The Perfect Match: A New Adult Erotic Romance (Inseparable Book 2) (4 page)

“Is this your car?” Polly asked.

“Yeah, it looks like hell, but I keep it running good. No point in getting a car painted that sits in the sun all week while I'm out on a boat.”

Charlotte shut the trunk. “It’s a sleeper,” she said with a smirk.

“What’s a sleeper?” Polly asked, looking between them. Kurt didn’t say anything as he opened the drivers side door and sat behind the wheel. When the engine turned over, the low purr made the ground vibrate. “Oh!”

“He completely gutted it and replaced the engine and drive train with a big eight-cylinder engine and fast transmission he could maintain himself. On the outside it looks like a family car, but this thing can fly. Come on!” Charlotte laughed as she opened the passenger door for Polly and climbed in the back seat.

Kurt drove carefully, but the power under the hood punctuated every start and turn with a rumble she could feel in her stomach. Actually, she could feel it a little lower as well, which made her shift in the seat with a grin.

“What a surprise,” she said to Charlotte as she leaned over the seat back.

She gave Polly a penetrating look and said, “I
love
this car.”

“I can see why,” Polly said with a wink.

“Yeah, working on it keeps me sane,” Kurt said, oblivious to their private moment. He deepened his voice and said, “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.” Polly recognized the quote instantly.

“So when will we make the jump to hyperspace?” Polly asked as they got back on the highway.

Kurt laughed. “A Star Wars fan, too? Damn it, Polly, why you have to live so far away?” Charlotte reached over and mussed his hair while Polly grinned out the window. “We’re probably eating leftovers at Pawpaw and Meemee’s house tonight. Wanna play cards or something later?” He glanced at Polly with an expression of longing that scared her a little.

“Sure,” she said. “What game?”

“Poker? Spades? Crazy Eights? Whatever you want.”

“I love Spades. Wanna be my partner?” Polly asked Charlotte.

“Hell, yeah!” She said and put her hand up for a high five.

Polly smacked it with a grin and said, “We need a fourth. How about Trey? Is he still in town?”

Charlotte grabbed her phone. “Let’s find out.”

* * *

T
he turkey was even better warmed up and everyone sat around the big kitchen table for a while after the meal to share family gossip. When the little kids started getting rowdy, their parents ran them through the bathroom to get ready for bed. Kurt got the playing cards from a drawer and began shuffling them.

“Okay, Polly picked Spades and called Charlotte as her partner. That means you and me gotta show them how to play, Trey.”

“Good, ’cause you and Charlotte have that freaky twin telepathy thing and I only play a game if I can win.”

The first game went fast, but the guys couldn’t get a break against Polly and Charlotte. In the end the guys threw their hands up, complaining loudly about their loss.

“I love my new partner,” Charlotte said as she took the final hand with the king of spades. “Get me a beer?” she asked her brother.

“Anyone else?” Kurt asked as he went to the fridge.

“Me,” Trey said while Charlotte started shuffling the deck. He turned to Polly and asked, “So how was the boat trip?”

“Oh, it was so much fun. Why didn’t you come?”

“I slept in after you wore me out last night. I had a great time.” He was leaning on the table to gaze at her with an expression that made her feel warm.

“Me, too,” she said and reached over to pat his hand. He took her fingers in his hand and squeezed them. “I wish you weren’t going back tomorrow.”

“It’s not my call. Jack said he has some work around the house to do.”

“I’ll drive you back if you want to stay ’til Sunday,” Trey said. He kept glancing between her eyes and lips with a hungry expression. “I don’t mind a side trip to your side of town.”

Kurt returned and thumped the beer down hard next to Trey’s hand, making the beer foam up out of the neck. “Sorry,” he growled as he sat and picked up his cards.

Trey let go of her hand to put the beer bottle in his mouth to catch it before it spilled. “What the hell, man?” Trey said after drinking it down a little.

“I said sorry,” he growled again. “What’s your bid?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t even looked at my hand!”

Polly felt the tension and caught Charlotte giving her brother a warning look.
They both can’t like me!
she thought in shock. Other than creeps that tried to pick her up from the pharmacy window, no one had been interested in her for over a year. She stared at the cards in her hand without actually seeing them.

Kurt was nice, but he wasn’t really her type. She wanted someone that shared her interest in reading and world politics. Her dream man had a career, not just a job, and was driven to learn and improve himself. She wanted a partner to share her life and just couldn’t see Kurt that way.

Trey was a bit
too
perfect. His eyes twinkled all the time like he was about to laugh, but he never shared the joke. There was something smarmy about the way he smiled at her, always looking over her shoulder to make certain Kurt noticed.
If I could trust him though...
she thought, but the rest was interrupted by Kurt.

“Polly, are you going to bid?” he asked with an annoyed edge to his voice.

Her hand only had one king, no spades, and all the other suits mostly even. She looked up at Charlotte and said, “Nil.” The grin she got in return confirmed her bid was a good one.

Trey grinned as well and said, “Don’t worry partner, I’ll set her.”

“Let’s hope so, otherwise they’ll be too far ahead to catch,” he said in a tired monotone.

In the end, the girls trounced them. Polly recovered her composure and begged off playing another round to have some time to think. Trey said goodnight with a reminder of his offer to drive her back to Houston. Kurt stood at the back door watching him drive off with a hard expression on his face.

Charlotte put the cards away, then leaned close to Polly. “It’s none of my business...” she started, but stopped as she appeared to think about what to say next.

“Go ahead. I need all the help I can get.” Polly looked up at her sympathetic expression with a sad smile.

“I love my brother. He’s a great guy, but he’s like a barge loose in the river that needs a tug boat to push him along. I always wave off girls I like because he hurts them all eventually. He doesn’t mean to, it just happens.”

“I see that,” Polly said, as Charlotte’s words fitted in neatly with her own perceptions.

“But Trey's another story. You watch your ass with him. He isn’t anywhere as nice as he pretends to be.”

“What do you mean?” Polly asked with a frown.

“Something happened at his fraternity and Uncle Thomas had to pay some money to hush it up. There was a girl involved, but no one knows the whole story. I think it was some kind of prank gone wrong.”

“Wow,” Polly whispered.

“Shit, Meemee would kick my ass for airing our dirty laundry to a guest,” Charlotte said with a laugh. “Look, take everything I say with a grain of salt and make your own decisions. Just be careful.”

Polly took her hands and squeezed them. “I will. Thanks so much for everything.”

Kurt came back in and stopped when he saw them standing together. “Are you coming home with me or hanging out?” Kurt asked his sister.

“I’m coming,” Charlotte said and hugged Polly quickly before joining him. “Hey, you want to go see the famous Carillon Tower tomorrow?”

“I need to check with Julie first, but I’m up for anything,” Polly said.

“See you tomorrow, then!” Charlotte said as she dragged her brother out the back door.

“Y
ou sure been spending lots of time with that friend of Julie’s,” Noëlle Guidry said. Kurt looked at his mother and grit his teeth, knowing full well what she was about to say. “Why don’t you invite Kendall to go to the bell tower with y’all today?”

Charlotte jumped in before Kurt could say anything. “Polly’s
my
friend, Mama.”

“So you can’t take two friends with you?” Noëlle said as she got up to do the breakfast dishes. “Besides, I heard that Trey is takin’ a shine to the girl.”

Kurt finished off his toast and got up to put his plate next to the sink. “Drop it, Mama.”

“I just wish you’d get over whatever happened between you two. Kendall is such a nice girl.”

“Then you marry her,” Kurt growled and stomped out of the kitchen.

Despite being an adult, discussing the nuances of his sex life with his mama was out of the question. He couldn’t imagine trying to describe how he found Kendall kneeling next to the bathroom trash with his used condom in her hand. When she glanced up, the look of shock and guilt on her face had made it obvious what she’d been intending to do with it. Sometimes he was tempted to tell his mama just to see if it would make her drop the subject for good.

Sitting on his bed to put on his shoes, Kurt felt her comment digging into his head.
Trey is takin’ a shine to the girl
, Kurt thought as his stomach clenched. There was something about Polly he couldn’t put his finger on, but he’d been unable to think about anything else for three days.

She was pretty, but he’d seen lots of pretty girls before. Then there was her easy going nature and her kindness, but that wasn’t uncommon either. She had a sensual way of moving, especially when she danced, that made his blood rush into his guts. Still, there was something else, something impossible to describe about her that captivated him.

Like when she touched him on the boat, such a simple thing. He swore he felt a connection between them like the spark on a battery when you hook it to a car. There was no reason a simple touch like that should have driven him crazy, but it had.

“Are you ready yet?” Charlotte asked from the door.

“Yeah,” he said and stood up. She was reading his face with a look of concern, so he stuck his tongue out at her.

“Funny man,” she said. “Don’t let her get to you.” Kurt couldn’t decide if she meant his mama, Kendall, or Polly.

* * *

W
hen they arrived at Pawpaw and Meemee’s house, Kurt was annoyed to see Trey’s vintage Camaro parked outside. When they got inside the house, Trey was sitting next to Polly at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Aunt Bella and her family were sitting in the living room watching television.

“Good mornin’,” Trey called when he caught sight of them. “Polly invited me to go see the Carillon Tower with y’all.”

“I hope you don’t mind,” Polly said looking a little apprehensive.

“It’s fine. The more the merrier,” Charlotte said as she poured a cup of Meemee’s strong coffee. “Want some?” she asked her brother.

“Naw,” he said as he sat opposite Polly at the table. “Where is everyone?” The kitchen was usually bustling in the morning when there was a house full of guests.

“Jack and Julie got the kids up early to go to Avery Island,” Polly said. “I almost ditched you guys. I had no idea they make Tabasco sauce out here!”

“Yeah, the visitor center is pretty nice. We can go there instead if you want,” Charlotte said.

“No, I read up on the Carillon Tower last night on my phone. I want to hear what those bronze bells sound like.”

“Why don’t we all go in my car?” Trey offered, with a glance up at Kurt.

“Your back seat’s too small,” Kurt countered. “I’ll end up with my knees under my chin. There’s more room in mine.”

“That piece of shit?” Trey said, but Kurt could see the challenge in his eyes.

“It’ll beat yours there.”

“How much?” Trey asked.

“Twenty bucks.”

“You’re on.”

“Oh my god, will you two
ever
grow up?” Charlotte said. “Never mind them, Polly, maybe Aunt Bella will give us a ride.”

“Fine,” Trey said with a sigh. “I’ll ride in the Frankencar.”

Kurt was a little disappointed when Charlotte and Polly climbed in the back together. Trey made a show of wiping off the seat before he sat down, but didn’t make any other snarky comments about being in his car.

When Kurt turned the key to start the engine, Trey made a surprised sound at the low rumble that vibrated through the car’s body. “You do an upgrade on this thing?”

“A small block 350 with a Weber carburetor and performance exhaust system,” Kurt said with a grin. “Still wanna race?”

Trey’s only response was to pull out his wallet and drop a twenty on the seat between them. “Here’s gas money,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t play when I can’t win.”

“Your daddy bought you a nice paint job, though,” Kurt said as he laid a reverse scratch back up the driveway.

* * *

T
he drive out to Brownell Memorial Park only took twenty minutes, which Trey spent gabbing over the back seat with the girls. When Kurt pulled into the parking lot, he saw Kendall’s blue Honda already there.

“Is that Kendall’s car?” Charlotte asked from the back seat.

“Yeah,” Kurt confirmed with a heavy sigh. “Whatcha wanna bet Mama called her?”

“Sorry,” his sister said and rubbed his shoulder.

No one said anything as they parked and got out of the car. The tall Carillon Tower went up over a hundred feet in the air and was surrounded by a quiet park with benches and flowering plants. Putting his hands in his jean pockets, Kurt walked toward the tower like he was going to his execution.

“There she is,” his sister whispered to him, nodding to the benches on the side where Kendall was reading a book. Or at least pretending to.

Glancing over his shoulder he saw Trey was walking close to Polly, telling her something that made her smile. When their hands bumped together, he saw Trey slip a finger around to tickle her palm until she took his hand. The sight made him feel nauseous, so he looked up at the tower again and grit his teeth.

Charlotte had placed herself between Kendall and Kurt, but that didn’t stop Kendall from spotting him and calling out, “Hey, what a coincidence!”

“Hey, Kendall,” Charlotte said they approached her. “Are the bells working today?”