A Wild Ride (Thompson & Sons Book 4) (5 page)

“Nice to meet you,” Nicole said with complete honesty.

Darrell nodded, meeting her eyes for just a moment before glancing away.

Shy, or extremely shy, one of the two.

Glenn more than made up for his cousin. “He’s an accountant. Business stuff, kind of like you, only he works for himself.”

Nicole tried to catch Darrell’s gaze. “That’s great.”

“Yeah, he’s obsessive about numbers. Fits him to a T.” Glenn elbowed his cousin in the side. “Anyway, there’s a party happening Friday night at the Blackstones’. Wondered if you’re going.”

Maybe Nicole should take it as a good sign that she hadn’t even known about the house party. Maybe she was already becoming grownup, responsible and respectable.

Boring. Boring
and
no sex,
her brain shouted.

Shut up,
she told her brain.

Before she could answer, Darrell shifted uncomfortably then offered a timid smile. “If you don’t have a date yet, I’d love to go with you.”

Awwww
. How sweet. The party hadn’t tempted her, but his invitation was more in line with her current requirements, and the setting would be a safe place to get to know someone new.

“Sounds like fun. I’d love to.” She offered a wide smile, and Darrell’s eyes lit up, before he looked away. “You want to meet there?” Nicole asked.

Darrell nodded wordlessly.

Nicole turned to Laurel. “You going?”

Laurel blinked hard, shock on her face as if Nicole had just asked if the other woman wanted to strip naked and dance on the table. “Going
where
?”

The guys seemed to notice Laurel for the first time.

“Oh. Sure, whatever. You’re welcome to come too, I guess,” Glenn offered, although he didn’t seem very excited about it.

“Thanks so much.” Laurel’s lips twitched. “It sounds
peachy
.”

Nicole stopped from snorting. Just.

“Awesome. Eight o’clock then.” Without waiting for a response, Glenn flicked his fingers in a mock salute then bumped his shoulder into his cousin. “Let’s go.”

Nicole watched until they left the café, feeling a little as if she’d entered the Twilight Zone. “That was weird.”

She glanced over at Laurel who was primly eating the last of her french fries, staring out the window with amusement in her eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Nicole asked. “And please don’t say ‘
Golly
gee,
I don’t know what you’re talking about’, because I’ll hurl.”

Laurel snickered. “Don’t worry, your lunch is safe.”

“So…?”

“I’m thinking how much fun I can have freaking people out. I’ll wear white, and wander around with my hands like this…” she clasped them together as if she were praying “…and every chance I get I’ll open back rooms and wander in on people—”

“You’re evil,” Nicole said with a grin. “Truly
inspiringly
evil.”

“Thank you, I try.” Laurel fluttered her lashes, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. That lasted for all of ten seconds before her smile widened. “I have to say this has been one of the most entertaining lunch breaks I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for sharing my table, Nicole Adams.”

“Thanks for not being a stick in the mud,” Nicole tossed back.

They made arrangements for Friday evening before heading back to work, Nicole pondering the results of her incredibly productive lunch hour.

A new friend. Maybe this changing to be a better, more responsible person was going to work out all right, if it meant having people like Laurel join her life.

Oh,
and
she had a date. Hurrah.

Her sheer lack of enthusiasm at the idea of spending time with Darrell was frustrating. She needed to get her head back into the game, and soon. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t Tr—

Alert. Alert. Here be monsters.

No, that line of thinking was not where she needed to go. Darrell might be a
wonderful
date. They’d have a great time, and maybe they’d hit it off, and even if they didn’t it was good for her to spend time with her new attitude.

Everything now needed to move toward having a family of her own. It was a
damn
worthwhile goal, and she was going to do everything she could to reach it.

Bor—

Shut up, brain,
she ordered before the thought had fully formed.

She rolled her eyes at herself then started plotting for the party.

She was going to have a good time if it killed her. And thoughts of the fun she could be having with Troy would
not
interfere.

Troy hated the new guy on sight.

He wasn’t in the most receptive mood in the first place. He wasn’t over his mad from the previous Friday. Plus, Troy had spent the weekend avoiding his family, and all this week he’d been ducking out of the apartment as fast as he could because no way did he want to accidentally get drawn into a discussion with Mike about how stupid his sister was behaving.

So even now, a few days later, he was predisposed to dislike whoever Nic hauled out as a better, upgraded model, but he hadn’t thought he’d be confronted with a second jackass a week after the first.

Seemed she was serious about this settling-down bullshit.

Then again, this wasn’t the setting he’d expected to find her looking for a baby daddy. The Blackstones were known for their loud and crazy house parties, and Troy had figured it was a safe place to work out his frustrations over all the crap that had set him on edge.

Strolling through the dancing bodies in the living room had been fine, as had the short break discussing sports with some of his buddies in the area outside the dining room.

He continued to wander and visit, sauntering around the corner to where a dozen or so people were gathered more quietly. They’d grabbed lawn chairs and were using coolers for side tables. Chatting and flirting and hanging out.

He was drawn like a magnet to the middle where Nic sat, her dark hair swinging in an arc as she twisted to laugh at something the guy beside her said. She wore deep-red lipstick, and Troy couldn’t peel his gaze from her mouth. Mesmerized, drawn forward…

Until it registered he didn’t recognize the guy she was talking to.

Troy’s spine stiffened as he looked the other man over. Seemed safe enough. Dark haired, lean, but not lean enough to be considered scrawny. He seemed to have trouble looking Nic in the eyes, though, and Troy observed silently for a while, trying to figure out what bugged him the most about the whole situation.

A hand landed on his shoulder, a firm grip squeezing for a brief second. “Nice to see you’re still in the land of the living.”

Troy glanced sideways to discover his roommate. “Hey.”

Mike grinned. “You’ve been making yourself scarce lately. I didn’t even hear you come in last night.”

Troy wasn’t about to confess he’d deliberately stayed away until Mike’s lady visitor had left. “You’ve been seeing a lot of Tessa lately. Having a good time?”

“As always. She’s working tonight, though. Might drop by after her shift.” Mike’s gaze drifted over the party, his smile fading as he spotted his twin. “Dude. Who’s the guy beside Nic?”

“Don’t know.” Which should have been followed by the words
don’t care
, but Troy couldn’t bring himself to outright lie.

Mike’s lips twisted into an evil grin. “Well, then. Since it’s my place to be a loving and protective big brother, I’d better go find out.”

He sauntered across the distance, coming to a stop in front of his sister. Troy folded his arms, amusement rising as he waited for the fireworks to begin.

Nic glanced his way, her eyes narrowing as her gaze darted between him and her brother before she offered him a truly wicked glare.

Troy shrugged as if to say it wasn’t his fault, then he casually slid closer as he pretended to join a conversation a few feet to their right.

Made it easier to eavesdrop.

“You’re an accountant. Oh.” Mike considered before nodding. “Guess we could always use another one of those in town.”

“If you know anyone who needs help, I’d appreciate an introduction,” the guy said, his voice barely audible.

Troy attempted to step closer without
looking
as if he was stepping closer.

Mike wasn’t nearly done. “So, Darrell, you staying with Glenn?”

“Until I figure out if I’m sticking around.”

“You might not stick around? Think there’s something wrong with Rocky?” Mike demanded.

“No, but—”

“It might not be for everyone, but we’re damn proud of living here.”

“I’m sure, and I didn’t mean—”

Troy glanced over his shoulder. Nic was squeezing her lips together as her brother continued to grill Darrell. Clearly she wasn’t enjoying the interruption but couldn’t figure out how to make it stop without resorting to her usual method of telling Mike to fuck off and die.

Which probably didn’t fit her new, more serious persona.

The evening was improving by the minute.

“Let me get those drinks we talked about.” Nic rose. “See you in a minute or two.”

“Take your time.” Mike settled into her empty chair, looking as if he had no intention of stopping his rapid-fire questions for the next hour or so.

The other man looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

Troy forgave his best friend for all past sins then followed Nicole into the surprisingly empty kitchen.

She pulled a couple beers out of the ice bucket on the counter before turning toward him. Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth then slammed it shut.

He grinned. Didn’t say anything, just
grinned
.

Her glare returned. The deadly one he enjoyed so much.

“Troy.” Icy cold and controlled. Tight, like a rock shot from a sling.

“
Nicole
.” He lowered his voice and made it sound as if they were in the bedroom, one step away from him sinking into her heat.

“Troy.” She glanced around before fisting her hands on her hips. “Stop that.”

He chuckled. “Are you sure?”

Her breathing grew heavier, rising anger bringing a rosy flush to her cheeks. Her cherry-red lips curled into a pout. “Do you
mind
? I’m on a
date
.”

Troy laid a hand over his chest. “Really?”

“Don’t be a jerk.”

“I’m not.” He hesitated then offered a sheepish smile. “Okay, I’m totally being one, but are you serious? That’s the best you can do?”

“He’s…sweet.”

For fuck’s sake.
His amusement faded and that lingering annoyance was back with a vengeance. “You hate sweet. You chew up sweet and spit it out like year-old Peeps you found in the back of the cupboard.”

“You’re so annoying,” she muttered.

“You’re making my brain hurt, Nic,” he drawled. “You want to date, I get that. But I thought you wanted kids. I don’t understand why you’re not looking for guys who have testosterone in their system. Did he slip something in your drink that shorted your brain?”

“Some guys are intellectually exciting,” Nic insisted. She turned her back on him, pausing to pour one beer into a glass.

“God,
seriously
? That’s for the loser, isn’t it?”

“Darrell said he likes the way a good beer tastes out of a glass.”

“Seriously? Even
I
know that’s nothing like a good beer.”

She bit down on her lip, but he still noticed her snicker.

Only she pulled herself together then calmly ordered him to take a hike. “Go away, Troy.”

He hated seeing her like this. Hated how fake it all seemed, and how absolutely bored to tears she was.

This wasn’t Nic, and suddenly that was the breaking point. If she’d been having a good time, maybe he would have backed off, but he’d be damned if he’d watch her bury her energy and enthusiasm in some mistaken variation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

She needed a
Come to Jesus
moment, and Troy looked forward to preaching to her very much.

It was too much to hope that Troy’s momentary silence meant he was going to listen to her and get out of her face.

Instead, he stepped behind her, hands landing on the counter on either side of her hips. Trapping her in place as he whispered in her ear, “Intellectually exciting. Really. Is that how he’s going to get you off later? Reading you his latest financial reports?”

The big brute stood close enough that heat traveled between them, their hips brushing. Every inch of her completely aware of every inch of him surrounding her.

“I’m very interested in solid financial numbers,” she said as primly as possible.

“I’ll give you a solid number,” he offered as their hips bumped again. “Nine solid inches.”

Good grief.
Heat rushed through her, the challenge too much to resist. Nicole turned on the spot, falling into his eyes for a moment before remembering she needed to stay focused. “You don’t want to get into a dick war with me,” she whispered. “I have a whole
drawer
full of dicks, and they’re all bigger than yours.”

He opened his mouth again, but whatever he was about to say stuttered to a stop as she lowered a hand and deliberately pressed it over the front of his jeans.