Whiskey Dreams (Rebel Walking #7) (9 page)

“Aiden, that was amazing!”  The redhead pushes her way past Macy and he turns so that she has to shake his hand around me.  She was trying for a hug, but I love that he blocked it.  What am I doing?  I can’t get jealous about a guy that I’m not even planning to be anything with.  What we have is short lived and I actually already hate that his sister can guess that we’re together like that by the way we’re standing together.

“Alright you two.  To the bar.  I’m buying drinks!”  We get back to the open end of the bar and signal Rosie our way. 

“Three Patron’ shots please!”  Macy orders and for a brief second she reminds me of Eaven. 

“Mace.  You have a ride home tonight?”  He looks at her like he’s trying to catch her doing something wrong.

“Yes I do.  Bryce will be here when he’s finished working.  That’s one area you don’t have to get onto me about, brother and you know it.” 

“Well perfect.  He can give us one too!” 

“He won’t mind at all, but he’ll be here in about thirty minutes to pick me up!”

“Then we better get to drinkin’!”  Aiden’s grip on my ass sends me a promise of what tonight will bring.

Chapter Twelve

AIDEN

She’s driving me crazy again.  Watching her talk to my sister and get along with her like she’s one of the girls goes a long way with me.  Not that I needed Kimber to go any further into my mind.  She’s consuming it and I know soon enough I’ll feel the void of her leaving.

I feel my phone vibrate again and look to see Luke calling.  I’m sure he just wants an update, but I’m not ready to tell him just how good I think Kimber is just yet.  I don’t know how he’ll react to this and honestly this isn’t like me.  I’m as loyal as they come and I just hope if he does find out, he won't think this was in some way to cross him, because it wasn’t.

My sister’s boyfriend is on his way, so this night is about to shift yet again.  We’ve been drinking tequila and whiskey since we found out we ‘d be leaving soon.  Just when I’m about to have Kimber walk outside with me, they call our name over the mic.
Shit.

“I picked the song I want to sing with you!  ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’.”  I don’t know the words, and at this point I don’t think she will either, but I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks in this bar.  She wants to sing, so we’ll sing.  I know she’s never done this and the fact that she’s changed her mind twice since she got here tells me she’s only doing this because she’s drunk off her ass. 

I watch her go to the stage excited and I can’t help but laugh at how crazy she’s acting.  She’s a fun drunk.  Hell, I’m glad we’ve already had sex, because that’s a cock blocker when it’s the first time with me.

The song begins and she hands me the second mic.  I start the beginning verse with a deep ‘Turn Around.” Then continue as she blows me away between my same repeated part of the song.  I’m so damned happy my words don’t change much because I swear she’s singing to me.  The words fit us and I can’t help but hear the ‘forever’ come from her mouth.  How is it that I’ve only known her a few days and I’m ok with that word?  She’s just a lost soul and hell, somehow she just fills me with emotions I’m not used to feeling. 

She sings so passionately and she fucking nails the song.  I was simply on repeat and enjoying the show that everyone else was watching as well, only I had the front row because she was turned, singing to me.  I can imagine her singing this by herself for years in her car or the shower. 

“You did an amazing job.  I thought you said you couldn’t sing.”

“I can’t.  That’s the one song I know the words to and that liquid courage was enough to send me up here.  I said I wanted to do new things, so thanks for another first, Aiden.”  She smiles and looks down.  God.  She’s going to break my damn heart. 

I lift her face to look at me again.  I’ve done all the sweet gentlemanly shit, now I want to show her what I’m dying to be like with her.  “I’m about to take you to the back alley and fuck you right here.  You have got to stop looking so fuckin’ sexy around me.”

“Do it, Cowboy.”

Fuck.  This is gonna hurt.  Not the sex, but the goodbye.

~~~~~

I lift her over my shoulder and walk her through all the people in my way.  I’m just glad I know my way around here, because I slip into the back through the kitchen, then out the back door.  I put her down right in front of a bare wall just around the corner where it’s dark and somewhat private.  We both race to unzip our jeans while not taking our eyes off the other.  This is going to be fast and hard and I don’t even care if someone is watching us.

She practically climbs my body to get around my waist and I enter her slowly as I set her against the wall. 

“Stay with me, Kimber.  We can be just like this every night.” 

“Don’t talk, Aiden.  Fuck me like you promised.”  I hear her warning and start to move.  Leaning forward, I nibble on her ear before I move to her neck.  My cock fills her and I’m glad we established this one would be fast because my will power must be back in the bar. 

I thrust forward on her and feel her fingers scrape my back as I finally get all the way in. 

I lift my shirt over my head and start to fuck her like I promised.  Just like she wants.  Just like I want.

I keep a rhythm that’s sure to send me over soon, so I slide my finger over her clit and rub her until she’s scratching at my back again.  Fuck me.  I can’t hold off any longer, so I thrust a few more times.  We both moan and make noise through our release and I ignore the car door behind us.

I stare into her eyes and our breaths hit each other as my cock twitches the final few times. 

“You’re not supposed to be this fucking good, Aiden.”  She’s out of breath just like I am and that worsens when we hear the voice.

“You alright back here?”  Fuck.  This is going to be bad.  She freezes and begins to slide down my body.  Her face instantly changes to one of panic and I don’t know how she’s about to react. 

I try to whisper to her and calm her down.  “Let me handle this.”  We both bend for our jeans and work to get them back on.

“Yeah man, we’re good.”  I try to make my voice sound different, hoping he won’t come any closer.  My body towers over Kimber so there’s no way he can see her behind me.  But I’m watching her literally tick like she’s a time bomb about to go off.  I place hands on her shoulders and bring my lips to hers as I try to make her remember I’m here. 

She pushes off of me and starts to run around the building.  There’s no fucking way I’m letting her run from here and never see me again.  She’s got that need to flee look in her eyes.  I grab her wrist and stop her from running.

“Cowboy.  Is that your ass out here?”  Fuck.

Chapter Thirteen

KIMBER

Luke.  Fuck.  I deserve this.  He’s going to be pissed that I’m off fucking his friend.  I can’t believe we were so careless and now we’ve literally been caught with our pants down.  I should never have come here.  I should’ve left him to be happy when I left the first time.  Coming here was a mistake and right now it’s all about to blow up in my damn face. 

Aiden releases my wrist when Luke says Cowboy.  He turns and meets Luke at the edge of the building, so I slip behind it.  I’m not facing Luke like this.  I’ll find a cab or Uber or whatever the fuck I have to do to get out of here and I’ll never turn back.  I can rent a car for now and come back for my Jeep later. 

I keep running in the darkness until I’m at least four buildings down, then stop to catch my breath.  I know Aiden will be furious that I ran, but I’m hoping he manages to keep it from Luke that it was my voice he was hearing screaming like an insane person as Aiden made me come like I’ve never come before in my life.  And that includes with Luke. 

I grab my chest and continue to search around me, looking for somewhere to go so that I can get a ride out of here.

I see an overnight grocery store down the road and I contemplate going there to run, but stumble again as I try to walk.  I’m out of my fucking mind.  I’m drunk and running the streets.  At night.  By myself. 

This is like a horror movie waiting to happen.  Realizing my limits, I turn the corner to go back to the bar.  I walk slowly, trying to think of what I’ll say.  How can I even explain this so that he won’t think I’m in some fucked up way trying to hang on to him and his life?  This is his circle that I keep finding myself drawn to. 

I see Luke standing in the alley where I just fucked Aiden.  He sees me walking and I have no idea if he’s processing what this means or not.  I only know he looks great and I’m mad at myself for noticing.

He wraps his arms around me when I walk up to him and I notice how he doesn’t feel like Aiden right away.  It’s a much different hug.

“I’ve been calling you.  Why haven’t you answered?”

“Luke.  I’m not going to stay in touch with you.  You need to live your life with Lilly.  Don’t you have a baby coming soon?”

“I do.  Lilly sent me to make sure you’re ok.”  Of course she did.  Can Lilly be any more perfect?

“Does it still look like you have a few weeks before it’s born?”  I continue to make small talk because honestly, I don’t know what else to say.

“Yes, that’s what they’re saying.”

“Luke.  I can’t do this.  I walked away so that you can have your happiness and I need to find mine.  If you do shit like this, how am I supposed to move on?”

“I need to see that you’re ok and when you don’t fucking answer my calls, what do you expect me to do?”  I look down because having him this close confuses me.  I’m supposed to be able to find my home in his arms like I did the entire time we were together, but that’s not my home anymore.  I don’t have one.

“I’ll start answering your calls.” 

“Kimber.  Please look at me.  I don’t know what to say.  I wish like hell things were different and I could be there for you too.  It hurts me to see you hurting.  I can fucking feel your pain from home and I can’t deal knowing you sacrificed so much for us.  Just because Lilly is here, doesn’t mean that I ever stopped loving you.”

“Fucking stop, Luke.  Don’t you think this is goddamned hard enough on me?  I love you.  I love what we were supposed to be and I now know I was just a rite of passage for you.”  My words hit me as I realize what I’m saying.  “You needed me to get back to Lilly and I love that I could be that for you.”

“And you needed me so you could break free of the hold those assholes had on you in California and for those reasons, we’ll always be an important part of each other’s lives.  I didn’t come back here to say I love you and to try to get you back.  I came back here to say I love you and you’ll always be a part of my story.  I was real with you the entire way through and you deserve so much more than what I’ve put you through.”

“Then let me find that.  I need time, Luke.”

“I’m sorry, Kimber.  I needed to see that you’re ok.  I’ll never apologize for checking on you and if you’d stop fucking running off before we can talk, I’d tell you that I want the best for you.  I want to help you get your life started wherever you’d like to go, but I’d love more than anything if you’d move back and let us help you get settled in somewhere.”  I lean against the wall and try to figure out how to tell him this.

“Luke.  They are your family.  That is your home.  As long as I’m there, you’ll have a part of your history that doesn’t fit.  I know this and so do you.  I want you to have what you deserve.”

“Don’t you think I miss you being a part of my life?  You were my fucking rock when I needed one.  How can you just walk the fuck out of my life like that without a word?”

“Because I know you love her.  I know she’s your person.  I know if given the damn choice, you’d choose her.  Hell, I knew the second I saw the two of you together that I don’t fit in the puzzle.”  He looks away and I can see him hurting.  It kills me because I want this to be easy on him.  I’m the only one who is supposed to hurt.  “Tell me, Luke.  Tell me you would’ve chosen me.  And I’ll know you’re lying.”  Tears begin to fall and I hate that I can’t stop them.

“No, but I would’ve never chosen to throw you to the trash.”  I turn away from him and look back at Rosie’s as I see Aiden walking toward us.

“I’m going to be fine.  I promise.  I’ll be leaving in the morning for New York City.  I’m going to see a gym owner there and possibly start working with a few female fighters in the area.”  It’s not a lie.  I actually thought of this idea this morning and I’m even considering training for fights myself. 

Before Aiden gets close enough, Luke says one last thing.  “You know, you never screamed for me like that.  You and Cowboy must’ve really connected.”  Because I’m half drunk, I can’t let it go. 

“We have a few times.”  His eyes grow wide and I let Aiden walk up to me and I put my arm around his waist.  I didn’t say that to make him jealous.  I said it to clear the air with him about Aiden.  I don’t want secrets.  I don’t want to lie.  I just want to live. 
“You two ready to go to the cabin?”  Luke holds out his keys and I instantly dread telling him.  Fuck.

I ride in the backseat of an SUV that Luke must’ve rented.  I notice Luke and Aiden aren’t talking much, but that’s perfect for me because I’m planning my escape route in the morning.  With these two in the house, I’m going to have hell just leaving without all the bad goodbye crap that I hate. 

I watch Aiden as he begins to tell Luke how we met that night before we knew each other.  He’s brushing over some of my favorite parts of the night, but none that I’d tell Luke.  We get to the quiet cabin and I wonder where the drunk feelings went.  I know I drank enough to still be feeling it all, but shit If I’m not feeling more sober than drunk at this point. 

We pull up to the cabin and I go straight to the master bedroom.  “Goodnight.  See you in the morning.”  Luke’s voice is loud and echoes through the cabin.  I close the door and decide right then and there that I’ll be leaving in just a few hours, before either of them wake up.