Truth, I had met, when he and Tommy rescued me and Tallulah after my 4-Runner was swept off the road in rising flood waters. Considering I was terrified and in a little bit of shock then, I hadn’t taken the time to really appreciate him.
He was gorgeous. Tall with longer black hair that brushed the nape of his neck, and beautiful green eyes that were piercing in their clarity. He was also carrying…a sword?
“Uhh,” I murmured. “Hi.”
Truth grinned.
“I won’t bite,” he winked.
Tommy growled and pulled me roughly into the curve of his arm, tucking me securely against his side.
“Go the fuck away, Truth,” Tommy snapped.
Truth held up his hands.
“Guess you’ve been through the Beer Barn already tonight. How many did you have on the way home?” Truth questioned.
Tommy glared. “I’ve had a quarter of a beer on my way here…so sue me. My shit day is burned into my soul.”
Truth nodded once, his eyes going distant, and I took advantage of that moment of silence and started to pull Tommy toward the door.
“How about we take this outside?” I asked him, pulling him along in my wake.
Though I wasn’t fooling myself. Had he not wanted to come, I would’ve still been standing back there in the middle of all those men. The man was as immovable as a freakin’ tree due to his mass.
“Where are you planning on taking me?” he asked.
I was heading in the direction of the back porch when I saw it occupied by about ten ladies, all of whom were scantily clad.
“Who are they?” I asked as I diverted off course and headed into the direction of the front of the house, right back past the men who were still staring at us, not talking.
“Those are sluts and hoes,” he murmured, taking another drink. “Isn’t that what they looked like?”
One of the men snorted, but it was Aaron that started to growl.
“My woman is neither a slut or a whore,” Aaron growled.
“He wasn’t talking about me,” said a woman with silvery blonde hair cut in a cute, chin-length bob as she waltzed in from a different direction. “I was in your bedroom trying to sort through your mountain of laundry. Why, if you have a washer and dryer at home, do you leave all your dirty clothes here? I can’t wash them here, because I don’t know about them.”
I snorted a laugh, and caught the woman’s eyes.
“Those are my friends, Tommy.” She gave a mock glare. “My name is Imogen,” she offered me her hand. “And you are?”
“This is Tommy Tom’s new woman, Tally,” the scarred man said. “Come ‘ere, baby.”
The woman ignored his demand and wrapped her arms around me in a surprisingly strong hug.
“The woman whose car I worked on.” she snapped her fingers. “I’m sorry I missed you picking up your car. I’m so glad I’m not alone here anymore,” she whispered into my ear. “It’s like these men have an overabundance of testosterone and it’s driving me crazy. Which is why I bring my own friends so I’m not so outnumbered. Now we can be the best of friends.”
I grinned. “That sounds like a deal.”
She winked and backed away. “Now, Aaron,” she teased as she walked over to her husband, her full hips swaying as she moved. “When will dinner be done? I’m starving.”
His eyes lit.
“That sounds like a personal problem to me…”
She slapped him hard on the chest, making him jump back and start laughing.
“Not nice,” she pointed an accusing finger at him.
Tommy’s arm went around my hips, and he finished leading us outside.
The moment the door closed behind him, he stared at me for all of two seconds before his mouth was on mine.
“So this is what you’ve been doing instead of hanging out with me over the last few months.” Hadley gasped.
I tore away from Tommy’s hold, staring in shock at my best friend.
“What are you doing here?” I gasped, my hand going to my heart.
I couldn’t tell whether my heart was racing due to the man that was still holding on to me, or the fact that she’d scared the absolute shit out of me.
“I wanted to see why you would need directions to this place…and I now know why you do.”
I grimaced.
“It’s not what you think,” I tried.
“It’s exactly what I think,” she shot back.
I shook my head.
“No,” I cleared my throat. “This is nothing.”
I pointed between Tommy and me, and felt the moment he started to pull away.
One second we were as close as we could get, and the next I’d opened my mouth. Ruining it just as fast as I’d gotten it back.
“I guess that’s my answer, isn’t it?” Tommy asked.
And then he walked away, making sure to lock the door behind him so I couldn’t get back in.
I sighed, knowing that there would be no talking to him tonight.
I’d have to apologize, and tonight wasn’t a good night for him to listen.
Not after the night he’d had.
“Thanks a lot,” I murmured to Hadley. “How did you even get here?”
I looked around for her car and didn’t see it.
“I had Elba drop me off,” she smirked.
I wanted to smack her.
“Didn’t Elba have to work tonight?” I asked as I walked to my car.
“Yes,” Hadley said as she walked around to the passenger side of my car.
Why she thought I’d automatically give her a ride after the shitty friend impersonation was infuriating, but I’d never leave her here by herself.
“So how was she able to drop you off here?” I wondered as I got into the SUV, and immediately started it up.
My eyes stayed on the window, and my heart leapt when I saw it open.
But it was only to see Sean come out with a very irritated Ellen at his heels.
“Uh-oh,” Hadley started to giggle. “They look like they’re about to fuck.”
I shot Hadley a look.
“Language,” I murmured.
I hated when she cursed around Tallulah, who might I add was at a very impressionable age and would soon start parroting whatever we said.
So even when Tallulah wasn’t around, I tried to keep it consistent with Hadley. The more I told her, the more she realized how annoying it truly was.
Or at least that was my hope.
Likely, she only did it because it annoyed me.
What she didn’t know, though, was that I was beyond the mood where I could deal with her shit.
I was at the point now that I was about to kick her out of the car and make her walk her ass home.
Lucky for her that she stayed quiet.
I could see the wheels turning in her head, and I knew that whatever came out of her knowing this little tidbit about Tommy and me wouldn’t be a good thing.
In fact, it was going to be damn bad.
The worst part was that I had no clue just how bad it would get. Nor how badly it would hurt when Tommy refused to talk to me.
Chapter 18
When someone asks you what you like most about your job, answering with ‘Sometimes people bring birthday cake for employees on their birthdays’ is not a good answer.
-Words of Wisdom
Tommy
I was able to stay mad at her for all of two days.
And really, I couldn’t count the first day as being able to stay mad at her, because I’d spent the first three quarters of it hungover as hell and trying not to move or think.