Not today.
The first thing that comes to mind is just how sexy and confident Easton looked on his Ducati, dominating the track like an experienced pro.
I’m immensely angry with him. Angry with him for leaving when he did, and even angrier with him for showing back up and consuming my thoughts once again like he never left.
The fence rattles beside me, causing me to look over at Hope and smile. She looks like she’s in pain. Not many can keep up with my running. “Sorry. I just needed to go fast, and since my Harley is at the pub, running was the next best thing to blow off some steam.”
She leans against the fence and bends over to grab her knees. “I’m convinced you’re trying to kill me this morning. Don’t do that to me before I get my chance with your brother. Do you hate me that much?”
“Of course not.” I laugh and take a seat next to her when she finally falls over from exhaustion. “But you know if I don’t get my daily rush, I’ll be a bitch all day. We both know you don’t want that.”
She nods, still out of breath. “We don’t. No. Definitely not.” A deep breath releases from her lips as she lays back in the grass and drops her arms down beside her like they’re dead weight. “I can handle almost falling over and dying from trying to keep up with you, but you being a bitch… I cannot.”
A small smile forms on my lips as I rest my head against the fence. “Good to hear you’d rather die than be in the presence of my bitchiness, Hope. You’re a great friend.”
“Hey. I’ve never claimed to be great, just good.” She laughs. “I need a few minutes now, or maybe twenty. I don’t know. It hurts. Everything hurts soooo bad.”
That works for me, because I need a few minutes myself. I close my eyes and listen as one of the local racers pulls out onto the track to practice for the race later tonight.
The real race.
We sit in silence, just listening for a while, before Hope shoots up from the grass. “Please tell me you don’t plan on running to the pub to get your bike. That’s another four or so miles from here. I honestly don’t think I have it in me.”
Standing up, I wipe my butt off and then crack my neck. “Of course, I am. I’m already more than halfway there. I’m not stopping now.”
“I figured that.” She begins walking backward, toward the direction we came from. “I’m walking back to my truck then. Maybe I’ll meet you there for lunch in a bit. I’ll text you.”
I look down at my Fitbit to check the time. It’s close to eleven. That’s when the pub opens for lunch. “Left my phone at home. Just show up before noon if you want to join me for lunch. Roman works the day shift, so I’ll be in there hanging with him.”
“Oh, then you know I’ll be there, along with every other girl in town.” She winks. “Just save me a seat at the bar then. I’ll be there in thirty.”
“Will do, babe.”
Two minutes before opening, I’m standing outside the pub, sweaty and out of breath. I ran hard the whole way here, not stopping or slowing down.
My lungs are burning like hell and breathing is not my friend right now. It hurts my chest with every attempt.
Cussing to myself, I lean against Roman’s Yukon and look around the parking lot. There are at least six vehicles still here from last night, which isn’t unusual after race night.
The fiery feeling in my chest intensifies when I notice that Easton’s Ducati is one of them.
As much as I don’t want to care, it has me wondering who he went home with. Or if he even went home with anyone.
It’s also coming back to me that in my drunken breakdown I threw my keys across the parking lot and told him to fetch, before taking off with Hope.
Please tell me Roman has my keys.
“Shit. Ouch.” I grab my side and push away from my brother’s vehicle with a huff.
Knowing Easton, he probably stuffed my keys in his pocket and took them home with him. He used to always take on the responsibility of looking out for me and keeping me safe before he left. Another thing I missed after he was gone. Not that I needed it, but it was familiar to me.
When I go to open the pub door, it’s still locked. I anxiously bang on it, impatient to get to my brother and talk. “Unlock the door! Roman! It’s me.”
A few minutes later, I hear Roman’s loud groan as he pushes the door open and steps aside for me to walk in. “Just the person I wanted to fucking see. We need to talk. Now.” He looks like hell, dressed in a red flannel with some of the buttons done up wrong. It’s a harsh sight. His thick, hair is sticking out all over the place and his green eyes are dark and heavy. I guess last night did him in.
He gives me a suspicious look and then walks away to plug in the dartboards.
My heart speeds up as I follow him to the back of the room and watch as he turns on the boxing machine next. I can never handle it when Roman gives me that look. “Why are you giving me such suspicious and dirty looks? I should be the one who’s pissed. And fix your shirt.”
He turns around to face me with a hard look, apparently not liking my attitude, as he reaches down to undo his buttons. “You?” He runs a hand down his face in frustration. “What for, Dakota?”
“Oh, you should already know, but you start first. Go ahead,” I push, glaring up at his six-foot-one frame. “Then I’ll tell you.”
His jaw clenches, as if just the thought of asking me whatever it is bothering him pisses him off. “Did you leave with Easton last night? Did he stay the night with you?”
His question lights my whole body on fire. The only thing I wanted was to get away from Easton last night, and here my brother is accusing me of sleeping with him, without actually coming out and asking. “Why the hell would you even ask me that?”
He walks past me, answering my question as I follow at his heels and take a seat at the bar. “You were the first two to leave. Blake saw Easton follow you outside and then you both just disappeared. Everyone noticed, by the way. Seems a bit suspicious, don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” I admit. “But no. He caught me trying to drive my bike last night and forced me to give up my keys. I left with Hope. Not Easton,” I grind out. “So, don’t ever think that again. You, of all people, should know better.”
“Good.” He leans over the bar and locks his eyes on mine, making it clear he’s watching me. “You know how that would look, right?”
I nod my head and snatch up one of the menus, even though I know it by heart. I just need something else to look at other than my brother right now. “That’s the last thing I want. So, get off my ass.”
“I fucking hope so. Now, tell me why you’re the one who should be pissed. I’m curious to know what I did now.” He flashes me a smile, now that he knows his suspicions were wrong.
“Okay.” I set my menu down and narrow my eyes at him. He better lose that charming smile that has the whole town loving him. He’s an adorable son of a bitch, but his cuteness won’t help me be any less angry with him. Perks of being his sister. I can stay mad at him, because I’m not trying to get in his pants like every other girl in this town. “How long have you’ve known Easton was in town? A day? A week? What? And you couldn’t even give me a warning?”
He releases a breath and his eyes soften, letting me know he feels at least slightly guilty. “Only since yesterday morning. I promise.” He looks up to see who has joined us when the door to the pub squeaks open. “Speaking of the devil.”
I slowly exhale a breath, and place my hand over my racing heart as I listen to Easton’s boots pound against the hardwood flooring, getting closer to me with each step.
His body heat so close as he stops beside me has me grabbing the bar top in front of me, feeling lightheaded.
Shit, I’m not prepared for this yet.
I knew I’d have to see him again, since Roman obviously doesn’t have my keys, based on his question from earlier, but come on.
I’ve barely just caught my breath from my morning run.
“…Dakota?”
I glance up at my brother when my body starts shaking from the hand now gripping my shoulder. “Stop trying to rip the bar ledge off. It’s a losing battle.”
Of course, it is.
I release the mahogany wood just in time for Easton to pull my keys from the pocket of his leather jacket and set them down in front of me. “You’re welcome.”
My eyes haven’t met his face yet, but I can tell by his cold voice that he wants nothing more than to be far away from me right now, or to give me more hell for trying to drive after drinking last night.
I don’t blame him for either. I was acting a damn fool. And for him possibly wanting to get away from me, well… he didn’t care enough to say bye when he left, so why should we bother being friends now.
Refusing to look up at him, I reach for the Sprite my brother slides in front of me before he rushes off to the back. “I heard you had an early night,” I say stiffly. “Someone offer to take you home?”
“I walked.” His voice is stern, but tired and husky, as if he had a rough night. “Just like you, I had no business on a bike in the condition I was in.”
Roman nods his head at Easton after he returns from the back room, holding a case of beer to restock the coolers. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her last night. I was so busy I couldn’t keep track of shit.” He glares up at me from his knees. “She’s usually good with her liquor. Not sure what the hell her issue was last night.”
“I had a lot on my mind. I think I deserve to get drunk occasionally. We all do.”
“I won’t argue that, but if you can’t be responsible when you drink then I’ll make sure your ass, little sis, gets cut off after one beer, and you can spend the night staring at my handsome face up here at the bar while drinking water.” Roman slams the cooler door shut and stands up, his eyes meeting mine. “Got it?”
I nod my head and take a sip of my Sprite. “Sounds like a grand time, brother.”
“All right, man,” Easton says quickly. “I’m out of here. Just wanted to drop off your sister’s keys. I’ll catch you when you’re off.”
There’s that whole “your sister” bullshit I hate. He only does it to get under my skin. It works every single time.
Sitting up straight, I turn my stool to face him, prepared to give him a piece of my mind, but as soon as my eyes meet his dark, heavy ones, I can’t.
His eyes look haunted... tortured and a little bit broken, as if something is eating him alive inside. He’s never been one to hide from me, but it looks like he’s fighting to at this very moment.
Apparently, he had a worse night than my brother did. Something took its toll on him.
It’s not surprising my brother can’t tell, because reading Easton has always come easiest for me, ever since the first day he walked into our house as kids.
Swallowing, I keep his gaze and fight to hold my composure. Why, after so long, does his stare still render me speechless and make me feel so weak?
Luckily, Roman speaks before I can think of what to say. “Nah, man. You’re sticking around for a bit. Lunch is on me. I haven’t seen your ass in three years. You can have everything on this damn menu if you want.” He drops a menu in front of him, before walking away to help Blake and Sylvia Martinez, who just walked in.
Blake and her little friend can’t seem to keep their eyes off Easton as he scans over the menu with one hand in his hair.
I can tell Roman is annoyed, but he tosses menus their way anyway, before walking away and making their drinks.
My brother dated Blake for four years, but she’s never hidden her attraction to Easton, flirting with him any chance she got to get close enough. He finally dumped her a week after Easton took off. It was clear she was only giving him her full attention since her eye-candy was no longer around as a distraction.
“Look at that.” Roman appears in front of us, giving the girls time to figure out what they want, other than Easton. “Still desperate for your dick.”
Easton looks up and runs both hands through his hair, his body tense. “Everyone’s desperate for what they can’t have. Some don’t know when to quit, while others give up too easily,” he says stiffly, giving me a quick glance.
My chest tightens from the intensity of his words, making me wonder what exactly he meant by that.
I look toward the door as it squeaks open once again, hoping with everything in me it’s Hope this time. Relief washes over me when I see her long, brown hair blow in the breeze as the door closes behind her.
I seriously don’t think I can handle sitting here next to Easton for one more second, so I stand up and walk over to a table, letting Hope know I want to eat away from everyone else.
She instantly rolls her eyes, disappointed that she won’t be within touching distance of my brother. Not that she does any touching anyway. She’s too chicken shit to even let him know she likes him.
Hope takes the seat across from me and quietly yells at me through tight lips. “Oh, come on! Why are we sitting over here?”
“I can’t be up there right now. There’s too much tension.”
She looks over to see that Blake and Sylvia are now walking over to sit next to Easton, getting extremely close to his breathing space. They’re probably sucking all the damn air from him.
“Well damn. I can see why now. Just last month Blake was crying, saying she still misses your brother, and now she’s back to pining over his best friend. That’s so messed up.”
I purse my lips and angrily flip through the menu, not looking at any of it. “She’s a bitch. The whole town knows it.”
Halfway through our lunch, I can’t help but notice Blake and Sylvia are still on Easton’s nuts, leaning over him to speak to each other and touching him any chance they get.
I don’t think I can take it anymore. Every single time Blake’s arm brushes over his, I get an urge to drag her outside by her curly, blonde hair.
“I think I’m done.” I push my uneaten food to the edge of the table and reach into my jacket for some cash. Even though my brother refuses to take it, I always leave money for him anyway.
“Really?” Hope eyes my plate as I stand up and tighten my ponytail. “You barely even ate.”
“I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought.” I glance toward the bar, catching Easton’s eye for a quick second, before I turn away. “I’m in the mood for Stiles’ trails. Want to come?”
She shakes her head and continues stuffing her face with food. “No, Talon is supposed to do a little work on my truck today. I’m just going to go to his house after I eat and get it out of the way.”
“Text me later then.”
She smiles and then grabs her food, heading up to the bar to no doubt finish it, while talking with my brother.
Thinking about it for a second, I grab the food and money from the table I planned to leave and slam it down on the bar beside Blake. She turns to look at me, so I move in close, letting her know I’m pissed. “Get your facts straight before running your mouth next time. In fact, do yourself a favor and mind your own goddamn business for now on.”
She doesn’t say anything, so I back away, my eyes catching Easton’s for a split second, before I turn around and walk away.
Needing to breathe, I hurry outside, feeling the rush of cool air hit my lungs as I inhale. It feels freeing after being inside the walls of that stuffy pub with Easton just across the room.
Grabbing my helmet, I get ready to slip it on, but stop when I feel a hand grip my wrist.
Adrenaline spreads through my body when I look up to see Easton standing beside me, giving me a hard look. “I shouldn’t have had to fight you last night to keep you from driving off. I don’t like that shit one bit. And what was that about with Blake?”
I swallow hard, allowing my eyes to roam over his defined jawline and up to his insanely sexy lips. How can you want to hurt someone and kiss them with everything in you at the same time? “Well, it’s not your responsibility to take care of Roman’s little sister anymore, now is it? A
nd it’s none of your business.”
He growls and releases my wrist. “Maybe not, but try to pull the same stunt you did last night and I’ll make sure you don’t leave my damn sight for even a second while I’m in town. You won’t even be able to breathe without inhaling my cologne. I’ll be that close.”
With that, he turns and walks away, disappearing back into the pub.
My whole body is on fire as I stand here and stare at the closed door. It’s as if I can still feel his skin on mine, scorching me with his touch, even though he’s no longer holding me in place.
My body’s reaction to him is just as strong as it was last night while in my drunken state.
That’s not what I was hoping for. Not at all.
Easton
I reach for my jacket and slip it on, because the second I step through the door, I want nothing more than to walk right back out to Dakota again.
I’m not done with her. Even though I know I should be. My brain is fighting for me to keep my distance, while my whole fucking body is pulling me toward her with an unstoppable force.
There’s this hunger eating away at my chest, weighing on me to work myself back into her life again. For things to go back to the way they used to be when I meant something to her. Back before she hated me.
Pulling out my wallet, I toss some money down onto the bar and slap it to get Roman’s attention. He’s busy talking with Hope, but stops to look over at me. “Hey, something came up,” I say quickly. “I’ll meet up with you later at the race.”
As much as I hate taking off on Roman like this when we haven’t even had the chance to catch up yet, I have to. My chest will fucking explode from the tension if I don’t.
Roman takes one look at the cash I placed down next to my food and throws his flannel-covered arms up in annoyance. “You and my fucking sister and this paying bullshit. What don’t you two understand about free?”
Hope laughs and shoves a fry into her mouth while Roman freaks out. “Later, Easton. See you at the race.”
“Later.”
I turn away to leave, but Blake grabs my arm, stopping me. Her green eyes focus over my shoulder as she speaks. “I’ll come with. I’m free for the afternoon. Maybe we can catch up.”
Wreck My World Page 4
