Friday I'm in Love (4 page)

“Tonight
was
fun,” she reiterated.

He looked at her, feeling slightly surprised at her admission. “I’m glad you thought so.”

“You can dance.”

He laughed at her comment, relieved she wasn’t pissed off by his overtures. “I think what I was doing was closer to swaying than actual dancing.”

She crooked a finger, beckoning him closer, and he walked over until he stood directly in front of her. “You’re so fucking hot.”

He tried to hide his grin, well aware she would never say any of this while sober.

“I’ve been telling you that for years, babydoll,” he teased. He needed to get her home and in her own bed before she said too much more. While her inhibitions were down tonight, he didn’t think she’d like remembering this conversation tomorrow when her walls were erected once more.

“Kiss me again.”

He wanted to taste her lips more than he wanted his next breath, but the cool evening air had gone a long way toward killing his buzz. He’d already taken advantage of her inebriation once tonight. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. “Oh, I’m gonna kiss you again. You can be sure of that. But not tonight. We need to get home.”

She looked as if she wanted to protest his refusal, but instead she took his proffered hand and followed him to the front of the club.

“I just don’t get you.”

Ewan laughed. “So you’ve said. There’s nothing to get, Nat. I’m a normal, run-of-the-mill guy. Nothing special or different.”

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Friday I’m in Love

She shook her head. “That’s not true.” She didn’t elaborate, but with just those three words, Ewan felt his chest swell with affection. What the fuck was it with this woman?

She’d consumed his thoughts and fantasies for three years. She had a biting, cutting, sarcastic wit that most people found off-putting, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why the rest of the world didn’t see what he saw.

He waved down a taxi and helped her into the back. On the ride home, she was quiet as she rested her head on his shoulder. He thought she’d fallen asleep but as the driver pulled up in front of the apartment, she lifted her head. He paid and they walked into the darkened pub hand in hand. She stopped by the bar and he turned to look at her.

“I like it here. This pub.”

He smiled. “I like it too. It’s home.”

“I grew up in a mansion.”

He paused, studying her face. Natalie had never offered any information regarding her childhood, though he’d tried to start the conversation a few times. “A mansion?

Cool,” he said casually.

“This bar, the apartment above. I would have given anything to grow up here. It’s warm. So warm.”

“Natalie?”

His question seemed to draw her out of her thoughts. “You gonna keep me up all night talking shit or can I try to get some sleep now?”

He grinned at the return of her caustic tone. “Oh, I’ll get your ass to bed. No worries there, babydoll.” He bent and swiftly picked her up in his arms, the way someone would carry a newborn baby.

“What the—” Her words were drowned out by her drunken laughter as he carried her up two flights of stairs. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck. He knew 29

Mari Carr

if she’d been sober she’d have been pissed as hell, but when he dumped her unceremoniously in the middle of the bed, she was still giggling.

“Now…” He bent over her on the bed and silently rejoiced when her laughter turned to a breathless gasp. “Bedtime, angel.”

She shook her head. “I’m no angel. Satan’s spawn, if my colleagues are to be believed.”

He cupped her cheek with his hand. “You’re the sweetest angel on earth.” He meant his words as a compliment, but she burst into laughter again and soon he found himself joining her.

“Jesus,
that
was corny,” she teased.

He rolled his eyes. “You know what your problem is?”

She shook her head.

“You have no romance in your soul.”

Natalie struggled to stop laughing. “If I fell for that
sweetest angel
crap, would that make me romantic?”

He scowled, though he felt no anger. “It wouldn’t hurt you to try.”

“I think I’d rather be called,” she paused thoughtfully, “babydoll. Even if it
is
sexist as shit.”

He grinned. “Told you that you liked that nickname.”

“I like it better than that
sweetest angel on earth
drivel.”

He joined her laughter this time. “Goodnight, Nat,” he said, bending down to kiss her nose playfully.

“Wait. I’m stuck.”

“Stuck?”

“In this fucking skirt your sister painted on me. Help me?”

He sucked in a painful breath. “I don’t think—”

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Friday I’m in Love

“Please?”

He could see she was still under the effects of the alcohol and this fallen angel was definitely trying to tempt him toward certain purgatory.

He swallowed heavily, trying to close his mind to the next few minutes. “Pull back the covers,” he instructed. If he was going to help her get undressed, he was going to make sure there was something on hand to hide her with.

She crawled under the sheets, lying on her back patiently with a heavy-lidded look that proved she knew what she was doing. He pulled down the tab of the side zipper on her leather skirt. She raised her hips off the bed and he grimaced at the fresh surge of blood the movement sent to his cock.

“Fuck,” he whispered when she grinned and started shimmying the leather down her hips. She wasn’t kidding about the tight fit. He helped her work the material over her hips, pulling it free of her legs. For three seconds he stared, spellbound at the sight of her bare thighs and the tiny bit of lace covering her—

He pulled the covers over her body, turning quickly.

“So what was my lesson?” she asked.

He struggled to find the breath to speak. He kept his back turned. “What do you think? What did you learn?”

She considered his question and he silently prayed he hadn’t fallen short. It was just his first lesson. He had six more days to convince Natalie that life was worth living. If she would simply open the door to new experiences and all the people she generally kept at arm’s length, she could have a full, amazing life.

“I think you wanted me to have fun. Loosen up?”

He turned to face her, grinning. “That was it. You said you had fun. Did you mean it?”

She graced him with a genuine smile. “I did. I really did. Your sister’s a hoot. My kind of sarcastic bitch.”

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Mari Carr

He stepped closer, relieved she was still buried beneath the covers. He bent down to tuck her in. “Yeah, that’s Riley all right. There’s nothing wrong with letting go, Nat.

Laughing, drinking tequila, doing a little dirty dancing. It’s all harmless fun.”

She touched his cheek and he swallowed back the desire to move even closer.

“You’re a good teacher, Ewan.”

He savored the sound of his name on her lips, wondering if he’d ever heard her say it. In the past, he’d always been hotshot, kiddo. Never Ewan.

“Night, Nat.” He had to leave while the getting was still good. He wanted far too much from Natalie Miller. Needed too much.

“Wait,” she called out. He was nearly to the door. Four more steps and he’d be free.

Free to hit the shower—a cold one. Free to jerk himself off—a lonely one.

“You said you’d kiss me.”

He closed his eyes and prayed for strength. “Tomorrow, Nat. I’ll kiss the shit out of you tomorrow. Not tonight. Don’t ask me.”

She fell silent and he wondered if she’d passed out. He turned slowly, surprised to find her sitting up, staring at him.

“I just don’t get you,” she whispered.

“You will, babydoll. Soon.”

32

Friday I’m in Love

“Nat. Natalie.”

She opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light shining on her face. It took several painful blinks before she could focus on Ewan’s face.

“Get lost,” she muttered, closing her eyes against his far too cheerful face. Her head felt as if it was about to split apart and her mouth was too dry to say more than the two words she’d already uttered.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t feel well,” he whispered. “Listen. I’ve brought you a glass of water and a couple aspirin. I need you to sit up and take them. We’re on a tight schedule or else I’d let you sleep this off some more.”

She tried to open her eyes again but the effort was simply too difficult. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We’re going out. In an hour. I need you to take these pills, then get up and get a shower. It will help, trust me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You gave me seven days, Nat. Seven lessons. You agreed.”

“It’s freaking dawn.” Her voice was shrill and she winced at the pain the sound of her own voice caused. “Jesus, what kind of masochist are you?” She gripped her head.

“It’s eleven o’clock, babydoll. That’s hardly dawn. Now get up.”

She opened her eyes and pierced him with a glare that had destroyed stronger men than Ewan Collins. He merely stared her down. “Now, Nat. I don’t want to have to dump a bucket of cold water on you, but I will.”

33

Mari Carr

“I will crush you like a bug if you try it.” She tried to invoke as much threatening menace into her voice as possible, but for some reason her powers of evil didn’t work against the idiot and he laughed.

“Come on. I’ve planned a nice day for you. I don’t want you to miss it.”

“What are we doing?” she asked.

“Fishing. With Pop.”

“On the shore or on a boat?” The thought of getting on anything that rocked suddenly sent her stomach into lurch mode and she swallowed heavily.

“Boat, but it’ll be a gentle ride. Take the aspirin. Get a shower. You’ll feel better. I promise.”

She sat up gingerly, ready to be assaulted by a mammoth head rush. She was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t come. She rubbed her eyes, unaware of Ewan’s sudden silence until she opened them again and looked at his stunned expression.

His line of vision had drifted somewhat south of her neck and she glanced down.

She was naked, the sheets hovering around her waist, giving her male friend more than an eyeful of her naked breasts.

“Shit,” she muttered, quickly pulling the sheets around her. “Where are my pajamas?”

“I didn’t take your
shirt
off last night, I swear.”

His oddly worded reply caught her attention and she lifted the sheets, shielding her body from his sight. Sure enough, her skirt was missing as well. “What part of my clothing
did
you take off?”

He crossed his arms across his chest smugly. “I didn’t take off anything you didn’t ask me to.”

She gritted her teeth, fighting to remember the previous night. She had definite flashes of memory, though none of them were things she wanted to focus on too much.

“You can leave now. I’m up.”

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Friday I’m in Love

“So am I,” he joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and she laughed, the action sending another slash of pain through her head.

“Don’t make me laugh. Go away, you pervert. I’ll be downstairs in a minute.”

He chuckled and left her alone with her thoughts. Fishing? With his pop? Oh hell.

How did she get herself in to this mess? She’d never been fishing in her life. She’d never
wanted
to go fishing. If she made a bucket list right now, fishing would be at the very bottom, along with turkey hunting and attending a NASCAR race.

She sighed as she considered the previous night’s activities. She hadn’t wanted to go clubbing with Riley either, now that she thought about it, and despite the fact she was suffering, she’d had a really good time. She picked up the glass and swallowed the two aspirin Ewan had thoughtfully supplied—and then it hit her.

She’d slept all night. Slept peacefully for nearly eight hours.

Passed out was probably more the truth, but she didn’t care. She’d slept a full night.

Hot damn.

Maybe playing along with Ewan’s experiment would pay off in ways she hadn’t foreseen. If she ignored her throbbing head, she was actually well rested and… She tried to find the words to describe her state. Less heavy was all that came to her.

She felt
lighter
this morning.

* * * * *

Two hours later, she found herself standing on the bank of a lake waiting for Pat’s friend to drop his bass boat into the water—and feeling a return of her usual irritability and impatience. They’d driven over an hour to get to this bug-infested pond to ride around in a boat that was older than she was, and now they were supposed to try to catch a bunch of stinky fish. She hated fish. Never ate it. Shrimp and crab legs slathered in butter were her usual fare at a seafood restaurant. She suspected they wouldn’t be finding any of those in this murky brown water.

Oh yeah, this was a good idea.

35

Mari Carr

“Can we just pretend we did this and go home? I’d kill for a nap.”

Ewan stepped closer to her, gave her that sweet grin she was starting to find endearing. “Come on, babydoll. Give it a chance.”

“Whoa!” she burst out when it looked like the man with the boat was going to drive his trailer and truck right into the lake.

Ewan put his arm around her. “It’s okay, Nat. The boat launch goes down quite a ways.”

“My head hurts,” she murmured, pushing her sunglasses up in an attempt to shield her sensitive eyes from the bright rays slicing into her brain like a laser.

“Today won’t be hard. Promise.”

“You said that about last night.” She shrugged off his arm as she spoke, trying to express her annoyance at being dragged out of her bed far too early after their very late night. Her willingness to give fishing a chance had ended when her headache didn’t.

“By the way, I’m never drinking tequila again. If that’s on any more of your so-called life lesson plans, mark it off now.”

Ewan grinned. “That’s one vow I’m willing to take with you. My head feels like it’s going to split apart.”