“How do you tell your thirteen-year-old his father left because he was a drug addict? How does a kid process that? I might have thought that my father left because he chose the drugs over me. When the truth could have been that he left because he didn’t want his addiction to ruin your life.”
He was silent for a moment, once again amazed by the way she interpreted things. She made him think in a totally different way. “I still hate him,” he grumbled. “And I’m mad at my mother for not telling me. I would have understood when I was older.”
“Mikey,” she said softly. “You barely understand now.”
“Why can’t you be on my side just once?” he pouted.
“I am on your side. I’m always on your side. I just don’t like seeing you so hurt.”
“I’m not hurt. I’m pissed off.”
“Typical macho male response.” She pecked his cheek. “You are hurt. You looked up to him. You trusted him, how could you not be? I’m not saying you should forgive him. But being pissed off for the rest of your life isn’t going to get you anywhere. Talk to your mother. See what her take is on it and make sure you listen to her. Don’t be mad at her, either. You have no idea what it was like for her. I’ve never met her but I know she did what she thought was best for you.”
He leaned down to kiss her, cupping her cold cheeks in his hands so he could keep her closer longer. “I hate it when you expect me to be rational.”
He knew he was going to have to have that conversation with his mother. But it would have to come a little later. He was in no mood to speak to her now or even think about his shaky relationship with his parents.
“What do you want to do now, Elle? We’ve got the rest of the day to ourselves.”
She sighed. “I want to get warm cinnamon rolls from the bakery and then I want to go back to my place and have sex.”
He grinned at her. “Cinnamon rolls and sex. I think can suffer through that.”
Chapter Twenty-two
A Few of My Favorite Things …
Law and Order in any form. It’s like an old friend or your favorite pair of jeans, always there for you. Spanx. (Enough said.)
Fun-sized candy. It makes me want to say WHEEEEE!
And men with hard chests and dreamy smiles … le sigh.
Ellis had no idea what to get Mike for his birthday. She even blogged about it, asking her followers what to shop for. She got dozens of suggestions, but nothing that seemed right for her boyfriend. As simple-minded as men were, they were hard as hell to shop for. Mike was no exception. He definitely wasn’t Jack who lived for designer suits and manscaping products. Mike didn’t wear cologne or play video games. He wasn’t into cars. He liked football but Colin had offered up box seats to a game so Ellis really couldn’t compete with that. She wanted to get him something special. Which was why she dragged Colin to the mall with her.
She studied the beefy Irish hunk, who was more brother than friend to Mike. He was scowling at a pair of cuff links Ellis had asked to see.
“I take it you don’t love them?”
“No, Ellis I don’t.” He ran both his hands through his dark brown locks. “I don’t know why you dragged me here in the first place. I don’t know nothing about shopping. I hate it.”
“Then why did you agree to come with me?” She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. He either hated everything she picked or had no comment at all, which she found infuriating. They had been here two and a half hours without a single thing to show for it. “You didn’t have to come. You could have said buy him some towels and hung up, but no, I’ve got to stand here and put up with your pissing and moaning…”
He grinned at her, his smile slightly crooked. “Oh shut it, lass. I came because you’re the first girlfriend who has ever asked me to come, and you’re the only one I think is going to make it for the long haul.”
“Really?” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “Exactly how many girlfriends has Detective Hot Pants had?”
“One. Only you.”
“Colin!”
“I’m not stupid enough to fall into that trap. For fuck’s sake, Ellis. Don’t you realize what he did for you?”
She blinked at him. “No.”
“He’s asked your permission to go off with me. Don’t you understand how huge that is? I’d cut of my bollocks before I’d ask a woman for permission to go anywhere. He’s serious about you. I might be losing my best mate.”
“You think so?” She got happy. It was wrong of her but everybody loved a little validation sometimes. “That sucks for you. So you basically accompanied me to see if I was up to par for your friend?”
“Yup.”
“And?” She batted her lashes at him.
“You’re a world-class ball buster with a big mouth but that only makes you hotter in my book.”
“Oh Colin.” She threw her arms around him and loudly kissed his cheek. “You’re a big help.”
“What?” He shook his head when she released him. “But you still haven’t gotten him a present.”
“Right. Shit.” She sighed. “What should I get him? Custom bowling ball? Flask? Gold-plated handcuffs? Give me a clue.”
“I’ve known Mike for fifteen years and the only thing I can tell you about him is that he likes good food, sex, and sports.”
“So a Yankees jersey?”
“Yeah, just make sure you’re in it with nothing on underneath it. Or we can go lingerie shopping.” He looked her up and down. “I’m sure he would appreciate that.”
“You’re a perv,” she shot back, but secretly thought that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe she would get Cherri to come back with her later. The girl was innocent but Belinda was on vacation and Ellis would need another set of eyes. “Come on, Irish. I’ll buy you a giant pretzel for being such a good boy.”
On their way to the food court they passed workers putting up Christmas decorations. Halloween had barely passed. Sigh. Thanksgiving was coming up shortly. She and Mike hadn’t discussed what their plans would be. Truthfully, she was afraid to bring it up. Even though Colin had told her that Mike was serious, her constant companion, doubt, lingered in the back of her mind. Would he want to spend it with her family? Would he rather go home to his?
“Ellison?”
Shit. Not again.
Agatha Toomey stood in front of the GNC, her skinny hand clutching a bottle of supplements. Ellis should have known she hadn’t seen the last of this woman. Durant was a small city. They were bound to run into each other from time to time.
“Oh, hello. Nice to see you, Mrs. Toomey. Hope you have a good holiday.” Ellis thought she could be slick and walk past but Agatha’s other bony hand shot out and grasped her arm.
“Wait.” The exercise freak was strong and stopped Ellis in her tracks. Colin stopped, too, and gave her a curious look. “I spoke to Jack and he told me I should apologize for coming to your shop. He thinks I’m making things worse.”
“Trust me, you aren’t,” Ellis said but Agatha continued on as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
“It’s just that my sister died so young. I’m like a mother to him and I want to see my Jacky happy and settled.”
“I’m sure he’ll find a nice girl.” She released herself from the woman’s grasp. “I have to go.”
Agatha leveled her gray gaze at Ellis. “He only wants you.” She gave Ellis’s body a thorough once-over. “Even if you keep packing on the pounds.”
Still a bitch.
“Well, that’s a shame because I’ve moved on. It’s been months. Jack needs to move on, too.”
Agatha looked to Colin and her normally sour expression turned into a scowl. “I see you moved on again. What happened to the last guy, Ellison? Did he get tired of going to bed with an overweight big-mouth or are you just being the tramp I always thought you were?”
Colin opened his mouth to defend her but Ellis quickly cut him off. “Tramp?” Ellis used her stature to force the woman to take a couple of steps backward. “If I�
�m such a tramp why did you fix me up with your precious nephew in the first place?”
“Because,” she sneered. “I was friends with your mother and she was always complaining about how she thought you were never going to meet a nice guy. I knew my Jacky was lonely but I never thought he would go for you. I thought you would put out and move on. I had no idea you would sink your claws in him. You ruined him for other women and now you throw your horrible behavior in his face by parading around town with multiple men dressed like a slut.”
“Slut?” She took another step forward, knocking Agatha into a wall and causing her eyes to indignantly bug from her head. “Your nephew degraded me. He tried to control me. He brought another woman into my home just to hurt me. And you have the nerve to call me a slut? Well guess what, you rat-faced, unstable bitch. I don’t care what you think and next time you call me something that isn’t my name, I’m kicking your underfed ass. And my boyfriend is a cop so you won’t get help from the DPD. I’m done being nice.” She poked Agatha in the shoulder, and the women gulped. “You better avoid me like the plague next time you see me or it won’t be pretty. And one more thing, stop obsessing over your nephew. It’s getting creepy.”
Ellis straightened and Agatha took the opportunity to scamper to her left. “I’m glad the guy slapped you around when you got robbed. It was exactly what you deserved for messing with my family.”
Ellis took a step toward the woman. She fled without saying another word.
“Bloody fucking hell,” Colin cursed.
She exhaled, her skin feeling hot, but her soul feeling soothed. “I’m sorry you had to see me act like that. It wasn’t pretty.”
“No, love, it was the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”
“Shut up, Colin!”
“No.” He linked arms with her and led her off once again. “I’ve gotten a wee bit excited. Your boyfriend will probably bash my head in when I tell him. I think you’re my dream girl. I could take you back to Ireland and not worry about you in a bar fight.”
*
Colin was due to pick him up any minute for their trip to Pittsburgh. He was looking forward to this trip, but part of him wanted to stay home. When they were younger they used to tear up the town. Somehow on every birthday trip he managed to be single; both of them had. If only for a little while. It was their excuse to talk to the women who flocked to nightclubs in skimpy, usually shiny outfits. Women who drank too much and could twist their bodies in pretzel-like positions. It would be different this time. Thirty-three, and now Mike was the one thinking he was too old for that shit. However, Colin was still single, and Mike wondered if he would still want to carouse like they used to. Maybe not. Lately he had been more into trivia nights than techno beats. Hopefully they would have an uneventful trip.
He watched as Ellis rummaged through his refrigerator, her beautifully rounded backside distracting him from his thoughts. He wasn’t sure he wanted to leave her this weekend. It wasn’t just the sex he would miss, but her. He used to get that itchy, jumpy feeling, and he’d know it was time to move on to another woman. It hadn’t happened with Ellis yet and he wondered how long it would take for that time to come. Or if it ever would.
“You want pickles on your sandwiches, Mike?”
“No,” he answered absently.
Ellis was going to stay at his place while he was gone. Her landlord was redoing their floors. That thought shook him. Somewhere along the way he’d started to think about her place as home. He swallowed. When had he stopped thinking in terms of I and me and started thinking in us and we?
“I made you some cookies to take with you,” she said, straightening up. “They’re still warm. Of course, I ate half of them already but there’s still plenty for you and Colin.”
She pulled the soft cooler she had purchased out of the plastic bag and began to pack it with the massive quantities of food she’d prepared. A whole roasted chicken, sandwiches, cookies, snack cakes, soda, and beer. He walked up behind and wrapped his arms around her as she poured coffee into a thermos.
“You know they sell food in Pittsburgh, Ellie. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
“It’s your birthday. I want to do this for you.” She screwed the top on his thermos and turned in his arms. He held her for a moment, inhaling her soft vanilla scent.
“Come with us,” he said without thinking.
She laughed, her whole face lighting up. “Thank you but I’d rather have my mother give me a bikini wax.”
“I thought you liked football. You watch it every Sunday with me.”
“I hate it. A lot. Really. Freaking. Hate. It.”
“What?” he asked, amazed. She always sat pressed against him, asking all the right questions, never bothering him when the game got intense.
She shrugged. “I like you.”
A rush of warm, unmanly feelings came over him, and he squeezed her against him. He didn’t want to leave her. “Maybe I can stay home. I’m sure Colin can find somebody else to go with him.”
“No, Mike.” She shook her head firmly. “You are going to this game with Colin. We talked about it.”
I’ll miss you, he stopped himself from saying. Damn, he felt like a girl. He must have it bad for her. Those thoughts had never entered his mind before. “Why didn’t you tell me about your run-in with your ex’s aunt?”
She growled, cutely, but it was still a growl. “Colin has such a big freaking mouth.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Listen, Mike. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to get all psycho-cop on me and show up at her house. This isn’t like the thing with my business. I’m trusting you. Okay? It’s hard for me but I’m doing it.”
She was. He had to give her credit for it. He couldn’t complain. “You sure? What if some hot girl hits on me in Pittsburgh?”
“I’m sure you’ll do the right thing. If not I’ll castrate you.”
He winced. “I believe you. Colin told me how you got up in that starving lady’s face.” He scowled. “He also told me how sexy you were and that he had to keep reminding himself that you were my girlfriend.”
“Really?” She blushed. “I would date him if you weren’t in the way.”
“Over my dead body.”
“For fuck’s sake, Edwards. Get your hands off the girl and get in the car.” Colin stood behind them tapping his foot like an old fisherman’s wife. They hadn’t heard him come in.
“Hold your goddamn water.”
“Hi, Colin,” Ellis said, beaming. “I packed some snacks for you. I even got some Guinness.”
“Ah, love. Thank you.” He looked back to Mike. “I’ll be in the car. Kiss her and let’s go.” He was out the door after that.
“Good-bye, Elle. I’ll see you Monday.” He tilted her head back and gave her a very long, sweet kiss. “We’ll celebrate my birthday when I get back.” He let her go and hardened his expression. “Oh, and stay out of my nightstand.”
He walked out the door wondering how long it would take her to look.
*
It took her twenty-seven minutes before she peeked in the drawer. She was supposed to trust him, respect his privacy, but her curiosity beat out her conscience. She sat on the side of his bed staring at the closed drawer. At best she expected to find porn. At worst a drawer of women’s underwear in his size. What she found was entirely unexpected and supremely lovely. Sitting on top of some hardcover books were a dozen yellow roses and a heart-shaped locket.
“Damn him.” She teared up. The brat in her wanted to close the drawer and pretend like she’d followed his order, but she couldn’t. She put on the locket, found a vase for the flowers, and called her boyfriend to thank him.
*
“It’s barely been half an hour,” Mike said into his phone. “I thought you would have made it at least an hour.” He ignored Colin’s grumblings about his manhood and listened while Ellis thanked him and promised him that she would gladly show her appreciation when he got home. It was
almost enough to make him want to tell Colin to turn the car around.
Eventually he hung up and glanced at Colin, whose eyes were focused on the road. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Colin shrugged. “I like her so it’s okay. I never thought I would live to see the day when you fell in love.”
“What?” That comment shook him to his core. “I’m not in love with her.”
Colin snorted. “The hell you aren’t. You’re with her all the time. You look at her like you want to eat her and you get this goofy look on your face whenever she’s around. If you’re not in love then I’m bloody English.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “I really like her. That’s all.” He couldn’t be in love. He wasn’t capable of such deep feelings. It was impossible. He had promised himself years ago that it would never happen to him. Sure, the thought of her with somebody else killed him, but that was normal. Wasn’t it? So was wanting to be with her all the time. Right? He couldn’t love her, because if he did it meant that if she walked away it would destroy him. He wasn’t going to let any woman fuck with his head like that. It wasn’t going to be like it had been with his father and his mother.
But now that he knew the truth behind his parents’ breakup, behind his father’s leaving, that argument didn’t seem to hold up anymore.
Marriage. Love me. The nasty fight they had a week ago came back to him. He had asked for her trust and she told him exactly how to earn it.
But love? He couldn’t let himself think about her walking away. Somehow she got in there and lodged herself in his chest. She made him feel right. Shit. This was his fault. He asked for this. He pushed for them to be together. He forced her to let him in when all she wanted from him was … she never wanted anything from him. She tried to push him away.
“Shit.” He did love her. He loved her more than he could handle. How the hell did it sneak up on him like that?
He wasn’t supposed to fall in love. He was only supposed to be in Durant for a little while, until he figured out what he wanted to do with his life. He still didn’t know. In fact he hadn’t thought about it very much until the moment he started things up with her.
Dangerous Curves Ahead: A Perfect Fit Novel Mass Market Paperback Page 24
