Ruthless (4 page)

But I still heard it regardless. Or maybe she wanted me to hear. Whatever. I was done with it. Done with her snide little comments and knowing looks. “Pull over.”

“What?”

“I said. Pull. Over.”

“Crap, Jess, I'm sorry. I won't say anything else. I swear.”

“Fine.” I sat in the passenger seat with my arms crossed over my chest.

We drove another few miles in stone silence. Finally, at a stoplight, Nic looked over at me and cracked a small smile. “At least tell me he was hot.”

“Nic!”

“What? If I can't lecture you, at least give me a few sexy details. Did he offer you a mustache ride?”

“Oh my god.” My hands flew to my seat-belt buckle. “That's it. I'm getting out.”

Nicole laughed. “Damn. You're sensitive. Stop, stop.” She reached over and batted my hands away. “Come on, Jess. Give me something. Was he old? Young? Built? Or was he bald with a paunch?”

My head hit the headrest with a soft thump and I looked up at the roof unable to meet Nic's searching blue eyes. “He was sexy. Probably thirty-something with longish hair, at least down to his chin. And his body was ridiculous. One of those outrageously built hard bodies that make you afraid to take your own clothes off because you're so not in their class…Not that I had much choice. He was so masculine and take-charge. He ripped my clothes off before I could even have an insecure thought. I was too busy thinking about him and what his tongue was—”

I broke off embarrassed at how much I'd already confessed. We might've been friends for fifteen years and told each other everything, but there were still some things we didn't talk about, the nitty-gritty sex details being one of them. Especially when Nic was so blatant in her disapproval of said partner.

I snuck a peak at Nic and she stared at me with the most incredulous look. I don't know if she was amazed at my rare overshare of sex details or the fact that I'd been so pleased with my choice of lover last night. Honestly, I wasn't sure which would've been worse in her eyes.

Scratch that. I was pretty sure I knew.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. “But it was just a one-night thing. I won't be seeing him again.”

Nicole tore her eyes away from mine and pulled into the intersection. “And you're okay with that? It sounds like you really liked this guy.”

My laugh sounded forced even to my own ears. “I think it was pretty obvious that it was a one-night thing. Maybe that's what made it so hot? Anyway, it's over now.”

Nic nodded along, but I could tell from her raised brows she was still skeptical.

To be honest, so was I. But what else could I think? He hadn't said one word about seeing me again. And then he left without a word. Clearly we were one and done.

No matter how much I wished for more.

At least we were only a few blocks away from the Vine. I couldn't wait to get out and away from Nic's probing questions. It was hard to convince myself that I was happy my time with Zag would only ever be one night when she kept pelting me with questions that reminded me how amazing he was.

“So what did you get up to last night?”

Nicole rolled her eyes as she signaled to turn into the Vine's parking lot. “Nothing as exciting as you. Emily and I went to see a movie and then out to dinner. We missed you.”

“Yeah, well, maybe next time. I could use a girls' night out.”

Nic nodded as she pulled up behind my car.

I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed my purse from the floor. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” Nic gave me a half smile. “I mean that, Jess. Anytime you need me, just call.”

I jerked my chin in a small nod and grappled for the door handle.

“I mean it. I'm sorry if I came off all sanctimonious or whatever. I was worried about you.”

“I know. I'm sorry, too. On the bright side, I'm pretty sure after this weekend I'm done with dating for a while. Especially with guys my mom swears are
the one
. Lord, she has the worst taste in men.” I made a wry face.

Nic laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. After a second she sobered and pushed her curly brown hair out of her eyes with a slight frown. “Are you going to tell her?”

“About Zag? Hell no.”

“No, I meant about ‘the respectable lawyer.' ”

“Oh. I don't know. On one hand, it would make her think twice about setting me up with any and all successful men she meets. But I don't want to hurt her. Ugh. It's never easy with family, is it?”

“Nope.”

I collapsed back into the seat with a sigh. “What do you think I should do?”

“I don't know, hon. I think maybe if you don't want this to happen again, you should tell her something. She needs to know your boundaries.”

“So I should tell her that attempted rapists are on my ‘hell no' list? Seems kinda obvious to me.”

“Wait. What? He tried to
rape
you last night?”

My eyes had been drawn to the site of Charlie's foiled attack. It looked so different in the daylight. Like any other parking lot, really. But last night it'd felt so menacing, or at least it had during. Not so much after Zag showed up.

“Jess!”

“What? Sorry. Yeah, Charlie was one of those asses who think ‘no' is a negotiation starting point.” I tried to make light of what had been a very scary situation.

“Holy shit. Why didn't you say something earlier?”

“You mean when you were harping on how going home with a biker was a bad idea?”

Nic's lips twisted in a sardonic expression. “Point taken. But just to clarify, going home with any stranger is a bad idea.”

I snorted. “You're so full of it. What about that casino gaming conference in Atlantic City? I seem to remember you going home with a programmer.”

“That was different.”

“Because he wasn't a biker? If you'll remember, I went out with a respectable lawyer last night who attacked me in the parking lot. Zag stopped it from happening. He's a good guy. So no, it's not different in my book.”

“Okay, okay. I get it. Zag's a good guy. But are you all right? Do you want to talk about it? About what happened with Charlie?”

“Not really. I just want to go home, take a shower, and forget everything about that horrible date.”

Nicole gave me a devious smile. “Well, not everything, right? Sounds like you have some great memories in your spank bank. With your
biker.
”

I wasn't touching that one with a ten-foot pole. “Thanks for the ride.”

Rolling my eyes, I got out of her car and shut the door behind me.

Nic opened her door and got out. “Ah, come on, Jess. I was just teasing.”

Nic's eyes were soft and troubled. Dammit, she really had perfected the doe-eyed wounded look. I'd seen her use it a thousand times on parents, teachers, and boyfriends. After fifteen years of friendship, I thought I'd developed immunity to it. Apparently not.

“But are we good?”

I let out a sigh and nodded. I could never stay pissed off with her for long. “Yeah. We're fine.”

Nic slumped in relief. “Okay. Good. Wanna meet up at Mackay Mocha House later?”

“Yeah, sure. Just give me a few to go home and shower and change.”

“Let's say ten-thirty?”

“Sounds good.” I gave her a one-handed wave, unlocked my car, and got in. Then watched from the rearview mirror as she got back into her car and pulled away.

I put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space. Whatever. We were friends—sisters, practically. I could forget this morning and her annoying judgments. She meant well and had been worried about me Wasn't that what friendship and sisterhood were really all about?

Of course it'd be a while before I introduced her to my next guy. Especially if he happened to be someone like Zag.

J
UNE 8

With more than a little trepidation, I pulled up at my parents' house a few blocks over from my own. I probably could've walked but it was unseasonably hot for early June. Call me a prima donna, but I live for air-conditioning in the summer.

Stepping past the two extra cars in the driveway, I gave a fervent prayer that my nephew, Kaden would distract my mom today and leave me free and clear on the blind date interrogation. But I wasn't holding out much hope.

Before I made it onto the front steps, the door burst open and the whirlwind that was my nephew descended. Kaden threw himself off the top step and I caught him with a grunt. “Geez, kiddo, you trying to break a bone?”

“Aunt Jess! Guess what?”

I had to laugh as I hoisted him up on my hip. He might've only been five, but the kid already had the entire family—including me—wrapped around his little finger. I snuggled him close and breathed in that scent that was undeniably his—dirt and sunshine. “What?”

“I'm getting a puppy.” His little face was alive with glee as his brown eyes danced. He was the spitting image of my brother—dark hair and eyes and a mischievous smile. On Kaden, it was impossible to resist.

I stepped through the door and gave my brother Brent an incredulous look. “Really? A puppy?”

Brent closed his eyes and shook his dark head. “Kaden, what did I say about the puppy?”

Sensing the kid wasn't totally on the up-and-up, I let him slide down my side and stepped away. I was not getting into the middle of this.

Kaden hung his head and refused to look up at anyone.

“No dog until you can keep your room clean for a week.” Brent stared down at the top of Kaden's head. “Got it?”

Kaden nodded glumly. And my heart broke. What little boy didn't want a puppy? Life was just so unfair sometimes.

Brent patted the top of his son's head. “Why don't you go see if Pop needs any help with the yard? I'm sure he's got a few holes you can dig.”

And just that quick, Kaden's embarrassment and sadness were gone. The prospect of hole digging was the perfect distraction.

After the back door slammed behind him, I turned to my big brother. “A whole week? How fair is that? I don't remember you making your bed once when we were little.”

“Hey, when you have a kid you can tell me what I'm doing wrong. But until then butt out, little sis.”

“Whatever. You wouldn't listen to me even then.”

Brent laughed. “You're probably right.”

But still I couldn't leave it entirely alone. “Every little boy deserves a dog, Brent. It'd make him so happy.”

“Yeah, well, with Amy gone it'd just be another responsibility for me.” Brent looked away and hitched a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “I don't need the guilt trip.”

The mention of Amy was enough to make me regret saying a word. Brent's ex had run off and left him with a toddler and credit card bills he was still paying off. Two years and a divorce later, the witch still had the power to turn my brother's life upside down when inevitably another bill popped up.

“Sorry, Brent.”

He just shrugged and walked away.

The back door closed behind him and I turned to give my mom a look.

I didn't need to say anything. She clucked her tongue and hugged me, her tiny frame dwarfed by my tall one. With her petite body and dark hair, most wondered how I fit into the family. At times like this, I kind of wondered myself. No matter what, I seemed to always put my foot in my mouth when it came to Brent and Kaden.

“I know you didn't mean anything by it. And I happen to agree with you. I think a dog would do wonders for his little family.”

I pulled back with a soggy laugh. Of course Mom would agree with me. Her love of dogs was legendary and shared by me. If I didn't spend so many hours at work, I would've gotten a dog years ago. I just couldn't stand the guilt of leaving one home alone for hours, and I knew the insanity of more than one—my parents' pack of Scottish terriers being a great example. Besides, I could always come over here to get my doggy fix.

Of course, now that my guard was down, Mom chose that exact moment to pounce.

“So you never told me how the date with Charlie went,” she said as she led me into the kitchen.

“Horrible.” I turned away from her with a sigh. I really hoped she'd let me leave it at that. “You have to stop setting me up with random strangers, Mom. That was the last blind date I'm going on. No more.”

“Ah, come on. It couldn't have been that bad. Charlie seemed like such a fine young man at the grocery store.”

I rolled my eyes. Should I have been surprised she was scoring me random dates with men she'd met in the produce aisle? “Well, it was. Never again. He was the definition of a narcissist. So promise me, no more blind dates, no more setups, no more ‘Jeanie's son really wants to meet you.' I'm done.”

“Okay, okay, okay. You don't have to beat me over the head with it. I just worry about you. You're already twenty-eight and still single. When I was your age, I had three children.”

I swear if I had a dollar for every time I'd heard this particular rant…“Yeah, well, I'm not you, Mom. I like where I am right now. And I'm not lonely. There are…men in my life.”

“What? Who? Since when?”

I wasn't sure which question to answer first. So I went with none of them. Lord knew I wasn't going to tell her about Zag and our one-night stand. “The minute I'd bring a guy over here, he'd get the third degree from you and your army of nosy sons. Not to mention Dad.”

“What? Why, we'd never—”

“Rob Watson.”

“Well, honey. That one was not my fault. Brent and Wes were very protective of you when you first started dating. And for good reason.”

“Good reason? What was wrong with Rob? He was president of the debate club, captain of the swim team, and held an almost perfect GPA. Most mothers would've been thrilled to have their daughters bring him home. He was safe.”

“Now, sweetie, he couldn't have been all that perfect. He was so easy to scare away, after all.” My mom bit her lip as she held in her laughter. It didn't appear to help her quivering lip.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, I think that had more to do with the two looming brothers threatening bodily harm if Rob ever tried to get beyond first base.”

“Those are my boys.” This time she didn't even try to hide her triumphant grin.

“Whatever.” I turned away to fiddle with emptying the dishwasher.

“Come on, Jess. It wasn't that bad.”

“Not that bad?” I turned back around and pointed a saucer at my mom. “I was a pariah. No one would date me after Robbie. You guys don't know the meaning of boundaries. I don't bring the men in my life over for a reason. I'm not a teenager anymore, Mom. I can take care of myself.”

“I know that, honey. But I'm a mom. Just because you're an adult, it doesn't mean I magically stop worrying about you.”

“Well, maybe you can spread the matchmaking around, then. Why don't you try setting up Brent? Or Wes?”

I didn't even feel a little bad throwing my brothers under the Mack Truck of my mom in her matchmaking mode.

“Wes is a little young to be thinking of marriage.”

“Young? He's only two years younger than me.”

“Yes, well, he's a man.”

Like that explained it. “Fine. Why don't you put your matchmaking hooks into Brent? He could use the attention of some nice young woman you know—or your friends know.”

Or some random crazy woman she met at the grocery store.

“You think I haven't? If I could get him to sit still for five minutes I would've had him set up the minute he divorced that harpy.”

Of course Mom couldn't refer to Brent's ex by name. In this house Amy was like Beetle Juice or Bloody Mary—no one dared say the name, as if it would somehow conjure something up.

I focused on putting the dishes away while I nodded along to Mom's lecture on my shrinking fertility window. Thank you, daytime TV. Mom really needed another hobby other than those morning doctor shows.

Oh, wait, she had one. Me.

Yay.

I had to admit I was a little surprised Mom hadn't managed to get Brent on one date in the two years since his divorce had been final. Although that did explain how she had so much time to spend on me and what she thought was my lackluster love life. Whereas I was happy enough with my love life. I wouldn't have changed one thing about that night. With Zag. I had to bite back the dreamy sigh. I couldn't show
those
cards to my mom.

“Honey, give the girl a break. She's young, she's healthy, what more do you need?” My dad stopped on his way through the kitchen to give me a side hug.

“Thanks, Dad.” I gave him a quick hug back and felt a little more at peace. This was how I fit into my family—I'd gotten my blond hair and height from my dad. I just hoped he kept the male-patterned baldness and wrinkles to himself.

Mom didn't even look up from the stove. “Grandkids. That's what I need.”

Dad gave me a wide-eyed look behind Mom's back, then grabbed a beer from the fridge. “We have Kaden. That kid's a big enough handful for us.”

I mouthed a “thanks” at him before he beat a hasty retreat. That was my dear ol' dad. Sneak attacks before retreating to some corner of the yard where my mom would never think to look.

“You think it's funny now, but mark my words, one day soon you'll be lamenting your wasting these ultra-fertile years.”

I bent over to sort through the utensils in the dishwasher and bit back what I really wanted to say:
No, Mom. I'm just really hoping the condoms held up a few nights ago.
For me right now, the last thing I wanted was a kid. I had way too much fun in bed with my badass biker.

“Are you even listening to me, Jessica?”

I looked up from my salad. “Yes, Mom. You want another grandkid no matter who the father is. I'll get right on it.”

“Jessica. Misty. Miller. That is not funny.”

I ducked to hide my grin. Really? I thought it was.

My mom gave a ragged huff. “I just want you to be happy. That's all I'm saying.”

“I am, Mom. You're the one who's not listening. I love my job. I love my friends. I love my family. And I am out there. I just don't bring every possible candidate home to you. I promise you if I meet that one special guy, I'll bring him over for you all to interrogate and terrify. But for now just be happy that I'm happy. Without Mr. Perfect in my life.”

My mom looked at me for a second, then nodded grudgingly. But I heard her mutter as she turned back to the stove, “I still think you'd be happier with a man.”

I snorted. Dear God. If she only knew.