The Unyielding Bachelor

by Miranda P. Charles

  “Did you lose something, bro?”

  Rick was startled by Brad turning up at his side with a full dinner plate.

  “Have you seen your sister?”

  “Why?” Brad asked, biting into a crunchy spring roll.

  “I need to talk to her about something.”

  Brad shrugged nonchalantly, chewing the food in his mouth.

  But Rick didn’t miss his friend’s probing gaze. He averted his eyes.

  “What do you need to talk to her about?” Brad asked, sounding casual.

  “She was telling me about the present she gave me when Shelley interrupted us,” he said lightly.

  “Oh, can I have a look?”

  “Sure.” He pulled the item from his pocket and handed it to Brad.

  “Nice,” Brad said, an eyebrow lifting as he read the inscription. “What does ‘it’s only a matter of time’ mean?”

  Rick smiled. “Lexie said it’s for when I don’t see a way out of some problem—that it’s only a matter of time before I do.”

  “Ah. Like the ‘this too shall pass’ thing,” Brad said.

  “Yeah,” he said, his breath catching. What if a future with Lexie was passing him by right this moment?

  Brad gave him back Lexie’s present. He stroked the message with his thumb before putting it back in his pocket. He looked up to find Brad scrutinising him again.

  He dropped his gaze, aware that Brad was reading something in his eyes. “Go and enjoy yourself, bro,” he said, clapping Brad on the shoulder and making his way back inside.

  “She’s left.”

  He stopped in his tracks and looked at Brad. “What do you mean?”

  “Lexie’s gone home.”

  He frowned, his chest compressing. Yet again, he’d hurt her. It wasn’t intentional, but it was his doing just the same. “She didn’t even eat,” he murmured.

  “I think she was in a hurry. Her cab was coming.”

  “She didn’t drive?”

  “No. Cassie drove. She called for a cab so she went outside to wait for it.”

  “She’s all alone waiting for a cab?” he asked Brad in horrified disbelief.

  “Ye-ah,” Brad answered, confused by his reaction. “This is a safe neighbourhood, isn’t it?”

  Rick rushed back in, put his plate on a table and hurried to the front. If thugs were spying on his house, they’d find Lexie alone outside.

  “Rick, Lexie told me what happened,” Brad said softly, keeping pace with his long strides. “Just let her be.”

  “What did she tell you?”

  Brad hesitated before answering. “That she let you know how she felt about you, but that you didn’t feel the same. I know you’re still friends, but just give her the space.”

  Rick didn’t answer as he went out the front door. His heart lurched when he saw Lexie talking to a man, and it wasn’t the taxi driver.

  “Lexie!” he called out.

  Lexie turned, her expression changing from surprise to annoyance as she stared at her brother with a steely gaze.

  “Great. Now she knows I told you,” Brad said under his breath.

  “Do you know that guy with her?” Rick asked.

  “No. Not your neighbour?”

  “Haven’t seen him before in my life,” he said, striving to keep his emotions in check. If this man was one of the criminals, Rick couldn’t afford to let the guy know that he knew something.

  Lexie crossed her arms as they got nearer, still glaring at her brother.

  “Hi, Lex,” Rick said. “I didn’t realise you wanted to go home. I just wanted to say goodnight.”

  “Oh, it’s fine,” Lexie said, forcing a smile. “I didn’t want to interrupt you at your own party.”

  He repressed a sigh, and turned to the stranger. “Hi, I’m Rick,” he said, gesturing for a handshake.

  “I’m Carter. Good to meet you, Rick,” the guy said.

  Rick frowned as the guy introduced himself to Brad. Carter? Why did that name sound familiar?

  “Glad to know I’m neighbours with one of Lexie and Cassie’s friends,” Carter said, smiling at Rick.

  “Carter is the brother of Natasha, Cassie’s flatmate,” Lexie explained. “I just learned that he moved two weeks ago to that house four doors down. He was arriving in his car when he saw me standing out here.”

  Rick felt flat. Now he remembered. Carter was the guy Lexie had blind-dated before. He didn’t know that the man was... good-looking.

  “How far away is your taxi?” Brad asked.

  “Oh, I just cancelled it,” Lexie said. “Carter said he’ll give me a lift as he was going my way anyway.”

  “Yeah, Lexie has great timing,” Carter said. “I was just gonna pick up something from the house that I need to drop off to my parents’ tonight. Lexie’s place is not far from there.”

  Rick glanced at Lexie. He didn’t like this. He should be relieved that Carter wasn’t one of the perps, but he didn’t like this.

  “Do you want to wait out here, Lex?” Carter asked. “Or you can go in with me. I might be about five minutes.”

  “I’ll go in with you,” Lexie said. She gave Brad a little wave, then turned to Rick. “Well, enjoy your party. Sorry you had to come out. I should have said goodbye but, like I said, I didn’t want to interrupt. So... bye, Rick.”

  “It was nice meeting you, guys,” Carter said to the two men before escorting Lexie to his house.

  Rick watched them leave, feeling like his heart was being squeezed dry. He didn’t see any sign of flirtation between the two, but what if he’d just witnessed the exact moment when Lexie had taken the first step towards moving on from him?

  No. Just no.

  “Hey, will you tell me what’s going on with you?” Brad asked, sounding pissed off.

  “Nothing,” he answered, turning to walk back to his house. “I’m just glad Lexie seems okay.”

  “But you’re not,” Brad observed.

  He lifted an eyebrow and attempted a grin. “Who says?”

  Brad squinted his eyes at him.

  “I’m fine, Brad,” he said with a laugh. “It’s good Lexie’s getting a lift with Carter.”

  “Did you know that the two of them had gone on a date before? Cassie told me about it. Apparently, Carter was really interested in Lex. But Lex was probably still keen on you back then. Maybe this time Carter will get his chance. Frankly, if she doesn’t go home tonight, I won’t mind.”

  Rick stopped walking to scowl at Brad. “I cannot believe you just said that.”

  “What?” Brad asked innocently.

  “You won’t mind if Lexie doesn’t go home tonight?” he asked accusingly. “That’s your sister you’re talking about.”

  “Yes. My twenty-six-year-old sister. Look, I’d hate for Lexie to mope around for days when you’re gonna be out and about with other women. I want her to be happy, so if she has rebound sex with Carter tonight, I won’t—”

  “Argh, shut up!” Rick said, giving Brad the deadliest of glares.

  Brad smirked. “So tell me,” he asked in a low voice. “What the hell is going on with you?”

  Rick continued walking towards the house, wanting to give himself a big wallop in the face for losing control. “Nothing. If Lexie and Carter want to hook up, then I don’t have a problem.”

  Well, he better paste a bright smile on his face. He was going back to his party. It wouldn’t help at all if people started asking why he looked so depressed.

  When Brad disappeared inside the house, he took an involuntary glance at the direction of Carter’s house. His Lexie was in there. And the last words she said to him tonight had been... ‘bye, Rick.’

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Lexie wiped away her tears when she heard Erin’s soft knock.

  “Lex, are you awake?”

  She didn’t answer, staying quiet. Fortunately, Erin must have believed she was asleep.

  It was eleven-thirty—a little early for Erin to be home from a party. But
knowing her friend, Erin was probably worried about her.

  But Lexie didn’t want to talk right now. She just wanted to be left alone.

  Her phone vibrated silently on her bedside table, its screen lighting up. She reached for it and saw that Brad was trying to call. She ignored it and buried her face in her pillow.

  When she came up for air, the phone screen had brightened up again. Brad had sent her a text message.

  *Call me ASAP. Important.*

  She stared at it suspiciously. Brad probably only wanted to know how she was. To be fair, he wasn’t usually this nosy. He only got this way when he was really worried.

  She was still deciding whether to call Brad back when the phone vibrated again in her hand.

  She sighed. If she didn’t get this now, he’d just bug her tomorrow.

  “Hi, Brad,” she said quietly so Erin wouldn’t hear.

  “Hey, did I wake you up?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sorry. Just wanted to check up on you.”

  “You already texted me a few hours ago to see if I got home all right.”

  “I mean I want to make sure you’re not bawling your eyes out anymore.”

  “Anymore? I wasn’t bawling at all,” she said, sniffing as his words triggered more tears.

  She heard him sigh.

  “Lex, I want to know something.”

  “What?”

  “When you said that you told Rick how you felt about him, did you tell him straight or did you beat around the bush, hoping he’d get the message?”

  “Huh? Why are you asking me that?”

  “Well, did you or didn’t you tell him straight?”

  She hesitated. She hadn’t told Rick she loved him.

  “I take it from your silence you didn’t say the actual words. You were just hoping he’d get the fact that you liked him.”

  “Oh, he knew damned well I liked him,” she said.

  “For sure?”

  “Yes. For sure. Where’s this leading to, Brad?”

  There was a pause. “Somehow, I think that you and Rick had some miscommunication somewhere,” Brad answered.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t want to get your hopes up, Lex, but he got positively jealous of Carter earlier. He almost bit my head off when I said that I wouldn’t mind if you stayed with Carter tonight.”

  “You said what?”

  “I was trying to bait him. It was obvious he was bottling something up, but he wouldn’t tell me about it.”

  Lexie’s heart raced, hope taking a peek from its hiding place. “And you think I should talk to him?”

  “Listen, I know Rick was bullshitting when he kept on insisting he was fine. I’m quite certain it’s got something to do with you. I could be totally wrong about that, but I’d rather you find out the truth before you continue your silent crying in your bedroom. If it turns out that he’s really not into you, well, get back to your moping then.”

  “Sometimes you make so much sense,” she said with a sigh.

  “Only sometimes?” Brad asked with mock indignity.

  She chuckled.

  “So what are you gonna do?”

  “Um... yeah. I think I’ll talk to him,” she answered, her heart hammering.

  “Good. Let me know how you go.”

  “I will. Thanks, Brad. Are you at home now, by the way?”

  “Yes. I left before eleven. I have a few things I want to get done before I go to bed.”

  “You’re such a workaholic. I hope you’re looking after yourself.”

  “I am. ’Night, sis.”

  “’Night.”

  Lexie stared at the ceiling as she mulled Brad’s words. Brad wouldn’t even have mentioned anything to her if he didn’t feel sure about Rick getting jealous of Carter. But why had Rick broken up with her in the first place?

  The contract.

  She bolted to a sitting position. Could that really be the reason? Had he gotten scared that they were becoming too obvious and thought that the best thing to do was stay away from each other?

  Her mind filled with memories of her interaction with Rick earlier today. She’d felt that invisible but oh-so-powerful connection between them. She’d seen the tenderness in his eyes and heard the warmth in his voice. But she’d ignored them, afraid they were just figments of her imagination.

  She hastened out of bed, making a snap decision and not allowing herself to change her mind.

  Rick’s party would still be going for another two to three hours at least. She was going to go back there and find an opportunity to have a private talk with him.

  *****

  Lexie got out of her car, wondering why the street was almost empty of parked vehicles. Had most people gone home? The lights in the ground floor of Rick’s house were still on, so there must still be some friends inside partying with him.

  She walked up the path, the clacking of her high heels against the pavement echoing in the silence. Her heartbeat was just as loud to her ears.

  What if Aileen was still there? What if Aileen was the only person left there with Rick?

  She stopped walking. Maybe she should have called first to make sure she wouldn’t be making a fool of herself.

  The front door opened and Lexie stood frozen, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.

  “Lexie!” Shelley said in surprise. Betty was right behind her. Then Rick appeared.

  “Hi,” she croaked.

  “Mum and I were just going home.”

  She smiled. “I, um... felt guilty that I left early tonight because of work so I thought I’d come back and rejoin the party.”

  “Oh, it’s finished,” Shelley said. “Rick’s got a massive headache so everyone left so he could rest. But hey, there’s plenty of food left. I don’t think you got to eat much of it earlier. You should at least pack some to take home with you.”

  “Uh...” Now what should she do? She wanted to talk to Rick. But with Betty seeing her here, maybe she should go home and leave it for another day. She’d hate to give the woman cause to suspect anything.

  “Come on in, Lex,” Rick said quietly.

  “I should go if you have a headache, Rick,” she said. “I didn’t know the party finished early. Sorry.”

  “Oh, but you should pack some of the food like Shelley suggested, Lexie,” Betty said with a smile. “We did,” she added, holding up a large carry bag.

  “Okay,” she said, thinking protesting would be more suspicious. “I won’t stay long, Rick. If there’s plenty of food left, I’d love to take some home.”

  “Sure,” Rick said.

  Shelley and Betty said their goodnights and Lexie sauntered towards the house, trying her best to look casual. Rick stepped aside to give her room to walk in.

  He closed the door and gave her a look that was surprisingly bleak.

  A pang of guilt hit her. He must really have a headache, and here she was, bothering him.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked softly, wanting so badly to reach up and run a comforting hand through his hair.

  “I’m okay,” he said a tad curtly. “Food’s in the fridge.”

  “I’m not here for the food, Rick,” she said bravely.

  To her dismay, Rick walked away towards the back of the house. “So why are you here?”

  “I wanted to talk about earlier today,” she said tentatively.

  Rick faced her. “What about?” he asked coldly.

  She gulped. Why was he mad? “About Carter—”

  “You don’t need to tell me, Lexie. It’s obvious you haven’t gone home,” he said, the harshness in his voice surprising her.

  Her mouth dropped open. What?

  Rick continued to glare at her for a few seconds before turning back and heading to the kitchen. Wow, he was really mad.

  Realisation hit and Lexie couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on her face as she hurried after him. She’d put on the same outfit she’d worn earlier and that was why Rick
thought she hadn’t gone home. This anger had to be jealousy.

  “Rick,” she called out.

  He ignored her. Instead, he opened a cupboard and took out some plastic food containers. “You can put the leftovers here,” he said gruffly.

  “I told you I’m not here for the food.”

  “Then what, Lexie?” he asked with exasperation. “And if it’s about you and Carter, I already said you don’t need to tell me.”

  “So if I’d stayed all this time at Carter’s, you don’t care?”

  “Lexie,” he said in a warning tone. “I. Don’t. Want. To. Know. So if there’s nothing else, I’d like to be alone. Like you’ve been told, I have a headache.”

  “So you don’t want to know that Carter did give me a lift home and that I spent the last few hours crying in my bed before I came back here?” she asked softly.

  Rick’s chest heaved as he stared at her.

  “You can even check that my car’s outside,” she continued. “That’ll prove to you I did go home.”

  Rick’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at her for the longest time. Then, with long purposeful steps, he strode to her and cupped her face.

  “Don’t you ever put me through that again,” he growled.

  “Ditto,” she said, her heart jumping with joy at what she saw in his eyes.

  Rick caressed her face. “I love you, Lexie,” he whispered, his eyes misting.

  She let out a soft sob. “I love you, too, Rick.”

  With a ragged sigh, Rick captured her mouth for a kiss. In an instant, they were clinging to each other, devouring each other’s mouths and running burning hands all over each other’s bodies.

  The desire that erupted within Lexie was all consuming. She wanted Rick. Now. She pressed herself against him and moaned when she felt his burgeoning erection.

  “I missed you so fucking much,” Rick groaned, unzipping her dress and pushing it off her shoulders in all of five seconds.

  “I missed you, too,” she breathed, her fingers fumbling impatiently with his shirt buttons.

  Rick continued to give her scorching kisses on her face and neck as he discarded her underwear.

  She hurriedly undid his fly and pushed his trousers and boxer shorts down to his ankles, kneeling so she was staring right at his steely hardness. She put out her tongue and licked its length.