Nex

by Cheryl Douglas

  I was supposed to be working, reviewing the design for a big project and making recommendations on whether we should make changes based on my preliminary meeting with our celebrity client, but I just couldn’t get my head in the game this morning.

  “Yeah, sure,” I said, gesturing to the chair across from me. “Come on in. I could use a break.” I pointed at the single-brew coffee maker in the corner. “Coffee?”

  “No, I’m good,” he said, sitting down.

  “Well, I could use one.” I’d barely slept last night. My mind had flipped through all the possible scenarios, imagining what might happen between Jaci and me when she left for the summer.

  Ryker waited for me to return to my desk before he said, “So you know we were up at the cottage this weekend, right?”

  “Yeah, how’d that go?” I’d expected him to want to talk business, so I was grateful when the conversation took a personal turn.

  “It was good, but Seb is definitely off his game. I tried talking to him, but he blew me off.”

  Last time I’d talked to Seb, he hadn’t been himself either. He’d seemed kind of introspective, somber, talking about the future and the things he wanted but didn’t have. That wasn’t like him. He was usually as laidback as I was, happy to just take things as they came.

  “You think his mood has something to do with a woman?”

  “Or lack thereof. Mac said he opened up to her a bit, one night after we all went to bed. Seems he’d like to meet someone.”

  “Yeah, I got the same impression.” I had to laugh because meeting women had never been a problem for any of my brothers. The problem was usually how the hell to get rid of them.

  “You know anyone he might go for?” Ryker smirked. “A nice girl, someone who wouldn’t screw him over.”

  “I don’t believe this,” I said, taking a drink of my coffee. “You’re actually trying to play matchmaker for Seb?”

  “Someone has to, and if we don’t, I’m afraid Mackenzie will.”

  “Why is that a bad thing?” I asked, trying to hide my amusement behind a coffee mug. I knew exactly why that was a bad idea. Mac would try to set him up with someone from the church or PTA, definitely not Seb’s kind of woman.

  “Come on, man. Help me out here. Can you think of anyone he might be into?”

  I knew a lot of women, but they were the same type who’d convinced Seb he was tired of the dating scene in the first place. “I don’t know. Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you.”

  “Cool. You’re going to that fundraiser Tuesday night, right?”

  “Yeah, I asked Jaci to go with me.”

  Ryker grinned. “Brody told me he met her at your place on Saturday morning. She spent the night, huh?”

  “It wasn’t like that.” I tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Thinking about Jaci always made me smile, but thinking about her in my bed made me euphoric. “Until Saturday night…”

  “So all that hard work finally paid off, huh?” He laughed. “Good for you, little brother. So what now? You’ve had her. You still want her?”

  I couldn’t blame Ryker for being skeptical. I’d always been a “love ’em and leave ’em” kind of guy. “Even more now. Problem is she’s heading back to Georgia for the summer. She’ll be living with her mother, close enough for her ex to hassle her. I guess I’m a little concerned about what that’ll mean for me.”

  “Are you saying you’re ready to commit to this girl?” Ryker asked, looking surprised. I couldn’t say I blamed him. Commitment had always been the big C-word that scared me most.

  “I told her I want to be exclusive, but she wants to wait it out, see how we feel about each other when she comes back in the fall.”

  “And you’re worried if this ex of hers has a few months to wear her down—”

  “He was a big part of her life for a long time. They have history together. Not to mention the fact her mother’s convinced they belong together. Her influence sure as hell can’t help my cause.”

  “So why not just ask her to spend the summer here?”

  “It’s not that easy. She needs to save money for school next year. Living with her mother this summer, rent-free and working, will allow her to do that. Not to mention the fact her rental house won’t be available this summer, so she’d have nowhere to stay even if she wanted to.”

  “And you wouldn’t want her to stay with you?”

  I’d never even considered living with a woman before, but having Jaci at my house this weekend gave me a taste of what it would be like and I wanted more. “Sure, I would. But she’s got an independent streak. Thinks she needs to pay her own way in the world.”

  “I can respect that,” Ryker said, seeming impressed. “Not like a lot of the girls you’ve dated, who just wanted to see what they could get out of you.”

  “That’s just it,” I said, trying to make my brother understand something I wasn’t even sure I understood myself. “Jaci’s not like any other girl I’ve dated. She’s different. Special.” I took a sip of my coffee, trying to find the courage to admit I was in deep. “She makes me think about the future, a future with her.”

  “You’ve told her that?”

  “She spooks easily. I don’t want to overwhelm her. She wants to take things one day at a time, build the relationship slowly. And I’m really trying to respect that, but I’ve known her for three months and just slept with her, man. That’s crazy, right?”

  Ryker laughed. “I’m sure you’re not the first guy in the world who took that long to close the deal.”

  “Yeah, but it usually takes me three hours to close the deal, not three months. At this rate, I won’t be able to call her my girlfriend for another year.” I was only half-kidding. It seemed like the next logical step for us, but the fact that Jaci kept putting up roadblocks was starting to make me question whether we’d ever get there.

  “And that’s what you want?” Ryker asked, crossing his arms. “Keeping it casual means if someone else catches your eye, you won’t have to feel guilty about pursuing it, especially while Jaci’s away.”

  I knew what he was getting at, and if I knew my brother, he was testing my resolve. “Yeah, but that also means the same is true for her, and I don’t want to think about her being free to pursue other relationships.”

  Ryker pinched his lips together, obviously trying to suppress a smile before he finally said, “So you wanna lock her down, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess I do. Any advice on how I can make that happen?”

  “Like I told you before, just keep surprising her.” He stood. “Think about the way you’ve treated other girls and do the opposite with Jaci.”

  I watched him leave, thinking how easy that would be. There was Jaci, then there was everyone else.

  Chapter Ten

  Jaci

  I sighed when I saw my mother’s number flash across my screen. As much as I loved her, she could be a real downer sometimes, and I was riding a high, getting ready for my date with Nex. I didn’t want anyone or anything to bring me down tonight. I considered letting it go to voicemail, but eventually, my conscience won out.

  “Hey, Mama,” I said, sinking down on my bed as I tried to force the appropriate amount of enthusiasm into my voice. “How’ve you been?”

  “Do you really care, Jacqueline? You haven’t called in a week.”

  Here comes the guilt trip. “Sorry, I’ve just been really busy with work and school.”

  “Scott told me you spoke to him on his birthday.”

  I wasn’t surprised my mother and ex exchanged notes about me. They’d always been on the same team. “I just sent him an e-card to let him know I was thinking about him. He called me.” I knew my mother wouldn’t want to hear what I was about to say next, but she’d have to learn to live with my decision. “But I’m thinking Scott and I need to limit our contact from now on. It’s difficult for either one of us to move on when we’re stuck in the past.”

  “Nonsense. Scott has been a
n important part of your life for years. He always will be.”

  I knew it was time for me to tell her the truth, that I’d met someone else. “Scott was an important part of my life, you’re right,” I said, trying to be tactful. “But it’s over now. We’re not getting back together.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Like Scott, she was still living in denial. I was convinced they fed off each other, trying to convince the other I would come around eventually as long as they didn’t give up hope. “Yes, I do. I broke up with Scott because I was ready to move on, to start a new life. That’s what I’ve been trying to do here. I’m doing well in school. I’ve made new friends. I’ve even…” I took a deep breath, knowing it was now or ever. “Met someone.”

  She gasped, her shock and dismay obvious. “You met someone? When?”

  “We’ve actually known each other for a few months. He’s a customer at the restaurant where I work.” As far as my mother was concerned, I worked as a waitress in a pub-style restaurant. If she knew the truth, that Downlow was a biker bar, she’d have a heart attack.

  “So why am I just hearing about this?”

  My mother expected to know every move I made. Little did she know I only told her just enough to keep her from worrying… and off my back. “I can’t tell you about every person I meet, Mama.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Nex.”

  “What kind of name is that?”

  “I don’t know. Clearly his mama was original. Maybe she liked to color outside the lines.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, sounding indignant. “Are you implying that I’m…”

  A tightass, Mama? Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am. “I’m not implying anything. I don’t have a lot of time to talk, and I don’t want to argue. Tell me what you’ve been up to. How’re things back home?”

  “I’m counting down the days ’til I’ll have my little girl back where she belongs.”

  I wanted to remind her that I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I was a twenty-four-year-old woman, but I knew that would only add to the tension. “Yeah, it’ll be nice for us to spend some time together this summer. Did Aunt Bea go to the specialist with you on Monday?”

  I knew I should have called after her appointment to see how things went, but I’d been buried in books for days. The only person I’d made time to talk to was Nex and only because he usually called me. I could have ignored his calls, since I was busy, but I couldn’t resist the lure of his sexy voice.

  “Yeah, she did. Damn doctor, I swear he just guesses half the time.”

  My mother didn’t have a lot of faith in the medical profession. As far as she was concerned, with the billions being pumped into research, they should have been able to find a cure for every known ailment by now.

  “Did you tell him the medication was making you feel light-headed in the morning?”

  “Yeah, he lowered the dose. We’ll see if it helps, but I’m not holding my breath.”

  I’d tried to convince her that assuming the best possible outcome might improve her outlook, but she claimed she was too old to change her ways now.

  “How’s the studying going?” she asked. “Feel confident you’ll ace those exams?”

  “I’m hopeful.” I’d been a straight-A student in high school, but it wasn’t easy getting back into it after so many years away from a classroom.

  “You’ve been putting in the time though, studying like a good girl, right?”

  I rolled my eyes, biting my tongue to quash my response. Hello, I’m not ten years old anymore! “Of course I’ve been studying, Mama. I wouldn’t walk in to take an exam unprepared.”

  “So that’s what you’re doing tonight? Studying?”

  It would be easy to let her believe that, but I hated lying, especially to her. As far as she was concerned, lying was a sin and sinners went straight to hell. “No, I’m taking a little break tonight. I have a date with Nex.”

  “A date? Do you think that’s wise? Your time is limited as it is. You should be studying. If he can’t understand that, maybe he’s not the right man for you.”

  Patience is a virtue, Jaci. Try to remember that. “Nex is very understanding, Mama. But everyone needs to blow off a little steam sometimes.”

  “Blow off steam? Just what kind of date is this?”

  I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I counted backward from ten. “It’s a charity fundraiser for a children’s foundation. Nex’s brother founded a company building custom motorcycles, and Nex is the vice president of operations.” I knew my mother wasn’t impressed by fancy titles, but at least she wouldn’t worry about whether the new man in my life had a job. “The charity commissioned them to build a bike that’s being raffled off tonight, so Nex has to be there for the ceremony. He asked me to go with him.”

  “Motorcycles? Dear Lord, don’t tell me he rides one of those death traps! I’d better not hear of you riding on the back of one of those things, Jacqueline. It would kill me!”

  My mother, the drama queen. “No, Mama. I’ve never been on the back of Nex’s bike.” But that’s not to say I wouldn’t be soon. “Actually, you’ll be pleased to know he lent me his truck so I don’t have to walk to and from work and school anymore. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Doesn’t he need it himself?”

  “He has a few vehicles,” I admitted hesitantly. I knew that wouldn’t go over well. According to my mother, excess was the devil’s mandate. “He was worried about me being out alone at night, so he insisted I take his truck.”

  “But you’re not insured to drive it. I’m not sure I like this idea.”

  I knew telling her that Nex had made the call to his insurance company to have me added as an occasional driver would raise all sorts of questions I couldn’t answer about how serious this relationship was. “Listen, Mama, I really have to go and finish getting ready, okay? I’ll call you this weekend.”

  “Just see that you do. You don’t call enough. You only have one mama, girl. Don’t forget that.”

  How could I? She’d been reminding me since I was a toddler. “I know, Mama. I love you. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Love you too. And be careful with this new man of yours. I’m not sure I like the sound of this.”

  There’s a surprise. “I’ll be careful. I promise. You take good care of yourself. Bye-bye, now.”

  As soon as I heard her say the magic word, setting me free, I disconnected the call and flopped back on the bed. Talking to my mama was always so exhausting I needed a nap afterward. But there was no time for that tonight. I had a handsome man waiting on me, and I couldn’t wait to see him.

  ***

  Nex had been the perfect date. He was attentive and affectionate, holding me close while we danced, introducing me to those he knew, but it bothered me the way his eyes kept landing on a curvy brunette in a stunning blue dress that made my simple black dress look like a bargain-basement find.

  “You know her?” I asked after his eyes drifted to the woman in question for the tenth time.

  “Uh yeah, she’s Brody’s ex.”

  Oh, that made me feel better. “She’s lovely.” Now that I knew Nex wasn’t interested, I could say that without the claws coming out.

  “Yeah, she is. She’s a real sweetheart too. I just found out they’ve been seeing each other again. But this is the second time I’ve seen her with that doctor. It makes me wonder if my brother’s not setting himself up to get hurt.”

  I thought it was so sweet he and his brothers looked out for each other. “Does Brody know she’s seeing someone else?”

  “Yeah, I told him. He wasn’t happy, but he’s still not willing to man up.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, letting my gaze drift to Brody’s ex. Even from a woman’s perspective, I couldn’t imagine any man being dense enough to let someone like her get away. I’d only met Brody briefly, but it was obvious he wasn’t stupid.

  “I know he’s in l
ove with her, but she’s not crazy about the whole gambling thing.”

  Maybe she had a mother like mine, who believed gamblers received a one-way ticket to hell. “Is that why they broke up?” I asked, wanting to learn more about Nex’s family.

  “His profession takes him all over the world,” Nex explained. “It’s tough to have a relationship when you’re never around. Not to mention the fact his job is pretty high stress, millions of dollars and your reputation at stake every time you go all in.”

  I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to win millions of dollars, much less have millions to lose in a single night. “What does she do?”

  “Riley’s a wedding planner,” Nex said, looking amused. “One of the best in the city, in fact. If ever there was a girl looking for her own happy ending…”

  I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to help others plan their special day and wonder if you would ever celebrate your own. “You think things are serious with her and the doctor?” I couldn’t deny Riley’s date was handsome, very handsome, and he definitely seemed into her. But he was no Brody. That man, like his brothers, oozed sex appeal from his pores.

  “I don’t know.” He glanced down at me. “I don’t want to think about my brother’s problems anymore.” Tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, he asked, “How’s the studying going?”

  “It’s going. But I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be to take that last exam.”

  His expression darkened before he lowered his head. “I’m selfishly not looking forward to that. I’m gonna go crazy without you this summer.”

  I thought it was sweet that he’d miss me, but I knew he wouldn’t miss me half as much as I’d miss him. “We can still talk on the phone, video chat, text, and email.” I knew it was a poor substitute for seeing each other, but it would have to do.

  “Or I could visit you.”

  I could tell he was challenging me, testing me to find out if I’d be willing to invite him into my world and introduce him to my mama. “I’d like that.” He rewarded me with a smile, prompting me to kiss him.

  “Have you got a summer job lined up yet?”