Irresistibly Dangerous : A Marriage of Convenience Romance (Irresistibly Yours Book 5), page 17
She tilts her head, studying me, curiosity dancing across her features. “Why? I mean, most people seem anxious to exploit in the name of a buck.”
I don’t answer her. Instead, I take a left and drive down Main Street toward the shop. “We’re here. Welcome to Lavender Lake.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lenox never answers my questions, but the second he takes the turn and we slowly drive down Maine Street, I no longer care. This town… now I see what Aurelia was talking about last night when she told me it was the cutest small town she’d ever seen. This. Town. Is. Fucking. Everything.
Adorable storefronts with sweet awnings, perfect signage, tons of New England fall charm, cute sidewalk displays, and people walking by, chatting and saying hello as they pass. Autumn leaves fly through the air, catching the breeze and glinting off the random shards of sunshine that break through the clouds. It’s like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. A diner, a hardware store, a bank, a flower shop, a bakery, a grocery store, a coffee shop, a yoga studio, a post office, a library, a swanky restaurant, and lastly, a tattoo parlor with no signage to indicate anything about the shop other than it’s a business.
So very Lenox.
Only… “How do you live here? It’s so picturesque, I can hardly stand it without wanting to pinch its cheeks and make it my own.” Seriously, I’m struggling to imagine this surly, tatted, reclusive, and pierced man walking these sidewalks. I feel like the cement would crack beneath his black boots. “What on earth made you pick this town, or are you about to show me where all the bodies of the stray kittens you’ve murdered are kept?”
Lenox takes a right and then another right, and then pulls into a mostly empty parking lot behind his building.
He puts the car in park and shuts off the rumbling engine. “The town didn’t look like this when I bought it,” is all he says before getting out and leaving me here to try and figure out if I heard him correctly.
When he bought it? As in the whole town? Is that even possible? Can a person purchase a town like a handbag or a piece of art?
The more I know of this man, the less I understand.
Or maybe the more I learn, the more my perception of him changes.
He’s like a weed in my flowerbed. I can rip him out and spray him with poison, but his roots are so embedded in my soil, there is no way to fully eradicate him.
I climb out of the car, wrapping my arms around my chest and quickly snatching my coat from the backseat and putting it on. Right now, it’s sunny and eighty in LA, and here it’s overcast and maybe forty degrees.
Maine. Who moves to Maine at the beginning of winter?
And we haven’t even discussed how long this prison sentence with him will be.
Lenox is unlocking the back door of his shop, and I quickly scramble after him, anxious to get inside where it’s hopefully heated. He holds the door open for me. The lights in the back of the shop, which is used for storage, and where the bathrooms are located, are already on. A scratching noise calls my attention away from surveying the neatly organized equipment, and before I can brace myself, a giant black dog that looks like a lab mix comes barreling at me and jumps up, slamming two large paws onto my chest.
“Alice, down,” Lenox commands from behind me at the same time a woman in front of me says, “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine,” I exclaim, laughing as I rub Alice’s face and ears. “She’s so sweet. You are, aren’t you? You’re a total love bug. How is he your daddy?” I motion to Lenox as I continue to nuzzle, pet, and receive wet kisses. “You’re such a good girl.”
Lenox groans. “I should have known. Is there a creature alive who doesn’t instantly love you?”
“Only you,” I quip, only to catch myself when Brooklynn comes into view. Lenox and I are married and supposed to be in love, only he doesn’t seem to care or notice, and neither does Brooklynn, who greets me with an enthusiastic smile. I’m guessing Lenox doesn’t bring his women to his shop a lot.
“Come here, Alice.” Lenox lets out a sharp whistle, and the dog lowers herself to the ground before she goes straight for Lenox, then nuzzles and licks at him like the attention whore she is.
“Sure, I see how it is. You’re a love the one you’re with gal.” I turn back to Brooklyn and squeal in delight. “Hi, I’m Georgia. You must be Brooklynn. And you’re pregnant!” I extend my hand, and she plows right past that, giving me a giant hug, her awesome round belly giving me the equivalent of a baby fist bump.
“You’re real. I can’t believe you’re real. I was positive you were a blow-up doll version of Georgia Monroe. Why else would you marry him?”
“Ha,” Lenox bites out.
“Oh my God! I love you!” I hug her back. “Anyone who gives him shit is my new best friend. Plus, you’re pregnant, and pregnant women are my absolute favorite. I hope you don’t mind. I know no one here, and I’m a clinger. Just ask Lenox.”
“I would but he never talks.”
I bark out a laugh and roll my head over my shoulder to find Lenox. I point at her and mouth, “I love her.” He simply rolls his eyes at me, but there is no hiding the slight curl of his lips as he continues to pet his dog.
“Come inside,” she says, waving me forward. “You must be curious. Lenox’s casa es su casa now, right?”
I snort at Lenox’s less-than-amused expression. “Absolutely.”
I follow after Brooklynn, whom I was sort of picturing looking like Rosie the Riveter. You know, tall, muscular, blazing red hair that she wears up in a cool bandana. But no. Brooklynn is short—my guess is not even five feet—with ink-black hair down to her ass, almost equally dark round eyes with mega lashes, gauges in her ears, a nose ring, a lip ring, and arms as colorful as Lenox’s. Her belly takes up half her size since she appears to be about eight months pregnant.
But mostly, I can’t stop looking around at everything I see. Wide plank distressed hardwood floors run throughout the space. There are three private rooms in the back where I assume they do the inking and piercing, each with exposed brick and clean white walls. The ceilings are tin tiles in an oil-rubbed bronze, and in the reception area, the walls that aren’t exposed brick are black.
There are no images of tattoos on the walls the way I expected there to be. Just some cool, very simple black-and-white photographs of various places or things—hands playing a piano, a street in what I think is Paris, the back of someone’s head who I immediately recognize as Zax standing on a balcony in Rome, and my breath catches.
I spin around, searching the room, and find Lenox casually observing me while leaning against the wall that separates the front part of the shop from the back. “These are Suzie’s photographs.” It’s not a question, but he nods all the same. For some reason, that immediately makes me choke up, and I turn back to the one of Zax, twisting her engagement ring around my finger.
I wish I could hug her one last time. Suzie gave the best hugs. She hugged you the way a grandmother hugs—unapologetically and free of any embarrassment. I wonder if the passage of time makes it easier for Lenox to take a breath or if he misses her more because he’s gone longer without her. She’d laugh at this. At me being married to him. She knew all about my girlish crush on him.
“She helped me bake you cookies once,” I say, recalling the memory as a tear tracks down my cheek that turns into a wet laugh. “I was twelve, definitely too old for a babysitter, and we were getting ready to move to LA because my mother had just gotten me my first role in a film. I was heartbroken. I didn’t want to leave. So Suzie helped me bake your favorite cookies—”
“Chocolate chip with peanut butter cups in them.”
I nod. “Yeah. They came out good.”
“They did. So good in fact, Suzie ate half of them.”
I smile, wiping my face and blowing out a breath. “I never knew that, but it sounds like her, so I’m not surprised.” I turn away from the picture and skip over to the long counter that has the same distressed wood as the floors, and drop my hands down on it. “I love this place. It’s very cool. It makes me want to get a piercing.”
Brooklynn’s dark eyes light up. “It does?! I can do that. What are you thinking about?”
I laugh lightly and shrug. “I don’t know. My nose?” I scrunch it. “I’ve always sorta wanted a nose ring.”
“We should go,” Lenox says, and both Brooklynn and I throw him a death glare.
“Let me pierce your wife’s nose. She’ll look cute with it.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Yeah, Lenox. I’ll look cute with it.”
He grunts and then walks to the back, leaving me here with Brooklynn. We hear the door to the back slam, and I assume he’s taking Alice for a walk.
“Are you serious? Because I’ll happily do it, but it does sting like a bitch.”
“Pfft.” I wave her away. “I can take it.”
“Okay. Pick a stud, not a hoop, from the case over here.” She points to a rotating, clear case and then heads to the back. “I’m in room one. I need to get set up, so meet me back there.”
Oh shit. I’m doing this. A thrill of nerves skates through me, and I quickly pick out a small white gold diamond stud from the case, keeping it in the box and walking it back. Brooklynn is sterilizing the entire room, setting out prepackaged items on a metal rolling tray.
“Now I know how my patients feel,” I quip.
“I think this will hurt less than having a baby, though.”
“Epidurals work wonders, and so does hypnobirthing.”
“You’ll have to talk me through that. Hypnobirthing, I mean. I sorta want a natural childbirth, but the doctors at the hospital keep giving me funny looks every time I mention it. Have a seat.” She points a gloved finger at the pleather bench. “Feet in the stirrups and bring your butt down to the end of the table.”
“That’s a good one. How did you know I was a midwife?” I ask as I sit in the center of the table facing her, my legs scissoring back and forth.
She shrugs. “I looked you up. I mean, I’d heard of you,” she says as she continues to get everything ready, taking the nose ring from me. “I’ve even seen some of your movies. But you married a guy I would have sworn would never get married. I’ve been working for Lenox for four years. I likely know him better than anyone else in town, but I don’t even know his middle name, if you know what I’m saying.”
“It’s Drexler.”
She smirks without looking at me. “You have no idea how happy I am that he married you. Even if there is more going on than I care to know about.”
“Isn’t that always the case with Lenox? I feel like that should be his middle name instead of Drexler. More going on than I care to know about.”
She laughs. “So true. Alright. I’m ready if you are.”
My stomach sinks. “Um.”
Her eyes meet mine. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet.”
“You’re very cheeky, Brooklynn. And while I am brave and can definitely handle some pain, I’m scared I’ll flinch or something when the needle comes near my face.” Just then we hear the back door open and close, and I sigh in relief. “Lenox!” I call out, not even ashamed of what I’m about to do. I hear him make a disgruntled noise, and then Alice comes in quickly, followed by Lenox. His blue eyes meet mine expectantly. “Can you hold my hand? I’m a piercing virgin.”
I expect some derision or annoyance to be hurled my way, but he doesn’t do any of that. Instead, he quietly comes and sits beside me, taking my hand and holding it in both of his. Just like that.
Brooklynn’s eyebrows bounce in surprise, but she quickly launches into her spiel about how she’s going to do this and that my eyes will likely tear, which is a natural reflex, and how I need to keep the piercing clean and blah, who cares? Just do it already!
She tells me to close my eyes, and I do, feeling her hands on my face, cleaning my nose as she does whatever it is she’s doing. I suck in a sharp breath and hold it in, squeezing Lenox’s hand when Brooklynn asks if I’m ready. A second later, I feel the pinch of the needle and the sharp sting in my nose. My eyes immediately water. It’s like when you get hit in the nose, only worse because, after the fire of the needle, her hands are working my nose and twisting the stud into the newly formed hole.
“Done,” she declares triumphantly.
I release my breath and blink open my eyes. “How’s it look?”
She grabs a mirror and holds it up to my face. “Badass.”
I beam. “Totally badass!” I tilt my head this way and that, taking in the glint of the tiny diamond. “I love it. OMG, why didn’t I do this a hundred years ago? It’s so freaking cute and so very me.” I turn to Lenox. “Right?”
He’s giving me a funny look I can’t discern as his eyes track around my face.
“What? You don’t like it.”
“Come on, badass.” He gives my hand a tug, grabs a bottle of piercing cleaner from a nearby shelf, and then drags me along.
“Wait! I didn’t pay.”
“It’s on the house,” Brooklynn calls after me. “Consider it my wedding present and my I’m so sorry you’re married to him present.”
“Thank you! I appreciate both,” I yell out as he drags me out the back, Alice leading the way. “It was great meeting you!”
“You too,” she yells just as the door slams shut.
“For the record, that was rude. You didn’t even thank her for watching your dog.”
Lenox opens the passenger door of a large pickup truck and helps me up into it.
“Wait? Where’s your other car? The hot guy muscle car?” We drove up here in a Shelby GT 500CR. It was straight up the sexiest car I’ve ever been in. He had it custom-built just for him, but the truck we’re climbing into, while nice and obviously very high-end and possibly electric, isn’t anywhere near the same caliber of car.
“I keep it in a special garage. I can’t take it out to the house. You’ll see why. Plus, I never let Alice in it if I can help it. Her claws would scratch up the leather.”
I can’t argue with that, so I slam the door shut behind me and buckle up. Alice is in the king cab backseat, her head perched in between the two front seats. Lenox hops in and starts up the truck with a soft rumble.
My nose throbs a little, and I flip down the sunshade and pop open the mirror so I can look at it. It’s red, but that’s not surprising. I’m pale, and my skin reddens quickly and easily. Welcome to the wonderful world of being a redhead. We look awesome when we cry too.
“This has been the most surreal few days,” I comment dryly as I close the mirror and push back up the shade.
I haven’t heard from Alfie or Ezra again, but I know it’s coming. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Still, being here, I feel so far removed from that. Finally. I know I threw a tantrum about moving here—and for good reason, hello, Lenox fingering me in a bathroom—but I also know it was the right call. I have a virtual meeting with my father’s estate attorney tomorrow as well as the CEO of the financial firm my father used.
By tomorrow, everything will be signed and done.
“It looks good on you,” he says, and I glance in his direction.
“The nose ring?”
“Coming out of your prim and proper good girl shell. Doing things just for yourself and no one else simply because you want to. It’s a good look on you.”
Oh. I try not to blush. I genuinely do. But it happens anyway. “Thank you.” It legit might be one of the nicest things he’s ever said to me. “I do plenty just for myself too, you know. I became a midwife just for me. My mother would have kept me in Hollywood forever, and my father would have taught me the family business six years ago when I graduated college if I’d let him.”
He shrugs as he pulls us back onto Main Street, driving away from town. “Maybe so, but you’ve never looked more beautiful than you do right now.”
I take it back. That is the nicest thing he’s ever said to me. And it kills me. And rejuvenates me. And makes what’s about to come next even more irresistibly dangerous than it already was.
Chapter Seventeen
My mind is restless, and my chest is fluttery as we continue to drive farther out of town. This is actually happening. I’m moving in with Lenox. I know I’ll have my own room, and hopefully it won’t be for too long, and I won’t have to interact with him too much. But… I’m moving in with Lenox.
There isn’t much out here. It’s a two-lane road and a whole lotta trees, and that’s it.
“I ordered clothes,” I say, hearing the breathlessness in my own voice and wishing my nerves weren’t so obvious. “I used your shop address for everything since I didn’t know where your house was.”
Lenox doesn’t respond, but he does shift in his seat, which tells me he heard me.
“I thought about packing up my LA townhouse, but then realized I still need it for when I have to be there for board meetings and Monroe things. Plus, I had nothing there that would fit winters in Maine. I didn’t think bikinis, T-shirts, shorts, or scrubs would cut it here.”
“I have a hot tub.”
I belt out a laugh. It’s awkward as fuck, but mercifully he doesn’t comment on it. “Does L.L. Bean make flannel bikinis?”
“You didn’t order clothes from L.L. Bean.”
I continue to stare straight ahead, especially as we turn onto a random, unmarked dirt road that leads straight into the fucking woods. It’s like The Blair Witch Project. All I need is a camera and a runny nose, and I’ll fit right in.
“No. I didn’t. I ordered a lot of sweaters and fleece-lined leggings and cool warm boots and things like that. And a coat. A few coats, actually. As well as gloves, hats, scarfs, earmuffs—”
He reaches over and places his hand over mine for a brief second before returning both to the wheel. “Do you feel comfortable driving a truck?”
“I’ve never tried,” I admit.
He’s so calm. How is he so calm when I’m freaking out? I shouldn’t be surprised. Freaking out isn’t part of his emotional repertoire.
