I might not have been allowed to tell the asshole to fuck off when it came to Hailey, but no way would I let him believe he could watch her the way he had been.
I murmured in Hailey’s ear, “I want him to think you’re with me.” I ran my stubbled jaw against her cheek. She sucked in a soft, shaky breath, and my body trembled slightly at her reaction. “I’m going to kiss you,” I said, voice husky.
“Okay,” she breathed, the puff of air warm against my cheek.
I closed my eyes for a millisecond to gain strength for what I was about to do. When it came to Hailey, a single kiss wasn’t enough. But that was all I’d get. I traced my lips against her jaw, memorizing the soft feel of her skin, until I found her mouth.
The first kiss was tender. Hailey wrapped her arms around my neck and I enveloped her in my arms. We continued to kiss this way for the first part of the song, swaying to the music. But my craving for her became too much, and I needed more.
I opened my mouth; Hailey did the same. Her tongue welcomed mine, and like a man savoring a fine meal, I explored her mouth. And just like when we had kissed in my room, I fell even deeper for her. She was everything I had imagined she would be when we were seventeen years old. Everything and more.
I had no idea how long we’d been kissing—though in my opinion it wasn’t long enough—when Kayla said, “Hey, you two, get a room.” She laughed as Hailey and I shot apart as though lightning had struck us. “God, it’s about time you two kissed. The sexual tension between you was making me want to jump one of you just to break it.” She winked at Hailey.
“It’s…it’s not what you think,” Hailey stuttered. “I saw the creepy guy. Nolan was just kissing me to send him a message. You know, like, ‘Get lost. I’m not interested.’ ”
Her words were a dagger to my heart, adding to the previous wound, although I shouldn’t have been surprised. This wasn’t news to me.
Kayla rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Is he still there?” I asked, needing to redirect the conversation. Right now the asshole was the priority, rather than how I felt about Hailey and how she didn’t feel about me.
Her mouth traced the line of my jaw. “Yes.”
“Is he watching you?”
“Yes.”
The slow song ended. Even though the kissing was an act, I wasn’t ready to let Hailey leave yet. I removed her arm from around my neck and interlaced my fingers with hers. Kayla and Dylan followed us off the dance floor. We stood far enough from the guy so he didn’t get suspicious, but near enough so I could keep an eye on him until the cops showed up.
Now that I no longer had my baseball cap on, people were beginning to recognize me. I could tell some were confused why my arms were around Hailey’s hips, her back against my chest, when I was supposedly dating a Hollywood actress. Not that I cared what they thought. It was all a lie anyway. Much like me.
Brandon joined the four of us a minute later. “Detective Mathews is on his way.”
“Thanks, man,” I said.
“Anytime. Let’s hope they can get the truth out of him so you can get back to L.A.”
Hailey was busy talking to Kayla and Dylan, so I thought she hadn’t heard my conversation with Brandon. I was wrong. She stiffened in my arms when Brandon mentioned L.A., which surprised me. Was she feeling something for me like what I felt for her? Or was that just wishful thinking? But whatever it was, we were facing a ticking clock. She knew it too.
I casually peered at the asshole. He was still watching Hailey, face red, lips flattened in a bitter line. I tightened my hold on her and brushed her hair away from her neck. My lips caressed the sensitive spot below her ear. She inhaled sharply. With her back against my chest, I didn’t hear it as much as feel it.
I closed my eyes and breathed in her sweet scent. God, this time when I left town, it would feel as if someone had gutted me. Last time I’d had no idea what she tasted like, no idea what it felt like to kiss her. Now that I was aware of these things, my days were about to become emptier than last time. And no amount of screwing other girls would save me.
Even though I knew I should move away from Hailey to spare the last of my sanity, I kissed her neck again. But before I could do any more than that, a hand grabbed my arm and roughly yanked me away from Hailey.
I released my hold on my girl and swiveled around to see what douchebag had pulled me away from her.
The asshole who’d been watching her glared at me, nostrils flaring. Even though he was a good several inches shorter than me, the height difference didn’t faze him. His face was practically in mine.
“Get away from her,” he growled.
“What the fuck is your problem? I’m with her.”
Brandon placed his hand on my shoulder—a subtle reminder of what was at stake here if I screwed up.
“You celebrities are all alike. You only care about yourselves.”
I glared back at him. “You don’t even know me.”
The nearby crowd eyed us with interest, waiting for me to live up to my cocky, badass reputation. Shit. Where the hell was the detective?
“I know your type. You plan to use her, then toss her aside like a three-day-old piece of luncheon meat.”
I flinched at the truth behind the words, at least when it came to any girl besides Hailey. Contrary to how he’d put it, the girls I’d met while touring hadn’t been interested in me beyond a satisfying fuck. And he was stepping well out of bounds when it came to Hailey. But as Tyler Erickson, I’d done nothing to prove the asshole wrong.
Hailey was watching me, her eyes wide. I had no idea if it was because the asshole had verbally attacked me in her defense or because she’d heard the truth in his words. Like him, how was she to know that he was wrong?
But I couldn’t tell her that now. Not in front of him.
The asshole stepped in front of me and shoved me in the chest with both hands. I stumbled back a step. “Touch her again and you’ll regret it,” he said, tone heated, voice a low growl.
His words caused me to pause, but not for the reason he expected. If this was the guy who’d attacked Hailey, why was he being overly protective of her? Was it because he felt guilty for what he had done or because he’d had nothing to do with that?
I didn’t have time to contemplate it further. A man in a suit that screamed cop in a place like this approached Hailey. “Miss Wilkins, we received a report that the man who’s been allegedly harassing you is here.”
Hailey nodded, but before she could say anything, the asshole poked me in the chest. “Yes, this is him.”
The cop looked at Hailey for confirmation.
“That’s not him. He’s my friend.” She purposely avoided my name and pointed to the asshole. “That’s the guy.”
A deep frown formed on the asshole’s forehead. “What the fuck are you talking about? I haven’t been harassing you.”
Detective Mathews stepped closer to the man. “How about we continue this conversation at the station?”
The frown remained. “Why? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Then you won’t mind answering a few questions at the station.”
The asshole glanced back and forth between the detective and Hailey. “What’s going on?”
“At the station.” It was no longer a suggestion.
“Fine,” the asshole bit out.
Chapter 14
Hailey
Detective Mathews escorted the man out, and my heart rate slowly returned to normal. It had been going crazy ever since Nolan kissed me, but when I saw the man attack him, my heart came close to scrambling out of my chest.
Nolan turned back to me, frowning. “I don’t think he’s the attacker.”
“Of course he is.” Kayla’s expression equaled Nolan’s in the frown department.
“Why don’t you think he did it?” I asked, curious why he would believe that. Deep down I suspected he was right.
“Did you see how he reacted when he thought I was
using you?” Nolan said. “He acted like I would have if our places were reversed.”
“But you’re my friend. He’s a stranger. And you’ve always been a tad overly protective.” A side effect, no doubt, of having a father like his. Nolan had been the same way with his sister.
“But why would the guy attack you and then try to protect you from douchebags like Tyler?” Brandon slapped Nolan on the back, partly in jest.
They both had a point. Unless there was more to the story than we realized.
But for now I didn’t want to think about it. “Can we go?” I just wanted to go to bed and forget about tonight, especially the part where the creepy guy had pointed out the truth. What had happened between me and Nolan on the dance floor hadn’t been because Nolan felt the same way about me as I felt about him. He’d been protecting me. That was what Nolan did best.
I hugged Kayla goodbye. Before I could pull away, she whispered in my ear, “Be careful. Okay?” I had no idea if she was referring to what had happened between me and Nolan or was just telling me to be careful in general.
“It was nothing,” I said, going with the first option. “It was just an act for the loser’s benefit.”
“Just make sure you guys are both on the same page, Hailey. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
My eyebrows jumped up my forehead. “I thought you wanted this. Weren’t you the one who invited him to crash at my place while he’s here?”
“That doesn’t mean I want you to risk your heart again. You guys were best friends, and I know you still missed him.”
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t get hurt this time. I’m not the girl I used to be.”
A sad smile wavered on her face. “I know. That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I didn’t have a chance to ask her what she meant, as Nolan was waiting to leave. I followed him and Brandon to Brandon’s truck.
We didn’t say much on the drive back home, all three of us lost in thought, but you couldn’t miss the tension between me and Nolan. It was that thick. I didn’t know, though, if the strain was because of what had happened between us on the dance floor or because of what happened afterward. The entire evening was a kaleidoscope of confusion in my head.
Brandon dropped us off at the main entrance to my building. We thanked him and climbed down from the truck. The tension between us increased tenfold, but it suddenly felt different compared to how it’d been in the vehicle.
Kayla’s words repeated in my head: Just make sure you guys are both on the same page, Hailey. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.
The elevator was on the main floor when we approached. We stepped in, and I pushed the button for my floor. The door had barely shut before I found myself in Nolan’s arms. A heartbeat later, I was against the wall and Nolan was kissing me. Not the tender kisses of earlier, when we were on the dance floor. These kisses were rough, demanding, amazing. I moaned into his mouth.
My entire body felt like I’d stuck a damp finger in an electric socket, but in a good way. I’d never felt this alive before.
All too soon the door pinged open. There might’ve been some mental cursing on my part. The elevator would’ve been kinder if it had dumped a bucket of cold water on me instead. At least then my body wouldn’t be in this supercharged state.
We separated long enough to make it to my apartment. Even then, barely any space existed between us as we walked down the hallway. But as soon as the apartment door shut behind us, we were once again devouring each other.
I slipped my fingers under the hem of Nolan’s T-shirt. They explored the hard ridges of his abs, his skin hot against my fingertips.
In my eagerness to memorize every part of him, my fingers brushed against the scar slicing across his torso.
Nolan’s lips froze against mine.
Chapter 15
Nolan
FIVE YEARS AGO
I pushed the ball through the hole in the side of the foosball table and sent it flying toward my players. “Truth or dare. You plan on waiting till you’re married before losing your virginity?” I knew what Hailey’s answer would be, but I was trying to figure out a way to tell her how I felt about her. Not that my lame-ass question helped me there.
“False.”
Not quite what I’d expected, but good for me, I guessed.
She nailed the ball with her player and sent it toward my goal. “But I don’t plan to lose my virginity to just anyone. I want to be in love with the guy and for him to love me.”
The ball ended up near one of my players, and I accidentally sent it spinning directly to Hailey’s player. “So you wanna test-drive him first?”
“Something like that. Maybe.” Her player kicked the ball hard. It flew into my goal, but I was too distracted by our conversation to block it in time. “Yes!”
My dick got excited at the thought of her saying that exact word with that much enthusiasm as it thrust into her. Down, boy.
“What about you?” Her body was tense as she prepared to attack the ball once I set it into play again. “Are you waiting for the right person before you do it for the first time?”
Brandon knew the answer to this question. We’d already discussed my first time, just like we had discussed his first time. Those girls had meant nothing to us. But even though I’d told one best friend about what happened, I couldn’t tell the other one, because, let’s face it, it wasn’t the kind of conversation you had with your female best friend. Even if you wanted tips on how to satisfy the opposite gender.
My phone rang, saving me from answering the question. I checked who was calling. Sarah.
“Hey, squirt,” I said, answering the phone.
“Can you…pick me up?” Sarah said between sobs.
“Where are you?”
“Ballet lessons. Dad left but never came back.”
Fuck. I shoved my fingers through my hair. Sarah’s class had finished an hour ago. “Are you inside the building?”
Another sob. “No. Outside.”
Still talking to my sister, I stormed up the basement stairs. “Go inside until I get there, okay?”
“I can’t.”
My heart pinched hard at how scared she sounded. “Why not?” I struggled to keep the anger out of my voice. I didn’t need to upset Sarah any more than she already was.
“The place is closed. I can’t get in.”
“Okay, stay where you are. Can you do that for me, Sarah?” I reached my car, and for the first time realized Hailey was with me, standing expectantly on the passenger side. I’d been so focused on Sarah, I hadn’t realized Hailey had followed me. I barely remembered leaving the house.
“Hailey’s with me,” I told my sister. “We’re driving there now, but I want you to stay on the line with her.”
“Okay.”
Hailey and I quickly climbed into my car and I handed her my phone.
Chapter 16
Nolan
I snapped out of the memory, the one that until now I had locked away. I knew there was more, and refused to go there.
I stepped away from Hailey. She flipped the hallway light on. Her gentle gaze searched my face as she tried to piece together what was going on. I’d just gone from hot to cold in a matter of seconds, and I could see the confusion on her face.
What I really wanted to do was run—run hard and run fast, and keep running until I was back in L.A. But a small part of me refused to do that while Hailey’s life was in danger. I had let my mother and sister down. I had let so many people down. I couldn’t do that to Hailey. Not again.
Instead I turned away from my best friend. “I’m sorry. But I can’t.” All I could think about was the last memory I had of my sister smiling. It was not from the night I was trying to keep locked away. It was from a happier time with Sarah and Hailey, when we’d gone out for ice cream. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Without a single word to Hailey, I walked to the bathroom and locked the door. I slumped against it, the darkness clos
ing in on me. But it wasn’t enough to shut out the memory. Nothing would be enough.
I turned the bathroom light on. The bright light glared at me from above the mirror like an interrogation lamp. It wanted to know the truth as much as everyone else did. Everyone but me.
The lower corner of the mirror was chipped, something I hadn’t noticed before. My gaze continued up the smudged surface and caught sight of my reflection. I was a mess. I mean, appearance-wise I looked fine. My shirt and jeans were clean and wrinkle free. But the guy who’d gone to the nightclub with his girl and best friend was not the same one staring back at me in the mirror. This guy looked exhausted, beaten. Forever scarred.
With my clothes still on, I climbed into the shower and turned the cold water on. I stood in the stream of water, doing my best to hold back the building sobs. Once I was soaked through, my body shivering to the point where I couldn’t remain standing if I tried, I slid down the shower wall.
I wrapped my arms around my bent knees, rested my head against them, and silently cried. For my mom. For my sister. For the guy I used to be.
Through the hammering of water against the tub, I was vaguely aware of banging on the door.
“Nolan.” Hailey’s sweet voice broke through the fog in my head. “Are you okay?”
I turned the water off. “Yes.” The word came out as a harsh croak.
She must not have believed me, because she was standing outside the door when I opened it a minute later.
“Oh, God, Nolan…” Several emotions I couldn’t get a firm grip on filled her beautiful, warm brown eyes.
I used to be able to get lost in those eyes and nothing could bother me. But that had been a lifetime ago. I dropped my gaze from hers, not wanting her to see into the deepest recesses of my soul. I wanted to make some smart-ass comment, like how I’d forgotten to remove my clothes before getting into the shower. Anything to keep her from guessing the truth. But what I wanted to do and what I did were in opposite hemispheres.
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