by Emma Tharp
This woman isn’t shy. And since I’ve met her, talking with her comes easier than it does with other people, and I haven’t figured out why yet. “There hasn’t been anyone special.” The truth is I’ve never found a woman worth opening up to.
I can feel her eyes on me. “Wait. Are you telling me you’ve never been in love?”
Chancing a quick glance at her, her eyes are wide in disbelief. “Never.” I don’t bother asking her if she’s been in love since I know she loved Marcus, that asshole.
“And how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-five. What about you?” I ask her.
“Thirty-one. Where are you from?”
“Columbus,” I say. “What about you?”
“Born and raised here in Nashville. My parents and friends are still here, so I moved back after med school. Your parents still in Columbus?”
“Mom is. They’re divorced.” I pull into the busy venue parking lot. “My dad is alive. At least I think he is, but honestly I don’t care to know. And I’d rather not talk about him.” My tone is clipped.
She doesn’t say anything. She’s silent. Shit. I took a perfectly good conversation and flushed it down the toilet. No wonder I’m single.
Taking her hand in mine, I say, “I’m sorry. He wasn’t a good man. Okay. I didn’t mean to take that out on you.”
She gives me a small smile. “It’s okay. You don’t have to share anything with me that you don’t want to.”
“I appreciate that.” I pull us into a spot in the VIP parking area and turn the truck off.
We get out and there’s hundreds of people tailgating. Some have beer pong tables set up, others are playing corn hole. A few people have guitars playing Lawless songs. The concert energy is contagious.
Alex grabs my hand and lets out a cute little squeal. “I love going to concerts. This is going to be so much fun.”
My heart drums loud in my chest. It feels amazing having the gorgeous woman holding my hand as we follow the sea of people into the venue. I never thought I’d like to hold hands with a woman. Turns out I was wrong. It’s fucking great. We stop at a vendor and get hot dogs and beer and then make our way to our seats. I didn’t tell her where the seats are located.
We get closer and closer to the stage until we come to the front row. Alex’s face lights up like she’s a six-year-old girl getting a pony for Christmas.
“These are our seats?” Her voice is giddy.
I nod.
She sets her beer and hot dog down and throws her arms around me. “I can’t believe you got us these seats. They must have cost you a fortune.”
“They weren’t too bad,” I lie.
She pulls back from the hug and her smile is from ear to ear. I love that I put that smile there.
“Woah, check out that guy.” Alex’s nose scrunches up and points toward a guy wearing a skin tight pair of short shorts with an American Flag design and a woman’s red bikini top.
“I have the same outfit. That would’ve been awkward if we both wore it today,” I say, attempting not to smile.
Tilting her head back, she lets out a belly laugh. I love that sound and could listen to it all day.
Taking a bite of my hot dog, I point toward a woman a few rows behind us. “How long do you think she can last doing that?”
Alex turns to look at the hula-hooping wonder. She has dread locks that go down to her lower back and she hasn’t stopped the motion since I spotted her. “I’m impressed. I can’t do that for ten seconds, much less continually like her.”
We eat our food and people-watch until the band takes the stage. The second the lights go down and Kingston Lawless and his band take the stage, thunderous cheers flood the amphitheater. They play the first few chords to one of their popular songs and Kingston thanks everyone for coming. Every woman in the place screams and jumps up and down. Alex smiles and looks up at me and we giggle at all the swoony women.
For the first few songs, Alex dances around and shakes her perfect ass. I stand still and try to watch the show and not check her out. She grabs my hand out of nowhere and puts it up in the air so she can spin herself around. She gives me the sexiest little grin and my whole body heats up. A slower song starts up and she stands in front of me and snuggles up to me, her back to my chest. She reaches for my hands and twines them together with hers around her waist. When she rests her head on my chest, she has to feel my heart going crazy. She feels amazing in my arms.
Looking back at me, her green eyes sparkle and her full lips part ever so slightly. What I wouldn’t do to have her mouth on mine, to slip my tongue in her mouth and taste her. Just one time. My breathing gets ragged and we sway to the music, my body hardening. I bring my hand up and stroke her hair. Her eyelids flutter and I can imagine her body under mine. Her warm breath skims the skin of my neck. All I’d have to do is lean down a couple of inches and I could kiss her. It’s not a good idea. It’d be best to keep my distance, but having her in my arms has been one of the best feelings I’ve ever known.
The slow song comes to an end and she takes a step away from me to pick up her beer and take a drink. I do the same, welcoming the cold alcohol, hoping it’ll cool me the fuck off. Having her that close to me was dangerous as hell. It makes me want things with this woman that are off-limits to me.
Alex sings along to the music and I join in for the chorus. My voice is terrible, so I stop singing. Nobody needs to hear that. She does a great job at getting me to dance when she puts her hands on my hips and guides them back and forth. We both laugh at how ridiculous I’m sure I look.
The guys finish the set and Alex grabs my hand, squeezes it, and mouths “thank you.” She doesn’t let my hand go during the encore and there’s no way I’m letting it go after. Even as we leave the show, our hands stay clasped together.
Crowds of people push and shove their way toward the exits. I move Alex in front of me to protect her and guide her out.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Marcus, Alex’s ex-fiancé, with some woman. They’re holding hands. He doesn’t seem to notice us and I’m sure as hell not going to ruin the night by pointing him out to Alex.
Once in the truck, I’m relieved to be away from all the noise and people. I breathe easier in here.
I’m surprised at how little movement people are making out of the venue. We might be here for a while.
Alex pulls two granola bars out of her purse. “Hungry?”
“I am. Thank you.” I take it from her and rip open the package and take a bite.
“The seats were amazing. Kingston Lawless has such a great voice live.” She breaks off a piece of her bar and puts it in her mouth.
“I agree. Glad you had fun.”
“Are you kidding? I loved it. Thank you for getting the seats and bringing me. I couldn’t believe it when Marcus told me he gave mine away. He’s a jerk.”
A wave of guilt hits me for not telling her that I just saw him with another woman. He’s such a dick. “It all worked out. I had a really good time, too.” It’s an understatement. I didn’t want the music to end. Touching her, having her close made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time.
“You’re going to have to let me take you out to repay you for tonight,” she says.
“You don’t owe me anything.” Although the prospect of seeing her again sounds great. Some cars move and there’s an opening. I back out of my spot.
“I know that, but I want to. How about I cook you dinner?” Her tone is light and flirty.
The thought of spending time with her one on one makes my heart rate speed up. “Ok.”
“Great,” she says.
I’m finally able to pull out onto the street. As we head toward her house, Alex falls asleep leaning her head on my shoulder. She smells so good. I love her laying on me. Putting my arm around her, I stroke the smooth skin of her arm and she makes a small moaning sound. Desire shoots through me, imagining her making that noise as I pump inside her. She snuggles in closer to
me and she takes my arm in hers. She lays a soft kiss on my bicep. I thought she was sleeping. Maybe she is. Sure, it’s just an innocent kiss, but I hold onto the sweet sensation of her lips on me.
All too soon, I pull into her driveway and she lifts her head off my shoulder.
Yawning, she looks at me. “I guess I was tired. Thanks for driving.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll text you soon so we can arrange a time for dinner.” Her smile is so warm and bright.
“Sounds like a plan,” I say.
She leans over and puts her arms around me. I stroke her back as we hug.
Pulling back she says, “Good night,” before she gets out and shuts the door behind her.
I’ve never wanted to stay with a woman so much. Not even for sex. I’d love to be with her to lie with her and feel her in my arms all night.
She unlocks her front door and throws me a wave before she goes inside. Hesitantly, I put the truck in reverse and wait for another minute, willing her to come back outside and ask me to stay. It doesn’t happen.
Seven
Alex
“We had a great time,” I tell Cora the next day on our phone call. Sprawled out on the couch, I lie back and get comfortable. “He got us front row tickets. I think Kingston’s sweat hit me at one point during the concert.”
She laughs. “Sounds like it was a good night.”
“It was. Everything felt right with Cole. It was easy and fun.” My belly does butterflies even thinking about how good it felt being in his strong arms.
“Ooh, that’s exciting,” she says. Her voice gets muffled for a second, like she has the phone away from her ear, but I can hear her tell someone that she’s talking to me.
“Is that Derek?” I ask.
There’s the sound of liquid getting poured into a glass. “Yes, he just got home from practice.”
“Can you ask him a question for me?” I bite on my bottom lip.
“Sure, let me put you on speaker.”
“Hi, Derek,” I say, hoping I don’t sound as nervous as I feel.
The background noise of a television gets lower and lower. “Hey, Alex. I heard you and Cole went to see Lawless last night.”
I can’t help but smile. Cole told Derek about our date last night. “That’s what I wanted to ask you about. We had a really great time, but…”
“But, what?” Cora says.
“Well, it seemed like Cole was holding back. Is there something I should know about?” I’m beating around the bush, but I don’t know how else to ask the questions on my mind.
Derek lets out a soft laugh. “What do you mean?”
Standing up, I pace back and forth in my living room. “It’s just that I thought at one point he might kiss me and he didn’t. It seemed like he wanted to, but he was in his head. What I want to know is,” I sigh. “Is there some kind of team code about not dating anyone else’s ex? I can’t remember if Marcus mentioned something about that in the past.”
“Normally there is, but in your circumstance, you should be able to do whatever you want with whoever you want considering what Marcus did to you. He doesn’t deserve the same courtesies as everyone else since he’s a liar and a cheat.”
I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “Good to know. Thank you, Derek.”
“You’re welcome. And for the record, Cole is a good dude,” Derek says.
“I know he is.” A smile spreads across my face and my heart warms.
“Okay, you’re off speaker now,” Cora tells me.
“Thanks for that. I had to know. I wanted to kiss Cole so bad last night.” There, I had to get it off my chest. I sit back down on the couch and cross my legs.
“Why didn’t you?” Her tone is cajoling. I can see her now as if she were here with me, wiggling and squirming in front of me, coaxing me to tell her.
“Well, what if he’s not interested in more than a casual date here and there? He’s a little bit hard to read.” The last part isn’t entirely true. When we were close last night, I did feel a pull between us. We have chemistry, but I don’t know if he’ll let himself get close to me.
“I saw the two of you together at the housewarming. He’s into you. Just kiss him.”
Getting up from the couch, I make my way to the kitchen. “Well, I’m cooking dinner for him tonight. Maybe I will. It’s probably the only way it’ll happen since he’s so shy.”
Derek calls from the background, “Do it.”
Laughing, I tell them goodbye and hang up.
I start prepping for dinner. On the menu tonight is lemon asparagus risotto and baked chicken. Getting the ingredients out, I set them on the counter. I start the rice and heat the stock.
Cranking my Lawless playlist, I’m transported back to the concert. My belly does flips thinking about when the band played “Truth” and Cole held me close. When I looked back at him, our mouths were so close together. I hoped he sensed how much I wanted him to kiss me. If he did, he didn’t take the bait. There was a moment where I almost grabbed his head and brought his mouth to mine. It has to happen tonight.
Sipping on my wine, I daydream about tonight and how it’ll be with Cole. Will he open up more or will he stay locked up like a vault? Is he going to touch me? My heart thuds in my chest imagining the feel of his hands on me again.
A knock pulls me out of my reverie. Rushing to the door, I open it to find Cole standing there with a bottle of red wine in his hand. My gaze drinks him in, from his dark hair and strong jaw all the way down his chiseled body. He’s wearing a pair of dark jeans and a navy Henley that highlights striking gray hues in his eyes. Any red-blooded woman would admire Cole Shaw.
“Hi,” I say on a deep exhale. “Come in.”
Handing me the wine, he makes his way through the door, taking in my coastal style inspired living room. I have tan couches with pops of blue in the pillows and wall hangings. I love anything that reminds me of being on a beach vacation, so I’ve brought it to my home. There’s driftwood, lanterns, sand dollars, and shells, all as decorations scattered throughout the space.
“Your home is beautiful,” he says.
“Thanks. Follow me.” I lead him into the kitchen and set the bottle he gave me down on the counter. “Want some?”
“Sure.” He takes a seat at one of the barstools at the island.
Pouring him a glass of the wine I already had open, I set it in front of him. It’d be nice if he’d down it fast. He seems tense and a little stiff. Maybe he’s nervous. “Let me get you a plate.”
He makes to stand. “Can I help you with something?”
“No, please relax. Everything’s ready.” I serve us both a plate of chicken and risotto and hand him one. At first, I contemplated setting the table, but the island will be nice, intimate, and casual.
He eyes the plate and then me as I come sit next to him. My breath catches at the intensity of his stare. “This looks amazing. Nobody’s ever cooked for me before, with the exception of my mother.”
It makes me sad for him that he’s never had anyone spoil him with a home-cooked meal. At the same time, I’m happy that I can be a first for him.
“Well, I hope you like it.” I grin to lighten the mood.
He cuts a piece of chicken and pops it in his mouth. “Wow. This is delicious.”
My heart does a happy dance. Impressing this man is important to me, and I don’t fully understand why. Maybe it’s because he’s been good to me and I find myself attracted to him; caring for him. The fact that he likes my cooking warms me from the inside. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“Where did you learn how to cook?” he asks, fork full of risotto poised in front of his mouth.
I grin at the memory of sitting on the counter helping my mom cook as young as I can remember. We’d both be wearing aprons and she’d let me slice vegetables with a chef’s knife at a very young age. “My mom taught me, and I’ve been experimenting with food ever since. It’s a passion o
f mine.”
“Well, you can use me as a guinea pig to try out any of your dishes.” He winks.
His comment makes me unreasonably giddy. He’s implying he’d like to see me again, even if it was a roundabout way of saying it. “I’ll be taking you up on that. I’ve had some ideas I’d like to try out.” I slice through my chicken breast. It’s cooked perfectly. “So tell me, how long have you been playing hockey?”
“I started at the age of three. And there were many years when I hated it and wanted to quit.” A frown line creases the space between his brows.
“Oh, wow. I assumed from the way you play that it’s been a passion of yours since childhood,” I say.
Cole is clutching his napkin, squeezing it tightly. “It was my father who almost ruined it for me. He was an asshole.” His jaw ticks. “He liked to push me until I couldn’t walk. Literally ran me until I threw up. If I did poorly at a game, he’d punish me. There were nights he didn’t feed me dinner. I’d go to bed hungry and crying. Occasionally Mom would sneak me in a piece of bread after he went to bed. If I wasn’t naturally gifted, and had great coaches, I might’ve quit.”
An ache forms in my chest. The air in the room is too thin. I grab his arm and rub it. “That’s awful.”
His body begins to relax under my touch. “It was. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood. I’ve never told anyone about that.”
“You didn’t ruin anything. Thank you for telling me. It means so much that you’d share your past with me.” The quiet, stoic man that sits next to me was hurt deeply by a man he should’ve been able to trust and lean on. He was pushed to his limits and then neglected if he didn’t perform to his father’s standards. My heart shatters for the little boy who was treated so poorly.
Exhaling audibly, he says, “Feel free to let me in on your deep, dark secrets.” He lets out a harsh laugh.
I take a sip of wine and set the glass in front of me. “My past is similar to yours. My mom was a kind, sweet woman who’d do anything for her kids. But Dad was a hard ass—maybe not to the extreme of yours—but he was hard on me nonetheless.” Staring into Cole’s warm gray eyes gives me the courage to open up. “I always had to get good grades, make good choices, always be on time. The list went on and on. My younger sister is a rebel. She was always doing things to piss off Dad like dying her hair, getting tattoos; she smoked, tried drugs, stayed out past curfew. All of my dad’s eggs were in my basket and he always let me know that I wasn’t allowed to break any of them.”