Junkyard Dog (7 page)

Hayes watches me in a strange way, and I realize I
can’t read him nearly as well as I thought. I have no clue what he’s thinking.

“What?” I ask when he says nothing.

“You’re an odd broad.”

“Said the weird guy.”

The corner of Hayes’s mouth curves into nearly a
smile. While we finish lunch, he often looks ready to speak but chooses to
remain silent instead. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and that scares me. I
never worried before about offending Hayes. Now I’m anxious about his silence.

“So you haven’t fucked anyone since coming to White
Horse?” he asks suddenly while I enjoy my dessert.

“No.”

“When did you last fuck someone?”

His tone startles me, but I smile. “Well, my twins
are nine so…”

“That’s a long fucking time.”

“How about you?”

“Last night. She was excellent.”

Frowning, I look at my ice cream. “I’m assuming
it’s a professional.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“You want to fuck without emotional ties and
prostitutes are good about not getting clingy.”

“Would it make you feel better if I said she was a
whore?”

Rolling my eyes, I think I sell my indifference.
“What do I care?”

“You care. That’s why you’re grinding your teeth.”

I eat a scoop of ice cream, hoping the sugar will
steady my nerves. “Is this where I pretend I met a hot neighbor and maybe I’ll
knock boots with him? You made me jealous, so I’m supposed to make you jealous.
Is that the game?”

“There’s no neighbor,” he mutters, jaw clenched.

“There are a lot of men in Tennessee and someone is
bound to interest me,” I say and then add, “besides you.”

Hayes blinks a few times quickly. His long arms
stretch along the curved back of the booth.

“Sooner or later, this is happening,” he says,
studying me. “You best prepare yourself.”

“Prepare myself?” I ask, laughing. “Do you mean
with yoga or stretching techniques to prepare for your massive… What’s a classy
word for penis? Ooh, I know, I’ll call it a super, big humdinger.”

“Giggle all you fucking want, babe. You know I’m
not kidding.”

Grinning, I eat my sundae slowly, seductively even.
“I know. My only request is you don’t get sloppy with a woman without showering
before getting sloppy with me. I have standards, boss.”

Hayes studies me and suddenly smiles. “You were
jealous, weren't you?”

“Of your prostitute?” I ask with a mouthful of ice
cream. “Yeah, actually. I was hoping you’d kept your humdinger clean and secure
since meeting me.”

“Your pussy has cobwebs, and my cock is raring to
go. I think you’re the problem.”

“My pussy is clean. It won’t confuse your humdinger
for another guy. Your equipment won’t be able to tell me from the next broad.”

“Do you want me to tell you I’ve been celibate
since I met you? Would that make you feel better?”

“No, lying is for chumps.”

Hayes smiles at me, and his gaze is no longer
difficult to read. He’s watching me like a lion with a stomach filled with
gazelle and a dick ready for loving before he naps away the rest of the day.
Hayes exudes lazy predator. The only question is whether I’m willing prey.

M
y job description involves a lot of vague duties,
but the main task Hayes gives me is to keep morons from bothering him. I never
ask him to get more specific. I assume if someone shows up without an
appointment they’re a moron. If someone calls and expects to speak to Hayes,
they’re a moron. The fact is everyone important has his cell number. Everyone
else is looking to bother him with their moron problems.

The guy standing in front of my desk is one of
those morons. He storms into the building and says he needs to talk to the
boss.

“Unfortunately, Mister Hayes is in a meeting. Can I
take a message?”

The moron’s beady eyes get really wide, and the
vein in his forehead throbs. “Hayes is standing right there!” the moron yells,
while pointing at Hayes leaning against his office door.

“Sir, would you like to leave a message? I’ll give
it to Mister Hayes as soon as he’s out of his meeting.”

“Are you shitting me?”

Crossing my eyes, I frown at the moron. “I’d prefer
you didn’t use profanity with me, sir. As a mother, it offends me greatly.”

The guy stares at me and then looks to Hayes. “He’s
standing right there!”

“Mister Hays is in a meeting and can’t speak to
you. Will you like to leave a message?”

The guy throws up his hands and storms out of the
office. I run to the window so I can see him stomping to his car. He slams his
door and pounds on the steering wheel. I’m laughing by the time he drives away,
nearly hitting a parked car on his way out.

“Any messages?” Hayes asks, walking over to me.

“None, sir.”

“Profanity offends you greatly, huh?”

“Sure as hell does, asshole. Is that going to be a
fucking problem?” I say, laughing again.

Hayes startles me when his hand grips the back of
my neck. His lips are on mine before I recover. He doesn’t kiss me as much as
inhale me. His lips cover mine, owning them, and sending hot shivers downward.

I can’t breathe, but I don’t need to. He breathes
for me. I’m a part of him now, an extension of this powerful man.

His lips leave mine as quickly as they joined. I
stare at him and find him waiting for my response. Gutted by intensity and
passion I’ve never felt before, I can’t think of anything to say. I know
silence isn’t the answer, though.

“Ever heard of sexual harassment laws?” I ask, holding
his gaze.

Frowning like a scolded bear, Hayes steps back. He
is genuinely hurt while I can barely tolerate how perfect his need makes me
feel.

“I didn’t say stop,” I murmur, tugging at his shirt
and lifting my lips.

Hayes drapes one of his long arms around my
shoulders, wrapping me against him completely, as our lips reunite. I shiver in
his grip. I’ve never felt lust like this before, and I’m immediately addicted.

The phone rings, causing Hayes to growl against my
lips. I lean over, pick up the receiver, and then drop it back down. After
hanging up on the caller, I wrap my arms around Hayes’s waist. I feel his lips
curve into a smile and then I’m lost again.

Again the phone rings and again I hang up on the
caller. If it were important, they’d call our cells.

Hayes pulls me tighter, and I lean into his
embrace. We could remain this way forever, and I doubt I’d complain. The entire
world fades except for Hayes and me.

Throwing cold water on our heated moment, a car
pulls into the parking lot, forcing Hayes and me to separate.

“The universe has spoken,” I mumble while breathing
too quickly.

Hayes glares at me before storming into his office
where I figure he’ll sulk. Instead, he returns carrying a bat, and I realize
someone is about to be in a world of pain.

A
fter weeks of wanting to know what Candy tastes
like, I finally find out and she’s sweeter than I imagined. Whoever in the fuck
picked this fucking moment to interrupt my fucking day will soon have a second
asshole.

I grab my bat and head outside. Candy follows me,
looking amused by my reaction. The woman is fucking addictive, and someone just
tore me away from my necessary fix.

The soon-to-be-dead asshole emerges from a taxi,
and I’m ready to swing when the car speeds away. My target looks up at the sky
and inhales deeply.
Does he know he’s about to die?

“No hug?” Moot asks, turning to face me.

My bat stops mid-swing, and I laugh. “Fuck, man, I
was about to take off your head.”

As his blue eyes squint in the sunny day, Moot
grins at me. “I see that. You’re as charming as ever.”

I shake his hand and size him up. “You got fucking
old.”

‘I was just going to say the same about you. I see
a couple of grays you missed during your last salon visit.”

“Fuck off, man. When did you get out?”

“Today. That’s what the taxi is about.”

Tapping the bat in my hand, I ask, “Why didn’t you
call and ask for a fucking ride, idiot?”

“I wasn’t ready for all your charm, fucker. So can
I come inside and get a cup of coffee?”

I gesture for him to follow me, and we walk into
the office where Candy stands at the window spying on us.

“This is Candy,” I say, waving between them with
the bat. “This is Moot. He just got out of prison. Get him a cup of coffee.”

Candy struts in her sexy way to the break room and
reappears with his drink.

She hands him the coffee and asks, “Were you in
prison for stealing purses because I can hide mine to prevent you from being
tempted?”

“No, I beat an asshole to death.”

“So should I be concerned for Hayes’s safety then?”

“She’s a damn doll,” Moot says, giving her one of
his sly grins.

I slam the bat against her desk and shake my head
at Moot. “No.”

“All right, all right, no reason to get violent
about it.”

Candy smiles at me, and I wonder if she knows I’m
still hard from the earlier kiss. I taste her on my lips, and my arms hurt from
not having her wrapped in them. Remaining in a state of heat, I need to get out
of the office before I lose control especially with Candy still grinning at me.

“I’m assuming you haven’t eaten,” I say, focusing on
Moot rather than the irresistible blonde giving me a raging hard-on.

“Not today.”

“Drink up and I’ll take you out.”

“Want to bring your assistant?” Moot says, giving
Candy the once over again. “She can take notes.”

“I said, ‘no’ already,” I growl possessively.
“Don’t make me say it again with the bat.”

“You really are grouchy these days,” Moot says and
then downs the coffee. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Candy takes the empty cup and nods at him. I set
the bat on an empty table and follow Moot to the door. Before I head outside, I
stop and study my assistant.

“What happened earlier isn’t over,” I tell her.

“We’ll see.”

“Something’s happening here,” I insist, hating her
cool exterior.

“Yeah, but is it a love affair or murder/suicide?
Might want to consider how you’re the murder victim in that scenario, boss.”

“Think you can take me?” I ask, arching a brow.

“Without breaking a sweat.”

“Then I guess I better hope it’s a love affair,
huh, killer?”

As Candy laughs, I walk outside to where Moot
waits.

“She’s a looker,” Moot says. “How long you been
boning her?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“So not long, huh?”

“She’s Honey’s sister,” I say, pissing all over his
good mood.

“Not cool, asshole.”

Smiling, I climb into my truck. Moot joins me,
still frowning about the mention of Honey.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“What’s still open?”

“Everything. I keep my town running smoothly. Want
steak?”

“Sounds good. A cold beer sounds better.”

“You’re out early. Whose dick did you suck to make
that happen?” I ask, pulling out of the parking lot.

“Hell, if sucking dick would have gotten me early
parole, I’d have hit my knees within weeks of arriving at the shithole. No
amount of pride is better than being locked up.”

I think of how loyalty got him locked up for so
long. Despite what he says, Moot has a lot of pride to keep his mouth shut for
so long.

“So what’s the deal with you getting out early?”

“Don’t you read the papers? It was in the Nashville ones.”

“Those are run by Commies, so no, I don’t read
them.”

“Commies. You’ll be spouting the same shit in fifty
years. You never change, man.”

“So what’s the big story?”

Moot grins at me, clearly proud of his story. “I
saved a guard who was getting his ass whooped by a few cons. They were planning
on doing more to his ass than that too. I’m a big fucking hero. The warden
worked his magic and got me out a year early for taking a beating to save one
of his guys.”

“Did a good deed and got rewarded. I hear that
happens sometimes. Never seen it before but good for you. Why not call and have
me pick you up? The true answer this time and not that shit excuse you gave
back at the office.”

“The truth was I didn’t know if you’d care. I
figured if I showed up unannounced, you’d have to fake a smile for me.”

“I sent you money,” I mutter, bothered by him
thinking I didn’t remember his sacrifice.

“I know.”

“Got you a nest egg set up too.”

Moot taps his fingers against the window. “It’s not
about what you do for me, but whether you’d still want me around. I did get
busted for something stupid.”

“Saving a whore from her boyfriend
was
pretty fucking stupid.”

“I still can’t believe she jumped me after I saved
her like that.”

“How’s your head?”

Moot rubs the top of his head and rustles up his
wild blond hairs. “Still got a knot where she nailed me with the beer bottle.
Cunt testified against me too. What a bitch.”

“I offered to take care of her.”

“Killing chicks is cold, man.”

“So is ruining the guy that helped her out.”

“True.”

“Well you’re out, and I’ll get you set up.”

“No handouts. I’m willing to work.”

“Stop acting like a prison bitch.”

Moot gives me a dirty look, but I know he’s dying
to grin. Freedom feels golden. The fucker even looks ready to stick his head
out of the window like a happy dog.

We arrive at the same steak house where I often
bring Candy. It’s one of the few places where I can sit comfortably. Their back
booth fits me perfectly, and I stretch out while Moot looks over the menu.

“The ribs are good,” I say when he can’t decide.
“They have a new honey sauce you’ll like since you’re too big a sissy to handle
the hickory stuff.”

“I gotta warn you that I’m gonna pig the fuck out.”

“I figured. Do what you need to do.”

Moot orders so much food I end up laughing at him.
Despite his company, I find myself thinking of Candy back at the office. She’s
been playing things chilly since we had lunch. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s
pissed about me fucking other women. All of her talk about not needing romance
is a con. She wants the fairy tale shit.

I probably shouldn’t have lied about fucking other
chicks, but Candy is always knocking me off my game. She can smile in my
direction, and I instantly turn into a complete fucking moron. I hate her for
having that power, so I told her what she needed to hear. Now she knows she
isn’t holding all the cards.

Based on our kiss, she’s still open to my interest.
Based on how quickly she rebounded after the kiss and teased Moot, she’s
capable of blowing me off for good.

“How long has Candy been in town?”

“A few weeks,” I say, startled to hear her name.

“She and Honey weren’t close. I remember that
much.”

“Nothing’s changed really. You know broads, though.
They want to fix what should be left alone.”

Moot shrugs. Soon he’s enjoying his food too much
to get hung up on Honey and their history. I’m glad because I have no interest
in rehashing that train wreck.

“I have a few construction crews you can hook up
with. Once you’re back in the swing of shit, I’ll give you a crew to run.
Unless you have other career plans.”

“I don’t care where I work.”

“Where are you looking to live?”

“Can’t I stay with you?” he asks, laughing with his
mouth full. “Fuck. I’m going to choke.”

Rolling my eyes at his teasing, I say, “I have
empty houses. Or an apartment if you don’t want to live surrounded by old
people and families.”

“I’ll stay at a hotel until I buy shit to go in my
place.”

“On me.”

“Don’t overdo it, Guster,” Moot says, using the
ridiculous nickname he gave me years ago. “You’ll come off pathetic.”

“I’ll just rough up a few little kids and get my
asshole cred back.”

Moot grins. “I noticed pictures of kids on Candy’s
desk. Tell me you’re not banging someone’s mom.”

“You need to stop asking about her.”

“What the fuck else am I going to ask about? Your
dad? Naw, you’ll tell me he’s alive and leave it at that. If I ask about your
business, you’ll say you’re solvent. You’re not an open fucking book.”

“Fair enough, but talking about Candy isn’t on the
day’s schedule either so shut the fuck up.”

Moot nods and returns to enjoying his meal. I lean
back and think about Candy’s flavor. I remember her intensity when she gripped
my shirt. The woman is waiting for me to take her, and I’ve been fucking around
for too damn long. Today, I sampled what Candy has to offer. Next time, I plan
to take more than a damn taste.