I smiled, indicating the guys with me. “This is Hartford, a student at Whitman, and my brother, Malcolm. They tagged along with me to check it out.”
Wearing a light blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, Hartford nodded and smiled. “Hi, I think we’ve had a class or two together.”
Yep. There he was. My missing fiancé who’d arrived at my hotel six days earlier and tossed me into an emotional tailspin.
He’d knocked on my door, gone to his knees, and pleaded with me to take him back. Tears had been shed.
“You’ll always be the girl for me,” he promised, and the only reason he’d gotten cold feet was because he was afraid we were too young to make such a big commitment.
And the pretty blonde girl on Instagram? She’d happened to be at Cadillac’s while he was there and nothing had happened between them.
Basically, by the time I’d disappeared to London, the perfect guy had decided he couldn’t live without me.
Everything I’d wanted was back within my grasp.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” my mom kept telling me.
Of course, we weren’t getting married anytime soon, but I couldn’t toss away our relationship either. We’d spent more than two years together and had a lot of memories. Good ones.
I got pulled back to the present when I noticed Malcolm snapping his fingers, one of the repetitive movements he used to alleviate stress. Meeting new people made him jittery, although most times it was the other person who got intimidated. At sixteen, he was already six-one with lean muscles and prone to say whatever popped in his head. His blue eyes bounced from me to Hartford and then back to the blonde.
He nodded, curly brown hair bouncing. “I’m Malcolm, and I want to see where Remi will live.”
“Maybe I’ll live here,” I told him gently. “We have to take a look first and see if it works out. Someone may have beat me to it.”
The girl smiled, making her even prettier. “No, it hasn’t been filled. Come in, please. I’m not the one who lives here, but I’ll introduce you to the person who owns the place. We’ve been moving in for the past couple of days, so it may be a bit messy.” She took a step back to let us enter. “I’m Elizabeth, by the way.”
“Remi,” I said with a nod, realizing I’d been so scattered I hadn’t even told her my name.
We all filed inside the small ceramic-tiled foyer that opened into a spacious area with an old brick fireplace, freshly waxed hardwood floors, and a pretty bay window with the panes cut into small diamond shapes. A faded couch, a navy leather recliner, and a gray media center with a huge television took up most of the den. Except for the couch, most of the furnishings looked new. The house smelled of tart lemons, perhaps from cleaning, and fresh paint. Whoever owned it took pride in it.
So far, so good, Remi.
A tall, heavily muscled man wearing a black baseball hat was on a ladder in the center of the den hanging a ceiling fan, but came down as we entered the room. He greeted us warmly, but that wasn’t what caught my eye. Nope. My eyes got tangled up on the small dragonfly tattoo on his neck.
And the chiseled jawline, straight nose, and piercing gray eyes.
Dread pooled in my stomach.
“Hiya,” he said and put his hand out to me. “I’m Declan.”
His familiar British accent sent goosebumps over my skin, and I gripped the straps of my purse as if it were a lifeline. God help me.
Stuffing down the urge to make a dash for the car, I stuck my hand out and shook his firm grip. “I’m—I’m Remi Montague. I’m here about the ad for a roommate.” I waved the printout, noticing my hand was shaking.
Hartford sent me a quizzical glance. I tried to smile.
Hartford and Declan shook hands. Everyone on campus knew Declan—and Dax.
“This house yours?” Hartford asked with a slight frown, no doubt because while Declan hadn’t been a Tau, everyone knew his brother was the poster boy for the fraternity.
“Nah,” Declan said but didn’t elaborate, careful eyes on Hartford. Apparently the rivalry extended to family too.
The blonde girl put her hand lightly on my shoulder, and I realized she’d said my name a few times. “ . . . want to follow me?”
Feeling numb yet oddly excited, I nodded, and she led us down a small hall, turned a corner, and we entered the kitchen.
With faded oak cabinets that had seen better days, a round table with orange vinyl-covered metal chairs, and a brand new stainless steel refrigerator, it was a mix of old and new.
But the only thing in the room that held my attention was Dax, standing with his back to us, legs slightly parted as he washed dishes at the sink. Wearing low-slung jeans, his ass flexed as he moved, his shoulders broader than I remembered.
My body felt thin as if I might float away, and my heart pounded so loud I was sure he heard it. The last time I’d seen him, he’d been between my legs, sweat dripping as he pinned me down to the bed.
“You have someone here about the house,” Elizabeth said.
“Dax?” I pushed out.
Without turning, he dried his hands off and leaned over to turn down the low beat of rap music coming from his phone. He pivoted to face us, and everything I’d been battling with since he’d left London came roaring back to the surface. Anger and heartbreak reared up, all the memories from London flashing through my head. I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep it all in.
He’d screwed me in London, literally, and I’d fallen for his games. When would I learn?
Cold-stone eyes flicked over Hartford, Malcolm, and then landed on me, sweeping me from head to foot. “Hey there, angel.”
At the sound of his voice, I wanted to sink into the floor, a barrage of emotions hitting me. I hadn’t been prepared to see him. Not so soon.
Dismissing me, he gazed back at Hartford, and they glared at each other warily, two different specimens: one built and dark, the other lean and blond. The tension stretched like a rubber band, and if they’d had swords, they might have pulled them out.
Thank God Hartford had never known about Dax and me freshman year.
It was Hartford who broke the ice, his face expressionless. “Had no idea this was your house, Blay . . .”
“Or you wouldn’t have come?” Dax smirked.
“Yeah,” Hartford replied with an unapologetic shrug.
I touched Hartford’s arm. “Dax rescued me from the guy who mugged me in London. Remember?”
“Of course,” he said to me gently and touched my face. Looking back at Dax, he sent him a nod. “Remington took me by the club where it happened. Glad you were there to help out.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “I’m still blaming myself for letting her leave town, and if anything had happened to her, I don’t know if I could have stood it.” His hazel eyes came back and found mine. I smiled tentatively.
“Yeah, I took care of her. Isn’t that right, Remington?” Dax replied tightly, his eyes searching my face. A muscle jerked in his cheek when our eyes met, his body rigid as a piece of steel. His hands curled, and he looked as if he wanted to smash something.
I was confused. What had I done?
I bit my lip, hoping Hartford wouldn’t notice. Because this—this wasn’t just a fraternity thing.
Malcolm’s wide-eyed gaze bounced from me to Dax, a questioning look on his face. I sent him my it’s okay smile. Social cues were his weakness, but when it came to me, he didn’t miss much.
But then it was as if Dax threw a switch because his entire demeanor changed. With careful movements, he removed his apron, hung it on a hook, and leaned back against the counter as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He let out a long sigh and crossed his legs.
“So you’re here about the apartment?” he murmured, flicking his eyes at the paper I had in my hand.
“She can’t live with you,” Hartford said, his tone cool.
Dax tossed back his head and laughed. “Dude, chill out. I saved your girl’s arse. Plus, I was asking
her, not you.” His head swiveled to me. “Remi?”
“I was, but obviously, we aren’t a good match . . .”
His lashes dropped then opened. “Why not? Aren’t we friends?”
I shifted on my feet. “I—I’m afraid we might not mesh.”
Hartford said, “She doesn’t want to live with a guy, Blay, that’s all.” Especially a Tau went unsaid. “We’re grateful for London but were hoping for a female roommate.”
Dax harrumphed. “School starts in two days. Good luck. But I get where you’re coming from. You’re worried I’ll be making a pass at your girl, but attached females aren’t my thing. Plus, I’ll be studying a lot—gotta graduate this year, ya know—and helping my brother at his gym. Who knows? I’ll probably end up sleeping most nights at the Tau house.”
“I’m sure there’ll be plenty there to keep you entertained,” I replied smartly.
Hartford didn’t seem to notice my slip-up or perhaps he chalked it up to typical rivalry talk, but I’d never been one to get in on the boys’ disputes.
“No doubt,” Dax agreed softly.
Elizabeth, who’d been steadily drying the dishes since we started talking, turned around. “If you need a reference for Dax, I’d be happy to vouch for him. You couldn’t find a sweeter roommate.” Smiling, she dropped her dishtowel over the sink. “If you guys will excuse me, I think I hear Declan calling for me from the den.”
As she walked out, it gave Hartford the chance to pull me to the side. He kept his voice low. “Just live with me, Remi—at least until you find a decent place.”
We’d had this conversation a hundred times. Yes, we were working things out, but jumping right back into the same place we’d been would be a disaster.
“That’s not a good idea,” I said as quietly as I could, but it was clear Dax listened intently, his head cocked to the side.
“You can’t live with . . . Dax,” Hartford said after a long exhale. “I’d rather you stayed with your mom. I’d definitely worry less.”
I shook my head. “My mom’s house is too far from campus to drive each day. I’d be exhausted. Plus, she drives me crazy.”
Hartford sighed, his eyebrows pulled low. “Then let’s keep looking. Something will come up.”
“We’ve looked for days,” I groaned. “There’s nothing, except that place over the drycleaners—”
Dax straightened up from the counter. “Sorry to interrupt, but in all honesty, I have someone else coming over tomorrow to check the house out, so if you want the room, we’d need to get this settled tonight. Otherwise”—he waved his hands around the kitchen that was in disarray—“I need to get back to work.”
He was trying to get rid of me.
And that thought speared my heart.
I exhaled, rubbing my eyes. My legs felt like rubber and my body was bone-weary as if I had the flu. Since the moment I realized Dax had deserted me, I’d been listless. Lost. My thoughts were scattered so much I couldn’t seem to make a decision about anything. My brain was shit.
But . . .
What was I going to do? I couldn’t live here or with Hartford or my mom. Perhaps I could get a cheap hotel room for a few days until something came up . . .
“Remi?” Malcolm asked me, and I blinked up at him, realizing I had leaned my shoulder against him.
“You okay?” Hartford asked me, a look of concern on his face. He touched my shoulder.
I nodded and straightened. “Sorry. Long day.”
“Before you decide, let’s have a seat and I’ll tell you more about the house,” Dax said out of the blue, indicating the four chairs at the table.
I glanced up to find his eyes on my face. They’d softened. “I’ll grab us some sodas. What would you like, Remi?”
I found myself sitting down in one of the chairs and asking for a Coke. Hartford hesitated, but plopped down with a resigned expression on his face. He declined Dax’s offer of a drink. Malcolm looked pleased and took the Coke Dax handed him.
Dax took the seat to my right, and because it was a round table, his chair was close enough to mine that the heat from his skin was a tangible thing. His masculine scent slammed into me, bringing back memories of the hotel room. I stuck my hands under the table and kept them clasped together. Tight. Malcolm sat on the other side while Hartford sat across from me.
I felt dazed as Dax gave us the details about the rent—a four-hundred flat fee due the first of each month while he covered all the utilities. Generous—much less than I’d expected.
But you can’t live here!
He ran through the deposit fee (a hundred dollars) and a small list of rules he’d typed out along with a lease agreement. I’d be responsible for my own food and would get the smaller bedroom upstairs, which came with an attached bath and a small office where I could put a desk or anything else. I paused. Perfect for Malcolm when he stayed over sometimes.
“Basically, you’d have the run of the upstairs while I get the downstairs. We can share the kitchen, den, and patio outside.” He tapped a pen on the table, his bicep flexing and calling attention to his tattoo. Tap. Tap. Mr. Beautiful was antsy.
I also noticed he hadn’t shaved in several days and there were bags around his eyes, as if he too had had some restless nights.
Stop staring at him!
Malcolm must have been watching him too. He squinted. “You’re what girls call a hottie. I bet you have a lot of sex.”
“You can’t talk about sex in front of people you just met, Malcolm,” I said, grimacing. “At least give them a few days.”
“Thanks, I suppose?” Dax laughed and put his hand out. “Sorry, I didn’t say hi before. Guess I was distracted. You’re Remi’s brother, Malcolm, right? She told me about you.”
Hartford stiffened at that.
Malcolm shook his hand. “Yes, and to clarify, if this arrangement works out, I’ll be staying over sometimes. My mom works nights as a manager at a potato chip factory. Pringles. It makes her smell funny, but she had to go to work after my dad died. We used to have money but now we don’t as much. Remi likes to watch me because I wander off. Not too far. Just to the store and back but it drives her crazy. I also like to eat pickles and drink lemonade. I like your house. It’s bigger than the rat-hole apartment we found above the dry cleaner on 5th Avenue. It had roaches and people were doing drugs out by the dumpster. Hartford said we couldn’t stay there. He and Remi were going to get married, but he dumped her and now he wants her back. She’s sad. I talk. A lot. Does it bother you that I’m autistic?” Language development had never been Malcolm’s weakness. If it’s true that autistic people have a special gift, his was gab.
Dax grinned, the first genuine one I’d seen. “Not at all. It’d be nice to have another guy around. Do you like to play Xbox?”
“I will kick your ass at Halo.”
“Language,” I said but no one seemed to notice.
“You can try,” Dax snarked. “And, by the way, I love pickles too. There’s a whole jar of dills in there right now that my step-mum, Clara, brought me. She canned them herself.”
Malcolm took that in. He adjusted his wire spectacles and focused on me. “He’s cool. You should totally live here.”
“Yeah. What he said.” Dax gazed at me, his tongue dipping out to dab at his lower lip. He bit it, and I tore my eyes off him. Jesus. What was he doing?
As if directed by a part of my brain I had no control over, my right hand toyed with the small strand of pearls I’d put on with my sundress.
Dax inhaled sharply, dropping the papers he’d been holding on the floor between us. Bending down from his chair, he reached to snatch them, his eyes snaking over my legs. I crossed them and he flinched, a flush rising in his cheeks as he sat up and put the paper on the table.
I dropped the pearls and twisted my wrist. What was wrong with me? Why was I baiting him?
I glanced back at him to see that his face had whitened. I followed his eyes, realizing he’d seen the engagement ring on
my finger.
I stared at the rock that symbolized everything I wanted. Hartford had asked me to wear it again, and I’d finally agreed the day we landed back in Raleigh. Part of me had wanted to make my mom happy and keep Malcolm from worrying about me. The rest of me was ambivalent as hell.
Hartford’s impatient voice brought me back. “We’re losing daylight here on the search for an apartment, Remington.”
Instead of answering, I focused on Dax. His eyes caught mine, and bit-by-bit, everyone else in the room disappeared.
“I’m going to live here,” I said, turning my gaze back to Hartford.
His face reddened. “You can’t mean that—”
“I do. The rent is right, there’s a place for Malcolm, and it’s minutes from campus. It’s everything I want.”
“Except it’s a guy you’re considering living with,” he said, his voice sharp.
“I have nowhere else, Hartford.”
And you’re the reason I’m in this predicament, my eyes said.
Had he so easily forgotten?
“I’m choosing where I live. No one else,” I added firmly.
He flicked his eyes to Dax and then considered me, a look of distaste on his face as if he smelled something rotten.
Dax cleared his throat. “Uh, I can give you a few moments alone . . .”
“No, that’s not necessary. I want the room. Right, Hartford?” My lips tightened. If he didn’t agree with this. . . .
A few tense moments ticked by until finally he exhaled, leaned over, and put his hand over mine. “I’m sorry to be a pain, babe. I just want what’s best for you, and this isn’t it. With that said, I’ll support whatever decision you make.” He shot a dark look at Dax. “Anyway, I’m just down the road, and you can always stay over with me anytime.”
“Sure,” I said with obvious relief, glad he was getting on board.
Dax pushed the papers over for me to sign.
I stared down at them.
Him. Me. In a house alone.
What could possibly go wrong?
16
British Bad Boys: Box Set Page 36
