even Sunday night for that matter, but I’m good with sticking it out until you’re ready.” His smile faded as he placed her hand around his neck and put his arm around her waist. “When I woke up in Hawaii and found you gone…” He shook his head. “I was crushed, Case. I wanted to hold you so bad. I wanted to feel you against me, breathe you in.”

  He was mesmerizing when he spoke to her like that. All of her insides melted into a giant puddle at his feet.

  “So please. Sleep with me. Lay your head next to mine. Let me hold you or your hand. Let me breathe you in like I wanted to that morning in Hawaii.” His blue eyes nearly killed her with their longing.

  “You make it really hard to say no,” she whispered.

  He grinned and touched his forehead to hers. “That was the idea.”

  She didn’t have much of a choice. He made a very solid argument. No better time than the present to start living her life the way she wanted. Not the way her parents wanted. Time to reach for a life that made her happy on her terms. “Okay.”

  That gorgeous smile returned and almost blinded her with its intensity. His optimism was absolutely contagious and just what she needed. He stepped back and gestured to the already opened bed. “Ladies first.”

  She climbed into Brendan’s bed and lifted the light blanket over her nightshirt and shorts.

  Brendan got comfortable next to her. “C’mere.” He put his arm out and coaxed her against him. Not a bad place to be. He was so solid. So sexy. His sculpted chest made a perfect pillow and it took every ounce of control not to reach out with her tongue and taste him.

  She traced a finger along the indent of his abs and shared her fear. “I guess I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “What shoe?”

  “I’m already high maintenance because of Mitch and Jeff. I figured you’d realize that I’m not the girl you met on the beach and you’d cut and run.”

  He shifted and looked down at her. “What do you mean? Of course you’re the same girl.”

  She shook her head. “That girl doesn’t exist. She rarely exists,” she amended when he opened his mouth to argue. “That girl wanted to live life and be someone else for a night. She wanted to break all the rules she’d ever lived with and cut loose. She wanted to go for something she wanted and not have any regrets.”

  Brendan didn’t answer at first. “Okay, so what I’m getting is that you never break rules and have never gone after something you really wanted. I have to disagree with that.” This time he went on before she could respond. “You gave your douchebag ex the heave-ho. Rule—”

  “Actually, he gave me the heave-ho,” she cut in.

  “Bullshit. I think you knew that non-compliance was going to be a deal breaker and you did it anyway. As I was saying…rule number one obliter
ated. You went into the ocean when you probably shouldn’t have. Rule number two, snapped like a twig. You found a stranger and seduced him—which by the way made that stranger a very happy man. I don’t know about you, but I have zero regrets from that night. I loved every minute and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. That makes rule number three, toast. You went against your family’s wishes and auditioned—and made—a reality show, which you won. Rule number four, history.

  “So if you’re telling me you’re not that girl, I’m going to disagree. Your confidence that night sucked me in. There is nothing sexier than a confident woman. Nothing more appealing than a woman who knows what she wants.”

  “What if that person is gone?” she whispered. “What if I can’t find her again after all this?”

  He squeezed her closer. “She’s not gone. She’s right here in my arms.”

  Casey swallowed back her response. She noticed the bulge in his shorts and felt guilty for leading him on in some way. “I’m not so sure about that, Bren. I mean, it sounds good in theory, but the reality is I don’t feel like the same person.”

  “You’ve been through a life changing experience. Hell, several of them. Give yourself time to figure out who you are now and who you want to be in the future. Either way, I’m here for you. I don’t plan on going anywhere.” He kissed her forehead. “We’re official, remember? Don’t forget that.”

  Official girlfriends didn’t leave their boyfriends hanging.

  Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Casey tensed waiting for Brendan’s mom or dad to walk past the door. She pulled away from him just as his mom stuck her head in.

  “Good night, you two. Don’t stay up late. You’re both still recovering. Get some sleep.” She smiled and continued to her room.

  Casey had never known anything like it.

  “Why do you look so shocked,” Brendan asked.

  She pointed out the door. “Your mom. She just…she didn’t even… My mom would’ve blown a gasket if she caught me with a boy in my bed.”

  “I told you my mom is cool with that. We’re adults.”

  “I know, I know. I was just raised by old-fashioned people.” She sighed and snuggled next to him, letting his warmth and strength lull her to sleep.

  Brendan let the cool water wash the soap off his skin. He’d tried to coax Casey into the shower with him, but she’d given him big eyes like he’d obliterated commandment number twelve. Thou shalt not shower with thy girlfriend in your parents’ house. It had been worth a shot since he was getting massively tired of cold showers. Sharing a bathroom with her only fueled the fire. Seeing all her girl paraphernalia—the lotion that made her skin so soft, the shampoo that made her hair shiny as silk—smelling her when she wasn’t there, gave him a false sense of commitment that he knew she wasn’t feeling.

  He didn’t know how he managed to fall asleep with the biggest hard-on of his life, but he ended up with one of the most peaceful night’s rest since the kidnapping. A full night of sleep was something he’d taken for granted. Now it was rare for him to go a night without a bad dream waking him up with his heart pounding out of control and sweat slicking his body.

  Finally, he had Casey next to him. He was glad she’d confided in him about that night in Hawaii. It made it easier to understand where she was coming from. The girl had a lot on her plate.

  He wasn’t mentally ready to take her—bags and all—to get her rental, but he didn’t really have a leg to stand on when it came to excuses and keeping her with him. The threat was gone. Nothing kept her from living her own life. He just hoped like hell he was still going to be part of it. Their conversation the night before enlightened him, but didn’t particularly spark confidence when it came to Casey’s feelings about him.

  He’d pretty much emotionally blindsided her. He got that. Not that he could help it. He’d fallen for her like an avalanche, so he understood her reluctance to go with those feelings—especially after coming out of a long-term relationship. So yeah, he had to move slowly, build her confidence and gain her trust. He was cool with that. Sunday night had been a giant exercise in trust. In his eyes, that kind of intimacy only bonded them closer. He just had to give her time to realize it.

  Brendan shook his head under the spray, remembering Blake’s journey with Abbey. How many times had he told his twin to cut his losses and bail? How many times had he wanted to wring Abbey’s neck—not literally, but figuratively—for screwing with his brother’s heart? But Blake had insisted she was the one. He’d been intent in finding a way into Abbey’s heart and he had. To Brendan’s amazement, Abbey had blossomed into a confident woman. None of them knew her history, hell, Brendan still didn’t, but Blake had assured him that Abbey’s fears had been based on something horrific and to cut her some slack, so he had.

  Brendan shut down the water, dried off and pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. His cell phone rang as he put his boots on. “Yo,” he said to his big brother. “What’s up?”

  “I need advice,” Danny said.

  Brendan rolled his eyes. Danny rarely asked for Brendan’s two cents and when he got it, he never listened to it. “Go ask Eric. I’m heading out in a few minutes.”

  “No! Wait! Seriously. Eric’s not answering and I need help before she calls back.”

  “Before who calls back?” Brendan asked.

  “Nikki.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “A girl I met a month ago at a bar. Her hair kind of reminds me of Casey’s. Hey, speaking of Casey, how is she? Recovering okay?”

  “Yeah, Casey’s good.”

  “Good. Okay, so back to me. This girl Nikki is a total whackjob. We had a one night thing and all of a sudden she thinks she owns me.”

  “Yeah, one-nighters bite.” It was why he quit doing them.

  “She won’t leave me alone. First she did the left behind. You know, when a chick leaves something at your place after a crazy night so she can come back again? She was totally rocking a tight skirt, fuck me pumps and had red lipstick. You know how that kills me. So we did it again even though I know she planned the whole thing. I couldn’t stop myself. How do I get rid of her?”

  “Sometimes one night things turn into more and they suck, right?” He hoped his brother caught the sarcasm. “Why are you calling me?”

  “Because you’re the only one who answered the damn phone. Help.”

  “Look, she seems pretty insecure to me. Any time I feel crowded like that, I put the brakes on. Life’s too short to deal with that kind of shit. Tell her to back off and for fuck’s sake don’t sleep with her again. You have a real problem keeping your dick in your pants, you know that?”

  “Fuck you, little brother. You’re just saying that because you have someone to fuck.”

  “Shows how little you know, Dano. Casey isn’t what she looks like.” Because she looked like a very modern woman with confidence when in reality she was leery of the real world.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Casey nearly knocked on the bathroom door to see if Brendan was almost done when she heard him say, “Casey’s good.” She didn’t know who he was talking to and a second later he said, “Sometimes one night things turn into more and they suck, right?” Her cheeks flamed. Eavesdropping wasn’t something she did under normal circumstances, so when he said, “Look, she seems pretty insecure to me.” She turned around, picked up her small suitcase and headed downstairs as quietly as possible.

  Emotion clogged her throat, but she refused to cry. She knew it was too good to be true. Maybe there were no good men left, because so far the ones she’d dealt with were full of nothing but bullshit. Well, she wasn’t sticking around for it.

  She pulled her phone from her bag and texted her sister. You around? I need a ride ASAP. I’m at Brendan’s parents’ house in Larchmont.

  Her sister texted back. I’m a solid twenty minutes away at work. Uber is faster than me.

  Good idea, Casey texted back. She found the app on her phone and called for a car. ETA four mi
nutes. Perfect. She scribbled a quick thank-you note for Brendan’s parents and left it on the kitchen counter, then she quietly walked out the kitchen door, moved her ass down the driveway and out the front gate. The car pulled up and she closed the gate behind her. She gave the driver the address to the rental car agency and three seconds later they were off.

  So long, Brendan. Sorry to be so much trouble.

  He’d had her so convinced that he cared about her. Why go through everything he had if he didn’t care about her? Because he wanted a repeat of that night in Hawaii, her inner voice said. Or he wanted a piece of your fame. God, she really didn’t know why he was pursuing her if he thought being with her sucked.

  Good thing she was getting out now before she fell for him even harder. Tears pricked her eyes and she had to face it…she’d already fallen so hard. “Dammit,” she mumbled swiping at her eyes. She refused to be crushed by this.

  Songs. She had to put the emotion into her songs and get over it. Goodbye, Brendan; hello, hit single.

  Yeah, that’s how she had to look at it. This was ammo for great music.

  Minutes later, she arrived at the rental car agency and picked up the new wheels. A silver compact. One day soon she wouldn’t have to worry about money. One day soon her songs were going to be blasting on the radio and she’d be traveling in style in a stretch limo and she’d have her choice of any guy she wanted.

  Brendan.

  No, she told her pitiful self. Not Brendan.

  Casey drove home, dreading walking into her apartment alone, but knowing she’d have to face it. She couldn’t stay away forever. Zoe had assured her that she’d taken care of the apartment. It had been cleaned and repaired. There was something to be said for big protective sisters. They took care of their siblings.

  Casey parked on the street since a section under the carport was still blocked off due to damage from the explosion. She pulled out her bag and trekked to her front door. A very creepy tingle whispered along her neck and she turned around, looking at the surrounding neighborhood, the cars, the trees, but nothing seemed remotely suspicious. She shook off the feeling, unlocked her door and went inside. She bolted the door and faced her apartment. Everything seemed normal. No more bullet holes in the walls. Zoe must’ve ridden the building manager’s ass to get it fixed so fast. Or she’d gone to the trouble and expense to fix it herself. She’d even replaced the white slipcover on her sofa with a new red one that popped in her subdued color scheme. A new standing lamp replaced the one that was destroyed.