by Emery Jacobs
After listening to her lay her broken heart out over the phone, I told her to text me today once she got home, and I would stop by her house to pick up her car after work. That’s where Leo comes in. I need him to drop me off at her house to grab her car and bring it back to the shop. Dave will pick it up next week.
Once the building is secure, I head down the narrow sidewalk toward the company truck to wait for Leo. A familiar Mercedes is parked at an angle near the shop entrance. Every muscle in my body becomes rigid, and I immediately want to turn around and walk back inside. But I can’t. It’s time for me to face the fucking music and admit defeat. I can no longer continue this charade with Emmie, and I’m done dealing with her brother. Miles smirks and folds his arms across his chest.
“Mr. Matson,” he mutters, shaking his head.
I look over my shoulder to be sure Leo hasn’t left the building yet, because I don’t want him anywhere near the conversation Miles and I are about to have.
“What are you doing here?” I inquire as I stop near the front of my truck, leaving plenty of space between us.
“You’re really going to ask me that question?” He pushes up off the Mercedes and takes a couple of steps in my direction.
“Look, Miles, I have somewhere important to be, so you’ll have to come back later.” I look over my shoulder at the side door again before returning my gaze to him. “I don’t have time to talk to you today.”
“Nah, I think we have plenty of time to talk about why you’re not taking my calls or responding to my texts. Did you forget about our agreement?” Miles asks as he loosens his tie.
“No, I didn’t forget about you asking me to stalk your sister, and I also didn’t forget that I told you I could walk away at any time.” I shove my hands in my front pockets and lean against the truck. “So, I guess you could say this is me walking away.”
An irritating peal of laughter shoots from Miles’s mouth, making me want to punch the guy in the face.
“Giving up so soon? I haven’t even started your ads yet. My guy just got all your social media accounts up and running, so now we need to discuss budget and ad ideas. I still believe I can help you turn this place around,” he says, his voice bold and confident.
“I think you’ve done enough, and I’ve given you six weeks of what you wanted. You’ve developed my website and had someone decorate the lobby, and if you have my social media sites ready to go, I’ll have my sister do the rest. She’s already volunteered to help me with all the online stuff, so I’m good, and your….” I push off the truck and look away. Dread washes over me, and I’m unable to make eye contact with him. If I can ever dig myself out of this mess, I will walk the straight and narrow, because all the lies are tying my gut into knots. “Emmie’s doing fine. I don’t think she’s dating the blond guy anymore, and from what I can tell, she only hangs out with her friends. I haven’t seen her with any other men, so I think it’s safe to say she’ll be good without someone watching her every move.”
Miles lifts his eyebrows and cocks his head. “What are you not telling me, Mr. Matson?”
I take a step back, away from this asshole, and suck in a deep breath.
“What do you mean? I’ve told you everything I know about your sister. She’s not doing anything that should cause you to be concerned. I’m done wasting your time and mine, so I’m ending our agreement.” I’m fucking done with this conversation, and with Miles Carmichael.
I turn away from him and head back toward the shop to get Leo.
“I know she’s been here,” he says smugly.
Motherfucker.
Of course he knows; he has a tracking device on her Jeep. I completely forgot about that.
As soon as the words leave his mouth, I know I have to tell him the truth—not the kissing and wanting to fuck his sister truth, but as close to the truth as I can manage without making myself look like a bigger asshole than I am.
I stop and look back over my shoulder. His stance is wide, and the look on his face says it all—smug, arrogant, cocky.
I nod my head and admit, “You’re right. Emmie has been here… twice.”
“Twice?” A strange look flashes across his face. Anger? Concern? Jealousy? His body is tense and his fists clench at his sides. Surely this asshole isn’t jealous of his sister being around another man. Our agreement was driven by his and his parents’ worry and concern for Emmie. They knew she would be dating and were uneasy about her safety, but jealousy about his sister and other men is… sick, weird, and perverse. I shake my head in an attempt to clear my mind of those thoughts.
When I direct my gaze back to Miles, he’s moving toward me. His look has reverted back to the one I’m used to. His smirk has returned, and his movements are sharp and determined. Once he’s standing in front of me, he cocks his head and raises his eyebrows.
“Why would my…” He hesitates for a beat like he needs to regroup, to consider his words before he speaks again. “Emmie—why would Emmie need to be here even once? Please tell me you weren’t so ignorant as to tell her about this?” He motions between us.
“This?” I question.
“Yes, this. Why are you being so dense today? You act like you don’t fucking know what’s going on. Our agreement, you didn’t tell her, did you? Because if you did—”
I cut him off before he can finish his sentence, because I’m afraid if he says what I think he’s going to say, I’ll throw a punch at him and, with any luck, break his jaw. On second thought, a broken jaw would take care of the sneer he’s wearing.
“I didn’t tell her anything. Do you think I’m a fucking idiot?”
He forces a laugh before answering, “Well, Mr. Matson, I’d have to say the jury’s still out on that one.”
I wipe the sweat from my brow and glare at Miles.
“She brought in her Jeep to be repaired and then followed up when she had another problem. Nothing that I couldn’t handle, but your attitude today is worse than usual. Are you here to start a fight, Miles?” I growl. I’m not a fighter, but this motherfucker is about to push me past my limit. “Say what you came here to say and leave. I’m finished with you and your fucking ridiculous idea of me following your sister around for your sick pleasure.”
My nostrils flare as I pull in a deep breath to try to regain control of my emotions before I end up in the back seat of a police car.
Miles leans against my truck. “Calm down, man. I’m not here to fight you. I just don’t understand why you changed your mind. Everything seemed to be going well and then out of nowhere you stopped answering my texts and ignored all my calls. What happened?”
“Nothing happened.” I blow out a breath, and then continue, “Now that I’ve met Emmie and she knows who I am, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to randomly show up when she’s out with friends or on a date. It won’t take her long to figure out that I’m following her.”
He nods and rubs his chin. “Yeah, I can see where that may be a problem.”
I fold my arms across my chest and lean against the truck, facing Miles. “Now you understand why I’m done following her around. It’s too risky, and if you want the truth, your sister’s good. I’ve never seen her drink too much or leave the bar with a random guy. She doesn’t have overnight company, and the only people I ever see her with are her friends. I don’t think you or your parents have anything to worry about.” I look away as the memory of our last kiss puts a smile on my face. That fucking kiss would put a smile on anybody’s face.
“Wait a second,” Miles says, pushing himself away from the truck.
“What?” I ask, bringing my gaze back to his.
“You’re smiling.”
“Yeah, so?” I shrug.
“You never smile,” he points out.
“How do you know? I’ve only been around you a couple times, and let’s just say you don’t bring out the best in me.” My smile is replaced with a brow-furrowing grimace. Fuck this asshole.
“But she does, d
oesn’t she?” he asks.
“Does what?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know what’s coming next. He fucking knows. How could I be so stupid? I’m usually so good at controlling my emotions, my facial expressions. I’m always an asshole—always—and nobody makes me smile. I think the last time I smiled was the day my son was born, but that didn’t last long either.
“Emmie—she’s obviously done something to bring out the best in you, because, man, that smile was so big it looked like it hurt your face.” He throws his head back and barks out a laugh. “You know, if it wasn’t so ridiculous, I’d be pissed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’ve got shit to do, so if you can move away from the truck so I can leave, that’d be great,” I grind out through a clenched jaw. I hate that I’ve let him get to me. The last thing I want is for this asshole to know he’s right, but if I don’t calm down, I won’t be able to hide it.
“Let’s not play dumb, Mr. Matson. We both know you’ve got a hard-on for my sister.” He laughs again, but this time the expression on his face changes. It’s now cold, hard, serious. “I’m going to say this once and only once,” Miles growls as he steps toward me. “Stay the fuck away from Emmie. She’s too good for a man like you, a man who followed her around for weeks to better his business, a man who works in a grease pit and can’t offer her anything but a life of poverty. A man with a child.” He hesitates for a second. “Where’s your kid’s mother, Beau? Did she get tired of towing the entire load, so she left you and the kid for something better?”
Anger feeds the adrenaline that surges through my veins. How does he know about Rhys? How does he know anything about me or my life? And why did he think it was okay to mention her? My vision clouds as I step away. All the words he just said are jumbled up in my brain. He took an agreement that was supposed to benefit both of us and turned it into something else, something I never intended it to be. Me and Emmie… I know I’m not the man for her, but that doesn’t mean a part of me doesn’t want to be, at least on some level. Even so, I will not take the blame for any of this fucked-up mess Miles created.
He takes another step in my direction, his expression tight. “I was doing you a favor, asshole, and how did you repay me? Instead of keeping a protective eye on Emmie, you were trying to figure out how to fuck her. How’s that working out for you, Beau? Did you fuck her?”
Miles just doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up. First my family, and now Emmie. I blow out a breath and clench my fists. Then everything happens fast, so fast I don’t even get to appreciate my fist connecting with his jaw.
“What the fuck?” Leo’s voice sounds from across the lot. Great. Just fucking great. I look over my shoulder and find my brother running down the sidewalk in my direction.
Miles wipes a few drops of blood from his chin and chuckles. “Why are you so pissed, Beau? Because your wife left you, or because Emmie won’t fuck you?” He spits a couple times to get rid of the blood in his mouth then heads toward his car. He opens the door to climb inside, but glances back at me one last time. He shakes his head. “You’re fucking pathetic,” he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear him. Then he gets into his car and pulls out of the lot before driving away.
“What the hell was that about?” Leo asks between heavy breaths.
“Damn, little brother, you need to stop smoking and get some exercise. You sound like you just sprinted a mile instead of jogging a few steps across the lot.”
“Very funny, asshole. You’re not gonna tell me why you hit that guy, are you?” he asks.
“Nope. Now get in the truck; we’ve got a lot of shit to do. Oh, yeah, thanks for showing up when you did.”
“Why’s that? You didn’t need me. Looked like you had it all under control,” he says as he climbs into the driver’s seat.
“I did have it under control, but if you hadn’t shown up when you did, that guy would have had to leave in an ambulance, because he would have gotten a beating from me instead of just one hit.” I secure my seat belt and close the truck door.
“I’m not going to ask you who he was or why you felt the need to punch him in the face, because I know you won’t tell me, but I know something is going on with you.” Leo pulls out of the shop and turns right onto the two-lane road. “Updating the lobby, the website, and Hannah mentioned advertising on social media… helping Emmie sell her car, and now you’re throwing punches at a customer.”
“Just drive and don’t worry about me. Everything is good. That guy just got out of line and needed a little reminder.”
“Reminder of what?” Leo questions as he turns onto the street leading to Emmie’s house.
“To shut his fucking mouth.”
“Do you think he’ll press charges for assault?”
Fuck! I didn’t even think about that, but if he does, then I’ll deal with it. The bastard made my blood boil, but hitting him probably wasn’t the best idea, and now I’m worried that he may be sitting outside Emmie’s house. Luckily, there’s no sign of him as Leo pulls up along the curb next to her driveway.
I squeeze and release my right hand a couple times before shaking it. Damn, I haven’t hit anybody or anything in so long I’d forgotten how the hint of pain radiating in my wrist and hand actually makes me feel alive.
“Are you gonna wait out here until I leave?” I ask Leo as I push open the door.
“Hell, no. That wasn’t part of the deal.” He smiles. “I have plans.”
He doesn’t have any plans, and I need him to wait for me until I’m safely in the Lexus and backing out of the driveway. If he’s here waiting on me, then I don’t have time for anything else. The last couple times I’ve been alone with Emmie, there’s been a kiss, and without a chaperone, I’m afraid there will be more. It’s not that I don’t want more, but there can never be more for us, especially now, after what just happened with Miles.
“You don’t have plans, and even if you do, they can wait five minutes,” I tell him.
“Look, Beau, just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean I’m not, and right now, I’m on my way to eat a home-cooked meal and then get a blowjob.”
I look back at my brother with raised eyebrows. “I thought your girlfriend didn’t cook.”
Leo shakes his head. “She doesn’t. I’m going to Mom’s to eat dinner and then over to Lydia’s for the blowjob.”
What an idiot. I climb out of the truck and plead my case one more time. “Just hang out here for a couple of minutes. I’m gonna grab the keys from Emmie at the door and that’s it.”
“Just get the fucking keys and leave. Damn, you act like you’re afraid to be alone with a woman,” Leo mumbles.
Well, I am, sort of. I want to tell my brother everything, about Miles, about the kisses, about my out-of-control attraction for Emmie. I need him to know that if we’re alone and she touches me, I won’t be able to stop myself, and that can’t happen. Miles is so damn unstable he could be pissed off to the point that he called Emmie and told her everything. I have no idea what I’m walking into.
“Just go get your blowjob and whatever else it is you have to do.” I slap the top of the truck, suck in a deep breath, and head for the front door.
14
Emmie
The knock at my front door is so soft I barely hear it. Beau. He’s here, standing outside my house. Why am I so nervous? My wobbly legs slowly move me from the kitchen, across my living room, and into the foyer. My heart is pounding so damn hard against my ribs that it almost takes my breath away. As I stop with my hand on the knob, a wave of nausea hits me. I need to calm down. He’s just a man—an extremely sexy man who brings out an aggressive have-no-fear side of me I didn’t know existed until he came along, but still just a man. I squeeze my eyes closed and will myself to relax. He’s only here to pick up my car, not to strip off all my clothes and fuck me on my living room floor. Oh, God. I’ve got to shut my mind down. I suck in a couple deep breaths and mumble, “I can do this.” I sm
ooth down my skirt with shaky hands then pull the front door open.
“Hi,” I say as a nervous smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. This man is so much better looking today than he was only a week ago. Sexy. Strong. Rugged. His silver eyes shine as his gaze meets mine. Neither of us says anything for a few seconds… or maybe it’s minutes… but it doesn’t matter, because the silence is comfortable. Beau rubs the back of his neck and leans against the doorframe. Should I invite him in or just give him the keys? The garage door is open, so he doesn’t really have to come inside.
“The keys?” Beau asks, his eyes searching for something behind me.
“Right, the keys. I’m sorry, it’s been one of those days. You know what I mean? It seems like if it could go wrong, it did.” He doesn’t answer my question. He doesn’t say anything, and I’m okay with his silence. I knew from the first time I met him he didn’t talk much. He’s silent, brooding, all man. I rush over to the desk where I keep the keys to the Lexus and grab both sets.
When I turn around to walk back into the foyer, Beau’s moved from the doorway into the middle of my living room. His stance is wide and his hands are jammed in the front pockets of his jeans. His oil-stained blue shirt fits snugly across his broad chest. Just the sight of him standing in my living room causes my pulse to race and my breath to catch in my throat. I don’t want Beau to know how much him being inside my house affects me, so I keep smiling and continue to walk in his direction.
“I have two. I thought your friend might want both, because hopefully he’ll sell the car, and whoever buys it will, of course, need both sets of keys. Thank you again for doing this. I would have never been able to sell it without your help.” Shit, here I go again with all the fucking words. I’m such a jabberer when I’m nervous.