He seemed happy to chat with everyone with the exception of me. Any time he looked my way, his expression turned into either a scowl or a fake smile that never quite reached his eyes the way I remembered. I wasn’t sure at what point our friendship turned so sour, but I figured it had to be around the time he up and left the band without so much as a goodbye.
It’d bothered me all night. I imagined our first encounter after all these years would be a little awkward, but I hadn’t expected him to look at me the way he did, like I wasn’t worth so much as a hello. I hated not knowing what I did or what had made him feel so much disdain for me.
“What’s got you all worked up, Doc?” he asked as he approached our table for only the second time tonight.
“You were in a band,” she accused.
“Yeah.” His shoulders lifted and fell. “I told you that.”
“Noooo.” She pointed a finger in his direction, twirling it clockwise. “What you told me was that you played lead guitar in a band you put together in high school. You failed to mention that band was Augustine. What the hell, Tim? How could you not tell me that part?”
His condemning eyes shot to me as if I’d let out some enormous secret. Every gorgeous angle of his face was taut with agitation. I didn’t understand what the big deal was. The whole table, except maybe Hannah and Devin, was already aware. Straightening my shoulders, I stared back in challenge, raising my eyebrows. Despite the silent anger he was sending my direction, I wouldn’t apologize for saying anything.
“It wasn’t worth mentioning,” he parried.
Devin rolled her eyes then turned her attention back to me, leaning forward conspiratorially as she asked, “Was he any good?”
“One of the best,” I replied truthfully. “A hard person to replace.”
His eyes held mine for a beat longer, softening slightly. And for that single, fleeting moment, it felt like it used to. Like he cared. But it vanished as soon as Devin demanded, “Play something for us.”
“No,” Tim rasped, looking away and starting to clear the table of empty beer bottles and glasses.
“Oh, come on,” she pleaded with him.
He shook his head with a half-annoyed, half-amused smile. “That’s all ancient history, Doc.”
“You can sing too, right? I still remember your performance in the high school talent show,” Aaron chimed in.
Tim stayed silent, not liking all the attention that was being aimed his direction. He passed the empties off to one of his servers.
“Yeah, you had a much better voice than Bobby,” Wes added, putting his arm around Devin. “I still don’t understand what you’re doing bartending.”
I tucked my lips between my teeth, keeping my opinion on the matter to myself. I agreed with every one of them wholeheartedly, but I could tell the conversation was making Tim uncomfortable. I wasn’t looking to add any fuel to the fire of his unexplainable contempt for me.
The truth was Tim should’ve been the lead singer, but he’d stepped back, letting Bobby take the lead to keep from making waves amongst his friends in the band. Tim was great at both the guitar and singing. Bobby’s voice was the only talent he had to contribute. He hadn’t learned the guitar until a year after the band had formed and it was only enough to get by. I was positive Bobby’s prime motivation for that was just to look cool holding the guitar while he sang.
“Because it’s my job. Speaking of, it’s last call,” Tim warned the group, effectively ending the subject.
“Thanks, man. But I think we’re done here,” Tucker announced. “We need to get home and take the kids off Dad and Grams’ hands.”
“No problem. You guys be safe on the road,” Tim said, giving Tucker a firm handshake.
“Will do, man.”
“Conley, you need a ride? I’m sure someone could give you one,” Lottie said as we all stood and gathered our things.
“Oh, I—I think I’m fine.”
“You aren’t driving,” Hannah insisted.
“Really, I—”
“Nope, the girls are right. You need to get a ride. We’d take you, but we’ve got the kids’ car seats,” Tucker said apologetically.
I looked toward the others and no one would meet my eyes, all firing off lame excuses, talking over one another.
“Yeah, car seats—”
“We live outside of town—”
“We’re going the opposite direction.”
Planting my hands on my hips, I wondered what the hell was going on. The last one was the worst excuse of all, considering I hadn’t ever mentioned where I lived.
“Timmy can take you. Right, buddy?” Wes smacked Tim on the shoulder, shooting him an ornery grin with a wink.
Shell-shocked, Tim looked from Wes to the others and then finally at me. “I ugh…I’ll give Roger a call to see if he can swing by and pick her up.” He reached for the cell phone in his pocket.
“Nope. He’s on a date tonight.”
“With who? I thought he was on duty.” Tim’s eyes narrowed. It had become more than obvious this was a setup.
“Don’t worry about it,” Wes retorted.
“Whatever,” Tim shook his head in defeat, "I’ll give her a ride.”
“You don’t have to,” I blurted, my entire body burning with annoyance. “I’m sure I can call my parents…” I glanced at my watch, knowing they’d already be conked out for the night, “or my brother. I have my car here anyway and don’t really want to leave it behi—”
“I said I would,” Tim interrupted my rambling, gripping the back of his neck, and then glanced over his shoulder. “Just give me a minute to talk to Melanie. I’ll have her follow us and bring me back to shut down the bar.”
“Whelp. Now that’s all settled,” Wes cut in when the awkward tension suffocated us all. “Conley, it was great seeing you.” He pulled me in for a reassuring hug and spoke low in my ear. “Hang in there, girl. He’ll come around.”
I nodded, wondering what he knew that I didn’t. When he released me, the others swarmed me with hugs, goodbyes, and promises to see each other soon, leaving Tim and me to stare uncomfortably at each other.
“I can wait…you know, until you’re done closing up,” I offered in a hushed tone, shoving my hands in my back pockets, wanting to end the strained silence passing between us. I didn’t want to be any more of an inconvenience to him, even if hanging around without the others would be unbearable.
“I’ll get Melanie,” was all he said in response before walking away.
The rocks crunching below our shoes were abnormally loud as we walked beside each other toward my car.
“Keys.” Tim held out his palm.
“Right,” I fumbled them, nearly dropping them as I passed them off.
Smooth, Conley. “Real smooth,” I grumbled to myself, lolling my head back, looking toward the stars as we went to our separate sides of the car.
“What was that?”
I snapped my head forward and looked at him over the roof of the car, heat flaming across my skin. “Nothing.”
The brows on his handsome face knitted, the intensity of his stare causing goosebumps to break out on my arms. I crossed them, rubbing my hands up and down.
“If you’re cold, you should’ve worn more clothes,” he said snidely.
“I’m not cold.” I frowned as I glanced down at my black tank top, finding my nipples puckering. I moved my arms higher to cover the damn things. When he hadn’t bothered to say another word or make a move to open the car I huffed. “Are we gonna stand here all night, or are you gonna unlock the door?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glared.
“Nothing,” he muttered, shaking his head like I was a slow learner. He pressed the key fob and the locks clicked open.
Neither of us said another word as we buckled in and he started the car. With his left hand on the wheel, he angled to face me.
“Where’s Bobby?”
My mouth fell open as I looked over at him. “Seriously? That’s what you want to know? Not, where do you live?”
He said nothing and continued to stare.
“Unreal…” I rolled my eyes, folding my arms once again, hiding my left hand.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Well, your question sucks.”
“Why?”
I paused, looking out the windshield before finally answering, “He’s in L.A.”
I wasn’t giving him any more than that. Frankly, he didn’t deserve to know, with the way he’d been treating me all night. When I came here, I thought Tim would be the one person I could eventually talk to about everything. That naïve part of me thought we’d fall right back into the same relationship we’d always had. That he’d be the one who understood.
I hadn’t realized Tim had written me off the same way he had the whole band when he left.
The car was stuffy with heavy silence, his intrusive stare searing my profile. I cracked the passenger window, needing the cool, crisp spring air. It was impossible to breathe when he was so near.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked, not bothering to hide my irritation.
“Melanie.”
The inner child in me wanted to mock her name out loud. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, continuing to ignore him the best I could. I had nothing against her. It was him I wanted to lash out at. Scream at.
A pair of headlights shone through the back windshield with the start of another car engine. I assumed it was Melanie when he checked the rearview mirror before shifting the car in reverse. “Where do you live?”
“The new complex off First.”
That earned me another questioning side glance. It wouldn’t be long before he put the pieces together. If Bobby were moving here with me, we’d be buying a house. Something more permanent, something flashier, and unnecessary. Needing to take the subject off me, I asked, “So are you and Melanie…” I trailed off, suddenly unsure why I’d asked him about her. My cheeks heated as I picked at the non-existent lint on my jeans.
“Are we what?”
“You know.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Seriously?” I clipped. “When did you become such an epic jerk?”
I got the full force of his offended glare this time, before he looked back at the road. “No… I don’t mix business and pleasure.”
I didn’t want to think about the relief I felt from his answer. It shouldn’t have mattered to me if he had a girlfriend.
The rest of the ride was about as pleasant as the beginning. The only thing filling the cringe-worthy silence was the sound of his thumb drumming on the steering wheel to the beat of the music playing on the radio.
When he’d turned right, driving through the main entrance to my mid-size complex, I breathed a little easier, knowing soon I’d be in the safety of my apartment and away from his questioning side glances. Home, sweet home. I sighed, half-relieved and half-depressed as he shifted the car into park.
“I’ll walk you to your door.”
“No need.” I reached for the keys in the ignition. His hand darted out, snatching them up before I could. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Give me the keys.”
“I will, once I’ve walked you to your door.”
“It’s a little late to play the gentleman card now.”
The corner of his lips twitched as he fought to suppress a smile and maintain his stoic expression.
When he didn’t make a move to give me my keys, I relented. “Fine,” I said through an exaggerated sigh, while opening the door. “Let’s get this over with.” The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in the car with him any longer than I had to be.
Tim kept pace with me, following closely behind. I tried not to think about his eyes on me, drilling holes in my back. Tried not to think about how I added a little more sway to my hips. Stopping at my front door, I spun on my heels, putting my hand out in a silent demand.
He handed over the keys and waited.
“You can go now,” I said, waving him off.
“I’ll wait until you’re safely inside, if you don’t mind.”
“And if I do mind?” I challenged.
He leaned forward, bracing his arm on the doorframe beside my head, crowding my personal space. Our chests were an inch apart. Tumbling into the deep depths of his eyes, I held my breath as the warmth of his skidded across my cheek, his lips stopping at my ear. I closed my eyes and waited.
“Too. Damn. Bad,” he growled, each word punctuated by the sexy rasp of his voice.
My eyes flicked open. The thumping in my chest was so forceful, I was certain he’d hear it. He pulled back, and I bit the inside of my cheek, hating him, and wanting him all in the same instance.
Reaching behind me, I felt for the handle, needing something to grab onto other than his sturdy arms. With it firmly in grasp, I rotated away, feeling the heat of him behind me. I pressed my forehead against the hard surface as I turned the key, then the handle. Pushing open the door, I walked a few steps inside.
“Okay,” I said a little too breathlessly as I spun and raised my arms out to my sides. “Safe and sound.”
Leaning into the doorjamb, he did a brief scan of my apartment then landed his gaze firmly on me. “The job’s yours.” The words shot from his mouth, echoing in my ears.
“What?” I gaped open my mouth for the second time tonight, my arms falling like weighted anchors. This man had my head spinning every time he opened his tempting mouth.
“The job”—he shrugged a shoulder, as if he hadn’t just thrown me completely off-kilter— “you can have it.”
“Are you serious?”
He turned his head to the side, staring off in the distance. “Do you want it or not?” The uncertainty in his question had me even more confused.
“I don’t know.”
His eyes snapped back to mine, his posture turning rigid with frustration. “Why not?”
I shook my head incredulously. “You haven’t exactly been pleasant to be around tonight. I’m surprised you’re even offering me a job, when it’s obvious you don’t want anything to do with me, which only makes me wonder why you’d want me to work there.”
He pushed off the frame and shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Why do you need the job, Conley? Why is Bobby in L.A. and you’re living in this tiny-ass apartment?”
I planted my hands on my hips. “It’s none of your business, Tim.”
“Right,” he retorted as if I’d just proven his point. We stared at each other in an unspoken challenge. Seconds ticked by, the tension arcing between us.
He took a step back, clearing his throat. “If you want it, it’s yours. If not, then that’s your choice too.”
He gave me one final glance before he spun to leave. I growled, slamming the door shut, wishing it had been in his face rather than on his back, and kicked it for good measure, immediately regretting it as the pain radiated through my foot.
Taking the few steps into my living room, I flopped down onto the couch, not knowing what to do next, not understanding all the unexpected emotions overwhelming me.
Part of me wanted to run after him, force him to tell me what the hell his problem was. The other part of me wanted to curl into a ball and cry. Tim had always been my rock in the past and that’s what I’d hoped for once we got past the initial awkward hello. It’s what I needed. Not this distant, angry man who could hardly look at me.
I closed my eyes, the disdain in his haunting me, and decided neither option was acceptable. I needed to get through this on my own.
Screw him and his half-assed attempt at a job offer. He could take that smug smile and his annoyingly muscular arms and shove ’em… What had he been doing the last decade anyway, bench pressing beer kegs?
I returned home to Billingsley to find my footing, to start fresh. And that’s exactly what I would do: find a job that didn’t involve working for Tim freaking Hudson.
4
T
im
Conley Logan was going to be the death of me.
She’d returned to kill me with those damn curvy hips and soft, full lips. Or maybe I was already dead—in my own personal hell for lusting after another man’s woman for so many years. It was the only explanation. Or at least, the only one I could come up with, since she hadn’t told me a damn thing.
It took every ounce of restraint I had not to lean in closer, fist her silky hair between my fingers, and pull her lips to mine. I could still smell her coconut-scented shampoo as I slid into Melanie’s car, slamming the door shut.
“Everything good?” She looked over at me curiously.
“Perfect,” I snapped. I was tired of everyone asking me that all night.
Melanie recoiled, and I instantly felt worse. I never lost my temper with my employees.
I shut my eyes, trying to get a grip, which was a mistake because visions of Conley assaulted me. “I’m sorry,” I said, opening my eyes and attempting an apologetic smile. “Everything’s fine. It’s been a long night is all. Just wanna get back so I can shut down and get home.”
She nodded without another word, turning up the music as she drove out of Conley’s apartment complex. I was grateful she’d inferred I was in no mood for idle conversation.
I prided myself on being a damn good boss. I respected them, and they respected me. It’s also why I had a personal no-exceptions policy about fraternizing with my staff. Hence, why I offered Conley a job. It was a fail-safe tactic, if not a bit of a gut reaction of wanting to do what I could for her. If she worked for me, maybe it would keep me from wondering what she’d look like with nothing on at all. It would add one more reason it’d be a terrible idea to fall back in love with her.
Yep.
I said it.
There was a time I’d been in love with Conley Logan.
But the same way my music career was history, so was my love for her. The internal admission had me massaging the sharp ache in my chest as we pulled into the parking lot of Dudley’s.
Tempting Tim: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance (Billingsley Book 4) Page 4