All This Time

by Marie Wathen

  I fake a heavy, pathetic sigh and correct him, “He broke up with me, but I’m still committed.” Grabbing my sunglasses, I slide them on and speedily walk toward the back door knowing that he’s hot on my trail. “I happen to disagree with you by the way. It’s a real jackass cowardly way out, and I don’t believe for a moment that he did it for my sake.” I lower my voice and mumble loud enough for him to hear, “He probably has some dumb blonde lined up for his release.”

  “Angel,” Decks calls, grabbing my elbow and stopping me from going inside the house. “I’m sorry. I can tell that you are hurt.” He pauses, looks away for a moment then pierces me with a sharp stare before asking, “Would you like to go get some dinner?”

  I laugh. “Really, Decks?” I push open the sliding glass door and step into the kitchen with him following. “I tell you that I’m still committed to my boyfriend, who just broke up with me, and you think that it’s the green light for your next hook-up?” Without looking at him, I slam my glasses down on the table as I pass it, heading toward the stairs.

  “No,” he growls reaching for my arm again and spinning me around to face him. “That’s not what this is between us, Angel. With you, I’m different. I don’t want to get into your bed.” I raise an eyebrow suspiciously and he flashes a devilish smile before adding, “Okay, that I do want, but it’s not all I want.” Thankfully, tiny ears aren’t home at the moment, so they can’t hear this bullshit.

  “What do you want, Decks?” I ask, putting both hands on my hips and looking into his dark eyes, slowly heating with desire again, but this is different from the look he had when glaring at my booty.

  Lifting a hand up to my face, he cups my cheek softly and leans in. “Everything,” he insists, pressing his lips to mine. He tastes warm and his kisses are extremely tender. I would have never guessed kissing him would be this nice. He moves both hands around my back, drawing my wet body firm against him. I wrap my hands around his waist, gripping his leather belt, snaked around his faded blue jeans. This is the safest place for my hands at the moment. If I touch his side or back he may be encouraged and will want more than I’m willing to give him right now. Getting Decks interested definitely secures a spot for me back in the group, one that is a lot higher up on the ladder too.

  Stepping out of his embrace, I warn breathlessly, “Decks.”

  “Angel, give me a chance. I’ll give you all the space you need and promise not to rush us, but I really want you.”

  Damn, I didn’t realize the dude was falling for me.

  “Uh, I don’t know,” I mumble, covering my fingertips over my hot lips and looking toward the stairs. I climb up the first two steps, turn around, finding him looking at me, and not just my ass this time. “Pick me up at eight and make it someplace outrageous.” I wink, jogging up the stairs toward the shower while wondering what accepting Decks invitation will do for my future.

  After washing and rinsing all of the chlorine down the drain, I stroll into my room and dress quickly. I slip on a loose halter top and my favorite dark wash fitted jeans, along with my gray cowboy boots. My phone rings twice before I reach across the bed and answer it.

  “Hello.” I singsong, smiling after seeing the screen lit up with my brother’s adorable mug.

  “Hey Sam,” Marcus chuckles and asks, “How are things in Georgia?” I sigh, hearing his southern accent mixed with a bit of English inflection.

  “Things are…boring,” I offer, not wanting him to worry unnecessarily. “What’s up? You don’t ever call me anymore. I actually thought that maybe you lost my phone number.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” he sighs this time, but before I can ask he says, “I want to talk to you about my civil service exam and physical agility tests. Will you be in Willow for Thanksgiving?”

  “Wild hogs couldn’t keep me away from Gran’s feast and watching football with Granddad,” I insist, smiling happily thinking about spending time with my family.

  “Great,” he says truly happy about my plans. “Don’t forget my birthday present.”

  “Birthday? Shit. Aren’t you too old for gifts now?” I joke.

  “Hell no,” he laughs, “and neither are you if I remember correctly, although most women quit counting after thirty.”

  “You little shit. I am not thirty!” I shout, still laughing lightly and suddenly feeling the weight of the seriousness from the past few months lifting away.

  “Sure, Sam,” he continues laughing, “I love you. See you soon.”

  I clutch the phone tightly after he hangs up, wishing that we didn’t have to say goodbye. That’s not realistic though because Marcus is at home in England and the door bell just rang, reminding me that I have a date with destiny. I toss everything I need into my Coach Hobo bag and bound down the stairs. Turning the corner, I find Decks waiting patiently for me in the living room. His face lights up like a sparkler on Independence Day while his eyes take in every inch of me appreciatively before sauntering over and placing a tender kiss on my cheek.

  “You’re absolutely beautiful,” he declares, smiling down at me with a look so sexy that it would have any other woman immediately planning her wedding with the charming Mr. Kennedy and naming all five of their future babies. It only freaks me out. “Are you ready Ms. Johnson?”

  I snap out of my mild trance and nod. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Except for the fact that you are the hottest woman I have ever seen,” shaking his head dramatically with his dark brown eyes bugging out in shock, Decks states adamantly, “I have no idea why my sister hates you.”

  “Shut up,” I swat at his arm, lying stretched across the table, “I’m being serious, Decks.” Taking hold of my hand, he flips it and lays his hot palm over mine and I pull a fake smile, hoping to convince him that this is okay.

  Decks went all out on our date tonight. He brought me to the hottest restaurant in Atlanta. A place like this one normally requires you to make reservations months in advance, but being the nephew of a drug boss will dissolve that issue altogether. He ordered our meal flawlessly in French, and so far, I’m impressed with his ability to be a bloody gentleman. My curiosity is borderline berserk now. Why is one of the wealthiest men in the city working in a filthy sell house when he lives like a prince away from it? Could supreme power be his obsession?

  “God Angel, I’m serious. I haven’t seen a woman as beautiful as you in all of my life.” He stares at me longingly, making me believe that he really means what he’s saying. Dude is a player who could give my brother Morgan a run for his money. This is some serious game he is bringing.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, averting my eyes to the napkin in my lap. Time to put my, “Win Decks Over,” plan into action. “Rad was really cool, but…” I trail off hoping that my hook baits him. When I pause, it appears that he’s actually holding his breath for a moment.

  “But what sweetness?” he asks his voice soft and hoarse with lust.

  I lift my eyes staring into his briefly, spotting genuine interest and something else indicating that he’s definitely taking a nibble at what I’m offering. Clearing my throat, I run my hand down the back of my head, drawing all of my long hair letting it cascade over my right shoulder. His eyes jump to focus on my throat and he licks his lips.

  Hooked

  “Well, I don’t know if he told you how we, um…met?” he nods slowly, finally lifting his eyes up to meet mine directly.

  He swallows several times before responding. “Yeah, about that,” his eyebrows draw down and he crosses his arms over his chest, “What kind of fucking prick were you dating before Rad? I mean he put you up in a damn card game for fucks sake.” His voice is practically growling ferociously as he continues to sort it out verbally. “Dick seriously didn’t know how to treat a lady. I would never risk someone as fine as you for what three hundred bucks? Is that really how much the pot was when Rad went all in?”

  “Yes,” Giving him a sad nod, I bite down h
ard on my bottom lip before I lie some more, “honestly, I was happy my ex lost that hand.” Pause. “He wasn’t nice to me, Decks. Rad took really good care of me, but now he’s done.” Feeling my heart beat erratically with excitement, I focus everything I have on my fingers and let out a deep breath. “I feel like such an idiot. I know I’m nothing special, but when we were together he made me feel that I was.”

  “Did you love him?” he tosses out that ridiculous question and it actually feels like I’ve been slapped across the face.

  “Fuck no!” I flinch at that nasty four letter word and then look back at him to see that he is totally serious with this question. Schooling my hasty emotions, I check to make sure no one else witnessed my outburst and then I apologize through a whisper, “Sorry, I mean…Rad and I didn’t really have that kind of relationship.” I smile suggestively. “If you know what I mean.”

  “Damn,” he mumbles, looking out through the restaurant, like he’s searching for our waiter so that he can get our check. Oh shit, I better recover quickly before he thinks I’ll go all spread-eagle for just any guy.

  “You know what?” I ask and he looks back at me again, eyes overflowing with lust. “I’m glad it’s over. I was sick of being used like that. I just need to find a new place to live soon. I cannot keep staying with Natalie and Wise. They’re great and all, but kids give me creepy, crawly skin.” That’s the most honest thing I think I’ve ever said to him. I shudder for real, thinking about being around children twenty-four-seven, although, that little princess is worming her chubby-cheek cuteness into my heart. Ugh, what the hell am I thinking? My whole way of thinking is being influenced by a toddler.

  “Yeah, you don’t come across as the motherly type.” I shake my head dramatically and he chuckles before becoming concerned again. “What will you do? Does your family live close?”

  “No family,” I state matter-of-factly. “I was in foster care after my mother abandoned me and she never left information about my father. I turned eighteen and split, didn’t look back once. I have a friend that lives in Savannah who I could stay with temporarily.” I shrug my shoulders like it’s no big deal and take a sip of my drink.

  “You know, I could let you stay at my place,” he suggests with a near blinding smile.

  “Oh,” I gasp, feigning shock. “Wow, that…well, that kind of shocks me. You don’t seem like the kind of man to help a girl in need. You’re more like the one-night-stand-and-never-see-you-again kind of guy.”

  “Am I really that obvious?” He laughs, turning his glass up and downing the last of the beer and foam in it.

  My smile stretches across my lips, and I really pour it on thick. “Yes, but I like that about you. Your games are straight forward. Take what we have for example –” Just like the player that he is, before I can finish he cuts me off with a slick move.

  “I would never play games with you babe. There is something special between us.”

  Seriously, I want to laugh out loud at his ridiculousness. Instead, I jam my fingernails into my palms and give him a sweet agreeable nod. What an idiot! I’ve already explained how our relationship is and there’s no way I would classify it as special, unless you note the fact that no guy has ever hit on me more than Decks. It’s like he has a blocker up that deafens him to the words “not a chance,” “hell no,” or even “fuck off.”

  “You are the sweetest thing, Decks,” I croon sweetly, nearly gagging on the syrupy goop flowing out of my mouth. “You would really let me move in…temporarily?”

  “Hell, yes,” he demands, reaching across the table and taking my hand in his. “Let’s move your shit in tonight.”

  I laugh for real this time. “After the holiday would be better, I need to break it to Natalie gently. I don’t think she will take the news as well as you. Wait…” Starting to rise from his seat, he drops back down and stares at me with kind eyes. “I just realized I’ve never been to your place. Do you have room for me? I mean, if you don’t, I’m sure Nat –”

  He cuts me off, “You’re moving in.” He clutches my hand tenderly and with a smirk curling his lips he adds, “We’ll squeeze you in somehow.”

  After paying the check, Decks escorts me through the restaurant toward the exit with his hand resting at the small of my back. There is a large group waiting for the late dinner seating and he stops to speak with a few of them. Taking advantage of the free moment, I gather my frenzied thoughts on what moving in with Decks is going to do for me. I know for certain he will make passes. He must, it’s in his player DNA. He could possibly spontaneously combust and die if he didn’t flirt every hour on the hour.

  No matter though, I’ll deal with it. Although he has a domineering side, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that would rape anyone. I’m hoping I can trust my gut on that one, but if he does happen to get a wild hair up his ass, I will just use him as my crash test dummy for karate. Decks is much bigger and brawnier than I am, but I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was five. Only a skilled master would be a real challenge for me.

  “What in the hell are you doing bringing that little floozy here?”

  Startled by the sudden outburst in the relatively quiet restaurant, I glance back to where Decks is talking with his friends to find Lourdes snarling at her brother while pointing at me. I smirk inwardly thinking about how shocked the Queen B will be when he tells her his plan to move me in. I’m almost giddy with anticipation.

  “Lourdes, I want you to stop talking about Angel like that. She’s a good friend of mine and your bitchiness is yesterday’s news,” Decks orders, admirably defending me from his sister. “You’re coming off as jealous and yellow isn’t a good color on you.” Yellow? I thought the universal color for jealousy was green.

  “There is nothing that worthless little thing has…” Lourdes cuts her eyes at me, scanning me once before adding, “or will ever have that would make me jealous of her.”

  Oh girl if you only knew. By the way, hell no, I don’t feel bad about fucking her man. She is a complete lunatic. I hate cheaters, honestly I do, but I can’t really blame Blues for humping the first docile woman who came along. What I don’t get is, why me? Really, the man is the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen, and the way women threw themselves at him at the club proves that he could have done much better. And he sure as hell doesn’t have to settle for her skank ass. Maybe it is drug cartel politics mixed with a little favor reimbursement. You know the one, “You fill my crack pipe, I let you screw my niece,” the same old song and dance since the fall of man.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Let’s go Angel.” Decks takes my hand, lacing our fingers together and Lourdes’ eyes widen in utter shock. Whirling away from her, turning his back on her because of me, we advance out the door completely casual, like being a couple is the most natural thing in the world. We make it a total of two steps away from the restaurant before Decks stops abruptly, leaning in close, his face completely serious when he states, “From this moment on you do not bow down to Lourdes again.”

  A huge smile breaks across my face as I nod. “Thank you for defending me.”

  “Always,” he replies, placing a tender kiss to my forehead. A shiver runs down my spine. It could be from the blustering air that just unexpectedly whipped up or maybe it’s from him being so touchy-feely all of a sudden, but whatever it is, I hope he doesn’t notice my reaction and think that he is turning me on. I cringe inwardly holding back an encore, from repulsion instead.

  “Hillary?” Decks turns and I glance around him to see Blues strolling away from a blacked out Bentley.

  He is dressed in a white long sleeve button down, fitted ultra faded blue jeans and black cowboy boots. His hair is a tousled mess, like he has been running his hand through it repeatedly. Sauntering up to us, he demonstrates that exact movement, proving my theory and looking unbelievably beautiful while doing it. I can’t stop the enchanted smile that breaks across my face when his eyes land on me. Only once have I seen him bite his
lip, and that was the one and only time we had sex, until tonight. My god, what that one little action does to my neglected girly-bits. Sonuvabitch, I’m freaking blushing again.

  Hearing Decks clear his voice before speaking to Blues, I reign in my inner-hussy, who would kill to have another go at the sex-god. “Hey Ethan, you don’t want to keep that hellcat inside waiting too long. She’s already jumped Angel tonight. Expect to be her next target for keeping her waiting.” Decks smirks at his sister’s boyfriend while drawing my hand back into his. Blues’ eyes zero in our intertwined fingers before flicking up to mine sadly. Guilt rears its ugly little head and I swallow down my nervousness.

  “Is that so?” His manner is controlled, but the jerking motion of his jawbone indicates that he could be a deranged man teetering on a ledge, ready to plummet to his death. I don’t understand why, but I want so badly to reach over and stroke my hand over it to soothe him. My body heat flares up to a rocket launching blaze when his eyes move over from boring holes into Decks to softening when they meet mine a second time. “What’s her problem with Angel?” Managing to get my shit together somehow, I answer before Decks has a chance.

  “It’s nothing and I’m fine, Decks.” I stroke my free hand over his forearm leading down to where he’s holding my fingers captive.

  “I heard about Rad,” Blues says politely. I nod, but reflectively grip Decks’ hand tighter at the mention of Russ’ cover name.

  “Rad is history. When he gets out I’m giving him his walking papers,” Decks states flatly, causing me to flinch completely unprepared for that bit of information.

  Dammit, I’ll be left alone in this thing. I sigh inwardly. Fuck it, I will get it done.

  “Good. I didn’t like the way he handled some things,” Blues suggests, taking a step toward me, but seeing my eyes widen he stops before embarrassing us by revealing too much with his concern. Shit, he better not screw this up for me, Decks is my ticket inside his uncle’s inner circle. I narrow my eyes at him while giving a slight shake to my head, and he obliges my silent plea by shifting his stance toward Decks again. Another large flurry of chilly wind wraps around us and I run my free hand over my arm.