by A. M. Myers
Glancing up at her, I frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she sighs. “I just wish I could find someone who was serious about keeping things casual for once. As soon as I start seeing a guy, he wants to change the arrangement.”
“It’s the rule of three,” I tell her and her brows shoot up.
“What’s that?”
“The theory that after you sleep with someone three times, you start getting attached.”
Her fork drops out of her hand and lands with a clank on the table. “So, I’ve got to only sleep with guys twice before finding a new one? That sounds exhausting.”
“Or settle down.”
“Ack,” she snaps. “Take that back. Don’t you put that bad juju on me. That’s never going to happen.”
I laugh, leaning back in my chair as I sip my sweet tea.
Izzy had a bad first marriage like me and that combined with her parents’ divorce has put her off the idea forever but since seeing Tate, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s really the path I want to go down.
“What the heck is on your mind?” Izzy asks, breaking through my thoughts and I snap my gaze to hers.
“Huh?”
“You just got this look in your eye… I don’t know. It was crazy.”
Sighing, I sit forward and set my glass down on the table before running my hand through my hair. “I met someone.”
“And?”
“She’s… special.” Saying the words out loud feels weird but it’s true and I can’t deny it anymore. Tate is different from any of the other girls that I’ve used to fill my bed these last six years. I don’t know what it means or where it’s going to lead or even if it can lead anywhere but it’s out there now.
“Whoa. Are you… are you in love with her?”
I scoff. “No. She’s just different.”
“How is she different?” she asks, tilting her head to the side as she studies me. I stare down at my plate, unable to believe that I’m about to admit this out loud.
“I don’t think once would be enough.”
When I glance up, we lock eyes and she stares at me for a moment, her gaze surprised. Finally, she blows out a breath.
“Okay, then.”
I shake my head. “No, not okay. It’s complicated.”
“How?”
Sucking in a breath, I debate telling her the truth but only for a split second before realizing that out of everyone I know, Izzy is the last person that will judge me.
“I’m kind of stalking her.”
“What?” she screeches, earning the attention of all the tables in our general vicinity and I hold my hands up to try and silence her as the waitress stops at our table.
“Can I get y’all anything else?” she asks, directing her question toward me as she bats her lashes.
“Seriously?” Izzy hisses. “Can you not see that we’re in the middle of a very serious conversation? Got lost, lady.”
The waitress huffs before stomping off and I laugh as Izzy points her finger at me.
“Oh, no, you start talking now. What the fuck do you mean you’re kind of stalking her?”
I straighten the silverware next to my plate and take a deep breath. “Well, Blaze called me to the clubhouse and asked me to watch her…”
“Why?” she interjects.
“I don’t know but I assumed that he had a good reason. Blaze is a good guy.”
She nods. “Continue.”
“So I’ve been following her.”
“And have you actually spoken to her or have you completely lost your mind? Is this another Chris situation?” she asks, referencing Ali’s stalker last year.
“No,” I growl. “It’s not like that and yes, I’ve spoken to her.”
“So, now you’re lying to her on top of stalking her?” When she says it out loud, I realize how hopeless it is.
“I have to come up with a way to fix this.”
She lets out a humorless laugh as she leans back in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t know that you can. When this all comes out, she’s going to run far, far away from you. Unless, of course, she’s also a lunatic in which case, you two are fucking perfect for each other.”
“Thanks, Iz,” I snap and she shrugs.
“Just telling you the truth. You are doomed, my friend.”
“No, I’ll find a way.”
“Kodiak, I say this with as much love as possible but you look like a psycho right now.”
“I know,” I admit but the thought of never seeing Tate again causes me physical pain. Glancing down at my watch, I can’t help but smile, relieved to know that I’ll be with her again soon.
Chapter Six
Tatum
After wiping the sheen of sweat from my forehead, I brace my hands on the open, half-packed box in front of me and sigh as I gaze around the living room of my apartment. I’ve been here for a few hours now and I’ve gotten everything I want to take with me packed up. My clothes and shoes are crammed into two boxes and thankfully, all my bathroom stuff fit into a smaller box. The three bookshelves in the living room are cleared out and all my books are safely packed away as well as all the photos off the walls. The only thing left is to decide what to do with the furniture and dishes.
Mom’s house doesn’t really have the storage space for them and even though I can afford to, it seems silly to pay for a storage unit when I don’t really want this stuff. I don’t want to be wasteful though. Sighing again, I sink into the dining room chair. I suppose maybe the new tenant can use it. It’s in fairly good shape and who can say no to free furniture, right?
Grabbing my soda off the table, I take a drink and lean back in the chair, thinking over the last few years. Between my job at the diner and the gas station, I’ve worked at least ten hours almost every day and it’s taken a toll on me. I can’t remember the last time I got my hair cut and if a stylist saw my ends, she might shriek in horror. I was in high school the last time I had money to get my nails done and I haven’t eaten out at a restaurant since I started working at the diner. Hell, I don’t even have a damn car.
Maybe Theo was right and it’s time for me to make a few purchases but spending any of that money feels wrong. I’ve gone so long without, that I’m plagued by indecision – half of me wanting to treat myself and the other half eager to horde it away for a rainy day. What the hell kind of rainy day requires half a million dollars though? Maybe I could afford to splurge a little and save money. I know one thing for certain, I’m enrolling in school as soon as possible.
After I graduated high school, I scoffed at the idea of going to school. I was cocky and thought I knew what I was doing when I got a job at a department store and moved out of my mother’s house. Very quickly I realized that it wasn’t that easy but I was stubborn and kept fighting. Just when I was about to lose everything, I met Beth. She was an escort and told me how I could make triple what I was making at the department store just by going out on dates with men. Believe me, I was appalled at first but when she explained that there was absolutely no sex involved, it seemed like the perfect solution. For three years, I went out with various men and got paid to let them wine and dine me until one night when Beth showed up on my doorstep with a bloody face. One of the men had gotten angry when she told him that she wouldn’t be sleeping with him and I knew the money wasn’t worth the danger I was putting myself in.
As soon as I got her all bandaged up, I called all my dates for that week and canceled – indefinitely. I’d managed to save up a little money but I knew it wouldn’t last long so I quickly got to work searching for another job and landed at the diner. Only two weeks later, it became clear that even that wouldn’t be enough so I got the second job at the gas station. I also had to move out of my apartment and find something cheaper, which is how I ended up here. Releasing a breath, I look around the room again.
I can’t believe how much my life has changed in a little more than a week. Ten days ago, I was walking throug
h this shitty neighborhood at night, hoping I didn’t get mugged or worse and now, I’ve got a beautiful house in a safe part of town, I have money to finally go to school and my mom is gone. It feels so wrong that every other part of my life is looking up when she’s not here to see it but I guess that’s what she wanted. She did everything she could to take care of Theo and me for years after she was gone. Tears well up in my eyes as the alarm of my phone goes off and I quickly wipe them away, pushing off the chair.
Kodiak, the man interested in taking over the lease, will be here any minute and I need to get these boxes down to the truck that I borrowed from Roger. Pushing the sleeves of my long sleeved t-shirt up, I lean down and pick up one of the lighter boxes before navigating to the door and slowly going down the steps. When I get out to the truck, I set it in the back and shove it toward the cab before dusting my hands off on my jeans. There, one down and only six more to go. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out as I step up onto the sidewalk and turn toward my door. Stepping forward, I crash right into someone and my phone falls to the pavement as I let out a squeak of surprise.
“Shit,” I mutter as two large hands wrap around my arms and I look up. “I’m so… You!”
Lincoln, the man from the diner a few nights ago flashes me a lazy smile as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the side of the truck.
“You.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I lean down and scoop up my phone, inspecting the screen for cracks.
“I’m here to meet someone about taking over a lease.”
My head whips up and my mouth drops open. “Oh my god, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I take it that’s you.”
“Did you do this on purpose?” I ask, flashing back to the other night when he asked me for my number. He frowns, looking sexier than any man has a right to, and tilts his head to the side.
“And how would I have done this on purpose?”
“Well,” I hum, deciding to have a little fun with this. “You’re clearly a stalker.”
His eyes widen and he takes a step back, holding his hands out in front of him as he starts choking on nothing. “No, it’s not like that.”
“Dude, it was a joke, not a dick. Don’t take it so hard.”
My comment earns more surprised coughing that turns into a laugh and he stares at me like I’m crazy for a moment before shaking his head. With a smile slowly creeping across his face, he takes a step toward me and presses his big, hard body against mine.
“I promise you, Darlin’, I don’t roll like that.”
My lips part and my body floods with warmth as my heartbeat races in my chest. A musky scent surrounds us and my hand trembles as I fight the urge to lean in and take a deep breath.
“Isn’t that what they all say?” I whisper, my entire body aching for him to reach out and touch me again like he did at the diner. His golden gaze locks with mine as his smile grows and he trails the tips of his fingers down my arm.
“Want a demonstration?”
My mind has no trouble conjuring up images of the two of us wrapped up in sheets while he does just that and I lean into him, licking my lips just as a car horn pierces through the air. I stumble back and draw air into my burning lungs.
“So, um… the apartment?” I ask, my voice squeaking and I manage to not wince at how embarrassed I am right now. He drops his head for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah. Let’s check it out.”
I lead him upstairs, wondering the whole time if he’s watching my ass and secretly hoping that he is. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone or even liked someone so I don’t really have a clue what to do. In fact, the last time I dated anyone was in high school. I’m so out of my league it’s not even funny.
“So, this is it,” I mumble, stepping into my apartment and the room seems to shrink as soon as he steps inside.
“It looks nice.”
I shrug. “It’s okay. The neighborhood is not super safe but I put an extra deadbolt on the door to combat that.”
“You think a deadbolt is going to stop anyone?” he asks, arching a brow, and I square my shoulders as I meet his eyes.
“No. It just gives me an extra second to grab my gun. How about you don’t worry about me and just take a look at the apartment?”
He holds his hands up in surrender and starts looking around the living room before stepping into the kitchen. “You mind if I take some pictures of the place?”
“Why? You got a girlfriend that you need to send them to?” I ask, hating myself as soon as I do. Why the hell does it matter if he has a girlfriend? It’s not like anything is ever going to happen between us. When I meet his gaze again, he smiles.
“No. I’m a member of the Bayou Devils. You heard of us?”
I nod. “Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“We help people – get them out of bad relationships, protect them if they’re being stalked, save children from abusers – that kind of thing.”
“Oh…”
“We’re looking for a place we can take the folks we rescue.”
I jump up on the counter and cross my legs. “Like a safe house?”
“Exactly like that.”
“Okay. Well, go ahead and take a look around and then I’ll answer any questions you have.”
He nods and starts snapping photos of my living room before moving into the kitchen. I don’t move as he snaps a couple before moving on to the bathroom.
“Oh, by the way, if you want the furniture, I’ll leave it,” I call out to him and he pokes his head out of the bathroom.
“Really? You don’t want it?”
“Nope. My mom’s house already has everything I need.”
He nods again and disappears down the hallway to my bedroom while I try to imagine him stretched out on my queen-sized bed. Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me? I seriously haven’t even looked twice at a guy since high school and now all of the sudden I’m envisioning Lincoln or Kodiak or whatever his name is spread out on my bed naked.
“The place is great,” he says, walking back into the living room and it takes a huge amount of effort to keep my gaze above his belt.
“What’s your name?” I blurt out and he scowls at me.
“Didn’t I introduce myself at the diner?”
I nod. “Yeah, Lincoln, but in your email, you went by Kodiak.”
“Oh, right. Kodiak is a nickname.”
I hug my knees to my chest. “Why?”
“I’m from Alaska.”
My brows shoot up. “Oh, yeah? I lived in Alaska once.”
“Really? Where at?”
“Anchorage. We were only there for a few months when my brother and I were three.”
He walks over to the table and sits in one of the chairs. I’m honestly surprised it doesn’t buckle under his weight.
“Twins, right?” he asks and I nod.
“Yeah, his name is Theo. You have any brothers or sisters?”
He nods, rubbing his hands down his legs repeatedly. “I’ve got two sisters.”
“What are their names?” I ask, studying him as he continues to withdraw into himself.
“Nora and Rowan.”
“Pretty names,” I mutter and decide to drop the subject. “So, you interested in the apartment?”
“Yeah,” he answers before clearing his throat and brushing off whatever emotion crashed down on him. “I think we might be. I texted the photos to my boss and as soon as he gets back to me, I’ll let you know.”
“Well, you know where to find me but if I don’t hear from you in forty-eight hours, I’ll need to put the ad back up.”
He nods, standing. “You need help getting these boxes downstairs?”
I nod, hopping down off the counter. “Yeah, that’d be great. I need to get the truck back to Roger before two.”
“Who’s Roger?” he asks with a slight growl in the back of his throat and I arch
a brow.
“Why do you care?”
He takes a step back, shaking his head. “Oh, I don’t. It’s just…uh…”
“He’s my boss,” I say, putting him out of his misery.
“Oh, right.” He turns toward the boxes and picks up one full of books. “Jesus. What the hell is in here?”
“Books,” I reply, sheepishly. “Do you need some help?”
I try to grip the other side but he moves it out of my grasp, shaking his head.
“No, I got it. I don’t need you falling down the stairs and breaking your neck.”
My cheeks heat and I turn to hide my smile as he walks out of the apartment with the box in his hands. I grab one of the lighter ones and follow behind him, ready to get this over with. It takes us fifteen minutes to get all of the boxes downstairs and loaded into the truck. As I close the tailgate, he pulls out his phone.
“Blaze approved. Looks like I’ll be taking over the lease.”
I pull the truck keys out of my pocket. “Okay. How about we meet at a coffee shop on Saturday with the paperwork and I’ll hand over the keys then?”
“Sounds good. Did you lock up?” he asks, pointing to the door to the apartments. I nod.
“Yep. It’s all good. I’ll text you the address and see you Saturday.” I turn toward the truck when he wraps his hand around my arm. Sparks race across my skin and I suck in a silent breath as I turn back to him.
“I should probably get your number. You know, so you can text me.”
Nodding, I grab his phone out of his hand and program my number into it before handing it back to him. “Seems like you made me a liar.”
“How so?” he asks, leaning against the truck and getting closer to me. Oh, Lord, I can’t take this.
“I told you that you couldn’t have my number the other night and now you’ve got it.”
He takes a step forward and his mucky smell fills the space between us. “Purely a coincidence.”
“Is it?”
With a smile teasing his lips, he reaches down and grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips. His gaze stays locked on mine as he kisses my knuckles and I struggle to breathe, my heart pounding in my ears.
