Chapter Fourteen
Brent glanced over at a silent Hayden as they walked down the deserted boardwalk. Well past sundown, the crowds had descended on the casinos and nightclubs, the beach forgotten until the next day. Crashing waves combined with distant cheers from inside the casino walls. Flashing lights from the gambling establishments pulsed, creating an ambiance specific to Atlantic City. He noticed a light breeze lift Hayden’s hair and mentally shook himself. If he’d started noticing things like breeze and ambiance, he was in bigger trouble than he thought.
It didn’t help that Hayden had gone mostly silent after his declaration that he intended to be the only one on whom she inflicted her particular brand of torture from now on. Hell, he’d made that decision before tonight, but no need to vocalize that fact. If her reaction served as any indication, it wouldn’t exactly have her floating on air and singing show tunes. Apparently it was going to take some convincing that they could work. Yes, they’d started off as adversaries. Yes, they came from two completely different worlds. And, oh yes, they were as different as two people could get. Seeing each other exclusively would mean an open mind on both their parts. A lot of compromise. A shit-ton of arguing. But holy hell, if it ended the way tonight had, he’d deal with just about anything she could throw at him.
Even now, he craved her body like an addiction. It had begun almost immediately, the relentless ache to get back between her thighs. See how far she’d push him next time. He’d never been driven so far outside of his own consciousness as he’d been with his cock tucked tightly inside of her. He’d never considered himself someone who enjoyed delayed gratification. Now? Delayed gratification, party of one. Your table is ready. Christ, he’d come like a speeding freight train. It had felt so damn unbelievable that it almost hurt. What happened afterward, the spanking…well, he didn’t really have an explanation for that, except that he’d wanted to punish her for making him feel so incredible. Where was the logic in that?
Logic didn’t apply to them, he supposed. They’d been two opposite magnets that suddenly switched poles and were now compelled toward the other. When it came to their physical connection, the differences between them didn’t matter. They only heightened the experience. If he applied logic to their situation, he’d probably conclude that they were wrong for each other and the ridiculous sex was a product of months of foreplay. That’s what the fighting had been. He recognized that now. He’d been goading her toward his bed since day one and thank Christ it had finally worked. Otherwise, he’d be missing out on the best sex of his ever-loving life.
So, enjoy the sex and keep it simple, right? No messy commitments…right? Yet the thought of limiting their relationship to a physical diversion made him all kinds of antsy. He didn’t want to limit them. He wanted to hear her say the words, that she was his. His to fight with. His to soothe. His to fuck. No one else’s. Hayden, however, didn’t appear to share his interest in the idea. Good thing he never turned down a challenge. Especially when she looked like some kind of mussed-up sex kitten in her clingy dress, hair tangling around her thoughtful face, lips swollen from his treatment of them, from their unbelievable treatment of his cock.
Brent released a slow breath. One battle at a time. Get her talking, ease the tension you created by speaking too soon, jackass, and then worry about getting her back into bed.
“So…Beaches, huh?” Brent cleared his throat. “What is that, some kind of chick flick?” Of course, he’d seen Beaches. Bette Midler was a national treasure. He’d keep that to himself though, in the interest of her not questioning his masculinity.
A brief flicker of humor shone in her eyes before she hid it. “No, it’s a buddy cop movie. You would love it. Action-packed. Definitely no singing.”
Brent nodded, pretending to take her seriously. “I’ll add it to my Netflix queue.” Unable to help himself, he took her hand. “And if you come over and watch it with me, I promise not to sing along to ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’”
Her momentary pause over his impulsive hand-holding turned into surprised laugher. The kind that made his chest tighten. “You’re so lucky your boys weren’t here to hear that.”
“Who do you think performs duets with me?”
She pursed her lips. “Normally I would say Daniel, but Matt could be a potential dark horse.”
Kind of like him and Hayden. For so long, they thought they had each other pegged, but it turned out they hadn’t even scratched the surface. She’d never seen it coming. “So Beaches…a classic piece of cinema, but a weird thing to think about while witnessing a marriage proposal.”
She glanced sideways at him, then sighed. “I guess I was trying to remember the last time I cried.”
Brent held his breath, afraid he’d open his mouth and some boneheaded comment would emerge, ruining this rare glimpse under her surface.
“I’d just gotten my tonsils taken out and I was too doped up to get out of bed and find the remote,” she said. “Beaches came on. Complete with commercial interruptions. I was helpless to escape it.”
Brent laughed. “How old were you?”
“Fifteen.”
He pulled her to a stop. “You haven’t cried in a decade?” She looked uncomfortable and he wanted to take back his shocked question. “Wait. What about chopping onions? That counts.”
Her mouth relaxed into a smile. “Then I guess it’s only been a few weeks. Bette Midler and onions are my Kryptonite. What’s yours?”
I think it might be you. He swallowed. “Sports movies. When the underdog comes back after halftime to win. I can’t keep it together during the coach’s obligatory halftime speech and then it’s a rapid decline into wuss-hood.” He thought for a moment. “Also, brownies. My mother’s, specifically.”
“Brownies.”
He nodded once. “Don’t judge me until you’ve had one.”
They walked for a while after that, until he pulled her to a stop at the wooden rail so they could watch the ocean, illuminated by the neon signs behind them. Their arms touched and he barely resisted the urge to pull her close. Too much too soon. “What’s it like having your parents in the same neighborhood?” he asked instead.
“Exhausting.”
Brent watched as she turned serious, then considered him closely for a moment as though she couldn’t decide why she’d suddenly decided to be honest with him. He couldn’t decide either. Only knew he wanted her to keep going.
“They’re my parents, they’ve done everything for me. But…it’s complicated.”
Silently, he waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he prodded her. “Talk to me, Hayden.”
She rubbed her arms, the breeze having turned cold. Brent gave in to his impulse and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. He couldn’t ignore the way they fit together. How right it felt. “My father, the man you charmed so effortlessly the other night, is actually my uncle. My father died when I was young, leaving me with my mother. She was young, far too young for a child, and they’d never bothered to get married. So my uncle took us in.” She laughed into his chest. “I have no idea why I’m telling you this.”
“I don’t either,” he said, hiding his shock over her revelation. “But I’m glad you are.”
“Okay. That’s good enough for me.” Slowly, her arms went around his waist. Brent closed his eyes against the foreign emotions bubbling in his chest. He sensed Hayden wanted to say more so once again, he reined in his need to fill the silence with whatever nonsense popped into his head. “He didn’t have to take us in. I kind of owe him for everything, you know? Even if sometimes it means I have to do things that are…difficult.”
Brent looked down at the top of her head, confused by her cryptic tone. He had the overwhelming feeling that she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t decipher it. Don’t push too hard or she’ll shut down. Still, he needed to say what was on his mind. “You don’t owe him. Look what he got out of the deal. A beautiful daughter who runs around making everyone else happy. If you ask me, he owes you.”
She stilled in his arms, looking up at him after a moment. “I wish it worked that way. It’s not always that simple.”
“Yes, it is.” He couldn’t account for the frisson of panic over the finality of her tone. What am I missing? “I say it is that easy for someone like you. And I’m not talking about the money. I’m talking about you.”
After a moment of staring up into his face thoughtfully, she brightened, although he could tell it took an effort on her part. “So…two jobs. One that includes the dismantling and rigging of explosives. A mortgage. Your sister’s college tuition. Supporting your brother’s family. I say you don’t know the first thing about easy, Mr. Mason.”
Oh boy, he liked her calling him that. Brent stiffened behind his fly. Ignore it. You’re having an actual meaningful conversation with her. He also couldn’t deny a flare of pleasure that she recognized his hard work. He’d never needed the recognition before, but his inner caveman had decided to make another appearance. That’s right, I take care of what’s mine. I’ll take care of you, too. Let me. Oh God, let me.
He kicked the caveman in the nuts and refocused on her. Downplayed his situation like he always did. “Yeah. Well, my brother will be home soon from overseas…and Lucy, she won’t be in college forever. The mechanic gig is temporary.”
“Don’t make light of it.” Hayden shook her head. “I’m sorry I ever did.”
“An apology from the duchess? Now who’s going soft?”
She bit her lip and ran her hands down his chest. He promptly forgot what he’d been saying. “I’ll tell you a secret in addition to my apology. That day at the garage…I would have let you have me on that desk. It would have taken very little effort. You came out looking so”—her nails scraped over his nipples—“rugged. I wanted to rip those coveralls off of you.”
“What did I tell you about speaking to me this way in public?”
When she laughed, he knew he didn’t quite pull off his warning tone. “So? What are you going to do about it?”
He growled low in his throat. “If you pretend for even a second that you’re not staying in my room tonight, there’s going to be trouble in Atlantic City.”
“Ooh. I like trouble.”
Before the words were completely out of her mouth, Brent hauled her over his shoulder. Hayden gasped, then couldn’t stop laughing as they walked down the empty boardwalk.
“You want trouble?” He smacked her ass. “You’ve got it, duchess.”