Chapter 13
Leo
I’m down on my hands and knees, with a hammer clenched between my fingers. I whack at the nail in front of me, taking out all my damn frustration on it.
Last night was a sleepless one. I perched on my bed and stared at the ceiling for hours on end, replaying the feel of Reese’s kiss, the warmth of her mouth, the sweetness of her tongue. I wondered what she tastes like between the thighs. I imagined what her lips would feel like around my cock.
A minute ago, I almost nailed my finger to the plywood as I got lost in the fantasy all over again. Even over the stench of varnish and tile adhesive, I can smell her sugary fragrance. And as my grimy hands wrap around the handle of the hammer, I imagine drawing my fingers delicately along her smooth skin.
Fuck. Last night was a mistake.
Last night, I let my grief dictate my actions. My strangling loneliness had me gasping, grasping for something to hold on to.
I shouldn't have touched her like that. She's my friend's sister. She's sweet and unstained by life's bullshit. Plus, I think she has a thing for me. Kissing her probably sent her the wrong message. What a selfish bastard I am.
Make no mistake—Reese Hartley is a beautiful woman. Perfection. Soft and gorgeous in every way. But I'm all spikes and jagged edges. I shouldn’t be messing with her. I'll cut her. I'll tear her to pieces. I’ll damage her. She needs a guy who will treat her good. A guy who can commit to her. Right now, I can only commit to my son. That’s it. So, I have to keep my distance before I end up hurting her.
I try to reason with my guilty conscience. It was just one little kiss. Just to make the pain go away for a minute. Just of a single moment of peace. I needed to get lost in something other than my own head. I needed a friend other than my own demons. And there she was with her sweet lips and her kind eyes. How was I supposed to resist that?
A pair of scuffed work boots appear in my peripheral vision. I tip my head back and stare up into Charlie's face. Smirking, he stretches a bottle of water out to me. I shift back onto my haunches and grab the drink. I grunt out a ‘thank you’ and take a long gulp, hoping to wash down some of my guilt.
"Come outside and get some fresh air, man." He leads the way, guzzling down his water as he goes. We dodge around open toolboxes and sweaty workers and step into the sun outside.
"What's up?" I ask as I lean against the side of his dirty truck.
For a moment, I wonder if he knows about what happened with Reese, if he can somehow sense the guilt radiating off of me in waves but I quickly realize that my concern is unfounded. He’s being his regular, old cocky self, eyes are riveted to a trio of young mothers in micro-shorts and crop tops as they jog by, pushing their strollers ahead of them. They bat their eyes at him and wave, singing "Hi Charlie," in unison like it's the chorus of a Christmas song.
With his chest puffed out like a peacock, he grins and waves back before giving me his attention. "Just checking up on you to see how you're doing."
I shrug a shoulder, cupping my hand over my eyes and glancing in the direction of the sun blazing high in the sky.
"How's kiddo holding up? Is he doing good in school?"
"Brent’s fine." I hope I’m not behaving too strangely. It’s hard to act normal when the only thing I can think about is how I was all over his sister last night.
He nods to himself as he leans against the truck and swallows the last of his water. "Good, good." He tosses the empty bottle at the garbage can in the corner of the yard. It hits the rim and ricochets inside.
We stand quietly for a while. He eyes the pack of smokes that I pull out of my pocket. I tilt it in his direction, offering him one. He shakes his head vigorously. “Hell no, man. I thought you’d quit.”
I bring a cigarette to my lips and strike a match. “Fucking stressed, man…” I mutter as I cup my hand around the flame so that it catches the cig.
“You need to drop that habit. It’s killing you.”
My voice goes testy. “I already know that. I don’t need the lecture.”
He shrugs and looks away. "Anyway,” he says, easily changing the subject, “how's that little arrangement with my sister been working out for you?"
The cigarette smoke slips down the wrong way and I lurch forward, coughing it back up. Charlie pounds a fist on my back with a puzzled expression. “You okay?”
My throat feels raw and achy after that bout of coughing, strangled by guilt and toxins.
He tilts his head to the side and watches me like I’m crazy. “Dude—I just wanted to know if Reese and Brenton have been getting along after school. Or if she’s bored him to death with her cupcake monologues yet.”
“They’re getting along fine.” I scrub the back of my hand over my mouth and nod just as Sophia’s sleek black Audi comes cruising up the street. I see the glare of her diamond ring before I can even make out her face behind the wheel.
Damn—that thing is the size of a small island.
“Everything’s fine,” I say a little too eager to move on from the subject. “Boss lady’s coming through. Let’s get back to work before she has a conniption.” My chuckle is fake and uneasy as I lean down to stub out my cigarette on the curb.
I clearly register the strange look my friend gives me as I stroll past him toward the house. I can’t ignore the caution bells sounding at the back of my mind, telling me that getting close to Reese is nothing but a bad idea.
I have to make sure she knows it.