Cheaters Anonymous (18 page)

Scar had planned this all along, and he knew that if he’d told me the truth at the hospital I’d give him an argument as to why I should remain at my own house. But that would be stupid and immature. As much as I wanted to stay here, I doubted that with Brad possibly just around the corner I could even function, let alone sleep.

“Okay. I guess I’ll pack.”

“Just like that?”

“Well, given that I have a choice of staying here and not sleeping all night, with all my butcher knives under the pillow, versus staying with you and feeling safe, I choose option number two.”

I was aware that I wouldn’t be able to sleep with Scar nearby either, but at least I’d be in peace. Horny, but in peace.

“Awesome, but you’re not staying with me.”

What?

“You’re staying at my parents’ guest house.”

“And you?”

His mouth curved up slightly. Of course he wouldn’t just leave me at the guest house on my own. Preferably, Scar would be with me, in a separate bedroom, but close.

“I’ll be in the suite next door. Staying with you in the same building is temptation enough. But the same apartment...” He shook his head. “Help me, God. I promised you I wouldn’t do anything to mess this up, Jules. Not this time. This time, I’ll make sure that once you’re mine, it will be so forever. We need to remain separated for now.”

Forever? What did he mean by that? I would be happy if we lasted to the end of the week. Wasn’t it too soon to think about such a long time frame? And yes, that scared me. It freaked me out. Knowing that Scar would not be far away, I felt those prickles of excitement fill me. It was definitely a good idea that we would not be staying in the same room.

“Don’t overthink it, Jules. For once, just let it go and trust me.”

I swallowed what felt like a baseball through my throat. “So, why aren’t you staying at your place? Is your father all right with this?”

“I don’t live far from my parents, and Brad’s family still lives in our old neighborhood. I have someone watching their house, but there’s been no sign of him. Besides, I want to keep a close eye on you. And I’ve worked a lot of things out with my father. It’s still a work in progress, but we’re getting there.”

When I knew him six years ago, Scar had just begun reconciling their relationship. He’d started by telling his father that he no longer wanted to be a lawyer.

Two hours later, I’d packed and unpacked my clothes and toiletries and settled at the guest house. The living space was at least three times as large as my apartment and definitely a place I could get used to. The knock on the door made me jump up. I paced to the front and opened the door.

“Why didn’t you ask who it was?” Scar asked when I opened the door.

“Because we’re on the most secure property in the state.”

“True.” His brows narrowed before his eyes widened again as if he just got an idea. “Would you have asked if we were somewhere else?”

“Of course.”

And then I saw him draw his hand from behind his back, where he was gripping a gorgeous bouquet of roses.

“Julia Bradley, will you go out on a date with me?”

C
HAPTER
16

My breath stilled in my lungs. The bouquet wasn’t overwhelming and had my favorite color of peach roses. Scar’s official question stunned me. I haven’t gone out on a date in years. But I guess that would be the next step, the way we’d agreed, wouldn’t it? It felt so rehearsed, and I wished I wasn’t so uptight about this whole dating thing and could just let go for a few hours. Yet inside my chest, I had that feeling of anticipation mixed with the giddiness of a teenage girl being asked out by the boy she has a crush on. As my gaze lifted and connected with his, I felt like I was floating somewhere on cloud nine.

So much for being mature.

“It wouldn’t be for a couple of days. Since you’re working on the weekend and I can’t get away from the club, I was thinking next Tuesday and Wednesday?”

Had he already checked my schedule at the hospital? And was this an overnight date?

“We’d be leaving the state, but that’s all I can say. I want this to be special.”

Wow! What happened to a simple dinner?
My stomach flipped at the possible destinations for our getaway. Feeling like an eighteen-year-old all over again, I bit my lip. Maybe Scar hadn’t rehearsed this – he was just well prepared.

“Yes, that would work.” I reached for the flowers.

“Good. We’ll be leaving on Tuesday morning.”

My phone rang with an unknown number. Scar noticed the call display, and his brows scrunched up as I picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Julia? It’s Trish. Do you have a moment?”

I turned to Scar whispering, “It’s okay. It’s just a friend of mine.”

“I’ll see you for dinner, then? Main house. Six o’clock.”

“Sure,” I replied.
Wait, have I just agreed to dinner at his parents’ house?
It seemed each time I turned, Scar was spinning my world and he didn’t even know it. He blew me a kiss and closed the door behind him. As soon as Scar left, my attention was drawn back to Trish’s broken voice.

“Are you okay, Trish?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Where are you? What’s wrong?”

“I’m at a Starbucks by the hospital. I was meeting my fiancé to call it off, but he never showed up.” She tried to contain her sobs, and my heart broke for her. This girl was better off without him, but it probably didn’t change the fact that she’d been with this guy for a while. Feelings didn’t just disappear overnight. If he couldn’t even show up to see her, then he wasn’t worth it.

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

“Really?”

Of course!
I owed her for thinking the worst when I first met her.

“Yes, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

I hung up, grabbed my purse and phone, but as soon as I opened my door, I realized that I didn’t have a car. I turned around and knocked on the door beside mine where Scar was staying in the second unit. It opened underneath the weight of my pressed hand.

“Scar?”

There was no answer. I heard the shower running in the bathroom, so I removed my shoes and gently knocked on that door. Unfortunately, even under the gentle pressure of my hand, this one slowly swung open as well and I had no strength to pull away at the sight in front of me.

He stood by the vanity, completely naked, his entire tattooed side facing me.

I gasped, and that’s when he turned to face me.

“Shit!” I covered my eyes with my hand, but the image of his nakedness didn’t disappear behind my lids. “I’m sorry. I tried to knock, but the door just opened. I’m so sorry.”

“I thought you said you’ve seen many cocks.” I pictured a smirk behind his words. His heat touched my body. Was he standing in front of me?

“You should keep your door closed,” I blurted.

“I think you pushed it harder on purpose.” There was definitely a smile behind his smug voice.

“I did not.”

“Relax, Jules. I’m kidding. You can open your eyes. I have a towel on. Didn’t I just leave your place a moment ago?”

I lowered my hand, and of course my gaze drifted to below his belt. Yes, he definitely had the towel on, right underneath those sexy protruding hips, but it didn’t hide enough, especially the hardening bulge. As my gaze drew higher to the defined abs, I was pretty sure I drooled. The hard-stoned muscles twisted, and it took all my strength not to reach out and touch him. I cleared my throat, saying, “I need to borrow your car.”

“Is everything okay?”

“A friend needs... a friend.”

“I’d offer to come with you, but crying girls are not my thing.”

“I’ll be fine.” I waved my hand, for the first time since Trish called realizing that I had a potential bull’s-eye on my back. But there was no way Brad would know where I was.

Scar must have picked up on my thoughts. “Hold on. It will take me a minute to get dressed.”

“No, really. It’s okay. She’s the only one who knows where I’ll be.”

“It would make me feel better if...”

“Scar, I’m not a kid.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“I know I agreed to stay here until you found information about Brad, but I can’t stop living.”

He hesitated. His jaw tensed and his cheeks hardened.

“I promise, it will be fine.”

“Will you be long?”

I looked at my watch. “It shouldn’t be more than an hour. I’ll be at the Starbucks by the hospital and will make it back in time for dinner.”

He stepped toward me, and I moved a little to the side. If Scar got any closer, I’d be pressed against that delicious body.

“Please text me when you’re there.”

“Okay, I will.” I turned around to leave, but his gentle touch on my hand stopped me.

“And Jules?”

“Yeah?”

His hand wrapped around my lower back and he brought my body to his, seizing my mouth. This time he literally stole both my breath and my moans as I succumbed to his kiss. This had to be a dream. It was moments like these that I imagined him with me at night, taking me with all his might until I came. But there was no way that a dream could be better than the real man against my body, breathing in my soul with his mouth. My back pressed against a hard surface. He held my hands in a strong grip. Sometime during the lip-lock his towel must have fallen to the ground because I felt his arousal against my belly. Yet I couldn’t pull away. Scar grasped both my wrists in one of his hands and lifted my arms above my head. Squeezed between his body and the wall, my breasts swelled and nipples bunched up as I surrendered. One of my legs was lifted over his hip and I felt him digging through my jeans, grinding and feeling my curves with his free palm until he finally pulled away. Scar’s forehead rested against mine. I couldn’t open my eyes. He gave me so much, yet not enough.

“If you didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t let you leave.” His heavy breath curled around my face as reality set in. Slowly, he lowered my hands and held me by my hips. “And if you don’t go now, I won’t be able to stop.”

Where was I supposed to go?
I thought.
Trish!

My breaths were shallow but fast. My need for him swirled in my stomach, but we’d made a promise not to do anything until at least our second date. Maybe getting away for an hour would cool me off a bit?

“I have to go,” I repeated, yet I couldn’t move. Somehow my palm found itself on his chest. The heat of him was excruciating.

“Yes, you do.” He drew his thumb along my lip and I stilled again. This felt so good, too good.

“But when I come back...” Oh, God! I didn’t even want to think about the things we’d do when I returned, and I hoped that Scar had a good home insurance policy because once we were together I was afraid we wouldn’t finish until the last possible piece of furniture we could have sex on would be broken.
No, no! We can’t!

He simply nodded in agreement, and I knew that the moment I returned and stepped over that threshold, I’d be back in his arms.

“Yes, when you come back, I will not let you out of my arms.”

Fuck the rules!

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

It took a good couple of minutes for one of us to actually move. Before he bent lower and lifted the towel off the ground, I got another glimpse at his sculpted body, including his muscled behind. I took a deep breath of air, which I hoped would stabilize my limbs, and left, shaking off the lust as soon as the door closed behind me. It didn’t work. I was still as horny as a bitch in heat.

* * *

When I arrived at Starbucks, Trish was already seated. I’d texted her my coffee order on the way there and apologized for the small delay. It was already after five in the afternoon, and I only had an hour left before dinner.

“Hi, Trish. Is everything okay?” I took her hand and squeezed it.

“I think I’m ready to leave him.”

I pulled the plastic lid off my cup and sipped on my coffee. “Are you sure you can’t work it out? Trish, I know flings can sometimes make us confused.”

“I don’t think it was a fling with this guy. We’ve talked since then. He wants me to break it off as well.”

That’s right – the guy she’d had a one-night stand with in the hallway at Hounds was most likely Scar’s older brother Axel. I hadn’t had a chance to ask her about him yet, but from what I remembered, he was just as good-looking as his brothers.

“Have you told your fiancé about your affair?” I asked.

“Not yet. He hasn’t been home in over a week. I asked him to meet me here so that I could tell him the truth in a public place. I don’t want him to make a scene, but he didn’t even show up. I think at this point, I should just pack up my stuff and leave.”

“I’m so sorry.” I reached for her hand across the table.

“I think it’s for the better.”

That spark in her eyes was one I’d recognize from a mile away – that first glimmer of hope for a new beginning.

“The guy from the club. What’s his name?” I asked.

“Axel. He’s... amazing.”

Aren’t all the Wagner brothers?

She had that dreamy look in her eyes, the one you have when you’re infatuated at a young age and nothing else matters. You can live off air for days, conquer the highest mountains, and cross the ocean on your own. She shook her head in disbelief as if she were dreaming. “I feel so guilty because I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Yup, that would be Scar’s oldest brother. What was it about the Wagner boys that had the ladies dazed and confused?

“Does he feel the same way?” I asked.

“I’m not sure if I can repeat in public how he feels about my fiancé or about me. But he says he’ll support any decision I make. He wants me to leave him.”

I usually didn’t recommend jumping from a broken relationship right into a new one, but this was Scar’s brother, and despite their father’s businesses, they all had good hearts.

“Do you have a place to stay after you leave him?”

“I do. Am I making a mistake? Because it sure doesn’t feel like one.”

“From what you’ve told me, I don’t think you are, Trish. You should follow your instinct, but make sure you’re safe. Some people don’t take rejection well. And when you tell your fiancé it’s over, it’d be smart to have someone there with you.”