Lee Parson, I can tell, is watching us closely. He looks from me to Josh and back again. “Do you come here often, Miss Colby?” he asks. “To The Slammer, I mean.”
“Please call me Samantha,” I say nervously. “And no. I don’t come here often. My cousin and I just wanted to check out the live music.” It’s not a total lie. We came because we wanted to hear Josh’s band play.
“And what did you think?” he asks with a smile.
“I thought the band was wonderful,” I gush, and he nods slowly, still smiling at me. Then he turns to Josh.
“She thought the band was wonderful,” he teases, and Josh nods, smiling nervously. “She probably has a crush on one of the band members, huh?”
Josh closes his eyes briefly and lowers his head slightly. Then he looks at his friend and says, “I wouldn’t know, Lee.”
“Wouldn’t you?” he asks sarcastically. He is obviously having a little fun at our expense. Either Josh has told him everything or he has correctly assessed the situation for himself. And I can tell that Josh is growing uncomfortable. Yet, he doesn’t get upset with him. Lee’s teasing is clearly done in a loving, respectful manner and Josh seems to have the sort of indulgent patience with him that any adult child would have with their parent.
Lee chuckles then and says, “Hey, would you do me a favor, Guy? Go and get me another beer, please.”
Josh hesitates a beat, looking at his friend with wide eyes. “Lee.” His voice carries an unmistakable ‘what-are-you-up-to’ tone to it but, Lee doesn’t back down.
“Go on,” Lee says, shooing Josh away with a wave of his hand and an amused grin on his face. Josh gives a sigh and a slight roll of his eyes and looks at me.
“Can I get you another spritzer?” he asks me nervously.
“Sure,” I say, trying not to smile at his discomfort. Their interaction is fun to watch; they do relate to one another in a very parent/child sort of way. Josh sighs heavily then and gets up, reluctantly walking to the bar and leaving me alone with Lee Parson.
“Guy thinks I’m going to interrogate you now but, really I just like giving him a hard time,” he shrugs with a smile, and I can’t help laughing with him. I like Lee Parson right away. He seems warm and fun-loving.
“Josh speaks very fondly of you,” I tell him.
“Does he now?” Lee’s voice is warm as he smiles at me.
“Yes,” I nod. “He says you’ve been like a mentor or a father-figure to him over the years. He said you were always very supportive … even back when he was a child.”
Lee looks surprised at my words. “Guy told you about his childhood?” he asks. And I can hear the astonishment in his voice. It dawns on me then that this man is one of the police officers who Josh says was at his house often when he was a little boy. He probably has all the answers to the questions plaguing me about Josh’s past. All the things Josh is reluctant to share with me about his childhood and his dad. If only I could pick his brain for an hour or so. But I know that wouldn’t be fair to Josh.
“He hasn’t said a lot,” I say honestly. “But he has told me how he was never very close to his own father so, I know your friendship means much more to him than he probably lets on to you.”
Lee is quiet for a second and I get the feeling he is thinking back over memories. “Danny Pierce,” he says quietly, looking me in the eye. “Miserable son of a bitch. Mean as a snake. He made life hell for Guy and his mom.”
Oh? Well this is more information than Josh has ever offered me. I don’t even think that he’s ever told me his dad’s name before. Made life hell for them how? I want desperately to ask Lee but, I know that I shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. And I don’t get the chance to dwell on it because Lee continues talking.
He leans in, resting his forearms on the table and fixing me with a serious gaze. “Well, if Guy is sharing information about his past with you, Samantha … well, that tells me he’s not merely fond of you, but that he trusts you.” He is silent as he looks me over curiously for a moment before continuing. “He obviously has real feelings for you. He doesn’t normally talk about his childhood, or his father. Not to anyone.”
Trusts me? I am astounded at his words. He thinks Josh has real feelings for me? Has Josh said something to him, I wonder? Lee seemed taken aback when Josh first introduced us. Is that because he didn’t know that Josh and I were seeing each other or because he was surprised at seeing us here together while my case is still open? Either way, his words give me pause.
“It hasn’t been easy for him. Opening up to me about his past,” I admit quietly, hoping my candor might encourage him to offer the insight that Josh is reluctant to.
“No, I don’t imagine it has,” Lee says matter-of-factly. “Guy usually keeps a tight lid on his past, and he has good reason to.” He hesitates for a moment and then continues. “When his old man died, I know that Olivia took him to see a child psychologist but … I don’t think Guy got much out of it. A therapist can’t help much if the patient refuses to talk.”
Holy shit. Josh was in therapy after his dad passed away. Why? If they were never very close, as Josh claims, and if he made Josh’s life hell … why did his death affect Josh to the point that he needed to be in counseling?
“I can’t imagine what that must have been like for him,” I mumble distractedly.
“That man has caused Josh nothing but grief. In life and in death,” Lee sighs. Then his countenance brightens and he smiles at me. “But it’s nice seeing this side of him for a change. Even if he is acting a bit reckless. But love makes us do that sometimes, doesn’t it?” He smiles knowingly at me and I am speechless. Love? Reckless? What is he talking about?
“What did I miss?” Josh says as he returns to the table with our drinks. He sits down between Lee and me and glances from one to the other while I try to recover from all I’ve learned.
“I was just telling Samantha how nice it is to see you acting love-struck and reckless,” Lee says without hesitation, looking Josh in the eye. He talks to him in a straightforward manner, pulling no punches and mincing no words. And Josh appears to respect him for it. Even though he blushes again.
“Lee…”
“I know this is none of my business, kid,” he interrupts him with a raised hand. “But that’s never stopped me before, has it?” He smiles and Josh chuckles slightly, shaking his head. “I have been watching the two of you since before the band took the stage, and I can easily see that there is something happening between you. And I know that I should be encouraging you to step back because Samantha’s case is still ongoing but … frankly, your happiness is more important to me than your job.”
“Lee,” Josh says again but, Lee cuts him off once more.
“Just be careful, kid,” he says sternly, looking at Josh with a serious, almost angry, expression. “Use a little better judgment. This has become a high-profile case because of Samantha’s family connections. You know that!” His eyes soften as he says, “Look, whatever you two are doing behind closed doors, that’s your business. But this … this was a little ballsy, kid. What would you have done if Skinner or Marcos had been here tonight? How would you have explained this?”
Josh says nothing as he looks down at the table for a second, clearly chastised, then he looks up at me. He sighs heavily.
“Your set’s over, son. Why don’t you get Samantha out of here?” Lee says reasonably, and Josh nods his head. Lee looks over at me and extends his hand once more. “Samantha, it was lovely to meet you, dear.”
“It was great meeting you,” I smile as we shake hands. I’ve really enjoyed meeting Lee. He appears to genuinely care about Josh and I like that about him. He moves to leave and he pats Josh on the shoulder as he does.
“Thanks, Lee,” Josh says before Lee can stand up.
“For what? For busting your chops and telling you that you’re wrong?” he smiles. Josh smiles sadly at him but says nothing, and Lee pats his shoulder once more. “I’m just trying to look out for y
ou, kid,” he says quietly.
“I know,” Josh nods. “Thanks.” Lee stands then and walks away and Josh looks at me with raised eyebrows. “I guess we should get you home,” he sighs.
I nod and look over to the dance floor where Megan and Scott are still burning it up. “They look like they’re having fun. I hate to cut their evening short.”
“Just tell them I’m taking you home,” Josh says. “I need to get my gear from the stage and load it up. Meet me over there after you talk to them, all right?”
“Okay,” I say as we both stand. But before we can part for our respective tasks, we are interrupted by Josh’s partner and the pretty woman I assume is his wife.
“Band was tight tonight, Guy,” he says, a nervous smile on his face as they shake hands.
“Thanks, Dave.” Josh answers and I can tell that he’s anxious but I don’t understand why exactly. He kisses the brunette on the cheek and then we all stand awkwardly for a few seconds.
“Um, hi. I’m Lindy Conner,” the brunette says, extending her hand to me.
“Hi, Samantha Colby,” I say, taking her hand.
“Samantha, you remember my partner, Dave Conner,” Josh says, by way of introduction. “His wife, Lindy.”
“Yes, of course,” I smile. Another awkward silence. “Well, I need to speak with my cousin for a moment. It was nice meeting you,” I say to Lindy Conner and make my exit from the overwhelming tension between Josh and his partner. Yikes! What is that all about?
I make my way onto the crowded dance floor and tell Megan that Josh is going to take me home, and I thank them both for hanging out with me tonight so I could hear his band play.
“We’re going to stay a bit longer and have some fun,” Megan says loudly.
“Yeah, the next dance floor we’ll be on will be at our wedding reception and the music will be too stuffy to dance to,” Scott chimes in with a smile.
I give them both big hugs and say goodnight, then I turn to head for the stage where I’m supposed to meet Josh. But as I do, I glance over and notice that he’s still standing in the spot where I left him with Dave and Lindy Conner, and their exchange looks like it’s getting heated. Oh, no. I walk back in that direction to see what’s going on. They’re attempting to keep their voices down but, once I’m standing behind Lindy, I can hear everything.
“What happened to you and me not having a problem, Dave?” Josh grumbles.
“That was before you started doing stupid shit like bringing her in here,” Dave shoots back. “Really, Guy? The bar that half the precinct hangs out in? What the hell are you doing? What, you think I’m the only one here tonight that recognizes you’re on a date?”
“Well, you are the only one up in my face right now,” Josh growls.
“That’s because I’m the only one who knows how far this thing has gone,” Dave spits back. “Damn it, Guy! Why can’t you just keep it in your fucking pants until this case is closed!”
“Fuck you, Conner,” Josh shouts at him and, before I know what’s happening, Lee Parson and the lead singer from Josh’s band are pulling him backwards, restraining him before his fist can reach its intended target on Dave’s face. I don’t even know where they came from. It’s as if they magically appeared out of nowhere, just in the nick of time. I watch, feeling helpless, as they struggle to hold him, and Josh resists them furiously.
A wide circle has formed around them and Lindy and I are standing in the middle of it, both of us looking shocked and embarrassed as we look from the confusion to each other and back again.
“Let go of me! Get the fuck off of me,” Josh yells, breaking free from his restrainers.
“Calm down, Guy,” Lee yells at him.
“I’m fine!” He is glaring at his partner and panting slightly, his face red with anger. Then he looks over at me and blinks, taking a deep breath. He runs both his hands through his hair in agitation and takes a step toward where I still stand next to Lindy Conner. “Lindy, I’m sorry,” Josh says looking her in the eye. “I didn’t mean to lose control like that.”
“It’s okay, Josh. I happen to think you were justified,” she says, shooting a scathing glance at her husband. She turns to me and says, “I am so sorry, Samantha.”
I smile meekly at her, unable to speak for the moment. It’s been such an amazing day. I can’t believe it’s ending on this sour note. Josh takes my hand silently and leads me away to the stage, and I watch as he packs his guitar into its case. We say nothing as he picks up his amp with one arm and his guitar case with the other and turns and heads off the stage and through the back of the bar. I follow dutifully, admiring his arms as we go and wondering idly how much that amplifier must weigh. To me, it looks huge. It must be at least fifty pounds, yet he’s carrying it like it weighs nothing.
We exit through the back door of the bar and I can see that his truck is parked very near the door. He places the guitar and the amp in the back of the truck and covers them with a plastic tarp. Then he opens the truck door for me and waits for me to get in. But instead of getting in, I stand there and just look at him. He’s reluctant to meet my gaze for a moment, looking everywhere but at me. But I wait him out.
“Get in, Sam,” he says gruffly, still not looking me directly in the eye. I step an inch closer to him and reach up and lightly touch his face, running my fingers over the stubble at his chin. Finally, his eyes meet mine and I can see apprehension and fear and uncertainty. I don’t want him to feel that way. Taking another tiny step closer, I gently kiss the side of his mouth. Josh looks at me intently for a few seconds and then he turns his head, exposing the other side of his mouth to me. Smiling slightly, I lean in and kiss that side too.
He gives me a small smile then and wraps an arm around my waist, resting his forehead on my own. “I’m sorry, Sam,” he whispers to me. “I didn’t mean to get so upset in there. I let my temper get the best of me.”
“Hey,” I look up at him, my hand still caressing his face. “Josh you have nothing to apologize to me for. I’ve had such a lovely day with you. The car show and Fairhaven. Making love and cooking dinner for you at your place. And watching your band play. It was a perfect day,” I smile sweetly at him and he looks at me as if he can’t believe I’m real. Then he smiles his beautiful megawatt smile at me. “What do you say we go home and end this perfect day properly,” I say softly with a raised eyebrow and a coy smile.
He tightens his arms around me and pulls me closer, nuzzling my hair and inhaling deeply. “End the day properly, huh? I like the sound of that. Your place or mine, Miss Colby?” he whispers.
“Yours,” I answer after a slight hesitation.
He looks at me with a puzzled frown for a second and I think I’ve surprised him. Then I turn and climb into the truck. He holds my hand as he drives, only letting go when we reach his place and he turns into his driveway. We are quiet as we enter his house and I watch as he puts the guitar and amp away in their places in the corner of the small living room.
“You hungry?” he asks quietly, and I shake my head.
“Not for food.”
He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and then lightly runs his finger down my cheek. “And what are you hungry for, Samantha?” he asks me softly, a smile playing on his lips.
I reach out and touch his cotton covered abs, feeling the ripple of his muscles as I run my hand slowly up to his chest. “You.” My voice is small but husky, full of longing as I look up into his heated blue gaze. He gives me a sexy smile and kisses me deeply, his hands playing in my hair as he holds my head in place. And suddenly I feel consumed by heat and desire. My hands seem to move of their own volition as I work to pull his shirt up, eager to feel his skin beneath my fingers.
He helps me in my task, taking hold of his t-shirt at the collar and pulling it over his head, letting it drop to the floor. Then he reaches for me, sweeping me into his arms and heading toward his bedroom. He sets me on my feet and wastes no time divesting me of my top.
“Sit
down, baby,” he softly commands, and I do as I’m told, sitting down at the end of the bed. He kneels down on bended knee and takes first my left foot in his hands, unzipping my ankle boot and removing it, followed by my sock. He does the same with my right foot and sets my boots neatly off to the side. Then he stands and looks down at me. “Lay back. Let me peel you out of those painted on pants.”
Again, I comply immediately, and he takes hold of my leggings at the hip. “Lift your hips,” he says with a small smile, and he slowly pulls them past my hips as I do. His hands slide slowly down my legs then as he pulls the leggings all the way off and I lay across his bed wearing only my black lace strapless bra and thong panties, and nothing else. He stands and looks down at me for a moment, his beautiful blue eyes moving greedily over my body as he works on removing his own jeans and shoes. And as he gazes at me, I suddenly feel very self-conscious. I can feel my face flush slightly and I chew nervously on my bottom lip.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are, Samantha?” he asks me. And I get the feeling he’s actually waiting on an answer from me as he stands gloriously naked in front of me. Timidly, I shake my head, still chewing my lip absentmindedly. “I don’t know how you couldn’t,” he says, and his voice is so earnest as he looks deep into my eyes. He steps forward, placing a knee on the bed and crawling slowly over me. I move as he does, scooting back toward the head of the bed. Reaching behind me, he takes hold of the bedspread and pulls it down beneath us and I lay back onto the pillows as he lowers himself down on top of me. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen in my life, Samantha,” he whispers to me, and I melt.
He kisses me then, deeply and passionately, his tongue stroking mine slowly and sweetly as his hands play over my flesh. His fingers work to release the clasp on my strapless bra and he tosses it to the floor, never breaking our kiss. He caresses every inch of me, his hands kneading my hips and my waist and my breasts. He lowers his mouth to my eager, pink nipple and suckles hungrily. I moan loudly as my back arches involuntarily and my fingers twist in his wavy hair.
Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set Page 37