Likes It, page 2
“Thank you.” Her smile is so damn cute I have to look away from it.
Without another word, I close the passenger door and walk to the rear of the car. I stand there for a full ten seconds as I try to get myself under control. I’d be willing to bet everything I own that the girl in my car is as innocent as freshly fallen snow, and I’m hard as fuck after a few touches.
I adjust myself to hide exactly how hard I am and then slide into the driver's seat. “Why don’t you give me your number so when you get a new phone you can text me and let me know you’re okay.”
What am I doing? What the fuck am I saying? Is my dick the one in charge of my mouth tonight? I’ve just created a slip n’ slide that goes straight to hell.
“Sure. Hand me yours, and I’ll type it in.”
I pull out of the driveway, and after a second, she hands me my phone. I see the name Nadia Hall with little pink hearts on either side of it. Fuck, that shouldn’t make me harder, but it does.
It’s like Satan has crawled into my skin and is leading this parade of sin.
She doesn’t live too far from me, and when we pull up to an elaborate gate, she tells me the code to enter. I definitely don’t memorize it as I key it in and then wait for the iron gates to part.
“This is me.” She smiles as I pull up to the doors, and she tries to get out.
“Wait,” I tell her, and she freezes at the command. The way she obeys should make me want to stab myself in the heart, but all it does is make me want to give her more orders. “Sit your ass right there. You don’t ever open your own doors with me, got it?” I say this like I’m planning on opening more than this one last door for her.
“Yes, sir.”
My eyes widen at her response, and I hurry out of the car before I do something stupid. Breathing deeply, I go around the car and open it for her and then help her step outside. We walk to the front door, but before she enters, she turns around and unzips my jacket. Those pretty tits that were hidden are now on display again, and I wish I could run my tongue between them.
“Hang on to it.” I touch her hand to stop her from taking it off, and I feel that little flash of heat. This time I know it’s not because of the rugs or anything else. It’s just the way she feels on my skin.
“Goodnight, Mr. Insley,” she says, and for the first time tonight, I see her full-on smile.
It feels like a punch in the gut, and I have to take a step back. “Call me Walsh,” I say because I want to hear my name on her lips.
“Walsh,” she repeats and then waves goodbye as she walks into her house.
My feet are in motion while my brain is still processing what the fuck just happened. There’s not much I know about what happened tonight, but I know one thing for sure. I’m going to fuck my own hand while thinking about those pretty lips saying my name and sucking me off. Even if that makes me the old piece of shit she probably thinks I am.
Chapter Three
NADIA
“Nadia?” my sister calls as she knocks on my door. My eyes flicker open, and I wonder what time it is. “Are you up yet?”
“Ahh!” I pull the covers over my head when she turns on the light because my eyes aren’t ready for it.
I tossed and turned most of the night, but I must have finally crashed at some point. There’s no way I’ve been asleep for long because I feel exhausted.
“What are you doing?” She laughs and yanks the blanket down. “You’re going to be late. I made breakfast.”
She is way too chipper this morning, and why didn’t my alarm go off? Oh yeah, it’s because my phone is busted.
“Cereal?” I love my sister, but she’s a terrible cook. When we lived in Vegas, I did the cooking. Graham does the overseeing of the house, and more often than not there are meals prepared so that we only have to heat them up.
“Hey, I've been practicing,” she huffs.
“You’re really taking this housewife stuff seriously.”
It’s actually adorable seeing her this way. For once, someone is taking care of her, and she deserves it. She’s so smitten with Luke. I think he makes her long for things she never let herself want because she didn’t think it was possible. The whole white picket fence was not in the cards because she had me to take care of. College wasn’t an option for her, and I hate that I held her back.
“I need practice.”
“Practice?” I echo, and then I watch her bite her lip. It’s what she does when she wants to say something but is afraid to. “Out with it,” I say around a yawn.
“I’m pregnant!” she blurts out, and I jump up from the bed and give her a hug.
“Congratulations!”
No wonder she’s so damn chipper this morning. I didn’t know they were trying. I mean, I know they are always all over each other, but I never heard them talk about kids. Clearly Kat is happy about it, and I have no doubt Luke is too. Anything that puts a smile on Kat’s face makes him happy as well.
There was a time when I didn’t think men like Luke existed, and I’m surprised when an image of Walsh flashes through my mind.
“Hey.” Luke pops his head into my bedroom.
“Congrats,” I say to him.
“Thanks.” He’s smiling as he comes in holding a box. “Sorry to interrupt, but this package was at the door with your name on it.”
“Thanks,” I say as I take it from his hand. “What time is it?”
“Seven,” both Kat and Luke answer at the same time.
“Let me get dressed, and I’ll come eat your breakfast,” I say around another yawn.
“Did you not sleep well?” Kat asks. “Was the date that bad?”
Thankfully, when I got home last night, she and Luke were still out to dinner. Otherwise I’m sure Kat would have been all over me about who dropped me off because it was a different car than the one that picked me up. When I heard them get home, I pretended to be asleep so Kat couldn’t pepper me with questions. I didn’t want to burst into tears again and make her worry.
“It was fine.” That’s the only way I can describe it. First it was an utter disaster, but then there was Walsh. My stomach flutters even thinking about him.
“It must have been better than fine with the way you’re smirking.”
Crap. Did I smirk when I thought of Walsh? What is wrong with me? That’s Kyle’s freaking dad!
“Let me get ready for school,” I say again, trying to change the direction of this conversation.
“Fine,” she huffs, and the two of them leave. Once I’m alone, dread falls over me. I don’t know if I tossed and turned all night because I couldn’t stop thinking about Walsh or because I would have to face Kyle today.
I put the box on my desk and grab my glasses. That’s when I notice that the box doesn't have a return address on it. The only thing on the front is my name and address, but there’s no actual postage. Weird.
After I rip it open, I see that it’s a brand-new iPhone. I can’t believe it, but I’m glad it’s here. Grabbing my broken phone out of my bag, I pull out the sim card and swap it with the new one. When I power it on, I click through the settings so I can use it today.
How the hell did I get a new phone so fast? It’s then I see a Post-it-size note in the box with a message.
Thought you might need this.
W
My stomach does another dip. He got me a phone? Holy crap. Why? He was so sweet last night, but this is too much. How can this man possibly be related to Kyle?
I quickly sign into my Apple account then put the phone down so it can do its thing while I get ready for school. One plus side to this new school is uniforms. At first I thought I’d hate them, but it does make it easy to get ready every day.
I pull my polo shirt on before I tug on the skirt and zip the side. I hear my phone start to go off as I put on knee socks and shoes. After I dart into the bathroom to finish getting ready, I grab my bag hanging on my desk chair then my new phone off my desk. The sense of dread comes back as I slide my finger over the phone to unlock it.
Has Kyle texted me? He was so taken aback when he tried to kiss me and I jerked away at the last second. You would have thought I’d smacked him. Then he verbally slapped me by saying, “A chubby girl doesn’t have the room to play hard to get” before he stormed off.
I should have known things were going to go really badly when he started throwing beers back the second we got to his place. He hadn’t been happy that I didn’t want to join him in the drinking either.
There are two texts from a number that doesn’t register to any of my contacts. Maybe they haven’t loaded over or I didn’t do something right when I transferred my other phone. I click the text and stop walking. That’s when I realize the unknown number is one that’s never texted me before. I quickly add him then scroll to read what he’s sent.
Walsh: Thought you might need this
Walsh: Text me back so I know you have a phone
I smile down at the phone then let out a small gasp when I see the bubbles pop up. He’s texting me right now, and then I realize he can also see I read his messages.
Walsh: I told you to text me.
The period at the end of that text while the others didn’t have them makes me think I’m in some kind of trouble. I respond quickly even though I sort of like the idea that I might be in a bit of trouble. Which is totally nuts because I always follow all the rules.
Me: I just got set up
Me: Promise!
Me: This was too much! You didn’t have to get me a phone. My sister would have gotten me one. I’ll pay you back.
Crap! Why did I send him so many texts at once? I’m beyond lame.
Walsh: You’re not paying me back.
He responds instantly.
“Why are you smiling like a goon?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be cooking?” I fire back as if I’ve been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.
“You’re smitten. It’s all over your face.” She grabs my arm and pulls me into the kitchen. “Tell me everything,” she demands. “Your date must have been fire.”
“I think whatever you’re cooking is on fire.” I point to the stove.
“Shit!” she squeaks before darting back over to it.
“Ma'am, would you like me to help?” Graham asks. He’s standing close by and already has an apron on.
“You make me sound so old when you call me ‘ma’am.’”
“Mrs. Walker,” he tries next.
“I’m not super hungry.” I fight a laugh because the kitchen is a disaster.
“Luke will want to eat my food,” Kat says defensively.
“I will,” he agrees as he comes into the kitchen behind me. His brows lift when he sees the mess, but he doesn’t hold back his chuckle.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me.” She points the spatula at him, and pancake batter drips from it onto the floor.
“I’m sorry, honey, but this is adorable.” He makes his way over toward her, and my phone vibrates in my hand.
Walsh: Did you eat breakfast?
I don’t know what makes me do it, but I take a picture of the chaos in front of me and send it to him.
Walsh: Who’s the guy in the suit?
Me: Brother-in-law
Why did he ask that?
Walsh: You should eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.
Walsh is probably right. I didn’t eat hardly anything last night, and it will be a while until lunch. I sit down at the kitchen island, and Graham helps my sister make a non-burned pancake.
“The bacon!” my sister screams as she rushes over to the oven. She opens it and a cloud of black smoke fills the kitchen. “I ruined it.”
“That’s like a crime against humanity,” I tease her, and she glares at me.
“We can make more.” Luke grabs an oven mitt to pull the sheet of blackened strips out of the oven. He drops the whole thing in the sink while I pour syrup over my pancake and try to eat it quickly.
Walsh: Am I going to have to bring you breakfast?
He has to be teasing me, so I send him another picture. This time it's my half-eaten pancake.
“Nadia, can you hear me?” Kat snaps her fingers.
“What?” I ask as I pull my attention away from my phone.
“Is it okay if Graham takes you to school?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” I only have my permit because in Vegas I didn’t need to know how to drive. “You stay here and keep at it. You’ll get the bacon right the second time.” She sticks her tongue out at me as I slip off the chair and pull my bag over my shoulder.
“Oh, are you still going to that party tonight? Luke and I have some charity thing so we won’t be home until late. I’m going to the spa today before I get ready.”
Shit. I told her about the party, but that was before everything happened with Kyle.
“I think so.” I mean, there might still be a party? Kyle might also be in trouble with his dad. Either way, I don’t think I’m invited any longer, but I don’t tell her that. She’ll worry about me being at home alone. Kat is always worrying over me and whether I’m happy being here.
“All right. Text me later.”
“Will do,” I say and walk out with Graham to one of the cars.
“You okay?” Graham asks when we pull out of the gates and onto the road.
“I’m fine.” He gives me a sideways glance.
Okay, I’m not fine. I’m dreading school today. I’m going to keep my head down and hopefully avoid Kyle. That should be easy enough because when we’re at school he never really talks to me. He’ll text me sometimes, but I haven’t heard anything from him since last night.
“When my wife says she’s fine, that means she’s anything but fine,” Graham responds.
“I’ve got a test today. That’s all.” I shrug and try to play it cool. I don’t know if Graham would report back to Luke if he thinks I’m upset about something. Luke is the same as my sister. He worries I’ll hate it here too, but that worry probably stems from the fact that it would upset his wife.
My phone goes off again in my hand. Well, hell. I should be careful what I wish for. Though I don’t think I was wishing for Kyle to text me.
Kyle: About last night. Sorry, I was drunk.
My phone goes off again a second later.
Walsh: I want to make sure you’re taken care of.
My breath hitches, and suddenly I feel warm all over. Why are his texts having this effect on me? I have no idea what to say to Kyle, but I respond to Walsh.
Me: Thank you for checking on me. I ate and I’m on the way to school.
Walsh: Good girl
I stare at those two words that make my mind swirl. I have to be misinterpreting this. He’s being nice because his son was a jerk, and that has to be it. I wonder if he made Kyle send that apology text too. I turn my phone to silent before I shove it in my bag and we pull up to the front of the school.
I need to stop thinking about the Insleys. Both are trouble.
Chapter Four
WALSH
“You know, if you had Nadia, things like this wouldn’t happen.”
“What did you say?” I ask my office manager, who looks up from her tablet and blinks.
“I said that if you had audio, things like this wouldn’t happen.” She shakes her head and goes back to uploading my files. “I don’t know how the owner of a billion-dollar company can use a busted tablet with no sound to run things.”
God, I’m losing my mind. Everywhere I look, something reminds me of last night and that doe-eyed girl that looked at me like I was her savior. That barely legal girl, I remind myself. What is it about her that has shaken me up on the inside and now I can’t seem to let the thought of her go?
“Maybe I don’t like change,” I grumble, turning around in my seat and staring out the window.
“Heh.” Her laugh is humorless, but I don’t take the bait. Louanne just wants to poke at me, which I’m pretty sure is her favorite pastime. Since her husband retired last month, I’ve turned into her emotional punching bag. “Don’t like change? Hell, Walsh, you avoid it like an angry skunk is chasing you up a tree.”
“I don’t even know what that means.” I glance over my shoulder and smile at her. “Isn’t it about time you retired and stayed home to annoy Stan all day?”
“You wish.” She keeps poking at the tablet until she finally looks up over the rim of her hot-pink reading glasses. “What’s up your butt today? Did that boy of yours throw a party?” When I don’t answer, she nods to herself. “I’m not going to say I told you so.”
“Why? You know you want to.”
“Fine, I told you so. Now slap a return to sender sticker on his ass and call it done. That kid has been nothing but trouble since he showed up, and your sister damn well knew it was going to happen.”
“I know,” I sigh because she’s right.
“You came back early from a vacation that was supposed to be about rest and relaxation. So explain to me why you came home without even a hint of being relaxed or rested?” She cocks her head to the side and waits, but I know that’s a rhetorical question. “Look, Walsh, I’m just gonna say it.”
“Has there ever been a time when you didn’t?”
She pretends to scowl at me but goes on. “I don’t need to be here. The reason I keep coming to work is so that you’re not alone. You don’t want to face the fact that you’ve created an empire that doesn’t need you and that you’ve got nothing left besides this.”
“Jesus, Louanne, could you at least pretend to soften the blow?” She’s not wrong, but she’s never actually said the words out loud before. I’ve thought about it somewhere in the back of my mind, but I’ve always shut that down too.
“Sugar-coating isn’t my strong suit, which is why you hired me.” She stands up and puts the tablet on my desk in front of me. “You want my advice?”
“I have a feeling I’m going to get it even if I say no.”
“Get out of here, take that boy back to his mama, and live your life, Walsh. You’ve wasted prime baby-making years in these four walls. I suggest you go find yourself a young woman and get at it.”
