by Rye Hart
His mouth found mine, and after a long, deep kiss, which was everything I needed at that moment, he brought me close to cuddle beside him. “This is a nice old place, isn’t it? It looks like it’s been updated a bit too.”
“It is beautiful,” I closed my eyes and released a long breath thinking maybe he’d manager to get us out of there before anything bad happened, but also wishing we never had to leave.
“Maybe I should buy it.” My eyes popped open to find him staring with a big grin on his face.
“Would you?” I sat up and grabbed hold of his arm. “Oh, Cash it would be perfect. It’s right up the road from Lu, and it is big enough that Livvy would have a nice home and did you see that yard, it’s full of wildflowers. It’s perfect!” With everything I said, he nodded his head.
“I agree, we should go check it out.”
I jumped up and found my clothes and quickly dressed as he joined me. I was put back together before him, and I darted into the kitchen to check it out. “The cabinets are all updated, Cash. It’s even got brand new appliances.” I didn’t waste any time finding the washroom, which sure enough, had a brand new washer/dryer.
“Could you see yourself living here?”
“Oh yes. Add you and Livvy, and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.” I walked back into the front room, noticing the beautiful mantle again, this time taking in its detail, and then I took to the stairs, which had the most beautiful railing I’d ever seen, with wood and ironwork.
Upstairs I found four bedrooms and two baths, with all the space Livvy would need, and a master suite that had me hoping Cash was serious. “Could we talk to the realtor? Was there a sign out front?” I ran to the window and looked out to the drive. “I don’t think I saw one.”
“Oh man.” Cash put both hands on his forehead and shook his head. My heart sank. The place was probably not available. Surely we’d just gotten excited for nothing.
“It’s not even available.” I glanced around and deflated. “Oh well, we’ll just have to look for something else.” Cash had told me he’d sold his home in Dallas, and that when we were ready he’d have the means to get us what we needed, and I hoped this little detour would encourage him.
“Well, that’s going to be hard to do. I spent the money I had saved for a down payment.”
My eyes widened, and he hung his head unable to look at me.
“Cash.” I didn’t know what else to say.
His eyes fixed on mine as he took my hands. “I’m sorry, Starla, but it took a lot of money to buy this place and fix it up.”
It took a moment for his words to register but when they did my hands flew to my mouth as I gasped. “Are you serious?” I jumped into his arms, and he spun me around in our bedroom.
“I’m so relieved you like it.”
“Like it? I love it, Cash. When can we move in? Does Livvy know?” I suddenly had a million questions, and as he answered each one, his eyes lit up more than I’d ever seen, I knew I loved him with everything in me.
“We close in a week, but everything is in full motion. Livvy’s been keeping it a secret, and she’s ready.” He caressed my cheek as he kissed me and then he took my hand and looked deep into my eyes. “I know we talked about not rushing things, but I was hoping since we’re taking this step we can talk about marriage. I’d like us to be married when we come home, but I know I’m springing this on you. I just wanted it to be a surprise.”
“So you’re telling me I have a week to plan our wedding?” I felt as if I could float away; the love had me lightheaded. All of a sudden I was getting everything I’d wanted. “Good things really do happen all at once.”
“We don’t have to rush the wedding if you don’t want to.”
“No, I’m excited about it. I’ve never wanted anything too formal, just our loved ones and I know it sounds silly, but I’ve always wanted to do it at the Starlight. I am named after it, and you know how special it is to me.”
“We can do it however you want.”
I glanced down to my finger, and though I knew I shouldn’t have felt bad about it since he’d just given me a house, my finger felt incredibly bare.
“You looking for this?” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I threw myself into his arms. “You’re the most wonderful man.” I held my finger out as my feet did a little dance.
Cash slid the ring into place, and just like him, it was a perfect fit. We were starting our lives together officially, and there was only one thing I wanted to do.
“Let’s go get Livvy.”
Without another word we hurried off to tell Livvy and Lu the good news.
The End
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Bad Boy Romance Collection
Heart Off Limits
Chapter One
I wasn’t exactly Miss Goodie Fucking Two Shoes. It was more like Miss Wild and Reckless. Highschool suspensions became a norm and it never even phased me. Mom said I carried a big heart, but a hard as hell shell. She tried hard to be patient and deal with my wild antics but I guess everyone has their boiling point. She didn’t want me back after all the trouble I got into on my last year of high school. Looking back, I can’t really blame her; it was a miracle they let me graduate.
She put up with me for another year and then she shipped me off to live in Altanta with Dad. Dad? It was so weird to call him that. I hadn’t seen him in almost a decade, and he was practically a complete stranger until the day I was loaded onto a bus and sent to live with him. It wasn’t the best parenting decision on my mom’s part but she didn’t know what else to do with me.
Soon after moving ship, I dropped the name dad and referred to him by his first name, Mike. Mike preferred it that way. He said dad made him feel old. He was crude and I was pretty sure he was involved in some illegal shit, but he was never home so I didn’t know the details. I preferred it that way.
I’d been here for about two years now and the relationship between the two of us hadn’t gotten any better. We were still estranged since we spent little to no time together, though I learned to expect nothing less from him. He proved to be the type of guy who didn’t care about anyone but himself. It was better that way though; at least he never got my hopes up anymore.
Mom sent me to live with him to show me that life could be worse. She wanted me to experience the hard life my father lived and she expected I would call her crying and begging her to take me back, but that little plan backfired. Here I am two years later. My family situation may be far from the Brady Bunch, but atleast I liked it here. To be honest, I liked my freedom here and I was too stubborn to go back. I had freedom like I’d never had with my mother. Mom could be a real hard ass. She became tougher as I reached the age of maturity and I assumed it was because she was afraid of losing another person in her life. I loved her with every fiber of my being but we never seemed to get passed our screwed up communication. We were two stubborn women under one roof and it was a bad combination.
I missed her everyday. If only I could tell her that.
I’m just a few months from my 21st birthday now. Mike managed to remember all my birthdays, leaving me a cupcake on the dining room table and a weird gift I never really understood. Alteast he tried when it came to my birthdays, even if it was half ass.
He had a habit of buying me presents that I’d never use. For the longest time it was nail polish, all kinds of nail polish, mostly in baby blues and pinks; colors I would never dream of wearing. He finally got the hint at some point and he bought me black. Now it was black everything, which I didn’t really mind.
I rolled onto my stomach and glanced down at the hard wood floor, running my hand over it for a moment, almost wincing at the heat that emanated from it. I liked the south, but I didn’t like the heat.
Not one bit.
The sun was high in the sky now, and I figured I ought to get out of bed. I was up all night cramming for finals the night before and luckily didn’t have to be to work today but that wasn’t an excuse for me to lay in bed. I changed into black skirt and a shirt that I got at some concert I could barely remember. I threw on some boots and then I placed a black beanie over my blonde hair.
Just as I was grabbing a Pop-Tart from the sparse pantry my phone began to buzz. I pulled it out of my back pocket and answered without looking at the screen.
“Yo,” I gave my standard greeting.
“Alex?”
“Hey Gina! What’s up girl?”
Gina was my best friend. A Southern girl through and through with a kick-ass punk attitude. I loved her dearly. Being around Gine made this heat almost bearable.
“Are you working today?” she asked.
“No ma’am. I actually just got out of bed,” I hummed, popping my breakfast into the toaster. “Why?”
“There’s a big biker rally this weekend! People are coming from everywhere, even as far as Nashville. How fucking rad is that?”
“A biker rally? What would be so fun about a biker rally?” I grumbled.
I had an aversion to bikers as it were. In my mind bikers represented a community of bad news. They were dangerous, unpredictable, and had no redeeming qualities as far as I could see. I had goals of paying my way through college and graduating on time. That meant going to community college at night and working full, so I wasn’t stupid enough to get tangled with bikers. Not like my mom in her wild years. She ending up regretting every minute of it and that made a lasting impression in my life.
“Don’t be such a baby, Alex. It’ll be fun,” Gina whined.
“I don’t think so.”
“God, you’re such a downer. Fine, let’s go grab lunch and hit up some bars? That sounded like a better idea. I could use a break.
I grabbed the Pop Tart as it popped from the toaster and stuffed it in my mouth. “Where are we going to meet?”
“Did you really just ask me that?” she drawled.
“Majestic?”
“Duh. I want a milkshake. See you soon boo.”
I chuckled and hung up the phone, tucking it away in my pocket. Let’s see where this takes us.
Chapter Two
It was just as hot outside as I expected it to be. The air was oppressive and sweat was already starting to bead on my forehead. I brushed my fingers through my blonde hair, secretly thankful to Gina for talking me out of dying it a dark color. She warned me that it would attract the sun and get way too hot and I was grateful to her for the warning, though I’d still acted petulant about not having dark hair.
The streets were as busy as you’d expect on a hot summer afternoon. A few people were walking up and down the street in shorts and tank tops, but most people were holed up in the mall or at home where cold AC units offered relief from this fucking heat. It was the one thing I hated about Atlanta. I hated the heat. I hated the way that even the branches on the trees seemed to droop in utter defeat against it.
Luckily I didn’t have to walk too far. I lived close to a tram station and hopped on happily. I sighed with delight as the cool air hit my face. I collapsed into one of the seats and stuck headphones in my ears, not really interested in talking to anyone. People had a tendency to think that public transport was a place to make friends. They would talk your ear off if you didn’t have headphones in. It was the most annoying thing I’d ever experienced in my life.
I’d grown up in a small town just outside Boston and I wasn’t used to people poking around in my business for no reason. Folks in small towns do love to gossip but they have a tendency to do it behind your back and never to your face, so it was less invasive than what I faced here in the big city.
I got off in the heart of downtown Atlanta and walked through the street, taking in all the people. One of my favorite parts about living in a big city was people-watching. Coming from a small town where everyone looked the same, and there was little to no variation, Atlanta people-watching was like hitting the jackpot. I couldn’t go more than five feet without seeing a new look. There were Goth kids, glamour moms, and even the occasional drag queen. I loved taking in all the colors and looks.
I took evening classes at a local community college because it was all I could afford with my retails job and financial aid. I never talked about my hopes much, but I had hopes of being a fashion designer. It was my dream since I was a little girl, nose deep in Vogue and Marie Claire magazines. It was the story of my life, really. I had a tendency to curl inside of myself and block the world out. I was always good at being on my own and making things work for myself.
My mother loved me in her own way, but she loved me at a distance. She was always a guarded woman who struggled to express herself in a healthy way. Her fling with my father and subsequent marriage was her attempt at shaking things up. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out too well.
Growing up with a woman like her made me clam up just like she did. I didn’t want to be around people - I wanted to watch from a safe distance so no one could hurt me. It had affected my life in a way I hadn’t really noticed until I got into high school and really started to try and make friends. I was suddenly very aware of how isolated I was and how alone I felt.
I sighed and frowned, looking up at the brightly colored diner. The Majestic was Gina’s favorite restaurant and I couldn’t really blame her. It was an Atlanta staple and they made the best damn milkshakes.
The second I entered the diner I heard a distinct voice call for me through the relatively small building.
“Yahoo!”
I laughed and crossed over to the booth where Gina had already made herself at home. She was leaning against the wall with her feet kicked up in the booth while she sipped on her orange milkshake.
“Took you long enough,” she teased.
I shrugged and smiled as I settled across from her and stole a few fries. “You know I take the tram.”
“Subway?” she asked.
“Tram,” I corrected.
Gina was an Atlanta native and considered the monorail system a subway. I did not, seeing as how it was above ground. It was an argument we’d never solve. She smiled and turned to face me, putting her chin in her hands. Her grin was infectious and I couldn’t help but return it.
Gina was my best friend and one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever met. She had naturally dark hair and skin that was the color of deep mahogany. Her eyes were almost gold and reminded me of honey. She could have been a damn model if she wanted to. Too bad she was more interested in biology.
The average person wouldn’t expect us to be friends. Gina got herself into her fair share of trouble, but she made up for it with her ridiculous intelligence. She was a freshman at the University of Georgia and lived on campus. She came home during the weekends, but I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked. Gina was one of my only friends and when she wasn’t in Atlanta this massive city felt so damn lonely.
“You don’t look like you’re ready to go to the bar,” I murmured, eyeing her fitted jeans and tank top.
Gina snorted a little and crossed her arms over her chest. “Girl, you know my mama wouldn’t let me leave in club gear,” she said holding up her backpack. “What about you?”
“You know I don’t dress up for that shit,” I said, tapping my foot.
“And why not?”
“I’m just not interested in drawing the attention of guys at bars, especially if the city is going to be full of bikers,” I murmured, shrugging.
Gina didn’t really understand my aversion to bikers. They came through Atlanta often enough that the locals didn’t think much about them. They were an expected nuisance like fire ants or mosquitos. They might nip at your legs and arms, but they weren’t going to cause any real damage. I just didn’t see them that way.
I knew about the things my dad had done in his ‘wild years’. My
mother told me all about the stores he burned down and the fights he started. There was even a rumor that he was involved with a drug ring and some possible murders. I wasn’t sure about the last two but I wouldn’t put it past him. He’d been an addict his whole life and never managed to break the cycle of addiction. My mom thought he was clean but I’d caught him using more than once. I’d considered telling her about this, but I didn’t really want to go back to Boston.
“You’re no fun,” Gina said with a pout, dipping her fries in her milkshake.
“I’m plenty of fun. You just like going to dangerous places and I end up being den mother. I always have to save your ass.”
“Yeah. Like that time you stopped me from going home with the guy in the Ferrari?” she snorted, rolling her eyes.
“Rich guys murder people too,” I pointed out, stealing some more fries. I didn’t want to spend my own money, so I wasn’t above stealing Gina’s food. “You’re too trusting.”
She sighed and shook her head. “No, you’re too paranoid. You have this ‘bad girl in a leather jacket’ persona, but you’re scared of your own damn shadow.”
I hated when she read me like that. Gina was going to get herself kidnapped one day and I couldn’t help but worry about her overly trusting nature.
“It’s not fear. It’s caution,” I murmured.
“Whatever you call it, it’s no fun,” she said simply.
“You say shit like that and it makes me want to go home.”
Gina sighed and got in on the same side of the booth, draping her arm around me. “I’m not being mean. I just want you to loosen up a little and have some fun.”
“I’m plenty loose.”
