Candy Crush

by Tami Lund

  Brandon caught Gabriella by the arm and turned her around the other way. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, peering at his flushed face.

  “Nothing. I was looking for you. I need another beer.” He’d left the beer Chareese gave him back at the booth, and he’d be damned if he would go back to get it.

  They walked back to the bar, he ordered a fresh beer and then drank half of it in one swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and pulled Gabriella toward him. He leaned forward, brushed a kiss over her lips and immediately tried to deepen the kiss. Gabriella struggled away from him.

  “What are you doing? I’m not really into such public displays, Brandon.” She looked slightly annoyed. He dipped his head and kissed her neck, feeling his senses and focus finally returning.

  “Sorry. I can’t help myself.” He smiled his charming smile and Gabriella rolled her eyes, but she looped her arms around his waist.

  “What happened with Emmett and Courtney? I got caught up talking to Nicole.”

  Brandon shrugged. “He hit on her, she told him to get lost.”

  “Really? That’s a little shocking. Emmett’s a lot like you, I think.”

  “A lot like I was, you mean.”

  Gabriella cleared her throat. “Right. Anyway, why’d she tell him to get lost?”

  “He made the mistake of befriending Laney first. Courtney has a strong rule about keeping guys she dates away from Laney. Plus, I’m pretty sure she’s seeing someone at school.”

  “Well, it looks like he’s recovered nicely,” Gabriella commented, nodding toward her brother. Brandon glanced up and saw that Emmett and Chareese were now standing up, and were standing much closer than necessity dictated.

  “Shit,” Brandon said.

  “Do you know her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Huh.”

  Brandon grimaced as he tightened his grip around Gabriella’s waist.

  It was nearly time to head to the game. Gabriella excused herself to go to the restroom and Nicole sidled up to Brandon. “I saw Chareese sucking up to Gabriella’s brother. I wonder what she’s doing in town?”

  Brandon tried to act noncommittal as he shrugged, but Nicole knew him better than that. “Did you talk to her?”

  “She’s passing through, visiting her grandparents. Mentioned she was looking for a good time.”

  “With you?”

  “She wasn’t specific. But it looks like she’s settled on Emmett.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I guess.” He turned and smiled as Gabriella approached.

  ***

  Brandon, Gabriella, Emmett and Chareese drove to the game together. Gabriella noticed that Brandon seemed on edge and barely spoke to Chareese, even though she kept trying to engage him in conversation. Once they got to the stadium, they made their way through the stands to sit with the rest of the group from the Pizza Parlor.

  Brandon plopped down next to Courtney and Gabriella sat on his other side. Emmett walked past Courtney and winked when she scowled at him. Chareese followed Emmett, letting her hand brush Brandon’s knees as she passed, and they sat on Gabriella’s other side. When Gabriella gave Brandon a questioning look, he stared stonily ahead and pretended to be engrossed in the players warming up on the football field. Or maybe he really was engrossed and hadn’t even noticed the subtle flirtation. A lot of men were serioulsy into their football.

  Laney climbed off the bench and scrambled past Brandon and Gabriella to climb into Emmett’s lap. “Laney,” Courtney said sharply. “Come here, now.”

  Emmett leaned forward so he could see past Gabriella and Brandon. “She’s fine with Uncle Emmett, aren’t you?” He glanced down at Laney.

  “You said you were just Emmett,” Laney accused.

  “Yeah, well, call me Uncle Emmett. Maybe it will help your mom to relax.” He looked down the aisle and received another scowl from Courtney.

  Brandon patted his sister’s back. “Chill out, Court. He’s a good guy and Laney really likes him. Let her have fun.”

  Courtney fumed, but she did not call Laney back to her.

  Nicole, Anthony, Patrick and Stephanie sat in the row behind them. Nicole suddenly stood up and began waving to a woman at the bottom of the stands. When the woman spotted Nicole, she smiled and waved and began making her way up the stands towards them.

  “That’s Natalie,” Brandon whispered to Gabriella.

  “Natalie!” Nicole shrilled as she embraced the woman. Patrick jumped to his feet and accidentally tipped his drink into Stephanie’s lap. Stephanie leapt up and shrieked. Patrick ignored her and clamored to his feet, facing Natalie.

  “Natalie?” Patrick asked uncertainly.

  “Hi Patrick,” she said with a shy smile. He smiled back in a bemused sort of way and they embraced awkwardly.

  “Who is this?” Stephanie demanded, her eyes slits as she observed the woman from head to toe.

  “This is Natalie Reager.” Patrick said. “We went to school together.” He blushed and Natalie smiled shyly again. He didn’t introduce Stephanie.

  “Patrick, I need to leave,” Stephanie complained. Patrick turned and seemed to focus on her for the first time.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because you spilled your drink all over me,” she complained. Patrick looked as if he were struggling to make a decision.

  “I’ll take you home, Stephanie,” Nicole piped up.

  “You can’t take her home, you’re half in the bag,” Anthony pointed out. Nicole smacked him on the shoulder and glared at him.

  “Then we’ll take her home,” Nicole said pointedly. Anthony clearly wasn’t sure what was going on, but he recognized his wife’s tone, and he was wise enough to follow her direction. He stood up.

  “Okay, let’s go Stephanie.”

  Stephanie looked like she wanted to protest.

  “Come on,” Anthony said impatiently. Stephanie reluctantly turned and followed him. Nicole managed to throw a wink at Natalie on her way down the aisle.

  As they climbed down to the bottom of the stands, Patrick said, “Would you like to sit here, Natalie?” She gave him another shy smile and sat down next to him.

  ***

  By half time, the home team was up by three touchdowns, Laney was asleep in Emmett’s lap and Chareese was bored. “I’m heading out. I’m going to go hang out at the bar at the Holly Hotel, if you want to find me later.” Her voice was full of suggestion. She ran a finger down Emmett’s arm, stood up and sashayed down the aisle. She let her hand trail across Brandon’s knee again as she passed, and Gabriella narrowed her eyes but did not say anything.

  At the end of the game, Emmett stood up, cradling a peacefully sleeping Laney in his arms. “Good game,” he remarked. “Still undefeated.”

  Brandon shrugged. “It’s what we do on Friday nights.”

  “Can you drop me at the Holly Hotel?” Emmett asked Brandon.

  “Sure.”

  Emmett looked at Courtney. “I’ll carry her to your car, if you want.”

  Courtney looked like she wanted to say no, but she finally shrugged and led the way through the stands and out to the parking lot. Emmett gently placed Laney in her car seat and managed to get her buckled without waking her. When he straightened and closed the door, Courtney said, “Thanks,” with surprise in her voice.

  Emmett winked at her and turned to Brandon. “Okay, on to the bar,” he said with a flourish. Courtney made a huffing sound and walked around and climbed into the driver’s seat and started her car.

  When Brandon pulled up in front of the Holly Hotel, Emmett leapt out and told them not to wait up. Gabriella was inclined to go inside as well, but Brandon didn’t particularly want to be anywhere in the vicinity of Chareese. He whispered a few suggestions of things they could do tonight, since Emmett wasn’t likely to be home, and Gabriella changed her mind about going inside.

  ***

  It was shortly after three a.m. when Gabriella surfaced from sleep. Sh
e thought she was having a bizarre dream, but the moaning persisted even as the sleep cobwebs cleared from her brain. She lifted her head and saw that Brandon was awake as well, and his face looked grim. “What is that?” she whispered.

  Brandon glanced at her. “Your brother came home after all.” They heard another moan. It grew high pitched at the end. There were several short shrieks and then another loud moan.

  Gabriella’s eyes widened. “Did he bring someone home?”

  Brandon scowled as he nodded. Gabriella giggled. “I guess I don’t have to be embarrassed about having sex with him in the house anymore. Are we that loud?”

  “I’m glad you think this is so amusing. And no, we are not that loud. At least not when he’s in the house. Too bad he and his partner couldn’t be so considerate.” His body was rigid, practically vibrating.

  “Do you think it’s that Chareese woman?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “Why are you so unhappy about that?” Gabriella asked, worry making her tone clipped.

  Brandon smoothed a hand across her hair. “Chareese is bad news. Your brother shouldn’t have gotten involved with her.”

  “I highly doubt he’s involved. I’m sure it’s just a one-night stand.”

  “That depends on what Chareese wants.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “She’s bad news. Chareese does everything for a reason. She picked up your brother for a reason. I just don’t know what it is.”

  “Maybe sex?”

  “Maybe.”

  Another series of short shrieks drifted through the closed door. Even Butter perked up her head. They heard a long, drawn-out moan, followed by more short shrieks that increased in intensity until there was an ear-splitting scream and finally, blessed silence.

  “Wow,” Gabriella said when it was all over. She looked at Brandon’s face. He still looked grim and his body was still rigid. Gabriella ran her fingers across his chest and he sucked in a breath and looked at her. She smiled sweetly, with faux innocence, as her fingers skimmed his abdomen and came to rest on his erection. She watched as his pupils dilated and his eyes darkened.

  “Since we’re awake…” Brandon closed his eyes and smiled as Gabriella leaned over and pulled a condom off the bedside table.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Gabriella woke up at eight-thirty on Saturday morning. She stretched and smiled. Her body was still tingling from the after-effects of an incredibly vigorous lovemaking session at three in the morning. She looked at Brandon. He was sprawled on his stomach, his head buried in the pillow, still sound asleep. She slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of fleece pants and a t-shirt. She pulled her hair into a ponytail as she stepped into the bathroom. A few moments later, she quietly padded downstairs, with Butter on her heels.

  Gabriella let the dog out and started the coffee maker. She poured herself a cup, doctored it with a little creamer and sat down on the kitchen bench, savoring the quiet and solitude. She barely took three sips when she heard a deafening crash from upstairs.

  She scrambled to her feet and rushed to the staircase, reaching the bottom just in time to hear, “Get the fuck out of my bedroom!” It was Brandon’s voice.

  Gabriella watched as Chareese scurried past her line of vision, from the end of the hall where Brandon’s bedroom was located, to the other end of the hall where the guest bedroom was located. She was naked. After the door closed, Gabriella hurried upstairs. By the time she reached Brandon’s bedroom, he stood next to the bed pulling a t-shirt over his head. He was already dressed in a pair of warm up pants.

  “What happened?” Gabriella asked.

  Brandon’s head popped through the hole in the t-shirt. He looked furious.

  “That – that woman tried to sneak into my bed.” He didn’t bother to keep his voice down.

  Gabriella looked startled. “Are you sure?”

  “Do I look like an idiot? I think I can tell when a naked woman slips into my bed, Gabriella.”

  He stalked past her and walked across the hall and began beating on the bedroom door. “I want that woman out of my house in ten minutes,” he yelled through the door. Then he turned and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Not knowing what else to do, Gabriella went back downstairs and sat down to finish her coffee.

  Five minutes later, Chareese strolled into the room. She wore the same outfit she had on last night. She hadn’t washed her face before going to bed, and her mascara had run, leaving dark smudges under her eyes. Most of the rest of her makeup had worn off during the night. She looked much older than she did yesterday. She walked over to the coffee maker, poured herself a cup of coffee and added a generous amount of cream. Then she slipped onto the bench across from Gabriella.

  “Your brother is quite the man,” she commented conversationally.

  Gabriella blinked.

  Chareese rolled her eyes. “Oh please, what do you think, he’s a virgin? Well, if he was, he isn’t any longer. Sorry if we were too loud last night. Damn, I’m surprised I can walk straight today.” She practically purred as she smiled.

  “I’ll tell you a secret though: you got the better end of the deal. Brandon, now there is a man. Damn, but I have vivid, vivid memories of him.”

  Gabriella swallowed. She had suspected, of course, that Chareese and Brandon slept together in the past, but Brandon hadn’t confirmed it and besides, she would be happy to pretend he had never slept with any other women before her.

  Unfortunately, it was hard to pretend it hadn’t happened when the woman sat across from her, expounding on Brandon’s bedroom prowess.

  “I’d love to get a little more of that, I’ll be honest with you. I bet he’s only improved with age.”

  She narrowed her eyes at Gabriella. “I’m sure this is only temporary with you. How long have you been sleeping with him? It usually only lasts a few weeks at the most. Is he about done with you? Because I’d sure like a crack again before I leave.”

  Gabriella contemplated throwing her coffee at the woman.

  “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

  Gabriella did throw her coffee at Chareese. Unfortunately, it was luke-warm by that point.

  Chareese screeched as she jumped to her feet. “Bitch!” she screamed. She snatched her purse off the table and stalked out the back door. Gabriella heard Butter barking up a storm so she rushed to the backdoor to make sure the woman didn’t kick her dog.

  She didn’t. She simply stalked to the driveway and down to the street, where her car was parked at the curb. Gabriella sighed and walked back into the kitchen to clean up the spilled coffee.

  “What happened in here?” Brandon asked when he walked into the kitchen a few minutes later.

  Gabriella made one last swipe and tossed the coffee soaked dish towel into the laundry basket sitting on top of the washer. “I spilled coffee.”

  “Is Chareese gone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” He turned and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You’re brother’s pretty pissed. He swears she made a mistake and was looking for the bathroom.”

  “No, she wasn’t. She told me she wants another romp with you before she leaves town.” Gabriella watched him as he brought the coffee carafe to the table and poured fresh coffee into her cup. He then poured creamer into both cups and slid onto the bench next to her.

  “I suppose you want an explanation?” Brandon asked.

  “Only if it will make me feel better instead of worse. I’ve never had violent tendencies before but that woman is bringing them out in me.”

  Brandon ran a hand over his face and sipped his coffee. “Christ. I can’t believe she’s back in town. Chareese lives in New York. She’s a small time model. She’s from somewhere down near Detroit, but her grandparents bought a house on the lake, near my parents, about ten years ago. I met her the summer I moved back and took the DDA job. She’s not usually my type. She likes to control everything, and I don’t particularly like to
give up control.”

  He glanced at Gabriella. “I don’t mean in the bedroom, I mean everywhere, everything. Where we go, what I wear, that kind of crap. I think it’s safe to say I was one of her conquests, not the other way around.

  “We screwed around for a couple weeks, but it got old quick for me. I wasn’t into dating, per say, and she wasn’t the type to just leave in the morning. I couldn’t seem to get rid of her. I finally told her I didn’t want to sleep with her anymore, and she left town again shortly thereafter, to go back to New York.” He paused. “This is slightly embarrassing.”

  “Continue,” Gabriella prompted.

  “After that, she would pop back into town every few months, to check on her grandparents. And every time she’d show up, she’d try to get back into my bed. Usually I was trying to hook up with someone else at the time, and she always managed to blow it for me, and I’d end up falling into bed with her. I still don’t even know how it happened. I wasn’t even attracted to her anymore. She has such a crappy personality. Fun for a roll in the hay, but not on a regular basis.”

  “I don’t like hearing that you ended up falling into bed with her without knowing how it happened,” Gabriella said as she stared at her coffee cup.

  Brandon slid across the bench until their legs were touching, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He kissed her on the neck, right below the ear, and Gabriella tried to stifle a shiver.

  “Gabriella,” he whispered, his breath rustling her hair. “No one could take me away from you.” This time Gabriella didn’t stifle the shiver. Brandon kissed her on the neck again.

  “How long has it been since she’s been back to town?” Gabriella asked curiously.

  Brandon thought about it. “As far as I’m aware, she hasn’t been back in over a year, maybe even two. Or if she has, she finally quit looking me up, until now. I actually thought her grandparents had died, or were put in a nursing home, closer to her parents. But she said last night she was in town visiting them.”

  ***

  By the time Emmett climbed out of bed, it was well after noon and Gabriella and Brandon were outside, raking leaves. Emmett stumbled out the back door and flopped onto a chair on the patio. Gabriella stopped raking and walked up to sit next to him.