Return of the Bad Girl

by Codi Gary

  “Is she strange?” Honey asked.

  No, she’s not strange. She’s hot and sexy and trouble on two legs.

  “I just mean that I don’t know her.”

  “If you lived with her, then you would get to know her, wouldn’t you?”

  That gave him pause. It was a two-bedroom apartment. If he shared the rent, it would help with the unforeseen expenses he hadn’t counted on. Women liked things neat and tidy, didn’t they? They could split the housework, and he’d hardly be there anyway, what with getting the shop off the ground.

  All in all, it wasn’t a half bad suggestion.

  He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, baby girl.”

  “Wanna watch a movie?” she asked, jumping up from the table so fast, she almost took out his chin.

  “Sure.” Following his sister to the day bed, he sat against the headboard and wasn’t surprised that she picked Homeward Bound. It was a favorite of hers.

  As she climbed up next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder. “You’re the best brother ever.”

  His chest tightened. Not yet, but I’m working on it.

  GABE RODE BACK into Rock Canyon at just after six in the evening and took the main stretch so he could stop by Chase’s tattoo shop. He parked his bike around the corner on Oak Avenue and realized, as he took his gloves off, that his palms were sweating, and he couldn’t seem to slow his heart rate.

  It was no surprise that he was nervous. The last time he’d seen Chase, he’d been screaming at him from a hospital bed the morning after the accident, blaming him for everything and telling him to get out. Chase had even visited him once while he was in prison, but he’d refused to see him.

  Gabe had tried to find him when he got out, to make amends, but no one knew where he’d ended up. It wasn’t until Gabe had taken a trip to Reno and stopped in at a little diner off the highway where Chase’s mom had worked that he’d been able to track him down. Chase’s stepdad had told him that Chase had moved to a small town in Idaho and was living a really good life there, writing comic books while running his tattoo shop. Gabe had been curious about Rock Canyon and why Chase would have chosen to settle there instead of LA or New York. Chase had always talked about moving somewhere big and booming, where artists were “appreciated,” whatever that meant.

  Despite their rocky past, Gabe had kept up with Chase’s comic book career. He’d even bought a ticket to a comic book convention in Denver, once he’d learned that Chase would be signing books there. But in the end, he hadn’t made it past the parking lot.

  Chase was the only person who had been there the night of the accident and who had stuck around for the aftermath. He’d seen Gabe at his worst, and for Gabe, that was the reason facing Chase was so terrifying. Honey could remember bits and pieces sometimes, but for the most part, she was blissfully ignorant and had forgiven Gabe easily.

  It wouldn’t be that simple with Chase.

  Gabe stepped inside the brightly lit parlor. Chase was standing with his back to him, hanging up some artwork on the wall.

  “Hang on; I’ll be right with you,” Chase said.

  “No problem.”

  Chase straightened the picture, turned, and paused for a moment, staring at Gabe.

  The silence and tension became stifling, overwhelming Gabe. He shoved his clammy hands in his pockets to dry them. “Bet I’m the last person you expected to see here.”

  “Not the last but close,” Chase said dryly.

  “Yeah,” Gabe said, searching for something else to add but coming up empty.

  Neither of them said anything else, and Gabe could feel his throat start to tighten with anxiety.

  This was a mistake.

  “So, what brings you to town?” Chase asked finally. “From what I remember, you said if you ever saw my face again, I was a dead man.” He stood in the same spot, hardly moving.

  Better to just rip off the Band-Aid. “And yet, you still tried to see me.”

  “What can I say?” Chase said, a wry smile twisting his mouth. “I’m a risk taker. Plus, I figured they’d have you in restraints.”

  “It’s not like I was Hannibal Lecter,” Gabe said, looking around the shop. “It looks like you’ve done well for yourself.”

  “I’m doing all right.”

  Chase seemed to be waiting for something, and Gabe shuffled his feet, unable to meet his gaze. “Look, man, I’m sorry I refused your visit. I appreciate it now, but at the time, I was still pretty raw and wrong. I couldn’t face you, for a lot of reasons.” Chase said nothing, so Gabe added, “I was all messed up. It took me several years to get my head wrapped around everything I’d done, and I just need you to know . . . I was a major dick. Nothing that happened was your fault.”

  “Dating my best friend’s sister probably wasn’t the smartest move,” Chase said.

  “If I could do it over, I can’t say I would have been happy about it, but I definitely wouldn’t have attacked you. Or ridden my bike wasted.”

  “Still riding those testicle ticklers?”

  Gabe choked on a laugh, easing some of the tension in his shoulders. “My bike could take whatever hog you have stashed away.” Chase’s smile was small, but it was there. Maybe there was hope for forgiveness after all. “I’m actually thinking about moving here. I’ve been saving for years to open my own custom bike shop.”

  Chase was silent, seeming to mull over what to say next. “Why here?”

  The question was reasonable enough, but for Gabe, the reasons behind his decision were emotional, and emotions would make him even more vulnerable in an already awkward situation. Just when it seemed like they were starting to relax around each other.

  “The facility where Honey’s staying is in Sun Valley, and this place is only two hours from her. It’s centrally located between many outdoor recreation areas, which would be perfect for selling my bikes,” Gabe said, fidgeting as he added, “Besides, your stepdad said you’d be here, and I needed to try to make amends.”

  “Aw, you came all this way for me,” Chase said, jokingly clasping his hands to his chest. “Be still my heart.”

  “Shut up, man,” Gabe said.

  Chase laughed but the tone wasn’t mocking. Waving his hand toward one of the chairs, he said, “Well, you’re here. Have a seat. Where you living, anyway?”

  “That’s currently up in the air,” Gabe said, adding, “I’m working on it.”

  “Well, let me know when you get settled, and you can come over for dinner. Meet my wife.”

  The word wife was so foreign—especially coming out of Chase’s mouth—that Gabe was still having trouble believing it. “Yeah, I heard you settled down. Congratulations or condolences?”

  “Congratulations, man,” Chase said, his face taking on an almost dreamy quality. “Katie is amazing. You’ll love her.”

  “Great,” Gabe said, surprised at the changes in Chase. Granted, it had been sixteen years, but still. . . . Chase had been the guy who thought serious relationships were just short of castrating yourself. Just another reason Gabe had been sure Chase would hurt Honey. But now he was a healthy, contributing member of society, with a wife, a home, and a successful business.

  Everything you once imagined for yourself.

  “So what all do you need to work out with your new place?”

  Gabe’s thoughts shifted to the dark-haired beauty currently making his fresh start more difficult. “I have to deal with a pest problem before I move in.”

  Chapter Four

  “In my opinion, men and women cannot live together without at least some friction.”

  —Miss Know It All

  CAROLINE WAS LYING on the couch at eight o’clock, trying to go back to sleep. Between Val and Justin coming back here instead of going to his house, and Ellie sneaking in at four in the morning, only to trip over Gus, the bulldog, Caroline hadn’t slept more than a few hours. The last time she’d woken up, it had been to Ellie’s releasing a string of curses—and a m
umbled apology after she’d asked if Ellie was okay. Then, just as Caroline was about to drift back to sleep, Justin had come out of the bedroom with Val on his heels. After a ten-minute smooch fest by the door, Justin had left, and Val had made her way back to her bedroom.

  There’d been no more sleeping after those disturbing noises, so Caroline had spent the last few hours debating how she was going to get into that apartment. She had a feeling Mr. Bad Ass wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.

  If she was her father’s daughter, she’d do a little digging into her competitor’s past. A guy like that probably had a few skeletons, some undesirable qualities—besides the fact that he was a snarky, chauvinistic jerkoff. Telling her to find someplace else. Calling her “princess.”

  Once upon a time, maybe, but she hadn’t been pampered or sheltered since before her mother died. But that was a long time ago. That girl wouldn’t have made it in the world on her own. Caroline had needed to adapt, change, and grow with every situation.

  But if she wasn’t going to resort to dirty tactics or legal recourse now, what other options did she have?

  A loud knock at the front door startled her, and she jumped, nearly rolling off the couch. Dressed in a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, she got up and walked to the entryway. Her hand was on the knob before another knock shook the wood.

  Opening the door, her mouth fell open when she found Gabe the Badass standing on her porch, looking sheepish.

  And hot. Can’t forget hot.

  “I take it you’re surprised to see me,” Gabe said, a smirk turning the corners of his mouth up in a knee-weakening way that didn’t affect her at all.

  Not one little bit.

  “What do you want?”

  “You dropped out of charm school, didn’t you?” Gabe asked.

  “When it comes to you, this is about as charming as I get,” she said, resisting the urge to smooth out her messy ponytail. She didn’t even want to think about what her breath smelled like.

  Why do you care? It’s not like you’re going to be kissing him. Maybe you can scare him away with your dragon breath.

  “Fair enough,” he said, and she hated that he looked so damn good in a pair of faded jeans, a cotton shirt, and a leather jacket. If it weren’t for the piercings, he could have been in the cast of Grease. “I know we got off to a rough start—”

  “You mean when you tried to steal my apartment and throw me out?”

  Satisfaction raced through her as his jaw clenched. So she irritated him. Too bad. He irritated her, too.

  “I meant that the confusion over the apartment caused us both to leave empty-handed,” he said.

  “So what? You’ve come to convince me why I should just let you have it?”

  “Actually, I was going to suggest we share it,” Gabe said, the smirk back in full force as he added, “if you think you can handle it.”

  Caroline blinked at him. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “Nope.”

  “Why would I want to live with you? I can’t even stand to breathe the same air as you.”

  He shrugged. “You seem like the type to get all sue-crazy over something like this, so I figured I’d be the bigger man and lay out a compromise. It’s up to you, though.”

  “I am not sue-crazy,” she muttered.

  “Whatever you say, princess.”

  “See? We can’t live together. It would be a war zone,” she said.

  “I’m hardly going to be there, so it’s not like we’d have to interact,” he said, holding out his fingers as he ticked them off. “Since I’ll be busy, it will basically be a crash pad for me, and it would only be temporary. Once another place opens up, one of us could move out. Plus, it would be cheaper to split the rent.”

  She eyed him up and down as a voice in her head screamed that it was a crazy, stupid idea. That tattoo just above his collar continued to taunt her, and she thought she caught a flash of silver in his tongue that matched the bar going through his eyebrow. Not that she cared—she had her fair share of tats—but she knew danger when it flashed her a charming smile.

  Besides, trading two noisy sisters for one potential serial killer didn’t seem like the brightest idea.

  “I can’t live with a strange man who I know nothing about. You could be some kind of Dexter, and I’ll come home to you dissolving bodies in the bathtub.”

  “That’s up to you,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m as harmless as a kitten.”

  With that, he walked inside, brushing against her—on purpose, no doubt—and she ignored the tingles the close contact caused, protesting, “Hey, I didn’t invite you inside.”

  “And I don’t usually conduct business on people’s porches.”

  Caroline slammed the door and followed him into the kitchen. He was standing in front of an open cupboard, perusing the contents. Caroline noticed that Gus, the monster dog, was sitting at his feet, panting at him, with his massive jaws spread into a wide grin.

  Evil is attracted to evil, apparently.

  “You know, illegal trespassing and breaking and entering are serious crimes. So is looting and burglary.”

  With a long, amused look, he grabbed a package of Hostess cupcakes, and he had the nerve to laugh. The bastard. “I didn’t break anything, and like I said, we’re talking business.” He ripped the package open with his teeth and took out one of the cakes, opening his mouth wide.

  “If my sister catches you eating her cupcakes, you’re a dead man,” Caroline said, eyeing the sugary treats longingly. She’d sworn off sugar last month after she’d stress-eaten herself ten pounds heavier. Just imagining the sweet, orange frosting caused her mouth to water.

  “Want one?” he asked, holding out the package to her, tempting her. “We could be criminals together.”

  When she didn’t reach for it right away, he set it on the counter and concentrated on demolishing the rest of the one in his hand, licking his fingers with quick flicks of his tongue.

  Yep, that tongue was definitely pierced.

  As he sucked the frosting off his hands, her nipples tightened, imagining the sweetness of the frosting mixed with the warm, salty taste of his skin. In her mind, she was the one licking and sucking on each long digit as her hands slid up under his T-shirt, over those abs, until she found out if his nipples were also pierced.

  Stop it! Do not think about him like that. He is an ass!

  “So, what do you think?”

  His question caught her off guard. “What?”

  “Wanna be my roommate?”

  “No,” she said, going to the fridge for a protein shake.

  “Suit yourself,” he said.

  “Goddamn it!” Caroline heard Val scream from her room. “Eleanor!” A door slammed, another opened, and the screaming continued. “Did you take the new Jimmy Choos I just ordered?” A muffled reply that Caroline couldn’t make out followed, and then, “I said you were not to look at them, let alone borrow them. I haven’t even worn them yet!”

  Caroline could feel the headache coming on as her sisters continued to squabble, her forehead becoming the center of the pounding pain.

  “Those your sisters?”

  She glanced his way and said sarcastically, “Yeah, how’d you guess?”

  “Gemma said you lived with your sisters when I called for your address last night,” he said.

  So that’s how he’d found out where she lived.

  The screaming had intensified in the other room; Ellie apparently finally was awake enough to yell back at Val. Suddenly, even a homicidal roommate didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.

  “Okay, let’s just say I was interested in a temporary living arrangement,” she said, rubbing her temples and forehead with her fingers. “We would have to establish some ground rules.”

  “It’s simple,” he said, leaning back against the counter. “You stay out of my business; I’ll stay out of yours. We split the rent and
utilities fifty-fifty—”

  “What about Internet or a house phone?”

  “I’ve got my cell phone, so I don’t need a house phone, but I’ll split the Internet with you. And cable.”

  “I don’t need cable. I stream off the Internet,” Caroline said. With how often she moved, it was easier than getting new service every six months.

  “Whatever floats your boat, princess,” he said, and her hackles rose.

  “And stop calling me princess,” she said.

  Before he could answer, Caroline saw a flash of dark hair out of the corner of her eye and turned in time to see her sister Ellie slam the front door. Seconds later, Val appeared, opened the door, and yelled after her, “If you ever get into my closet again, I’ll rip your hair out!”

  She shut the door with a loud bang and turned toward them. Her angry expression melted into surprise before her face flushed a deep red. Was she embarrassed that someone else had witnessed one of their family fights?

  Or maybe it was that it had been witnessed while she was in her underwear and a tank top.

  Caroline shook her head. “Valerie, this is Gabe. Gabe, this is my sister.”

  “Pleasure,” Gabe said. Caroline saw his mouth twitch, as if he were fighting a grin.

  “Nice to meet you. Excuse me,” Val said, running from the room.

  Caroline sucked down her protein shake and tossed the bottle in the garbage. “So about this living arrangement . . . I’m in.”

  “HERE YOU GO,” Gemma Bowers said with a relieved smile, handing Gabe the keys. “I’m really glad you were able to work something out. I am sorry this happened, and I’m so embarrassed—”

  “Think nothing of it, Mrs. Bowers,” Gabe said, all charm. He thought he heard a gagging noise coming from Caroline, who was standing by the door. Gabe grinned. He wasn’t surprised she’d said yes to his proposal, not really. Over the years, he had learned a thing or two about strong, independent women, and the foremost lesson was that it was hard for them to back down from a challenge.

  And sure enough, this tiny brunette with attitude was no different.

  Plus, the last thing he’d wanted was to cause a problem between Travis Bowers and his wife. Especially because Travis had gone out on a limb for him after he’d come clean about his time in prison. He’d shared enough of the details to prove he wasn’t a rapist or a murderer, but he hadn’t bared his soul. Luckily, Travis had said it would stay between them. He’d been surprisingly cool about everything.