When he leaned even closer, taking my personal space hostage, my breath caught. I wanted him so badly, and I was tired of lying to myself about it, lying to both of us. When I looked in his eyes, though, I took pause. The world shifted, and all I saw was him walking away, leaving me behind, abandoning me just when I was ready to tell him the truth, when I was ready to be vulnerable enough to commit. I wasn’t lying about wanting to keep our friendship alive, but my heart ached when I thought of putting myself in that situation, only to see it shattered by the one man I wanted more than anything else in the whole damn world.
I put a little distance between us and gave his chest a gentle shove. “Still not saying yes,” I muttered. “Thanks for the drink, but I think it’s better if I just head home. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
Charlie sighed, and there was a pronounced glimmer of disappointment in his eyes, one that made me question pulling away. “Well, who am I to stop you if that’s what you want? I wish you’d at least let me drive you home though.”
“I can walk. It’s not that far.”
“Wait. You walked here?”
“Yeah. Last time I checked, there’s no law against that.”
“Alone though?”
“Yeah. So?”
“So, Jaime, it’s late…dark,” he practically growled as he stood and threw two twenties on the bar.
“Are you suggesting I can’t defend myself from creeps?” I said. “You know firsthand that I can. No mugger would have a chance against me.”
Eddie smiled as he scooped up the bills and bid both of us a good night. “Yeah, good luck with this one, buddy,” he said to Charlie, giving him a wink. “You’re sure as hell gonna need it.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve known that for years,” Charlie said with a smirk.
I had to roll my eyes as I headed for the door. If he’s known it for years, he wouldn’t have left me. He woulda made the first damn move instead of traipsing off across the country, sleeping with half the female population wherever he landed. I gripped my purse tighter as we ducked outside.
“Right over there,” he said, pointing at his truck.
“That old rust bucket? How is that clunker still even running?” I asked as I hopped inside.
He shrugged and slid behind the wheel. “Don’t make fun of my Molly,” he said, patting the dash consolingly, as if I’d kicked the thing. “She didn’t mean it, baby. I’m sure she missed you too.”
“Right. I really missed being squashed in the middle, straddling the damn stick shift when four of us crammed into the front seat,” I muttered.
“Oh, come on. You know you like to straddle sticks,” he said and glanced my way with a hungry look on his face before he turned to look over his shoulder to safely back out.
I laughed. He didn’t mean anything by it, he was just trying to lighten the mood and put me at ease.
“I can’t believe you still have this truck!” I said.
“My dad kept it for me while I traveled. I fixed it up and it was good to go. Plus, it’s sentimental.” He looked away and tears welled up in his eyes. “My dad gave me this truck.”
“I know how much you miss your dad,” I said. “We all miss him horribly.”
“My dad was my world. He’d always call me every Saturday afternoon.” His voice quivered. “I miss those phone calls so much.” I hugged him and he continued. “He would travel to meet me wherever I was staying for every single holiday. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.”
“I know, sweetie.”
He let out all his feelings and opened up to me as I gave him words of comfort. We talked about it for a while before we left. My heart went out to him as he opened up to me. I knew how much he loved his father.
Chapter 11
When we got to my apartment, I was sure that would be the end of our night, but of course it wasn’t that easy; nothing with Charlie ever was. “Uh, what do you think you’re doing there, sunshine?” I asked when he opened his door and jumped out.
“Walking a dear friend and my future wife to her door,” he informed me sternly, albeit in the most charming way.
It was difficult to stifle my laugh, because it really was quite amusing. “Really, Charlie, I think I can make it from here.”
“I didn’t say you can’t, but I’m still walking you. Besides, I need to meet all my future four-legged stepchildren anyway,” he added.
“You want to meet the rest of my dogs?”
“Yeah.”
“You know the way into my heart, don’t you?”
“Among other things,” he teased with a wink.
“Hush, you,” I said, trying to play coy. I had to admit that he did make my life a little more exciting, and at the moment, he was all I had going on. While my girlfriends were busy with work and their own lives, I was just floundering. I had hidden most of it well; Tammy was the only one who knew about the job, but I hadn’t confessed my eviction notice to anyone yet. I had until the end of the month to figure something out, and all I could think of was the one thing I didn’t want to do: calling my parents up to tell them how much of a royal fuck-up their daughter was.
“What’s with the look?” Charlie asked, his fingers gently turning my face. “Jaime?”
“Nothing. I-I’m fine,” I said and nodded toward the door. “C’mon.”
He frowned but didn’t push the issue, which wasn’t at all like him. Charlie was always insistent on knowing everything, and he had to know I was hiding something from him, yet he didn’t try to get it out of me.
I had barely put the key in the lock before all four dogs went crazy, barking and scratching on the other side. “Hang on just a second,” I called out. “Mama’s coming.” I opened the door, and three furry bodies rushed me, jumping up to assault me in a swarm of pink tongues. I laughed and petted each one in turn. Even on the worst days of my life, those little fur-balls managed to cheer me up.
As soon as I was through the door, all six canine eyes turned on Charlie, and Oreo, my big German shepherd, let out a growl and blocked his way.
“Uh, Jaime?” Charlie asked, holding up his hands as if he was under arrest, “a little help here?”
“Just walk in slowly and don’t look ‘em in the eyes,” I advised, finding it rather enjoyable to see him on edge for a change.
Charlie frowned but sidled inside and slowly closed my apartment door behind him. Oreo kept growling until Charlie slowly lowered his hand for him to sniff.
I kept a careful eye on the two of them as I moved to pet Max, who was lying on the couch, wagging his tail as I scratched his ears. Max had been doing much better since I took him in, but walking was still a struggle for him most of the time.
Billy and Tank, the golden retriever and yellow lab, moved in beside Oreo, all three desperate to sniff-check the stranger. After several nasal onceovers, they wagged their tails in approval and jumped on him, lovingly tackling him to the ground.
“Ugh! Call off your hounds!” Charlie said as he landed with a grunt.
I was laughing far too hard to say anything to him or my pooches.
He whined and gagged when Oreo covered his face and hands with doggie kisses. “You know, when I talked about tongues earlier, your dog’s was not what I had in mind.”
“Yeah well, that’s the only tongue action you’re gonna get tonight,” I told him firmly. Suddenly, the drink from the bar caught up with me, and I stood. “I gotta hit the little girls’ room. Don’t do anything stupid, or Oreo will eat you.”
“Haven’t you taught these critters any etiquette? Dog manners?” he asked, laughing.
I chuckled. “This is actually a good thing. It means they love you,” I yelled over my shoulder before I stepped in the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
After I went to the bathroom, I splashed water on my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror. All things considered, I didn’t look too damn shabby, but I knew that would all change any second. I couldn’t hold it togethe
r forever, and it was inevitable that the walls would eventually crash in around me. I would soon have no job, no money, and four dogs to take care of. To complicate matters worse, a man I never expected to see again was trying to convince me to marry him for money. Is this really what my life has become? I thought. It was like I’d been thrown into some kind of Lifetime movie, and I was sure it wasn’t going to be a happy ending.
“You got this,” I told my reflection. “No hot stud waltzing back into your life is gonna make you forget that you’re not a charity case. No matter how sexy or loaded he is, you’re not going to lower yourself to giving in to his antics, not this time. Men don’t change, especially Charlie.” With that lingering in my mind, I straightened my posture and, hoping I was strong enough to kick him out of my place for the night, walked back out to see Charlie standing against the kitchen counter.
“You’ve got nice puppies,” he said, smirking at me.
“Well, they seem to like you,” I responded, ignoring his ever-present innuendo. “I guess that’s a good thing.”
“What can I say? I’m a devoted animal lover.”
“Good, because my dogs are essentially my roommates. If you fake marry me, you have to say ‘I do’ to them too. We’re a package deal.”
“No worries. I gladly accept your package…and I know you want mine.”
Gosh, he’s nothing if not the king of double-entendres, I thought, shaking my head.
“It’s good that you’re willing to play stepdaddy to my fur-babies,” I said.
“Of course I am,” he answered, giving Oreo pets and scratches as the dog rolled over for a tummy rub.
I smiled. “You’re definitely getting brownie points for that.” I motioned around the room. “So now what? You want to sit, stay, or beg?”
“Ha-ha,” he said. “Is that your way of telling me to stop begging you to marry me?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “That depends on whether or not you insist on marking your territory.”
“Hmm,” said Charlie, scratching his chin as if he was thinking about it. “You know, I might be compelled to bury my bone.”
“Not funny, Charlie.”
“Wrong. Very funny, Jaime,” he said. When he stopped laughing at his own jokes, he let out a long breath. “Anyway, I guess I’ll be the perfect gentleman and say goodnight. It was nice to meet your dogs. They’re great.”
“Thanks. I had a wonderful time tonight.”
He grinned. “So did I, and I think your dogs and I came to an understanding,” he added with a genuine smile. His eyes shimmered with mischief, though, as he said, “’Night, Jaime.”
“’Night, Charlie,” I said and locked the door securely behind him, with my heart racing.
I stared at the dogs as they whined at the door, and I felt sorry for poor Max when he tried to jump off the couch to be with his big brothers. A few minutes later, I gathered up the leashes for all four and hauled them outside to the grass to do their business. When I set Max down, his legs shook as he leaned against mine for support, but then he took a step and another, wagging his tail happily all the while.
“Good boy, Max,” I encouraged, smiling widely. I knew working with animals was what I was meant to do, even if I couldn’t do as much as I wanted. That small act of saving and rehabilitating Max was at least enough to show me that I was still good at something in my life. “All right, you four, who wants to watch a movie with Mama?”
Four tails wagged in response, and the my pets trotted around me, licking my hands and jumping on me as I bent down to lift Max into my arms again.
“Then move it, troops! It’s movie night, and I’m thinking…romance.”
Chapter 12
I was awakened the next morning by loud banging. Frustrated, I waved my hand at the noise, as if I could somehow shoo it away, but it only grew louder. I grimaced and buried my head under the pillow on the couch where I’d fallen asleep. When silence resumed, I let out a sigh of relief and settled back into the cushions, ready to sleep another day away. I felt myself drift right back into sweet lumber.
Suddenly, the banging from before returned and made me jump and roll right off the couch.
“Shit!” I snapped as my face slapped against the hardwood floor. “Who is knocking on the door so hard this early?”
All the dogs barked and whined, scratching at the door and looking at me in a panic.
Wincing, I pushed to my feet. “Who is it?” I yelled.
“Jaime, it’s me, please open up.”
Figures he’d show up early in the morning to drive me insane, I thought, fuming mad.
“Sorry, Charlie. It’s too damn early, and I’m pretty homicidal before my coffee,” I yelled through the door.
“I’ll take my chances. Just open up,” he repeated, “and I hope you’re wearing something decent.”
“A nightgown,” I informed him, even though it was none of his business. “A flannel one, with a robe.”
“Sexy.”
“You wish.”
“A guy can dream, right?” he said with a chuckle that I could hear through the door.
“Yeah, and you can keep dreaming, mister,” I said as I ran my fingers quickly through my hair. I reached for the door and opened it a crack, using my leg to keep the dogs back. “I’m so happy you stopped by…but I was sleeping. Maybe we can catch lunch a little later. My treat. But please don’t expect anything fancy. How about the lunch special at the diner?”
“But I’m here for something else.”
“And what’s that?”
“It’s moving day, baby!” he said, with far more excitement in his voice than I felt. “I’ve got a van and three guys here, ready to get you, your gear, and your pups outta this place. Up and at ‘em, sunshine,” he announced brightly.
“Wait. Movers? Why? I mean—”
He laughed. “You didn’t expect me to haul all your shit to my place myself, did you? Did you think we were going to strap Oreo up like a pack mule or something?”
“I never said I was going to marry you, dumbass,” I said, too tired and confused to really understand what was going on. “Please go away, Charlie. I’m not in the mood for the flirting…or your schemes.”
“Jaime, wait,” he said and put his hand in the door just as I tried to close it. “Ow! Damn it, woman!” He yelped and jumped back, shaking his hand. “You almost broke my fingers…you won’t give me the time of day and I’m gonna need that hand!”
“That’s just not right, Charlie,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“No, what’s not right is slamming a guy’s hand in the door at the crack of dawn when he’s just trying to help you out.”
“Look, I’m sorry, but maybe that will teach you not to stick your hands where they don’t belong!” I opened the door again, just enough for me to slip out, then shut it quickly behind me to keep the dogs from escaping. “But seriously, are you okay?”
“Never been better.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt your hand,” I said. I heard men talking and the slamming of a heavy door and glanced up. “Um, Charlie…” I said, pointing to the three men with work gloves on their hands.
“Yeah?” he said with a huge smirk.
I bit my lip and gazed into his eyes. “What’s going on here?”
“You always thought you could hide shit from me,” he said. “You’re a damn bad liar. You know that, right? You may as well be made of Saran Wrap, because I can see right through you.”
“Oh, you’d love to see me in Saran Wrap,” I teased.
“That’s beside the point. Last night, I saw through you again. I know what you need, Jaime, even if you refuse to admit it.”
I peered at him, crossed my arms firmly over my chest, and tapped my fingers on my elbow. “And?”
“And…maybe I kinda-sorta caught sight of those papers on your counter last night,” he admitted on a breath.
“Papers?” I thought for a moment, trying to remember what documents he might have spied on
. When it hit me, my face reddened, and my hands balled into fists. “You asshole!” I yelled and punched him in the arm. “You arrogant, stupid, nosy asshole! What were you doing going through my stuff? What gives you the right to—”
He held up his hands to catch my wrists and held them just as did the day he kissed me in the fencing club. “Hey, just hang on a second,” he said. “The eviction notice was lying right on top, with that big red rubber stamp on it. I couldn’t help seeing it, and so I’m doing what any good friend would.”
“And what’s that?”
“Rescuing you.”
“I’m not some damsel in distress, you know. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, yeah. Why didn’t you just tell me you need a damn place to stay?”
I tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go, so I puffed out my cheeks on a breath and continued to glare at him. “You’re one to talk when you’ve got your own problems to deal with. Maybe you’ve forgotten, but you need a wife, right? Like…pronto?”
“Exactly.”
“Well, me and four dogs being in your house isn’t gonna exactly help with that.”
“It will if you are my wife,” he insisted.
“So that’s what all this knight-in-shining-armor bullshit is? You’re just a knight with his own agenda! This is a ploy to get me to say yes!”
He tilted his head back as I tried to smack him again. The smile fell from his face as he answered, “No, all right? It’s not. I’m just… You’re a friend who needs help, and I’m trying to be here for you. I’m in a position to help, so just let me. For goodness sake, quit being so damn stubborn and let someone help you.”
“You’re acting as if I’ve never accepted help in the past.”
His eyebrows shot up into his hairline, but he didn’t say another word. We just stared each other down for a solid minute before one of the movers stepped up behind him and cleared his throat.
Begging for Bad Boys Page 131
