She smiled at him. “I remember everything you tell me.”
He stumbled to a stop and looked at her.
“You okay? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, just the opposite.” She raised her brow, expecting him to explain, but instead he placed his hand on her lower back and guided her inside.
“Oh my goodness. Billy! I can’t believe it. Come here and give me a hug.” A large woman with multiple chins and heavy arms pulled him into a hug. When she let go, she looked over his shoulder at Bridget. “Well, aren’t you lovely. Is this a special occasion?”
“It is special.” He took Bridget’s hand and introduced her to Mrs. Brava. “Today is her birthday.”
“Oh, wonderful. We’ll sit you at our best table.”
Their best table was a private booth in the corner with low lights and candles. He should have mentioned that it wasn’t a romantic dinner to Mrs. Brava, but seeing Bridget so happy, he didn’t bother to clear up the misunderstanding.
The food was as delicious as he remembered, but that wasn’t the best part. He and Bridget spent two hours talking and laughing. He never felt so relaxed or comfortable as he did when he was with her.
In a word, she was charming. When they finished their dessert, he was reluctant to leave their quiet corner for a loud dance club.
As they were leaving, Mrs. Brava gave each of them a goodbye hug. “Everything was wonderful. Thank you!” Bridget gushed.
After promising to come back again, they left for the club. On the ride there, Bridget leaned back in the leather seats with a satisfied grin. She had one glass of wine with dessert, and now her cheeks were flushed and she giggled at everything he said.
She held onto his arm and leaned into him. “I’m having the best night ever.”
He laughed at her proclamation. The wine was catching up to her. He would have to monitor what she drank for the rest of the evening.
* * *
Lights flashed around the room as the music blared. It reminded him of how much he hated clubs.
He guided her to the bar, where he ordered lemon drop shots, a beer for him, and a sex on the beach for her, since trying different alcoholic drinks was on her birthday to-do list.
They did their lemon drop shots first. By the smile on her face, he guessed she enjoyed it, but she loved the cocktail. “So good.” The drink disappeared quickly and so did her inhibitions. He ordered a couple of waters in an attempt to slow her pace. At this rate, he’d have to carry her out of there.
They sat knee to knee, leaning into each other to speak. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. She was incredibly beautiful. Her legs kept drawing his attention especially when she crossed them and uncrossed them. But that was nothing compared to her breasts barely contained in that dress. When she bent over to scratch her ankle, he gripped the edge of the bar and turned away. He didn’t want to look at her in that way. But he couldn’t help it.
He took a long pull from his beer and shook his head.
This is Bridget, Billy reminded himself.
Her easy laugh drew attention from a table of guys seated near them. When he slid a possessive hand around her waist, she shifted closer. He bit back a smile when he noticed goose bumps on her arms.
After looking at the clock, she pulled out her cell phone. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Just checking to see if Diane called.” He was surprised it took her this long to check on Katie.
“Don’t worry. She’s okay.”
“I know. I’m not worried.”
Liar.
“Excuse me for a minute. I need to use the ladies room.” Code for I’m going to call Diane.
She proved him correct when she passed the bathroom and stood near the back exit with her phone to one ear and a finger in the other. He smiled and waited for her to finish. When she turned around and saw him leaning against the wall, she shook her head. “Don’t look at me that way.”
“I’m not.” He grinned.
“I needed to check on her.”
“I know.” He loved her for it.
They made their way back to the bar and ordered a couple of waters. He didn’t want the evening to end too early because she was drunk.
As they sat next to one another, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, one of the men, who had been sitting at the table of guys openly admiring Bridget. He made his way to the seat next to hers. Before the man could get comfortable, Billy tugged on Bridget’s hand. “Let’s dance.” He was pretty sure she wanted to, if the way she stared at the dance floor was any sign.
“Oh my God! Really? Freja told me you never dance.”
“I don’t. But for you, anything.”
She bounced on the seat, drawing attention to her breasts. Again. “Yay! I love being me.”
He smirked as he took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. As they reached the crowded dance floor, Billy told himself to muscle through it.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into him. She fit perfectly in his arms. Her softness and the smell of her perfume was enticing.
With her head against his chest, she sighed. “My arms are heavy.” He tightened his hold around her waist and chuckled to himself.
“You’re a sexy man, Mr. Hall.”
“So I’ve heard.” He could feel her smile against his chest.
“And you smell yummy. Just like…man.”
He couldn’t contain his laughter. Tipsy Bridget was informative and entertaining. If he asked her the questions she normally avoided, he wondered if she’d answer now.
“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked.
“You can tell me anything.” And he meant it.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. His eyes focused on her pretty pink lips and how much he wanted to kiss them and didn’t hear what she said. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Preston asked me and Katie to move in with him.”
Stunned, Billy loosened his hold on her. It was bound to happen, but…
“Is it me, or did we stop moving?”
“Sorry.” He swayed to the song, but his movements were no longer slow and smooth. Bridget and Katie were moving out? Just the idea left a heavy weight in his stomach. He hated the idea of not having his girls around.
His girls.
“I told him no.”
An unexpected relief washed over him.
“I don’t know why. I love him.”
Her words were a punch to the gut. It shouldn’t bother him that she’s in love with her boyfriend. But it did.
“I should want to, right?”
He wanted to shout “No!” If they moved in with Preston, it would change everything.
“Why don’t you?” he asked instead.
“I…I don’t want to talk about it. Please, don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t.”
Hours later, she fell asleep leaning against him on the ride home. He stopped drinking right after she exposed her secret. One of them needed to stay sober. Holding her tightly against his side, Billy looked at the woman in his arms and tried to deny the feelings that had been bubbling up. He thought back through the past year and realized that things had been changing for a while, but tonight…she was so much more than the girl he took in at sixteen. So much more. Billy swallowed the lump in his throat. How did he not see it before?
After a failed attempt to wake her, he managed to carry her up the stairs.
Still awake, Diane whispered, “How’d it go?”
“Good.” He carried Bridget to her room and laid her on her bed. “I’m going to stay the night. I drank too much to drive home,” Billy lied. He didn’t want to explain why he felt the need to stay. “So you can head out.”
Diane yawned and mumbled, “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”
“Yup.” He locked the door behind her.
He went back into Bridget’s room to grab a blanket and pillow from her closet. When he turned to leave, he f
ound Bridget standing on unsteady feet, trying to unzip her dress. “Can you help?” she whined.
She turned around and waited.
The lump in his throat was back. He’d been fighting his attraction to her all evening. It was pointless. She enchanted him. Billy loved her—every sexy inch of her.
He stepped behind her, lifting her sweat-dampened hair and placing it over her shoulder. His hands shook as he reached for the zipper. He tried to turn away as he exposed her silky skin with its spattering of freckles. What he wouldn’t give to be able to touch her and worship her body. Once the zipper was down, he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra and noticed the top of her thong. He pulled his hands away before he did something he’d regret.
She has a boyfriend.
Whom she loves.
She turned around, holding the bodice up with her arm and thanked him. He left the room, shutting the door behind him before he made the biggest mistake of his life.
After checking on Katie, he slid off his shoes, socks, and belt and unbuttoned his shirt. As he pulled it off, Bridget’s door opened. She steadied herself against the doorframe, her eyes watching him. She looked sexy as hell in a T-shirt that barely covered her ass. His eyes went directly to her lean legs and followed the line. They stopped and stared at her hard nipples until he eventually commanded them to meet her eyes. But Bridget’s eyes had settled on his newest tattoo. Her eyes widened as she stepped closer. Her eyes never left his chest until she stood in front of him.
Embarrassed, he tried to pull his shirt back on, but she stopped him. “Sweets,” she whispered. Her fingers traced each letter as one lone tear fell down her cheek. She looked into his eyes and gave him a sad smile as she pressed her hand flat against his chest.
“You tattooed her name on your chest.” With Bridget’s hand still covering his heart, he placed his over hers and held it for a moment.
“She had my heart from the first moment I held her in my arms.”
Bridget slid her hand from beneath his and wrapped her arms around him. Her body molded against his, and her hands grazed his bare skin. Her scent was making him crazy. He wanted her.
Billy closed his eyes, willing himself to do the right thing. She needed to go back to bed. If he kept holding her, he’d lose the last of his resolve.
“I wish it had been you,” she whispered.
“What, sweetheart?”
She pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. “I wish you had been Katie’s dad. She loves you so much. I love you so much.”
Speechless, Billy cradled Bridget’s face in his hands and kissed her cheek. She placed one hand behind his neck, pulling him closer until their lips met. He felt her heartbeat increase as they stood chest to chest. She opened her mouth to him, and he lost it. He expressed his love, affection, and wish for her in that one kiss. It was so much more than he imagined and, at the same time, not nearly enough.
He pulled away, taking a deep breath.
With heavy-lidded eyes, she pulled him back. “One more,” she begged.
But his conscience caught up with him.
She has a boyfriend, and she’s drunk.
“You need sleep.”
She shook her head. “I need you.”
“Come on, sweetheart.”
Bridget reluctantly let him guide her back to bed. He tucked her in and kissed her cheek. Within seconds, soft snores escaped her lips.
Chapter Twenty-Three
July 2000
Bridget
She lay awake in the early morning hours, trying to connect her memories from last night. Billy danced? She rubbed at her eyes and smiled. He danced with her when Freja swore he never did. Something else niggled in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She had fun. She knew that, but after their arrival at the club, her memory became a bit fuzzy. Pictures of him talking and smiling flashed in her mind like slides on a film.
The image of him shirtless with a tattoo shot her straight up in bed. She’d never seen him shirtless. It had to be a dream. But…she looked at her fingers then at her closed door. She’d touched his chest.
Bridget slid out of bed, opened her bedroom door, and peeked out. He lay sprawled out on the couch in only last night’s slacks. His feet hung off the edge while one arm dangled off the side of the sofa and the other covered his face.
As she stepped forward, she looked at his chest. SWEETS. It was coming back to her. He’d tattooed her daughter’s name on his chest—over his heart.
She sat on the edge of the couch, her hip touching his. Her fingers followed the lines of the letters.
When had he done this?
His hand lifted and settled over hers. Their eyes met. “Did I see this last night?”
He nodded. “Do you remember last night?”
She scrunched up her face in thought. “I remember dinner, bits and parts of the club and getting into the limo to come home, but the rest is…” Another image flashed through her mind.
She’d kissed him.
Please, say I didn’t. Please. Please. Please.
With panicked voice, she asked, “We didn’t...”
A knock on the door interrupted her question. Then she heard him. “Bridget! It’s me.”
Preston.
Bridget prayed the kiss was only a dream. If she had kissed Billy, she’d never forgive herself. She loved Preston, and though, she wasn’t ready to move in, she didn’t want to jeopardize their relationship.
Her cheeks blushed when she realized she was just in a T-shirt. Then she looked at Billy and quickly turned away. “We should get dressed before I open the door. He’ll think that…” She pointed back and forth.
With a scratchy voice, Billy sighed and said, “I know exactly what he’d think.”
She hurried to her bedroom, to put on shorts and a bra then stepped back into the living room.
“Bridget?” Preston yelled through the door.
Her voice hitched as she shouted, “Coming.”
What had she done last night? She fought hoping to remove the haze over her memory, but nothing.
Once Billy had his shirt on, she swung open the door. Preston lifted her in his arms and held her. “God I missed you. Happy belated birthday!” She melted into his arms as he gave her a deep kiss.
Something wasn’t right. The taste of his kiss was different, he smelled different, even the scruff on his face rubbed her differently. But there wasn’t anything about him that had changed. This was Preston, but last night…
When they released their hold, she turned away to wipe her mouth. Did she…? She turned to look at Billy, who was staring at her with the same intensity. She needed to talk to him and find out what happened.
“Oh, Billy, sorry, I didn’t realize you’d still be here.” Preston stepped toward Billy and shook his hand then asked Bridget, “Did you have fun last night?”
She gave him a half-smile. “I’m pretty sure, but I don’t remember much.”
“We did.” Billy gave a forced smile.
“Did you keep her safe from all the guys?”
Another image came to mind of her leaning into him with his arm around her waist.
“I did,” Billy said as he stared at her.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve been there.” Preston pulled her back in his arms and kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay. You’re here now.”
“Thanks for staying, man, but I’ve got it from here.” For a split second, Billy’s eyes turned down and his hands fisted. Without saying a word, he sat to pull on his shoes and socks.
A sleepy Katie stepped out of her bedroom. “Morning.” Her voice was groggy, but her smile was big. “Why are boys here?”
Bridget gave her daughter a forced smile. “Billy slept over last night because I wasn’t feeling well and…”
“And I came to take my two favorite girls to breakfast,” Preston announced.
Katie climbed on Billy’s lap and leaned into him. “I want Billy pancakes
.”
An awkward silence filled the room. Of all the mornings for her to ask… Bridget smiled at Katie and cheerfully said, “That’s a good idea.” As Bridget lifted Katie to give her a hug, she looked at Billy, “if Billy is up for it.”
“I am.” Billy’s body was stiff, and his face held no expression except when he smiled at Katie.
“Let’s get the ingredients.” Bridget carried her daughter to the kitchen and helped her pull the supplies out of the cupboards.
When Bridget glanced over her shoulder, the boys stood stiffly facing each other. Then she heard Preston. “Did something…happen last night?” he asked.
Bridget stood still, watching and waiting for Billy to reply.
Billy looked at her then back to Preston. “Besides lots of drinking? No.”
Relieved, she took a shuttering breath. She wasn’t a cheater.
It must have been a dream.
Chapter Twenty-Four
August 1:30 PM
Billy
Resolved.
Billy could see it on her face. Bridget’s head was held high, her shoulders back, and her facial expressions were controlled. She’d decided, and that was that.
It made Billy proud to see her so strong, except when it was directed at him. Today had been an emotional roller coaster, and he was ready to get off the ride. He never expected to be jealous, but watching Katie meet her biological dad, and then to hear him talk so lovingly about Bridget, had pushed Billy to the edge.
His girls had relied on him for a long time, and he wasn’t ready to give up the role as their protector. Every moment they spent with Phillip was one more step away from him. Everything Billy loved could be lost so easily.
He led her to his office and closed the door behind them. She let go of his hand and sat in the chair across from his desk but wouldn’t face him. Refusing to be so far away, he dragged his office chair around the desk and placed it directly in front of her.
He waited for her to open up, but she stayed quiet, and her eyes focused on a rip in the carpet at the edge of his desk.
Until Now Page 16