I could tell she was close when I commanded, “Open your eyes. Look at me.”
She did as I asked, and as she came apart with my name on her lips, I saw everything she was too afraid to say. She was falling in love with me too. I knew it. I could sense it in the way she let go with me, feel it every time she touched me or looked at me. Her smile told me I made her happy, and making this girl happy was suddenly the most important thing in the world to me. For every time she’d been sad and scared and frustrated, I wanted to make her smile.
She was still pulsating, unintentionally clenching me in her tight heat, when I couldn’t take any more. I groaned as I flooded her while kissing her, pouring everything I had into her, wanting her to take all of me while giving all of herself to me.
I love you. The words were burning the tip of my tongue, but I bit them back, breaking the kiss while our hearts seemed to beat as one, letting me know we were in sync, whether she was ready to admit it or not.
“Wow,” she said with a half laugh when we finally broke apart. “That was incredible.”
I curled my hand around her face, my eyes lingering on hers long enough to convey my adoration before I whispered, “You’re incredible, Lace.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lacy
Spending the night at York’s, in his arms, waking up to breakfast in bed, made me feel safe, secure, loved. And it had been a long time since I felt those things. Hell, if I were being honest with myself, I’d have to admit I’d never felt those things. Safety and security were never words I could associate with my home life when I was growing up. As much as my brothers loved me and tried to take care of me, they were just kids themselves, trying to figure out how to deal with the shitty hand life had dealt us.
And my marriage, if I could call it that, had always made me feel more insecure and uncertain than I’d ever been.
But with York, everything was different. He was different. He made me feel different. I wasn’t the same woman I’d been before I met him. He made me feel free to be myself, and I pushed fear to the back of my mind as I embraced this newfound feeling of happiness and possibility instead.
When I walked into our apartment, the next morning I was greeted by a huge bouquet of flowers that instantly made me smile. Ace must have given them to Rachel. While I tried not to get caught up in my friend’s love life, I was glad she’d finally met a man who appreciated her for the incredible person she was. Even if it meant my brother had to go on punishing himself for not realizing it sooner.
“Hey,” Rachel said, looking up from her eReader. “I don’t have to ask how your night was. Those came for you about an hour ago.” She smiled. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”
I couldn’t deny I was surprised. York didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would buy flowers for no reason. But then, neither did Ace.
“Wow,” I said, walking slowly toward the massive bouquet of assorted blooms. “He must have called these in before I woke up, or when I was in the shower.” I picked up the pink card and read the message—You’re Beautiful—before setting it back down with a smile. “This is a first.”
“What is?” Rachel asked, tucking her legs under her as she set her eReader down and reached for her coffee.
“Getting flowers,” I said, sitting on the chair while she hogged the couch.
She frowned. “No one has ever given you flowers before?”
“Nope.” I guess I just wasn’t the kind of girl who made a guy think I’d appreciate romantic gestures. Though I certainly appreciated this one.
I fired off a quick text to York. Thx for flowers. Beautiful. My fingers hovered over the screen before I finally added a little heart emoji. God, I was getting so sappy.
Rachel’s expression was thoughtful when I finally looked up. I didn’t have to ask what she was thinking. I just knew.
“Don’t,” I warned, knowing she was going to tell me how perfect York and I were for each other.
“What?” she asked, all wide-eyed innocence. “I was just thinking how nice it is to see you happy for a change.”
I frowned, wondering if I’d wasted every day since I met her being miserable. I didn’t think so, but maybe she saw things more clearly, from the outside looking in, than I did. “For a change? What does that mean?”
“I couldn’t figure out what had happened to make you so sullen most of the time. Now that you told me about your douche of an ex, I get it. But the way you’ve been since you met York…” With a slight shake of her head, she said, “I don’t know. I’ve just never seen you like this. I like it. I hope the new Lacy sticks around for a while.”
She would as long as York was in my life, but there was no telling how long that would last. It was still too new to assume it would last. Forever was a word I’d stopped using a long time ago. Nothing lasted forever. Especially love and marriage.
My cell buzzed, and I could have sworn my heart stopped beating when I read his response: What flowers?
“Are you sure those flowers are for me?” I asked Rachel, without looking up from my phone.
“Yeah, the delivery guy said they were. Why? York didn’t send them?”
I shook my head slowly, knowing if York hadn’t sent them, only one other person would have. Fuck! I was never going to be rid of that monster. Just when I thought I was finally getting my life back on track, he came back to remind me I’d never really be rid of him or free from my past.
My phone rang, and York’s face flashed across the screen. I considered hitting Ignore. Not because I didn’t want to talk to him, but because I didn’t know what to say. He’d be concerned, just as I was, but I didn’t want to feed his paranoia while trying to quash my own.
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound relaxed. “I just left your place. Admit it, you can’t get enough of me.”
“Who the fuck sent you flowers, Lacy?”
I could hear the tension in his voice, could almost see him pacing his massive great room, with the high ceilings and light filtering through the wall-to-wall windows. But I had no doubt he was ignoring his breathtaking view. He was too busy worrying about me, which was the last thing I wanted.
“Are you jealous?” I asked, trying to play it off as insignificant, though we both knew the flowers meant Jordan was sending me a message. He wasn’t going away.
“This isn’t a goddamn joke! You think that prick sent them, don’t you?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” I said, forcing a smile that I hoped he could hear. “It could have been my other boyfriend.”
“Goddammit, this isn’t funny! Maybe you should call Coop and tell him—”
“No!” My brothers were already worried sick about me. I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. “No,” I said, my voice softening. “They’ve got enough on their plates. I don’t want them to worry about this. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.” When I didn’t respond, he sighed. “Baby, just make sure your doors are locked. Keep your eyes open when you step outside, and make sure you’re armed at all times. I’m picking you up from work tonight.”
“But—”
“No buts, Lace. I’m picking you up from work.”
Before I could argue, he was gone. I scowled at the phone, hating that Jordan was once again calling the shots, forcing me to live in fear of him.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asked gently.
I growled, covering my face with my hands. “I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t want to talk about that asshole I was married to. I want to talk about something else. Anything else.”
“How about the fact that Ace asked me to move in with him? Do you want to talk about that?”
I gaped at her, feeling a little as though the rug had been pulled out from under me. “Seriously? But you guys haven’t been seeing each other that long.”
I knew it didn’t take my friend long to decide a guy was “the one,” but she usually turned out to be wrong. And she’d never made
this kind of commitment to anyone. I couldn’t believe she was actually considering it.
“He told me last night that he’s falling in love with me,” Rachel said, smiling. “Can you believe that? He actually said he loves me.”
I didn’t know what had happened in Rachel’s past that made her crave love the way I craved fresh air and water, but I was sure there was a story there. One I may never hear. “Of course I can believe that. You’re easy to love.”
“Thanks.” She set her empty mug on the table before raking her hand through her long blond hair. “He said it makes sense, since we spend all of our time together anyhow.”
They had been together almost every night since they started dating, but making it official required a huge leap of faith. Especially so soon.
“I just want you to be happy,” I said, trying to choose my words carefully. “You know that. But maybe you should take your time with this one, Rach. Don’t rush into anything.”
“I hear what you’re saying,” she said, nodding. “But when am I going to get another chance with a guy like Ace? Someone who actually says he loves me and wants to commit to me?”
I still thought that, at twenty-seven, she had plenty of time left for marriage and babies, but she didn’t see it that way. She wanted stability in her life. Stability that she assumed only a man could provide apparently.
“I can’t tell you what to do,” I said, trying to be the supportive friend she’d always been to me. “If Ace makes you happy and you’re sure you’re ready, then go for it.”
“But I don’t want to leave you high and dry.” She worried her bottom lip. “Especially now, with your ex—”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” A part of me would be relieved if I didn’t have to worry about my friend getting caught in the cross fire if I wasn’t here when Jordan came calling. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of me.
“You say that,” Rachel said, nudging the leg I had propped up on the coffee table with her toe. “And I know you’re a tough chick. But you’re no match for a madman with a gun, sweetie.”
“Trust me,” I said, standing. “My Glock is a match for just about anything life throws at me, girl.”
***
I was surprised when Brent walked into the club that night. He’d made himself scarce lately, and I’d assumed it was because he’d lost interest in me. Judging by the way he looked me up and down, with his eyes landing on my cleavage before my face, I’d thought wrong.
“Hey,” I said with a tight smile. “The usual?” We were slammed tonight, and I didn’t have time for small talk.
“Sure,” he said, unbuttoning his dark suit jacket before claiming the last seat at the bar. “Can you take a break?”
One look around should have answered that question. We were so packed, I expected the fire department to show up and slap us on the wrist for violating code.
“Not any time soon,” I said, passing him a shot of fifteen-year-old scotch on the rocks.
“That’s okay,” he said before taking a sip of his drink. “I can wait.”
I didn’t want to encourage him to stick around, but I should explain to him that I was seeing someone now and wouldn’t be available for that dinner he kept texting me about. I’d always replied with a two-word response: Sorry, busy. But it wasn’t fair to let him go on thinking I was interested when I wasn’t and never would be.
Five minutes after Brent claimed a table and told me to come find him when I could, my brother slipped behind the bar. “You can take a break, if you want,” he said. “I can cover for you.”
My eyes drifted to Brent as I removed my apron with a sigh.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Ash asked, frowning. “If he’s giving you a hard time, I’d be happy to kick him out on his arrogant ass.”
“It’s fine,” I said, curling my hand around his forearm to ward off trouble. “I can handle him.”
Brent was chatting up another waitress when I approached, so he didn’t even notice me until I’d slid into his booth.
“Oh, hey,” he said, grinning at me. “You finally got a break.”
“What can I get you, Lacy?” Laura asked.
“I’m fine,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll just grab a water in a bit. Thanks.”
Brent reached for my hands. “So how’ve you been?”
“Um, fine,” I said, trying to withdraw my hands without making this any more awkward than it had to be. “You?”
He frowned but slid back in his seat, putting a respectable distance between us. “I’ve been okay, I guess. I’ve missed you.”
I wasn’t sure where that was coming from, since we’d never had that kind of relationship. We’d hooked up a time or two, but it was just that—a hook-up. Neither of us had thought we were exclusive.
“Busy with work?” I asked, trying to figure out how to let him down gently, since he clearly didn’t intend to make this easy for me.
“Always.”
Glancing at the bar, I knew I’d have to rescue my brother soon. He could draw a beer or pour a glass of scotch or vodka, but not much else. Thankfully, he was a better manager than he was a bartender. “So about your text messages…”
His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the door. “Yeah, that’s why I came in. Hoping we could firm up our plans for dinner.”
I’d been remiss in not having this conversation with him sooner apparently, because he was under the mistaken impression we were still seeing each other. “Here’s the thing, Brent.” I rubbed my thumb against my palm as he fixated all of his attention on me, making me even more uneasy. “I think you’re a great guy. But I, um, am kind of seeing someone.”
“Who? Please tell me it’s not that musclehead.” When he gestured toward the bar, I followed his gaze and cringed when I spotted York talking to Ash.
He may have been talking to Ash, but his eyes were locked on me… and my companion. York didn’t look happy, and I knew if I didn’t wrap this up soon, he’d be over here to do it for me.
“York and I have gotten close,” I confirmed, trying to find a diplomatic way to tell Brent he wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention. Hell, compared to York, he was a snore. “So, um, that’s why I’m not seeing anyone else right now. I hope you understand?”
“No, I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head as though I was speaking a foreign language. “I don’t understand how a girl like you could go for an idiot like that. For Christ’s sake, he beats guys up for a living.”
I wouldn’t bother reminding him that York was a talented martial artist at the top of his game. I didn’t care what Brent thought of York or me, so long as he understood what we’d had was over.
“I have to get back to work,” I said, sliding out of the booth. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way you wanted them to, but I’d still like to be friends.” It was a perfunctory offer and we both knew it, since we’d never really been friends. He didn’t know much about me, nor did he seem to want to. And the feeling was mutual.
“You’re going to regret this, Lacy,” he said, grabbing my hand so I couldn’t walk away. “I can give you things he can’t. The life you could have with me—”
“Uh…” Like that was ever gonna happen. “I’ve got to get back at it. Have a good night, Brent,” I said, extracting my hand from his before turning and quickly making my way toward the bar.
“What the fuck did he want?” York asked as soon as I approached.
I barely resisted the urge to sigh. I was dead on my feet and really didn’t need this shit tonight.
“I’d like to know that too,” Ash said, popping the top off a beer.
“Yeah, well, this isn’t the time or place for this conversation,” I said, smiling at one of our regulars. “I need to get back to work.”
Chapter Seventeen
York
When that douche was still sitting in the same booth half an hour later, watching Lacy, along wi
th every short skirt in the place, I decided it was time to set him straight.
“What do you want?” he asked, glaring at me when I walked up.
It must be the liquid courage talking, because surely this little weasel wasn’t stupid enough or brave enough to call me out. “What the fuck do you want, that’s what I want to know.”
“I want Lacy.” He licked his lips as he leered at her. “Again.”
I felt my heart rate accelerate. “You expect me to believe you slept with Lacy? Come on, we both know she has better taste than that.”
He gave me a once-over, sneering. “I thought she had good taste, but that was before I found out she was hooking up with you too.”
I was going to throttle this fucking loser. “First of all, Lacy’s my girlfriend, not a hook-up, and second of all, there’s no goddamn way she slept with you.”
He downed the contents of his glass before pulling a money clip out of his pocket. He peeled a couple of bills off the top and slipped them under his empty glass. “You don’t believe me?” He shrugged. “Ask your girlfriend. Assuming she’ll tell you the truth. If not, I just might have some proof here for you.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and slid his finger across the screen.
“If I were you, I’d get the fuck out of here before I break both your legs.”
He chuckled while getting to his feet. “I guess that’s Lacy’s speed these days. Brawn instead of brains. But that can’t last forever. She’ll come back to me when she realizes what a good thing she had with me.”
My fists were clenched tight as I watched him walk away. I never instigated street fights. That went against everything I believed in, but this guy deserved to get his teeth knocked out. I was seriously considering doing just that when Ash slapped me on the back.
“Sit down, man. I don’t want any trouble here tonight.”
I closed my eyes as I slid into the booth, reminding myself this was Ash’s place of business. I had to respect that, and him, enough to keep my temper in check.
Drunk Dial (Hard Core #1) (Hard Core Series) Page 16
