Covered In Paint: Book Five of the Art Of Love Series (3 page)

Chelsea closed her eyes, but it only made her weave more. She opened them and looked at the swelling eye of her rescuer. “You’d be pissy too, if you were in my shoes. I feel like a fool for dating Dipwad Darryl. The party was supposed to be a drop-by-and-say-hi thing. The SOB would have done me for sure if I’d had the liquor he was trying to pour down me, along with the Valium. I guess I owe my still-intact virginity to you showing up.”

Not sure how to answer without revealing how stunned he was by the info, Brandon rubbed a hand over his head. “Forget about tonight if you can. Guys like Darryl are a piece of shit. He deserved to be kicked in the balls for what he did to you. You could probably press charges if you wanted.”

Chelsea shook her head. “No thank you. I don’t want a public record of my humiliation. Kicking him was enough. He never got anywhere with me anyway and I’m even more glad about it now.”

A car pulled along the street and honked. Brandon saw a hand wave to him from inside.

“Come on. That’s our ride to Dad’s. My car is there. We’ll decide later how to get you home.”

Brandon took Chelsea’s arm again and steadied her as they walked. At the car, he opened the back passenger door and helped her climb inside.

“Hi guys,” Brooke said in greeting.

Chelsea scooted over in the seat when Brandon nudged her. To her surprise, instead of sitting up front with Brooke, he climbed into the back seat beside her. She suddenly realized she was going to be staring at his darkening, swollen eye the whole ride—and feeling guilty—unless she slept. Deciding that closing her eyes was a great idea, she leaned her head against the cool window and did, thankful when a soft darkness swallowed her.

***

From the front seat, Brooke looked at Drake’s almost grown son. The young man was going to have a visible shiner tomorrow. She grinned when Brandon turned a look of full male satisfaction to the now sleeping Chelsea. Brooke chuckled at what she imagined was going through his head. The boy might not have his father’s dark, brooding looks, but he seemed to have Drake’s same intensity.

She thought about how proud Brandon’s mother probably would have been of him intervening like he had. His mother probably would have been worried too. God knew she had felt a few twinges of concern on the way here. At least Brandon had been level-headed enough to call. That said a lot about how he had been raised.

“Okay. Before I drive us anywhere, just tell me the other guy looks worse than you. I need to hear a story I can repeat later with a straight face when I tell it to your father,” Brooke ordered.

“Hell yes, he looks worse,” Brandon bragged, liking when Brooke laughed at his explanation. “Then when I got done with him, Chelsea kicked his nuts in with one of her pointy-toed pink shoes.”

Brooke smiled and put the car into gear. “Glad to hear the altercation ended so well for our side. So I need to tell you that after you texted, I sent one to your father to tell him I was picking you up. I figured there was no reason not to warn him we had a bit of a situation going on.”

Behind her, she heard Brandon sigh, and wanted to laugh. But she wasn’t too old to relate to the sinking feeling of facing off with a parent. Hell, she was still doing it with her mother even at her age.

“No. There isn’t any reason not to tell Dad, but I bet he’s going to make me take a breathalyzer test when we get home. He’s never going to believe I got into a fight and didn’t have a drop to drink.”

“Well, I believe you,” Brooke offered. “And I’m glad you called me for a ride home.”

“I was afraid to call any of the Larsons. The guy was a complete piece of shit, but not worth Shane losing his new job over. I beat the crap out of him until he told me what he gave her. The idiot gave Chelsea a Valium.”

Hearing it had been a minor drug, Brooke snickered with relief in the front seat. “A Valium shouldn’t hurt her long term. Looks like you did a better job taking care of her than you did yourself.”

Brandon laughed at the praise. “Yeah—well—I guess it does look like that from where you’re sitting.
Dipwad Darryl
, as Chelsea called him, got in one good punch on me. It connected because I got distracted by Chelsea saying she felt sick.”

Brooke nodded as she negotiated the stop-and-go streets of the campus. “Calling for help was the smart thing to do in this situation. Since it was just a Valium, maybe she ought to sleep it off a bit before she has to face the full Larson inquisition. I think her taking a nap will give us all time to calmly tell the story to Reesa and Shane a dozen times before Chelsea gets home.”

When the car rolled to a stop, Brandon drew in a deep breath and stepped out. His father walked up to the car, hands in pockets—restrained—but angry. He’d seen the same look many times. He sighed at what was coming. “Can we save the lecture for later, Dad? Chelsea’s sick.”

Sighing in a perfect imitation of his son, Drake stepped forward and lifted one trembling hand up to grab his son’s injured face. He turned it from side-to-side assessing the damage to his eye. “Didn’t we go over ducking when you were about ten?”

Brandon snorted at the memory of those long ago fights over lunch money. The action removed his face from his father’s shaking fingers. Guilt over worrying him had him sighing again. “It’s hard to duck when you’re shoving a girl out of harm’s way.”

“Good point,” Drake said tightly, nodding as his imagination filled with a picture of it happening. “Are the guy’s parents going to be calling me tomorrow?”

Brandon shook his head. “Don’t think so. If they call anyone, it will probably be Shane and Reesa. Chelsea kicked him in the crotch after I beat on him. He drugged her soda with Valium, Dad. I only beat on him to find out what it was he gave her.”

Drake was both proud and concerned over his son being in situations where physically beating on another human being made any kind of sense. He had learned long ago those conflicting emotions were just part of raising a boy.

They both turned as Brooke started guiding a sleepy, weaving Chelsea up the sidewalk.

“Here, Brooke. I got her,” Brandon offered, stepping to them and slipping an arm around Chelsea. When her weight shifted to him, her short-skirted hip bumped his side. He got a whiff of Chelsea’s perfume and suddenly realized she had indeed grown up quite a lot while he’d been away at school last year. His body quietly acknowledged her maturity, but his brain argued Chelsea still shouldn’t be dating college guys.

As if she had heard his inner debate about her, she stopped moving after a couple of steps. Reaching out to him, she patted his chest, her pink painted fingernails bright against his pale shirt.

“You’re my hero tonight, Brandon Barrymore. Thank you for saving my virginity. It would have been wasted on Daryl.”

Brandon was glad it was dark because it hid his blush from Brooke’s suddenly curious gaze. He sincerely hoped his father hadn’t heard what Chelsea had said either.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s go into the house so you can lie down. Valium makes you sleepy. I know because my mother used to take it to help her rest when she was sick.”

Chelsea nodded and took a few more steps. Then she stopped again, stood on her toes, and kissed the corner of his hurt eye. It all happened too quickly for Brandon to stop her—or enjoy the moment—not that he should be enjoying the moment.

“There. Sarah says when I kiss her boo-boos, she feels all better. Does your boo-boo feel all better, Brandon?”

He laughed and wondered if tomorrow Chelsea was going to remember any of what she was saying or doing tonight. He kind of hope she wouldn’t. Talking about it now was enough torture.

“Yes. My boo-boo feels all better,” he said finally, going along mostly so Chelsea would continue cooperating. “Now can we please go into the house? I need to get an ice pack on my eye before it swells shut.”

***

Pulling her gaze from the couple moving slowly up the sidewalk, Brooke saw Drake was still standing by the car, so she walked back to him. It was absolutely impossible to not smile after what she’d heard.

“Chelsea just informed Brandon that he saved her virginity.”

“Shades of fucking hell.”

Drake’s vicious swearing made Brooke laugh. But before she could offer sympathy, apparently the whole situation turned hilarious for him. Bending his head, Drake laughed, a deep rumbling, which lit up all her nerve endings. Then he sighed and laughed some more as he studied the sidewalk. Finally, he tilted his head up and stared at the sky.

Brooke said nothing as she waited for Drake to get a handle on his emotions. When she had taunted him in her mother’s kitchen all those months ago, she had learned firsthand the man had limits to the calm he exuded most of the time. She still daydreamed about the initial unrestrained kiss they had shared. Tonight she was seeing him lose his cool for another reason.

“I swear I don’t know what to do about my son anymore. He moved back home because he didn’t like the stuffy rules at Harvard. Does he care I’m going to be paying for his pricey Gen Ed classes there for another year? Oh, hell no.” Drake ran a hand through his hair and behind his neck to rub. “Boxes of his crap filling up my hallway are annoying. That shit is nothing compared to worrying about somebody coming after him because he has a black eye from a frat party fight. God only knows whose kid he decked. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad he saved Chelsea, but damn it—when does this shit end? I just had to replace the engine in his car. It’s been one thing after another since he left high school. I’m running really low right now on parental fuel to handle this crap. I need a damn break.”

Brooke nodded and bit her lip to keep from laughing outright at his honest anguish. “Well, maybe—at least for tonight—you can try to be proud instead of worried. And before you get mad at me too, I’m making a suggestion, not offering a platitude. Your son acted like a true hero. He stood up for himself and managed to get Chelsea out of some potentially deep shit.”

When Drake grunted in frustration, Brooke fought her mouth twitching to continue.

“Outside of Brandon’s black eye and Chelsea’s drug-induced inebriation, they both seem otherwise fine. All is truly well that ends well. So how about we focus on tonight’s positive outcome?”

His glare had her chuckling, but she did reach out to run his arm.

“Want to give your scary stepbrother and Reesa the lecture about those positives too?” Drake demanded.

Snorting over his faux cowardice about telling Shane, Brooke hooked her arm around his. The man reeked of responsible. She doubted there was anything Drake wouldn’t do if he felt it needed to be done.

“Just because Shane is big and scary, it doesn’t mean he’s irrational. In fact, he’s the opposite. And I don’t mind telling him one bit. I’m even glad Brandon contacted me for a ride. Since I’m here with you, it’s a great opportunity to ask a nosy, personal question that’s been on my mind for weeks now.”

Drake looked at Brooke, suspicious about her smile. “Sure. Ask. Why not? This night can’t get much worse.”

“How long am I going to have to wait until you ask me out again?”

Drake sighed at Brooke’s sexy query, wanting badly to sag against her and let her comfort him.

“Do I get points for wanting to know what happens if I confess I lack the balls to do so? After standing you up so many times, I was waiting until my life settled down into something normal before asking again. Unfortunately, there’s isn’t a chance in hell of normal happening with my quasi-adult son back in my house.”

Brooke laughed at his complaining. She couldn’t help it.

“Drake, we’re both too close to the crazy Larsons for normal to ever be a descriptive word applied to us. Since you’re not related to them, there’s probably still some slight hope for you to have a calm and peaceful existence. I’m Shane and Michael’s legal stepsister. They think that gives them full meddling rights. They’re worse than Mom. I’m surprised they haven’t been harassing you on my behalf. I can only conclude my threats worked.”

Drake stopped Brooke, leaned down, and kissed her softly. “Thanks for being here. Thanks for teasing me and making me laugh enough to keep my sanity.”

Brooke smiled at his praise and his grateful kiss. It was friendly, but beneath the friendly, something genuine seemed to be growing.

“You’re welcome. Now, despite what I told you about my stepbrothers interfering in my love life, don’t worry about asking me out. I promise you’ll never have to fight anyone over my virginity. I’m too much like my mother. That ship sailed long ago.”

“Is that your roundabout way of telling me I don’t have to be so careful with you?” Drake asked.

“No. That’s my way of telling you I’m no young girl worried about a man taking advantage of her. I don’t care about your age, your parenting challenges, or any other obstacle coming between us. If you want me, I’m interested back. Let’s go out again so we can get the requisite three dates before sex out of the way.”

Drake laughed at Brooke’s declaration, but the knot in his stomach started to unwind. “My son just moved back in with me so I’m going to have an unpredictable roommate for a while. You’re not going to rescind your wickedly lovely offer any time soon, are you?”

“Doubtful,” Brooke admitted, sighing as she hugged his arm. “But if I ever get a hankering for a younger version of you, I’m going to tell Brandon to hurry and grow up. Only so many heroes ever show up in a woman’s life. One day Chelsea will realize just how lucky she was the right guy was there at the right time. I wish someone had been there to save my mother.”

Drake sighed, stopped Brooke again, and pulled her into his arms before they went in to check on the kids. “Okay. I get it now. I’m sorry it took me so long to see why you’re defending Brandon so hard.”

She tilted her head up to look at him, watching painful realizations flash through his gaze. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up, but it popped into my head when I saw Brandon smiling so smugly while watching Chelsea sleep. Brandon is completely proud of what he did to protect her, and you should be proud too, Drake.”