Pick Me Up

by Rebecca Brochu

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Rebecca Brochu

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-581-5

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Avril Ashton

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For you, as always.

  PICK ME UP

  Romance on the Go

  Rebecca Brochu

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Bryce let the pounding beat of the music wash over him. The chance to let loose and act his age without the crushing weight of responsibility felt good. So did the opportunity to be out of his house for something other than work. Clubbing wasn’t something he got the chance to do often since he couldn’t afford the cover charge, or the time off work. His lack of a social life was a constant source of irritation to his best friend, Jamie, who made a point of harassing Bryce regularly about taking time for himself.

  Bryce would have loved to make Jamie happy, would have loved to be able to go out with him on Saturdays, and laugh and drink and generally have a good time, but he couldn’t. Normally, he’d be jumping from one job to the next, trying his best to pick up extra hours where he could, and to sleep and eat when necessary. He did miss having fun though, missed long nights with his best friend on the weekends, and just sitting down with a beer to read a book or watch a game. So when Jamie coaxed him into coming out with him and his longtime girlfriend Maddy by offering to pay for everything, Bryce hadn’t been able to turn him down.

  He was under strict orders to enjoy himself, to have a good time and to not even think about the time or how much whatever drink Jamie or Maddy shoved at him cost. That kind of kindness was one of the reasons he loved Jamie so much. He knew the situation Bryce was in, knew about the money troubles he had and instead of running for greener pastures, Jamie stuck by his side and tried in his own gruff way to take care of Bryce.

  So Bryce tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let himself get lost in the writhing bodies around him as his problems melted away into the laughter and the sweat. He thought nothing of it when a long column of heat appeared at his back, but when warm, strong hands slid around his waist to grip his hips, he jumped a little.

  “Maddy’s going to get jealous, Jamie.” Bryce laughed, only to freeze when warm lips pressed against his ear.

  “I’m not Jamie,” A smooth and amused voice whispered below the thrum of the music. The man’s warm breath slid across the shell of Bryce’s ear, making him shiver violently before he could stop himself.

  Bryce twisted in the stranger’s hold, and thankfully the man didn’t fight his movements, he just let Bryce’s hips slide and turn in his grip until they were face to face. The stranger was tall, long limbed, and pale underneath the lights of the club, as if he’d spent too many days inside instead of out in the sun. The dress shirt he wore was finely tailored, almost too high-end for the club they were in, and it settled across his wide shoulders and tapered waist like it was made especially for him. Bryce felt self-conscious, aware that his own dirty-blond hair was disheveled from his hands, and that he was sweaty and wearing a t-shirt that was, courtesy of Maddy, a size too small.

  “I, uh … I can see that.” Bryce’s voice rose.

  “Don’t tense up. You looked so good out here that I had to join you.”

  Bryce’s face went hot at the blatant way the man eyed him. He started to pull away, to put some distance between them, when he saw Maddy gesturing frantically over the guy’s shoulder. She made outrageously exaggerated dancing motions and gave him a thumbs up. Beside her, Jamie looked one step away from breaking something out of laughter.

  Bryce took a deep breath and looked back at the guy. He took in his amused expression, as though he knew exactly what had happened behind his back, and nodded.

  “Alright, a dance is fine.” Bryce tried to sound casual instead of flustered, but he if the smirk on the other man’s face was any indication, he’d failed.

  “I might not be satisfied with just one, you know.” The stranger sounded amused. He was obviously flirting.

  “But one might be all you get.” Bryce responded automatically before he realized he might come off more rude than he intended. Ruffled and so out of his depth he didn’t know what to do, Bryce stared up at the stranger. Thankfully, the guy seemed to find it funny because he tossed his head back and laughed, a dark and husky sound Bryce liked more than he wanted to admit.

  “Then I guess I’d better make this one count.” The man’s voice held a hint of a chuckle. His hands tightened on Bryce’s waist as he pulled him closer until their chests and hips brushed, and then he bent and spoke directly into Bryce’s ear. “That way it’ll be you who wants more.”

  Bryce sucked in a sharp breath, but didn’t say anything as the man moved against him. After only a few seconds, Bryce was helpless to do anything but follow his partner’s lead. Their dance went slower than the actual beat of the song playing, but Bryce didn’t care. He forced himself to get lost in the music again, to concentrate on the body pressed against him. He pushed the embarrassment threatening to eat him alive to the back of his mind.

  The man moved his hands from Bryce’s hips to trail across his stomach, and then up his ribs. Finally he cupped Bryce’s shoulders, and then slowly trailed his fingers down Bryce’s arms until they wrapped around his wrists. Bryce let the man move him, let him draw his hands behind his back and capture his wrists in a gentle, but strong, grip. The position forced Bryce’s back to arch and pressed him against his dance partner even more than before.

  The feel of a hand sliding up and fisting in the back of his hair surprised a quiet moan out of Bryce, but he bit it off quickly. He tried to stay focused on the music as he met the man move for move until they were practically writhing against each other. A spark of heat ignited low in his stomach, but he did his best to suppress it, to ignore it, because it wouldn’t go anywhere. He wasn’t one for random hook-ups in bathrooms or one-night stands, no matter how intriguing he found someone, or how well they moved. Hell, his sexual history could be accurately classified overall as depressingly brief. He wasn’t really interested in expanding it at the moment with some casual no-strings sex.

  Still, he couldn’t help but enjoy his dance partner. From the sure and confident way the other man moved with and against him, to the feel of the hand in his hair and the fingers wrapped around his wrists. The way it all went along to the throbbing bass of the music felt like a feast for Bryce’s senses.

  Time slid away from him and one dance melted into another and another, but Bryce didn’t care and neither did the stranger. They stayed pressed together in their own little world, hips rolling and twisting against one another, until the persistent vibrating of the phone in the stranger’s pocket forced them apart. The man cursed low and long as he pulled back and quickly checked a text message.

  “I don’t suppose I could convince you to come with me?” he asked, a dark brow arched high as he stared at Bryce.

  Bryce couldn’t help but be slightly startled by the bluntness, even though he knew he shouldn’t be, so it took him a second to collect himself enough to shake his head in denial. As though he knew what Bryce would say, the man pulled out a slim leather wallet from his pocket. He plucked a business card out and handed it to Bryce
.

  “Call me.” The words were forceful, but before Bryce could respond, the man disappeared, melting into the crowd.

  Bryce stood still and stared down at the thick cream stock paper. Felix Cranshaw, Attorney at Law it read, followed by a long list of contact numbers in bold black text. He stared at the card, thumbnail tracing over the name, and he barely registered when Maddy and Jamie came up on either side of him.

  Felix. It was a nice name, one that suited the obviously strong-willed man he’d been dancing with.

  Bryce debated over throwing the card away, over flicking it to the floor to be lost beneath the crush of boots and heels. Felix was tempting, but Bryce really wasn’t interested in anything so casual. He’d always been more of a relationship type of person, more comfortable with sex and intimacy if there were actual emotion backing it up. Despite that train of thought, the card managed to find its way into his pocket as he finally focused on his friends.

  Even if he didn’t call, even if he never saw Felix again, it would be nice to hang on to the memory of a good dance. Plus, he never knew when an attorney might come in handy.

  Chapter Two

  Bryce never did call Felix, he just let the opportunity slip past him. Instead he let himself get swept back up into his life, and barely had time to breath, let alone call some stranger he’d met in a club. He tried his hardest to push thoughts of Felix out of his mind, but found them rushing back in a few weeks later when his luck finally looked as if it might change. He’d gotten a phone call that had the ability to change his life, and afterwards he’d found himself fiddling with Felix’s card as he sat on the edge of his bed in shock. In the end, he still didn’t pick up his phone, but he did tuck the card in the corner of his mirror to stare at it while he got dressed in the mornings.

  Bryce’s sudden windfall came in the form of a job. He was thrilled when he got the phone call that his impulsively placed application at Summer Hearst Academy had actually been accepted. The private school wasn’t the small town school with the warm and cozy atmosphere he’d always wanted to teach in, but he couldn’t afford to wait for another offer. Cut backs and budget downsizing left him without the position at the local elementary school he’d been counting on for years, and Bryce couldn’t afford to move or commute to another school even if he wanted to. Besides, none of the surrounding schools had openings either.

  He’d been forced to keep the jobs he’d had in college, the ones that stood between him and scurvy from one too many packets of instant noodles. Still, busing tables and tutoring through the local services didn’t bring in enough money to get him by anymore, not with the bills he had now thanks to Trey. His ex-boyfriend had left him high and dry with more bills than he’d thought possible a little over a year ago, and Bryce was still playing catch up. His credit was shot, his savings were gone, his rent was overdue and his phone never stopped ringing. Day after day it was one bill collector after another calling about debts Bryce wasn’t responsible for and couldn’t afford to pay.

  It’d gotten so bad at one point he’d been forced to choose between feeding Snarl, his three year old keeshond, and bus fare. Needless to say, he’d gotten acquainted with walking rather quickly and, luckily for him, it was something he quickly discovered he enjoyed.

  A lot of hard work and time had gotten him to where he was now, just on the verge of finally being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. He had a long way to go to pay all the debts off, but thanks to careful planning and a lot of going without, things weren’t quiet as desperate as they once were.

  That didn’t mean Bryce didn’t still fantasize about Trey shaped-voodoo dolls, but it did mean the thoughts were fewer and further between.

  When Summer Hearst, the exclusive private school everyone in Whiteshawl dreamed of sending their kids to had called him with a job offer, he’d jumped on it with both feet. Their starting salary was more than Bryce ever dreamed of, and he’d damn near cried when they’d told him about their benefits package. Plus, thanks to an unexpected move by the old teacher in their English department, Bryce would finally be able to teach the subject he’s always loved.

  Bryce had been so excited, he’d drawn up a lesson plan to present to the headmistress, a Miss Lenzy, for approval that very afternoon, much to her pleasure. It wasn’t until he’d stood outside the gates to the campus that panic had set in at the realization of just where he was going to be teaching.

  After his meeting with the headmistress, he’d run through his small, carefully maintained house in a mad dash to wash and iron every shirt, tie, and pair of slacks he owned, Snarl barking and dancing around him the entire time.

  A month later, he couldn’t believe he was in his first staff meeting, a week before term was due to start. Nervous and vaguely worried about sweating through his clothes, he’d still made sure he was overly prepared before he left home.

  Since walking into the staff room, he’d tried his best to be almost nauseatingly pleasant. At twenty-five Bryce was obviously the youngest person there, but the older teachers all smiled at him kindly, if a bit condescendingly. Despite that, he was determined to make a good first impression so he forced himself to brush off things that would normally irritate him, to be addressed later if necessary.

  Things had, thankfully, started off well. Miss Lenzy ended up being the type of stern older woman Bryce always imagined a headmistress to be, and she’d shown him around the school and staff room with brusque efficiency. After all of the introductions were made, Miss Lenzy read out the start of term announcements. Luckily, they were all routine and covered the basic information he’d already gotten as a new teacher. Afterward, Bryce was relieved to note time passed quickly as the teachers involved with sports and clubs debated over funding.

  About twenty minutes before the meeting was scheduled to end, the door to the staff room opened. Miss Lenzy broke off, an irritated look on her face at the meeting being interrupted, but it had only lasted for a split second. The look was replaced by a radiant smile when she turned toward the door.

  “I apologize for being late, my meeting ran over.”

  Bryce froze in his seat at the sound of the deep, smooth voice. His eyes widened when he recognized it. Sure enough when the man at the door moved further into the room Bryce’s suspicions were instantly confirmed.

  Felix.

  He looked different than he had at the club, almost grim with his dark hair swept away from his face. His mouth was a thin, sharp line and creased by a frown so deep that it drew his thick, strong brows down into a sharp arch. The look made Felix’s high cheekbones stand out in sharp contrast.

  “It’s alright, dear. We were just going over the usual start of term items, nothing really important.”

  Bryce would have laughed if he had the ability to breath. The entire meeting, Miss Lenzy had been adamant about him realizing how important all of the rules and regulations they were going over were

  Bryce shifted slightly in his seat. The movement must have caught Felix’s attention because the man’s gaze snapped to him. For a moment their gazes met and held, and Bryce watched as recognition and shock washed over Felix’s face for a split second before he carefully smoothed out his expression.

  “I see we have a new face in the crowd this year,” Felix said. His words prompted Miss Lenzy into action.

  “Yes, we do. Mr. Cranshaw, I’d like you to meet our newest teacher, Bryce Huttner. Mr. Huttner this is Felix Cranshaw, a long standing member of our board of governors. His law firm also provides our establishment with expert legal representation.”

  The hidden meaning in the introduction came across loud and clear to Bryce. This man was to be respected.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Huttner,” Felix said as he moved forward into the room and closer to Bryce. He extended a hand in greeting, a slightly amused look in his eyes.

  Bryce had no other choice but to return the greeting, not if he didn’t want to appear rude and have the headmistress on his case
before the term even started. So he forced himself to take a deep, calming breath, and to rise from his chair to meet the man half way.

  “Likewise.” Bryce smiled politely at Felix, grasping the offered hand. The handshake, while brief and outwardly proper and polite, was a fraction tighter than normal. Felix tapped his index finger against the inside of Bryce’s wrist, and Bryce did his best to ignore the way his thumb smoothed slowly over the back of his hand before Felix finally let go.

  “Now then, let’s get this finished up, shall we? I know you all want to spend your last bit of free time before the term starts doing anything but listening to me drone on and on.” Felix turned a charming smile onto the rest of the assembled staff. As he moved past Bryce toward a free seat, their shoulders brushing lightly.

  Bryce did his best to continue paying attention, to actually listen to and absorb the new information instead of letting Felix’s appearance throw him too far off balance. It was a challenge. The way Felix’s shoulders shifted beneath his suit jacket, the way his hands moved the air around him as he spoke, the way his gaze would catch and hold Bryce’s, all of it was distracting. Bryce was wound tight, his muscles tense and his knee bouncing up and down by the time the meeting finally came to an end.

  Bryce shook himself out of his daze, shuffled his papers together and then stuffed them into his bag. After saying a few polite goodbyes, he hurried out of the room and left Felix, who was still engaged in conversation with another teacher, behind. He still had to get to work, busing tables at a local diner, and he wasn’t interested in getting waylaid when his schedule was so tight at the moment. He couldn’t afford to quit both of his jobs as soon as he’d found out about his new position at Summer Hearst, so while he’d cut his tutoring hours, he’d kept up his shift at the diner. He’d finally given his two week notice, but he’d waited until the last possible minute to do it so he still had a few shifts left before he was actually done.