by Linde, K. A.
They stopped at a red light and Liz for sure thought she was going to start sweating when he turned to look at her. She held his gaze perfectly, though, not wavering once. If she did, she was sure that he was going to notice that something was amiss . . . like the fact that she was leaning into him and the compartment containing his phone was open.
“So what do you say?” Clay asked with that same dimpled smirk.
“I still think no,” Liz responded.
The light changed and they were off again. Liz breathed a soft sigh of relief when he had to look where he was going again. Her fingers slowly inched into the compartment, then her palm, and then her hand all the way to the wrist.
“Your loss.”
“What, like giving you head is a privilege?” she managed to ask with a disbelieving laugh.
“It is.”
Liz scoffed. “Men. Always thinking with the wrong head.”
Her fingers brushed against his phone and she slowly lifted the device into her hand. Now to get it out of there.
“As if you weren’t thinking about my dick when you let me take you back to my place.”
When Clay turned his head at a stop sign to check for traffic, Liz lifted the phone out of the compartment and with a gulp pushed it down under her leg. She pressed her finger on the button to the compartment, gingerly clicked it back into place, and then righted herself.
“That was then and this is now,” Liz said with an uneasy shrug.
Holy shit! She had his phone. She couldn’t believe it. Her stomach was in knots with anticipation and worry about the last couple minutes of the drive.
“Women. So fickle,” he grumbled. “Where am I taking you anyway?”
Liz gave Clay directions for the last few turns, and then he pulled the Porsche up in front of her house. She saw Victoria’s and Daniel’s cars in the driveway. If they weren’t already in a sex coma, she was sure they were going to have a million questions. But first she needed to get the fuck out of Clay’s car.
“Thanks for driving me,” Liz told him before popping the door open and sliding the phone into her hand.
“I couldn’t let you try to walk back.”
“I thought you might let me.”
“No farther than the end of the driveway. Long enough for you to realize how stupid it was,” he said. The dimples in his cheeks were visible as she hastily stepped out of the car. She moved her hand behind her body to keep it from his vision.
“Night,” she said, moving to push the door closed with the other hand.
“Hey!” he called, stopping her.
The blood pumped through her veins. She was this far. He couldn’t know. She was this close!
“Yeah?” she murmured.
“You forgot your purse,” he said, pointing at the small bag on the floor.
Liz breathed out heavily. Oh thank God! She grabbed the purse off of the floor of the car, slammed the door shut, and practically sprinted into her house. She shut the front door and leaned her back against it, breathing in and out heavily, her chest heaving.
“Holy shit,” she whispered into the quiet house.
She slid the lock into place carefully before taking the phone back into her bedroom. She kicked off her high heels, stripped out of her party dress, and then threw on some sweats. Taking a seat on the bed, she opened the phone, swiped her finger across the touch screen, and it lit up in her hand.
She was in.
Her hands trembled as she searched Clay’s contacts for Brady. There were four numbers listed: D.C. office, N.C. office, personal, and work. Since she had gone to the trouble of stealing Clay’s phone, she transferred all of them into her phone, even though the only number that she was planning to use tonight was his personal one.
Liz placed Clay’s phone down on her nightstand before pulling back up Brady’s personal number and clicking Send. She could hear her heart beat in her ears as she waited for him to answer. It rang four times and then went to voice mail. Liz ended the call. She couldn’t leave him a voice mail.
All of that trouble, and he didn’t pick up her call.
She sat on her bed for a solid minute, just staring off into space wondering what the hell her life had become. How the hell had she gotten to this place? All she wanted to do was find a way to make it right, and still she couldn’t do that. She had blown her second chance and didn’t deserve another one. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to fight for that.
Then the lightbulb turned on. Clay’s phone. He would answer Clay’s phone. She would have to do some major explaining as to how she acquired the phone, but at least she would get to speak with Brady.
Liz snatched the phone back off of the nightstand, found Brady’s personal number, and dialed. Her foot tapped anxiously on the floor.
Ring.
She could get through this. She just needed to talk to him.
Ring.
She didn’t know what she was going to say, but it didn’t matter. She would wing it. It was Brady. She had to do something.
Ring.
He wasn’t going to answer. She had done this for nothing . . .
“Clay,” Brady’s gruff voice scolded through the phone, “where the fuck have you been? We’re on lockdown over here. Everyone is freaking out and you just disappear. This is so like you. Why can’t you do one thing that would make someone other than yourself happy?”
“Brady,” Liz whispered into the phone.
There was a pregnant pause on the other line. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Liz?” he breathed in disbelief.
Chapter 25
TALK FIRST
Hey,” Liz said softly. All of the bold words that she had been planning to say to him flitted out of her mind at his smooth, sexy voice.
“You’re calling me from Clay’s phone,” he said, confused.
“Yeah.”
“How did you get Clay’s phone?”
Liz bit her lip. Well, this was going to be fun. “It’s kind of a long story. I had to get hold of you. I really need to talk to you. Can we meet up?”
“What?” he asked, and then seemed to realize what she had asked. His voice turned cold. “No. I think that is a terrible idea. I told you.” He took a deep breath and then whispered, “I told you not to call me again, that I wasn’t going to be there when he hurt you.”
“I know, but . . .”
“I don’t make promises that I can’t keep, Liz. You know that.”
She swallowed. She knew that perfectly well. It was the reason he had never said I love you. Not because he didn’t. That thought pushed her forward.
“I know. I know you did. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. For leaving, for being with him, for telling him, for ruining things, for hurting you.”
“Liz, I really don’t want to hear it,” he said.
“Well, I’m going to tell you anyway,” she cried desperately. “I fucked up. I didn’t mean for things to happen like this. And I have so much that I need to tell you. Just please, please . . . meet me in person. If you didn’t care about me, then you wouldn’t have broken up with Erin. I know I don’t deserve another chance, but give me one anyway. Please.”
Brady sighed heavily into the phone. “Who told you about Erin? I’ve kept it out of the news entirely.”
“Um . . . Clay,” she whispered. She had so much to explain to Brady. She just desperately wanted to do it in person.
“Why do I have the sinking suspicion that I don’t want to know how you are suddenly this well acquainted with my brother.”
“Clay is . . . whatever. He doesn’t matter. Actually he probably wants to kill me right about now, because I stole his phone,” she mumbled.
“You did what?” Brady cried. “You stole Clay’s phone?”
“I said it’s a long story!”
“Brady Maxwell losing his cool,” she said softly. “How often does that happen?” He remained silent. She could practically see him pacing and trying to calm down after her retort. “It’s because it’s me. It’s me, Brady. I’m the one who makes you lose your cool.”
“You say that as if it’s a good thing.”
“It means there’s fucking passion, and it means you fucking care. If you wanted to end this conversation then you would have done it as soon as you heard my voice. But you didn’t. And I know why you didn’t. It’s the same reason that I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since the day I walked out of the conference room. I tried! Lord knows I tried to forget you, but I didn’t. And I can’t. And I don’t think you can forget me either.”
“What’s the point of all this, Liz?” he asked with a heavy sigh. “We’re not going back to last year.”
“I don’t want to. But I can’t sit here knowing what hand I had in this getting revealed to the public, knowing how you feel, knowing how I feel, and not try to see you. You deserve an explanation. Hell, you deserve so much more, Brady,” she whispered. “Can’t we just start with that?”
“Not tonight,” he said resignedly.
Liz jumped off of her bed. She couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to see her.
“Tonight would be best,” she managed to get out.
“Am I supposed to just get away from everyone?” he asked. It was a rhetorical question, but she sure as hell wasn’t leaving it that way.
“Yes. You’re a fucking congressman. Tell them to fuck off.”
Brady laughed and it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. God, how she had missed that.
“I’ll phrase it exactly like that.”
“That’s smart.”
“Heather is going to have a fit when she finds out I left.”
“She’s not your mother,” Liz said, rolling her eyes. She’d had enough of Heather for one night. “Wait, you’re really going to leave?”
The pause made her uneasy. She wished that she knew what he was thinking in that moment. She wanted so desperately to get him to understand, to have a shot at making amends. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I think it’s better that I come to you,” Brady finally said in answer.
“I’m slightly intoxicated, so that might be a good idea.”
“Why does this not surprise me?”
“Hey, I broke up with my boyfriend today. Alcohol is allowed,” she said, trying to make light of the situation.
“I bet that was a fun conversation,” Brady said tersely.
“When you come pick me up, I’ll tell you all about it.”
“You do realize you are the most infuriating woman I have ever met, right?”
“That means I’m unforgettable,” Liz said with coy smile.
“Now, that is spin from a reporter, if I’ve ever heard it.”
“I didn’t get a job at the New York Times for nothing.”
“The New York Times?” Brady asked with a low whistle afterward.
Liz preened a little at the recognition. It was a good job, a really, really good job. She was proud of it, and she hadn’t even gotten to celebrate.
“I’ll tell you all about it when you come to get me.”
“Just don’t go to sleep,” he said firmly. “I’ll get there when I get there.”
Brady was coming. He was actually coming to see her. This wasn’t like the last time, when he had picked her up outside of school. While she had the same emotions swirling through her about Hayden, she was no longer denying how she felt about Brady.
It made her body hum with anticipation. She couldn’t sit still and she ended up changing her outfit half-a-dozen times. She finally decided to go casual in a pair of dark jeans, a red V-neck sweater, and black riding boots with gold buckles. Her hair and makeup were still done up from going out with Victoria earlier that night. That already felt like forever ago. It was hard to believe it had only been a few hours since her world had shifted. The job offer, Hayden’s byline in the newspaper, Clay revealing that Brady was no longer with Erin, and then finally she was going to get to see Brady. Her body could hardly keep up with the highs and lows.
Every time a car drove down her street, she jumped up and looked to see if it was the familiar Lexus pulling up to get her. But after a couple hours, she was starting to wonder if Brady had lied to her. That wasn’t like him at all. He would have just told her that he wasn’t coming if he actually wasn’t going to come see her. But still . . . she couldn’t keep from getting frustrated as the hours ticked by.
Headlights flashed in her window and Liz jumped up, hoping, praying that he was finally here. She glanced down at her phone to check the time. Three twenty-seven in the morning. Christ! If it were anyone but Brady, she would have probably already passed out.
The car turned into her driveway. Liz’s heart leaped. Brady! He was actually here. She grabbed her purse, threw it over her shoulder, and then dashed out of the house. Before Brady could even kill the engine or get out of the car, she was already sprinting around the front and pulling the door open. Liz ungracefully plopped down in the passenger seat and slammed the door.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly. She needed to play more tennis if a short sprint knocked the wind out of her. Or maybe it was Brady’s gorgeous face staring back at her.
His hair had grown out a bit since she had last seen him. He was probably due for a haircut, but it couldn’t look bad on him. His brown eyes were shadowed in the night. His full lips as tempting as ever. Liz was surprised to find him in casual clothes as well. It was after three in the morning, but still, this was Brady. He had on jeans, a dark fit T-shirt, and the Arc’teryx jacket he had worn that day at the diner when they had agreed to pursue this relationship. She just wanted to reach across the car and kiss the life out of him.
He shook his head at her breathless entrance. “Hey.”
“It’s good to see you,” she whispered, biting her lip.
Brady’s eyes roamed her face, down her body, and then back to the windshield. He shifted the car into reverse before backing out of her driveway. “I’m going to have a lot of people angry with me in the morning,” he said in response.
Liz didn’t know what she had been expecting. Here she was putting herself out there again, and she was dealing with the same cold Brady. She hoped that once they got wherever they were going, his ice would thaw.
“Does that mean we won’t be back in the morning?” Liz asked hopefully.
“We’ll see.”
Well, this was starting off promising.
“I . . . Look, Brady . . .”
“Let’s save the conversations for when we get to where we’re going,” Brady said.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he told her. “You should try to nap now. It’ll be a while.”
Liz raised her eyebrows. Her interest was piqued. He was taking her somewhere far enough away that she could sleep on the drive. He must be trying to go somewhere that reporters wouldn’t think to find him . . . them. Yeah, if they were seen together tonight, the night the story broke, it wouldn’t be in anyone’s interest.
“All right,” she said before settling into her seat and turning her body to stare up at him. It had been so long since she had just been able to look at him that if she was going to be here for a while without talking, she was going to take advantage of the opportunity.
Twenty minutes into the drive her eyes started fluttering closed and she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to hold on to consciousness for much longer.
“Brady,” she whispered into the silence. She moved her hand across the car and covered his with hers.
“I’m sorry.”
He sighed, lacing their fingers together. “I know. Go to sleep.”
The soft click of a door and the feel of her body being held by a rather strong, capable man woke Liz up. Then her mind latched on to what had happened. Brady. Brady was carrying her. Oh God, she could die happy. She must have been really out of it for her to sleep through him lifting her out of the car and carrying her nearly all the way inside.
“Mmm,” she groaned softly as she came to. She leaned into his body and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Good morning,” he said, coming to a stopping point and setting her gently back onto her feet.
When she was set down, she wobbled slightly as she tried to wake up. Brady held her steady and she leaned forward against him.
“Good morning,” she murmured. All she wanted to do was rest her head against his chest, have him wrap his arms around her, and fall back asleep. She could not think of anything she would want to do more than that in this moment. Okay . . . maybe one thing.
“You look dead on your feet.”
“Just . . . tired,” she said through her yawn.
“I’ve no idea why. It’s only five in the morning.”
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around for the first time.
Liz took in her surroundings and her eyes lit up when she realized where they were. The lake house. She couldn’t believe he had brought her here. The last time had been Fourth of July weekend two summers ago. She only had good memories here. She hoped it stayed that way.
“I see you approve,” he said with a small smile. “Why don’t you camp out on the couch? I’m going to make a fire to try to heat this place up and then we can talk about why you called me.”
She nodded her head forlornly. She was not looking forward to this conversation. There was so much to say, and she didn’t know how much of it would make a difference. He obviously cared about her enough to leave everything behind and take her to the lake house to get away. But that didn’t mean that things would suddenly change between them . . . that everything would be better.
