Intoxicated By You_An Exposed Hearts Novel

by Kristin Mayer

  Why did Dad change his mind?

  Drake shifted his hold on me as he climbed the stairs, which brought my thoughts back to the oh-so-familiar feeling of being in his arms. Goose bumps formed along my skin where he touched me. Two years apart from him had done nothing but amp up my desire for him.

  He paused at the door. “Why are you nervous, Lex?”

  Lex. He was the only one who ever called me Lex, and it still did things to me—made me feel like I was still his.

  Outside his door, we stared into each other’s eyes. “You know why I’m nervous. It’s been two years since we saw each other, spoke to each other.”

  “Don’t be. I’m still just me. The same man I was two years ago.”

  Not according to Dad.

  Regret surged through me, and I blinked a few times. “Yes, of course. I figured facing a large crowd would be awkward after what I did. I deserve it if you hate me.”

  It was too much; I had to break eye contact. If he hated me, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. Why does it feel so right to be near him? In just mere minutes, my world felt fuller than it had for the last two years. This was why I had to cut off all communication. Drake Foster consumed me.

  Shifting his hold on me, he was able to open the door without putting me down. I’d forgotten how strong he was. “I could never hate you.” The softness in his voice brought me up short, and I blinked several times to clear my thoughts. Gently, he set me down. “Let me get the first aid kit. It’s in my room.”

  “Thanks.”

  My body instantly missed his touch. If only I could be back in his arms. He deserved to know what happened two years ago. But the knowledge that my dad hadn’t approved of him might hurt him more. Drake had loved my dad. They’d been close. Which was why my father’s last letter telling me to end things with Drake had gutted me. How could I even consider spending the rest of my life with a man my father didn’t approve of? When I’d first read the letter, I hadn’t been myself. I’d felt like a stranger in my own skin. And now that I was in Drake’s presence again, I felt doubt at my father’s words for the first time.

  Did I make the wrong choice?

  I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts straight. Drake’s place was just as I remembered—masculine. The furniture was solid wood—handmade by Drake’s father, Ike. Things were tidy-ish, as usual. The shirt he wore yesterday was on the back of the couch where he probably removed it to watch TV. A lone beer bottle sat on the table. I had so many memories of us here together—cuddled on the couch as we watched a scary movie, making love by the fireplace, celebrating when I’d been accepted into college with a nearly full scholarship.

  It had taken me three years to save up enough money to go to college to study nursing at twenty-one. The scholarship supplemented my savings so I hadn’t needed a loan. It had been a blessing. Being a nurse had been my dream since I was a little girl.

  Drake reappeared in the doorway and paused while our eyes met. Time had been good to him, and he looked fit as ever. His T-shirt hugged his muscles and showed off how broad he was.

  With a quick shake of his head, he snapped out of it and brought the first aid kit to me. Quickly, I set to work cleaning the cut and putting a Band-Aid over it. “Good as new. Thanks, Drake.”

  “Anytime.”

  A few moments passed as we stared at each other. I knew I should leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted more time.

  Finally, Drake said, “Mom told me about the clinic.”

  The mention of his parents caused pain to shoot through me. I missed them so much. Weakly, I smiled. “Yes, Skagway is going to finally have a doctor. Hollis is amazing.”

  Something shifted within Drake, and he expelled a breath, taking a few steps back while raking his fingers through his hair. “It’s a good thing you’re doing.”

  My throat grew thick. “Thanks. Maybe Dad… well, you know.”

  He grabbed my hand, and the fierce protectiveness I always associated with Drake came rushing back. “I know. He’d be proud.”

  I had made a terrible mistake leaving Drake Foster.

  Chapter Two

  Drake

  I dragged a hand down my face as the door closed. Lex was back. And I still fucking loved her. Hell, I never stopped. When she came home to bury her father, I thought we were okay. I had been there for her in every way I could be. At least I thought I had. Replaying our time together, I still had no idea what I’d done wrong.

  Then the morning she left, everything changed. She ended things between us. Something had happened, and she’d shut down… completely.

  Hollis fucking Fritz.

  The name itself made me see red. I hated the fucker, and I’d never met him. After Lex had left, I’d kept trying to reach out to her. She wouldn’t return my calls, emails, letters. Nothing. I’d hoped she would work through whatever was bothering her and then reach out. But that never happened. Finally, I went after her. She was mine. The problem was when I got there two months later, she was running into that bastard’s arms.

  So, I left and buried myself in the Red Onion and the town. I joined the city council, started playing cards with my buddies every other week, got nominated for an Alaskan business board, and helped my dad build furniture on the side. Anything to keep my mind off what had happened. And I thought it had worked. I thought I’d managed to pick up the pieces and move on… until today.

  I felt sick to my stomach as I opened the fridge and cracked a beer. For a mere moment with her in my arms, I’d forgotten she had a boyfriend. So, I would keep my distance from now on. Cheating wasn’t something I condoned. Never had. Never would.

  In the two years she’d been gone, she’d only gotten more beautiful. Her blonde hair was a little longer, but other than that, nothing else had changed. Lex’s petite body fit perfectly in my arms. With that thought came the realization that trying to forget Lex was a waste of energy. There was no forgetting her.

  I am so screwed.

  That night I was going to Moochie’s house to play cards with some of the guys. We’d all been friends since school and got together when we could. They were all married with kids—or kids on the way. I’d be bringing an extra case of beer for sure. The distraction would definitely help.

  Lex being back was going to fuck with my head, especially since her boyfriend was coming back with her.

  But if she needed something, I would be there for her. I’d made a promise to her father that I had to keep. It was what he whispered to me as he was dying.

  Take care of my Alexa. She’s going to need you.

  Besides losing Lex, the day Lloyd passed away was the worst day of my life.

  From the time we started dating, when Lex was in high school, I knew she wanted to be a nurse. I’d supported her going away to pursue those dreams. I thought our love would last. All that shit they say about distance making the heart grow fonder was utter bullshit. If that was the case, we’d still be together.

  There was a soft knock on the door. Damn it. I needed to be alone and gather my thoughts and control before I went back to the bar. Snapping at customers wasn’t good for business. Lex being back in town and bringing that jackass city boy changed everything.

  How do I not punch the fucker?

  I opened the door, and Lex stood there, still beautiful as ever. She twirled a piece of her blonde hair where it spilled over her shoulder, and she chewed on her lip.

  Is she as messed up as I am about this situation?

  “Sorry, I forgot my phone.”

  Remain calm. Neutral. Unaffected.

  “Come on in. Want a beer?” I opened the door wider to let her in.

  Her sweet smile nearly did me in. “No, thanks. Maybe another time. I got the keys from Teagan. Finally. And I need to go check out Doogle’s place. I’m hoping to open the clinic within a week. I know it needs some TLC, but with a little elbow grease, it should be fine. At least that’s what Nancy said.”

  Without a team of people, ther
e was no way she’d make that date. Nancy drove me fucking nuts, too. She would say anything to make a sale. But she was the only realtor in Skagway. And she only did it part time. She also helped coordinate tours for tourists during the season.

  Lex picked up her phone and put it in her back pocket. The way she tapped her fingers against her leg told me she was nervous. And I imagined that was from the thought of going out to the Doogle place by herself. My grip tightened on the bottle at the mere thought of Hollis being in Skagway, but I couldn’t let her go by herself. Where is the bastard? I already hated him. “Do you want some company?”

  She paused for a second, her hand relaxing. And there was another gorgeous smile on her face. “That would be nice. Empty old houses creep me out. Teagan can’t come. She’s headed somewhere with Donnie. They’re always heading somewhere, it seems. I haven’t seen her but for a couple of minutes since I’ve been home.”

  Sometimes Teagan didn’t think things through. More than once, I’d had to pick Lex up because Teagan had abandoned her for some random hookup. Pissed me the fuck off.

  “Let me get my keys.”

  “Oh, I’ll drive. I have a bunch of stuff in my car. Or you can follow me. It’s up to you. But you don’t have to. I don’t want to wreck your afternoon.” Her eyebrows crinkled as she rambled.

  Yeah, this is hella confusing to me, too, sweetheart.

  What I wanted was to understand what happened. Closure. For me. Maybe then I might be able to move on. Because, honestly, it made zero fucking sense. Lex was it for me. I knew this, but I’d have to figure out something.

  We made our way down the stairs, her peach scent taunting me. “You sure you don’t need to go back to the bar?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Crete has it under control.”

  I pulled out my phone to let him know.

  Me: Won’t be back until later.

  Crete: No problem.

  Crete was a good kid. He helped support his mom and two sisters. His dad had been involved in the same accident as Lex’s. It had rocked the town when the three loggers lost their lives by some freak malfunction in the logging equipment.

  I followed Lex to the car and saw the Twiner sisters leaning around a pole, watching us. There was no escaping them. We’d be in this week’s newsletter for sure. During the tourist season, they dressed up in gear people wore to do gold mining. They thought it added to the impression of the town.

  They. Were. Crazy.

  Lex blew her hair out of the way. “The Twiners’ve made us.”

  “They have?” I glanced again at the dark-haired twins.

  “I wonder if we’ll make a special edition?”

  She isn’t worried about Hollis? Do I ask about him? I decided to keep it surface level for now. If I started asking about her boyfriend, things would get awkward. I commented back, “Probably. I think Elvira had her camera out.”

  “Oh, we’re for sure making a special edition. Shit, I hate being in that stupid thing.”

  It was hard to suppress my laugh, but somehow, I managed. Lex’s leg bounced from nerves as she drove. I stretched my legs out in her dad’s old red Chevy truck. “Your dad’s truck still runs good. I’ve been going over to the storage unit and cranking it from time to time.”

  When she glanced my way, Lex had that look I remembered getting anytime I did anything for her. Her adoration made me feel like a fucking king.

  “Thank you. I appreciate it. Makes me feel like I still have a piece of him.”

  “I know.”

  We turned into a driveway on the outskirts of town and got out of the truck. From there, it was obvious the place was run down. A lot of the deck needed to be replaced, and the yard was overgrown and filled with branches. I imagined inside would be the same.

  We walked up to the door. It was hot as hell today, and I wiped the bit of sweat that had formed on my brow. “Did you hire anyone to fix up the place?”

  “No.” She stepped on one of the broken boards. “Before I bought the place, I asked Mom to take a look. She didn’t have time but said it was in decent shape the last time she saw it. And… umm… you know how she can be.”

  Yeah, I knew how she could be. And supportive of her daughter’s ambitions wasn’t an example. Irene and I had a rocky relationship, to put it mildly.

  Touching one of the broken railings, Lex blew out a breath. “I think I’m going to have to push back the opening. It’s a little different in person. I guess it’s true… the saying. You get what you pay for.”

  I kept my mouth shut. Things between Irene and me were strained at times. For the most part, she tended to favor Raquel, Lex’s sister. A parent should never show favoritism to one of their children over another. My parents never did between my two brothers and me.

  Lex unlocked the door. Everything was covered in dust and smelled musty. I rubbed the back of my neck. Yeah, it needed a lot of work. “Maybe Fred can squeeze you into his schedule.”

  Around this part of Alaska, Fred was about the only option for repairs, which meant he stayed busy.

  “Yeah, I’ll call him.” Lex kept walking through the room. Pausing, she took a deep breath and pointed to the front area. Something changed, and her face brightened. “Can’t you see it? Patients come in here. There’s exam rooms over here. Offices. Upstairs can be a residence. It’s going to be wonderful.”

  Her excitement was contagious. It had always been that way with her. “Yeah, I can see it. It’ll be great.”

  She got that sweet look in her eyes. “Thanks, Drake. I know you get how important this is to me.”

  “I do.”

  Things shifted between us, and I took a step back. She has a boyfriend. “What did you need help with? I need to get back to the bar.”

  Was that hurt that flashed across her face? After this was over, I was going to need a stiff drink. Maybe two. Or three. A case of beer wasn’t going to do at Moochie’s. I was going to need whiskey and a lot of it.

  “Oh yeah. I’m sorry. I forgot. Can you help me take some measurements of the rooms? I need them to create a layout for when all the equipment comes. I’m going to take pictures, too. This way I can make a budget of what needs to be done.”

  I picked up one of the tape measures from her bag. “I’ll start upstairs.”

  “Thanks.”

  Again, things felt awkward, or maybe it was what was left unsaid between us. Just ask her what happened. But the words died in my throat. Instead, I walked upstairs and took all the measurements and noted them in my phone. The second floor was just as bad as the first. Maybe worse. Some of the drywall needed to be repaired, and the plumbing looked shot.

  I could hear Lex cursing as the measuring tape retracted, making a racket. So damn cute. She was impatient and had a temper to match. Another snap of the measuring tape made me smile and drew me to her.

  I trotted down the stairs. “How’s it going?”

  “Stupid thing is trying to kill me.” She threw it down on the floor and stomped on it.

  “I think you’ve effectively killed the tape measure.”

  We smiled at each other and then laughed. I had to fight the urge to sweep her up in my arms and kiss her until we couldn’t breathe. Her lips were addictive. I could happily drown in her touch. Instead, I cleared my throat. “Upstairs is done. I’ll finish downstairs if you want to take pictures of the upstairs.”

  In no time, we were done and headed back to the Red Onion. Lex pulled up to the front and said, “I’ll let you out and go park.”

  I chuckled. “This time, try not to lurk outside the window.”

  “I will try. I can see how it might become a habit. Lex the Lurker.”

  “Definitely has a ring to it.” Laughing, I got out of the truck and walked inside, unable to wipe the pussy-ass grin off my face.

  The bar had slowed down some. Most of the party had left, leaving a few locals. I waved and chatted for a minute before going behind the bar.

  A new guy was here; had to be a tourist. From
the looks of his loafers, he was a city boy. Lots of those came here thinking they’d tame the wild. If I were a pussy and rolled my eyes, this would be the time to do it as I watched him, imagining his thoughts. People like him drove me crazy.

  Two of the local girls—Samone and Jane—had saddled up close to him. Those women would sleep with anyone. The city slicker smelled of money, which meant those two girls would be after him.

  “Oh, Hollis, it’s going to be so nice to have a doctor in town,” Jane said.

  My head snapped up and I stared at the guy. There was no fucking way this was a coincidence. This was Skagway, for shit’s sake. The guy gave Samone a smile, and I felt rage shoot through me. Lex didn’t deserve this. No rich asshole was going to cheat on the woman I’d give my right arm to still be with.

  Jane slid him a piece of paper. “Call me.”

  He took the piece of paper, and I lost it.

  Chapter Three

  Alexa

  I blew out a breath as I listened to a message from the loan officer who wanted to meet with me. The papers had been signed for the Doogle place. I’d used a piece of land Dad had given me as collateral since I was technically jobless. The entire process was a little confusing since I had to get a collateral mortgage. In the end, they needed my land to ensure the loan would be covered if I should default. There was probably some additional paperwork they needed signed.

  Putting my phone in my pocket, I decided I’d call Morgan, the loan officer, tomorrow. I knew I was being a glutton for punishment; I wanted to spend more time with Drake. And I needed to talk to him about what happened, see if maybe there had been a misunderstanding with my dad. My heart was alive for the first time in what felt like forever.

  After being in his presence for just a few hours, I missed him. I wanted to sit in my truck and take deep breaths, savor his spicy smell that was a mixture of him and the outdoors. Pure ruggedness.

  From across the street, the wind blew some dust around, and the Twiner sisters waved from their bench. “Hello, Alexa.”