Nex

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Yeah, he said he hates the idea of me walking to and from work and school, especially at night. Since he has other vehicles, he said it’s not a big deal for me to take the pick-up.”

  “Wow.” Mac lifted the plastic wrap on the platter I’d brought, breaking one of my mini red velvet cupcakes in two. “He really must be crazy about you. He doesn’t let anyone drive his vehicles. Not even his brothers.”

  I smiled when she popped a bite of cupcake into her mouth and moaned while closing her eyes. “You like?”

  “Oh my God, Jaci. These are amazing. Where’d you get the recipe?”

  “My mama. She’s always loved to bake. She was the one who taught me how. I’ve played around a bit with her recipes over the years, including that one.”

  “I wish you were sticking around this summer,” Mac said. “My mom and I could really use your help at the bakery.”

  “Really?” I would live a job like that, but my obligation to my mother came first. Not to mention my need to live rent-free so I could save money for school.

  “Sure.” Mac popped the other half of the cupcake in her mouth, laughing as she reached for a napkin. “I’m so bad, eating dessert before dinner, but I’ve been eyeing these ever since you brought them in and couldn’t wait another second to try them.”

  I was pleased Mac thought they were not only tasty but visually appealing, especially since she was the expert.

  “If you need a part-time job in the fall, come see me, Jaci. We can work around your school schedule.”

  “Thanks.” I would definitely prefer that to working at the bar. “I just might take you up on that.”

  “I hope you will. And if your plans change for the summer, the offer for full-time work stands.”

  “I appreciate that.” Though I didn’t expect my summer plans to change. “So about Nex’s offer, you really think I should take it?”

  “You’re the only one who can answer that, honey. If it feels right, do it.”

  “I guess I’m a little concerned about how hard it would be to leave after staying with him for five weeks.”

  “There is that,” Mac admitted. “But you know what they say—absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

  Since Mac knew Nex so well, it felt like she was the only person I could ask about the thing that had been bothering me most. “You really think he’d be willing to wait for me? Three months is a long time.”

  “Yeah, it is.” She bit her lip, as though she was thinking through her response, which only made me more nervous. “But if Nex is anything like Ryker, once he’s in love, he’s in love for keeps.”

  “Oh, Nex and I have never… I mean, we’re not…”

  Mac laughed. “Jaci, I’ve seen the way that man looks at you. He may not have said the words, but he doesn’t have to. It’s written all over his face.”

  ***

  Dinner couldn’t have gone any better. I loved getting to know some of Nex’s family, but I was nervous about bringing up his offer. What if he’d made it impulsively and felt differently now that he’d had time to think about it?

  “I talked to Mac about your offer tonight,” I said, when I couldn’t contain it any longer. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  He shrugged. “Why would I mind? I don’t keep secrets from Mac.” He winked at me, grinning. “Sometimes my brothers, but never Mackenzie. What did she have to say about it?”

  “She thought it was a good idea.”

  “Smart lady.” He pulled up to a red light and asked, “Can you spend the night at my place tonight? I can take you home early in the morning.”

  Since I’d already claimed Nex’s favorite T-shirt as my own and his extra toothbrush, I couldn’t think of a single reason not to. “Sure.”

  Damn. That sexy smile of his gave me butterflies every time.

  “Awesome. So you were telling me that Mac thought you should take me up on my offer?”

  “She confirmed the fact you eat like crap,” I said, smacking his rock-hard thigh with the back of my hand. “What’s this I hear about trendy gourmet burgers?”

  He chuckled. “I can’t deny it. I kind of have a thing for them.”

  I kind of have a thing for you. “Hmmm, I suppose I could treat you to those once in a while, but if I do this, we have to agree to the terms.”

  “I’m easy.”

  Yeah, easy to fall in love with. “You said you want to eat healthier, right?”

  “Uh, yeah,” he said, giving me a sidelong glance that told me he was imagining a lot of Brussels sprouts and tasteless legumes in his future.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t put you on a diet,” I teased, running my hand over his six-pack. “I don’t think you need that just yet.”

  “Hey!”

  “Keep eating all that greasy fried food and you just might though.”

  “Point taken.” He sighed dramatically. “Okay, lay it on me, girl. What’s the plan?”

  “I don’t know.” I tapped my index finger against my lips. “I’d have to give it some thought, but I can promise you three squares a day—”

  “You’re making it sound like I’m going to be in jail.”

  “Mmmm…” I shifted my body to face him, crossing my legs while I ran my hand down his chest toward his belt buckle. “I can promise you a lot more pleasure than pain.”

  “I like the sound of that.” When he stopped at a light, he grabbed my wandering hand and kissed it before his eyes landed on mine. “Does that mean you’ll move in with me?”

  My heart stammered. I knew it wasn’t permanent and this was supposed to be a job. Sort of. But I couldn’t shake the feeling I was moving in with my boyfriend. “One more condition. You said you wanted to learn how to cook the basics. Were you serious about that?”

  “If you think you have the patience. I’m a hot mess in the kitchen. We’ll both be lucky if I don’t burn the place to the ground.”

  I couldn’t imagine Nex being a hot mess anywhere, including the kitchen, but it was nice to know he wasn’t a master at everything. It humanized him somehow. “I’m willing to risk it if you are?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “I’ll prep and freeze a lot of stuff for you the last week or two I’m here, and maybe if I can come home once in a while on the weekends, I’ll…” His tender look made me stop. “What?”

  “You just referred to this as your home,” he said, pulling into his driveway.

  I’d been referring to Tampa, but any woman would feel lucky to share a home with Nex. That was becoming more obvious to me every day. “I guess I did.”

  “You’ve never really done that before. Whenever you talk about home, it’s always Hartwell.”

  “I love it here,” I admitted, feeling a little vulnerable. “Tampa is beautiful. The people have been wonderful to me and—”

  He cut my words off with a passionate kiss. “Tell me this is feeling more and more like home because of me.”

  There was no point trying to deny it. “It is.”

  Nex kissed me again, his lips lingering just a little longer this time. “I’m not sure if you’re ready to hear this, that’s why I haven’t said it before.”

  I held my breath, waiting.

  “I’ve never felt like this before, Jac.” He stroked my cheek. “I’ve been waiting a hell of a long time for this feeling.”

  Those few words drew me in completely, making me wonder how I’d ever be able to say good-bye to him, even temporarily. “So have I.”

  “But you’ve been in love before,” he said, lowering his head to graze my jaw with his lips. “I haven’t.”

  My heart swelled with fear, excitement, and… love for this man. “You’re right, I have been in love before, but never like this.” Scott was safe. Nex was dangerous. Scott wanted to know what I could do for him. Nex asked what he could do for me. Scott was my past. Nex was my future.

  “Really?” he asked, looking stunned by my admission.

  “Yes, really.”

  Chap
ter Fourteen

  Nex

  Moving Jaci’s belongings into my place made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

  “I guess that’s it then,” she said, standing back to survey her handiwork.

  She’d insisted on putting her clothes and shoes in the guest bedroom because she didn’t want to encroach on my territory, but I wasn’t going to lie—I would have loved to see her dresses hanging next to my suits in the closet, reminding me that we were a real couple now.

  “I can’t believe you color coordinate your clothes,” I teased, standing behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist. “That’s pretty anal, don’t ya think?”

  She slapped my arm. “It is not! There’s nothing wrong with being organized.”

  My closet could use her help, but I wasn’t going to push my luck. I was happy just to have her here for the next few weeks. “You’re welcome to leave all this stuff here if you won’t be needing it this summer. It’s not like anyone else is going to be using this room.”

  “Really?” She turned to face me. “That would be awesome! I wasn’t looking forward to having to haul all that luggage with me. And I know I won’t need any nice dresses while I’m there. It’s more of a tank top, cut-offs, flip-flops kind of place.”

  At least I knew she wouldn’t be dating with that kind of attire. “Keep anything you want here.” I kissed her neck. “Hell, keep everything here if you want to.”

  She curled her arms around my neck. “How did I get so lucky? You are way too good to me.”

  “I’m the one who got lucky finding you, baby.”

  She reached up on her toes to kiss me. “Come out to the kitchen with me. I want to get started on dinner.” She’d said she brought the ingredients for homemade pizza, so I promised to watch and make mental notes. Not that I intended to. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her in that little white strapless sundress.

  I opened a beer for myself and poured her a glass of her favorite chardonnay before settling in on the stool and pretending to be a good student. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No, I’ve got this,” she said, smiling. “Just try not to distract me.”

  I licked my lips as my eyes devoured her breasts. “I can’t make any promises, baby. You look hotter than hell tonight. I really should be taking you out to dinner, so I can show you off.” Even though we now had this arrangement, I didn’t want her to forget we were also dating and I wanted to be able to treat her to a nice dinner sometimes.

  “No way, I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” she said, pouting as she gestured to the ingredients spread out around her.

  “Suit yourself, sweetheart.” I watched her preparing the dough, thinking how cute she looked when she was concentrating. “How did your roommates and boss react when you told them you’d be MIA for a while?”

  “Actually, it worked out pretty well. Miranda’s uncle wanted to move back in a little earlier than expected, so he took my room, which means I don’t have to pay rent this month.”

  “Won’t it be weird for the girls, having some creepy old man living there with them?” I asked, laughing.

  “Oh, he’s not old,” Jaci said, wiggling her eyebrows. “He’s early thirties and pretty hot from what I hear.”

  I took a deep pull of my beer, trying to wipe the scowl off my face before I said, “Then I guess it’s a good thing you’re stayin’ here with me, isn’t it?”

  She giggled before leaning across the counter to kiss me. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous, Nex.”

  I’d never had reason to be jealous before, but this girl gave me reason every day. I couldn’t step outside holding her hand without having to deal with wandering eyes and wagging tongues. Bastards.

  “I thought you’re all about healthy eating,” I said, looking for a subject change. “How come I get pizza?”

  “This is whole grain, thin crust, lots of veggies,” she explained, laughing when I made a face. “It’s the barbeque chicken that makes it. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

  Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t tell her. “Whatever you say, beautiful.”

  “The sauce is amazing. I used to beg my mama to make this for me when I was a kid.”

  “Is your mom still able to cook?” I asked, wondering when I would get to meet the woman who had obviously been such a huge influence on her.

  “Yeah, but not like she used to,” Jaci said, her eyes downcast as she rolled out the dough. “She, uh, used to work for my aunt at the diner, but she’s not able to do that so much anymore. She doesn’t have the same strength in her hands, so she was dropping things a lot.”

  “How does she manage?” Judging by the stories Jaci had told me, they’d lived hand-to-mouth when she was growing up, so I couldn’t imagine how her mother was surviving without a steady paycheck.

  “She gets a small disability, and my aunt still lets her work the cash register and clean up. She just can’t do much of the cooking or waiting tables anymore.” She set the covered dough aside while she began washing and chopping vegetables. “She’s had a lot of other jobs too: teaching, pet-sitting, and grooming. But she had to give up working with animals since some of the dogs were stronger than she was. And she loves teaching, but a few days a month isn’t enough to pay the bills.”

  “Your aunt is your mama’s sister?” I asked, reaching for a piece of sliced sweet pepper and popping it in my mouth.

  “Yeah, they’re really close. My aunt Bea was the only one who encouraged me to come here. I was nervous about leavin’ Mama, but she promised she’d look out for her. She said I was only gonna be young once and she didn’t wanna see me miss out on any opportunities.”

  I had a feeling I was going to like her aunt Bea. “Sounds like you two are close too?”

  “We are,” she said, smiling. “Her daughter was like my best friend growing up, so I was over at their house more than I was at home.”

  “Are you and your cousin still close?”

  She shrugged. “Lacy got married right after graduation. She and her husband just had a baby girl, so that keeps her pretty busy these days.”

  “She still lives in Hartwell?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jesus, did anyone ever leave? “I guess you’ll see her while you’re home though, right?”

  “Yeah, but…” She bit her lip.

  “What is it?” I could tell there was something bothering her and she wasn’t sure if she should tell me.

  “Lacy’s husband is best friends with Scott. It might be kind of weird being around them, given…”

  “Given what?” She hadn’t said much about her ex since we started dating, and now I was starting to wonder if he’d been giving her a hard time. “Hey, Jac,” I said, leaning over to take the knife out of her hand. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

  “It’s just that going home will be kind of weird.” She sighed, glancing up at me. “Scott and I were a couple for a long time. We had the same friends.”

  Which meant she would definitely be seeing him. Maybe even hanging out with him. Damn.

  “I haven’t made much of an effort to keep in touch with any of them since I came here because, well, every time we talked, they kept pressuring me about getting back with Scott. And I didn’t want to hear it.”

  I hated to think of anyone putting pressure on her to get back with a guy who clearly didn’t appreciate her. “Has he contacted you?”

  She nodded. “I sent him an e-card on his birthday a couple of weeks ago. He called to thank me.”

  I clenched my jaw before reaching for my beer bottle. “You mind telling me why the hell you’d do that if you’re so done with him?”

  She walked around the island, wrapping her arms around my neck as she stood between my legs. “I am done with him, and when we talked, I made that very clear. Again.”

  It was hard to be mad at her, especially when she was dropping delicate kisses on my cheek and along my jawline. Goddamn. I’d never been as weak as this woman made
me feel. “Did you tell him about me?” I asked, pulling her closer.

  “I did.” She smiled as she traced my lips with her index finger.

  “And? How did he react?”

  “As you would expect,” she said, running her palm down my chest. “He wasn’t happy. He still thinks we’re getting back together.”

  Since her hand was on my chest, I knew she could feel my heart thumping wildly at the mention of her getting back together with her ex. I wrapped my hand around hers, tipping her chin so she was looking me in the eye. “What did you tell him?”

  “That it was over and I didn’t think we could be friends anymore.”

  Thank God. “Good, I think that’s for the best, don’t you?”

  “I do.” She leaned into me, holding me, while she released a contented sigh. “I knew this would happen.”

  “What?”

  “You’re distracting me.” Slapping my shoulder playfully, she said, “Now let me get back to work.”

  ***

  I’d driven out of my way for lunch the next day, hoping I could catch Mac at the bakery. I wanted to get her take on Jaci and me, find out if she had any words of wisdom to offer.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Mac said, smiling brightly from behind the counter when I walked in. “What brings you by?”

  “I was hoping you could take a break,” I said, kissing her cheek when she rounded the counter to give me a hug. “Talk to me for a bit.”

  “Of course. Grab us a table, and I’ll get us a couple of coffees. Can I get you something to eat?”

  I couldn’t wipe the dopey grin off my face when I said, “No, thanks. Jaci packed my lunch.”

  Mac laughed, patting my cheek. “You are just too cute, Nex.”

  Cute? I couldn’t say I’d ever been called cute before, not even by my sister-in-law, and I wasn’t sure I liked it. “Cute?” I frowned. “I’m not cute. Ruggedly handsome, maybe. Sexy? Definitely. But not cute.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” a pretty blonde seated a nearby table said.

  I smiled at her and her girlfriend before Mac backhanded me in the chest. “Don’t forget you’re taken, Casanova.”