Good at Being Bad

by Codi Gary

  “You got it. Have fun.”

  “Bye.”

  “Good night.”

  Once she’d slipped the phone in her pocket, Mike took her hand and led her around to the passenger side, opening the door for her. “You ready?”

  Ellie’s stomach somersaulted with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. “I am.”

  By the time they got back to Mike’s place, it was almost eleven. They swung by Gracie’s to grab Smalls, but Eric answered the door to inform him that Gracie wasn’t talking to him.

  Any other night, Mike would have walked in and confronted her, but Ellie had been waiting in the car for him. The last thing he wanted to do was keep her waiting.

  It occurred to him now as he flipped on his living room light that Ellie was planning on staying the night with him. Did that mean just to sleep because she was scare of the person who’d slashed her tires, or did she want more comfort than that?

  Mike’s heart started hammering as he imagined sleeping with Ellie, reaching out and touching her. Pulling her into his body and rolling her beneath until he was inside, bringing them both to heaven. “Should I sleep on the couch? I can let you have my bed.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. We can share a bed. Two people can do that without screwing, you know.”

  So, he was a little disappointed. He was a guy. “I get it. I’m glad you trust me to respect your boundaries.”

  “If you tried anything, I would just tell Smalls to eat balls.”

  Mike eyeballed his puppy, who cocked his head at him. “Yeah, that’s terrifying.”

  “I know, right? Can I use your bathroom?”

  “Yeah, you know where it is. Do you want to watch some TV?”

  “Actually, I’m tired. Do you mind if I crash?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Thanks. For letting me stay.”

  When she disappeared into the guest bathroom, he went back to his room and picked up his clothes from earlier. He tossed them in the hamper and then used his master bathroom to get ready for bed.

  By the time he got done with the bedroom and came back, Ellie was under the covers, with Smalls sleeping right next to her in the middle of the bed.

  “Dog, you’re a spoiled brat.”

  Smalls barked and rolled over onto his stomach. Ellie rubbed it with a laugh as Mike crawled into bed.

  “He knows who the boss is, huh?”

  “I wish.” Mike watched her over the puppy for a half a second, wondering if he should kiss her goodnight. When she didn’t move, he turned and flicked off the light. “Good night, Ellie.”

  “Good night.”

  After a few minutes of laying on his back listening to Small’s snores, he heard her whisper, “Mike?”

  “Yeah?” He turned his head to look at her but her back was to him.

  “Will you hold me?”

  She didn’t need to ask him twice.

  He moved Smalls to the end of the bed scooted up against her. Then, he draped his arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. “I’d love to.”

  He was wearing only boxers and a T-shirt and could tell that under the covers she was in her Bruins shirt, but had removed her jeans. The smooth skin of her leg rubbed against his, and his cock hardened involuntarily. He tried to make it go away, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he ignored it.

  Pretty soon, he felt her relax against him and her breathing deepened. As Mike snuggled closer to her, taking in her fruity scent, he realized that holding Ellie was better than anything he’d ever experienced.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ellie bolted up and out of Mike’s arms just after six in the morning.

  “What’s wrong?” Mike mumbled.

  “I thought I heard something.”

  Mike rolled out of bed, and flipped on the lamp. Smalls, who was sleeping up on the pillow by her head, yawned.

  “You stay put, and I’ll check things out. Come on, Smalls. It’s potty time.”

  Mike walked out the door and Ellie, ignoring his suggestion to stay put, followed behind him. He let Smalls out into the fenced back yard, and Ellie shivered as the cold morning air stung her legs and arms.

  Suddenly, Mike exclaimed, “What the hell?”

  She watched him run to the side door of his garage, and open it.

  “Motherfucker!”

  Ellie picked Smalls up when he finished pooping and started to go into the garage.

  “Watch your step. There is glass everywhere.”

  Ellie stood where she was, her mouth hanging open. Mike’s motorcycle was trashed. It looked as though someone had taken a baseball bat to it, then spray painted the wreckage with bright orange paint.

  “I need to file a report,” he said mildly.

  “How can you be so calm? That bike must have been expensive, and with everything going on with your business…God, Mike, I am so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.” He stopped in front of her and cradled the back of her neck with his hand, his fingers threading into her messy hair. “I thought I told you to stay put.”

  “I’m not very good at taking orders,” she said.

  He kissed her lips. “It was a suggestion, not an order. I’ll preface it as such next time.”

  Worrying her bottom lip, she twisted her hands together to stop the shaking. “Do you think it’s Forrest?”

  Mike’s countenance was grim. “I don’t know. It could be. I can’t imagine he liked me dumping sports drink on him after knocking him on his ass.”

  Ellie couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “I have a hard time feeling sorry for him.”

  Mike’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, me, too.”

  As he pulled out his phone and called the cops, Ellie went back inside to get her pants on. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she should tell Mike to stay away, that she was more trouble than she was worth, but not having Mike around hurt. Sure, it had only been a few weeks, but besides Jenny, he was the closest thing she had to a friend. Just knowing he was around made her feel safe and secure, something she hadn’t experienced since she was a child.

  Maybe my feelings for Mike are more than just attraction and lust?

  But caring about a man like Mike was dangerous to her already mangled heart. If she fell for him, eventually they were going to have the talk about the future and what they wanted. Could he handle the fact that she wasn’t Miss Together?

  What was making her crazy is trying to figure out who was behind the vandalism. It could very well be Forrest, but it seemed extreme to Ellie that he would do this over a woman he had only been dating a few weeks. And as for the people in town that hated her, that number had been dwindling with Mike’s support.

  Or so it seemed.

  Ellie walked back outside and found Mike standing in the garage. Sam Weathers had his notepad out and was taking down whatever Mike was saying. Ellie caught the tail end of the conversation as she came to stand next to Mike.

  “I’ll go by Forrest’s place and ask him where he was last night, but without a witness, it will be very hard to sort this mess out,” Sam said, glancing at Ellie. “I really think a camera system would help.”

  “I’ll take care of it today,” Mike said.

  “How?” Ellie asked.

  “I have a few wireless systems in the shop. I’ll see which one will work the best and then set it up after work tonight.”

  “I’ll let you know what I find out, Mike,” Sam said, touching his hat brim. “Ellie.”

  Sam walked towards his cruiser, and Ellie frowned at Mike. “Well, he’s kind of useless, isn’t he?”

  “He’s just afraid to rock too many boats. We’ll get the cameras set up and go from there.”

  “Even if we get camera proof, is Deputy Dip Shit going to do anything?” Ellie asked.

  “Yeah, Sam is a good cop, but he’d kind of an optimist. It’s hard for him to imagine people capable of this kind of thing.”

  Ellie hesitated, before glancing at the c
lock on her phone. “I should make sure Jenny is okay.”

  “I’m just going to take some pictures for my insurance.”

  “I really hate that you have to install cameras because of me,” she grumbled.

  Mike kissed her forehead, his hand cupping the back of her neck. “It’s only for a little while. Whoever they are, they’re escalating. They’ll be back.”

  “How do you know that?” Her forehead was tingling where his lips had touched her skin.

  “I watch a lot of Criminal Minds,” Mike said, grinning.

  “Let me guess, you think Morgan is hot?”

  “Oh, yeah, bring on the Chocolate Thunder,” Mike said.

  Ellie burst out laughing, and didn’t even have time to close her mouth or catch her breath before Mike was kissing her. His tongue swept inside to tangle with hers, and she melted into him as his other arm went around her lower back. Her lips pulsed by the time he pulled back, being thoroughly sucked and nipped.

  “I like you,” Mike said suddenly, startling her.

  Ellie’s throat tightened a little, and her voice sounded breathless as she said, “I like you, too.”

  “Well, now that we have that out of the way, what are you doing for the fourth?”

  Her heart slammed in her chest even as she joked. “I am going to make a fancy Pinterest dessert and eat it all by myself.”

  “Or, you could come with me to my parents’ home. They do a big barbecue and we watch the fireworks,” Mike said.

  Ellie couldn’t believe he was asking her to meet his parents. Her whole body broke out in a cold sweat and she wanted to start breathing fast. Was this what panicking felt like?

  “I don’t know—”

  “Look, this isn’t a marriage proposal or even a ‘meet the parents’ situation. This is a pity invite.”

  “A pity invite?” she said in disbelief.

  “Yeah, I figured whatever you had planned was pathetic and decided to save you by inviting you to my incredibly awkward family dinner, where you will eat delicious food, even as my mother grills you like a Guantanamo interrogator.”

  “You make it sound so appealing, but I think I’ll pass,” Ellie said.

  She couldn’t miss Mike’s disappointment. “You sure? I promise to protect you from her evil clutches.”

  Ellie tried to squash the part of her that was tempted. To go to a barbecue with a sweet guy and get to know his family.

  But she wasn’t sure she could handle the look on his mother’s face if she knew Ellie’s reputation.

  “No clutches or looking at pictures of you naked with the chickenpox?” Ellie said.

  “I can’t promise on the pictures. I’m the apple of her eye, but I’ll make sure you’re never alone with her.”

  The eagerness on his face was too contagious to hold out. “Fine, what should I bring?”

  Mike kissed her nose. “Just your sweet self.”

  “I’m not showing up empty-handed, but I’ll think of something,” Ellie said.

  “Maybe we can make a day of it and go to the parade and the extravaganza afterward?”

  “I think you’re pushing it.”

  It was just after one in the afternoon and Mike was playing with the cameras he had in the shop. He wanted to set them up at Ellie’s place, too, but he would have to talk to her about that. First, he had some business to attend to.

  Gracie walked through the door and he looked up with a grin.

  “Hey, if it isn’t my nemesis.” He pointed to his desk where a pizza box sat. “I got your favorite.”

  “You cannot buy my forgiveness with pizza.” She flipped open the lid and pulled out a slice of Hawaiian. “What do you want?”

  “I have a proposition, but we are waiting for one more person.”

  “Who?”

  The door dinged and Wendy walked in, decked out in a pair of black capris and blue tank top.

  “Wendy, this is Gracie Henderson. She owns The Local Bean. Gracie, this is Wendy. She is the one opening the internet café.”

  Wendy frowned at him. “What is this?”

  “Okay, before you get mad, I have been thinking. Wendy has said that she wants to open up the internet café, but hates all the complexities and permits of a place that sells food. So, I was thinking, instead of competing with each other, why don’t you go into business together?”

  “Why would you think this was a good idea?” Gracie asked, her hands set firmly on her hips.

  “Because you’ve said you wish that you had less responsibilities at the Bean, and this solves that.”

  “I already paid for the space,” Wendy said.

  “That’s okay, because Gracie’s lease is up for renewal, so she is free to move.”

  “Excuse me, who says I want to?”

  “I feel like you’re missing the point. You two can help each other achieve your goals without ruining the other. If you can’t see that, then fine.” Mike grabbed his keys off the desk. “I am going to see a man about my motorcycle, so if you ladies don’t mind, I would like to lock up for lunch.”

  Gracie picked up her pizza and the two women walked ahead of him. Gracie opened the lid on the sidewalk and held the box out toward Wendy. “Want a slice?”

  “I’m on a low-carb thing but…yes, please. I am so hungry.”

  “Want to finish this at the Bean? Mango iced tea on me?”

  Wendy hesitated for a half a second before nodding. “Sounds good. I’ve actually never been inside your shop.”

  “You’re going to love it.”

  Mike smiled and finished locking up. Then he drove to Gabe’s custom shop, parking directly in front of the office.

  When he walked through the door, he knew it was bad from Gabe’s expression.

  “I guess it would be too much to assume you can slap a bandage on and all will be well?”

  Gabe shook his head. “I am so sorry, man. She’s going to need a complete overhaul. It’s going to be an easy ten grand, and that’s with the friends and family discount.”

  Well, that was it then. There was no way he could do that, not now. Business might be picking up, but he couldn’t put himself in more debt.

  He nodded. “I appreciate you looking at her. What do I owe you?”

  “It’s on me. I just hope you find the son of a bitch and make him pay.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  He got back in the car and had a message from Ellie.

  What did Gabe say???

  Mike knew she was going to feel like shit if he told her the truth.

  She’ll be golden.

  Oh, good! I will pay for all the repairs.

  NO! This wasn’t your fault.

  Yeah, it is! If I hadn’t been at your place, they wouldn’t have broken in.

  He needed to change the subject. Are you going to come over tonight?

  I promised Jenny a girls’ night out. Rain check?

  Sure. Have fun.

  Mike?

  Yeah?

  I liked sleeping with you last night.

  Mike grinned and tapped out a response. I like the fact that my pillow smells like you.

  Maybe you can come over tomorrow and scent my pillow?

  Mike’s heart thundered in his chest. Are you asking me to come over and stay the night?

  Yes.

  What time?”

  Come over at five. I’ll make you dinner.

  I’ll be there.

  Ellie regretted telling Mike no, but it was hard to rationalize putting him and his property in danger while someone wanted to hurt her.

  She sat on the couch, dipping Oreos in milk, as Jenny came through the door with a slam.

  Only when she turned around, it wasn’t just Jenny, but Caroline and Val as well.

  “I wasn’t sure what would cheer you up, so I brought Bridget Jones, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Magic Mike,” Caroline said.

  “Please say Magic Mike!” Jenny said.

  “That movie has a terrible plot,” Ellie said. B
oth women’s eyes widened and as they looked at each other, they burst out laughing.

  “You do not watch Magic Mike for its plot. You watch it for the half-naked sexy men,” Caroline said.

  “I haven’t seen Bridget Jones in a while and Colin Firth only gets hotter,” Ellie said.

  “Hell, yeah, he does.” Jenny grabbed a bag of chips and a Coke from Ellie’s snack pile, she held them in from of her and deepened her voice. “To the living room!”

  Ellie and Caroline laughed. Ellie was hoping that the movie would distract her so she wouldn’t think about Mike.

  Until Colin turned around in that ridiculous reindeer sweater and all Ellie could think about was that his eyes reminded her of Mike’s.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Travis eyed Mike with concern as he took another shot of Patron.

  “Maybe you should slow down, buddy,” It was almost ten, and Drew, Travis, Gabe, and Mike had been at Buck’s long enough for Mike to be past buzzed and getting into full-on fucked up.

  “Believe me, I need this.”

  “Dude, I never would have asked you to come out with us if I thought it was going to be a pity party,” Drew said.

  Mike clenched his fists in frustration, wishing that they would just let him drink and stop worrying about him. “It’s not. I am chasing my troubles away.”

  Only Gabe had kept his mouth shut, but then again, Gabe wasn’t someone who got involved in other people’s business. Mike liked him, even if the first time they met Mike had been taking out Gabe’s now wife, Caroline. It seemed so long ago now, especially since Ellie wouldn’t get out of his head.

  Mike wasn’t mad that she’d decided to stay in tonight. It was probably better anyway, considering how pissed off he was at life.

  “Hey, Stevens, how are you enjoying my seconds?”

  Forrest’s snide shout broke into his thoughts like an axe through a door. Mike stiffened and turned on the barstool to face the turd, who was flanked by Walt and Wayne Coulter, sneers on their stupid faces.

  Since when did those assholes hang out with anyone but each other?

  “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

  “Come on, Mike,” Travis said.

  Forrest was grinning from ear to ear. “I think you heard me. It must kill you to know I had her first.”