Hidden Kisses (Love in Sienna Series Book 2), page 13
I see Tia and CeCe every chance I get, and she is so happy. I can’t be the one to destroy that happiness.
I head toward the kitchen to grab the juice and some glasses when Mikey walks in.
“Hey. How’s it going?” he asks
“Can’t complain,” I respond.
How I wish I could respond “fantastic” to that question, but life isn’t fantastic. It’s confusing, its difficult, and frankly, it’s unfair.
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been your usual chipper self these past few months,” he says, leaning against the counter. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” I lie, plastering a fake smile on my face.
Mikey looks around. I’m not sure why.
“Does it have something to do with Johnny?” he asks.
My face heats, and my mouth drops open. How would he know? He doesn’t talk to Johnny, and I know Rayna would never have told him.
I can’t form words; my head is so confused.
“He told me how he feels about you. Do you feel the same way?” he presses.
The breath leaves my lungs, and I feel a little light-headed.
They talk? Since when did they start talking? And why can’t I talk right now?
“Don’t tell Tia,” I whisper, hanging my head.
Mikey walks over to me and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. “She would want you to be happy.”
“Not with her enemy,” I whimper.
I pull out of the hug and turn to pour a tall glass of juice. That makes my thoughts drift to my time with Johnny and his amazing fresh juice. Man, I wish they had liquor in this house.
“How does Tia feel about you talking to him?” I ask, turning around.
Mikey looks at the floor, and that is all the answer I need.
“Exactly. You’re afraid to tell her. Don’t try to preach to me when you’re lying to her too,” I bite out.
I want to end this conversation and leave, but it’s my last night with Tia, and I’m not giving that up.
“I broke things off with Johnny, I haven’t spoken to him in months. My decision has been made. My friendship with Tia comes first,” I tell him.
“He’s lost without you,” Mikey states, looking at the floor.
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “He’ll get over it. I can’t betray Tia, Mikey. Maybe you should think about that before you talk to him again.”
“Talk to who again?” Tia asks, coming into the kitchen.
She walks over to Mikey and places a kiss on his lips.
“Oh, just that crazy guy who stands on the corner. I spoke to him today, and man, he is crazier than I thought,” he lies.
Tia giggles. “Yeah, you probably shouldn’t talk to him again.”
I stare into my glass. What has this world come to, that we are lying to an amazing person to protect someone who, for the most part, has been the world’s biggest asshole?
“Where’s my glass?” Tia asks breaking me from my thoughts.
I put on a fake smile and pour her a glass.
“Cheers,” I say when she takes it.
Tia starts walking to the living room, but I stay back slightly.
“Don’t fucking lie to her again,” I whisper to Mikey.
These lies need to stop. Either we tell her the truth, or we completely cut Johnny out. I can’t keep doing this. It’s eating me alive.
“Another shot, barkeep,” I slur to the sexy bartender, who hands me another shot of tequila.
I drink it fast and relish the feel the of the burn. It feels good. It helps numb my other feelings that I can’t deal with right now.
Rayna left me about a half hour ago, and I really should have left at the same time. But the more I drink, the more I feel free, like I’m not being pulled down by my feelings. I look around the bar, feeling the hum of the bass from the DJ. There are tons of good-looking guys out tonight. Maybe I should hook up with one of them. Maybe then I’ll feel something besides depression.
As if reading my mind, a super-hot and tall man places his hand on the small of my back.
“Are you here by yourself?” he asks, leaning down so I can hear him above the music.
I smile and nod.
“Well a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone,” he says. “Would you like some company?”
“I would love some company.”
He smiles, pulls me to a booth, and orders another round of drinks. I’m drunk enough, but who says no to free drinks?
Mr. Sexy leaves to use the restroom, and I pull out my phone.
How am I still thinking about Johnny when a Greek god is hitting on me?
I text Johnny, knowing it’s a bad idea. But he is always invading my thoughts. I told Mikey that we shouldn’t be talking to him, but drunk Leah wants Johnny.
When I’m staring into Mr. Sexy’s gorgeous sea-blue eyes, I’m thinking about how they aren’t the shade of emeralds. When his light blonde hair falls into his eyes, I think how it isn’t the dark brown hair I want to be running my fingers through. His lips are thinner than Johnny’s. Everything just seems wrong.
Me: I ssssssshouldn’t be texxxxting you. But I missssssss you.
I wait a couple of minutes, and still no response. So I send another text.
Me: Are youuuuuuu ignoring me?
Still no response. Fine. I know I cut him out of my life. I deserve this. And I shouldn’t be talking to him anyway. This is a good thing.
“Ready to get out of here?” the sexy stranger says, his eyes darkening on me.
I don’t know if I want to leave with him, but I smile and nod anyway. I can sleep with someone else and get the memory of Johnny out of my head. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I can do this.
The cab ride back to the sexy stranger’s place is quick. He pays the driver and I get out, following him to his door.
The second we are inside, his lips are on mine and he’s pawing at my dress.
He’s not at all smooth and calming like he was at the bar. He’s almost animalistic, and I don’t like it. I push him back, but it doesn’t do anything.
“Can we take this slow?” I ask, trying to get some space between us.
He only pushes his hips harder into me, and I’m backed up against the wall. Fuck. This was a horrible idea.
He grabs at the strap on my dress and rips it, leaving half of my lace bra on display. He lowers his head, trying to get my breast into his mouth, like he’s not even hearing what I’m saying.
“Please stop. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to do this,” I say, tears forming in my eyes.
I’m terrified. This man is so much bigger than me, and he clearly has no intention of stopping. How am I going to stop him? I’m literally shaking, and that makes the stranger growl.
“Yeah, you want me. Your body is telling me,” he grits out.
I shake my head.
“No! Please stop!” I yell, but he doesn’t listen.
He keeps me pinned to the wall, biting and kissing my neck, pawing at my body.
I look to my left and see a vase with some cheap flowers in it. This could be my chance.
He doesn’t have my arms pinned, because his hips are strong enough to keep me in place. Not to mention, he obviously wants to use his hands to touch me, no matter what I have to say about it.
Reaching over to the small table, I grab the vase and smash it over his head.
“Fuck!” he yells and steps back, right in front of the door.
I can’t get out that way, so I run down the hall and lock myself in the bathroom. Thank God it was the first door I tried.
“Open the fucking door, you dumb slut!” he yells, banging on the door and making it shake.
Shit. He’s going to end up breaking this door down. It’s obviously no match for his strength. I lower myself to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. How did I let myself get into a situation like this? I am normally way smarter than this, but my thoughts have been so clouded lately.
I pull my phone out and call the first person I can think of. The person who’s always made me feel safe, even when I’m not in control.
The phone starts ringing.
Please answer, I send up a silent prayer.
My would-be assailant on the other side of the door is still pounding and the door is shaking more and more. Oh, fuck. I could swear I just heard the wood doorframe crack.
Please answer, Johnny. I need you.
Baseball season is over, and I don’t know what to do with myself. We didn’t make it to the World Series this year, and even if we had, we wouldn’t have won. I was not playing the best I could have.
Mikey is talking to me now, but barely. Leah isn’t talking to me at all, and I have yet to convince Mikey to let me talk to Tia. He keeps telling me to wait until his tour is over, but that isn’t until next year.
I can’t keep this up for that long. I need Leah now.
It’s been four months since we ended things and two months since I’ve seen her. My blood heats at the thought of her on a date with another man. And he was such a douche. Why was she with him anyway?
I’m sitting at home watching TV when my phone buzzes.
Leah: I ssssssshouldn’t be texxxxting you. But I missssssss you.
I freeze. Should I text her back? Or just ignore her? She’s clearly drunk, and I don’t know if I can stay away from her if I text her back.
I decide to not respond. Drunk Leah clearly wants me, but sober Leah thinks differently.
Leah: Are youuuuuuu ignoring me?
Again, I don’t respond, and it’s fucking killing me. I throw my head back and stare at the ceiling.
“Mom, why does life have to be so hard?” I say to the thin air. “Haven’t I suffered enough? I’m trying to make things right, but nothing is working. I wish you were here.”
I keep watching TV and I’m almost through a whole season of The Office when my phone rings.
I see Leah’s beautiful face light up my phone. I shouldn’t answer it, but something inside me is telling me it’s an emergency. She’s never called me before. She’s always texted.
“Hello?”
“Johnny, thank God. I don’t know where I am, and I’m scared,” Leah whispers into the phone.
Fuck. I can hear the tremor in her voice, even though it’s a whisper.
“What do you mean, you don’t know where you are?”
“I got in a cab with a stranger and he took me back to his place. I don’t remember the address and he’s really scaring me. I know I should have been smarter than that, but I fucked up. I was able to lock myself in the bathroom, but he’s been yelling and banging on the door and I’m scared he’s going to break it down. Please help me.”
I hear hollering and banging. The guy sounds pissed off. I can’t make out his words, but the fire is easily heard.
“Baby, can you send me your location through text? I’m walking out the door right now.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Please hurry,” she sniffles.
As soon as I hang up with her, I grab my keys and head out the door. I wait in my truck for her text with the address. As soon as it comes through, I plug it into my GPS and speed out of my driveway.
I’m coming, baby.
My blood is boiling. How dare anyone talk to a woman like that? Let alone my woman. I might have been a complete ass to women in the past, but I’ve never talked to a woman like that, and I’ve never laid a hand on a woman, ever. No means no, period.
When I get to the house, I say a silent thank-you that it isn’t an apartment building. The door is unlocked, so I walk right in.
I hear yelling and make my way toward what I assume is the bathroom.
“Back away from the door!” I holler, my voice booming off the walls.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asks.
I can tell by his eyes that he’s high as a kite, on something. Or he’s juicing. Or maybe a combination of both.
“If you don’t want a broken jaw, you won’t make me say this again. Back away from the fucking door,” I growl.
If he laid a hand on Leah, he is a dead man.
“Get out of my house!” the guy yells, not moving.
Fine by me. I’ve been wanting to punch something for a while. My fist connects perfectly with his jaw, and he staggers backward.
His eyes turn even darker and he storms toward me. Since I’m sober and he’s wasted, I quickly move out of his way, causing him to fall down.
I waste no time getting on top of him. He manages to land one punch on my face, but that just pisses me off more. My fists fly, landing blow after blow on his smug face. I don’t stop until he passes out. I want to keep going, to fucking kill this guy for hurting my woman, but she needs me right now, and he can’t hurt her anymore.
I stand up and flex my hand. Fuck, I’m glad this is off-season, or Coach would be livid. My hands and arms are my money-makers. I’m not supposed to do anything to jeopardize that.
“Leah, baby, it’s me. You can come out,” I say, knocking gently.
Leah walks out, and I’m instantly seeing red again. Her dress is torn, and her makeup is smeared all across her face. I really want to kill the asshole lying at my feet, but I need to take care of my girl.
She collapses into my arms, and I can feel the tears soaking through my shirt.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper, picking her up bridal-style.
“He tried to rape me,” she whimpers as I walk back outside.
My jaw clenches. I may be coming back here tomorrow to finish what I started.
“It’s okay. He won’t ever touch you again.” I gently place her in my truck, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Do you want to go home or come to my place?”
She stares into my eyes, and my heart breaks at how sad and lost she looks. “Your place, please. I don’t want to be alone.”
I nod and close the door. It’s going to be so fucking hard to let her go in the morning, but she needs me right now, and I’m not letting her down.
The drive home is longer than I want it to be, and every time Leah sighs in her sleep it makes my heart do something weird.
When we get home, I carry her to my bed. I press my lips to her forehead and go to leave. As I’m walking away, I hear her whimper, and my heart starts to crack open.
“Please hold me. I feel safe in your arms,” she mumbles, still half-asleep.
I was going to sleep on the couch, give her space, but I can’t say no. Not when she obviously needs me.
I crawl into bed and pull her into my arms.
Leah wiggles, pressing into my cock. Fuck, this girl is a tease, and she’s not even awake. I wrap my arms tighter around her and pull her into me. Pressing my nose into her hair, I inhale her wonderful scent. I didn’t even realize how much I missed this scent until right now.
I know I need to talk to Tia. To apologize. To make things right. But right now, I need to make Leah mine. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t let her go. Not again.
I’m stirring the scrambled eggs, dancing to the music on my phone, when I hear a giggle.
“Like what you see?” I say, not even looking at Leah. There is no one else in my house, so it has to be her.
She giggles some more. “Mmm-hmm. Why are you a baseball player? You should definitely be a professional dancer.”
I can hear the smile in her voice.
I plate the eggs, then turn around to face her. My mouth drops open. She’s standing there in just my shirt. It’s more like a nightgown on her because of our size difference. I’ve never seen a woman in my clothes before, but she looks damn mouth-watering.
“My dress is ruined. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your shirt.” She looks at her feet, a little sheepish.
I chuckle. “You can have my whole damn closet if you want. You look amazing.”
She giggles.
“I made you breakfast,” I say, grabbing the back of my neck. I’ve never had breakfast with a woman before.
“It smells amazing.” She looks nervous, but she isn’t asking to leave.
“I hope you like eggs, bacon, and fruit salad.”
“I love bacon. And I’m going to warn you now, I can eat.” She gives me a devilish smile. “I’m not some girl who only picks at her food, so I hope you made a lot.”
I chuckle again. This woman is everything I never knew I wanted. I place her plate in front of her.
“Eat up, beautiful.” I kiss her cheek.
I’m not normally the sweet guy. Hell, I’m never the sweet guy. I’m an asshole, but girls know what they’re signing up for. I don’t give them more; they know it’s one night with no strings. I don’t lie, and I don’t ever lead a girl on.
I never pictured a future with a woman. I always thought I would be alone forever. And I was okay with that. But now, I want everything, and I want it with Leah. So I just have to convince her that we are worth a shot.
She finally gets a good look at my face. I have a pretty shiner, and it hurts a bit. Her eyes start to water, and she reaches out, gently touching it. I turn my head to kiss her fingers.
“I’m fine,” I tell her.
She nods. “Thank you for coming last night.”
“Anytime. I’m always here for you,” I tell her.
She nods, not saying anything. I notice her gaze land on my hand, and her mouth falls open in surprise. It’s a pretty shade of purple and brown, to match my black eye. It’s probably going to take a week or so to heal, but I’m pretty sure it’s not broken. Asshat had a pretty hard jaw though.
“Oh, my God! Your hand!” she gasps.
I place my hand on hers. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that bad, and it should heal in no time. At least it’s off-season. Are you okay, though? Do you want me to take you home after breakfast?”
She bites her lip, playing with her eggs. “I’m fine. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay for a while.”
I smile. I’d love for her to stay forever.
“So, what does your future look like?” I ask after a couple of bites.
She gives me a funny look. “That’s a random question.”
I shrug and give her a smirk.
She shakes her and rolls her eyes before continuing “Probably what most people’s futures look like. I want to get married, build a life with my partner, have a family, maybe get a dog.” She takes a bite of her bacon and moans. “This is amazing bacon.”
