Tempting Calm Waters_A Blood Brothers Standalone_Book 2

by Samantha Wolfe

  He really was attractive with his chiseled features and chin-length wavy chestnut hair, but he was no Scott. Rory glanced up at his brother, and his eyes widened at the baleful glare Scott was currently shooting down at him. He grimaced apologetically, which seemed to mollify Scott, who shook his head and pulled out my chair for me.

  "So what's it like being a cop, Lu?" Charlotte asked eagerly from the other side of Rory as Scott took his own chair. "It must be scary and exciting." I was touched that Scott must have talked about me to the few family members that he held affection for.

  "Well, you'd be surprised how much of it is mind-numbing paperwork," I replied with a wry smile.

  "Sounds like my job," Ethan chimed in with a warm and easy smile. "Sometimes I feel like a glorified secretary."

  "Your job is nothing like that," a gruff and reproachful male voice suddenly cut into our conversation.

  I jerked my eyes across the table to see a glowering older man in a dark-gray suit standing next to Scott's mother. He looked like he could've been the final time lapsed photo of Scott thirty-odd years from now with his graying chestnut hair and the same chiseled but older features. This must be his father, Wilson Conrad. Somehow I didn't think his personality was going to be anything like Scott's, and I wasn't going to like him any better than his wife.

  "It was just a joke, Dad," Ethan said placatingly, his smile turning forced and brittle.

  Wilson Conrad merely snorted disapprovingly as he took a seat, leaving his wife to pull out her own chair. Nope, he was nothing like Scott at all. His eyes landed on me, and the displeasure in his gaze deepened.

  "Wilson, honey," Sylvia said to her husband. "That's Scott's friend, Lois."

  I didn't like the tone of her voice anymore than her getting my name wrong, and I suspected she'd done both on purpose. Scott stiffened, but I spoke before he had a chance to defend me. I wasn't putting up with this shit.

  "Actually, it's Lu," I corrected her with a smile that I'm sure didn't touch my eyes. "It's short for Luisa, but I can certainly understand the mistake." My voice dripped with sarcasm as I met Sylvia's eyes and stared her down the few seconds it took for her to look away in discomfort.

  That's right, bitch. You're no match for me.

  "It's a pleasure meeting you, sir," I told Scott's father in a polite tone. His only response was a nod before he directed his attention to Ethan and asked him about something work related. Okay, so that's how it was going to be. He was going to ignore the petite Latino elephant in the room. I could live with that, as long as he didn't disrespect me.

  So on dinner went as I sat and watched Sylvia dominate the conversation and derail every attempt Scott, his brothers, and Charlotte made to include me. I kept my cool through all of it, since I didn't want to cause a scene or ruin Ethan and Charlotte's night, but with each passing moment, Scott became more tense. Eventually near the end of the meal, I placed a placating hand on his leg under the table. He turned and gave me an apologetic expression as he placed his hand on mine and gripped it tight.

  "It's okay," I whispered so only he could hear me.

  His eyes became pained and he opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted as Wilson Conrad stood and tapped his spoon on his wine glass to capture everyone's attention. What followed was a long and overblown speech about how happy he was for Ethan, and his lovely bride-to-be. He went on to say how proud he was of the achievements his sons had made in the corporate world and the medical field, not once mentioning a thing about Scott's career. I watched Scott's jaw clench tight and pain flood his eyes at his father's omission of his middle son's success and accomplishments.

  When Wilson Conrad finally sat down to the sound of polite applause, Ethan rose to speak. His speech was eloquent and sincere as he toasted Charlotte with adoration in his eyes as he looked at her. He went on to toast her parents effusively, then finally his own. Then he toasted his brother Rory with heartfelt words that had Rory blinking back tears, and finally turned his attention to Scott.

  "And to my brother, Scott," he said with a warm smile, "who has always been there for me and has my back no matter what. You've struggled through so much hardship over the years, and yet still managed to overcome it all to be the successful man you are today."

  Hardship? What did that mean? I glanced at Scott to see his eyes dart away uncomfortably from mine and lock on Ethan's as he pulled his hand away from mine.

  "I'm proud of you and of what you've accomplished for yourself every single day, Scott," Ethan continued. "And you should be too. I couldn't find better brothers than you and Rory if I tried. I love you guys." His voice broke a little at the end as he lifted his glass to Scott, who raised his water glass as he smiled up at his big brother, his eyes a little glassy with emotion. At least, his brothers built him up and treated him with respect, unlike his asshole parents.

  After that, Scott's parents, Ethan, and Charlotte rose from the table to go mingle and schmooze with all the party guests, leaving Rory, Scott, and me at the table. Scott sat in tense silence beside me, staring almost despondently at the partially eaten dessert he'd been unenthusiastically picking at before the speeches began.

  "Hey," Rory said as leaned closer to his brother and me. "If you guys want to sneak out of here. I can cover for you." He nodded toward his parents with a frown. "I doubt they'll notice for a while anyway."

  "Okay," Scott said as he nodded with a grateful expression. I agreed that it was a great idea. Watching Scott being hurt and disrespected was wearing on me. I was afraid I'd end of going off on his mother and father, and I didn't want to disrespect Ethan and Charlotte by causing a scene at their party, even if Scott's parents deserved it.

  "Let me hit the restroom first," I said as I pushed my chair back. The wine I'd been drinking to deal with this god-awful dinner had finally made its way to my bladder. I placed a gentle hand on Scott's shoulder as I stood. "I won't be long," I assured him. The sooner he got out of here the better.

  I headed for the nearby short hall that led to the restroom on this floor and stopped when I saw it was currently occupied with several women waiting in line outside the door to use it. I frowned for a second before deciding I'd be better off trying the restroom downstairs. I turned around with a huff and headed back out to the party.

  On my way across the room, I spotted Vinnie sitting at a nearby table eying me with a lewd smirk as I walked by him. Shit, I forgot the little weasel was even here. I shot a hard glare at him before turning away dismissively and continuing on my way.

  The restroom downstairs was blessedly empty, and I hurried to take care of business, not wanting to make Scott stay here any longer than he had to be. When I was finished, I hurried back out so I could go get Scott out of here, only to find Vinnie leaning against the banister at the foot of the stairs with a smarmy grin on his weaselly little face.

  "We need to stop running into each other like this, babe," he said. "People are going to start to talk."

  "About what?" I asked irritably as I stopped a few feet away from him. "You being a creepy little asshole who can't take no for an answer?" I crossed my arms and watched in gratification as his grin turned into a scowl. "Take the hint and leave me alone. I'm with Scott, and you know why? Because he's nothing like you."

  His answering bark of laughter instantly grated on my nerves. "Is that what you think?" he asked wryly as his creepy smirk returned.

  "It's a fact," I snapped back with certainty.

  "Oh babe," he said condescendingly. "You really have no idea do you?"

  "About what?" I growled out.

  "About how much Scott and I really are alike."

  Now it was my turn to snort out a derisive laugh at his ridiculous assertion. It earned me another glare from him. Whatever. "Goodbye, Vinnie," I said dismissively and moved around him to climb the stairs without a backwards glance. Pendejo.

  When I reached the second-floor landing to re-enter the party, I jerked to a halt when I almost plowed into Scott as he was hurr
ying out of the room. Instant relief flooded his eyes when he saw me.

  "Let's get the fuck out of here," he blurted out as he grabbed my hand. He pulled me down the steps behind him in his rush to leave. I was relieved that Vinnie was nowhere in sight when we reached the bottom of the steps. The last thing we needed was Vinnie pissing Scott off in the current mood he was in, which is why I had no intention of mentioning my run-in with him either.

  He led me wordlessly outside to the valet stand, his entire demeanor wired and jittery. I'd never seen him like this before, and it was kind of disturbing and made me livid with his parents all over again. When the car pulled up, he hurried around to the driver's side as one of the valets opened the passenger door for me. He sped away the second my seatbelt was fastened, his eyes fixed on the road intently. I frowned as I watched his left leg jiggling nervously, and his hands were wrapped around the steering wheel in a tight white-knuckled grip. Shit, he was in a bad way right now, and I didn't like it one damn bit.

  "Are you okay?" I asked him as I laid a hand on his right thigh to try to calm him.

  He sighed and looked at me, his expression tense and pleading. "I know this a lot to ask, but will you come home with me tonight?"

  My first inclination was to turn him down adamantly, my fear of anything serious happening between us rearing its ugly head. I opened my mouth to do just that as he pulled the car to a stop at a red light, when he spoke again in a quiet vulnerable voice.

  "I...I don't think I can handle being alone right now."

  He glanced over at me, and the deep and very obvious pain glittering in his eyes gutted me. It physically pained me to see him suffering. Holy shit, I had it bad for this guy. How could I deny it or turn him down now with that realization?

  I nodded and replied in a soft and almost brittle voice as fear skittered around inside me. "Okay."

  I wondered if I was making a huge mistake until I saw the sweet relief that chased some of the pain from Scott's eyes. And despite my fear, I knew I'd done exactly the right thing.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY

  ____________________

  Scott

  I knew I should tell Lu what was going on in my head, about the reason I was such a mess right now, about why my heart was racing and why there was a deep pit in my stomach that felt like it wanted to suck me under into darkness. That damn party and the stress of my parent's disrespect had triggered an opiate craving, and a bad one too. But I was afraid, afraid of what she might think of me if she knew. I didn't understand it. I usually couldn't give two shits about what most people thought of me, but with Lu, it was different. I didn't want her to be disappointed or ashamed of me when she found out I was a recovering addict with a past filled with reckless behavior and stupid decisions. Her trust had been hard-won, and I couldn't bring myself to risk jeopardizing it yet. Especially if she wasn't feeling as invested in this thing between us as I was starting to feel.

  The second I laid eyes on Lu tonight, I knew without a doubt that Calder had been spot on. I was falling for her, falling hard. It had hit me like a wondrous punch to the gut that filled me up with warmth and happiness as soon as she opened her apartment door and smiled at me.

  I'd never believed in such a thing before, even when the proof that it could happen was right in front of me when Calder reconnected with Ella. Now I was starting to become a believer. I was starting to think that I might be able to have something like that with Lu. If he could, then why couldn't I? It didn't have to be anything like my parent's fucked-up relationship. If she felt the same that is, and the fear that these feelings I was having were one-sided only made me want to keep my dark past a secret even more.

  I glanced at Lu where she was standing next to me in the elevator as it started ascending up to my penthouse. She'd been quiet since agreeing to come home with me, an impulsive request that surprised even me when I asked it. Usually when I was having a bad craving, I sought out my usual support system, Calder, my brothers, or an addiction recovery meeting, but for some reason, Lu had been the only thing I wanted to help me ride out the craving. It had been a risk asking her to come home with me, but it had panned out, and now she was here, right where I needed her.

  I turned to face Lu and grabbed her hand, pulling her close, so I could wrap my arms around her. I pressed my forehead to hers as she pressed her hands to my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed in her sweet magnolia scent, the maelstrom in my head already starting to ease, to feel less intense. Yes. This woman was exactly what I needed to get a grip on myself again.

  "Lu," I murmured roughly as my need began to morph into stark desire. I leaned away enough to meet her eyes. They were dark chocolate pools that swam with equal parts desire, fear, and confusion. They mirrored my own feelings.

  "Scotty," she whispered in a soft needful tone.

  Shivering warmth ignited in my belly at that single word, expanding to send pleasure shooting out to my limbs and my already stiffening dick. Fuck, I wanted her in my bed, under me, on top of me, all around me. I wanted to fill my mind and heart so completely with her that there was no more room for anything else, not the fear, the confusion, or even the drug cravings that were taunting me tonight. I wanted to show her how I felt without words since I feared voicing them would send her running, or even worse, have her tell me that she didn't feel the same way about me. I honestly had no idea what I'd do if that happened, but for tonight, I was going to put those thoughts out of my head and live in the now. So I kissed her.

  The warmth inside me turned into blistering heat the instant our lips touched. The kiss was deep, ravenous, and drugging, and put the opiate high I used to chase and still craved to shame. Now that I knew I had feelings for Luisa and embraced them, it was different than the last time we kissed, more real, more...everything. I didn't think I would ever get enough.

  I groaned and clenched the fabric at the back of her dress in my fists as I ground my now rock hard erection against her belly. I delved my tongue in deeper, tasting and exploring every inch of her eager mouth until she was moaning into mine, and her body writhed against me.

  When the elevator door dinged open, I tore my lips from hers and panted for air as I watched her do the same with my heart beating in a rapid staccato rhythm inside me. Her pupils were blown wide, and she swayed in my arms. She seemed just as drunk on me as I was on her. Fuck the Oxy. Luisa was my new drug of choice now, and I never wanted to come back down from the high.

  I surged forward and lifted Lu up, making her gasp in surprise as I slung her over my shoulder and exited the elevator. I made quick work of getting inside my apartment, and strode straight for the stairs that led to my bedroom. I wanted her in my bed more than my next breath. I'd never felt that way about a woman before. Never.

  I stepped into my bedroom to find my cat Sugar curled up on the comforter in her usual spot in the center of my king-sized bed. She chirped a greeting at me with a sleepy expression that quickly morphed into angry indignation when she realized I wasn't alone. In her defense, I rarely had visitors, let alone the female and overnight kind. Frankly, I liked knowing my cat only had eyes for me, and it kind of fed my ego. Sue me.

  I set Lu down on the floor, and she turned a wary look on Sugar, who glared back sullenly with her big stunningly blue eyes. The cat hissed as her cream-colored fur rose along her back, then whipped her tail twice at Lu before rising to hurry off the bed and flee the room. I silently promised to make it up to my girl later, but right now my woman was my priority. My woman. Shit, I'd never had a thought like that before in my life, but it felt good, felt right.

  "Well, excuse me," Lu said sarcastically as she watched Sugar disappear out the door. She turned to me with a smirk. "Well, she sure has an attitude."

  I grinned at her. "I kind of have a thing for females with an attitude."

  "Yeah?" she asked as her face softened.

  "Oh yeah," I growled out as I stepped closer and pulled her into my arms. "I find them irresistible."

>   I kissed her deeply as I reached down to her hips and began inching her dress up her luscious body with eager fingers. When I found the hem, I slid my hands under it and lifted the fabric up over the sweet curves of her hips and breasts, pulling my lips from hers, so I could get the dress over her head and toss it aside. I hauled her flush against me, running my hands along the warm soft skin of her back and buttocks, and kissed her senseless again. I clasped her to me, welcoming the rush of pleasure, relishing it, as we fed on each other like hunger-maddened animals. She buried her hands in my hair, her fingers latching on as she pulled my face closer, like she wanted to devour me. Oh babe, the feeling is mutual. My body hummed, my mind reeled, and my heart swelled with happiness as I let the moment carry me away. Nothing ever felt so good.

  Finally, my oxygen starved lungs and rubbery knees forced me to end the kiss. Lu looked just as dazed as I felt as she nearly swooned against me, her lips plump and swollen from our frantic kisses. Shit, I needed to slow things down here, before I lost all semblance of control and fucked her right now. I wanted more than that, wanted to make this last and give her more pleasure before I sought my own.

  "I want you naked on my bed," I demanded in a deep rasping voice. "Now," I added with vehement authority. We may not be in a private room at the club, but I was still running this show.

  I stepped away and watched Lu reach behind her back to unclasp her sheer black lace push-up bra. She pulled it from her arms, and her full luscious breasts bounced free. I bit my lip and groaned softly as I admired her perfect dusky nipples. They were already hard with arousal. Damn...so sweet.

  She shimmied out of her black lace thong next, carefully pulling them off over her black stiletto pumps before straightening to stand unashamedly before me in all her nude glory. I stared down the length of her gorgeous body, all that deliciously bare caramel skin making my dick throb and my heart thunder in my chest. I met her eyes, and they were filled with wicked satisfaction.