by Mari Carr
Blake rolled his eyes at her exaggeration, though when he considered it, she had a good point. That summer had been hot as hell and they’d spent most of it on his motorcycle, traveling an hour to the Gulf Coast beaches. Or riding beside the Mississippi. Or walking along the French Quarter. Or wrapped up in each other’s arms. “I can come up with another reason to bail.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m a professional and it’s no big deal. I’ll snap a few pictures, then you and I can go our separate ways again.”
“In other words, you’re afraid of your mother and Mrs. Rogers.”
She shot him a dirty look, then said, “Yeah. I’ve decided you’re the lesser of two evils.”
He chuckled, then stepped closer, enjoying the way she held his gaze as he leaned down. “I fully intend to change your mind about that.”
Blake had to give Chloe credit. The woman never backed down from any challenge. “I’m not worried.”
Before he could think better of it, Blake closed the distance between them, placing a quick, hard kiss on her lips.
It was just as he’d remembered—only better. Chloe’s lips were soft and she tasted so damn sweet—like peppermint and chocolate and sunshine all rolled up into one.
He’d spent most of his younger life around jaded, hard women who smelled of booze and cigarettes. However, since joining the police force, his dating life had dwindled down to nothing. Blake had been more celibate than a monk the past year or so. He hadn’t minded that state until he’d seen her again.
He broke the union before Chloe had a chance to reject him…or knee him in the balls.
He tapped her nose playfully. “You should be. I’ll call you later about the photo shoot.”
Blake made his escape quickly before Chloe changed her mind about his participation in the project. He’d been ready to accept her dismissal and walk away. Until that kiss.
Now…well, now…he was driving without brakes. And the crash was imminent.
He grinned as he walked back out into the sunshine, grabbing his helmet and pulling it on.
He straddled his Harley and fired up the engine.
Crashing never sounded so exciting.
Chapter Two
“Earth to Chloe. Pass the potatoes, pipsqueak.”
Chloe gave her brother Jett a dirty look, but passed the bowl of scalloped potatoes as she did so.
Jett dipped out a healthy portion before handing the bowl to their foster brother, Zac.
Jett looked at her and shook his head. “Damn, girl. Where the hell are you today? I asked you three times to hand me those before you even heard me saying your name.”
She shrugged. She’d been floundering around, lost in her own thoughts since running into Blake again at the studio on Thursday. Seeing him had brought up a whole bunch of feelings—sadness, regret, anger—as well as an unbearable mountain of lust. He’d been her first and, while she’d never admit as much to the asshole, there was some truth to that line about him ruining her for all other men. While she’d taken her fair share of lovers, Blake had always been the yardstick she’d compared them to and none had measured up. Not even close.
Which pissed her off even more because hell would freeze over before Blake Mills touched her again, and she didn’t care if that meant taking responsibility for every single one of her own orgasms from now until the end of time.
“Chloe!” This time it was Justin yelling her name.
“What?” She didn’t bother to hide the irritation in her tone. Her annoying brothers could see she was distracted. Why didn’t they just leave her alone?
“What’s wrong?”
“For the last time, nothing.”
Her mother tilted her head, studying her face. “This is about Blake, isn’t it?”
The head of every sibling at the table flew up.
“Blake Mills?” Caliph asked.
She closed her eyes, wishing she were anywhere else right now. Seeing her first love had thrown her for a loop. There was no way she was ready to undergo the Spanish Inquisition about that unexpected reunion with her family. “He’s one of the models for the Blessing House calendar.” The Blessing House provided temporary housing for homeless families. Her mother had served on the board for years, organizing fundraiser after benefit auction after bake sale to keep the House open and solvent.
This year, the fundraising committee had decided to take a page from the book of other large cities, putting together a sexy calendar as a fun way to raise money. The calendar, “Hot Hunks in the Big Easy,” was gathering a lot of attention, and given her mom’s successful track record, was certain to make a slew of cash for the Blessing House.
Justin looked at Mama. “You’re putting thugs in the calendar?”
Chloe grinned, appreciating his appalled tone. It was nice to know her brothers always had her back.
“No. We’re not. Agnes Rogers found him. Apparently, Blake is a detective with the NOPD these days. She called me a couple of days ago to say the police department would be well represented.”
“The hell you say,” Jett proclaimed. “How hard up is the city for law enforcement? They’re hiring crooks now?”
“Who is Blake Mills?” Caliph’s girlfriend, Jennifer, asked. Jen and Caliph had started dating a few months earlier. Since then, she’d become a staple at the family’s Sunday dinners. Chloe adored the woman and hoped she and Caliph would stick.
“Chloe’s first boyfriend,” Caliph answered. “A real badass and every father’s worst nightmare when it comes to the guy you don’t want your daughter dating.”
“He wasn’t that bad,” Mama said. “I swear that poor boy’s reputation has grown more despicable with every telling. Next thing I know, y’all will be swearing he was a serial killer and responsible for every hurricane to ever hit New Orleans.”
Chloe sighed. Mama had never wavered in her belief that there was some good buried deep inside Blake. Right after she’d gotten off the phone with Mrs. Rogers, Mama had called Chloe to make sure she was okay with taking pictures of Blake. Chloe had assured her mother it wouldn’t be any big deal, but she’d never managed to pull the wool over Mama’s eyes and obviously she hadn’t fooled her this time either.
Of course, since learning he’d joined the police force, her mother acted as if her faith in Blake had at last been proven true.
“We broke up when he stole money from Mama and took the silver serving platter my grandmother had given my parents as a wedding gift.”
Jennifer winced. “Yikes. Doesn’t sound like a very nice guy. And you say he’s a cop now?”
Chloe nodded. “Yeah. And he’s posing for the calendar.”
Jennifer reached over and squeezed her hand gently. “That can’t be easy for you. I know I wouldn’t want to have to work with my ex on anything. Ever.” Jennifer’s ex-husband had left her for another woman. That painful event had led to her meeting Caliph. In an attempt to reinvent herself, Jennifer had shown up at Midnight Ink and gotten her first tattoo from Caliph. Since then, Chloe had watched her older brother fall head over heels in love with the woman. It was sweet. Even if it did reinforce the loneliness that had plagued Chloe lately.
She would be thirty on her next birthday, and while that age wasn’t bothering her, it forced her to recognize some things she’d been ignoring. Like the fact she wanted kids. A slew of them like her mother had. Chloe absolutely adored her big family and she dreamed of having her own. But to do so, she had to get serious about dating and finding the man she wanted to marry. She’d put off doing that for too long, focusing instead on building a clientele for her photography studio and putting her book together.
“It’ll be okay, Jennifer. I really only have to see him one more time. I’ll snap a few pictures and walk away. No harm, no foul.”
A quick glance at her mother’s face proved her lie wasn’t convincing the one person she really wanted to believe her.
Before she could reassure Mama she was speaking the truth, the doorbell ra
ng.
“Chloe’s the closest,” Jett pointed out, not bothering to put his fork down as Zac snickered.
She rolled her eyes. They may all be adults, but there was something about returning to this house each Sunday that seemed to bring out the child each of them held on to. “Lazy jackass.”
Jett gave her a shit-eating grin as she rose to answer the door while they all continued eating.
She barely paid attention as she swung open the front door. It wasn’t unusual for neighbors or friends to stop by on Sunday, as they knew the entire family would be there. Mama always made enough to feed an Army and as such, there was plenty of room at the large table for one or two or twelve drop-ins.
Chloe wasn’t aware that her mouth had flown open until Blake placed his hand on her chin to push it closed.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Blake smiled. “Mama Lewis invited me.”
Chloe shook her head. “That’s Mrs. Lewis to you and she wouldn’t do that.”
“Chloe,” her mother called out from the dining room. “Invite him in.”
Chloe closed her eyes, hoping that by blocking out Blake’s cocky face, he’d simply vanish. When she opened them to find him still standing in the doorway, she muttered, “I’m going to kill her.”
Blake chuckled. “If you do that, I’ll have to pull out my handcuffs and arrest you.”
She was tempted to slam the door in his face, then reconsidered as a wide smile crossed her face. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Blake’s lowered brows betrayed his sudden suspicion at her quick change in demeanor. “You like the idea of handcuffs?” He grinned, his dirty mind kicking in.
“No, perv, I don’t.” She was lying, but she wasn’t about to admit her libido had suddenly jerked into gear at the thought. “You realize you’re about to willingly walk into the lion’s den, right? My brothers will tear you limb from limb.”
Unfortunately her threat didn’t faze the infuriating man. “I’m banking on your mother to protect me. But just in case,” he patted his hip, drawing her attention to his holster, “I’m packing.”
There was no way she could convince him to leave and time was up anyway. If she stalled much longer, her brothers’ curiosity would win out and they’d all manage to make their way to the front door, lazy jackasses or not. She stepped aside, allowing Blake to enter.
He glanced around the entryway, looking fondly at the photographs and furniture. “It’s exactly the way I remember it.”
“Everyone is in the dining room and my food is getting cold.” Her tone was short and annoyed, but she didn’t feel like playing nice. He didn’t deserve it. He’d hurt her worse than anyone in her life and while that wound had been inflicted nearly a decade earlier, it ached as if it had happened only yesterday.
She hated that she’d let him get so deep inside her he still had the power to cause her pain.
Blake waited for her to lead the way. She kept her eyes on her mother as they entered the room together. She didn’t have to look at her brothers to see how pissed off they were.
Jett stood, his stance pure aggression. “What are you doing here?”
“I invited him,” Mama replied, as if bringing the man who’d stolen from their family into their home was the most natural thing in the world. Of course, for their mother, it was. Her capacity for forgiveness was limitless.
Chloe could only assume that attribute skipped a generation because God knew she couldn’t find it in herself right now.
Her mother rose, then gestured to an empty chair next to her as she grabbed a plate from the sideboard. “Help yourself, Blake.”
He smiled his thanks as he took a seat. “I apologize for being late. Wound up pulling some overtime after the midnight shift. Lots of idiots on the street last night. Took me a few extra hours to finish the paperwork.”
Chloe reclaimed her seat, grateful that Justin sat between her and Blake.
Blake kept his attention on her mother, pointedly ignoring the glares he was receiving from everyone else at the table. “I was sorry to hear about Papa Lewis.”
Mama smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Blake. We all miss him something terrible.”
That was an understatement, but Chloe didn’t say anything. Though her father had passed away three years ago, sometimes it felt as if he was just away, working on the oil rig and that he’d be back, crashing through the front door with that loud bellow of his, telling all his kids to get their asses downstairs so he could hug them. Her father had been a giant of a man—Caliph and Jett had gotten his stature—but as gentle as a butterfly.
“And what is your father up to these days, Blake?” her mother asked.
Blake fell silent for only a moment, then gave her a rueful smile. “He’s up to twelve months served on a twenty-year stint in prison.”
“Oh, I see.”
Blake shrugged. “Not surprised, are you?”
Mama shook her head. “Not really, but I am sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Blake’s voice was harder than Chloe had ever heard it. “I’m the one who put him there.”
“You put your own father in jail?” Jennifer asked.
Blake looked at Jennifer, clearly waiting for an introduction. Caliph quickly did so. “This is my girlfriend, Jen.”
Blake smiled. “Nice to meet you, and yeah, I did. He was selling drugs at some of the local schools. And not just marijuana, but ecstasy and heroin. I think there are a lot of people better off with him in jail.”
Chloe put her fork down, unable to swallow through the lump that had grown in her throat. She knew Blake’s childhood hadn’t been easy, but he’d never shared many details about it with her. She hadn’t known him at all until the summer he’d gotten a job at the sub place near the community college she attended. They’d both gone to different public schools, growing up on opposite ends of the city.
“I’m sorry, too,” Chloe said softly. Blake caught her gaze, his eyes reflecting too many emotions to register—sadness, regret, anger, remorse. She looked away rather than face them. She’d seen all those things when they first met as well.
Maybe she was more like her mother than she realized—inexplicably drawn to people in pain, in need of rescue. Though Blake sure as hell hadn’t let her save him. She doubted that would change now and she refused to be pulled back into Blake’s life.
Jett broke the silence. “Guess the police force is a more interesting job than Sid’s Sub Shop. Isn’t that where you used to work?”
Blake nodded. “Yeah. Met Chloe there. She used to do homework between classes at the table in the corner.” He faced her once more. “You still put down those Italian subs like you’re never going to eat again?”
Her brothers chuckled. She flashed them all dirty looks until they sobered up.
Blake may be older, but the bad boy was still there, lurking beneath his skin. She could see it in his face as he gave her a crooked grin.
It was the same smile that had captured her attention back in college. She’d taken one look at the bad boy behind the shop counter and fallen hard. A lot of people had tried to warn her away from him, telling her stories about how he stole beer and cigarettes from convenience stores, drove his motorcycle like he had a death wish and vandalized buildings. Blake had never denied the stories, but he’d never gotten caught either.
It hadn’t mattered to her at the time because when he was with her, he had been sweet and funny. Her badass biker boyfriend. Given her goodie-goodie status, it had felt scandalous to be with someone with a reputation and wonderful to be so adored by him. She’d always hoped she had helped him be a better person, while he taught her how to be just a little bit wicked. Whatever they’d done for each other, there had never been a doubt in her mind that Blake had loved her.
Until he disappeared. Then she’d spent months—years—wondering what had been real and what had been lies. In the end, she’d felt used and stupid. And so angry.
“It was
wonderful of you to volunteer to participate in the calendar.” Her mom looked genuinely pleased and almost grateful.
Why was Chloe the only person who remembered the past?
Chloe snorted at her mother’s praise, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “He drew the short straw.”
Blake grinned, while Mama looked confused. “Short straw?”
Blake leaned back in his chair, looking far too comfortable and at home. “It’s a good cause. I don’t mind helping out.”
Caliph rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you don’t. As I recall, you don’t have a bit of trouble strutting around with your shirt off.”
Chloe gave Blake a superior smile, grateful for Caliph’s snide comment. Finally. She’d warned him about her brothers’ anger and though it would cost her in good karma, it felt good to watch them give Blake shit.
Blake crossed his arms, drawing too much attention to the muscles bulging beneath his t-shirt. “I figure those of us who haven’t let ourselves go owe it to those who have to step forward. By the way, I don’t remember seeing your name on the list of models, Caliph.”
Caliph’s eyes darkened as Jennifer slowly wrapped her hand around his wrist. Chloe was trying to decide if the touch was a warning or Jennifer’s way of holding Caliph in his seat.
“I’m still trying to convince my sons to participate. We have two slots open.” Mama gave Caliph a hopeful glance.
“I told you, Mama, I don’t think the older members of your group would embrace the idea of a guy covered in tattoos.”
Jennifer shook her head as if the argument was a familiar one. “I told him that only every woman who bought the calendar would be into that, but he’s stubborn.”
Caliph gave Jennifer a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Not every woman in the world is as open-minded as you, Jen. There are plenty out there who still turn up their noses when they see my ink. Besides, I have no desire to make a jackass of myself, posing like some king of GQ.”
Mama looked from Caliph to Justin, but he cut her off at the pass. “Don’t look at me. I already suckered Ned into doing it. You only need one marketing exec.” Ned Kinnaman was Justin’s partner at their advertising firm and one of the sexiest men Chloe had ever met. She was actually a bit nervous about photographing Ned. He literally oozed sex and sin.
