Lawton

by Sabrina Stark

  Me? I felt my eyebrows furrow. "How would I know?"

  She stopped at the driver's side door, but didn't open it. Our gazes met across the low roof of her car. "Never mind," she said. "It's nothing."

  I looked down at the broken window. "It doesn't look like nothing to me."

  "Forget it." Her voice was trembling now. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

  The hitch in her voice almost broke my resolve. My voice grew quiet. "You wanna make me say it?"

  "Say what?" she asked.

  I love you. I've loved you since the first time I saw you.

  I shoved those thoughts aside. If I pressed my case now, I knew exactly what I'd be – a selfish bastard. I glanced at her car. Who the hell had done this?

  I crossed my arms. "First, tell me what happened."

  "No." She lifted her chin. "You tell me what you're doing here. Wait, lemme guess. You're just in the neighborhood?"

  I pointed out the obvious. "I live in the neighborhood."

  She didn't look amused. "I gotta go."

  "Where?" I asked. "To get it repaired?"

  She let out a breath that sounded too unsteady for my liking. "Not today."

  Why not today? My voice rose. "You're driving it like this? In this weather?"

  "I'm not going far," she said, ruining the obvious lie by shivering in the cold wind. Where the hell was her coat?

  If I had my way, she wouldn't be anywhere – not like that, and not with that broken window.

  "You want a ride?" I asked.

  She bit her lip, as if thinking.

  Say yes.

  She shook her head. "No." Her voice softened. "But thanks for the offer." She gave me a hesitant smile. "Seriously."

  Behind the smile, she looked cold and tired, and maybe a little defeated. Like she'd been beaten down one time too many.

  I tried again, working hard to keep my voice gentle. "What's wrong?"

  "Why does something have to be wrong?" she asked.

  Because something was wrong. And I wasn't going anywhere until she told me. I crossed my arms and waited.

  She sighed. "You talk to Brittney today?"

  "Brittney?" I glanced down at the broken window. "What's she got to do with this?"

  Chloe shrugged. "I dunno."

  What the hell was I missing? If Brittney had anything to do with this, she'd pay. I didn't know how, but she would. And Brittney had to know that. "She knows better," I said.

  Chloe made a scoffing sound. "Really? Does she?"

  I didn't see it. Brittney lived almost an hour away, and she sure as hell hadn't been spending any time at my place lately.

  "Well, she wasn't around here last night," I said, "if that's what you're getting at."

  Chloe laughed, not the sweet sound that I knew and loved, but a hard, bitter sound that sounded foreign coming from her lips. "Yeah," she said. "Tell me something I don't know." She opened the car door. "I gotta go."

  "Wait," I said.

  She paused, giving me a long look over the roof of the car. "For what?"

  "What aren't you telling me?"

  "Nothing." And with that, she climbed inside.

  I leaned down to study her face through the broken window. I wanted to pull her out of the car, wrap her up in my coat, and drag her back to my place, whether she wanted to come or not.

  I wanted to warm her by the fire and hold her in my arms. I wanted to wipe the worry from her eyes and hear her laugh like she used to – before that stupid party and whatever else had happened.

  But I wanted her to come willingly. So all I said was, "Stop by later."

  "Your place?" she said. "Why?"

  I shrugged. "Because."

  Her brow wrinkled. "That's no kind of answer."

  Time for a gamble. "It wasn't meant to be." And with that, I straightened and stepped away from the car.

  A minute later, she was gone. As for me, I was already pulling out my cell phone.

  Chapter 39

  "It wasn't me," Amber said.

  I hadn't talked to her since the party. Striding along the sidewalk, I spoke into my cell phone. "What about Brittney?"

  "Brittney?" Amber gave a weak laugh. "Where are you, anyway? It sounds windy."

  "Just tell me," I said. "The broken window. Did Brittney do that?"

  Amber paused. "I don't think so."

  "What does that mean? You see her last night?"

  "Well, you know, we hang out together, so–"

  "Cut the crap," I said. "What aren't you telling me?"

  "Nothing." She hesitated. "I mean, we ate at that restaurant."

  I was almost afraid to ask. "Which restaurant?"

  "Actually, it was, uh, the one where your neighbor works?" Her voice faltered. "The girl with the dog?"

  Shit. I stopped in my tracks. It was the one answer I hadn't wanted. Through gritted teeth, I said, "Her name is Chloe."

  "Um, yeah. Chloe," Amber said. "Anyway, she happened to wait on us."

  I tried to think. I recalled the night of my birthday party. On that night, too, they'd also mentioned that Chloe had waited on them. What were they doing? Going in there every night, just to give Chloe a hard time?

  I tried to keep my voice level. "She happened to wait on you?"

  Amber cleared her throat. "Sort of."

  "I know bull when I hear it," I said. "You asked for her section, didn't you?"

  Amber hesitated. "I don’t think they have real sections. I mean, the manager told us—"

  "Fuck the manager."

  "Gee, you don't have to get all mad."

  "Don't I?" I said.

  "I'm just saying—"

  "Alright, this is the deal," I said. "I'm gonna tell you what I think. And you're gonna tell me if I'm right."

  "Um, okay?"

  "I think you and Brittney went in there, and you made damn sure that Chloe was your waitress. And I think you gave her a bunch of shit, and then broke her car-window on the way out."

  "That's not true!" Amber said.

  "Uh-huh. Which part?"

  Amber paused. "Well, not the window part, anyway."

  "Fuck."

  "Lawton—"

  "I've gotta go." I disconnected the call and shoved the phone back into my pocket. Royally pissed off, I stalked back toward my own place.

  When my phone rang a minute later, I ignored it. When it rang a second time, I pulled it out, confirmed it was Amber, and then blocked the number.

  Screw her and that stupid red bow she rode in on. And that went double for her friend.

  No wonder Chloe was upset. And no wonder she blamed me. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't even know Brittney and Amber. And they sure as hell wouldn’t know her.

  All this time, I'd been looking for the bad guy, the one who'd been giving Chloe a hard time. Turns out, the bad guy was me, thanks to my shitty taste in friends.

  And that wasn't the only thing.

  My gut still told me that something was off about Chloe's living situation. What it was, I didn't know. A boyfriend? The douchebag? A combination of the two? I had no way of knowing. But I was going to find out.

  Later.

  Now, I'd go home and cancel everything on my schedule. And then, I'd spend the rest of the day watching out for Chloe. Even if she didn't want to see me, I had to see her – if only to make sure nothing worse happened.

  If anyone tried to hurt her, they'd be in for a hell of a surprise.

  A half-hour later, I was dressed in dark clothes and hanging out near the back fence. I'd dressed carefully, in black running pants, a black long-sleeved T-shirt, and black gym shoes. If it came down to it, I could claim to be out for a run.

  That meant I couldn't have a coat, but I didn't care. Even with the icy wind, I felt hot as hell. Sometimes, anger was a funny thing. I burned with it as I stood in the trees, watching the back of Chloe's house.

  Someone had broken her window. Something had driven her, nearly naked, to climb my fence. Somebody had her looking sad
and defeated for reasons I didn't understand. Maybe it wasn't my problem. Maybe it wasn't my business.

  Screw that. I was going to make it my business.

  Watching the back of her house, I was sorely tempted to duck inside, check out the place, maybe see once for all who lived there. But that would be for my sake, not hers. So instead, I stood in the trees, waiting for what, I didn't know.

  By the time I saw anything, it was almost dark. What I saw was Chloe's car, pulling into the driveway. Hidden behind a dense patch of pines, I had a decent view of both her house and her car, even if she couldn’t see me.

  I zoomed in on the passenger's side window. Still broken. Damn it. How far had she driven? Not far, she had claimed.

  It was a lie.

  I had known it then, but now, I had proof, because when Chloe got out, she looked frozen half-to death, with pale-white cheeks and wind-blown hair. Her shoulders slumped as she trudged from her car toward the front walkway that led to the front door. She had a purse slung over her shoulder and a small paper bag clutched in her hands.

  Booze? Maybe. But maybe not.

  Too soon, she disappeared from sight. I shifted my gaze to the rear window blinds of her house. A moment later, I saw the glimmer of lights or maybe the television, flickering behind them.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. She was inside, alone – or at least, it sure looked that way. I'd been watching for hours. All this time, I hadn't seen anyone show up or leave.

  I pulled my gaze from the house and zoomed in on her car. The last time something had happened to it, it had happened somewhere else – at the restaurant where she worked. Or at least that was my best guess. But that didn't mean something couldn’t happen here.

  I hunkered down in the trees and waited. If I had to, I'd wait all night. For what, I still didn't know. But something was off, and I was determined to find out what.

  As it turned out, I didn't need to wait all night – because a couple of hours later, I spotted movement in her driveway – not a car, but a person.

  Chloe.

  Chapter 40

  The way it looked, she was heading out for a walk. Now? In this weather? I didn't get it. I watched her through a gap in the trees. She wore jeans and a white hoodie, with the hood thrown back, leaving her head exposed to the icy wind.

  There was no dog.

  Weird.

  The wind whipped at her hair and molded the pale fabric of the hoodie to her tight curves. She looked good. Too good. I felt myself swallow.

  I made a sound of disgust. Asshole.

  I wasn't standing out here to masterbate in the trees. I was standing out here because she might be in trouble. I needed to remember that.

  When she reached the front sidewalk, she turned, heading away from her house. It was nighttime. She was alone. I didn't like it. Yeah, the neighborhood was safe, but that didn't guarantee anything, especially with all the weirdness going on.

  To follow in her footsteps, I'd need to hop my fence. I was willing, and I was able. I just didn't like the idea of her spotting me. So I did the next best thing. I circled the inside perimeter of my property, keeping my eyes on her and my own position hidden by the shadows and trees.

  As I watched, Chloe walked along the sidewalk, moving fast, like she knew where she was going and wanted to get there fast. I paused. Was she heading to my place?

  If so, it would be a surprise. Yeah, I'd told her to stop by, but even at the time, I knew the odds of that were almost zero.

  I moved closer and watched as she strode along the sidewalk. When she turned the corner, her face lit with a sudden smile, a real smile. I sucked in a breath. I hadn't seen that smile in how long? Since the party. It was only a few days, but it felt like years.

  I missed that smile. I missed her.

  Inside my pocket, my cell phone vibrated. Not now. I reached into the pocket, thinking to turn the damn thing off. But when I pulled out the phone, it caught my keys. They fell, jangling as they hit the ground.

  I froze. So did Chloe.

  The sound hadn't been loud, but she'd obviously caught it. She turned to look, scanning the sidewalk behind her. Hidden in the shadows, I saw what she saw – nothing but dry leaves skittering along the pavement.

  I held my breath and waited.

  After a long moment, she turned forward again and picked up the pace, walking faster, and then breaking into an easy run. I felt my shoulders relax. She didn't look scared. She looked happy.

  From inside my fence, I kept pace with her movements. She was running. I wasn't. It didn't matter. I was on the inside. She was on the outside. I had less distance to travel and a good view of her route.

  In less than a minute, she'd be reaching my front gate. The gate was open, but I wasn't home.

  Not good.

  I ducked deeper into the shadows and headed straight toward my house. I skipped the back patio and circled around to the side. I'd just reached the front walkway when something soft slammed into me.

  Chloe.

  Instinctively, my arms closed around her, saving her from tumbling backward. My arms were steady, but my breath caught. She felt small and warm, and too damn good. My grip tightened, and the silence stretched out until, reluctantly, I loosened my hold, giving her the chance to push away.

  She didn't.

  Instead, she burrowed closer, making me want to groan out loud. She leaned her cheek against the cold fabric of my shirt, and I felt the warmth of her skin seep into my heart.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  When she didn't answer, I reluctantly extended my arms and took a step backward to study her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was shallow. Too shallow? I glanced over her shoulder, wondering if there was something I'd missed. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

  She shook her head. "I was coming to see you." Her voice softened. "Like you asked. Remember?"

  I did remember. I just didn't think she'd do it. At something in her voice, I couldn’t help but smile. "Yeah?"

  She nodded. "Unless –" She cleared her throat. "– you don't have company, do you?"

  If I did, I'd be tossing them to the curb. "No," I said. "But I'd like to."

  She gave me a slow, sultry smile filled with all kinds of sexy. "If you invited me in, I wouldn't say no." She ran a finger lightly up my chest. Her voice grew smooth with a hint of honey. "To anything."

  To anything? I stood, waiting for the punchline. Based on the last few days, this had to be a joke, the kind where you wrap up an empty box and laugh when someone learns there's no present. This was Chloe. I wanted her more than I'd wanted anything. I wanted to hold her and kiss her, and hear her whisper my name all night long.

  I met her gaze. She didn't look like she was joking.

  She stood, still and silent, with her finger still poised at chest. Her touch was light, and I wanted more. But a quick one-nighter wasn't the thing.

  I searched her face, wondering what, exactly, she had in mind. And then I noticed something. Her pupils were dilated, and her cheeks were a little too flushed, given the temperature.

  I recalled the paper bag that she'd carried in from her car. I didn't want to ask. But for her sake, I had to. "Have you been drinking?"

  "Huh?" She pulled back. "No. Well, not much anyway." She paused. "Why? Does it matter?"

  I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her that nothing mattered but her. That I'd take her any way I could get her – drunk, sober, dressed up, dressed down, wearing nothing at all. At the image of Chloe naked, my briefs grew tight, and my skin grew hot.

  I wanted her so bad I could taste it.

  But this was Chloe, not some random groupie looking to score points.

  My voice was quiet. "Yes. With you, it does."

  Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

  Because a one-nighter isn't the thing I want.

  Because this isn't your style, and we both know it.

  Because I don't want to have you tonight, only to lose you tomorrow.

 
Her lips looked sweet and so damn soft. I wanted to kiss away the question and make her mine.

  But instead, I said, "I don't know. But it does."

  The pink on her cheeks grew just a shade darker, and she let out a long, unsteady breath. "Oh." She looked down and gave her clothing a worried frown. When she looked up, her eyes were filled uncertainty. And she took a couple steps backward.

  Her voice faltered. "So you're saying you don't want me?" She lifted her chin and waited for my answer.

  What?

  I almost laughed. "Chloe, if you knew how much I wanted you." I shook my head. "Well, let's just say you'd be smart to run back the way you came." Slowly, I moved toward her, wondering if she'd back away.

  If she did, I'd have to let her go. I would let her go, even if it killed me to do it.

  She didn't back off.

  Soon, we were almost touching. If she wanted to run, she'd better do it fast. I spoke again, softer now. "And you'd run right now. Before I show you exactly how much."

  I meant it, too. This was Chloe. I was willing to wait as long as it took. I hadn't expected this. But if she was serious, I sure as hell wouldn't be sending her away.

  Her shoulders relaxed. "Yeah?" She gave me a wicked smile. "Prove it."

  I couldn’t help but smile back. "Is that a dare?"

  She nodded.

  That was all it took.

  Chapter 41

  I swept her up in my arms and cradled her close. She laughed, a happy sound that warmed me in the cold, night air. With the girl of my dreams wriggling against me, I strode up the front steps and pushed open the door.

  Inside, I turned and carried her to the room that I thought she'd like best. It was smaller than the other places I might've taken her, including my own bedroom. But a girl like Chloe might call this room romantic, with its flowers and pictures and all kinds of other stuff that I hadn't picked out personally.

  Chloe was special. Whatever we did next, I wanted to make sure everything was just right. I strode through the shadows and stopped at the big leather sofa that faced the fireplace.

  "If I let you go," I said, "you're not gonna run off, are you?"

  She shook her head. "Not a chance."