Hard To Stay Page 6

  I looked at him one more time before he turned to leave. I admired his gorgeous backside and tried to ignore the tingles running through my body. Brad stepped forward then stopped, with his hand pausing on the door.

  When he turned around our eyes locked. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lexi.” He turned to leave then called over his shoulder. “And, lock the door behind me.” He commanded, pushing the door shut until I heard the handle click in place.

  I sucked in a breath and stared blankly at the door. Brad had evoked feelings in me that I wasn’t ready to deal with. No matter how much I tried to quiet those thoughts, the excitement was too much to for me to ignore.

  Chapter Six

  Brad

  Lucas sat beside me with his nose buried deep in his phone while I polished off the rest of my beer. The bar was jamming with loud music and was crawling with long-legged women in short revealing skirts trolling for a date. I looked over at Sawyer who sat on the other side of me and cursed myself for allowing him to convince me that this was a good idea.

  “Is your friend still planning on meeting us out tonight?” Lucas teasingly asked, intentionally drawing out the word like kids did in grade school.

  I set my bottle down with a thud. “Her name is Lexi, and she said she’d be here.” My eyes bounced between my two friends who clearly seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. “Do me a favor, please. I know it’s not easy for either of you two, but try not to act like shit heads around her. I can tell what you’re thinking and it’s not like that…” I added, pointing my finger at them. “She’s just a friend.”

  “Ok, whatever you say, boss.” Sawyer smirked as he started to sing the off-key lyrics to ‘Just a friend’ by Biz Markie, causing us all to laugh hysterically.

  Lucas continued to stare at me with mischief in his eyes. It had me eager to take him down a peg or two. “So, if you guys are just friends then does that mean she’s fair game?”

  The muscles in my neck tightened. “If you’d like to be able to use your hands to feed yourself and button your pants in the morning, I’d suggest you keep them off of her.”

  “Well, all-righty then.” A low whistle vibrated from Sawyer’s mouth. “I guess that clears things up a bit.”

  Lucas was goading me and I just played into his hands like an amateur. I’d been so lost in my own head over the last two weeks that I was becoming easily distracted. It was a reminder that I needed to pay better attention. There was something about Colton’s behavior that didn’t bode very well with me. Experience taught me that guys like Colton didn’t just walk away without a fight. My gut told me that there was something bigger about to happen and he was just plotting for the right moment to make his move.

  I leaned back in my chair and searched my thoughts trying to figure out what had me all out of sorts. As my mind moved past Colton, it started to focus on Lexi. I was still unsure what kind of relationship we were building. I’d been with a few women since Emily and I had broken up. Hell, I even dated a woman from work for a couple of months, but none of them had sparked anything remotely close to what I was feeling for Lexi.

  Alarm bells suddenly sounded off in my head. That was a problem. I’d enjoyed the physical company of other women, and the companionship had been nice, but this was different. I picked up my phone and tried to distract myself with social media, hoping to lose the thoughts that were still trapped in my head.

  For the next hour, we carried on like the old friends we were, busting each other’s chops and retelling stories we’d heard a dozen times before. Lucas was about ready to spill all the details about his recent disastrous blind date when a silence seemed to fall over the bar, causing me to turn around on my stool. It seemed like every guy in the room had taken notice of Lexi walking through the entrance. It could have been my imagination of course, but I still found myself gripping my beer bottle a little too tightly, while it seemed like a least a dozen set of eyes checked her out. My gaze slowly traveled down the length of her body taking it all in. She was tall, blonde and beautiful. She had on a pair of tight blue skinny jeans with a white lacy top tied around the middle showing off her flat, tanned stomach. She wore a pair of brown suede cowgirl boots that I was suddenly envisioning wrapped around my waist. Oh God, I was in trouble.

  My heart started to jump rapidly in my chest as she crossed the bar, headed in my direction. Everything began to happen in slow motion as my eyes fixed on her long, silky blonde hair bouncing across her breasts. She was a walking wet dream and had me feeling like I was sixteen years old again. My jeans were getting tighter with each step she made towards me, the building pressure inside my denim hurt like hell.

  Lucas clasped my shoulder. “Please tell me that’s not her. Please tell me that hottie headed our way is your cousin.”

  My eyes cut to his sending him a message. “Fuck!” He spat out. “Dude, I have no words. That’s the chick with the douchebag ex?”

  Sawyer chuckled beside me. “This is going to get fucking interesting. Bartender, can we get another round?”

  I could hear people talking in the background. I could even hear the music playing, but the only thing I could do was stand there and stare. There were no words that came to me. She had left me utterly speechless.

  Gaining my composure, I stepped off the barstool and met her halfway. “Hey,” I said, greeting her with a grin, pulling her up against my chest without even thinking. I immediately released her, hoping she didn’t feel the stiffness in my pants. “You look great!” My eyes moved down to her legs. “Nice boots!”

  She smiled nervously at me. “Thanks.” A blush worked its way up her neck, spreading across her cheeks. She was absolutely adorable.

  I lifted my chin to Abby who trailed closely behind her. Her eyes didn’t light up in invitation like they usually did when she saw me. Maybe this wouldn’t be as awkward as I had thought.

  I walked the girls over to where Sawyer and Lucas were standing with their elbows leaning against the bar grinning from ear to fucking ear.

  I draped my arm around Lexi’s shoulder as I introduced her to my friends. “Lexi, this is Brett Sawyer, the detective you spoke with on the phone and my other ugly friend here is Max Lucas.” Lucas stood there working his tongue in his cheek like he was trying to fight back a smile, but doing a shit job of it. “Abby, you already know these two losers.”

  Abby laughed, going to greet Sawyer first.

  Lucas reached for Lexi’s hand, “Well, hello there.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, planting a kiss on the back. His eyes lifted to mine with a knowing smirk, and I felt my hand tighten on her shoulder. Nope, still hadn’t let go. “So nice to finally meet you. Brad has told us so much about you.”

  She blushed at his antics. Fucking blushed. I dropped my arm and fisted my hands at my side and silently counted to ten. Lucas seemed to take enjoyment in my reaction. He was goading me. I really needed to find some new friends.

  Sawyer broke through the tension and grabbed her hand with a friendly handshake. “Nice to finally meet you in person.”

  Recognition dawned on her face. “I really appreciate what you tried to do for me.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be more help.” I felt my jaw clench when Sawyer looked at me apologetically.

  “Don’t worry. It’s fine really. I knew things wouldn’t be so simple.” Her discomfort was noticeable as she looked down to the ground.

  Abby and Lucas had broken into conversation so I gently grabbed Lexi’s elbow, bringing her eyes to focus on mine. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m good, thanks for asking.”

  Once I was satisfied with her answer, I dragged an empty barstool next to me across the floor so she could take a seat. I ordered her a glass of wine and draped my arm along the back of her stool, keeping her as close as possible. I closed my eyes every time I felt her hair brush up against my arm. As we talked, I became distracted every time her leg would gently slide against mine. I wasn’t positive, but it felt like there were a few times s
he did it on purpose. Every gentle touch and knowing smile we exchanged reminded me that I wanted so much more than to be just her friend. I wanted her all to myself. I wanted to take my time and get to know her. I wanted to crawl inside her head and figure out what made her tick. Most of all, I wanted to know how she really felt about me. There was no way I was alone in my feelings.

  We had been at it for over an hour and the drinks were flowing pretty good. Abby disappeared to go catch up with a few friends she had spotted across the bar.

  Our conversation was interrupted when we heard a squeal over the loud music. Sawyer’s girlfriend Faith had arrived. “Hey babe, sorry I’m late.” She pushed her way through the crowd and threw her arms around Sawyer, kissing him long and hard. They remained lip locked for such an uncomfortable period of time that Lexi and I had to look away. Faith was not known to be subtle with her affection. I shook my head, remembering when Sawyer told me that she was into some pretty kinky shit. But hey, to each their own.

  “Hey, baby,” Sawyer said, finally breaking away. “This is Brad’s friend, Lexi.”

  Lexi slid off her bar stool, and extended her hand, her southern manners coming out in full force. “Hi, you must be Faith, it’s nice to meet you.”

  Faith was what you considered overly friendly and in less than ten minutes the girls were chatting like they were long lost friends. Sawyer swung his gaze to mine while they got lost in deep conversation. It shouldn’t have surprised me how easily Lexi blended into my life because she was one of the kindest and humblest people I had ever met.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket interrupting my thoughts. I pulled it out and flipped it over noticing it was work related. I held up my hand signaling that I had to take it. “Can you guys keep an eye on Lexi? I gotta take this.”

  They all waved me off assuring me they had her covered. I went outside to get away from the noise and found an empty spot by the window. It worked out perfectly because I could still see her through the glass talking animatedly with my friends.

  “What do you got for me, Mac?”

  Mac York was a retired detective that I had asked to keep tabs on Lexi’s ex. I had helped him out a number of times in the past. He owed me and I didn’t hesitate to collect.

  Mac sighed into the phone. “I just wanted to update you. Mr. Hunt is still in New York and he hasn’t checked out of the Waldorf. I checked the activity on his credit cards and there hasn’t been much more than a few restaurant charges. Looks like he’s holed up for now and living off room service.”

  “Fuck!” I blurted out in frustration. “What is this guy up to, Mac?” Guys like Colton calculated their every move. I knew he was planning something. What, I wasn’t sure, but I felt it in my gut. “Keep tabs on him, will you? I want to know every move this guy makes from now until he gets his ass back on a plane to Georgia.” I snapped. Because one way or another, this asshole would be going back.

  “Got it,” Mac replied, and ended the call.

  My phone beeped again, but this time it was my Captain.

  I snuck another glance inside. Faith and Lexi were throwing their heads back, downing shots of what I presumed to be tequila. I watched her lick the salt off her hand and imagined what else she might be able to do with that tongue of hers. My eyes scanned the bar noticing a few guys circling their table like sharks. It became clear that Colton wasn’t the only one I needed to be worried about. I resisted the urge to throat punch the two guys that were clearly checking her out.

  I ran my hands through my hair in frustration after I ended the call with my Captain. IAB was being asked to investigate an excessive force charge against two of my fellow officers and I was being assigned to the case. It was another reminder of how life had a way of complicating matters. Apparently, they’d decided to rough up a suspect that was being charged with molesting one of the officer’s stepdaughters. This was a perfect example of where I wished I could look the other way, but unfortunately, the law didn’t grant me that convenience.

  Separating my personal and professional life was never easy. When things went down with my ex, Emily, last year, I let my personal feelings get in the way of my job. It almost cost me my career. I sacrificed my morals and my integrity to save her. As it turned out, we were all being played by a jealous ex. Not mine—her current husband’s.

  Chase may not have been the drug pusher that I thought he was. Hell, his only crime was loving the same woman that I had. I was so blinded by my own feelings though that I let Chase’s ex-fling manipulate me into thinking he broke the law. Once it came out that we had all been played for fools, I wasted no time confessing to my superiors.

  Fortunately for me I had an excellent record and was well liked amongst my peers. Although they still punished me for my short-sightedness, they knew my intentions were born out of strong character and protecting the people that I cared about. I never wanted to be in the Internal Affairs Bureau, but turning down the chance to rehabilitate my career would have been professional suicide. They told me to give it a year and transfer out. And thank God, my year was almost up. Now all I had to do was wait for a position to open up in my old unit.

  As I made my way back to the bar, I cringed noticing Gage Garrison holding court, with Lexi standing close by his side. It seemed like the two were having a pretty good time together and I could feel the anger start to build in my chest. Gage was known around the precinct as a player and his reputation was well earned over the years. As much as I detested the guy, women seemed to flock to him like pigeons to breadcrumbs. His good looks and clever one-liners made him irresistible to the ladies. My body tensed when I saw him lean his arm around the back of Lexi as they exchanged a laugh and a smile.

  Lexi caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of her eye. “Brad, there you are. Come join the party.”

  It pissed me off that she seemed to be enjoying her time with him. His smile caught my glare, and I watched it transform into an arrogant smirk. It was clear he was challenging me. If he wanted to fight me for Lexi, he didn’t stand a chance. I’d kill him first.

  Sawyer and Lucas straightened as I approached the group. They knew I was pissed that they had allowed Garrison to cozy up and hit on her. “Well, it looks like I’ve missed all the fun, and the booze.” I hissed, making sure my two buddies were now aware that they were at the top of my shit list.

  Lucas handed me a beer. “We ordered you a drink. Everything good with work?”

  I snatched the bottle from his hands and took a long pull of my Corona. “Yep.” I replied then looked at Lexi feeling my eyebrows pull together. “How much have you had to drink?”

  Her laugh came out a little funny. She was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. “Relax city-boy, us southern girls know how to hold our liquor.”

  Garrison snickered behind her. “You’re always such a buzz kill, Morgan, lighten up a little.”

  “Not everyone likes to behave like a teenage frat boy when they have a few drinks in them. Some of us actually behave like adults.” My clipped tone was a deliberate response to him pushing my buttons. I thought this guy was an asshole on a good day and my patience was already worn thin.

  Garrison wore a cocky smirk on his face and I could tell he knew he had already crawled under my skin. “Jesus, Morgan! It sounds like someone around here needs to get laid.” I felt my frown lines deepen. “Speaking of getting laid, how is Samantha, by the way?”

  Lexi’s head snapped to mine. “Who’s Samantha?” She asked tilting her head to the side with her forehead wrinkled in confusion. Surprise was edged in her voice and not in a good way.

  “Oh.” Gage exclaimed, barely being able to contain his eagerness. “Didn’t Brad tell you? Samantha’s his girlfriend.”

  I slammed my beer on the counter and watched as the amber liquid bubbled out of the top of the bottle. I clenched my teeth and tried to regain my composure, but my words came out way more defensively than they should have. “No Garrison. Samantha is not my girlfriend.” My eyes cut to L
exi noticing her disappointment. We had resigned our relationship status to friends, but it was easy to tell that she was hurt. Things may have been casual between us up until now, but there was no denying that there was definitely more here than we wanted to admit to. And this conversation was not helping.

  “Right.” Garrison snorted. “Well, what is she then? A fuck buddy?”

  My hands automatically balled into fists as I lurched off the bar stool I was sitting on. I barely got my ass off the seat when I felt the force of Lucas’ meaty paw grab my shoulder. Garrison’s last comment was meant to start a fight, and we both knew it. Garrison and I had bad blood between us and he would like nothing better than to have me throw the first punch. He was goading me and I had clearly taken the bait.

  “You know what, Gage? You really are a classic asshole. But that’s no surprise to the rest of us.” I tried to take the moral high road and calmly insult him without putting my complete and utter rage on full display. He was proud that he angered me, but it was clear he understood how inappropriate his comment really was. I was beginning to think that maybe his arrogance was just a mask that he wore to hide what a dipshit he actually was.

  Breaking the ice, Lucas cut in with a warning tone directed towards Garrison. “I’m really not sure why you’re trying to start shit, but Brad and Samantha haven’t been an item for a while now, they broke up.”

  Garrison took a sip of his drink, seeming unfazed by the rebuke he just received. “Not according to her, they haven’t.”

  What was it with this guy? He must either have a death wish or he was banking on the idea that I wouldn’t confront him in front of Lexi. I was known to be calm, cool and collected under pressure. It pissed me off to no end that Garrison had calculated my reaction correctly.