Bent not Broken (350 page)

“I slept on the couch,” he shrugged like it was no big deal.

I smiled, a little embarrassed. I didn’t mean to put him out like that. I felt sure a blush was creeping up my neck. “Oh, Chris. You didn’t have to do that. I was perfectly comfortable on the couch.”

He shook his head, his biceps flexing as he grabbed a spatula to flip the strips of bacon in the sizzling pan on the stove. “I wouldn’t hear of it.”

I glanced at the floor. “Well, thanks…” my voice trailed. He seemed so nonchalant about it that I wondered if this was this a usual occurrence for him—taking women to his bed. Was I just one of many, but for obvious reasons, he didn’t sleep with me?
And if the reasons are so obvious then why do I even care?

“Any time.” A coy grin was plastered on his face when I looked back up at him. “You hungry?” he asked. “I make a mean omelet.”

“Definitely.” I smiled as I sat down on the barstool at the counter.

His rippled abs and toned biceps flexed as he moved around the kitchen, opening cabinets, searching the refrigerator, and collecting ingredients. My eyes kept wandering as I sipped my coffee. Every now and then, he’d glance my way and would catch me staring, and I’d look away, blushing. He’d just grace me with that sexy as hell half grin of his and keep working. Occasionally our eyes would meet, lingering for a few seconds.

Before long, he slid a plate that was filled with a steaming hot, southwestern omelet and bacon. “Eat up,” he said. “I don’t get to do this often. It’s nice to cook in a real kitchen for once.”

“Thank you.” I scooped up a bite of the omelet and lifted the fork to my mouth.

Swinging his leg over the barstool and plopping down on it, he placed his own plate down in front of him. “You’re very welcome,” he said, taking his first bite.

After a few silent moments, he piped up. “Sorry about the phone call last night. It was my manager, Beverly. She wants me on the road first thing this morning, so we don’t have much more time together,” he muttered regretfully.

I nodded, disappointed. “Oh, it’s okay. I understand. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

Chris shook his head. “Oh, you’re not in my hair at all. I just wish I had more time with you. That’s the hardest part of life on the road—never staying in one place for very long. It sucks.”

Yeah, it does suck.
I’d been wishing all morning for a little more time with him. I tried to stay positive. “Maybe the next time you’re passing through town we can do this again...spend time together, that is.”

He grinned, the same way I remembered from that day I handed him the guitar in the cafeteria. “I’d love that.”

Yes!
I mentally fist pumped toward heaven.

When we were finished with breakfast, I washed up the dishes while Chris called Grant to make arrangements to meet me in the parking deck with my Elantra.

He slipped his shirt over his head and slid his feet into his black harness boots. We headed for the elevator in silence, our shoulders brushing as we walked side by side down the long corridor. Reaching out, he brushed his hand against my palm. The spark of electricity that zinged through my body packed more of a jolt than any cup of coffee could.

The sensation of his hand on mine caused my heart to pound in my chest. I smiled warmly at him, appreciating his gentle touch. I already missed him, and I wasn’t even gone yet. I hated to have to leave when all I wanted to do was spend more time with him. We could hang out all day, exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and having a few drinks.

Chris turned to me when we reached my car. He pursed his lips. I had a feeling that he didn’t get nervous around women very often, and I didn’t know if I enjoyed it or wanted to put him at ease. He cleared his throat. “I have a lot of time on the road, and I was wondering… if I could…call you sometime? Or text?” Then added hastily, “If that’s okay with you.”

Music to my ears.
“Definitely,” I nodded eagerly.

The corners of his mouth tugged into a wide smile. “Good. Well, I hope you have a great week. I had a great time with you.”

I returned a bashful grin. “I had a really great time too. Thanks for everything.”

Slowly, Chris reached out and pulled me into his space. Curling his arms around me, he whispered, “I just wish we had more time.”

“Me too,” I said softly, breathing in the scent of his masculinity. The last time I remembered being wrapped in his arms I was aching over having to watch him walk away. This time, while the action of him walking away was the same, the ache inside of me was very different. And it scared me. Or excited me. Or both. Laying my head on his chest, I listened to the sound of his heart thumping in his chest.

His phone began beeping and buzzing in his pocket, but he ignored the tones. “I’m not ready to leave yet. I feel like we have so much more to catch up on,” he said, reaching up to cradle the back of my head.

“I’m not ready to leave yet either,” I said sadly, nuzzling against the warmth of his body.

“But I have to,” he sighed, seemingly sad to say goodbye, but annoyed by the disruption of his phone.

I nodded, sighing for the same reasons. “I know.”

“Take care of yourself, Salem. I’ll be in touch,” he said as he opened my car door for me.

I looked up at him, burning the memory of his face, his eyes, and his lips, into my mind. “Okay. Be safe. I’ll talk to you soon.” I reached up quickly and caressed his cheek, then sank down into the seat of my car, reluctantly starting the engine.

I saw Chris in my rearview mirror, watching me as I drove away. While we had just met up again for the first time in years, it felt like we’d kept up with each other the whole time. In many ways he was still the same Chris I knew years ago, just older…and hotter. I smiled at the memory of the scent on his pillow, which smelled exactly like the body I’d just been hugging. I realized the faint, musky smell still lingered on me, so I wrapped myself up in his scent, vowing not to take a shower that day.
God, that man is sexy.

****

CHRIS

What the hell just happened?
I stood in the parking deck watching Salem’s taillights disappear around the corner, nearly breathless from the sensation that her fingers left on my stubbled cheek. My phone buzzed in my pocket again, jolting me from my stupor.

Dude, where r u?
Tommy had texted again for the third time since I’d been standing there with Salem.

Annoyed, I texted back.
B there soon.

U better have a good explanation for missing one hell of a party last night,
he responded.

Oh trust me, I do.

Haha. U know I don’t kiss and tell,
I teased him.

Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna b?
he replied.

Yep.
I knew I was gonna get shit for it, but oh well…

I ran up to my apartment, locked up, then met up with Pete to have him drive me across town.

I hopped into his Denali when he pulled into the parking deck. “Gotta catch the bus. Bev said we gotta move out by nine this morning,” I told him, still reeling from the way that woman felt in my arms, but trying not to let it get to me.

Pete nodded with a confident smile. “No problem. I can get you there. Nice night with the lady?” he insinuated, waggling his eyebrows.

I glanced out the window, then back at him. “Yeah,” I muttered, not offering any more information.

Pete stared expectantly at me in the rearview mirror for a few seconds. Giving up, he muttered, “She must be somethin’ special.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re not bragging about getting laid,” he said with a shrug.

Damn. I never thought about that, but he’s right.
Pete was the only one of my guys who ever managed to get me to kiss and tell because he was usually the first one to see me in my morning-after stupor.

“It’s complicated.” I didn’t know what else to say. Teenage client turned adult. Juvie counselor turned sexy. It was fucking complicated as hell.

“Ahh, I see.” Pete stayed quiet the rest of the trip, but every now and then he’d peek at me in the rearview mirror with an all-knowing glance.

As he dropped me off, he called through the window, “Complicated or not, that girl is special.”

Ignoring him, I threw my hand up and waved. “Thanks for the ride. See you in a few weeks.”

“See ya, lover boy,” he winked, then tossed back his head and laughed.

“Lover boy?” Jeremy said, hitting me from behind. He clamped a firm hand on my shoulder and announced to Tommy, “Hey, Preacher. Lover boy here’s been holdin’ out on us.”

Preacher. I hadn’t heard that nickname in a long time. We called him that years ago when we found out his name was Tommy
Bishop
. With the hell-raising lifestyle he led, there was just some funny-as-shit irony in calling him Preacher, so the name stuck for a while.

“Holdin’ out, huh?” Tommy grinned, pumping his hips like the pervert that he was. “Which fine ass chick did you hold out on last night?”

A low boil of anger built up in the pit of my stomach, and I glowered at Tommy. “It wasn’t like that, okay,” I bit out, shoving past them to get to the bus.

“Damn, what’s his deal?” I heard Jeremy mumble under his breath to Tommy.

“Who the hell knows?” Tommy muttered, grabbing his bag off the ground as he boarded the bus.

Things were tense the first hour on the road. I sat with my pen and notebook on my lap, scrawling lyrics onto the paper as quickly as they came to me. Watching the trees blur past the windows, I’d felt a sudden burst of inspiration to write.

Knowing we had to get things right between us because we had another show in just a few short hours, I finally broke the silence. “Look. I spent some time with this girl last night.” I glanced out the window hoping the information I’d given them would be enough, but knowing, of course, it wouldn’t be.

“Fuck yeah. I knew it!” Jeremy punched Tommy on the shoulder. “So, how was she?”

Snapping my eyes back, I glared at Jeremy. “Shut up, man. It wasn’t like that.” I debated trying to explain Salem to them without fucking it up somehow, but I knew I couldn’t so I just said, “Look, it’s someone I knew a long time ago.”

They both looked at each other, confused. “Someone like Kaitlyn, you mean?” Jeremy asked.

“No. Different. She helped me…she helped me get through some tough shit.”

“Oh, I get it. Like a fuck buddy?”

“No,”
Dammit. How do I explain this?
I hesitated, knowing I was risking it big in taking shit for it. “As in…she was my counselor at Fairbanks.”

Tommy pursed his lips and covered his mouth. Jeremy snorted. Within seconds, they were both cackling like a couple of douchebags.

“Dude. What. The. Fuck?” Tommy managed to get the words out as he gasped for breath between his asinine guffaws. “You’re telling me…you slept with your…
juvie
counselor…last night?”

I pounded my fist on the armrest, which caused both of them to immediately stifle their laughter. “Hell no!” I glowered. “I already told you. It’s not like that, okay?”

With a grave look on his face, Jeremy conceded, “Oh shit. You’re serious?”

Glancing down at the pages of lyrics that had easily flowed from my head, through my pen, and onto the paper in the short time I’d been sitting there, I nodded.

“Damn,” Jeremy ran his hand through his hair. “So, that’s why you wanted to stay in the night after the concert. This chick’s got you all messed up.”

Glancing out the window, unsure of how to respond, I mumbled, “Something like that.” Only it didn’t feel messed up…it felt right. Very, very right.

“So, if you didn’t sleep with her, what did you do? Feed her dinner at four and change her Depends at eight?” Tommy snorted trying to keep a straight face. He couldn’t have a serious conversation if his life depended on it.

I smacked the back of Tommy’s head. “Dude, don’t be such a dick.”

“I’m just askin’,” he shrugged innocently like he had no idea what an asshole he was.

“She’s
only
six years older, and she’s fuckin’ hot.” I glared at both of them to get my point across.

After several tense moments of stare-down silence, Jeremy finally clamped his hand on my shoulder as he walked past me. “Well, all right then. Can’t wait to meet her.” The look he gave me told me that he knew. He could see it in my eyes that this girl was different.

I looked up at him with relief. “Thanks, man.”

Tommy nodded. “Yeah, can’t wait to meet her,” he echoed, totally fucking clueless. Turning around, he grabbed his guitar from its case to practice a few songs from our newest album.

And that was that. The rest of the ride was smooth sailing.

Chapter Seventeen

SALEM

“What the hell were you thinking, Salem?” Graham demanded as he stormed through my front door with an arm full of magazines. He was dropping Alexis off from her mid-week visit with him.

Surprised by his anger, I asked, “What do you mean?”

“This! This is what I mean,” Graham barked and tossed the tabloid magazines on coffee table. “Chris King? Really?”

I looked blankly at the magazines, trying to hide my real emotions. I was freaking the hell out inside. My picture was on the front of the damn tabloids. I guess I’d never expected that dinner with Chris would turn into a shit storm of public humiliation. “What? It was just dinner,” I lied.

“Yeah, and you know what that dinner cost you? Your fucking picture all over the tabloids as Chris King’s most recent flavor-of-the-month.” Graham glared at me with disgust.

Instantly, my frustration over the situation turned toward him. How dare he stomp into my apartment and speak to me like that. I glowered at him. “I don’t see why it’s any of your business, Graham. We’re not married anymore. We don’t live together. I can do whatever the hell I please.”

Graham fixed his eyes on me. His jaw muscle twitched. Just as quickly as he’d stormed in there, his demeanor changed. “Salem, please. Don’t do this,” he pleaded.