It also didn’t help that I was such a large man. I’d been big ever since birth and only grew into my body from there. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I should be a pro wrestler or something similar, I’d be a rich man. There wasn’t anything I could about the fact that people were intimidated by me. I’d learned to stay to myself in prison, and that’s exactly what I was going to do at the bar. Besides, I wasn’t looking to cause any trouble, especially on my first day out of prison.
Ensuring that I didn’t make eye contact with any of the customers, I grabbed a stool at the corner of the bar, tucked away from everyone and everything. Placing my bag on the floor, I sat down and enjoyed the heat of the building. It was the first time I’d been off my feet since waking up in a cell that morning and my feet were happy to have a rest.
“What can I get ya?” the bartender asked, snapping me from my thoughts.
“Let me get a shot of Jack, a Budweiser, and a steak.”
“No steaks here, man. We’re a bar, not a restaurant. I can get you a burger or a sandwich.”
“Fine, I’ll take the biggest burger you have back there with everything on it,” I replied, disappointed that I wasn’t going to be getting that steak that I’d built up in my head.
“All right buddy, have it right out to you.”
While I waited for my food, I turned towards the counter and trained my eyes on the dark wood and wondered what it would say if it could talk. I thought about what kind of stories that bar could tell before shivering at the thought that at least some of those stories would probably be about me.
It seemed like it took forever, but the minute the bartender sat my burger in front of me, I felt like I was a little kid in a candy store. It was huge, but that didn’t stop me from devouring it within a couple of minutes. Even though I downed it, I still managed to savor each and every bite. It had been years since I’d had a real burger and the hard hockey pucks that they served in prison shouldn’t even be allowed to be called burgers. I had my doubts that they were even made from real meat.
That burger was exactly what I needed and the shot of Jack that I chased it down with hit the spot. I really wanted to order some more shots and enjoy my first night of freedom, but I only had a little bit of money and knew I had to be smart with it. It needed to last me until I started getting paychecks on a regular basis.
I’m not sure how long I was sitting at the bar before a hard slap made contact with my upper back. It was unexpected, and it took everything I had not to jump off my seat, turn to the person who did, and knock them on their ass. Fortunately for him, I took a deep breath, composed myself, and turned to see who the hell it was.
Instead of a dickhead trying to pick a fight with me, my best friend Curtis was standing there, arms open wide and an enormous smile plastered across his face.
“Well would you look at this big mother fucker?” he asked jokingly. “You were big when you went in, and now you’re a huge fucking ogre. Get your ass over here and give me a hug, you gigantic son of a bitch.”
I jumped up off the stool and scooped him up into a bear hug.”
“Fuck,” he yelled as I lifted him into the air. “Put me down before you crush the life out of me.”
“How the fuck have you been?” I asked as I lowered him to the ground and shook his hand.
“I can’t complain brother. You doing any more drinking or do you want to get out of here?”
I downed what was left of my beer and sat it on the counter, along with enough money to cover the food, drinks, and a small tip. “I’m more than ready to get out of here.”
“Is there anything you need?”
“The only things I need are a hot shower and a warm bed. I’m hoping you can help me with both of those things tonight,” I said, grabbing my bag and tossing it over my shoulder.
“Brother, you’re gonna love what I’ve got lined up for you then. Not only do I have the guest room all set up for you, but it’s even got a private bathroom with a shower. There’s just one favor I’ve gotta ask of you.”
“Sure man, anything. Just name it.”
“All right, well Kim doesn’t have any problem with you staying with us for a while, but I may have left out the part about you being in prison, so we can’t let her in on that little secret. As far as she knows, you’ve been living in California and are coming back to town for work and to start over. You cool with that story?”
“I’ll cool with whatever you want. I just hope that nobody sees me around town and lets the cat out of the bag. Everyone seemed to know who I was the minute I walked through that door behind you.”
“Yeah, well this bar doesn’t count. It might as well be a world of its own. I highly doubt you’ll have anything to worry about once we’re away from here,” he told me as we walked out the door and headed for his truck.
“Well, you are the boss. I’ll just go along with whatever you say.”
“As far as all this goes, I think less is more. The less we talk about it, the better it’s going to be for both of us.”
We rode in relative silence during the nearly 45-minute drive to his house, pulling into the driveway just before 9:00pm. I’d never seen his place before since he’d bought it while I was inside, not long after getting engaged to his girlfriend.
I was impressed by how well he had done for himself. The house was very nice, and from what I could, he didn’t have any neighbors for miles. I hadn’t planned to be in such a private place, but I was actually grateful for it. If there weren’t anyone around, it would be tough for me to get into any sort of trouble.
As I followed Curtis into the house, I couldn’t get over how much it looked like something you’d see on the front of a Christmas card. He shared the home with Kim, his live-in girlfriend, who I had never met since they met while I was in jail. Curtis, on the other hand, has been a friend since I was just a little kid.
We first met when we were placed in the same foster home. We were only together for a couple of weeks before the cops raided the house for manufacturing drugs, but we became close in that time. Over the years in the foster care system, the two of us always seemed to cross paths, and we made a pact to stay in touch. We’ve been friends ever since.
Curtis even visited me in prison when I first got there, although his girlfriend had no clue about any of that. In her mind, I was nothing more than a hard-working man from California who was making his way to Minnesota for a job opportunity with my old friend.
The first thing I noticed upon walking through the door was that the house was full of thick, plush carpet that looked like it had never even been stepped on. I watched as Curtis removed his shoes and placed them next to the door, so I followed suit and took off my wet boots and socks. My feet were sore and achy from the cold and all the walking I’d done that day.
“Just come with me, and I’ll show you your room. You can take a shower and get cleaned up before you meet my future wife if you’d like. Oh, and I stopped at the store a couple days ago and picked you up a few pairs of pants and some shirts. I had a feeling you’d be coming out with clothes that didn’t fit you and just by looking at you, I can see that I was right.”
“Shit, you didn’t have to do that man. I’ve got a few bucks I could have used for that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, I can always dock your first paycheck. That’s the beauty of being the boss,” he joked with a wink.
The room itself was relatively small but looked huge compared to the two-person cell I shared in prison. It might as well have been a presidential suite at an expensive hotel. It had a television, which was more than I could say for where I’d been.
“Curtis, I appreciate you letting me stay here. I promise I won’t let you down and if you need anything, I consider myself indebted to you for this.”
“I don’t need your thanks, Nick. You and I might as well be brothers. You’ve got to remember that. Just keep yourself out of trouble so you can get your life back on track. Anyway, if
you’re not going to get in the shower, you can come on out and meet Kim. I’m pretty sure Alexa is here as well.”
Alexa was a name that I’d never heard him mention before. “Alexa? Who is that?”
“Alexa is Kim’s best friend. You can never repeat this, and if you ever do, I will deny saying it, but she is sexy as fuck.”
Curtis led me towards the kitchen. The closer I got, the more I could hear women talking, complete with laughter that seemed to be bouncing off the walls. One of the voices was on the deeper side, but still very feminine while the other was soft, smooth, and comforting.
Compared to the sounds I was used to hearing inside the prison walls, the soft voice had a comfort that made me smile. I wasn’t quite sure why. Once I stepped into the kitchen, I was able to put faces to the voices. The first woman was tall, thin, tan, and had brown hair hanging just past her shoulders. She was cute and had a good figure, but she wasn’t curvy enough for my taste. The girls were so lost in their conversation that they didn’t even notice we had walked in.
The brunette continued laughing, allowing me to see that she was the one with the deeper voice. My eyes shifted to the other woman, who had the most beautiful smile on her face as she listened to her friend telling whatever story she was telling. This woman was shorter, only about five-feet tall or so, and had a creamy, pale complexion. She had blonde hair with brown highlights that fell close to the middle of her back.
My eyes moved from her face to her body. Even though she had a smaller frame, her curves were terrific. Her purple sweater was snug to her ample breasts, and her tight jeans showed that she had some ass to work with.
Never in my life have I been a shy person, but this woman made me nervous for some reason. My stomach began to turn, and my chest started to become tight. It didn’t help that it had been so long since I’d been in the company of a woman and the woman I was staring at may have been the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. As a matter of fact, I don’t think the word beautiful does her justice.
If I had ever dreamed of what the perfect woman would like it, she would be the image in my mind. Just seeing her had me instantly aroused and I had to try to focus on something else in order to avoid a potentially awkward situation.
Eventually, the women noticed us standing in the kitchen and broke away from their conversation, making their way towards us. The brunette led the way, holding her hand out towards me and smiling.
“Hello, you must be the Nick I’ve heard so much about,” she said excitedly. “I’m Kim. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!”
I was so excited to learn that the brunette belonged to Curtis.
“Hello,” I mumbled, unable to get anything else out as my throat had suddenly become dry.
I turned my attention to her friend, who had joined Kim at her side. This gorgeous woman’s lips were parted ever so slightly, and I couldn’t help but think about what they would feel like against mine. I also noticed her blue eyes, which I’d always had a weakness for.
It wasn’t hard to notice that she was checking me out as well. I watched as her eyes traveled up my chest and to my face until we locked eyes. She knew she was busted and turned away embarrassed. She had a smile on her face, which looked great on her.
There was one thing I was sure of. I wanted her in the worst possible way. I didn’t even know her, and I already knew that I had never come across a woman like her in the past and I doubted I ever would in the future. I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted her. I felt like I needed her.
It didn’t matter to me what I had to do. Whatever it was going to take, that girl was going to belong to me. I knew that I was going to have one purpose in life moving forward. That purpose would be her.
3
Alexa
I didn’t understand what I was feeling. I’d never met the man standing in front of me, but there I was feeling like a schoolgirl standing on the playground when her crush walks up.
“What’s your name?” the attractive man asked in a low, throaty growl. His voice was sexy as hell and made my knees weak. It was almost hypnotizing. As a matter of fact, it was so hypnotizing that I didn’t even realize he was talking to me at first.
“Me? Oh, hi, I’m good, thanks.” I’m good? What the hell was I doing? “I mean Alexa. My name’s Alexa.”
Yes, I was that smooth. I couldn't believe how stupid I had just sounded in front of that man. He asked me what my name was and I replied that I was doing good? What in the hell was my problem? All I could was look down at the floor, embarrassed that I’d just made a fool of myself.
I figured I’d probably just ruined that before it even got started. Surely, he must have thought I was an idiot. Eventually, I got the nerve to look back up at him and could feel my cheeks burning with a rosy glow that only blushing could create. When our eyes met again, it felt as though he was staring directly into my soul. His eyes were dark, and his face was rough, yet still very attractive at the same time.
His face was scruffy and looked as if he hadn’t shaved in at least a week. That wasn’t a problem as far as I was concerned because I’ve always liked a man with some facial hair. He was also big. Massive would be a word that would describe him well. He towered over me, which was another plus in my book. If there was a guy who could make me feel safe and secure in his arms, I had no doubt it would be Nick. He was more than a little intimidating though, and I’d never been around someone quite like that.
He had dark brown hair. It was thick and a little longer than I typically liked, but it seemed to work for him. It curled just over the top, giving him an unexpected dose of boyish cuteness, even though it was clear that he was all man. Before I knew what I was doing, I found my eyes scanning up and down his body again.
Get yourself together Alexa. He’s already caught you checking him out once. You’re acting like a horny bimbo, and the only thing you know about this man is his name.
I was trying to get a handle on what my problem was. I never acted like that around a man, especially after what I had been through. My last few relationships had ended badly, and the last thing I wanted to do was get involved in another one. Yet, there I was, drawn to this handsome stranger, which was entirely out of character for me. I had no idea what it was, but there was something about him. When my eyes returned to his face, he was still looking at me.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
I was afraid of once again saying something stupid, so I held my breath so nothing could escape my lips. I don’t think Nick knew quite what to make of me, so he curled his lip slightly before looking away.
What was that all about? Did he just smile at me? Was he grinning because I’m acting like an idiot? Nice, Alexa. Real nice.
I glanced over in Kim’s direction in hopes that she would give me a little bit of backup and help me out of the situation I found myself in. Instead, she smiled a knowing smile in my direction. The wink that followed the smile told me that she could read my mind like a book. She knew that I knew I was making a fool of myself. She could also tell I was attracted to Nick. After all, she had seen some of the guys I’ve dated in the past.
Not only could she tell, but she also thought it was hilarious. She was fighting back laughter, complete with tears in her eyes. If it weren’t for her being my best friend, I’d wonder why I hung out with her at all.
I couldn’t believe how quickly my heart was beating. I could actually hear my pulse in my ears. It was ringing so loud that I didn’t have a clue what Kim and Curtis had been saying to one another. Before I knew it, Nick and Curtis were exiting the room, leaving me relieved yet disappointed.
“What in the world was that?” Kim asked, still trying to prevent herself from breaking out in laughter.
“What was what?” I responded, hoping that I could play dumb and make it believable enough for her not to grill me. It didn’t work.
“Don’t even try to play that off. That was the opposite of smooth you know.”
“
I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” I insisted as I grabbed my purse and coat. “The only thing I know about right now is the fact that those roads look like they’re getting back out there so I should be heading home.”
“Mm-hm, I’m sure.”
“You stop that,” I told her, my face blushing. “Are our plans for tomorrow still on?”
“As long as the plows get out here and do their thing on time. Do me a favor and call me when you get home, so I know you got there safe.”
“I always do. Talk to you soon.”
“Okay, bye you smooth stalker.”
I made my way out into the cold winter night. The chill in the air bit through me instantly and I was surprised by how much the temperature had dropped since I arrived that afternoon. The snow was really coming down from the sky, and the visibility was easily less than a quarter mile. Everything around me was covered in white, and it was beautiful. I inhaled deeply, allowing the crisp, refreshing air to fill my lungs.
Everyone has always thought I was weird, but I love the cold. Most people will tell you that their favorite season is spring or summer, but that just isn’t true for me. I love winter.
I was jealous that Kim and Curtis got to live out in the country. They had their own little spot away from anyone and anything, and it’s always so peaceful at their house. It was a stark contrast to the small apartment that I lived in. I was living on an assistant manager salary at the convenience store that I worked at, so I didn’t make nearly enough for a place like that. That would change one day.
My job might have sucked, but there was a reason for my being there. I started as a regular cashier, but because of my work ethic, I was on the fast track that almost nobody was ever placed on. Within a few years, I’d be a general manager with multiple stores under me. That would make all the grinding more than worth it.
I didn’t just use needing to get home as an excuse to get out of an embarrassing situation. The weather was really getting bad, and I knew it was only going to get worse. As the night wore on, the snow was just going to pile up even more. I got into my SUV and backed carefully out of the driveway, my mind still thinking about the man I’d met just moments before.
Bought (The Owned Series Book 1) Page 18