Only Trick (21 page)

He gathers my hair into a ponytail and twists it one direction and then the other. “As I recall I let you go first, and I think you went second too. You’re welcome.”

I laugh into his neck. “You and your recollections are a real handful.”

He kisses my head. “As I
recall,
you proved I’m easily two hands full.”

I sit up and smack him with my pillow. “What is it with you men and your penises? Yes, you’re ginormous and what you do with it is legendary. Is that what your ego needs?”

Trick grabs my pillow and hugs it to his chest. “Legendary huh?”

Jerking my pillow from him, I flop back onto the bed with my back to him. “Ugh! Goodnight.”

Hooking his arm around my waist, he pulls me into him, nuzzling his whiskery face along the back of my neck. “Goodnight, sexy.”

*

Nothing beats buttered
toast, strawberry jelly, and eggs with your breakfast soul mate. Of course I don’t say this to Trick because he’s not a fan of gushy things like OMG BFF stuff. The only things he despises more are Emojis in texts so of course all of my texts to him are filled with them and some are all Emojis. My love for him may be a bit sick and twisted.

“Rachel wants us to come for dinner this week when our schedules allow, aka tomorrow night because that’s the only night my father doesn’t already have plans.”

Trick walks up behind me, shirtless, and cups my ass while brushing his scruff along my neck.

“Down boy, or your over-easy eggs are going to collide with my scrambled,” I warn, holding up the spatula.

He smacks my ass then hops up on the counter. “I’m surprised your father wants to see me again.”

“That would be a surprise.” I grin bringing the spoon from the jelly toward my mouth.

Trick grabs my wrist and leans down licking the jelly off
my
spoon. “You’re crossing the line, buddy.”

“Lines?” He hops down and carries our plates to the table. “Are there lines between us?”

“Yes, jelly ones. Rule number one … at my place I lick the jelly off the spoon.”

He rubs his barefoot across mine under the table. “Well if you want to lick jelly off something—”

I glare at him in spite of the fact that I would love to lick strawberry jelly off any part of his body. “Rachel wants to meet you.”

“Why?” He takes a bite of his toast.

“Because she’s nosy and controlling.”

“Sounds like fun, but I think I’ll pass.”

“What?” My eyes grow big. “You can’t say no.”

He finishes his bite and presses a napkin to his mouth. “Yes, I can. I don’t need their approval and neither do you.”

I deflate, at least on the inside. My father has very few redeeming qualities, but he’s still my father. And Rachel … well she’s tolerable—barely. I didn’t expect Trick to do flips over the idea of dinner with them, but I also didn’t expect him to flat out refuse.

We both finish eating, the air void of conversation. Grabbing our plates I take them to the kitchen. “I need a shower. I have to go into work for rounds.”

He follows me up the stairs. “You’re mad.”

I keep walking. “I’m not.”

“Then look at me.”

Stopping at my bathroom door, I sigh before turning around. He stops a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I’ll go.”

“No.” I pivot and drop my robe to the floor then turn on the water to the shower. “You don’t want to go.”

“True, but I’ll go for you if that’s what you want.”

I step in the shower and roll my eyes. Of course that’s what I want, that’s why I asked, but now his initial decline has changed everything. Now I want him to
want
to go.
Shit!
I’ve never been this way with any other guy—a needy head case. “No. It’s too late. Now I don’t want you to go. I’ll take Nana because she enjoys my company.”

Shut up, Darby!

With every word I become more pathetic. Closing my eyes, I let the water wash away the puffy-chested ego that’s trying to cling to me. I still when Trick’s arms snake around my waist, pulling my back into his chest.

“Did you just disinvite me to dinner?”

I smile, closing my eyes briefly while releasing a sigh, then turn in his arms and look up at him with a half grin and a nod. Pressing my lips to his chest, I wrap my arms around his waist. “I want you to come … for me.”

He tilts my chin up with his finger. “I know and that’s why I’ll be there for
you
. Someone has to pick up the pieces when they disappoint you.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Trick stops me with his sexy lips. Just as well, my argument is feeble. He’s right. I’ll leave disappointed like I always do. When will I learn?

*

A storm of
anxiety rips through my body leaving every last nerve frayed by the end of the day. Since the little dispute I had with Trick over dinner with my father and Rachel, the pressure for everything to go as smooth as possible weighs on me like a collapsed building.

“Big plans tonight?” Dr. Creepy Creighton asks as I finish signing my last chart.

“Dinner with family.”

“Sounds exciting,” he responds with an unusual interest in my plans.

“Yep, real exciting.” I slip my pen in my pocket and turn to go get changed.

“You have plans for the weekend?”

Making a slow turn, my eyes narrow at him. “Why?”

He slides his hands in his coat pockets. “I heard you and Ashby are no longer together, so I thought we could get dinner or drinks.”

Ew
!

I feel invisible spiders creeping along my skin. Every cell in my body rejects even the thought of dinner with him. I was young and stupid, slept with a few too many guys during my rebel phase, but Dr. Creighton has slept with nearly every single female on the hospital’s payroll. He’s no longer young, now he’s just stupid.
There is a difference
. He’s the same coffee cup everyone’s been drinking out of for the past two years. I have to choke back the “hell no” and force out a much more polite version.

“I’m seeing someone.”

“Wow, that was quick.”

Really? The hospital whore is judging me?

“Not that it should matter, but Steven and I have been over for a while.”

He steps closer, eyes licking me like a salivating dog as he lowers his head. “Well if this new guy doesn’t work out … you know what they say about yours truly.”

I move my head to the side, brows pulled tight in a wrinkled-nose expression.

“Yes, to a night with me is epic. No, to a night with me is tragic.”

And people entrust their lives to this guy. I turn and walk away. “I can live with tragedy.”
You disgusting piece of shit!

After a quick change, I text Trick with a minimum of five Emojis to let him know I’m on my way home and will pick him up in an hour. I’m a planner so I run through topics of conversation that will be acceptable during dinner tonight, and by the time I’m home I have nothing. Trick will be on trial tonight, and although my father hasn’t practiced law in years, his hard-core-cross-examination personality is still alive and ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, he’s had much longer than a moment’s notice to prepare for tonight.

Rummaging through my closet takes far too long. I’m already running twenty minutes late to pick up Nana.

“All right, give me all the highlights before we get to Trick’s,” Nana insists the moment she gets in my car.

“The highlights?” I laugh.

“Well, not the hanky-panky stuff … unless you want to tell me. It might surprise you to know that your nana was quite the little minx in her day.”

The genuine laughter and heartfelt love that bubbles out of my chest for my nana is the truest thing I’ve ever known. “Nana, nothing you could say would surprise me. You know you’re a rock star in my eyes.”

“And Trick?”

I sigh. “He’s …
something.
”

“But not really gay?”

I laugh. “Definitely not gay.” A warm tingle settles between my legs just thinking about all the ways Trick has demonstrated his heterosexuality to me. “He has a troubled past which has given him an
aversion
to women, so he and his home-wrecking friend, Grady, have been pretending to be partners to stave off unwanted attention. It’s complicated, weird, and even a little disturbing. I still haven’t wrapped my head around it.”

“He sounds like the trouble you need.” Nana rests her hand on my leg, giving a teasing squeeze.

“He’s trouble all right—troubled, dark, and sexy. I don’t recognize myself when I’m with him. He brings out my wild side…” Nana’s eyes perk up along with her wide grin “…and also a jealous side. I don’t like that side.”

“Jealousy, huh?”

Glancing sideways, I frown. “Yes, it’s toxic like the flu. I feel like crap when I allow it to sink its nasty claws into me. It’s so different with Trick. Not that I haven’t been in relationships before, I’ve just never felt the pangs of jealousy or
neediness
.”

“Neediness? Oh, dear child, you’re in deep. I never dreamed I’d see the day when my independent girl would feel needy.”

“I know! That’s just it. I almost had an emotional meltdown when Trick said he didn’t want to come to dinner. And then when he finally agreed to it, I sulked because I wanted him to
want
to go. What is that? Talk about messed up. I swore I’d never be that girl who plays mind games and gets her feelings hurt by the slightest confrontation, but that’s who I’ve become.”

“It’s called vulnerability, and it’s not always a bad thing. We have to open our hearts to allow love to find us and with that comes vulnerability, jealousy, and even your dreaded neediness. It’s all a front to protect us from our ultimate fear.”

“That being?”

“Pain.”

Do I think Trick can cause me pain?
Yes.

“I’ll text him we’re here.” I look down at my phone as Nana clears her throat.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

I look up and sure enough … he’s killing me. Who is this guy and what did he do with my Trick?

“Your boy cleans up real nice.”

That’s just it. I don’t want Trick “cleaned up” and looking like an imposter. I want tight short-sleeved T-shirts with lots of tattoos on display, badass leather wristbands, worn jeans, and black biker boots. I step out of the car as he approaches in his black suit and tie.

Fucking hell! He’s wearing a suit?

My capris, red halter top, and sandals feel way too casual in his presence.

“Hey, sexy.” He hugs me, lifting me off my feet.

“What are you doing?”

He sets me down. “Last I knew we were having dinner with your family.”

“I’m talking about your
suit
.” I gesture with my hand.

“I was underdressed the last time we went to your father’s for dinner, so I thought I’d step it up a notch. You don’t approve?”

I sigh and pull him to me by his jacket lapels. “I just want you to feel comfortable in your own skin around my family.”

He kisses me, soft and slow. “It’s a suit. My skin is the same underneath.” He bends closer to my ear. “I’ll show you all of it later.”

Lovely, there goes my dry panties!

We both turn to the tapping sound on the window. Nana smiles, pointing to her watch.

“We’d better get going.”

Trick opens my door and then gets in the backseat.

“Hello, young man. I can sit in back if you’d like to sit up front.” Nana works her charming smile even though she has no intention of getting in back.

“Hello again, Grace. Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine back here.”

“Suit yourself.”

I choke on my own laughter as I glance at Trick in the rearview mirror. He might not see the humor, but all I can think about are the numerous occasions he has told me to “suit yourself.”

“I heard you’re not gay after all.”

“Nana!” I grip the wheel and grit my teeth.

Trick’s lips twitch when I glance back, completely horrified. “I heard that too.” He’s a damn glacier back there while I’m self-combusting one Nana comment at a time. This is going to be … One. Long. Ride.