Be Brave With Me

by J. B. Havens

  “No!” I shout into the phone. I see Nana’s curious stare but ignore it. “Just pick me up when you’ve got a minute. I don’t want to bother Drew.”

  “Sure thing, Miss Meg. See you in a bit.” He ends the call before giving me a chance to respond.

  “Why isn’t Drew coming to get you?” Nana inquires.

  “Nana, I know he’s your grandson and the apple of your eye, but I don’t want to see him right now, so I’m asking you to respect that.” I need ten fucking minutes without seeing him or hearing someone talk about him. He’s messing with my head.

  “Fair enough, but remember what I told you about hurting him.” She wags her finger at me in warning.

  “He isn’t the only one who’s been hurt, Nana. I’ve been too. More than any person should be.” Without another word or a backward glance, I leave the office. I can’t wait to get the wheel of Brandon’s Jeep back under my hands. I need to get the fuck out of here. Thoughts of Drew try to invade, but I shove them aside. He has all these people here who love him.

  I have no one.

  I return to my room, locking the door behind me. I lean my back against it, softly banging my head against the wood. “What the fuck is happening to me?” I hear Drew’s truck pull up. Surprised, I peek out the window and see him glance at my door before stomping to the office. Man, he’s so pissed and it’s all my fault. I really am toxic. A few moments later, Drew comes back out, anger in every step. Shit. I don’t know what to do with this. He seemed so calm this morning when I told him I needed space, but it’s clear he’s anything but calm now. Maybe something happened at the garage. Maybe this isn’t all on me. I follow his progress until he heads to the equipment shed toward the back of the property. Ah, shit. He talked to Nana.

  I pace around my room. I want him. More than I should, or ever thought possible. My heart and body are screaming at me to go to him, rip his clothes off, and fuck the bad temper out of him. My head though . . . my head is preaching caution. Just wait.

  So that’s what I do, but not for long. I watch in relief as my Cherokee pulls into the parking lot. I snatch my purse and run out the door before Nolan can park. I want to get the hell out of here before Drew sees us. I know if he sees me, there will be no stopping the argument I feel coming on. How we could be gearing up for our first argument when we’d met only a few days ago, I have no fucking clue, but there it is.

  Nolan barely stops before I open the door and hop in. I haven’t sat in the passenger seat of this Jeep in too long. My heart skips a beat for just a moment before I let it go.

  “Whoa, girl!” Nolan gripes before pulling out. “Don’t you want to drive it?”

  “I will later. Thanks for picking me up.” I click my seatbelt into place and stare out the window.

  “I’m assumin’ you might have something to do with Drew’s shitty mood today?”

  “Nolan, look, I know you mean well, and Drew is your friend, but whatever mood he’s in is his own problem. I’m not going to talk about it with you. Sorry.” I shrug, still not looking at him.

  “Fair enough, but whatever happened had him bashin’ his knuckles and kickin’ over an oil bin this morning. I haven’t seen him that amped up in a helluva long time. Did he tell you he used to cage fight?”

  “Yeah, he did. Don’t worry, you didn’t just step in the shit revealing your boy’s secrets. Like I said, though, I’m not going to discuss Drew with you.”

  “I hear ya. So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

  I have a feeling he’s just one of those people who’s uncomfortable with silence. “I don’t know. I might go back to this boutique I was at the other day.” Thoughts of homecoming weigh on me. I need a dress. Again. Fuck. There’s no question I’m still going. I know, regardless of what happens with Drew and me later tonight, I’ll be at that game.

  “Sally’s?” Nolan perks up. I think I see his cheeks coloring.

  “Yeah, you know it?”

  “Everyone knows Sally’s.” He says gruffly, deflecting. I think there’s more to this story.

  “Hmm. Seems I’m not the only one around here with problems in my love life. You’re sweet on Sally, aren’t you?”

  He gapes at me like a fish out of water. “No! I mean, she’s beautiful; any man would be lucky to be with her.” He scrubs his hand down his face. “I’m not sweet on her. I don’t even like her.”

  “Liar,” I taunt, enjoying turning the tables on him. I don’t get a chance to tease him any longer since we’re pulling into the lot of the garage.

  “Come on, let’s get the paperwork taken care of and you can be on your way.”

  Ten minutes later my bill is paid, and I’m back behind the wheel of my Jeep. I drive to Sally’s trying to pretend nothing has changed, but something shifted in me last night with Drew, and I don’t know what it was. Or I didn’t want to admit to myself what it was.

  “One day, one night at a time, right, baby?” I slide my hand along the dash out of habit, but the old connection seems to be gone. I can’t feel Brandon anymore. Drew has invaded my thoughts yet again. Sex with him is amazing. The look in Drew’s eyes last night, the intensity and depth of feeling, scare the hell out of me. It scares me because I want it so badly. This trip is supposed to be about finding myself again, figuring out who I am and where I want to go with my life. More than that, it’s the chance for me to do all the things Brandon and I hadn’t been able to do before he died. We’d made a whole list of places to visit, things to see and do. I promised him I’d finish the list in his honor. Initially, I’d put the trip on hold, thinking I was going to be a mother. Now, they’re both gone, so I need to finish what we started. Drew is a complication I didn’t foresee. This journey was not supposed to lead me to a man whose smile stops my heart and whose hands leave me begging for more. I want his laugh, his sorrow, his deepest secrets. I shouldn’t want that. This connection makes no sense.

  My thoughts keep spinning around in my mind as I arrive at Sally’s store. “What the hell am I doing?” Am I really going to go in there and buy a freaking homecoming dress? What the hell, am I seventeen again? Drew asked and I’d said yes, so I’m committed now. Dammit.

  Fuck me.

  I bash my hand against the wheel then get out. I have a temper from hell and all this confusion with Drew and stupid emotions have me seeing red. I climb out of the Jeep and head into the store, greeted again by the jingling of the bell over the door.

  “Hey, Meg! Back again so soon?” Sally’s head pokes up from behind a rack of dresses.

  “Sure am. This time, it’s homecoming. I need something special and I know you’re just the girl to get it for me.” I trail my hand along a rack of dresses. some are gowns, their hems brushing along the floor in colorful waves, others are hardly long enough to cover a girl’s ass.

  “What sort of special do ya mean, girl?”

  “Angry and beautiful.”

  Her wide grin lights up the whole store. “Oh, honey, I think you’re my new favorite customer. Drew’s gonna choke on his tongue when I’m done with you.” She laughs and grabs me by the hand, tugging me along to the back of the store. “You wore red last time, so I think silver would be perfect. With your hair and coloring, it’ll pop.”

  “Let’s do this.” I grin back, just as excited. There’s something to be said for dressing with a specific purpose in mind. My purpose is to shock and awe, with maybe a hint of something deeper. I’m not sure yet when I’ll be leaving Green Springs, but when I do, I want Drew to remember this dress, this homecoming night, forever. “How do you know about Drew?”

  “Oh, honey, this is a small town. Everyone knows about you and Drew.”

  I’m not thrilled that everyone in town seems to know something is going on with us. I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the wall, desperate to steer the conversation away from Drew. “What about you and Nolan?”

  “Nolan?” She whips around, surprise on her face. “There is no me and Nolan. What gave you that
idea?”

  “Something he said today. I think he’s got a thing for you.”

  “I can’t stand that man! And he doesn’t like me either. Even if he did, which I doubt very much, nothing would come of it. I’ve sworn off men.”

  I think Sally’s protesting too much, but I’m not telling her that. “So, what, you’re into women? That’s cool. I bet your dating pool is pretty small around here, though.” I laugh at her expression. She seems shocked that my mind went there.

  “No! I am not into ladies. I dress them; I don’t date them. I don’t have any problem with those that do, mind you, but what I should have said is that I don’t date. Not anymore. I had a bad experience back home in Chicago and now I’m here. That’s it.”

  My ears perk up at hearing she’s from Chicago. “I can understand that. I feel the same way.” She raises her eyebrow, obviously not believing me. “Current affairs aside, I don’t date, either. I don’t know what the hell Drew and I are doing, but we’re not dating. We’re screwing.”

  Sally nearly drops an armful of dresses, each a different shade of silver or white. “Meg! You shouldn’t talk like that.”

  “Why not? It’s the truth,” I shrug. It feels great to talk to another woman about guy problems.

  “It’s not polite.”

  “Neither am I.” I laugh at the big city girl’s expression. “You better get over that shock if we’re gonna hang out.”

  “We’re hanging out now?” She shoves the dresses into my arms and opens a dressing room. “Get in there and try them on. I want to see each one.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I chuckle, Sally seems to have a way of chilling me out and calming my anger. “I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends.”

  Chapter 30

  Drew

  Drew pulled into his parking spot, exhaustion hanging heavy on his shoulders. After working around the motel all day, he’d coached practice. With the big homecoming game Friday night, they’d pushed the boys and himself harder than ever. As he put his truck in park, he looked up and saw Meg’s Jeep back in its familiar spot. His anger had fizzled throughout the day and now he just wanted to see her and be near her. They’d agreed to talk tonight, but, right now, he wasn’t sure what he was going to say. His feelings were jumbled and confused. He wanted her; he needed to feel her skin against his own. He needed to hear her breathless sighs and whispered words; he needed her hair in his face and her body under his own. It was more than sex; her touch healed his battered soul. He sat there a few moments longer and came to a decision.

  He’d take what he could get. If he only had her for a few more days, he was going to make the most of it and give them both the best week of their lives. If she still left after that, well, she’d know where to find him.

  Stepping out of his truck, he considered going right over and pounding on her door, but after catching a whiff of himself, he decided a shower was in order. Ten minutes later, his hair still wet, he knocked on Meg’s door. She opened it slowly, framing herself in the doorway.

  “Hey.” He tucked his hands into his pockets, less from nerves than to quell the desire to grab her by the back of the neck and kiss her until her legs gave out.

  “Come in.” Standing back, she stepped aside and closed the door behind him. “I heard you had a rough day.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Nolan told me.” She cocked her head to the side, and her expression was hard to read. There was a tension between them he didn’t like or understand. She seemed to be spoiling for a fight.

  “Are you gonna ask why I had a shit day?”

  She sat on the desk chair, crossing her arms over her chest, huffing slightly. “I suppose I had something to do with it.”

  Her attitude was back in full force, her walls firmly back in place. Good thing he worked construction sometimes—he loved demo days. “Yeah. A bit. Things seemed good this mornin’, and then you pulled back. I wanna know why.”

  “Why? I told you I needed some space. I didn’t expect you to go off stomping around town like a child having a fucking tantrum.”

  “What exactly is the problem here? That I care enough to be upset or that you do?” His temper was showing its face again. It didn’t take much after an entire day of being pissed off.

  “Fuck off, Drew. Just because we fucked doesn’t mean you know me or anything about me.” She rose, stomping to the door and flinging it open. “I don’t need this shit. You can go.”

  He followed, jerking the door free from her grip and slamming it closed, then turning the lock. “I thought I told you about your filthy mouth,” he growled at her, getting right up into her face.

  “You didn’t seem to mind my filthy, fucking mouth when it was sucking your cock last night!” She yelled back. Her breath was hot against his cheeks. His eyes narrowed when he caught a splash of color near the bed, a shopping bag from Sally’s. He was calling bullshit.

  “Woman,” he snarled. Reaching down and gripping her face, he kissed her roughly. He smashed his lips against hers, their teeth clicking together as he ate at her mouth, swallowing her moans. Anger boiled hot in his blood, spiced with lust and need. He ripped the clip out of her hair, burying his hands in the waves that fell down around them. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

  Her breath came faster and her hands clawed at his shirt, ripping it off him. “Likewise. Now, shut the fuck up.” She grabbed his face, jerking it back down to her own and claiming his mouth again, sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, biting hard enough that he cursed.

  He pulled back and stripped off her shirt. Then walked her backward until her knees hit the bed. Shoving her down onto the mattress he followed her, covering her body with his own. He hissed in pleasure when their skin touched; he loved her softness. She fit against him like a missing piece. She was made to be there, with him. His heart was hammering in his chest as the realization of the depth of his feelings for her hit him. He more than wanted her, he needed her. In his life, as well as in his bed.

  He claimed her mouth again, not able to get enough of her taste. Her lips. Her tongue against his own. He left her mouth, licking and kissing down her neck. He sank his teeth into the soft skin there, sucking hard and doing his best to mark her. She squirmed and hissed, arching her back up, pressing her breasts against his chest. He turned his attention to the other side, and she dug her nails into his back. He groaned, pressed her down into the bed with his hips, and rocked his cock against her. Running his hand down her chest, he slipped his palm into her bra, squeezing her breast and flicking his thumb over her nipple. He wanted his teeth there too. He felt primal, wanting to stake his claim on her for everyone to see.

  “Drew. Pants.” She jerked at the waistband of his jeans, tugging the button free.

  “Stop trying to lead.” He shoved her hands away and fell to his knee at the edge of the bed. He jerked her shoes and socks off, reaching for her pants. He didn’t waste a moment in ridding her of them. “Take your bra off. I would, but my hands are busy.” He glared up at her, his temper still riding him. His dick grew harder at the sight of her own temper reflected in her eyes. She was even more gorgeous when she was angry. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breasts rose and fell with each desperate drag of air. Hooking his thumbs into the delicate lace of her panties, he jerked and shredded them, tossing the scraps of material over his shoulder. He grinned at her outraged gasp. “I’ll buy you more.” Grabbing her hips, he pulled her closer. “Bra. Off. Now,” he commanded. Her hips jerked toward him, undulating with her need to be touched. He held her firmly, not giving in until she gave him what he wanted.

  Propping up on her elbows, she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. “There. Now what?” She huffed, toying with him.

  “Now,” he began, pausing as he drew her hips closer to his face. “I’m gonna do whatever the fuck I want. Anythin’ else you wanna say?” He stared up at her, meeting her eyes, which were heavy with desire. He tossed his glasses off and onto the floor, hating to
do it. He wanted to see her clearly, but they got in the damn way.

  “So you’re allowed to say fuck and I’m not?” She snarled, her anger overriding her desire for a moment.

  “I can when you’ve pissed me off and shut me out. I won’t stand for it.” He was being a bastard and he knew it, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. She brought out the best and worst in him. “Are you done with your bitchin’ so I can eat this pussy now?”

  She fell back, her arms stretched out wide along the bed, gripping the comforter.

  “Thought so,” he said as he kissed the inside of her thigh. Her skin was so soft against his lips and she tasted like oranges. How, he had no clue, but he wasn’t going to question it. He ran his fingers down the seam of her pussy, watching how the light glistened on the wetness there. He’d never thought of himself as a forceful lover but taking control with Meg seemed to do it for both of them. “You like it when I take charge.”

  “Yes. Drew, you’re killing me. Stop teasing,” she pleaded, fisting her hands in his hair, trying to force his mouth closer to where she wanted it most.

  “You want me to eat you, darlin’?” He kissed her thighs, biting and nibbling his way across her legs and pelvis, avoiding the bull’s eye. Teasing her was too much fun, sweet torture for them both.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  “Use your manners, minx.” Catching her gaze with his own, he ran the tip of his tongue down her, parting the lips slightly, just enough to make her gasp and jerk. Christ, she tasted so good.

  “Please, Drew!” she begged.

  Grinning, he groaned in pleasure as he buried his face between her legs. She tasted like the sea, fresh and spicy. Swirling his tongue around her clit then down to her entrance and back up again, he traced patterns, paying attention to what made her hiss and moan with pleasure and what made her tremble. Putting one hand on her stomach, he held her still while he ran his other hand up the inside of her thigh. Slipping two fingers inside her, her muscles clamped down on them, making him wish they were squeezing his dick instead. There would be time for that later. Pumping his fingers in and out of her, he alternated between sucking on her clit and swirling his tongue around the little bundle of nerves. She was screaming and bucking against his face, her heels dug into his back, and her thighs gripped his head. He groaned against her, enjoying every second of the pleasure he gave her.