Her ex ignored her, stammering wildly. “You can’t do this to me. I get it—I hurt you. But you can’t go around telling every studio in town not to hire me. I’m a good artist, goddamn it! I’m good! You can’t—”
“I haven’t done a damn thing,” she interrupted coldly. “I know you tried to apply at our new place, but you’re cuckoo-frickin’-crazy if you think my dad would ever hire you. As for the other studios in Boston, did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason nobody’s hiring you is because they know what a pathetic screwup you are?”
Troy’s entire face collapsed. “I got fired from Razor’s, Brett. I need this job.”
“There is no job. Not at my shop, and clearly nowhere else, either.” She inhaled slowly. “You need to go now.”
“Or what?” He cast a petulant look at AJ. “You’ll sic this crazy mofo on me again?”
“No.” She set her jaw. “I’ll beat the crap out of you myself.”
AJ’s faint snicker made Troy’s nostrils flare.
“You know what?” he muttered. “Screw you, Brett. Screw both of you. I’m not putting up with your BS anymore.” His whole body swayed as he stumbled toward the staircase. “Have a nice life.”
Unsteady footsteps echoed down the stairs, followed by the deafening slam of the door below them. As her ex-boyfriend once again walked out of her life, Brett looked over at AJ, unsure of what to say.
She wanted to apologize to him for Troy. She wanted to yell at him for putting himself in harm’s way. She wanted to kiss him for sticking up for her.
But then she glimpsed the swollen red mark beneath his cheekbone, and all she wanted to do was take care of him.
“Come on, we should put some ice on that.”
Neither of them spoke as they walked inside. In the kitchen, Brett grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, then pressed it to AJ’s cheek.
God, she hated that he’d gotten hurt defending her, but she knew she’d never forget the lightning speed with which he’d moved, or the waves of danger that had rippled in his roped muscles.
And yet she wasn’t surprised when he voiced a quick, shame-laced apology.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have wailed on him like that.”
Frustration clamped around Brett’s throat as he once again apologized for who he was. As he once again ducked behind the mask and hid another part of himself from the world.
He’d done it earlier too, when they’d been around his friends. Darcy’s coldness had been annoying, but that wasn’t the sole reason Brett had been upset when they’d gotten home. She hadn’t liked the way AJ had acted at the club. Mr. Good Guy, pouring drinks for everyone, bending over backward to make up for Darcy’s hostility, biting back the raunchy remarks he usually had no problem saying to her.
She understood why he felt the need to project that image, but damn it, she didn’t like it. She liked AJ exactly the way he was, every complicated facet to him. Sweet and tender. Bold and reckless. Strong and deadly. Indecent and dirty.
“Don’t apologize,” she said quietly. “He had it coming.”
“Oh, a hundred percent. But…” A beat of hesitation. “But I wish you hadn’t seen me like that. So out of control.”
“You looked very in control to me.”
“Yes, but…” He visibly gulped. “I don’t want you to be scared of me.”
“Scared of you? God, AJ. I could never be scared of you.” She dropped the bag of peas on the counter and reached up to cup his strong jaw. “I don’t think you realize how good you’ve been for me.”
A tentative smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “Really?”
“This is the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in. I’m…” She chewed her lip as she tried to put her emotions into words. “I’m not a pushover when I’m with you, and you don’t demand that I devote every second of my time to you. I mean, I see you almost every day, but I’m still focused on work and able to do my job. It’s like I’ve finally found a way to balance life and a relationship.” She offered a little grin. “And watching you kick Troy’s ass tonight was a major turn-on. Now I’m dying to track down footage of your old fights so I can see some more ass-kicking.”
“Yeah?” he murmured.
“Oh yeah.” She brushed a kiss on his lips. “You defended me tonight, and I’m very grateful for that. Troy was the one who was out of control. I thought I could handle it myself, but now I’m not so sure. I’m glad you were here.”
The confession seemed to drain the remaining tension from his body. He sagged into her touch, rubbing his cheeks against her palms. “I’m glad I was here, too.”
Brett rested her head on his bare chest. The thump of his heartbeat vibrated against her ear, soothing her.
Let me show you who I am.
The husky words he’d said to her at Sin floated into her mind. He’d kept that promise. He’d shown her exactly who he was that first night, and she found comfort in the knowledge that AJ didn’t hide himself from her. But he hid from everyone else. His friends, his family…
Brett didn’t like it. She wanted AJ to be as proud of himself as she was of him.
Now she just had to convince him.
Chapter Sixteen
Two Weeks Later