Straight no chaser, p.16
Straight, No Chaser, page 16
“Boyfriend?” Kenzie queried. “You guys are officially a thing now?”
Delonna shrugged and her smile widened. “Looks like it.”
Hailey kept her attention on Aleck, curious about the exchange between him and Delonna a moment ago.
Sure enough, the area between his brows furrowed and his mouth tightened a bit at her announcement about having a boyfriend.
“Well, I say you bring the fellow by and let us get a feel for him,” he suggested.
“Oh aye,” Kenzie agreed. “Bring him in.”
“Absolutely not. You’ll all have him terrified and running for cover in minutes, I’m sure.”
Aleck smirked. “Ah, we’d never do such a crass thing.”
“Mmm hmm.” Delonna lightly shoved his shoulder. “My break’s over. Move it, boss boy.”
He slid off the bench and let her pass. Once she was gone Aleck glanced at the stage and winced.
“I suppose I should go join up with the rest of the bachelors.”
“Yeah, you should,” Kenzie murmured.
Aleck paused and met Hailey’s gaze. “Nice to see you in here again, Hailey.”
As he walked away, she felt a flush of embarrassment rush through her. He knew. He hadn’t said a damn word, but there’d been something in his eyes that had her gut instinct kicking in. He knew what was going on with Colin and her.
Shit.
While part of her was mortified, she could also acknowledge the kindness in his remark. The acceptance and olive branch in those few words.
The discussion at the table was light and fun after that. Hailey found herself relaxing and slipping back into an easy rhythm with her friends.
When the auction finally began, all attention turned to the stage. It was actually kind of fun, and not tasteless in the least.
No naked, oiled-up chests or flexing muscles. Just attractive men walking out on stage, their attributes being listed, and then the bids beginning.
When Ian hit the stage, Sarah outbid every woman who tried to win him. Until an elderly lady raised her hand and called out a higher amount.
“Just as I predicted.” Sarah grinned. “She’ll probably have him pulling weeds for the day.”
The rest of the bachelors went just as quickly. Aleck ended up with the pretty college girl who’d earlier declared her intent to win him.
When Colin finally went up on the stage Hailey realized she was holding her breath.
The bidding was frantic and fierce. Almost more so than for any other brother. It was just as he’d cockily told her the other day—he could pretty much have any woman he wanted. The badge, the accent, the McLaughlin name. The women were eating it up tonight.
Hailey balled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw so tightly it began to hurt. There was a pounding in her head. Dammit, but she wanted to stand up and outbid them all.
She couldn’t, though. Wouldn’t. That would be crazy. She couldn’t afford to blow this kind of money on a man she was already sleeping with.
These women would have him for one day. She had him...in her bed. That was it. That was all she wanted, right?
“One thousand dollars!” a new voice rang out. Steady and with a vibrantly feminine ring to it—unlike the drunken, almost-bawdy cries from the rest of the women.
The bid was significantly higher than any of the other women’s bids, and for a moment there was a stunned silence.
“I don’t fuckin’ believe it,” Kenzie hissed.
“What? What’s going on?” Hailey scanned the crowd to try and figure out who the bidder was.
“Bid on him,” Kenzie demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“Bid on him, Hailey. Please.”
Hailey exchanged a quick glance with Sarah, who looked equally puzzled.
“Going once,” the announcer said.
“Hailey.”
“I can’t blow that kind of money on some guy I get to borrow for a day.” She glanced at Colin and the stricken, furious look on his face had her heart stuttering.
He was clearly upset by whoever was bidding. What the hell was going on?
“Going twice.”
“Sarah, will you do it?” Kenzie pleaded.
“Oh, Kenzie, I can’t. It’s over a thousand dollars and we’ve got the wedding. Money is tight right now.”
“Sold to the woman in the corner.”
Holy crap. Colin appeared as if he might just walk offstage. His jaw visibly clenched and his eyes sparked with fury.
“What just happened?” Hailey demanded. “Who just paid a grand to spend the day with him?”
“That would be Brenda.” Kenzie’s loathing expression matched her brother’s. “His ex-fiancée who jilted him at the altar.”
Chapter Seventeen
What the fuckin’ hell was she doing here?
In the back of the pub, Colin changed into his street clothes and ran a string of curses through his head.
It was over a year since he’d spoken to Brenda; now here she was tonight at the pub. Not only showed up, but bought him in an auction. Whatever hellish kind of game she was playing, he wanted no part of it.
Back in his jeans and T-shirt, he made his way to the front of the pub to find the organizer of the auction. Somehow, he’d have to find a way to bow out of this nonsense.
“Colin.”
The voice was all too familiar. Even more so, now that he’d heard it while she bought him.
He turned and faced her, anger gnawing in his belly.
Brenda hadn’t changed a bit. She was still lovely, with her dark-blonde waves falling over her shoulders, and her curvy body tucked into a flirty, pink dress.
She watched him through her lashes, her blue eyes shining with uncertainty.
“I hope you’re not mad at what I just did.”
“Aye, you’re damn right I’m mad,” he ground out. “You have no right to be here. No right to—”
“I know.” She gave a sage nod. Probably the same nod she gave to her second-graders at the elementary school where she taught. “You’re absolutely right. Everything you’re saying. That you’re, no doubt, thinking. But I wanted a chance to talk to you. To apologize.”
“A text would’ve been fine.” He tore his gaze from her. Sought out something else to distract himself.
Across the room he found the table with Sarah, Kenzie and Hailey. They all stared at him and Brenda, their expressions just as unhappy as he felt. Only Hailey didn’t look upset, more stoic and maybe resigned.
Why the bloody hell hadn’t someone else stepped in to bid on him? Save him from this moment.
Because it was a thousand dollars. He knew the answer and bit back another curse.
“So you promised to pay a grand to spend a day with me.” He flashed her a hard smile. “How selfless of you.”
“It’s not completely selfless. I have my motivation.” She folded her hands in front of her and lowered her gaze to the floor. “All I’m asking for is a couple hours. I don’t even need a whole day. Let’s just have lunch.”
Shite, what could she even want with him? After all this time and radio silence. Now she wanted to spend time with him? So much so that she’d bought him in an auction?
The money was for a good cause, and if he backed out he knew the charity would be the one to suffer. He could either be a complete bastard, or do the right thing.
“I don’t have another day off until next week, so it’ll have to be dinner. Tomorrow night. Take it or leave it.”
Her smile curled into something very cat-that-got-the-creamish. “I’ll take it.”
Oh, but didn’t she just look pleased with herself.
“I’ll meet you at—”
“My house. Seven thirty. Don’t be late.” She winked at him and turned on her heel, sending her full skirt twirling in a mass of pink.
Shite. What the hell had he just gotten himself into?
“Tell me that didn’t just happen.” Ian appeared at his side, his brows drawn together in a scowl. “Did you just make a date with your ex-fiancée?”
“It’s not a fuckin’ date. And what choice did I have? She won the auction fair and square.”
“I would have said fook the auction.” Aleck joined the two.
Colin gave a grim shake of his head. “No, you wouldn’t have. Neither of you would’ve. Not when the money goes to charity.”
Neither replied and he knew he’d been right.
“I can’t believe she had the gall,” Ian muttered. “What is it you think she wants?”
“She wants him back.” Aleck gave a solemn nod. “I’d bet my best bottle of whiskey on it.”
“The bloody hell she does.” Colin scowled. “When someone leaves you at the altar, they’re usually not daft enough to try and get you back.”
“I’m not so sure,” Ian agreed, his expression pensive.
“Ah, fuck it all. If that is her intent, well, I’m not interested.” His attention caught on a flurry of movement at Hailey’s table.
Hailey had risen to her feet and tossed some money on the table. She said something to the other women before making a beeline for the door.
She was leaving? Without even so much as a good-bye? The hell she was.
He shoved through the crowd, ignoring Ian’s sharp, “Where the fuck are you going?”
Hailey had just slipped out the door when he passed through after her.
“Leaving already?”
She cast a glance at him over her shoulder, but didn’t slow her stride.
“I work tomorrow.”
“Aye, as do I.”
“Yes, well, I’m driving back to Mount Vernon,” she replied tersely.
“Hailey, for fuck’s sake, will you stop a moment?” He caught her around the elbow and swung her to face him.
Her mouth went taut and her eyes were hard and a touch wary.
“Fine. You have to work in the morning. But you weren’t even going to say good-bye?”
“You looked a little busy.”
“You mean with Brenda?” He bit back a frustrated sigh. “Aye. We were figuring out details.”
“For her date with you? Sounds super-romantic.” Her words were clipped. “Have fun with that.”
“Romantic? Are you daft?”
She pulled away and continued to her car, leaving him staring after her in growing dismay. And then realization sank in, but it was almost too unbelievable.
Hailey was jealous.
“Would it matter if it were romantic?” he called after her.
At her car now, she froze, keys in hand. Her lips pressed tighter together and then she gave a stiff shrug.
“No. It wouldn’t bother me at all.”
He strode to her again. “Liar.”
She lifted her chin. “We’re just fucking, remember?”
“Aye, and by your command.”
“Right. And anytime either of us wants to call it quits, we’re done.”
“Just like that.”
“Just like that,” she ground out through clenched teeth. “No sweat off my back.”
“I don’t believe you. You called bullshit on me once, well now let me return the favor.” He slammed his hands against the car on either side of her body. “You can claim to not want a relationship with me all you want, sweetheart, but I know a jealous female when I see one.”
Instead of blushing or getting angrier, the color drained from her face. She looked startled by the accusation.
“The idea of Brenda back in my life upsets you,” he continued softly. “And I want to know why. If you’re so determined for us just to be ‘fucking’, as you put it so charmingly, then why are you upset right now?”
She seemed to flounder. Scramble for an answer. “Because she was awful to you. You deserve someone so much better in your life.”
“But not you.”
Her soft groan made his frown deepen. “Colin, I’m not sure I’m much better for you than she is.”
What the bloody hell was she going on about now? “Well then you highly underrate yourself.”
“Look, obviously I’m not good at this kind of thing.” She drew in an unsteady breath and her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips.
His attention slid to her mouth and he fought to resist the urge to just stop this talking nonsense and claim her lips in a searing, thorough kiss.
“I don’t like sharing,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m good at taking myself out of the game.”
“It’s not a bloody game, Hailey.” Pushed beyond restraint, he caught the back of her head and crushed his mouth against hers.
She whimpered and her hands slammed into his chest, but her lips parted beneath his and he took the moment to slide his tongue in and claim her. Erase any doubts she had about herself. About them.
Finally she went pliant against him, making a moan of surrender as she kissed him back.
When he lifted his head, they both were breathing raggedly.
Unsteadily, he muttered, “She’s not the one I’m imagining naked on the hood of this car right now.”
Her eyes closed and he could see her struggling with something before she gave a small shake of her head.
“Maybe that’s true, but you just made my point. Maybe we have great sex, but you still have feelings for her.”
He opened his mouth to deny it with a snarl, but the words caught in his throat. Because she was right.
“We were together for two years and I’d made the decision to make her my wife. I would be lying if I said I still didn’t think about her now and then.” He hesitated. “There are things unresolved between us. We never had closure.”
“Do you think that’s what she wanted by bidding on you?” Skepticism flashed in her eyes. “Just to smooth over that broken road behind you?”
“I’m not sure. But it’s the only thing that would make sense to me.”
She gave a short, disbelieving laugh and bit her lip. “Now who’s the one underrating himself?”
He touched her cheek. “Can I come over tonight?”
“It’s late. We both work in the morning.” Her gaze slid to the ground. “Go do your little date with Brenda tomorrow. Have your talk or whatever it is that happens. If afterward you still want to, then we’ll talk about us.” She paused, then almost whispered, “If there is an us.”
She ducked under his arm and unlocked her car door and then slid inside.
Her gaze was focused squarely on the road, didn’t even flitter to him for a moment, as she drove out of the parking lot a second later.
Shite. How had tonight become such a mess?
He turned to go back into the bar, but stumbled at the sight ahead of him. Kenzie, Aleck and Ian all stood out front watching him.
How long had they been there? How much had they witnessed?
They’d seen enough. All it took was one glance at the shock on Ian’s and Kenzie’s faces. Aleck didn’t look surprised in the least, but then he’d already known.
Kenzie stepped forward. “Wait. So you and Hailey—”
“Not now.” His mouth slashed into a grim line as he lifted his hand in warning.
Striding past them, he ignored any reply his siblings made.
She’d blown it.
Hailey drove home from her shift at the hospital and swallowed against the lump in her throat.
Any minute now Colin would be meeting to have dinner with his ex-fiancée.
She only knew that because she’d heard Brenda brag about it to her friend as they’d passed her table. It had been hard for Hailey not to stand up and rip the woman a new one.
Which was shocking because Brenda hadn’t been at all what she’d pictured. She wasn’t exotic, gorgeous or bitchy-looking, but completely the opposite. Dainty and sweet-looking with her long blonde ringlets and big blue eyes. Her dress had been pink and feminine. Everything about her had almost given off the aura of a girl in a woman’s body.
Yet, no doubt, she had a woman’s body with plump breasts and rounded hips. She looked like the type who could get pregnant if a man so much as sneezed in her direction.
Actually, she seemed exactly the type of woman Hailey had imagined Colin would end up with.
And now he’s going to her house tonight.
Images started floating through her head of what could happen. Her stomach revolted and she rolled down the window to suck in a lungful of the warm summer air.
What was wrong with her? She was jealous, just as Colin had said. And she had no right to be. They’d set the rules for their relationship—if you could call it that. She’d even been the one to insist upon them.
She pulled up and climbed out of the car, striding briskly to her house where she intended to drown her jealousy in some chocolate mint ice cream.
Once she’d entered the house, she knew she was in danger. Tension raced through her as the hair on the back of her neck lifted.
Hailey spun, reaching for the door handle to flee, but Curt grabbed her wrist and snapped her back inside.
“Where are you off to, baby girl?” He wrapped his arms around her and tried to kiss her, but she twisted her head and his lips landed on her cheek. “You’ve been fucking that McLaughlin boy again? You’re letting him spend the night.”
Oh crap, he’d been watching her house? Been that close?
“You’re going to help me out,” he muttered, trying to kiss her again, as his hands slid down to grab her bottom. “Damn, I’ve missed this ass.”
The smell of alcohol swarmed her senses. He was drunk. Drunk, and stupid to have broken into her home when she had a restraining order against him.
“I need money, baby girl. Bad. And Ian McLaughlin can help me. He just needs some persuasion. You’re going to make sure he comes through for me.”
Like hell she was. Whatever he was even talking about. And he wasn’t just drunk. The jittery, frantic moves he was making made her think he was on some kind of drug too. She’d seen the alcohol-drug combo with her mom often enough.
“But first I’m gonna fuck this tight little ass so hard—”
She drove her heel, heavy from the clogs she wore, into the top of his foot and he stumbled back with a cry of pain.
