Keep It Simple (MMG Series Book 4)

by Hilliard, R. B.

  “Has Amanda convinced you to move back home, yet?” he asked.

  “No, but I am considering it,” I admitted.

  His eyes snapped to mine and widened in surprise. “Really?”

  “I’d have to go back for a bit to pack and say goodbye.” Once I said it out loud, I began having second thoughts. I didn’t want to upset the Hodsons by moving back to the States earlier than planned. Lyndsey depended on me helping with Heath. “I didn’t say I was. I am just thinking about it,” I corrected.

  “Hey, at least you are doing that. Either way, I want you here when the baby is born.”

  “Permanent babysitter?” I teased.

  “No, Ellison already has childcare covered, so you’re off the hook. Seriously, you are the only family I have.” I instantly felt bad for teasing him.

  “I’m sorry, Max.”

  “Don’t be. I want my kid to know his aunt. I need you to be a part of our lives. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was send you away.”

  I tried to keep the hurt out of my voice. “Yet you didn’t stop them. You didn’t fight to keep me with you.”

  “I sure as hell did. Why would you say that? What’s more, why would you think it?” The vehemence in his tone surprised me, but the hurt surprised me more. It also made me angry.

  “I know the truth Max, so you can stop pretending.”

  “What truth do you think you know, Sarah?”

  “Do you really want to do this now?” I asked.

  “I think I do,” he clipped. He was getting pissed. Well, so was I, damn it.

  “I heard you telling the agents to get me the hell out of the country, Max. I knew I messed up, but not enough for you to send me away.”

  “What in the hell are you talking about?” His shocked expression spoke volumes.

  Uh Oh.

  The next thing I knew, we were pulling into a strip mall. Max put the truck in park and turned to me. “You thought what?” he asked. I blinked at him, but didn’t say a word. “Please tell me I heard you wrong, Sarah? Why in the fuck would I want to get rid of you? You were the only family I had.” Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I held them in check. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. I never wanted you to go. My hands were tied and I had no choice. You have to know this.”

  I cleared a golf ball lump from my throat before asking, “Because I was talking to my friends?”

  Max reached across the center console and snagged my hand. “Is that what they told you?”

  The disbelief in his voice forced me to look him in the eye. “They didn’t tell me anything, Max. One second they busted me texting and the next I heard you telling them to send me away. Then I was shipped off to a foreign country. I thought you were sick of me and I was a burden to you. You were building your life and traveling all the time for work. I was holding you back.”

  A pained expression appeared on his face and he closed his eyes. When he opened them back up, he shook his head. “They promised me they would explain everything to you, the fuckers. No, Sarah, the reason you were sent to Scotland had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me.” I held my breath and waited for him to explain. “Remember me telling you I had been keeping tabs on Ellison?” I let out my breath and nodded. “Well, the agents who were helping me do that were afraid I was going to compromise the safe house. I didn’t listen to them and I should have. Rocky didn’t want me, he wanted you. Your conversations with your friends were nothing compared to what I was doing to keep tabs on Ellison. My selfish actions got you sent away from me, not yours.”

  “I wish I had known,” I told him. Max was crazy about Ellie. I would have gladly gone away if I had known it was for her. “Dad made me feel like such a burden,” I blurted. “You and Ellie were my family. We had to run because of me. It changed you. You weren’t the same person anymore.”

  “We both changed,” Max said.

  “If I hadn’t been in the house that day, we wouldn’t have had to run. It was all my fault…and then they busted me talking and texting my friends and suddenly I was on a plane to Scotland. I loved you, but I hated you at the same time,” my voice cracked as the tears came and Max pulled me across the dash and into his lap.

  “I never wanted you to go,” he whispered into my hair. “Dad was the burden, not you, not ever you. You were the only thing that kept me going. It killed me when I had to let you go. I want you home. Please say you’ll come home.”

  I pulled back to search his face and could see it in his eyes. He was completely serious. He didn’t want me to go. The happiness I felt in knowing he didn’t choose to send me away was overwhelming. “Let me think about it, okay?”

  “Take the time you need, but regardless, I want you here when Ellison has the baby.”

  “Deal,” I told him. We both smiled and he hugged me one more time before shifting me back to my seat.

  Sunday I helped Max and Ellie clean the upstairs. Max and I moved furniture around and listened to Ellie moan about which room to turn into the nursery. Three seconds after my head hit the pillow that night, I was out.

  The next morning Max invited me to work with him. I kindly turned him down in favor for eating a box of donuts with Ellie. Donuts win every time. I thought about Cas all day. I decided if he wasn’t at the pub tonight, it was a sign it wasn’t meant to be and I wouldn’t go back. Ellie fixed lasagna for dinner. After cleaning up the kitchen with Max, I ran upstairs and changed my top out for my favorite fuzzy sweater. At the last second, I pulled on my black Converse. He probably won’t be there. After combing my hair out, I put on a coat of mascara and some lip gloss and headed for the door.

  When I hit the bottom of the stairs, I could hear someone singing on the television.

  “Piper’s coming over in a few. Come watch The Voice with us,” Ellie half-shouted from the living room.

  “I can’t. I’m going to Amanda’s.” I set down my purse to pull on my jacket.

  “I want you home before three in the morning this time,” Max warned. Ellie and I both jerked when he said this. His eyebrow shot up, but he didn’t elaborate. Instead of poking the bear, I gave them both a thumbs up. Then I got the hell out of there.

  There were hardly any cars in the parking lot when I arrived at Patterson’s. Mondays were definitely not money makers in the States. Every night was a money maker at the pubs in Edinburgh. Tonight there was no one checking ID’s at the bar, so I just walked right in. Radiohead’s Creep blared through the speakers. I immediately spotted Amanda. She was sitting in a booth with two guys I had never seen before. My heart stuttered in my chest. It’s a set up. It never crossed my mind that Amanda wouldn’t come alone. Shit! What do I do now?

  Chapter Four

  Cas

  ‡

  All I had thought about for two days was my night with Sarah. I wanted to see her again. I had to have her again. Just once more. The problem was I had no way of getting in touch with her. I considered asking her for her number before she bolted the other morning, but quickly changed my mind. Keeping it simple meant zero attachment. I had nothing to offer her except a good time in bed.

  Bobby and I spent the last two days in hell. The case was a complete time suck, not to mention boring. Garrett told us we would be stuck on shit cases at first. It takes both money and clients to build a business. Right now we had very little of either. Good thing he had us housed in a tiny office with practically no overhead. As long as I received a paycheck each month, I was a happy camper. I had no idea how much the divorce was going to set me back and needed to save every penny I earned.

  “What is up with you? You were fine when I left the office this afternoon,” Bobby stated.

  We were sitting at Patterson’s bar and I was nursing my second beer. Hoping to run into Sarah tonight, I talked Bobby into meeting me here for a few drinks after we got off work. I shouldn’t have stopped by the apartment beforehand.

  Fiddling with the napkin under my drink, I told Bobby what was on my mind.
“Xandria called again.”

  “Say no more,” Bobby dryly stated.

  “She left another incoherent message on the answering machine. This time she was screaming about how I fucked up her life,” I further explained.

  “Booze again?” he asked.

  “That or pills,” I shrugged.

  “I’m surprised she called the house and not your cell.”

  “She called my cell, but I didn’t give her a chance to talk. I asked if it was an emergency and when she told me no, I told her I was on a job and hung up.”

  “You’re not thinking of caving are you?” The concerned look on my best friend’s face was amusing.

  “Fuck no. I don’t believe a single word that comes out of her mouth and, even if she agrees to get help, I probably won’t.”

  “Rehab is her only option. You made that very clear,” Bobby stated.

  “Yeah, but we’re talking about Alexandria, here.”

  The same night Alexandria gave me a glimpse of her snatch outside her Daddy’s million dollar mansion, she let me nail her behind the pool house. Then she let me fuck her in her frilly bed and again in her fancy shower. The woman was insatiable. I wasn’t stupid, though. If she’d given me a close up of her bare snatch, she’d shown others. This didn’t bother me in the least. I was just having a good time and thought she was doing the same. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  Patterson’s front door opened and in walked one of Sarah’s friends from the other night. She was flanked by two guys who didn’t look a day over eighteen. I had no clue how old Sarah was. I hadn’t bothered to ask. She was obviously younger than me, but by how much I couldn’t say. I watched the threesome slide into a booth and show their ID’s to the waitress. The waitress handed back their ID’s and took their order. I relaxed back into my stool.

  Bobby muttered something under his breath. I turned to see what he was mumbling about and there she was.

  Sarah.

  She stood in the doorway facing the opposite direction. All I could see was her long, dark, curly hair, but I knew by her perfectly toned body it was her. The image of my hands in her hair as I slowly pushed inside her blazed through my memory. Her head turned, so I could now see her profile and my pulse jumped. Christ, she was so damn gorgeous it almost hurt to look at her.

  “The girl is a fucking knock out,” Bobby stated. His declaration, as true as it may be, pissed me off. I scowled at him and he laughed.

  The second Sarah spotted her friends across the bar, she froze. A plastic smile appeared on her face as she waved at them. I watched her warily approach the table. She must not have known the guys because she politely shook each of their hands. She did not slide in next to them, as I expected. Instead, she said something to the girl and walked over to the bar. At the nudging of his friends, one of the guys stood and hesitantly followed after her. I was beginning to lose my cool. If he so much as laid a finger on her in my presence, I was going to beat his ass.

  “Looks like you’ve got some competition,” Bobby crooned. I didn’t bother to respond. I just watched to see what would happen next.

  As if sensing eyes on her, she began scanning the bar. When her beautiful blues hit us, they widened and a big smile appeared on her face. I smiled back at her. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Bobby waved her over and I wanted to sucker punch him. Sarah held up her finger telling us to wait a second. She paid the bartender and picked up her beer. When she turned to head our way, she smacked right into douche boy. Whatever she said to him didn’t deter him, because he followed her around the bar to us.

  Bobby slid off his stool and offered it to her. I thought about elbowing him in the nads, but changed my mind. Knowing Sarah, she’d probably try and nurse him back to health. The only cock she will be touching tonight is mine. Her legs brushed against mine as she slid onto the stool. I pressed my leg against hers and turned to tell her shadow to get lost, but he was already scurrying back to his table. Smart boy.

  “Hi guys. How are you?” she asked.

  Bobby leaned his elbows on the bar next to her and I fought back a growl. Does he have to get so damn close to her? I openly glared at him and the fucker winked at me.

  Sarah looked back and forth between the two of us. “If you two are having a pissing contest, count me out.”

  Not able to help myself, I snagged her hand from the top of the bar. Her breath hitched when I laced our fingers together. She gave my hand a comforting squeeze and for the first time in two days, I felt myself relax. Sarah looked gorgeous tonight in a simple black sweater and jeans. It made me think of Alexandria and how insecure she used to get whenever we went out. No matter the occasion, Alexandria overdressed. Tonight she would have worn a cocktail dress and heels. Sarah was the type of woman who would look great wearing anything. She was nothing like Alexandria, thank God. The lip gloss that tasted like berries glistened on her perfect mouth and all I could think about was licking it off her lips.

  “Cas tells me you live in Scotland. What brings you to Charlotte?” Bobby asked.

  “My big brother is getting married this weekend.” she answered. I stroked my thumb over the top of her index finger and she shivered. Tiny pulses of electricity shot up my spine. I liked knowing I affected her as much as she did me.

  “Oh yeah? Does your family live here or just your brother?”

  Her smile faltered for a second. “It’s just my brother and me. My parents are both deceased.”

  I glared over at Bobby. Why the fifty questions? I didn’t need to know personal shit about her. As it was, she consumed way more of my head space than she should. I didn’t want to know she didn’t have parents. I didn’t need to hear her story. I couldn’t become invested in her even if I wanted to.

  “Hey Bob, didn’t you say you had someplace to be?” I knew I was being a total dick, but I needed him to shut the hell up.

  He gave me a hard stare. Then he straightened off the bar and said, “You are so right. I completely forgot. It was nice seeing you again, Sarah.”

  “You too, Bobby.” She smiled sweetly at him and, once again, I felt the urge to punch him.

  As he passed by me, he thumped the back of my head. “Thanks for picking up the tab. See you in the morning.” I tried to punch his leg, but he was too fast.

  “I should get back to my friends,” Sarah hesitantly said.

  Wait, what? Hell no.

  “Stay.” I squeezed her hand and her eyes lifted to mine. “Please?” I quietly asked. The song Smoke, by A Thousand Horses surrounded us and we both smiled. Like the other night, I found myself blurting shit I had no right saying. “You’ve been on my mind.”

  “Same here,” she admitted. I wanted to lean over and kiss her berry lips, but even more I wanted to take her home and repeat the other night.

  “Come home with me,” I told her, then mentally kicked myself. Subtle, Cas. At least let her have a few drinks before inviting her back for sex, dick weed.

  Her eyes darted over to the table where her friends were sitting. “Ummmm, I feel kind of bad for ditching Amanda,” she admitted.

  I didn’t want to be an asshole, but I was tired. I hadn’t slept for shit the past few nights and was fading fast. I didn’t have it in me to stay and watch those guys hit on her all night. I knew if I did, I’d end up kicking one if not both their asses. Letting go of her hand, I said, “Maybe tomorrow night, then.” I stood up and threw down some money. Then I turned and walked out the door. I made it half way across the parking lot when I heard,

  “Cas, wait!”

  I turned to see what she wanted and was nearly knocked off my feet when she jumped me. She wrapped her long legs around my waist and smiled down at me. I laughed out loud. Crazy girl.

  “I thought I’d catch a ride back to your place with you,” she said through fits of laughter.

  Not able to control myself, I grabbed her ass and rubbed my hard cock against her center. Then I buried my tongue in her mouth and swallowed down her low, sexy moan. Sh
e shoved her hands in my hair and deepened the kiss. Christ, I was up shit’s creek with no paddle when it came to this woman. We both pulled back panting.

  “What about your friends?” I asked.

  “Your place is close. They can wait.”

  I smiled. “You sure?”

  “We can be quick, can’t we?” I didn’t want to be quick. I wanted to take my time savoring every inch of her. However, if this was the only way I was going to get her tonight, I would have to suck it up and deal.

  “Let’s get your car. It’s faster than walking.”

  She pulled her car keys from her purse and handed them to me. Then the silly girl asked me for a lift over to her car. Of course I did it.

  Sarah was not messing around tonight. She had her jacket in her hand and her sweater halfway off before we even reached the front door of my apartment building. Once we were inside, neither of us spoke a word. We just stripped off our clothes. I had barely enough time to grab a condom from my wallet before her hand was around my cock and her tongue was in my mouth. Placing the condom on top of the kitchen counter, I slid my fingers between her legs. As I fingered her tight channel, she whispered words of praise in my ear. Before I could put the condom on, she dropped to her knees and began sucking me off. It was fast and frenetic. I needed to slow it down or it would be over in a blink. Not that her lips on me weren’t good. They were too good.

  “I love your mouth on my cock, baby. I promise, when we have more time, I’m going to let you suck me dry,” I told her. She answered with a deep moan that reverberated through my body. Fuck, her lips on me felt amazing. Right as I was about to blow my load down her throat, I pulled out of her mouth and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. Like a seductress, she dug her fingers into my hair and ran her tongue from my collar bone, up my neck to my lips.

  “I want you,” she whispered against my lips, and my knees threatened to buckle.

  “Hang on tight, baby, while I glove up.”