by Nikkie Locke
“I’m hoping,” he answered.
“At least you’re honest. All right, then.”
“I think I’m going to have to start using that word more often,” he joked as he followed her out the door.
He stood beside her as she locked the door. When she finished, she turned and headed for his truck. He walked beside her. She stopped him when he tried to follow her to the passenger side.
“I’ve got it.”
He shrugged and walked to his door instead. She was already in the truck reaching for her seatbelt when he opened his door to get in.
“How long does it take to get warm?”
He turned the key. The engine roared to life. Almost immediately, air started blowing out of the vents.
“For the record, this isn’t warm,” she told him.
He threw his arm over the back of the seat to look over his shoulder as he backed the truck out of its parking spot. She noticed his hand was close enough to tangle in her hair. When she realized she was hoping he would do just that, she almost shook her head. She must be more tired than she thought. First she’d thought he was going to kiss her that afternoon, and now she was hoping he’d touch her. She had to be tired.
“It’s warmer.”
“I suppose so,” she replied.
He didn’t bother answering, which at first wasn’t bad. The silence continued, though, and instead of trying to think of something to say, she found herself wondering what it would be like if he did touch her. Maybe all the girls’ teasing had gone to her head, or maybe Bridgett’s happily-ever-after fever was spreading. Whichever the case, she couldn’t help stop thinking about it.
Would his hands have calluses? Would his hair tickle against her cheeks? What would his mouth feel like against hers?
“We’re here,” Dean announced, shaking her out of her musings.
“Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it.”
He put the truck in park behind her car in the driveway. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“Oh, no. That’s all right. This is good. Really.” With the thoughts rolling around in her brain, she definitely didn’t need him any closer.
He ignored her and got out of the truck. He started to walk around to her side, but she met him at the front of the truck.
“This is good. Really. Thanks again.”
He took her by the arm gently and walked her toward the porch. “I said I’d take you home. That means I’ll make sure you get in.”
Bossy? Maybe. Turning me in to goo? Definitely.
“I’m sure I’ll get in,” she protested anyway. “I always have my keys. Besides, I have an extra under the doormat. It’s ten steps. I’ll be fine.”
He walked her up the stairs of the porch to the door.
“Where are your keys?”
“My purse.” She unzipped her purse to root through it. “In here. Somewhere.”
He watched her as she dug through the purse that was the size of a small state. It might have been her favorite, but under his gaze she wished it were smaller and better organized so she could find her keys faster. She’d dropped them in on top after locking the door to the diner, but inevitably they always fell to the bottom.
“Got it!”
She turned to unlock the door and push it open. She stepped inside. “Want to come in?”
Please say no. Please say no.
“No, thanks.”
Looking at him standing under the porch light with his hands in his pockets, she felt a tug low in her stomach. How had she not noticed him?
Send him home before you say something stupid. “I’ll let you go now. Thanks for the ride.”
Almost before she finished talking, he caught her hand and pulled her to him. He closed the distance between their mouths before she could take a breath. His lips grazed hers gently despite the suddenness of the kiss. Just a brush, then he let go and stepped back.
She stared at him.
He kissed me. Dean kissed me.
She took a shallow breath. He had kissed her, and it hadn’t been nearly enough.
Two quick steps and she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. His hands latched onto her hips as his lips pressed against hers. His cold fingers slid under her coat and shirt to brush against her warm skin. When she gasped at the cold touch, he took advantage with a long, open-mouthed kiss.
She shivered as his tongue delved deep inside her mouth. The tug she’d felt earlier turned into full-blown desire. She felt her hands tighten on his face when he shifted to pull away. She returned his kiss with a desperate need to show him she wanted more. More of his mouth against hers, more of his hands roaming across her back, more of everything.
He shifted again and pulled his mouth from hers.
“Dean,” she whispered.
He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. Then he nudged her back into the house.
“Goodnight, Payten,” he whispered, brushing one last kiss across her cheek. He pulled the door shut as he moved away from her.
She felt her breath shake as she stared at the door.
Where had that come from?
As the sound of her heartbeat quieted, she noticed the rumble of his truck in her driveway. She dashed into the living room and peeked out the blinds. The headlights blinded her momentarily, but she watched as the truck backed out of her driveway. She kept watching until his truck was gone from sight.
When it was gone, she sighed. Kicking off her shoes on her way to her room, she left them where they fell. She wanted to think about what had happened, to relive every moment. Instead, she collapsed on her bed and fell sound asleep.
Chapter Five
This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.
He eased the car to the side of the wide street and parked it. He started to roll down his window, but realized he wouldn’t be able to hear their conservation from this distance. Quietly, he slipped from the car and edged closer.
He listened carefully. Their conversation could give him the information he needed to prove his point. Dean shouldn’t have a woman. After all the pain he’d caused, he shouldn’t have any happiness. It wasn’t fair.
In the end, he wouldn’t need their words to prove his point. He watched Dean kiss the woman. The woman flung herself at him. Dean eagerly returned her kisses. The sight made him sick to his stomach.
The plan would have to be adjusted. This affair made it clear his original plan wasn’t enough. Dean deserved worse. So much worse.
He waited until Dean’s truck was out of sight and the woman’s face moved from the window. He also waited for the woman across the street to close her blinds. He hadn’t been the only one watching Dean and his woman.
Meticulously surveying the rest of the neighborhood, he decided the residents were sleeping soundly or at least away from their windows. In a peaceful neighborhood like this, it was typical for the resident to draw their curtains before bed. And, if he couldn’t see in, they couldn’t see out.
Hastily, he walked right up to the woman’s front door. Based on what she’d told Dean, he found her spare key and just as quickly snuck away again.
As he walked along one of the fenced yards, a dog slammed itself against the boards of the fence, startling him. The dog snarled and barked. He hated fucking dogs. Nasty things. The noise this one made rendered it a liability. He’d have to figure out how to get rid of it if he planned on staking out this woman again.
Slipping into the stolen car, he left the neighborhood unobserved.
Chapter Six
Payten jumped when she heard the phone ring. She had only been awake a few minutes, long enough to go to the bathroom and decide to brush her teeth before going back to bed. She spit the toothpaste out of her mouth and moved into her room to grab the phone.
“Hello?”
There was no answer.
“Hello?”
She hung up the phone, puzzled. It was after two in the morning. If someone bothered calling at that time, it should
be for an emergency. If it were an emergency, though, why would they hang up?
She walked back to the bathroom, finished brushing her teeth, and went to bed. She fell asleep thinking that she should get caller ID on her phone.
• • •
Dean lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. It was dark in his room, but it wasn’t like there was anything to see on the ceiling. He simply couldn’t sleep.
He turned his head to look at the clock. It was a little after two. Closing times were usually a little before two. Luke drifted and picked up odd jobs at bars along his way to wherever. Luke would still be awake.
He rolled out of bed and headed for the living room. He grabbed the phone off the coffee table and sank into his favorite leather chair. Kicking his feet up on the footrest, he dialed Luke’s cell phone.
“Yeah?” he answered.
“It’s Dean.”
“Hey.” His voice warmed. It was a slight change, but they had been friends so long he caught it. “What’s up?”
“Not much,” Dean lied. “Just called to chat.”
“You call to chat at noon. It’s two in the morning. I repeat, what’s up?”
“No small talk?” he asked even as he felt himself grin.
“Fuck, no.” Dean could almost hear the horror in his friend’s voice. “You want small talk, you call Kal. Running off at the mouth is his specialty.”
“True. So where are you now?”
“Shithole outside Baton Rouge. Bad beer, big loser dudes, same dumb kids. The women here are gorgeous, though. Voices like angels. Smooth and slow as honey. It makes up for the rest.”
That’s so Luke, he thought. “Sounds like it does.”
There was silence for a few moments. He shifted in his chair and struggled to figure out what he wanted to say.
“Jack called,” Luke finally announced.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. He told me Bridgett’s getting married. For real. Engagement party and everything.”
“She is,” Dean confirmed. “Jack is ate up. Kalvin drug him out of the party tonight pretty fast. I think they were headed to Smitty’s.”
“He thinks getting shitfaced is going to help?”
“Maybe not, but it can’t hurt. He’s messed up.”
“He sounded that way.”
Dean traced the tiny cracks in the leather of the arm of the chair. Spit it out, he thought. Just spit it out!
“I kissed Payten.”
“Yeah?” Luke asked.
“Yeah.”
“I thought you were going to leave off her.”
He blew out a deep breath. “I planned on it. The men in my family… It’s insane, Luke. My dad. Jack. I’ve got two uncles the same way. Jack’s never even been with Bridgett, and he’s walking around like a zombie. He acts like he’s lost his whole world. He honestly believes he has.”
“What’s that got to do with you ducking Payten?”
“What if I do the same thing? What if I become obsessed with her, then lose her? What happens then? I swear off women and spend my life alone? I don’t want to be closing in on sixty with no one but myself,” he said, thinking of his father.
“Who’s the last woman you dated?” Luke asked.
“What?”
“Who’s the last woman you dated?”
“I was sleeping with Charlotte Carols before Christmas,” he answered.
“That’s not what I asked. Who’s the last woman you dated? When’s the last time you had a relationship? Had a girlfriend? Spent the night — the whole night — at a woman’s house?” Luke asked. “Have you? Ever?”
“I’m missing your point.”
“You’re already obsessed. You have been since forever. Get over it.”
“Fuck you,” Dean muttered.
“You called. You wanted someone to baby you, you’d have gone to Kal. You know it. You’re already as obsessed as Jack. And there’s something you need to realize.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Jack lost Bridgett without ever having her. He’s alone, and knowing your weird-ass family, he’s always going to be. You want to be in the same boat? You’re already alone. Say you date Payten. You lose nothing by having her for as long as possible. Added to that, say you never lose her. What if she lives to be a hundred and loves you every day of her life? You’re fucking missing that.”
Dean tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “That’s an awful long speech for someone who supposedly doesn’t talk much.”
“I’d tell you to think about it, but I know you already have. You’re on a crash course with no turning back. You just wanted to be sure you’re right. That’s why you called me.”
“So you could tell me I’m right?”
“Yeah. Moron.”
Dean grinned. “You should come home.”
“Doubtful. The water in the shower kicked off a second ago. My date’s about to discover there aren’t any towels in the bathroom.”
Dean laughed.
“You need any more talking off the ledge, or can I go get laid?” Luke asked.
“I’ll talk to you later.”
Luke hung up without replying. Dean turned the phone off and tossed it onto the coffee table. Standing up, he stretched and headed for bed.
He knew Luke had been right. He was on a crash course. When he’d tasted Payten’s sweet lips earlier that night, he’d known there was no turning back. He wanted her. Desperately. He planned on having her. All he had left to do was convince her.
Chapter Seven
The next morning started for Payten with the ringing of her phone. She groped blindly for the cordless on her nightstand.
“What?” she grumbled, her face nearly buried in her pillow.
“Payten?”
“Yeah,” she answered, too asleep to recognize the caller’s voice.
“It’s Maddie.”
“Maddie. Right.” Missed that one, she thought. “What do you need?”
“You to let me in.”
“What?” Payten sat up in bed.
“I’m on your porch. I’ve been knocking for like five minutes. And the key isn’t under the damn doormat.”
“Oh.”
She hung up the phone and went to open the door. Maddie looked as tired as Payten felt.
“What is it?”
Nothing, not even a tornado, could drag Maddie out of bed before noon when she was home. “The grapevine,” she answered with a slow smile.
“What?”
Maddie moved into the living room and plopped down in the recliner. “It seems that pretty Payten was spotted making out with a man on her front porch last night.”
“Oh, God,” Payten groaned. She sank onto the couch across from Maddie.
“That’s according to my mother who talked to your aunt who has been house-sitting for your parents. Your aunt caught the message off the answering machine after she — get this — bumped it,” Maddie explained.
“Who left the message?”
“Mrs. Henderson who heard from Mrs. Nelson who heard it from Ms. Taylor who was on the phone with Ms. Clarke last night when you were involved in said macking.”
“No,” Payten whimpered, her hands over her eyes. This is what I get for buying the cute little house across the street from the town’s biggest gossip.
“Yes. And, I know who it was.”
Payten glared at her through the cracks in her fingers. “Maddie,” she warned.
“Bridgett’s mom told my mom that Bridgett and Michael stayed to help you and Dean clean up.”
“Maddie.”
“Payten,” she mimicked. “You were standing on your porch last night making out with Dean Whitley!”
Payten got up and headed toward her bedroom. “You’re sure it wasn’t Colonel Mustard in the library?”
“My cousin,” Maddie exclaimed, following her. “My cousin and I have to hear it from my mother at seven in the freakin’ morning. Why didn’t you call?”
&nbs
p; “Seven? It’s seven?”
Maddie shrugged. “About ten after or so.”
“Shit! I overslept.”
“So?”
“So? So! I have a diner to run, and I’m not even dressed.”
She darted to her closet and flung its doors open. She grabbed the first shirt and pair of jeans she saw.
“God, Payten. You can’t wear that to see Dean.”
Payten let out an exasperated breath. “I’m not going to see Dean. I’m going to the diner.”
Maddie ignored her, moving to the closet. “He’s already there.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah. Cooper called him.”
“Oh.” Some of her excitement faded. “So he isn’t waiting for me?”
Maddie laughed. “He’s been waiting for you since we started middle school, but that’s beside the point. Cooper called him because Mary Beth went into labor this morning.”
“Oh, my God,” Payten exclaimed. “How is she?”
Maddie shook her head. “No word yet, according to my mom. Go grab a shower. I’ll find you something to wear.”
“Thanks.”
She hopped into the shower, rushing through her morning routine. She stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and brushed her teeth quickly. She grabbed a ponytail holder before she stepped out of the bathroom.
“What am I wearing?” she asked when she came into the bedroom.
“This!”
Payten winced at Maddie’s choice. Too short, too tight, and too revealing, the skirt and top would not have been her first choice. “Not happening. I have to wait tables all day, and I can’t do it in that.”
“Oh.”
Payten walked to her closet and considered her options. “How about this?”
She showed Maddie a pair of faded jeans and an off-the-shoulder, gray-and-navy-striped sweater.
“I like it. What shoes?”
“How about my navy flats?”
Maddie considered. “I like it.” She walked over to Payten and hugged her. “I’m going back to bed now. Good luck, Payten.”
“Thanks.”
Maddie closed the door behind her. Payten threw the jeans and sweater on her bed. She moved across the room to her dresser. She opened her underwear drawer to debate.
