Earning Edie (Espinoza Boys #1) (12 page)

She went still with surprise. I raised a hand to her hair and tugged a lock toward me gently. She leaned into me with a sigh, and I felt the warmth of her mouth as her lips parted.

She was sweet, this girl. Too sweet for me. Her hand came around my neck and urged me closer. I could feel her soft body pressing into mine, and I couldn’t resist the pleasure that was sparking through me. I hadn’t felt this in a long time. Adrenaline zapped through me, chasing away my mild buzz.

I tilted her head back and trailed kisses along her throat. Her skin here was so creamy white and even softer than her lips. Her hands slid into my hair and tightened.

“Nick,” she said in hardly more than a whisper.

“Hmm?” I responded against the skin of her throat and felt her shiver.

“I think, uh … maybe—”

I raised my head and caught her lips in another kiss while my hands traced up her sides, mapping out her curves through her clothes. Edie never dressed provocatively, and I was pleasantly surprised by how sexy her body felt under my palms.

She gasped against my lips, and I reveled in the feel of her body molding to mine perfectly as I pressed her down into the sofa cushions.

I left the sweetness of her mouth behind, drawn once more to the perfect expanse of her neck. I was so entranced in the feeling of it all, a sweet lust that put every past experience of mine to shame, that I almost didn’t notice her words.

“We should stop.”

I stilled as her words sank in, then pulled back and shoved my hair out of my face.
Shit. Play it cool, Nick.

Hitching a smile onto my face, I brushed a thumb over her lips. Her mouth parted at the touch, and I really wanted to kiss her again. But I could tell she wasn’t ready for more. Her wide, panicked eyes made her look a little like a frightened deer about to bolt.

“Problem solved. No more virgin lips.”

EDIE

No more virgin lips.
Was he serious?

I stared at Nick, my heart still beating a thousand miles a minute, and felt like an absolute idiot. I’d been complaining about my pathetic love life, and he’d taken pity on me! God. And I actually told him we should stop, as if he might go too far. As if he’d even want that with me.

“Right,” I said hesitantly.

Nick sat up and collapsed back against the sofa, his eyes closed. I took the opportunity to sweep my gaze over him. He was still in his work clothes, his blue button-down shirt rumpled and untucked from his slacks. I could make out the lean lines of his body through his clothing; there was something so graceful and relaxed about him.

“I can feel you staring,” he said without opening his eyes.

A small smile played on his lips. Lips that had just christened mine. God, I wished I could kiss him again. But that would be a terrible idea. Hooking up with the guy who manipulated me for a story, a guy I had to live with, would lead to trouble.

“I was trying to figure out if you were asleep,” I bluffed.

His eyelids eked up, and the glimpse of his dark blue eyes made my heart skip a beat.

“Not yet,” he said in a sleepy voice that made my girl parts all sit up and take notice. Was it going to be like this from now on? Had I lost all my damn brain cells during that kiss?

“Well, I’m gonna … go out,” I said. “I’m overdue to hang out with Tequila. The girl I mentor.”

He nodded.

“Cool. I might run out for some snacks in a bit. Need anything?”

He spoke casually, as if nothing had passed between us at all. And to him it probably did seem that way. What’s one pity kiss to a guy who had kissed as many women as he undoubtedly had?

I shook my head no, suddenly mute. Nick flashed me a smile.

“Okay then. Don’t come crying to me when you want my chips.”

I tried to smile, but my face felt like plastic. Afraid my emotions were written in neon for him to see, I jumped up and headed for the bedroom.

NICK

Hallelujah
!

I kissed a woman, and I
liked
it. Hell, I fucking loved it.

I was afraid Elana, and my guilt for betraying my brother, had put me off women forever. Usually if I got anywhere near intimate with a woman, my stomach clenched tight and bile rose in my throat. I’d remember that moment, over and over, just after I’d slept with Elana when my hormones calmed and I realized just how badly I fucked up.

But when I kissed Edie, something different happened. I fell into the sensation of the kiss. My thoughts were immersed in everything Edie.

Elana, Gabriel, the guilt — none of it had entered my mind for even a second.

Then Edie had freaked the fuck out and run into her bedroom. I didn’t know what to do with that. I was freaking out, too, but for different reasons. That kiss was amazing. It was the best damn thing I’d ever experienced.

I wanted more kisses. Hell, I wanted more than that. Sex, yes. But beyond that, I liked this girl. I liked her intelligence and her sense of humor and her courage, even her ability to call me on my bullshit.

And Tanya would have my balls in a vice if I hooked up with Edie.

I tried to play it cool after the kiss, because her eyes were bugging. I could see panic flaring, and a tightness to her smile. She felt trapped, probably.

Starting something with a girl who was living in your apartment, who recently despised you for screwing up her life, was a dick move, right?

So, I’d just let her go. And now that the Elana curse was lifted, maybe I could get my mojo back and move on with my life.

I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Sean.

Me
: Meet for drinks?

Sean
: Already there. Get your ass over here.

EDIE

Needing to escape, I called up Tequila, and we met for coffee. I was long overdue to hang out with her anyhow. I’d been spending far too much time with Nick in the evenings, after working as many shifts as possible for Joy and putting in job applications all over town. I’d spent hours cruising the Internet for scholarship ideas, and had even placed a call to the nearest state university in the hopes they might be able to tell me about something I didn’t know.

It was just too late, and it was time I figured out a Plan B, as much as I hated to admit it.

I could tell something was bothering Tequila from the moment we met up. I waited until we’d each ordered our favorite drinks — Tequila always got hot chocolate, and I loved anything caramel — and sat down at a small table in the corner.

It was fairly busy, even for a weeknight, now that school was out for summer. There wasn’t a whole lot for teens to do in this town, so it was mostly filled with high school students sitting around in clusters and chatting over the low background music.

“So, what’s wrong?” I asked.

Tequila looked at me in surprise. “How’d you know something was wrong?”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I know you. You’re usually so happy.” She made a disbelieving noise. “Well, you usually
look
happy, at least. So, what’s bothering you?”

Tequila wasn’t her normally chatty self, but I managed to drag the problem from her in bits and pieces.

“So, you had a fight with your friends. About a boy?” I asked, after I’d heard enough to make a guess.

She shrugged. “Not really. I mean, yeah, I like this guy. But … they called me fat, Edie. And I am. I’m fat and ugly, and it’s stupid to think I stand a chance with Tyrone anyway, right?”

She looked at me, her eyes bright with emotion, and I knew she wanted me to tell her she was wrong. I could also tell she wouldn’t believe me if I did.

“They don’t sound like such good friends.”

“Yeah, well. At least they’re honest,” she said bitterly.

“More like jealous,” I countered. She glanced at me skeptically, and I knew I had to be at least a little blunt to get her to listen. “Okay, yeah, you’re not skinny. We both know that. But weight isn’t everything. You are beautiful, and you have a great personality—”

“Great,” she muttered.

“You do!” I insisted. “And, believe me, dealing with boys wouldn’t be easy even if you were skinny. But your friends should support you, not cut you down.”

“What would you know about it? You’re Miss Skinny.”

Tequila looked at me with an angry expression I’d never seen before.

“Yeah, I’m skinny, and I’ve never had a boyfriend.”

“What?” she gasped.

“Yeah, it’s true. Until tonight, I’d never even kissed a boy.”

Her eyes bugged out. “Tonight? What happened? Who’d you kiss?”

A grin spread across her face, but as nice it was to cheer her up, we needed to address her concerns, not bask in my drama.

I waved a hand. “Long story. He doesn’t really like me. He just felt sorry for me about the never been kissed thing—”

“Oh.”

“The point is, I might be thin, but I’m not good at meeting boys, and I don’t know what to say or do when I’m around them. So, your weight isn’t everything.”

“Maybe, but no one is ever going to call you a pig. I hate it! I’d get a gym membership, but my mom says we can’t afford it.”

Tequila stared down at her drink, stirring it with her straw as if it took all her concentration. Her lips trembled, and I could tell she was a few blinks away from frustrated tears.

“Well, exercise can be free. And so is watching what you eat. If you really want to change your weight, you can work at it. But even if you don’t, it won’t stop you from having a great life. Because you’re amazing, and everyone who gets to know you loves you.”

She huffed a sigh. “I guess.”

“How about this?” I suggested. “How about we walk together once or twice a week? You can start slow, work your way up to more exercise, and we can catch up when we do. Kill two birds with one stone.”

“Really?”

She brightened for the first time since learning of my confusing kiss with Nick.

“Sure, we can start next week.”

“That sounds great. Thanks so much, Edie! You always know what to do to make me feel better.”

I smiled, remembering how she showed up at my graduation when my own parents hadn’t. “Ditto, T. You’re like a sister to me, and sisters look out for each other.”

We raised our hands and clinked plastic cups in solidarity.

NICK

O’Kelly’s Irish Pub was crowded tonight, with every square foot of space taken all the way up to the door. Between the bar’s low lighting and throngs of people standing shoulder to shoulder, beers in hand, the interior seemed darker than usual.

I didn’t need to see well to know where I was going. O’Kelly’s had long ago become the de facto drinking spot for The Sentinel staffers when they went out.

Crossing the room, I pushed between shoulders and hips, to the corner booth where I’d find Sean just about any night of the week, but most definitely a Friday.

“Hey man, shove over,” I said, raising my voice over the bar’s chatter and punching Sean’s arm lightly.

Sean glanced up, his eyes already gleaming with an alcohol-induced haze.

“Dude, you finally came out! Awesome!” he exclaimed, and rammed his side into the girl sitting to his left, bodily moving her. “Make some room, Cat.”

“Do I have to?” she asked, shooting a dark look at me.

Great
. I should have known Cat would be here. She’d been glued to Sean’s side at the staff meetings recently.

Grudgingly, she shuffled over. I squeezed in on one end of the booth and surveyed the other staffers at the table.

Sarah from the photo staff sat on the other side of the table, next to Archer, a copy editor who worked the night shift. In the middle sat Andy, the winter intern who’d been invited to come back for the summer.

I chose to focus on Andy, a safer choice than addressing Cat’s attitude.

“Andy! Didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Yeah, he hardly ever comes out,” Sarah teased, poking him in the ribs. “His man keeps him too happy.”

Andy laughed, blushing. “Yeah, usually I stay home. But he told me I needed to get out more. Plus, he likes how frisky I am when I’ve had a few drinks.”

He waggled his eyebrows playfully.

“Dude, TMI!” Sean crowed.

“I think he’s jealous,” Archer joked. “Do you need me to set you up?”

“He’s taken,” Cat declared, and then kissed Sean noisily.

I grimaced and looked out over the bar. The thought flickered through my mind that I’d come here to see if I could meet a girl, not watch Cat shove her tongue down Sean’s throat.

The waitress arrived with refills, and I put in a drink order and listened in to the grousing that had started about the newspaper. Normally, I was less jaded about journalism than my co-workers. I’d gotten the column, and I’d enjoyed writing features. Considering, I didn’t care about going into management, I didn’t get angry when others were promoted. But lately, I’d been less content.