Keep It Sexy (KIS Series Book 3) (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Billie

Saturday night at work, Jade decided she wanted to throw a welcome back party for me. She invited everyone at the bar and a couple of regulars to her house on Sunday afternoon. Christian thought it was a great idea and stupidly decided to close the bar so we could all party comfortably without worrying about having to go to work. I begged him not to do it, but he wouldn’t listen. I explained how everyone would lose money but they all seemed to love the idea of having a day to party with their co-workers. Everyone needed an extra day off, especially after how busy it had been the past couple of weeks.

I took the opportunity of enjoying some alone time Sunday morning, when Jade and Pete left to pick up the supplies and food for the barbeque to clean the entire house. It wasn’t dirty; Pete was on disability for hurting his shoulder on a job so he’d been home for the past three weeks. He always kept the house clean and made sure Jade and I were fed, but the tiny little things one forgets to clean in a house, like the baseboards and window blinds, had been neglected. I was on all fours scrubbing the living room baseboards when the doorbell rang. A deliveryman stood outside with a bouquet of white flowers in his hands.

“Sign here, please.” He pushed the full vase in my hands along with the clipboard. He didn’t even bother asking me if he had the correct address or if I was the person intended for the delivery. I sighed, forcing back the clipboard with the same intensity, and stalked back inside, slamming the door in his face.

Gardenias. Fucking Connor.
Setting the crystal vase on the kitchen table, I plucked the small green card from the bouquet. It read:

Adding a little of me to your welcome home party.

The cold little shiver that was only saved for a certain type of his gifts went through me. When we dated and he seemed to know things he shouldn’t, it never really bothered me. In my stupid inexperienced youth, I imagined it was because he loved me so much and his stalking was done to protect me, but now as a twenty-two-year-old woman with experience, I knew the small gifts he sent throughout the years and him knowing things was cause for concern. Like me having a welcome home party when he didn’t know anyone from the bar.

Still, a part of me knew he would never physically hurt me. And then there was my father. Connor would never threaten me or hurt me out of fear of what Don would do. I crumpled the card, throwing it in the trash before Jade freaked out. I finished cleaning, then went to the driveway to clean my bike. I was spraying the tires with the hose when Pete’s truck pulled in and a black SUV stopped along the sidewalk. Turning off the nozzle, I watched as Ava and her cousin Vanessa got out of the vehicle and walked up the steps.

“I brought reinforcement,” Jade said while handing me plastic bags filled with groceries.

I set down the hose quickly before accepting the bags. Inside, we all gathered around the small kitchen, putting away some items and setting others aside to be prepped or cooked. Jade concentrated mainly on trying to keep Ava talking, as Vanessa and I kept quiet around them. I soon realized I was more in the way than I was helping. Pete noticed the look on my face and handed me a bottle of beer, with a small smile on his face. I took it then stepped outside to the front yard, sitting on the concrete steps. Jade was too busy accommodating Ava; she didn’t even notice the flowers. I wondered if I was being ridiculous. I mean, who gets jealous of a friend having other friends?

“The Frog looks good,” Pete said, sitting beside me. He shoved me playfully, making me chuckle.

“Thanks.” I pushed back. We sat silently before I took a large mouthful from my beer. It was barely noon and I was drinking.

“I feel like I’m losing her.” I picked at the label glued to the bottle. Pete breathed like he was trying to find the right words to say.

“You’ll never lose her, Bil. You guys are like sisters…more than sisters. There’s no losing that connection.”

“I feel like a kid fighting for the affection of her mother.” I laughed.

“She’s not replacing you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“I’m not sure why I came back, Pete. She has you, a good job, and friends. Why did I feel like I needed to come back home for her? She’s doing just fine without me.” I couldn’t believe I was saying this out loud, but the more I spoke the heavier the situation I was in hit me.

“Because you needed to believe she needed you back. Even if you coming back had nothing to do with Jade.” I stayed quiet, not sure how to respond to that. “Bil, you’re young, there’re a lot of twenty-two-year-olds that try to go off on their own and fall flat on their faces. That doesn’t mean you’re not good at anything else. Don’t let that be the reason why you’re justifying going back to work for Don.” My beer froze mid-way to my mouth.

“That’s not why I came back, Pete,” I said defensively.

“I hope not.” He finished his beer then stood and retreated back inside.

I stayed outside until my bottle was empty and there was no more label left to tear off. The smell of meat cooking pulled me inside. The girls were in the backyard laughing and talking to each other while Pete laid raw meat on the grill. I slipped downstairs to change into a pair of worn out jeans and a white tank top. I zipped my leather bodysuit to my waist then pulled on my riding boots. Marching back up the stairs, I stopped on the final step when Christian appeared a few feet away. I hated the way my heart fluttered at his presence.

“Where are you off to? Isn’t this your party?”

I stepped slowly over the last step to be in front of him. “Party hasn’t officially started yet.” I glanced at the sliding door just to confirm I wasn’t missed. Clearly, I wasn’t. Jade and Pete were laughing with Ava and Vanessa. I had to leave for a while and shake off this pity party I was having. This wasn’t like me. “I’ll be back soon,” I told him. “But you’re more than welcome to go outside and join the pre-party.” Outside, I straddled my bike, surprised to see Christian had followed me.

“Let me come with you.” He held onto my handle like I would drive off. I watched him cautiously as I pulled my bodysuit over my shoulders and zipped it up.

“I’m not riding bitch on my own ride,” I told him.

Christian chuckled. “I wouldn’t think of it.” Cocking his head, he gave me a look. “Yeah?” he said, as another form of asking. I took in a deep breath. His weight would make my bike uneven, but not enough that I couldn’t handle it. Before I could rationalize this, I just opened my mouth and let my feelings speak instead of my brain.

“Hop on.”

His mouth twitched. I was sure he was trying to fight a smug smile. Suddenly I was feeling coy. I was thankful when he straddled the bike and sat behind me so he couldn’t see my face. I was feeling good about having him come with me until he snaked his arms around my waist and I was snug between his legs. My heart felt like it had dropped to my stomach and I was sure he could feel it when he chuckled.

“I thought we were leaving? Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t mind staying here with you pressed against me if that’s what you wanted.”

I groaned, playfully elbowing him before starting the bike. It took me a few minutes to get used to the extra weight, but as soon as I did I accelerated and took off. I drove to Woodward Avenue right outside of Harden. There was an abandoned house we would go to party when we were younger. It was a Queen Anne style home with brown bricks and a tall black-shingled roof. The landscaping in front of the yard was overgrown with bushes and tall yellow grass. There was a massive hole in the middle of the roof and the foundation was missing pieces. Some windows were boarded up, but overall it was sturdy and safe to go inside. I turned off the bike and waited for Christian to hop off. When he did, he looked at me, concerned as he glanced at the house.

“Is this where you bury my body?”

I laughed. “No, I’d throw your body in a lake.”

“Good to know,” he said tensely.

“Come on.” I pulled on the front of his shirt. I shoved away weeds and pushed back branches as we moved in the direction of where the front door would have been. Inside of the structure, the bright early afternoon sun shone directly through the hole of the roof, giving it some much needed light. Dust flew by the sunbeam, illuminating every single speck.

“This is actually kind of cool,” he said, testing the wooden planks on the floor. Not much had changed since I was last here. There were a few more holes but that was about it.

“I know, right?” I pulled an old crate to the center of the room where there was better light. Pulling my knees to my chest, I watched as Christian looked around the house. He walked with caution. I studied the way his jaw clenched when he wasn’t sure about a step, and the way his eyes would widen just a little when a plank creaked. I was mesmerized by the way the sun shone on his flawless olive skin, how his tattoos were brought to life when his body moved. The ink on his chest was always my favorite to watch. I didn’t know what it was completely, but what I could see was the top of what I assumed was a Mexican sugar skull with two vivid red roses on each side. I giggled when a critter ran under the floor and he stilled.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of little animals?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not a fan of mice.” Christian walked over to me and sat beside me. I said a little prayer, hoping the crate wouldn’t collapse under us. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. I wasn’t acting like myself so I knew it was pretty obvious something was wrong. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

I inhaled sharply.

“Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in your own life?” I said.

Christian leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees. The wood squeaked as he moved, and I held my breath a little. He stared at me with a certain look in his eyes, almost like he knew exactly what I was saying. But he didn’t say anything, just wrapped an arm over my shoulder in a soothing gesture.

We sat like that for a while, watching the dust fly by and listening to the world outside our little bubble. It was comforting to know he wasn’t just a flirt. He was serious and reassuring when he needed to be.

Chapter Fourteen

Christian

Tupac’s voice rolled inside my ears and the bass of “Ambitionz Az A Ridah”
vibrated in my headphones while I gripped the iron bar. I pulled myself up for my last set. Taking a glance at the mirror in front of me, I was satisfied by the amount of sweat that had accumulated on my chest, arms, and face. Because of how much I worked at the bar, I didn’t have enough time to come to the gym like I wanted. I was starting to feel like I was getting soft, so today I made an effort to wake up earlier than normal and head to the gym across the street from my apartment.

Letting go of the bar, I jumped down and made my way to a bench where I kept my water bottle and towel. I wiped off my face as two girls walked by, eyeing my chest. I winked at them just as my music was interrupted by a call. My attention was now on the government owned number displayed on the screen of my phone. I knew exactly who it was. Exhaling, I dropped down to sit on the bench with my elbows on my knees. I answered the phone call.

“Yeah?”

“This is the operator with a collection call from Roman Rodriguez. To accept the charges—” I pressed one, cutting off the operator. Soon enough, his deep raspy voice boomed through.

“I’m surprised you accepted,” he said.

“Yeah, me too. What do you need, Rome. I already gave Mom money.”

“Damn, man, can’t I just catch up with my lil’ brother before I get released?”

“It’s a parole hearing, Rome. You don’t know if you’re getting released, man. But, whatever, what did you want to catch up on?”

Roman grunted. “Same old impatient Christian, always wanting things on his terms.”

My jaw clenched as I looked up to the mirror, seeing my irritated expression in the glass.

“All right then, I’ll get right to the point,” he continued. “I know you’re busy with your little
bar
. Imma need you when I get out. I have some
friends
I need to see.”

I shook my head. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, little bro, I’m not joking. I’m starting to feel like you’ve forgotten where you’re from, and how you were able to get that little business of yours running.”

“Yeah, on my own, that’s how. Don’t call me for shit like that, Rome, and then attempt to threaten
me
. A lot has changed since you went in,
big brother
. Don’t fucking mistake me for one of your prison bitches again, Roman.” I hung up, knowing if we continued this conversation I’d only make things worse. I stood, pulling my shoulders back in an attempt to release the stress which had collected there in the last two minutes. I flinched when my phone rang in my ear again. But this time I smiled at the caller, my anger instantly evaporating.

“Hey, Billie.” I was happier than I liked to admit from her unexpected call. I had a great time last night at her small get-together. She seemed to be reserved around everyone else except Jade, Pete, and me. And as much of a live wire as she was at work, when she was in a small setting, she became reclusive.

After we got back to Jade’s from the excursion to the abandoned house, the others barely noticed we were gone. It wasn’t until Billie had a few more beers in her system when she said something jokingly to Jade about getting flowers from some guy that things got a little tense between them. But by the end of the night, they were acting like nothing was wrong.

I had examined Billie from afar as she talked to some of the bar regulars who showed up. She was expressive with her hands. When someone spoke to her, her attention was solely on that person, regardless of what the conversation was about. Billie never pretended to be something she wasn’t. She wasn’t trying to find herself because she already knew who she was. She was a breath of fresh air, and she was different. And every time she smiled, even though I didn’t know what she was smiling about, I’d catch myself mirroring her reaction. I left that night wanting more from a woman than I had in a long, long time.

“Hi, Chris…umm, I’m so sorry, but I have to call off tonight. I came outside this morning…” Her voice cracked just a little, but I wasn’t sure. “To check the numbers on my tires, you know, because I needed to buy new ones and I wasn’t sure on the size. Anyway…my tires were slashed…” She sucked in a breath. My heart fell for her. She loved that bike, and instantly I went into protection mode. “And I don’t want to ask Jade and Pete to take me to work. Jade’s off today and Pete took her to see the new baby elephants at the zoo…and they’re spending the night at a hotel…” She inhaled heavily. Even though I was sad for her, her rambling was fucking adorable.

“Did you take a breath at all during all that?”

“Shut up,” she grumbled quietly. I could picture her covering her face with her hand, trying to hide her smile even though she was down.

“I’ll pick you up. We’ll go to work together.”

“No, Christian, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I’m not taking no for answer, especially since your tires were slashed. I’ll worry about you. Please let me do this for you.”

She stayed quiet for a beat before she sighed. “Fine, but don’t tell Jade, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.” I started to hang up, but then heard her squeak.

“Wait, I don’t start until two. It’s too early.”

“Didn’t you just say you were alone?”

“Yeah.”

“And that your tires were slashed?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be there soon. Don’t argue with me.” I hung up before she
could
argue with me. A few seconds later, she sent me a text message with an angry emoticon.

You’re lucky you’re my boss. I don’t do well with men ordering me around.

Jade’s house was fifteen minutes away from the gym. When I got there, I didn’t see Billie’s bike in the driveway. Worried, I hurried to the front door and rang the doorbell. She opened the door right away and relief flooded me. She stood in front of me with hair wet from the shower, her strawberry shampoo a bold scent around her. She wore a loose pale pink t-shirt and gray sweat pants that hugged her thighs and flared past her knees. I hoped it hugged her ass in the same way.

“Why didn’t you text me to tell me you were here?” she said, opening the door wider to invite me inside.

“Because I was raised to come to the door when you pick up a lady.” I tapped her nose before walking inside. I winced as I walked past her; I was rank, and I knew it. I’d worked out hard today and needed a shower desperately.

“I’m sorry. Were you busy when I called?” She hurried to stand in front of me, studying my appearance. “Oh God, you were, weren’t you? That’s why you’re all sweating and disheveled. You were with someone. Oh, shit, I’m so, so, so sorry, Chris, I—”

I put my finger on her lips to stop her from talking. And regretted it instantly. I felt my cock harden slightly as my finger pressed against the softness of her lips.
Good going, Christian
.

“I was at the gym, silly girl. I wasn’t fucking anyone.”

Billie sucked in a short tiny breath before her small fingers wrapped around mine and pulled my hand down. Her stare traveled from my arms up my chest, lingering on my exposed skin. I had left the gym in a hurry so I just threw my hoodie over my bare chest; it wasn’t zipped all the way up. She moved on and stared at my neck. Her eyes flared when my Adam’s apple bobbed under her inspection. I was burning up inside. She was creating a fever inside of me I wasn’t used to. Billie’s eyes flicked to my lips and then to my eyes and around my eyebrows.
Fuck
. I couldn’t stay put anymore. I stepped closer to her, but she stepped back and I chuckled.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” I whispered. Billie laughed nervously before stepping back some more.

“But then you’ll break my phone with your ugly mug.” She winced with a small grin. I laughed.

“That’s the best you got?”

“Well, you’re distracting me…and you’re sweaty…and wearing sweats. I…oh God, I just said that out loud, didn’t I?” She covered her face and groaned. “I sound like an idiot. I sound like
you
.”

I laughed. “Well, I’m glad you find me attractive.”

Her head snapped up, and she dropped her hands from her face. “I never said I liked you, or that I find you attractive.”

My eyebrow cocked. In a challenging gesture, I stepped closer to her.

“You mean if I pressed you up against the wall right now and kissed you, you’d stop me?”

Billie’s eyes widened. The expression on her face felt like a punch to my gut. She was disappointed. “You’d kiss me, and then what? We’d have sex and I’d be another Hannah, right? Another girl to add to the collection. Wait, maybe I’m different? I’m special, but the uniqueness about me would expire and you’d get bored. So you would cheat on me and make no effort to hide it because you’d be too much of a pussy to end it.”

She turned around in a hurry, and walked into the kitchen before heading down a flight of stairs. What the fuck just happened? I wasn’t sure, but I felt like a dick for playing around like that with her.