Walk On The Wild Side

by Jami Alden

  Molly forced herself not to roll her eyes, feeling the full weight of all that was loaded into that simple question. “You know, I’m great. Last night was surprisingly—” awesome. Nope, if she went there Ellie would immediately know something was up. “Not awful.” She smiled and nodded at some of the other guests starting to trickle in.

  “You sure? I feel really bad about the whole bouquet thing—”

  Molly waved her hand as she took a sip of coffee. “Don’t worry about it—I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. In the end, it kind of sort of made my night work out a whole lot better. I was so happy for you guys, I didn’t even have time to think about my stupid bullshit.”

  Within a few minutes the table had filled up with Damon’s family, including Sadie and Dylan, Deck and Jane, along with Vivian and Frank Decker. Everyone looked a little bleary eyed and worse for the wear— clearly the party in the bar had gone on after Molly and Brady had made their getaway.

  A server she recognized from the night before, a cute brunette in her early twenties, approached the table with a stack of menus. There was a collective rumble of appreciation as several people made pleas for something extra greasy to soak up the sins of the night before.

  When she put the card describing the breakfast selections in front of Molly, Molly started to refuse it. It had been so long since she’d been able to choke down more than an energy bar in the morning, why should she bother?

  Then she caught sight of—not to mention a whiff of—a plate of amazing looking huevos rancheros topped with fresh avocado and tomato salsa being placed in front of Ellie.

  “Thank you,” Ellie said enthusiastically as her empty waffle plate was whisked away. She forked a bite into her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss.

  Molly’s stomach rumbled with a serious case of food envy and she took the menu from the waitress.

  “You got the eggs too?” Damon asked.

  Ellie’s empty fork froze halfway back to her plate, pointing at Damon in a way that had menace written all over it. “Is there a problem with that?”

  “Well those were some big waffles.”

  His mother made a scolding sound and shot him a “have I taught you nothing” look from across the table.

  “I’m pregnant. I’m hungry,” Ellie said through clenched teeth and forked another huge bite into her mouth.

  “I know, but you don’t want to go too crazy—”

  Her fork hit the plate with a metallic clang. “Are you saying I’m getting fat?”

  All conversation stopped as everyone watched, waiting to see how big of a hole Damon was going to dig for himself.

  “No, honey, of course not,” he said, wisely backpedaling.

  “Because if I’m getting fat, it’s because of you, and you’re also the reason I barfed for six weeks straight and now have to make up for all the food I couldn’t eat because of this little alien taking over my body!”

  Damon wrapped his arm around Ellie’s shoulder, pulling her close even as she tried to shrink away. “Of course you’re not fat. You’re beautiful.” He kissed her nose. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  Ellie smiled a little at that and he tipped her chin up to kiss her on the lips.

  “Mommy, do you really have an alien inside of you?” Anthony asked, excited. The tension broke as laughter rippled across the table.

  “No, honey,” Ellie chuckled, “but sometimes it kind of feels that way.”

  Anthony’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

  “Man, don’t you know any better than to get between a pregnant lady and her food?”

  Her skin prickled with awareness at the sound of the familiar, gruff voice. Brady moved around the table to the only open seat, across from Molly. He nodded in greeting to everyone and slid into his seat, sparing her no more than a casual greeting, which she returned.

  No big deal. Just like nothing happened. Just the way she wanted it.

  The cute brunette hurried over and handed Brady a menu. He said something Molly couldn’t hear but whatever it was it made the woman’s cheeks glow pink.

  Ignoring the pinch in her gut, she turned to Sadie, who was cradling her coffee cup like it held the secrets to her salvation. “You look a little rough this morning.”

  Sadie shot her a look through narrowed, red-rimmed eyes. “Someone thought it would be fun to do body shots in the bar.”

  Dylan jumped as Sadie’s elbow landed squarely in his ribs. “Hey, it’s not my fault you can’t resist licking tequila off my abs.”

  “From that Kermit the frog color you’re sporting,” Brady said to Dylan, “looks like Sadie wasn’t the only one doing the licking.”

  Dylan, whose complexion had a decidedly greenish hue, nodded. “Speaking of licking, you’re looking awful chipper for a guy who was doing the walk of shame in the wee hours of the night.”

  “Oh really,” Sadie said, perking up considerably as she zeroed in on Brady.

  Brady shrugged. “You know me. I never kiss and tell,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  Molly’s heartbeat kicked up a notch, her pulse beating so hard in her throat she was sure the others could see it jumping against her skin. She dropped her gaze to the menu, stared at it until the words blurred to keep herself from looking at Brady.

  “Who could he hook up with?” Ellie said around a mouthful of eggs. “There weren’t any single women here last night.”

  “There was one single girl last night,” Sadie said under her breath.

  Molly smacked her leg under the table.

  “Who says she was with our group?” Deck said. “Some of the waitresses are pretty damn cute. Like that one over there, with the brown hair,” he said, indicating the brunette who had brought them their menus, the one Brady had made blush. “What?!”!Deck jumped in his seat and looked at his wife, whose world famous blue eyes were glaring daggers. “I’m not saying I think she’s attractive, but I could see how Brady might.”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “You’re so full of shit,” she said with a little laugh.

  “So, Brady, was it her?” Vivian piped in. “She is attractive, though maybe a little young for you—”

  “Like that would ever stop him,” Molly interjected, eager to have the conversation over with. “With Brady all it takes is a warm body.”

  The waitress in question came back to the table and set a cup of coffee in front of Brady. He accepted with a smile that made his gray eyes flash in a way that had made legions of women weak in the knees. The waitress was no match for it, stumbling a little as she started around the table to take everyone’s orders.

  The smile faded as he turned his attention to Molly. “I’d like to think I’m a little more discriminating than that.” He took a sip of his coffee. A drop clung to his bottom lip. Molly stared, unable to tear her eyes away as his tongue flicked out to catch it.

  She let her gaze drift to his eyes, immediately wishing she hadn’t when she saw the wicked, knowing look there. A look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking about because he was thinking about the exact same thing. Of his tongue, licking and stroking its way down her body—

  “What happened to your mouth?” Sadie asked.

  Molly snapped her attention away from Brady and turned to her friend, her fingers reflexively going to her lips. “Why?”

  Sadie tilted her head. “It’s all swollen and red, like—”

  “It’s probably an allergic reaction to something,” Molly cut her off with a little shake of her head. Don’t.

  Sadie flashed her a knowing look, pressing her lips together to conceal her smile.

  “Can I take your order?” The waitress was at Molly’s shoulder now. Grateful for the distraction, she ordered a plate of the huevos, even though her stomach was fluttering so much she doubted she’d be able to choke down more than a couple of bites.

  ###

  Brady watched Molly nibble at her food as he choked down a few bites of eggs and toas
t. He tried but couldn’t stop the knot of resentment forming in his gut.

  What did you expect? For her to jump up and shout to the world, ‘It was me! It was me! I was with Brady last night and it was so amazing I want to be with him every night for the rest of my life!’

  No, she’d made it pretty damn clear what she wanted from him, and it was only in the clear light of morning that he realized how stupid he’d been to give it to her.

  He should be used to it by now. Ever since high school, girls had only wanted one thing from him. And he’d learned to give it to them, and give it to them good.

  But even though he was good in bed, he was never good enough to go to a movie, go get a burger. Never good enough to be seen in public with.

  Sure, it had changed after he moved away, but by then the pattern was so ingrained he made it clear to any woman that that was pretty much all he had to offer.

  The one time he had tried for more, it had been a complete disaster, confirming it was best for him to stick with what he knew when it came to women.

  With him, you could expect a damn good time in bed, but there would be no flowers or romantic dinners.

  The only time he’d call or text was if he wanted a little action. The fact that most of the women he’d been with had been just fine with that had never bothered him.

  Until now.

  He did his best to feign interest in the conversation around him, trying to ignore the emotions Molly had twisting around in his gut as she sat across the table, pretending to ignore him, pretending like last night hadn’t happened.

  Didn’t matter.

  That he didn’t matter.

  The waitress came to take his plate. He thanked her and flashed her another smile that made her blush and stammer, “You’re welcome.”

  Felt a savage thrill of satisfaction when he saw Molly’s lips tighten and her brow knit in a little frown.

  Not so impervious.

  Yet she didn’t care enough to stake her claim, did she?

  He went back to his room, trying to ignore the memories he’d thought long buried. Memories of feeling used and cast aside. Of wanting to be more to a girl than a dirty secret.

  It had been a damn long time since any woman had gotten under his skin. Had left him feeling angry and used.

  But he couldn’t deny how he felt this morning, having Molly ignore him at breakfast. It was the same way he’d felt walking the halls of Bonner’s Ferry High, passing Jenny Campbell in the hall. Having her look right through him like he didn’t exist. As if she hadn’t been riding his cock like a rodeo queen the weekend before.

  Snap the fuck out of it, he told himself harshly as he gathered up his stuff. You’re not a clueless seventeen year old chasing after the head of the yearbook committee. And Molly isn’t a stuck up little princess too worried about what her friends will say if they find out she’s been putting in time in the back seat of your beat up Bronco.

  You’re a grown ass man, and if you want Molly as much as you claim, you’re going to have to fight for her. Not go licking your wounds in a corner.

  And if fighting meant following his familiar pattern until he could convince her he was more than just a hard dick, so be it.

  She was in the parking lot loading up her suitcase when he got there, and damned if his breath didn’t catch a little at the sight of her. She gave him a wary look as he made a beeline for her Chevy Tahoe and hurriedly heaved her last bag into the trunk and slammed it shut.

  He could tell she was contemplating making a run for it, and picked up his pace. She stood, arms folded with her butt leaning up against the trunk.

  “Did you need something?” That snotty, butter couldn’t melt in my mouth tone was offset by the slight tremble in her mouth and the nervous way her gaze darted over his shoulder.

  Looking for spectators. Worried they’d get caught.

  “Any warm body will do?” he said, stepping closer. “Is that what you think you are?”

  She let out a nervous laugh. “Do we really need to discuss this now?” she asked and started to sidle towards the driver’s side door.

  “You really think I’m that much of a man whore?” he pressed, planting his hands on either side of his hips so she couldn’t get away.

  He felt her stiffen, heard her breath catch as he leaned in close enough to catch the scent of her shampoo wafting off her freshly washed hair.

  “I think…” She paused, licked her lips which were still swollen and slightly abraded from the night before. “I think it would be stupid of me to believe I matter more to you than any other one night stand.” The look in her blue eyes was challenging, daring him to tell her different.

  The urge to tell her that she was so much more than a one night stand, so much more than any other woman he’d been with, bubbled up in his chest.

  He shoved it back. Too soon. Not only was she too fresh from her break up with Josh, she didn’t trust Brady enough to believe it was anything other than a line. When he finally told her the truth about what she meant to him, she damned well needed to be ready to believe him.

  “One night stand? That what you think that was?” He bent his head, close enough for his breath to ruffle the curls waving around her ear.

  She shrugged. “I went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew not to expect anything more.”

  He ignored the little stab in his gut. He’d spent years laying the groundwork for women to have low expectations of him. That it had worked on Molly shouldn’t matter.

  What mattered was that he wanted to change them. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to do that by leaving this at one and done.

  Not that he could leave her alone now, now that he’d had a taste.

  He leaned in, pressed his mouth to the frantically beating pulse in her neck as his hand slid up her leg. “Let’s get this straight,” he whispered. “I’ve been waiting almost a year to get a piece of this.” He squeezed her thigh for emphasis. “If you think I’m going to be satisfied after one night, you’re out of your mind.”

  “Don’t I have anything to say about it?”

  He kissed her then, sliding his tongue between her lips so she could taste the hunger still roiling inside of him. When he lifted his head, her cheeks were flushed and her eyelids were heavy over dazed blue eyes.

  “Sure,” he said and kissed her again, softer this time. “But last night was just a taste. You want to try and tell me you’re not hungry for more?

  Her lips parted, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by the sound of laughter and gravel crunching as someone approached.

  Molly shoved him aside as she pushed away from the trunk. “I need to go,” she said as she anxiously scanned the parking lot, her shoulders relaxing when she realized no one had seen them.

  He folded his arms across his chest, resisting the urge to yank her back into his arms and kiss her until she didn’t give a flying fuck who saw them.

  All in good time.

  “I’ll see you around then.”

  Chapter 5

  I’ve been waiting almost a year to get a piece of this.

  The words popped into Molly’s brain later that afternoon as she was putting together a pan of butternut squash macaroni and cheese.

  The newlyweds were hosting a small barbecue for the family before Deck and Jane and Sadie and Dylan had to take off the next morning.

  The words were so crude, so objectifying, she reflected as she stirred a handful of gruyere into the béchamel she had simmering on the stovetop at the restaurant. She stirred the sauce into the bowl of cooked pasta and added the cubes of squash that she’d roasted earlier. After pouring it into a pan, she realized she didn’t have enough cheese left to sprinkle over the top.

  A quick look in the fridge confirmed that while they had half a dozen varieties of cheese ranging from creamy goat to hard cheddar, there was no more of the gruyere.

  Thankfully the Big Timber IGA was right on the way.

  Piece of this. He may as well have refe
rred to her as a piece of ass, she reflected as she carefully wrapped up her dish and stowed it on the floor in front of the passenger seat of her Tahoe. It should have made her want to slap him in the face. Instead, the thought of seeing him again soon made her body hum with awareness, pulse with energy so fierce she felt like she was going to burst out of her skin at the mere thought of him.

  Far from objectified, or used, or anything she worried she might feel after a night of casual sex, the memory of the way Brady had looked at her in the parking lot, the way he’d kissed her, his barely leashed hunger unmistakable, made her feel wanted.

  Desirable in a way she hadn’t felt in years, or maybe ever.

  And desiring. So much so that every nerve ending was already humming as she pulled up in front of the IGA. Molly was well acquainted with the gourmet cheese section and within moments she’d located a sizable hunk of the variety she needed.

  She straightened and was turning to head for the cash register when she felt the impact of another body against her back.

  “Excuse me, I’m so sorry—" She froze when she saw the shocked face of the woman she’d run into.

  “Molly.” Dory Patton, Josh’s mother, was staring at her with a look in her kind brown eyes that was equal parts surprise and guilt.

  They stared at each other for several seconds as Molly felt the buzz of anticipation at seeing Brady fade in the face of a wave of near crippling grief. It caught her off guard, how sad she felt at seeing Dory for the first time in the weeks since she and Josh had split. For over a decade, Dory and her husband Bob had been like another mom and dad to her, having her over for meals and even taking her on an odd vacation here and there.

  Then, with one decision that turned that whole “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” on its head, Josh had taken that all away from her.

  Molly had been so numb at first, then so focused on moving on with her life, she hadn’t realized how much she missed Josh’s parents until she looked into Dory’s familiar face.

  The silence broke as both women started talking at once.