Tank
Leaving Cori spread out naked on her kitchen table was the worst thing he could have possibly done. He knew that. He knew she was probably cursing him already and he hadn’t even made it to his house yet. He felt like a piece of shit, but he had to go. Something happened back there. Something he couldn’t describe. Or maybe it was something he wouldn’t describe. Either way, he needed time alone to think. Krysta was the perfect excuse to high-tail it out of there.
There she waited, inside the door with her hands on her hips like their mother used to do when they came home after curfew. All Krysta needed was an oversized nightgown and robe.
She glowered at him. “Thought you said you weren’t sleeping with the cute neighbor girl?”
“Did you see either of us sleeping?” He chuckled, trying to play it off.
“Don’t do that.” She held up her hand in a stop gesture. “You know what I mean. You’re playing with fire this time, Paxton.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“This isn’t going to end well.”
“Mind your own, little sister.”
Paxton moved past her. She was right, of course. It wouldn’t end well. He should have, at the very least, helped her up. Shit. He was such an ass. Pissed at himself, he plopped down on the couch. Krysta turned to scowl at him.
“Not every girl is Gillian.”
Paxton shot up from the couch. “Don’t even say her name in this house.”
He escaped to the kitchen, retrieving a bottle of water from the stainless-steel fridge. He had just cracked the seal when Krysta came around the corner.
“She wasn’t the one, Paxton. She didn’t deserve you. I told you that from the beginning.”
“Look—”
“No, you look,” she interrupted. “There’s a woman out there for you. Not that you’ll ever know if you keep burning through them the way you have been.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Not all relationships are shit. Remember, you had some good times.”
“Of course, I remember. Then life happens. I worked too much and she played too much. Now, I end it before it goes to shit.”
“I call bullshit.”
Paxton glared at her. “You can call whatever you want. I don’t see you settling down with anyone?”
“Actually…” She paused, looking at him for a moment. “Bentley proposed last week.”
“What?” he barked. “You’ve only been seeing him a few months.”
“So? He’s a nice guy. He comes from a good family.”
“He’s a trust fund baby and his father is a politician. Do you love him? Did you accept? Why the fuck am I just hearing about this now?”
“I told him I had to get away for a few days and think about it. I don’t know if I love him. Like you said, we haven’t been seeing each other long.”
“Well, I know one thing,” he said smugly.
“What’s that, all-knowing Oz?”
“There’s no way you love him. You wouldn’t have to think about it. You’d know.” Realization dawned on him. “So that’s why you’re here now? Contemplating a proposal from a man you don’t love? That doesn’t sound like you.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“Please. Can we drop it for now?”
Paxton took her into his arms. He wanted to push her for answers, but he knew if he did, she would push back for answers as well. So he let go for now. “Sure, kid.”
He kissed her forehead. He hated fighting with Krysta; she meant the world to him. He didn’t want to argue with her anymore. “I’m sorry I yelled.”
The squeal of tires caught both of their attention. A bad feeling settled in his gut as he ran out the front door. A dark sedan sped down the otherwise silent street. Cori was looking out of her window while talking on the phone.
She disappeared for a moment before opening the front door.
“What the hell was that all about?” he yelled from his front porch.
She crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. “Some creep. This neighborhood seems full of them.”
He didn’t miss the dig she tossed at him. He wasn’t about to address it now though. Not with Krysta standing behind him. He took off toward Cori’s house. After stomping up the steps, he stopped in front of her, mimicking her stance.
“What was said creeper doing?”
“He was peeping in my window.”
“Hmmm,” he replied thoughtfully, “you’re right. There seems to be a lot of that around here lately.”
Crimson blossomed across Cori’s cheeks. It was possibly the cutest thing he had ever seen. He’d caused his fair share of women to blush, but with Cori, the blush covered her entire face and even her ears turned red. It was so damn cute, he wanted to pull her close and taste her lips.
“Anyway,” she deflected. “He had on a mask. I couldn’t see any features except that he was white and had brown eyes.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“I called Detective Hyland as soon as I saw him.”
“Good. I’m going to run to the office, see if Mother has anything. Maybe you should come with me?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”
“I’m not leaving you alone while I’m gone.”
Krysta giggled behind him. He threw a dirty look over his shoulder at her.
“He’s gone now. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“You stubborn woman.”
“And you’re a dick.”
“Hey guys?” Krysta interjected. He turned to face his sister yet again. “How about I hang with Cori and you go do whatever it is you gotta do.”
Paxton thought about it for a moment. Krysta was well versed in self-defense. He’d made sure she was trained properly years ago. If Cori stayed with her, that would work too. He looked back and forth between the two women.
“Do you have your Ruger?”
“Yes, Dad,” she replied sarcastically. She really was a pain in the ass. Both of them were, he realized.
“Shut up, Krysta.”
“You told me to always keep it with me, and I do. We’ll be fine here.”
He pinned Cori with his glare. “Is that acceptable, sweetheart?”
“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me.”
She looked like she was one snarky comment away from stomping her feet. He tried not to laugh.
“Ms. Transue, will you please keep my little sister company, in the safety of my home, while I’m gone?”
“I hate you,” she replied.
Placing his hands above his head on the door frame, he leaned into her. His mouth pressed up against the shell of her ear. He whispered so Krysta couldn’t hear him, “Not even a little.”
Righting himself, he left her standing in the doorway, mouth agape. He was halfway to his truck before he heard her yell.
“Considerably!”
***
Cori
“Is he always this bossy?”
“No.” Krysta grinned. “He’s usually much worse.”
“Oh god.”
Krysta laughed as she started walking toward the house. “It’s not so bad. Come on over.” She waggled her eyebrows. “I’ll tell you all the dirty little secrets my big, bad ass brother has.”
No way was Cori going to pass up information on her grumpy neighbor. She grabbed her keys and purse off the table. She made sure the door locked behind her and she followed Krysta to Paxton’s house. Once they were inside, Krysta plopped down in a leather recliner. She reclined back until her feet were almost level with her head.
She hadn’t realized the family resemblance at first. Then again, she wasn’t thinking clearly the first time she saw them together. They had the same eyes. Krysta had beautiful long hair. She was slender and carried herself like a strong, confident woman.
“What do you wanna know?” She grinned mischievously. That smile was definitely familiar.
“So, what’s his problem?”
“Oh, honey, you’re gonna need to be more specific.”
“He’s…well, grumpy. And bossy, and aggravating.”
Krysta laughed. “So how long have you had the hots for my brother?”
Cori shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t.”
Krysta smiled. “Yeah, okay.”
She didn’t want the conversation to wrap around to herself. She wanted to know about Paxton. What type of man was he, really? What made him tick? Most importantly, what could she do to ensure he was thinking about her, as much as she couldn’t stop thinking about him?
“He used to be a cop, didn’t he?” she asked.
Krysta nodded. “Tank was a great cop. Even if he was a workaholic. Then again, maybe that’s why he was so great.”
“Then why isn’t he anymore?”
“He was shot in the line of duty. The bastard that shot him took his knee out. Does he look like a desk jockey to you?”
Cori thought back to Paxton kicking her door in. She pictured the determination that was evident in every step he took up to her front door after the flowers appeared. No, he wasn’t a man who sat around watching things happen. He was a take-action type of man.
“No. I can’t imagine that.”
“It was really hard on him. Him and Max. They were after this guy who abducted a child. They were so close. They got a tip and tracked him down. Unfortunately, the guy was armed. As Tank took chase, he was hit. Max refused to leave him. They lost the guy. To this day it’s an open case. Look,” Krysta continued, “if you really like my brother the way I think you do, don’t give up on him.”
“I don’t know him well enough to—”
“Please, don’t insult my intelligence. Kitchen table aside, I saw the way you looked at him when you didn’t know who I was. I’m a woman too. I know that look.”
Cori’s cheeks heated. “I’m so embarrassed about what you witnessed.”
“Number one, I was the one peeking in your window. I should be the embarrassed one. Number two, that shit is seriously hot…you know, if my brother wasn’t involved.” She scrunched her nose in disgust. Cori laughed.
“I’m serious, Cori. My brother is emotionally challenged. If you want him, you’re gonna have to work for him.”
“I don’t know how long I’m going to stay in town.”
Krysta crossed her arms. “You bought a house here. Try again.”
“In light of the current situation, I—”
“Bullshit. Third time is a charm, go ahead.”
Cori looked down at her hands. She twisted them in her lap for a moment before she looked up again. “I’m afraid he could break me.”
Krysta nodded as if in agreement. She sat up straight in the chair. “Now that’s a real answer. One I can sympathize with.”
“Have you ever unknowingly given your heart to a man that’s unattainable?”
Sadness washed over her beautiful face. Cori watched as the scene played out in Krysta’s mind. It was evident that whatever she was remembering filled her with both love and remorse. “Every day, Cori. Every. Damn. Day.”
“How do you do it?”
“I don’t. We aren’t together. That’s why I’m the perfect person to tell you: Don’t give up.”
Cori wasn’t sure what broke her heart more, the sadness in Krysta’s eyes or the knowledge that someday her own eyes would tell a story of sorrow. What happened, happened. The only way to save her heart was to make sure it was a one and done situation. She placed her hand over her stomach, hoping to staunch the ache she felt.
“What time do you think he’ll be back?”
Krysta shrugged her shoulders. “Never know with him. Wanna watch a movie to pass time?”
“Sure.”
Krysta put in a DVD and next thing Cori knew, she was waking up on Paxton’s couch. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep. It was dark out and Krysta was arguing with someone at the front door.
“I said he’s not here. Go home.”
A female voice answered her. “I know what you said, Krysta. I said I want to come in and wait for him.”
“No.” The vehemence in her voice surprised Cori.
“I need to talk to him.”
“You don’t need to do anything, except move your ass off this porch.”
Cori approached the door. “Everything okay?”
“It will be.”
“Who’s that?” the mystery woman questioned.
Cori kept moving toward the front door until she came face to face with a beautiful redhead. She had legs that seemed to go on forever and a dress that did nothing to hide them. The white of the dress contrasted beautifully with her tanned flesh. She looked at Cori as if she had left a bad taste in her mouth.
“None of your business, Gillian. Now go home before I shoot you for trespassing.”
“Tell Tank to call me.”
“What makes you think he ever wants to speak to you again?”
The woman, Gillian, sneered at them. “He promised he’d never love anyone like he loved me.”
“That was almost two years ago. Move on—he has.”
“Is that a fact?” Gillian scoffed.
Krysta practically growled at the woman, “Yes.”
“We’ll just have to see about that.”
The woman spun around on her spiky heels so quickly, Cori was certain she’d fall. She stomped down the porch stairs. Somehow she managed to gracefully fold herself into the tiny red sports car she was driving. What a cliché. Krysta slammed the door before turning to face Cori.
Krysta looked pissed off. “Sorry about that.”
“Who was she?”
“Paxton’s past.”
A woman he slept with? No, she said love. She had to have been more important than a hookup. She must be the last serious relationship he’d had. Would Krysta volunteer any more information? After a few minutes of silence, Cori thought better of asking. Resuming her spot on the couch, Cori used her phone to pull up her email. She spent the next half hour responding to a dozen emails from friends and colleagues.
Multiple car doors opening jolted her from her reading. Krysta was up in a flash, looking out the window.
“Great, just what we need.”
Cori was about to ask her what she meant when Paxton barged through the front door. He was laughing and talking to someone Cori couldn’t see yet. Damn, she loved his laugh. It was husky and sent shivers down her spine. Her entire body became aware when he entered the room. He glanced in her direction, grinning. The butterflies in her stomach must have been what were holding her upright because her knees were definitely weak.
“…so then this bitch—” The man stopped mid-sentence. “Hey, Krysta. I didn’t know you were in town.”
“I didn’t realize I had to ask your permission.”
“Guys,” Paxton warned.
The guy smirked at Cori. He had blond hair that came down to his chin, and tattoos covering both of his arms. He looked like the type of bad boy her sister, Brianna, would drool over. “Well, well. You must be the Doc.”
“I don’t know if I must be, but I am.”
“We haven’t properly been introduced. I’m this big lug’s best friend, Kasper. Affectionately known as Gutter Mouth.”
“Ahh…now I remember.”
“See, unforgettable. That’s me.”
Cori shook her head while laughing. Krysta walked in between the two of them. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“Krysta, honey, you couldn’t forget me if you tried.” Kasper winked at Paxton’s sister.
“You won’t stay gone long enough to give me the chance.” Krysta turned to Cori. “It was nice hanging out with you. I’m gonna go crash.”
“You too. Thank you.”
Krysta started walking toward the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. Stopping short, she turned slowly. “Cori,” she called back.
“Yeah?”
“Remember what I said.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Cori spotted Paxton’s confused scowl. “What did she say?” he asked.
Cori’s gaze drifted back to Krysta’s. She couldn’t risk making eye contact with Paxton now. He might see her for the liar she was. “Nothing important.”
Krysta gave her a sad nod, an acknowledgement of the unspoken agreement they now had. Cori watched Krysta’s back until she disappeared down the hall. Her skin began to crawl. Chancing a look in Paxton’s direction, she found both men glaring at her. Uh oh. This could get awkward.
Paxton shoved his hands into his front pockets. “What the hell was that all about?”
“Nothing.”
“Didn’t seem like it was nothing,” he growled.
She put her hands on her hips. She was annoyed with his macho bullshit. “Can I go home now?”
“She’s feisty. I like her.” Kasper guffawed.
Paxton scowled at her. “You’re exhausting.”
“I’m taking that as a yes.” Cori turned to Kasper. “It was nice meeting you.”
After retrieving her phone from the arm of the couch, she made her way to the front door. She was stepping onto the porch when Paxton grabbed ahold of her arm, stopping her from getting any farther. He looked like he had a dozen things to say to her; she didn’t want to hear them. She wanted her life back. Life pre-Paxton.
“We need to talk.”
She kept her eyes trained on his throat. She wasn’t going to meet his eyes. “No, we don’t.”
“Cori, don’t.”
“We have nothing to talk about.” She tried to wrench her arm free from his grasp. Paxton wasn’t having it. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she didn’t want him to hurt her, either. Fortifying her stand, she looked up into his eyes. “Gillian, however, would love for you to call her. Insisted, actually.”
Paxton released her as if she’d burned him. She stumbled backward. The softness in his eyes hardened. She could see the vein in his neck pulse. At that moment, he was scary.
He gritted his teeth. “Goodbye, Cori.”
Paxton slammed the heavy wooden door in her face, narrowly missing her nose. She felt like absolute shit, but she accomplished her goal. Her sexy neighbor would no longer bother her. She could get back to her life. She just had to find out who was watching her now and all would be right in the world.
She walked back to her house slowly. That’s when she remembered she still needed a new mattress. Ugh. She sure as hell couldn’t ask Paxton for help now. She closed the door behind her and plopped down on the couch. Looking out of the side window, she could see Paxton and Kasper talking. Paxton’s hands were waving all over the place.
She couldn’t stand watching him now. Not after knowing how much she’d pissed him off. She should have put blinds on all the windows in the house. She lay down on the couch so she could no longer see out of the window. Her last thought before falling asleep was that she needed to disinfect her kitchen table before she ate on it.
***
Tank
The fury he felt over hearing that bitch’s name from Cori’s sweet lips pushed him over the edge. He was seething inside. When the hell had Gillian been here? Only two people knew the answer to that question, and he’d just slammed the door in one of their faces.
Gutter Mouth held his hand up. “Dude, chill. You’re gonna pop a vein.”
“She was here,” Paxton murmured as he paced the room. “She was fucking here.”
“I heard. When’s the last time you talked to her?”
“When I was packing my things.”
Gutter Mouth whistled. “Wow. Are you gonna call her?”
Paxton looked at his best friend with what he could only assume was a look of disgust. That’s certainly what he felt. Gillian was in a past he didn’t want to relive. Ever.
“Are you nuts?” Paxton continued to pace his living room. He had too much anger to sit still. He hollered up the steps for his sister. “Krysta!”
“What are you doing, Tank?”
He scowled at Gutter Mouth. “Getting answers.”
“Oh boy.”
They could hear Krysta clomp down the stairs. She was running her fingers through her long hair.
“What the hell?” she snarled.
“She was here? What did she say?”
“Oh shit. How did…Cori? Look, I told her to get lost.”
“What did she want?”
“You, big brother. She wants you.”
“Shit,” he thundered.
“She came here dressed like slutty Barbie in her flashy sports car.”
“How did Cori react?”
“She was surprised to see her, but she didn’t say anything about it after the bitch left. I was a little surprised she didn’t ask, to be honest.”
Paxton ran his hands across his head. The prickly hairs scratched against his palms. This was the last thing he needed. Why now? What could she want with him now?
Krysta looked around the room. “Where’s Cori?”
“Mr. Charisma threw her out after she said a certain name.” Gutter Mouth rolled his eyes.
“You what?” Krysta blurted out furiously.
“She was already leaving. I didn’t throw her out.” Paxton threw his best friend a dirty look. “Gutter Mouth, you’re an asshole.”
“No, dude. You didn’t throw her out, you just slammed the door in her pretty little face.”
“Paxton, no. Please tell me he’s exaggerating like usual.” His sister pleaded for him to tell her his big-mouthed friend was lying.
“Well…” He trailed off.
“Oh my god. What the hell is wrong with you? She really likes you. Well, that’s probably past tense now,” she scoffed.
That surprised him. There was a difference between liking someone and lusting after them. He was more inclined to lust. At least that’s the way it had been for the last two years. Unfortunately, this time was different. He liked her too, which was why he needed to stay away from her. He wasn’t the settling down type. Not anymore.
“That’s not my problem.” Shit. He felt like an asshole saying that. From the expression on Krysta’s face, she wholeheartedly agreed. It was a mixture of disbelief and disgust.
“Could you be more of an ass fuck?”
“Yeah, actually, I think I could.”
Gutter Mouth chuckled from the couch. Krysta spun on him like a woman possessed. He even leaned back into the couch to avoid the finger she was waving madly in his face.
“No one fucking asked you. You’re just as bad, if not worse, than him.”
“Krysta—”
“Don’t ‘Krysta’ me. The both of you disgust me. However, you, Paxton Sokolofski. You break my heart. You don’t even love yourself enough to let the anger go. All it is, is poison. So it didn’t work out with Gillian. Relationships end. It sucks, but it happens.”
“I love you, doesn’t that count?” He smiled.
“And I love you. I always will. Will that be enough when you’re alone at night? When you’re too old to pick up that night’s bed warmer?” She shook her head sadly at him. “It wouldn’t be enough for me.”
“Some people are meant to settle down, some aren’t.”
“Bullshit.” Krysta stared daggers at him. “I can’t even stand to look at you anymore.”
She marched toward the front door.
“Where are you going?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to Cori’s.”
Paxton watched his extremely pissed off little sister storm out of his house. God help the man who married her. If she married that guy, their visits would be fewer and further in between. If she visited at all. When she did visit, he would probably come with her. He didn’t like the thought of that at all. Gutter Mouth joined him by the window.
“She’s pissed, dude.”
“No shit.”
“So…do you have a thing for the Doc over there or what?”
“No.”
Gutter Mouth chuckled. “That’s the answer you’re going with?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Paxton glared at his best friend.
“Oh nothing. Just that, that’s exactly what Max said about Sloane.”
“Fuck you.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Paxton stretched his arms up over his head. “Let’s go out,” he blurted, dropping them to his side.
Gutter Mouth raised a questioning eyebrow. “Yeah? Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
Without answering, Paxton grabbed his wallet and keys off the table. Gutter Mouth shrugged his shoulders before heading out the front door ahead of him. Paxton locked the door. Krysta had her own key to get back in. Stepping up into his truck, Paxton quickly started it up and pulled out of his driveway.
The drive there was mostly silent. He kept visualizing the look on Cori’s face when he told her goodbye. The sadness in her eyes could have been his imagination. Or was Krysta right? More importantly, was Gutter Mouth? No, he couldn’t be. He didn’t have anything except a brief infatuation for the raven-haired beauty next door. It would pass. It had to. Resolve in place, Paxton continued to the local watering hole. He would find a cutie to spend the night with and his sexy neighbor would be a memory before the night was over.
“Over there.” Gutter Mouth nodded his head toward the end of the bar. Two woman sat giggling together. They seemed like they were alone. The blonde was pretty enough. The brunette reminded him of a certain someone he didn’t want to think about.
“Let’s go introduce ourselves,” he urged.
As they approached the women, the blonde smiled at him. She wore too much makeup around her amber eyes, but he didn’t care. She was skinny too. He would have to go easy on her, but he’d have to put forth less effort than he thought. He smiled back at her.
“Hello, ladies.” Gutter Mouth’s voice was as smooth as honey.
“Hello there, handsome.” The brunette adjusted her posture, inviting her breasts to the conversation. Paxton wanted to laugh. He kept his face straight, for both of their sakes. Paxton stood next to the blonde’s chair. She batted her fake eyelashes up at him.
“Hey there. I’m Maryanne.”
“Tank.”
She looked at her friend, giggling. “Well, Tank, care to buy a girl a drink?”
“Sure.”
He called the bartender over and ordered beers for himself and Gutter Mouth plus two Cosmos for the ladies. Tiffany, Gutter Mouth’s companion for the evening, kept talking about her favorite reality shows. How Gutter Mouth continued to smile and pretend to pay attention, Paxton would never know. Maryanne was just as animated about them.
He was bored out of his mind. Paxton couldn’t take it anymore. Time to get on with it. He didn’t care that they had barely touched their overpriced drinks.
He grinned. “So, would you ladies like to get out of here?”
“Yes,” they spoke in unison.
“I’m in the black truck out front. You can follow us in your car.”
Maryanne seemed slightly annoyed. “You don’t want to ride together?”
“No.”
“Come on, Maryanne. It’s fine,” her friend whined.
Reluctantly, Maryanne followed them outside. The air cooled his skin after being inside the heated bar. Paxton was raised to be a gentleman. He made sure the women got to their car first, then pointed out his truck for them to follow. His mind wasn’t in the right place tonight. He should have just stayed home. He really didn’t even want to bring these women home, but this was just what he did. Ever since things had ended with Gillian, that is. The gravel crunched under their boots as they crossed the parking lot.
“I’m not sure which one is worse,” Gutter Mouth sighed as he closed the truck door.
“I know.”
“Maybe I’ll just put Tiffany’s face into the pillow,” he joked.
Paxton laughed. “That still probably won’t shut her up.”
“Dude, I know.”
He pulled his truck into the driveway. He tried not to notice that all the lights were off at Cori’s and her car was missing. Where could she have gone? Was Krysta back home or were they together? Shit. He forgot Krysta was staying with him. Nothing he could do about it now.
There was a nagging feeling in the back of his head. This was a mistake.
The girls parked behind him. They giggled all the way to his front door. Paxton wondered how long it would take to get Maryanne undressed. A quick fuck and then they could both leave. Pushing the door open, he looked around for any telltale signs of Krysta being home. All was quiet. Good. He turned on only one dimmed light, casting most of the room in shadows.
“Make yourselves at home. Can I get you a drink?”
Tiffany smiled. “Whatever you’re having is fine.”
Paxton retrieved four bottles of beer from the fridge, once again asking himself why he was doing this. He didn’t need to get laid. He’d had great sex this afternoon with Cori…there it was. He was trying to erase Cori, and Maryanne was going to help him.
Gutter Mouth and Tiffany were already making out on his recliner. He took a spot on the couch next to Maryanne.
She licked her lips slowly, silently offering him a taste. Paxton threaded his fingers in her hair, drawing her forward. It wasn’t nearly as silky as Cori’s. Fuck. This wasn’t going to work if he kept thinking of her. He pressed his lips firmly to hers. She was a decent kisser at least. He could definitely work with that. Without his usual amount of foreplay, he tugged her dress up over her head. The purple bra she wore matched perfectly with her barely there panties. He could hear Tiffany moaning from the recliner.
Dragging Maryanne’s bra straps down her light brown skin, he kissed his way down her neck and collarbone, burying his face in her cleavage. She smelled of jasmine. He had just taken a pert nipple between his teeth when the front door opened and the lights came on. Momentarily blinded, it took Paxton a moment to realize an extremely pissed off Krysta stood before him.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d walked in on him with a girl. However, it was the first time it happened while Gutter Mouth was there shirtless with his hand up his own date’s dress. But the worst part of the whole situation was standing behind Krysta. Cori stared at him as though he’d grown horns and a long, pointy tail. Maryanne used his body to shield hers as the girls stood there.
“Okay, Max is waiting…oh my…” Sloane stopped dead in her tracks, turning her body so Mia couldn’t see into the living room.
He was in hell.
Cori pushed past Sloane, fleeing from his house of debauchery.
“You son of a bitch!” Krysta spat.
Tiffany stood up with a smug look on her face. “Um, who the hell are you?”
Krysta crossed the room, standing toe to toe with Tiffany. His sister stood a good two inches taller than her. This wasn’t going to end well. His baby sister was not someone to trifle with—he’d made sure of that.
Handing Maryanne her dress, he got up from where he’d been lying.
Krysta pointed in Paxton’s direction. “I’m his sister.” Then at Gutter Mouth. “And his wife.”
“Wife!” cried Tiffany. “Maryanne, let’s get outta here. Assholes.”
His best buddy plopped his ass in the recliner, laughing. Paxton didn’t know what was so funny. They were in serious shit. Knowing they were playboys and seeing it firsthand were two separate things. Having Sloane witness his behavior bothered him. It bothered him even more that his sweet little Mia was in her arms.
“Hey, Mia. How’s my favorite girl tonight?” He took a step in their direction.
Sloane held up her hand, shaking her head at him. “Not until you wash the skank off, Paxton.”
He stopped. She was right. He’d tainted every relationship he’d had in the past few years. Whether it was romantic or platonic, he always did something to fuck it up. He would never taint what he had with Mia. That was enough to get Gutter Mouth to stop with his fucking laughter too. Sloane was the only woman they really respected. He respected his sister and Mia too, but that was different.
“Anyway, the reason we’re here is to help Cori,” Sloane said. “She’s pretty great, you know. She came by the office earlier and us girls went out to dinner. To make a long story short…”
“Too late.” Gutter Mouth grinned only to receive a look of absolute destruction from Krysta.
Sloane continued without even glancing at him. “…she still needed a new mattress. I called Max and we went to pick one out. I’m here to get you guys to help move the old one out and the new one in. However, seems the circumstances are no longer ideal. Us girls will just muddle through with Max’s help.”
He sighed. “Sloane—”
She pinned him with a look of disappointment. “Sorry to ruin your evening.”
The girls marched out of the house. He fell back onto the couch again, scrubbing his face with his hands.
“Dude, they’re pissed.”
“No fucking shit, Captain Obvious.”
“What do we do now?”
“Now, I’m going to shower. Then I’m going over there to apologize. Hopefully then Sloane will let me hold Mia. I don’t care what you do.”
“Can I use your other shower? I’ve got a spare set of clothes in my duffel.”
“Mi casa, su casa.”
Kasper went to go retrieve his bag. Not bothering to wait for him, Paxton went upstairs to take a shower. He had a lot of groveling to do. His gut had told him bringing those girls home was a bad idea, and he knew better than to ignore his gut. He had no idea how to fix this mess.
***
Cori
Damn.
She certainly hadn’t expected that. Tears stung her eyes. She had to get the hell out of there. What an asshole. It hadn’t even been twelve hours since they had been together. But she’d known what she was getting into. He warned her and still she gave herself to him. She also knew that she wasn’t going through this again. He obviously didn’t have any feelings for her.
Max pushed away from the side of his truck as she approached him. “Are they getting their asses out here?”
She took a fortifying breath. “I don’t think we should count on them tonight.”
He shook his head. “What did they do now?”
The screen door to Paxton’s house slammed open. The two women were scurrying to their car. They peeled out of his driveway and headed toward town.
“Oh shit,” Max mumbled.
She looked back at Max. “Pretty much.”
“I’m sorry, Cori.”
She shrugged her shoulders as she watched the women drive out of sight. She looked back at Max. “Please don’t apologize for him.”
With Mia still on her hip, Sloane emerged from the house. Krysta was right on her heels. She was shaking her head in disgust the whole time.
“Those rat bastards.”
Sloane gave her a look. “Krysta.”
“Sorry. I’ll try to watch my mouth. Sorry, Mia.” Krysta kissed the little girl’s outstretched hand. The sound of her laughter was the sweetest thing Cori had ever heard.
Sloane handed Mia over to Max. She put her hands on her hips. “Well, ladies, it looks like it’s up to us.”
Max stopped making faces at his daughter and looked at Sloane. “Hey, I’m here.”
She giggled. “I know you are, sweetheart.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You rock. Your buddies, however, are in the doghouse.”
“Good, maybe you’ll finally stop feeding them.”
The women snickered as they entered the house together. Detective Hyland had taken the animal carcass and linens with him after they documented the scene the night before. The naked mattress taunted her. She felt uneasy just being in the room.
Sloane touched her arm. “Are you okay, honey?”
“I will be once we get this out of here.”
Cori and Krysta both grabbed a different corner. They heaved the mattress up off the box spring. They were still struggling when Cori heard heavy footsteps ascending her stairs. Paxton and Kasper appeared in the doorway a moment later.
Paxton glanced over at her before turning his attention to Sloane and then Krysta. “I’m sorry.”
Kasper shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Me too.”
Krysta stared daggers at both men. Sloane smiled sadly as she walked over to them. She put one arm around each man’s neck and hugged them. She took a step back, looking them both over.
“I love you both. Now that that’s done with, please dispose of this mattress.”
Without another word, Paxton and Kasper picked the mattress up like it weighed nothing and disappeared down the steps.
Sloane put her hand on Cori’s shoulder. “They’re both good guys. They have demons. We all do.”
“I understand that, better than most. I see it every day with clients. Or at least I did before I closed my practice.”
Krysta scoffed. “Don’t make excuses for them. They do what they want, because they want to.”
“Krysta, you know Paxton is a good man.”
“I’m not saying they aren’t. I’m saying they make shitty choices that hurt the people around them because they’re selfish. They choose to hold onto their so-called demons. They need to learn to let shit go.” Krysta pinned Sloane with a menacing look. “If you start singing that song again, I will kick your ass.”
Cori didn’t need to have any children to know that song. At one time it was playing everywhere. She laughed with Sloane as Krysta punched her new friend in the arm playfully.
Sloane fixed Cori with a compassionate expression. “He’ll pull his head out of his ass eventually.”
“I don’t need him to. There’s nothing between us.”
“No?”
“No,” Cori replied as sternly as she could muster considering it was killing her inside. Paxton’s words echoed in her head: “This won’t end well.” She took a moment to shake the image of Paxton from her mind. Both the image of him above her and the image of him on his couch with someone else.
“I said the same thing about Max.”
Krysta threw an arm around each woman’s shoulders. “I say we get the new mattress up here. And by we, I mean them. Then we should grab some food and relax.”
“Sounds great, but I need to get my little angel home and in bed.” Sloane smiled brightly. “I know—tomorrow everyone can head over to our house. We’ll have a cookout. Cori, bring your suit to go swimming.”
“Um—”
“Excellent. I’ll text you the address. Come on over about lunch time.” Sloane beamed.
Krysta patted Cori’s arm. “Don’t fight it.” She laughed.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
“Excellent!” Sloane yelled over her shoulder as she made her way out onto the front porch.
Cori and Krysta moved out of the doorway just in time for Paxton and Kasper to come barging through with her new mattress. They took it straight up the stairs without hesitation. Krysta looked at her and rolled her eyes. Then they joined Sloane where she stood in the yard with Mia back on her hip and an arm around Max.
They looked perfect together. Max pushed Sloane’s bangs out of her face. Cori watched in awe. They looked so much in love. The way Sloane gazed up lovingly at Max, Cori finally had to look away. Her gaze found Paxton as he exited her house with Kasper trailing behind him. He never looked at her. He marched over to Max.
He took the baby from Sloane. The little girl’s squeal lit his face up. His smile was warm and inviting. At that moment, Cori saw the man Paxton could have—no, should have been. She could see the man that wasn’t damaged by his past. It was breathtaking. Her heart ached for him as she stood there mesmerized. She had to keep herself from going to him.
“He’s just a man, Cori,” Krysta whispered in her ear.
Cori met Krysta’s stare. “What does that mean?”
“You’re looking at him like he’s just descended from the heavens.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not even sure what that means,” she scoffed.
Krysta snorted. “I like you, Cori. I think if he got out of his own way, you’d be good for him. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Cori wrapped her arms around Paxton’s little sister. “I appreciate that.” She pulled back to look Krysta in the eye. “I plan on staying as far away from him as I can.”
“You live next door,” Krysta pointed out.
“So far is more of a state of mind.” She chuckled. “So what’s up with you and Kasper?”
She shrugged Cori off. “He’s been Paxton’s best friend since they were kids. We’ve always bickered. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women and I think he’s an ass fuck.”
Cori let it drop. Her line of work taught her how to read people better than most. She knew there was something under the surface, but what, Cori had no idea. She risked a look back to where Paxton had stood a moment ago. He was gone. She sighed deeply. No matter what she told Krysta, she knew keeping Paxton out of her head would be impossible.
“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Krysta gave her a sad smile.
Cori shook her head feverishly. “Absolutely not. No way. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I really don’t mind.”
“Thanks, Krysta, but you’ve had to babysit me enough today.”
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
Cori hugged her goodbye. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she walked to Max and Sloane. They were still talking to Kasper.
“Thank you, guys. I really appreciate your help.”
Sloane hugged her. “Anytime. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. I left my number on your nightstand.”
To her surprise, Max hugged her as well. “It was nice to meet you, Doc. Seriously, we’re here if you need anything.”
Max took Mia and loaded her in the car seat in the back of the truck. Once the little family was secured inside, Sloane waved from the passenger seat as Max backed out of her driveway. That left her alone on the front lawn with Kasper.
“Hey, Doc. I wanted to apologize for earlier.” He actually looked ashamed for a moment. His hands were shoved into his front pockets and he was having a hard time making eye contact. It was completely at odds with the Kasper she had dealt with up until this point.
“Look, Kasper, it’s none of my business what you two do. I’m his neighbor. He’s helping me out, that’s it.”
She shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. Like seeing Paxton with that woman didn’t crush something inside of her. She’d known before anything happened between them that it wouldn’t be some Cinderella story. She didn’t believe in fairy tales anyway. She’d dealt with too much real-life shit to wear rose-colored glasses.
Damn, how she wanted to, though. She wanted to believe a man like Paxton would sweep her off her feet. But she couldn’t. It would only bring more disappointment in the future. Kasper didn’t look fooled, but he kept his mouth shut. With a simple nod, Kasper walked off toward Paxton’s house.
Cori high-tailed back inside her own home. She meticulously checked each room to make sure every window and door was locked up tight. She even went as far as propping a kitchen chair under all the doorknobs. It worked in the movies. Feeling satisfied with her high-tech security, she went upstairs to make her new bed. Before climbing into bed, she couldn’t resist the urge any longer. Cori turned off the bedroom lights and walked to the window. Paxton’s silhouette was encased in his window frame.
Was he looking for her? Was he checking around the house? She looked around the yard. Unfortunately, she saw shadows everywhere and it creeped her out. Were they normal shadows or was something sinister waiting for her inside of them? She dropped the curtain back into place and took a step backward. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tightly. She needed to chill out or she’d never get to sleep tonight. She pulled the covers back and crept into bed.
She felt like a little kid. If she pulled the covers up over her head, would she feel safer? Would she magically be invisible to monsters entering her room? Knowing she was being irrational, she pulled the covers up to her chin and snuggled into her pillow. She watched each corner of the room until her eyelids began to get heavy and closed on their own.
***
Tank
Tank stood in the window checking the perimeter of Cori’s house. He had his Glock 22 tucked in his waistband, the cold metal pressing against his spine. It was comforting having it close to him, since it was the same type of gun he’d carried when he was on the police force.
He still felt like cow shit for his actions tonight. He came home waiting for her to come over and confront him for the things he did, but she didn’t. She seemed indifferent. She barely looked his way. He didn’t want that to bother him. Fuck. It did.
His phone vibrated in his back pocket. Retrieving it, he looked down at the screen. Mother.
Swiping his thumb across the screen, he accepted the call. “What’s up, dude?”
“Okay, so listen to this. Since the trail on the widower went cold, I cross-checked names from Cori’s practice, social media, and family with anyone using credit cards within a thirty-mile radius. Another name popped.”
“How the hell did you get those names?”
“Do I ask you questions I don’t really want the answer to? No, I don’t. Anyway, Stanley Pickett is a longtime patient of hers. He was quite upset that she closed her practice, per the emails he’s been sending her. Just so happens he checked into a motel off highway ten yesterday. That puts him, maybe, fifteen miles away from you and the good Doc.”
“Okay, but why now? Where the hell has he been the past couple of days?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he finally ran out of cash. Maybe he was sleeping in his car and decided he couldn’t go another night without a hot shower and a bed. Who knows, man. The important thing is, we know where the bastard is now.”
“True. Can you send me a picture of the guy and a description of his car? I’ll go check it out in the morning. I don’t want to leave now. I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone at night.”
“Is she staying with you?” The surprise in Mother’s voice grated him. The fact that it grated him, grated him even more. He refused to get caught up in some girl. His gut told him that that was exactly what was beginning to happen. Ugh.
“No, dick weed. She’s at home.”
The cackle that erupted from the other end of the phone was a half laugh, half snort. Paxton couldn’t not laugh along with his friend.
“You’re surlier than usual. You sure there isn’t something going on with this girl?”
“Just keep me updated on any movements, okay?” Paxton barked.
“You got it. I’ll talk to you later.”
Paxton released the breath he had been holding. “Thanks, man. Later.”
Gutter Mouth looked up from his phone. “What’s going on?”
“Mother found a lead. We’ll go check it out in the morning.”
His friend raised an eyebrow. “Not tonight?”
Paxton gritted his teeth, ready to get the third degree from another one of his buddies. “No. Not tonight.”
“Okay. I’m gonna hit the sack then. See ya in the AM.”
Gutter Mouth hopped up from the couch and bound up the stairs like a kid. Paxton turned back to the window, scanning the property one last time before deciding to get some shut eye himself. There was nothing he could do at this point.
He went upstairs, stopping briefly outside of Krysta’s door. She never spoke to him when she came home. She went straight to her room. Should he knock and apologize? But apologize for what? Bringing a girl to his own house? He was a single man. She was his sister. She had no right to be pissed at him.
“Fuck it,” he mumbled as he turned away from her door. He went to his room down the hall. Stripping down to nothing, he flopped onto his bed. The cool sheets felt like heaven against his heated skin.
He stared up at the ceiling for a while. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering what Gillian wanted. Why would she come track him down now? It couldn’t be to reconcile. He had been extremely blunt when he’d packed his bags to leave. He had a certified letter sent informing her of the rent he wanted or she could vacate the property. That lasted six months before she decided to move out. The very next day, Paxton put the house up for sale.
That life was over and gone. He even sold his Camaro. He didn’t want anything to remind him of her, but not because he hated her for hurting him. He got rid of everything that reminded him of the good times they’d had together. Some of the best times of his life had been spent with her. Unfortunately, the idea of marrying a cop and the reality were two different things. She’d spent too many evenings eating dinner alone because he was stuck on a stakeout or had caught another case an hour before shift change.
It was the pretending to be happy to his face for months on end that pissed him off the most. He wouldn’t have changed a thing about his job. He’d saved lives and reunited families. That was more important than making dinner on time. He scoffed.
It didn’t matter what that bitch wanted. He rolled over onto his side. He was proud of himself when he finally pushed her memory out of his mind. However, a raven-haired beauty quickly took her place. He needed to apologize to Cori for slamming the door in her face.