But I also didn’t want to fight whatever it was either.
Brody ended up parking the rig by several others in the far dirt lot. This spot must have been pretty common for fellow truckers. He pulled the parking break and we sat, the bodies filtering in and out of the building before us.
“This is it,” he said, smiling a little before facing me. We’d shared few words up until this point and part of me figured that had been due to really not knowing what to say. As far as myself, I had no idea what to make of him asking me here or it if meant anything for me to wonder about at all.
I placed my hands in my lap. “Yeah, it’s real cool.”
“Yeah?” His eyes showed genuine interest before facing ahead. He tipped his chin in the general direction. “You wanna go in?”
I did, but an awareness of a problem I had suddenly flashed itself before me as I eyed cut off shorts and cute tops. I gazed down at my revealing blouse and leather skirt. What if he wouldn’t want to be seen with me? I didn’t necessarily look like the type of company he’d keep.
“What’s wrong?”
I touched my shirt. “I don’t know about my clothes. I want to dance, but I…”
I didn’t want to say it, but I looked like a whore. Before that had been planned, but that wasn’t okay now. I didn’t want him to have to be seen with me like this.
His gaze appraised me, and coming back up to my face, his eyes softened. I think he got it that I felt uncomfortable. He put his arm around the back of my chair. “I’ll see what I got,” he said.
I watched him go to the back and out of one of his cubbyholes he retrieved a plaid shirt, a button down with long sleeves. He held it up. “It’s not much but…”
By this time, I had come over and the gift more than warmed my heart. I slid it out of his hands. “Thank you. This will be perfect.” He was quite bigger than me, but I could more than make do.
This seemed to please him. He left the rig so I could change. I tucked away my purse tightly inside, not wanting it to get in the way of dancing, but did take all the money out and carried it with me. I came out and had fashioned Brody’s shirt into a form fitting top I tied at my waist. The sleeves I ended up strategically bunching and I had to say, it looked all right. Brody’s lashes flashed when he turned and it seemed I might have been correct on that.
“You make it look way better than I do,” he said, but as soon as he did, his gaze traveled away. I noticed he was being rather cautious. Perhaps, because he was confused like I was about what this evening meant.
He gestured toward the building and I flanked him, telling him thank you for the compliment as the rocks crunched under our shoes. He didn’t have to ease into saying something nice to me. I more than liked it and I think acknowledging that made him feel better about what he said. He smiled, easing up, and got us both into the line of the bar. The place was more than packed, and in all honesty, I wondered if there’d be room for us to make our way in. A buzz hummed over the crowd and I knew they were just as antsy as I was to get inside. That rebel beat was charging the air the closer we made our way to the front, and the excitement inside me grew. It had been so long since I could just dance and have fun. I was more than ready.
“I think you really will like this place,” Brody told me, his hands in his pockets as he took another step forward. With his height, he made an excellent driving force through the cluster of folks outside the door. They seemed to part for him.
I played with my fingers. “Is there a deejay or a sound system—”
The words left as an altercation broke out directly ahead of us between two guys who’d clearly been pre-gaming on the drinks before coming here. A large one shoved the other and that’s when Brody stepped in, raising his hand. “Guys, cool it,” he said, but they didn’t listen. Soon the shoves turned into hits and the already buzzing crowd rumbled in response. They clustered in on them for a piece of the action and I was shoved from behind.
Brody turned, his eyes wide. “Alex!”
Someone grabbed me, but that someone didn’t strike any fear in me.
Brody’s arms came down on both sides of my body, bracing my shoulders before backing me against the wall of the barn. Once my back touched, his arms surrounded me, his hands flat on the wall while own his back took the brunt of the hits from the random fists flying around us. I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. It was hard to be when I felt so protected.
Facing away, Brody cringed at a hit to his side and I both hated and loved that he was using his body to keep mine safe. Eventually, some of the bouncers came out and got the crowd under control. They dragged the guys who started the fight away and that’s finally when Brody’s large shoulders loosened. Muscles in his arms twitched and he turned, his gaze taking inventory as they scanned me down. He could have lowered his arms then as I was okay, but he didn’t.
My heart charged and a lump the size of the state formed in my throat when his gaze redirected. It settled right on my mouth. A sheen covered his bottom lip when he stroked his tongue just slightly over it, his chest moving up and down under his thin t-shirt.
Kiss me. Please kiss me, I thought because I wanted him to. I wanted him to so badly.
Stepping back, he didn’t, though. His arms lowered and he breathed deep, pushing his fingers over lengthy blond strands.
“You okay?” he asked, and I nodded, trying not to be disappointed.
Blue eyes left and I followed his back into the crowd that now seemed under control enough to filter inside. He glanced my way and gestured, his hand out. I thought he’d take mine, but he didn’t. Like he thought better of it, he pushed his hands into his pockets.
Holding my arm awkwardly, I let him lead me inside. We remained silent, making it into a dark foyer among the cluster of people who sought access to the bar like us. Once there, I believed our next stop was to go inside, but that Brody… he continued to surprise me.
His hand came down my arm, but this time, it wasn’t any way a touch of protection. He touched me. He touched me to touch me, his fingers feeling their way down to my wrist. He backed me up out of the crowd again and when my back touched a wall, my heart thumped clear through my skin to beat against it. I couldn’t see him. Not clearly anyway in the dark foyer, but I could feel him. His hands started on my shoulders, but eventually, they came to rest on my cheeks. His chest pressed against mine, I could feel his own huge heart jabbing, pressuring toward my own, and I could feel his mouth. I could feel his lips, finally.
A sound hummed from them and his taste followed suit. He bit my bottom lip, so gentle before taking his own taste, his tongue softly doing things to mine. When he stopped and backed away, I felt so warm. I couldn’t stop the liquidly heated feeling and his forehead touched mine. I could make out a smile on his lips.
“That was me saying fuck it,” he said, laughing gently.
I chewed my lip. “You should do that more often.”
His fingers touched my cheek, eventually finding their way down to my wrist to hold my hand. If there was any confusion about what this was, being here, that seemed to be gone now.
I was glad.
A set of well-worn jeans led me inside, the view of which had me distracted momentarily from the vibrant room. Neon lights with beers on tap lined the back wall behind the bar and a dance pit in the middle of the room was directly ahead of it. And a pit it was. Folks were giving it full use; spinning and vibing with each other in a group. Brody brought us to the wooden railing that sectioned the seating level off from the pit. Taking it all in, my tapping feet had me ready to dive in.
A hand went to the small of my back, resting, and my heart went into overdrive.
Brody.
He leaned in. “Do you like it?”
Even in here with all the music, the boisterous depth of his voice fought through. I nodded, gripping the railing.
He smiled at me before his breath touched my ear again. “Food first?” he asked.
I shook my head, going to
his ear this time. “Beer?”
And the grin he gave me when he pulled back had my gut going all wobbly again. “I think that can definitely be arranged, darlin’.”
God, I could not handle him and that accent and that word. Nope, I could not.
His hand sliding down to mine, he gestured for me to come with him, but I told him I wanted to keep watching the pit. I fed off it. He let me stay, but only after making sure I was okay. I actually was. I loved the environment here and the bar was only about ten feet away.
He left with a chuckle, pointing to where he would be. After he left, I shook my hips, swaying to the latest Hot 100 track. They really played everything here. This place had a hometown country feel, but a spin on it with an urban edge. I couldn’t help but get into it. Perhaps, that’s why he brought me here, understanding my style. He’d been so absorbent our entire trip, getting to know me in all that despite how little I gave back, so that shouldn’t surprise me.
Turning, I watched Brody, his hip leaning against the bar. He was waiting his turn like everyone else, but then he wasn’t alone. A girl came up to him, a Hispanic girl, pretty, with a flurry of ultraviolet hair. Her arms covered in a full set of tattoo sleeves, she waved at Brody, which he returned with a smile. He was always smiling. I thought she’d be on her way, but she wasn’t. Instead, she chose to cross in front of him and lean back on the bar. Her position, arms rested back with the tip of her boot out, had her breasts pushed way up over a top that didn’t strike me as super revealing at first. Now, I could definitely see, and my sight didn’t fail me as she reached over and squeezed his thick arm. One I hoped to at least touch tonight when I danced with him.
My heart dropped like a stone when she moved in and got closer. It definitely seemed like Brody knew her since he didn’t pull away. He actually smiled at something she said before the expression immediately left his face. He’s the one who put his hand on her arm this time, but only to increase some distance between them. Holding up his hand, he shook his head at her and…
Turned her down.
She pouted, a joking way about it when she touched him again, and again, he put some distance between them, politely moving away. She gave him a hug, which he kept friendly before finally stepping away. Brody sat back against the bar again. He proceeded to wait his turn to order and I turned to the pit, unable to help my smile.
The music changed, a more classic, country hit this time, and the pit transformed. The room hooting and hollering, they formed into a line dance. The whole thing was something out of a movie and I loved it. Eyeing the bar over my shoulder, I could see Brody wasn’t any closer to being done. He had his arm on the bar, still waiting to order.
I’ll stay near the railing so he can see me.
Going all in, I joined the group. I hadn’t done these particular steps before, but I was a fast learner. I moved my hips, falling into the beat with my steps, and my black boots gave me my own personal edge to the traditional dance. A girl next to me started showboating a bit, breaking formation, and added her own spin to the dance. She went sharp with every move and quickly got the attention of the rest of the pit.
I guess I couldn’t help what I did next.
Getting to her side, I fell instep with her. She smiled, and together, we kept all eyes on us. Eventually, I mixed it up a little, offering a little alternative dance as well as some hip-hop. My partner stopped dancing entirely and clapped above her head, giving me the floor to do my thing. I couldn’t stop even if I wanted too. I fed off every step, took in each beat like I had at the park. Music and dancing were my life.
By the time the song ended, I had just gotten going, but I stopped as a guy in a set of well-worn jeans got my attention. He also wore his strong grin and had a matching set of glasses with foam on the top in his tight fists.
The perfect image.
Brody came into the pit. He found us a set of high top tables off to the side and we took up station there. He set the beers down. “If I’d have known that’s what you were working with, I would have said to hell with the beers and stayed with you.”
For the first time, I felt bashful by what I’d done, pushing my hand into my hair as he slid a beer toward me. He took a sip himself, then watched me with a soft eye as I had a sip from mine.
He shook his head. “Where’d you come from, Alexa?”
I didn’t think he was actually asking me. It was more of a fleeting thought I imagined by what he saw me do. I knew because he never pressured me before.
I played with some dried foam on the side of my mug. “New York,” I found myself saying to him. “But originally from California. That’s where my hometown is.”
He swallowed what was left in his mouth of the gulp he’d just taken, blinking. I didn’t think he expected me to answer what I was pretty sure had been a rhetorical question. Still, he got it back though, wiping the shock from his face as he set his glass down on the table.
“New York, huh?” he asked, tapping his large finger on his glass. He didn’t push this. I was absolutely positive he was scared to and I’d given him reason. I had been so withdrawn from him before.
But I think I could trust him.
His finger left the glass with a smile. “I haven’t been. I got a brother in Miami, but that’s the closest I got.”
I giggled. “That’s not very close.”
My amusement lifted his lips, his hand going to rub behind his neck. “I’m a small town guy, I guess. I don’t even live in El Paso. Just outside of it. I’ve only really gone where my truck will take me.”
I had a feeling about that, him being more small town, but I liked it. I liked him.
“Well, it’s wonderful,” I continued. “The shows. The dancing. That’s what I went for, to dance.”
He didn’t look the least bit surprised, smiling. “It suits you. I can tell it makes you happy.”
He had no idea. The lights, the action, and excitement of the city, I had no words for how great and magical it was. I’d went there with a dream, but came out with a harsh reality.
I tried not to let that reality reflect upon my face, my failures. Instead, I lifted my head, agreeing with what he said. “Yeah, it does. There’s so much life there. It’s amazing. I just loved looking at it every day and being there in the city.”
“I can see that,” he said, his eyes shining. He took a sip of his beer, wiping his mouth after. “It doesn’t sound like you ever wanted to leave. So what’s got you traveling? You just headed home for a while?”
I was headed home for a while. But the thing was, I wouldn’t be going back to New York. My priorities were in California…and magical New York? Well, in the end, it had just been too big for me, but he didn’t want or need to hear all that.
I shook my glass before sipping around the foam. “Mmhmm. I’m headed home for a while, but what about you? Small town guy? How did you find yourself in a job like driving for a living?”
The question caused him to laugh, a light sound that warmed my ears. “I guess in the end, you gotta make money.”
“Yeah, but you could have worked closer to home. It has to be more than that. You must like driving.”
His gaze escaped to the moving crowd. He watched them, no words on his lips. He seemed to have something resting on his mind, but whatever it was, he didn’t share it. He simply tipped back his glass, taking down the remainder. He stood, holding his hand out to me. “Dance with me. The crowd already got their turn with you.”
He didn’t know it, but he could dance with me any time he wanted. I finished my beer and let him guide me away. We went into the pit, but by the time we did, a slow song had started. It was almost as if the deejay knew my silent plea.
Brody brought me in, taking me by the hand. His other hand to my waist, he tugged me, close, and I pressed my body against his, his chest hard and unyielding. I rested my cheek there, loving the way he smelled and the feeling of his hair at the nape of his neck. I worried I was getting too personal, moving my fingers
there, but he was doing it, too. His cheek to the side of my hair, he played with my short strands sending small charges throughout my entire body. He wasn’t doing anything I wasn’t doing myself and the feeling both thrilled me and scared me. We didn’t have a lot of time together.
What we had was borrowed, but in those moments, that didn’t seem to matter. He played with my hair and I played with his and we both allowed ourselves to forget. I guess they called that living in bliss. I brushed my lips against the collar of his t-shirt, that place right before shirt met skin. He breathed in and I knew I hadn’t done so discreetly. His hand bunched the back of my shirt, bringing me closer. I believed he didn’t want me to stop, so I didn’t, pressing my lips harder. Eventually, I touched skin, his, and the feeling warmed me down to my toes.
His head rubbed against mine and I continued, kissing him, breathing him in, and with every kiss, I just wished he’d take me away. He made things so much better. He made me feel… safe. I didn’t deserve that. I didn’t deserve him because I was selfish. I knew because my selfishness was what had kept me away from home so long, my stubbornness.
“Hey, buddy. Quit hogging her. Why don’t you give the rest of us assholes a chance?”
The voice immediately sent my back up and when Brody swiveled us around, it stayed there. A guy in a dark Stetson hat stood to our side and he smelled so strong of whisky, my nose burned. He appraised me, a smile on his lips, and his swaying let me know I wasn’t far off about the alcohol in his system.
Brody brought me back to him, ignoring the guy. He attempted to dance us away without confrontation, but the drunk’s hand touched his arm. Brody’s hand left my waist and I immediately wanted it back. He stepped in front of me. “I think you should take a step back.”
The guy got into Brody’s face and I seized up, gripping Brody’s waist. The guy lifted a finger at Brody. “And I think you should chill out. I just want to dance with her.”
Brody Page 6
