As our breaths evened out, I skimmed my finger up and down her spine. “This wasn’t how I imagined our first time to be,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence of our post-coital bliss.
“Oh?” she asked, a playful lilt in her voice as she continued to trace over the lines of my tattoo with the tip of her finger. “And how many times have you imagined it, exactly?”
“Too many to count,” I admitted.
Tilting her head, she looked up at me with a soft smile. I kissed the tip of her nose and she lowered back down, her cheek pressing against my chest again.
“I’ve imagined it too,” she said quietly.
Squeezing her closer, I rolled us. I hovered over her, bracing myself with both arms bracketing her head, holding her gaze as I laid it all out there. “No more games. No more lies. If we do this, we do it right.”
Her eyes beamed as she nodded, biting down on her lip. With a subtle lift of her head, she met me halfway.
I kissed her gently one more time before pulling back and brushing away a few stray strands from her forehead. The pressure in my chest increased, my heart knowing how much it had to lose. With her in my arms, looking at me the way she was, it felt like a dream. I’d waited so long for this moment; I’d convinced myself years ago it’d never happen. The mere realization that it was happening now had my breaths coming out heavier. If the price I paid for her to be mine was barely being able to breathe, I’d never take another breath.
“Get dressed, your shift is about to start,” I finally said before my mind could run any wilder.
“What about your rule?” she asked on a giggle as I stood, offering her my hand.
That rule was out the damn window the moment she’d insisted I kiss her. The fight I’d put up was futile. I pulled her to her feet, then kissed her hard on the lips before giving her toned ass a smack. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m the boss and can amend the rules anytime I want.”
With an impish smile, she picked up her clothes as I watched her dress a little too quickly for my liking. I snatched up my own clothes, sliding my legs back into my jeans and pulling my shirt over my head. As much as I wanted to do nothing but lie around naked with her, we couldn’t. There was work to be done. And it would only be so long before someone came looking for one of us.
When she made to leave, I called to her back, “Conley.”
She turned, facing me again, the skin between her brows pinching together. “Yeah?”
Quickly rubbing a hand over the smile tugging at my mouth, I answered, “Nothing. Just wanted to look at you one more time.”
Tucking one side of her wild hair behind her ear, she rolled her eyes with a shy smile I hadn’t seen on her before. “You’ll see me all night.”
“Yeah, but you won’t have that same freshly fucked glow all night.”
She sashayed her hips, unlocking and opening the door. “Then I guess you’ll have to do something about that.”
“You can count on it,” I promised before she slipped out of my office and out of my sight.
15
Conley
“Home, sweet home,” Tim said with an exhausted sigh as he opened the door to his house. With his back holding it open, I followed him inside, tucking my hands in the back pockets and stopping in the dark entryway.
A warm, dim light flooded the room as his keys landed with a clatter on the entry table. Immediately following, firm arms wrapped me in a hug, Tim’s hands slipping inside my pockets over mine, where he threaded our fingers and gave them a slight squeeze.
Whatever battle that had been warring inside Tim was gone. Even though he’d said that his rule no longer applied, I got the feeling he still didn’t want the rest of his employees to know that we had something going on. He’d barely been able to keep his hands off me all night as we worked. Not that I was any better. The only thing I wanted was to be alone with Tim and it was hard for me to hide it. Luckily, nobody other than Melanie seemed to notice the change between us. As soon as the bar closed down and the rest of the Saturday night staff had left, he’d let go of whatever restraint he had.
Lifting to my toes, I laced my hands at the back of his neck. I nipped at his chin and then kissed along his jaw. “I think it’s time you gave me the tour of the rest of the house… Particularly, the bedroom.”
“You think so?”
“Mm-hmm,” I hummed, now kissing up his neck and inhaling his cologne. The scent drove me wild.
“What if I had other plans?” he asked, his hands still buried deep in my back pockets as he squeezed my ass, while thrusting his hips into me. The hard ridge in his jeans told me he only had one plan in mind.
Pressed against his neck, my lips curved into a grin before I moved them to his ear. “Too. Damn. Bad.” I threw his words back at him from that first night when he’d driven me home.
A throaty laugh belted from his chest. He pulled back, the way he looked at me only mounting my desire. His mouth came down and his tongue swept lightly along the seam of mine. Parting my lips, I gave him full access. Before I knew it, his hands had left my pockets and his arms had swept under me and flipped me over his shoulder. I squealed as he did, and he slapped my butt.
“Smart ass,” he said as he strode us down the hallway to his bedroom.
A small, soft tap hit my nose. I groaned, swatting the offender away as I kept my eyes closed, connecting with only air. Another tap. I ignored it. There was no way I was getting out of Tim’s comfy, warm bed yet. I hadn’t slept this good in years. It was like sleeping in pillowy clouds, surrounded by Tim’s yummy scent.
A double tap. I groaned and rolled to my back, flinging an arm protectively over my face.
Oomph.
My eyes popped open with the sudden weight on my stomach. Lifting my arm slightly, I peeked through at the offender.
PJ meowed as he pawed at my arm.
I yawned, reluctantly pushing myself into a seated position as he climbed off me and onto the mattress beside me. “Okay, PJ. You win.”
The gray tabby cat rubbed the top of his head against my arm. I smiled, giving him what he wanted by scratching between his ears as I woke up more. The morning sun peeked through a crack in the drawn curtains. The faint smell of coffee and bacon invaded my nose. Tim was obviously an early riser. I reached for my watch on the nightstand, checking the time. It was eight in the morning and it was Sunday.
I groaned, knowing my parents would expect me at church in a few hours. Reluctantly, I folded the soft down comforter to the side and got out of bed. Not wanting to put on my clothes just yet, I snatched Tim’s shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head.
PJ meowed behind me as he sat on the edge of the mattress, watching my every move. Once I found my panties in the pile, I shimmed them up my legs. PJ jumped from the bed with another meow, following me out of the room and down the hall before darting past me and into the kitchen.
He meowed at Tim’s bare back, where he was working on scrambling eggs, and then brushed against his jean-clad legs as if to alert Tim of our presence. Tim glanced at his feet, smiling at his cat before his eyes got a glimpse of me strolling into the room.
“You’re up,” he said, his eyes doing a slow travel down my legs and then back up. He smiled while giving his head a slight shake, then turned back to the stove and continued to push the eggs around in the pan.
“I didn’t have much of a choice. PJ wasn’t taking the hint. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you sent him in there to get me out of bed.” I walked the rest of the way to Tim, snaking my arms around his waist while lifting to my toes to kiss the side of his neck.
Tim’s stomach shook beneath my palms as he lightly chuckled. “The last thing I’d ever want is for you to leave my bed.”
“Is that so?”
He set the spatula aside, shut off the stove, and turned in my arms, putting his around me. “Did I not make that clear last night?”
“I’m not sure I got that message at all,” I goaded.
> He kissed my lips gently, then pulled back with a sly smile. “I guess, I need to do a better job then.” Dropping his arms lower to my ass, he secured me as he hauled me up into his arms. I laughed, wrapping my legs around him as he carried me to the island and set me on the white marble. The cool countertop kissed the bared skin on the backs of my thighs. One of his hands slid under the hem of my shirt, skirting up my stomach before cupping my breast, while his other hand gripped the back of my hair, giving it a slight tug. I tilted my head back at his silent demand, giving the access he wanted to my neck.
PJ leapt to the counter, wedging his entire body between us with a meow.
We both chuckled, reluctantly separating. “Jealous much?” I said, glancing down at PJ and giving him a quick scratch.
Tim slowly ran his hands back and forth along my thighs. “He’s hungry. I’ve got a fresh bag of food in the garage I need to grab and feed him with.”
“You want me to grab it?” I offered as Tim reached behind him, gently unhooking my legs from his waist. I immediately felt the loss of having him there as he took a step back.
“No, I’ll get it.” Planting a palm on each side of me, he leaned in and dropped a quick peck on my lips. “Don’t move. Be back in a second.”
I took the opportunity to ogle his backside as he strode away.
There was a knock at the front door. I glanced toward where Tim had just disappeared through a door that led to his garage, expecting him to come immediately back through. When he didn’t and there was another knock, I slid from my spot on the counter and headed for the entry. A third knock came, just as I reached for the doorknob. Whoever it was on the other side had zero patience. I opened the door, my eyes widening at the person standing there.
“Con?” Ricky said, his brow furrowing as he registered me.
“Ricky? What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to Tim—wait. What are you doing here?” His eyes swept over me as I tugged at the hem of Tim’s shirt, which suddenly felt shorter than it had earlier. As it dawned on my brother, his confusion turned to anger. “What the hell? Did you screw Tim?”
“That’s none of your business!” I snapped, my cheeks flaming.
He scoffed a humorless laugh. “Figures. You women are all the same. A bunch of liars and cheaters.” He turned on his heels, stomping away. I immediately regretted my reaction. With the thoughts that had to be going through his head, I was afraid this would drive Ricky further away from me.
“Ricky, wait!” I yelled behind him, forgetting how little I was wearing as I darted out onto the front porch, lunging for his arm.
He shook me off and turned to face me again. “How long have you been cheating on Bobby?”
“It’s not what you think,” I defended, crossing my arms.
“What’s going on?” Tim asked from behind me, where I’d left the front door wide open.
Ricky’s eyes flew to Tim, no doubt seeing him wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.
“Right,” he said with a scowl forming. “Mia told me the same thing, but it was exactly like I thought. Just like now.”
My face fell. “What? Mia cheated on you?” He didn’t need to answer. I could see it in his eyes—red and tired as if he hadn’t slept all night. My heart broke for my little brother.
“Don’t act like you care. You hated her.”
“I didn’t hate her,” I started to protest.
Ricky gave me a withering look, his head cocking to the side.
“Okay.” I held out my palms. “I admit, I wasn’t her biggest fan.”
“Hey, man, how about we talk about this where the neighbors can’t spy out their windows and listen in,” Tim suggested to Ricky, gesturing for us both to go inside his house.
Ricky roughed a hand through his hair, looking over his shoulder at his truck. After mulling Tim’s suggestion over for a beat, he silently agreed by stomping past me and into the house.
I turned to face Tim, waiting for Ricky to be out of earshot. “I know he came here to talk to you, but do you mind if I take this?”
Tim’s hands cupped my shoulders and rubbed up and down softly. “Of course not. He’s your brother. And I’m not sure I’m equipped to give advice on this, anyway. He’s better off if it’s you. Why don’t you put more clothes on? I’ll keep him busy until then.”
“Thank you.” He pulled me into him, holding me tight briefly before I kissed his cheek and rushed inside to find my jeans.
“You gonna tell me you knew it all along.”
It was the last thing I expected Ricky to say when I sat down beside him on the couch. It also made me realize how alike we were. We’d both been wrong about the person we were with. We also both knew the ones closest to us saw it coming. As much as I’d suspected things might turn out this way for them, I didn’t want this for Ricky any more than my mom had wanted it for me.
“No.” I tucked my legs into my chest, wrapping my arms around them.
“I’m an idiot,” he said, staring down at his fisted hands that hung between his knees.
“You’re not. She is.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed, flopping back against the couch. The force against the cushions gave me a little bounce. Seeing him like this made me want to reach out and hug him. It was the last thing he wanted, though.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
I knew the answer before he even shook his head. Tim had already told me he offered and Ricky had declined before Tim had slipped out the door off the kitchen to his backyard to give Ricky and me some privacy.
“You want to tell me what happened?”
He shrugged, his eyes still focused on the fireplace in front of him. “Why did you cheat on Bobby?”
I knew what he was really asking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be able to give him the answers he was searching for. This wasn’t the same as him and Mia…despite what he thought. I’d already prepared myself for this question while I was getting dressed. It was time Ricky knew the truth and not the fabricated lie we’d told him: that I wanted to be closer to family while Bobby was busy with work. I couldn’t hide it from him any longer for the same reason I couldn’t hide it from my parents or Tim. Ricky was important to me and he deserved to hear the truth from me and not the media. I only hoped he kept it to himself and didn’t tell any of his friends or anyone else.
“I didn’t cheat… Bobby and I aren’t together anymore.”
For the first time since I sat down with him, he looked at me. I waited for him to ask me a million questions, but they never came. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the fireplace. The room remained quiet for another long moment.
“She’s been hooking up with Chad,” he finally spoke.
I nodded as if I knew exactly who Chad was. I hadn’t the slightest clue. Chad was lucky I didn’t. Because if I did, I’d likely knee him in the balls for messing around with my little bro’s girl. Even if I didn’t like the hussy, and she was mostly to blame for the heartache my brother was going through.
“He’s the starting pitcher of the baseball team,” Ricky supplied.
I exhaled my disappointment. Mia was everything I’d assumed she was: a girl who needed the spotlight and jumped to whichever jock was the current star on campus.
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but sometimes the person you’re meant to be with isn’t the first one you loved. The way I see it, she did you a favor. It’d been worse if you spent the next twenty years with her only to realize she wasn’t the one.”
“Is that what happened with you and Bobby?” Ricky asked, looking over at me again.
I nodded and chewed at my bottom lip.
“So you just stopped loving him?”
“Not exactly. I think over time I fell out of love with him, but I’ll always love him. He was a big part of my life.”
Ricky mulled this over for a beat, then said, “I never really liked him, anyway.”
A small smile twitched at the corners of my
mouth. I twisted it to the side, fighting to hold it back. “I thought you idolized him.”
He lifted his right shoulder in a shrug. “Yeah, it was cool having your older sister dating a famous rock star, but the guy was a douche.”
This time there was no holding back the laughter that escaped. “Wow. I guess I never realized you felt that way.”
“The guy could barely be bothered with us at family holidays. Plus, I can’t tell you how many times I asked him for quick lessons on the guitar. He’d always brush me off and tell me another time.”
“Well, Tim’s a much better person to learn from,” I said with a knowing smile. He gave me a sly smile in return. “You did amazing up there, by the way.”
“Thanks. Obviously, I shouldn’t have wasted my time on dedicating it to Mia.”
“It’s her loss. I bet there are hordes of girls who will line up to take her spot when they find out you two split up.”
He shook his head. “I’m done with girlfriends. You women are too much trouble.”
“Hey!” I said, feigning offense, extending my leg and giving his thigh a playful nudge with my bare foot. He may have felt that way now, but it was only a matter of time before he met the right one.
He chuckled. “So, you and Tim, huh?” he asked, eager to change the subject from him to me.
I glanced at the kitchen for any sign of Tim. Although we’d agreed we would do ‘this,’ we hadn’t really defined what that was or agreed we were telling people. The only thing I knew was whatever ‘this’ was, it couldn’t get out to the public. Not yet.
“It’s nothing. But I need to ask you not to say anything to anyone. Not about Bobby and me, and not about Tim.”
“Why?” Ricky asked, his dark, full eyebrows slanting inward.
“It’s a long story, but it’s important. Promise me,” I implored.
“Okay, okay.” He raised his palms up. “I promise. But don’t think I’m doing one of those girly pinky-promise things,” he said with a slight smirk.
Tempting Tim: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance (Billingsley Book 4) Page 14