Hot Southern Mess (Hide Your Crazy)

by Hardenbrook, T. A.

  I stood next to the bed, contemplating on what I was going to wear when my phone rang. Suddenly my stomach plummeted and my mood instantly soured.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite sister,” my voice dripped with sarcasm and hate. I had heard all the lectures I needed from Mom and Dad, that dealing with her bullshit today wasn’t high on my priority list.

  “Look who finally answered,” my sister snarled, the tone of her voice ice cold and bitchy.

  “Yep, apparently I had a momentary lapse of judgment and didn’t look at the screen before answering.”

  “Well you need to come home. Mom has this big charity thing for some sick kids or something like that this weekend, that we need you need to attend. I told them you really didn’t matter, but apparently everyone is expecting you at the function.”

  “First, you don’t even have a fucking clue what this function is. Second, if Mom really cared she would have called me herself. And third, I have a job now. You do know what a job is, right sissy?” There was no hiding my disgust for my selfish sister now. Once again, this charity fundraiser was all about the status. For all I knew, there really wasn’t a sick kid organization that they would be donating to, but making themselves look good for the others in the shitty ass money driven town.

  “It’s your family, Molly; have you already forgotten where you came from?” My sister questioned, letting the silence fill the line, just waiting for a fighting comment back.

  “I will always know where I came from, doesn’t mean I want to still be there. I’ve got dinner plans tonight, so I guess I’ll talk to you later.” I wasn’t going to play their game; they just wanted a reaction from me and I refused to give it to them.

  “Well you might want to call and check on your car, just a little loving advice.” Rebecca laughed, sending chills down my spine.

  I didn’t even give her the opportunity to say goodbye, just quickly ended the call and went directly into my contacts to search for the storage unit’s number. A knock on the door startled me as I hit the connect button, silently praying that my sister was a lying sack of shit.

  Flinging the door open, I bit down hard on my lip to try and release some of the tension in these aggravating seconds waiting for someone on the other line to pick up the damn phone.

  Brantley stood out in the hallway, looking absolutely panty dropping hot, and here I was in a ratty old t-shirt and boxers. Totally not the look I was going for, but when life seems to drop a damn atomic bomb on your shoulders you basically man up and deal with it. Offering him a meek smile then mouthing the words ‘come in and one sec,’ I quickly scampered back into the main area of the small hotel room.

  “Oh thank god someone is there, yeah hi, I’m calling to check on my baby,” I gushed in a panic. I glanced over at Brantley who looked almost green standing in the small hallway, totally fidgeting with the hem of his long sleeve button up.

  “Yes, I just got a call from a family member saying I need to call and check. What is going on?”

  Brantley motioned that he was going to go when I held my hand up for him to wait; hopefully this would only take a couple more seconds to make sure everything kosher.

  “They WHAT? Are you fucking kidding me? Why in the world would you let someone just come pick her up? Out of all the idiotic things that could have possibly happened this takes the god damn cake,” I screamed, pacing back and forth next to the bed. Who in their right mind would let someone come and take my baby out of storage? This was absolutely ludicrous! I listened to the poor man on the other line stumble over his words, trying to explain the situation to an obviously pissed off woman.

  “So, you’re telling me that they came in to retrieve it, and you just let them? I don’t give a fuck that his name was on the papers; seriously I don’t know what to do now.” Actually, I knew what exactly I needed to do; call my damn father and figure out why in the hell he wanted my damn car. “I’ve got to figure this out now, but I will be calling back to deal with you guys. Mark my words: this isn’t the end of hearing from me,” I threatened, smashing the end call button and tossing my cell on the bed. Tears instantly pooled in my eyes and my lip started to tremble, knowing an imminent breakdown was about to happen.

  “I don’t know what’s going on, Molly, but is there anything I can do to help?” Brantley’s words were sincere as he closed the gap between us, offering his arms out to take me into his grasp.

  I stepped willing into his frame, tightly wrapping my arms around his waist, and buried my face into his chest. I didn’t normally express those kinds of emotions. I prided myself on being a strong woman; someone who could handle the situations life threw at me. Considering only a few years ago, I felt so dependent on a man that I didn’t know what side was up and what was down. So, the fact that I sat there sobbing in this man’s arms, was a shock to my system, something I wasn’t ready to let him see just yet.

  “I’m so sorry, this just came as a total shock for me,” I whispered, bringing my hand up to wipe away the tears that were falling down my cheeks.

  “Don’t worry about it, Molly. So, it’s about your daughter?”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle and pull away from his arms. This man thought I had a kid. My car was more like a lesbian lover than my kid, but oh my gosh, I see how my words could have been construed totally different. Laughter tore through the air, as I continued to try and make sense of this serious problem.

  Brantley just gave me a puzzled look, cocking his beautiful head to the side.

  “I don’t have a kid, Brantley; it’s my car. Apparently, my father believes it shouldn’t be in Seattle,” I managed to spit out in-between giggling fits.

  A relief washed over his face and the creases in his brows eased up from the apparent tension he had carried through that conversation. “Car?” he questioned.

  “Yes, my ‘65 Mustang. I left her stored at a unit in Seattle before we left, and apparently my father took her out and has her lord only knows where.”

  “I really thought you had a kid…………not that it would matter, but shit, Molly. You scared the piss right out of me there,” Brantley commented, sitting himself on the tall soft bed.

  “Nope, no kid,” I said calmly, taking a seat next to him.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “Well nothing, right now. It’s not like I don’t know the person who took her, and I need to collect my thoughts before dealing with that train wreck. So…………… dinner?” I ask with a smile, silently praying he didn’t bounce from the minor freak out he just witnessed.

  “Of course,” he replied, showing off that grin that made me weak in the knees and wet in the pants.

  Standing, I pulled on his arm and yanked him off the bed. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I placed a soft kiss on his cheek and pushed him away. “Go, I need to get dressed.”

  Brantley grinned and licked his lips. It was scary how comfortable I was with this man around my personal space.

  Brantley took my hand and interlocked our fingers as we stepped out of the elevator. It took me by complete surprise when he made that move, but I didn’t pull away. There was something calming and reassuring when I was with him, something that couldn’t be simply explained in words just yet.

  “So, I have reservations at The Que; sound okay?” Brantley mentioned, squeezing my hand and looking directly in the eyes.

  “Sure, I’m game for just about anything.” I smiled back, silently cursing the damn butterflies in my stomach to settle down before I poisoned them with some intoxicating beverage.

  Brantley nodded to the concierge standing at the desk and guided me to the door.

  “Molly Anne?” Reid’s voice came from behind me.

  Suddenly my heart stopped and my mouth went drier than the Mojave desert. I glanced behind me to see Reid and the other guys from Black Laden walking out in the large lobby, followed closely by security and Tiny.

  “Hi,” I waved with my free hand, keeping a tight lock with my other hand in B
rantley’s. Reid’s eyes immediately went to my other hand, noticing the tangled fingers and close contact we were sharing. His eyes turned dark and a pained expression splashed across his face.

  “Are you guys leaving?” Brody asked, coming up and wrapping an arm around my shoulders, breaking the hold I had with Brantley.

  “Yeah, we were just going to grab a bite to eat,” Brantley replied, the tension in his voice evident.

  “Thought you were coming with us, Molly?” Brody winked, letting a sly smile spread across his smug little face. I had completely forgotten I had made plans with the guys for dinner when I accepted the invitation with Brantley. Did Reid really expect me to still come at his beck and call when he had girls coming out of his dressing room more than revolving doors opened at Macy’s.

  “Sorry guys, must have slipped my mind,” I offered, shrugging Brody’s arm off my body. I glanced over at Reid and noticed him looking at the ground. Why in the world was this uber confident, borderline cocky, and narcissistic rock star looking like I ran over his dog?

  “Whatever, Molly; let’s go boys, I’m hungry.” Brody laughed, reaching over and slapping Brantley on the shoulder. I stepped to the side and let Tysen, Ryder, and Brody pass by with their entourage, holding my breath for the moment Reid came in contact.

  “You look beautiful tonight, Molly Anne,” Reid leaned down and whispered in my ear, causing my heart to skip a beat and fall right out of my damn vagina. All I could do was blush; there were no words even being formulated in my brain right now.

  “Are you ready?” Brantley questioned, noticing the wonderful shade of red my face had turned.

  “Yep. This place has beer, right?”

  Chapter 13 Beer, the saving grace of all awkward situations.

  Dinner was fantastic, and the company was even better. Brantley’s ego wasn’t engrossed with being a large rock star, but a real gentleman emerged in our conversation. He was like a normal guy, and I could totally see myself welcoming him into my life with open arms. I wasn’t ready to commit to anything since Jefferson left me broken and shattered those few years ago, but I was okay just keeping things somewhat casual.

  “So, what’s up with Reid?” Brantley mentioned in the car, heading back to the hotel.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It just seems weird between you two, like there is something there.” Brantley shrugged, grabbing my hand and softly rubbing circles across the top.

  “There is nothing between us, I just work for him.” I would love to admit that there was something between us, but then at the same time I wasn’t going to take a leap into crazy land and forget everything he has done in front of me the short amount of time we have known each other. Here, sitting next to me was a man wanting something from me; something that I didn’t know if I had the rights to give away. My heart was guarded from the past; sheltered and locked away from the evils that lurked throughout the game called love. So why in the world could I not open up completely and explain to this wonderful man that I wasn’t ready to take a step further?

  I glanced up into Brantley’s eyes at the exact moment he clasped the side of the face and pulled me into a kiss, melting my insides on the spot. This wasn’t a kiss of lust, but one of passion. It wasn’t ‘I want in your pants and you’re pretty’ kind of thing, but one that searched for commitment in the uncertainty. It didn’t feel wrong, but it also didn’t feel right.

  Pulling back from the heated moment, I let a smile sneak up on my face as I glanced at the floor of the town car. I was the girl who wasn’t afraid of the casual romp and one night stands. I knew who I was, and wasn’t afraid to get what I wanted. So how in the world could that one kiss cause me to rethink things that I had set in stone in order to achieve my dreams? It wasn’t a life altering kiss, but none the less it still held some apparently magical powers that made me rethink the possibilities of doing something in my life that deviated from the norm. How can the heart deny the offering of such emotion when it seems to come from the freedom on sincerity and love? Why does my mind tell me to just fall and let the man catch me, while a voice deep down inside screams that this isn’t it?

  “Too much?” Brantley questioned, his eyes searching mine for the answer.

  “I don’t know,” I whispered, breaking my gaze with the floor and looking back into those steel grey eyes.

  I don’t know anything anymore.

  The ride was silent in the elevator as we waited for the doors to open to our floor. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but one that still held an edge and uncertainty to what direction the conversation should take. Brantley leaned over and bumped my shoulder, offering that trademark smile of his. I couldn’t help but grin back. Even if I was battling inner demons inside my messed up mind, this man was here to offer me a smile and a hand in the turmoil.

  Brantley reached for my hand once again, and of course I let his fingers wrap with mine. Without ushering another word, we silently walked over to my door.

  “Thanks for tonight, Molly.”

  “I’m sorry I checked out in the car,” I offered sheepishly.

  “No worries. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  I nodded my head and leaned up on my tip toes to softly press a kiss to his lips. Swiftly, I dropped my key into the reader and stepped inside, tossing a smile over my shoulder at the wonderful man standing in the hallway. Smiling to myself as the door shut, I wandered over to Simon’s case and heaved him into my arms. Sitting on my bed, I quietly started to strum his strings, letting my mind wander once again in the beautiful music that escaped from his body.

  A knock at the door startled me, as I gently laid my precious guitar on the bed and hurried to the door. I figured it was Brantley, forgetting to tell me something, but my heart started to panic when I opened the door and another figure stood braced against the door jam.

  “Reid.” The shock was evident in my tone.

  “I can’t do this anymore,” he stammered, pushing his way past me and into my room. I took a step into the room and let the door slam behind me, causing a jolt to ripple through my confused body.

  “What in the world, Reid?”

  Suddenly my body was flat up against the wall and his hands braced firmly on either side of my hips. My body was instantly aware of the situation, but my mind was still clouded and confused.

  “This, Molly Anne, I can’t keep doing this,” he whispered in my ear, letting his hot breath linger over the sensitive area right below my jawline.

  I held my breath as he continued to linger; my body getting hotter by the second. I should be pushing him off and demanding that he leave, but I couldn’t. It was like I was frozen in his damn trance; the moment our skin connected all previous thoughts and wishes were thrown out the door and my vagina was allowed to do all the thinking.

  “Then don’t,” I whisper, closing my eyes and bracing for what happened next.

  It was like a flood of emotion when I uttered those words. His lips crashed into mine and my hands shot up into his hair, pulling his face closer to mine to savor the kiss. There was something about these moments that made my insides shatter and scatter into a million and one pieces. No longer did I have to deny that the feelings were one sided, I obviously wasn’t the only one feeling the attraction to each other.

  Our lips continued to smash into each other; forcefully pressing our bodies together. It was a feverish moment that no one could explain; no words were uttered and only sounds of passion filled the room.

  Pulling on the top of his shirt, Reid broke the grasp he had on my waist and swiftly reached a hand behind his head, yanking it off over his body. His mouth broke away from mine and started to trail hot wet kisses down my neck, stopping at my exposed collarbone.

  “Take it off,” he commanded, his blue eyes darkened by the second.

  I gripped the hem of my long sleeve black shirt and yanked it above my head, tossing it carelessly on the floor. My hands immediately went back to his shoulders, letting my fingers follow the mu
scles and contours of his neck and upper body.

  Reid smirked at the red lace bra I had covering my breasts, and crashed his mouth back into mine, sending a moan that rippled throughout my body. His touch burned on my bare skin, making me shudder in delight.

  In one quick motion my legs were wrapped around his waist and we were heading toward the bed, not once breaking the contact of our lips, letting his tongue enter my mouth again and again. I was suddenly dropped on the bed, and used every opportunity to take in the sight standing over me. Reid was every little girl’s fairy tale. Tall, dark, and handsome wasn’t something that was spoken lightly when people referred to this man. His body was built to perfection, a true sight to be seen. His tattoo’s rippled across his arms and shoulders, and they connected by an absolutely stunning piece that graced his upper chest. Letting my eyes drop further south, this man’s abs had my girly bits in all sorts of erratic submission. I wanted to lick the crevices that separated his six-pack, and let my tongue wander down his stunning Adonis belt that trailed into his low slung jeans. I wanted to taste every inch of that man, letting my mouth get more than just some lip action.

  He leaned over me on the bed and quickly undid the button of my red skinny jeans, slowly sliding the zipper down. My breathing quickened and I reached over to slide the pants down on my legs.

  “Put your hands above your head, Molly Anne,” Reid demanded.

  The urgency and force in his voice was evident, the look in his eyes primal. This wasn’t going to be a nice, long, sweet, making love type of sexual encounter. Reid wasn’t that type of man who would wine and dine me, then send me roses the next morning. No, this was going to be rough, fierce, and primal. Exactly how I wanted it.