“Sorry, I fucking hate that saying.”
“Me too.”
We both fall silent while a million questions hang in the air between us. I can see in her eyes that she wants to ask about my regrets just as badly as I want to know about hers. I might have suggested one date after this, but I’ve certainly not signed up for all the feelings and shit, so I force my mouth to stay shut, no matter how much I want to get to know what she’s hiding.
It’s two hours later when I finish off the drifting seeds and write names into three of them.
“Who’s this for?” I ask, although I’m not sure it’s a really good idea. If she wanted to talk then surely she’d have offered up the information.
“My parents and my sister. They were killed a few years ago.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now.”
“Ain’t that the fucking truth,” I say, thinking of the people who I’ve lost that had a hand in my move over here. “What doesn’t break us only makes us stronger.”
“Jesus, you’re all about the one-liners today, huh?”
“Can’t help myself. That one I kinda believe in, though.”
“Me too. So now what?”
I blow out a breath, thinking of what I’d really like to do with her laid out here before me. “I can show you, and then we wrap it and go for dinner.”
I push my kit to the side and hold my hand out to help her up.
The sight of her in just her underwear threatens to floor me just like it did when she first pulled her dress off.
“Over here.” I pull her to stand in front of the mirror and grab another to hold behind her.
“Oh my God,” she gasps when she gets her first look at her ink.
“It’ll look better once your skin settles.” Where she’s naturally so pale, the redness around the ink looks extra angry right now.
“It’s incredible, Corey. Thank you.”
Lowering the mirror, I give in to my need to touch her. I step up behind her and place my hand on her waist, while meeting her eyes in the mirror. They’re full with tears, but delight sparkles within them.
“Is it what you imagined?”
“No.” My heart drops that it’s not what she wanted. “It’s better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Thank you so much. And it wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be.”
“I’ve got magic fingers, that’s why.” She chuckles but soon stops when I move them across her belly.
“Corey,” she half-warns, half-moans.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
“On the verge of tears with a red raw back? I’m sure I’m anything but sexy.”
“That’s where you’re very, very wrong.” My fingers drop to the edge of her lace knickers and her eyes narrow. “Last night wasn’t enough,” I whisper in her ear, edging my fingers lower.
“Corey,” Her voice is barely a whisper, so the last thing I expect is for her hand to wrap around my forearm to stop me.
“H-how much do I owe you?”
The question damn near gives me whiplash.
“Uh… n-nothing.”
“You’re not doing it for free.”
“You can buy dinner.”
Taking a step back and turning into the room, I put some space between us. By the time I look back at her, she’s holding her dress against her front, seemingly shy all of a sudden.
“Let me wrap that and you can get dressed.”
“Thank you.”
“Your artwork is stunning,” she muses as I work. “I’m assuming you’ve drawn all this.”
“Yep, all mine.”
“Have you always been an artist?”
“No, actually. I was in the army. I only got into this because of a friend. He used to spend all his time drawing when we were on tour together. I loved art in school but never really thought about it as a career. He gave me one of his sketchbooks and I’ve never looked back.”
I focus on wrapping her up and not thinking back to those times. They only make my chest ache with loss.
“Okay, you’re good. Let me tidy up and we can head out.”
“You’ve got no more clients today?”
“Nope, just one earlier before you showed up.”
“Bailey gave me this address,” she admits. “I’m assuming she knew you’d be here and set us up again.”
“For someone who apparently wanted me, she’s doing a good job of pushing us together.”
“She’s a good friend.”
“So you’re admitting that she’s doing the right thing?”
She blows out a breath. “I’ve no idea. She wants me to…”
She trails off like she’s not going to explain, and I can’t help prompting her. “To…”
“Live, be happy, take some risks.”
“And I do all of those things?”
“You can certainly help. I’m the only one holding me back.”
“Why?”
She pauses as I put my last few bits away. When I look up, I find her hovering by the door, chewing on her bottom lip, deep in thought.
“I—” she starts, but I cut her off.
“You don’t have to tell me. I was just being nosey. Shall we…” I gesture to the door at her back and follow her out.
Sledge is back at the reception desk faffing around with something when we emerge.
“Was he gentle with you, sweetheart?”
“The perfect gentleman.” I think about how I almost had my fingers between her legs and smile to myself.
“I’m glad. You happy with the result?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you for your help earlier.”
Sledge nods at Harlow before turning and winking at me.
“I’m done for the day. See you in a few?”
“Sure thing, man. Enjoy.”
I wait until the door shuts behind us before wrapping my arm around Harlow’s waist and pulling her into my side. I drop my lips to her ear and she shudders at my closeness.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been described as a perfect gentleman before.”
“I was just being polite.”
I bark out a laugh. “I was going to say, if what happened in there was me being a gentleman then I’d hate to know how other men treat you.” She tenses in my arm and I panic. “I… uh… didn’t mean…” I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to say, but thankfully she cuts me off.
“It’s okay. And you were a gentleman, mostly. Where are we going exactly?”
“Do you have a car?”
“Yes.”
“Fancy a drive?”
“Sure.”
She leads me to a silver Audi, but instead of going for the driver’s side, she opts for the passenger door.
“You can drive, right?” she asks when I hesitate.
“Yeah, of course. I just wasn’t expecting to.”
“Well you know where we’re going.” She shrugs and drops down into the seat.
“What if I’m a terrible driver?”
“Only time will tell.”
I rev the engine and back out of the space.
I navigate us out of town before pulling onto the freeway and gunning it.
“Holy shit,” she squeals, her fingers wrapping around the edge of the seat, her nails digging into the leather.
I put the windows down and breathe in the fresh ocean air as we head towards the shore and bark out a laugh. I’ve been dying to do this since I arrived, but it’s kinda hard without a vehicle.
I feel her stare. It burns into the side of my face, but I keep my eyes on the road, not wanting to kill us both before we’ve managed this date.
“What?” I ask when her attention stays on me.
“Nothing, just watching you enjoying yourself.”
I fill my lungs with air once more and appreciate everything I’ve got here. So what I can’t afford this month’s—or last month’s—rent?
I’ve got a perfectly good studio to sleep in. It’ll get better once Mum and my sisters are sorted. I was meant to be here. It’s felt more like home than London, or England, for that matter, has done in a very long time.
“You like seafood?”
“Love it.”
“Good. I know the most incredible place.”
I turn her radio up, not because I don’t want to talk but because I want to relax and enjoy the moment. I’m not sure I’m going to feel this free again for some time, so I need to make the most of it.
Chapter Eleven
Harlow
I might only be able to see him in profile, but it’s enough to know that the smile on his face would knock the wind out of me if I were to see it face-on.
We might only be in the car for a short time, but it’s enough to know that he really needed it. By the time he pulls off the Pacific Coast Highway and into the parking lot of a small surf shack, the muscles in his shoulders have relaxed and he has a totally different aura about him. Yeah, he’s still the cocky Brit I first met, but it’s like the ocean breeze coming from the windows blew down a couple of his walls—or at least I hope that’s the case, because I’m dying to find out more about this man.
The temptation to allow him to continue what he so obviously was about to do in his studio was strong, but I know how it would have gone, and once again I’d have regretted it. This, however, is perfect.
“They do the best seafood in all of LA.”
“Is that right?” I ask, climbing from the car and looking out over the bright blue ocean beyond. It’s a sight I don’t think I’ll ever tire of.
“I’ve no idea. I’ve not been here long enough to test out all the competition, but it’s pretty bloody fantastic.”
He jogs around the car to meet me and, to my surprise, he laces his fingers through mine.
Was Bailey right? Is he in this for more than just a good time?
After opening the door, he gestures for me to enter and we’re greeted by a woman who proves just how much time he spends here.
“Corey! I was beginning to think you’d abandoned us,” she says with a friendly smile on her face.
“Just been busy, you know how it is.”
“Sure do. Things still going well down there?”
“Yeah, it’s doing good. Harlow, this is Rachel. Her dad owns this place.”
“Hey,” Harlow says politely.
“Table for two?”
“Please.”
“Right, this way then.”
We follow her out onto the patio area and she seats us at a secluded table in the corner.
“I’m assuming you’d like a beer and…” She looks to me.
“A rum and Coke, please.”
“Perfect. Here are the menus, not that he needs one. I’ll be back in a few moments.”
“Thank you,” we say in unison as she disappears around the corner.
“This place is nice. How’d you find it?”
“One of my first clients recommended it. I’ve been addicted ever since.”
“I can see why.”
We fall into a comfortable silence with only the chatter of the other patrons and the crash of the waves below filling our ears.
“So, how come you left the army?” I ask, needing to know more about him and how he came to be here.
“Medical discharge.”
“Oh?”
“We ended up somewhere we shouldn’t have been. Things didn’t go too well. Only a few of us made it out.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It is what it is,” he says, using my line from earlier. “I lost some great friends that day. But it got me back to civi life.”
“You didn’t want to be in the army?”
He looks out to the ocean, getting lost in his memories. “I didn’t have a lot of choice. The day I was born a boy, my dad decided I’d follow in his footsteps and enroll the second I left school. He had dreams of me becoming an officer, making a difference to my country and all that.”
“You weren’t interested?”
“It was more that I didn’t want to do what I was told,” he says with a laugh. “I can’t say I never would have signed up of my own accord—it was in my blood, after all. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all military men. But I didn’t take well to being told.”
“I can understand that.”
“So what about you? Have you always wanted to give back, support those less fortunate?”
“I really want to lie and say yes,” I admit, “but I never really had a clue what I wanted to do. My life kind of spiraled out of control after I lost my family. My future wasn’t my first concern.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”
I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it when we should be enjoying ourselves. Thankfully, Rachel chooses that moment to reappear with our drinks and to take our orders. I’ve not even glanced at the menu, so when Corey immediately places his order, I ask for the same, trusting that he knows what’s good.
“So, why LA?” I ask once we’re alone again, hoping to turn the conversation away from my past. Nothing good can come from that.
“Why not?” he says, gesturing to the sparkling blue ocean beyond.
“Fair enough.” I can’t really argue, we do live in a beautiful place.
The meal is incredible, just like Corey promised. The conversation between us after touching on our pasts was light, and just being with him made me feel so comfortable. As we make our way out, I can’t help butterflies erupting in my belly. What’s next?
His fingers lace with mine, but no words are said between us. Knowing that he’s also lost people he loved helps me understand why we might have the connection we do. Unlike most people I meet, I think he actually understands. I know it’s not unusual for people to have lost their parents young, but the way it happened isn’t all that common, or for them to all be wiped out at the same time. Everyone is sympathetic, but they don’t get it, not really. Even Bailey, who lived through the aftermath with me, can’t possibly understand.
We climb into the car and Corey heads back out onto the highway. Silence fills the space but it’s not uncomfortable—totally the opposite, in fact. If anything, his presence is soothing.
“I… uh… don’t know where I’m going,” he says after a few minutes.
“Hang on.” I wake up the GPS and hit the home button so he can follow it before sitting back in my seat and looking to where the sun is setting into the ocean.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
I sigh and turn back to look at him. The concern on his face makes my breath catch. His brows are pulled together, and there are creases in his forehead.
“I was just thinking about what you said about it being a great place to live,” I lie.
He’s silent for a beat, and I worry he’s about to tell me I’m talking shit. Thankfully, after he turns back to the road, all he does is agree.
“Thank you for today. I never would have thought it, but it was exactly what I needed.”
“Oh yeah?” His familiar cocky smirk appears, making his dimple pop up.
“I’m sorry I left like I did this morning,” I say, addressing the elephant in the room.
“I’m sure you had your reasons, although I do hope they weren’t due to my performance.”
His grip on the wheel tightens until his knuckles turn white, and heat floods my core knowing that he’s reminiscing about our time together.
“I don’t think your ego needs me to tell you that wasn’t the reason.”
“It always likes being stroked, Vix.”
“Oh my God,” I laugh. “I’m sure it does.”
He reaches over and places his large, burning hot hand against my thigh, and I tense.
“Relax,” he mutters when he feels my muscles tighten beneath his touch.
“I’m sorry.”
“Get out of your own head and enjoy yourself.”
“Trust
me when I say that I’ve done that more in my short time with you than I’ve done in the last few years.”
“Really?” he asks, glancing over.
“Really.”
“Then I think we should definitely spend some more time together.”
“How’d you figure that?” I ask with a laugh.
“I’m clearly good for you.”
“Hmmm… so what are you suggesting?”
“Another date? Say, Friday night?”
“I’ll need to check my calendar. I might already have one.”
His eyebrows rise in surprise. “Oh, I wasn’t aware I was one of many of your conquests.”
“Never assume, Brit boy. Never assume.” I hate to make out like I might be playing the field when it’s the furthest thing from the truth, but I’m happy to keep him on his toes.
He glances over as we turn into my street. His eyes are darker than before, but I can’t get a read on him as to why.
He brings my car to a stop outside my house and pulls his cell from his pocket, hitting a few buttons before pushing it back inside the fabric of his pants.
I hesitate, not sure if I should get out or wait for what he has to say.
I’m about to reach for the door handle when he turns to me.
My breath catches at the look in his eyes. They’re dark, much like when he looked at me in only my underwear earlier, but there’s also a hint of anger in them.
My stomach clenches for the briefest moment as I wonder if I’ve got him all wrong.
“I strongly suggest you cancel on your Friday night plans.”
“Oh,” I squeak. “Why’s that?”
“Because you’re mine.”
“Am I?”
“You are.” His hand comes up, his fingers wrapping around the nape of my neck as he leans closer. Our noses brush before his lips tease mine. The touch is so light, yet it sends a shockwave through my body, causing my temperature to soar. My skin tingles for more, to feel his hands all over me once again.
“Corey,” I moan when he doesn’t move to kiss me properly.
“Mine,” he whispers against my lips, his breath almost burning hot against me.
My heart pounds, trying to escape my chest as I wait for him to deepen the kiss, but it never comes.
After a beat, he frees me from the confines of the seat belt and pulls away. He climbs from the car like that moment between us didn’t happen before walking around to my side and opening my door.
Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 10
