Wild Boys - Heath (12 page)

His lips curved in a devilish grin. “You mean there are more important things than good sex?”

She swatted his chest.

“I’m kidding. Communication, compromise, having things in common in
and
out of the bedroom.” He turned his attention to the sauce, and his tone became serious. “Then there are
the key elements, the things that build the foundation of trust. Like honesty and compassion. The ability to put someone else’s needs ahead of your own.”

She leaned against the counter and listened to him reel off all of the things she’d been thinking about lately. “For a guy who’s so up on what it takes to build a good relationship, you’ve gone a long time without one.”

He lifted his
brows, still looking at the sauce.

“I have, too,” she added. “I think the things you mentioned are all keys to a successful relationship, but it’s interesting that we both reacted to being hurt in the same way.” She took plates from the cabinet and worked with Heath to drain the pasta and serve dinner.

Heath poured them each a glass of wine, and when they finally settled onto the barstools
at the counter to eat, he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

“I think there are two ways to react to being burned. People either protect themselves, which usually means putting up some sort of barriers against being hurt again—some thick and rigid, some more flexible—or they chalk it up as part of life and try to be more careful next time. I’m a wall builder. Obviously, you’re a wall
builder, too.”

She picked up her wineglass. “Here’s to tearing down those walls.”

Hers seemed to be
crashing
down lately.

After they ate, Heath got up to do the dishes.

“I’ll get those,” she said, coming around the counter to help.

“I’ve got it. You can look through the journals, or play with Fifi. I actually like doing dishes. It’s relaxing for me.” Fifi rubbed up against
his leg, and he smiled as he glanced down at her.

“Relaxing? Want to come over every evening about this time? I can arrange for a little relaxation time.”

He dried his hands on a towel and set the plate he was washing aside, then picked up Fifi and stroked her fur. “Yes, actually. That’s exactly what I want to do.”

Their eyes locked, and for a moment Ally forgot how to breathe. His
voice was dead serious, and the look in his eyes was equally earnest. Seeing him with Fifi did funny things to her, and Ally realized that she was falling for her
not-so-one-night
stand.

He kissed Fifi and set her down at his feet again. “Don’t freak out on me. I’m not turning into a possessive guy who is always around.”

She hooked her finger in the waist of his pants. “But you want to
be around more.”

He closed his eyes for a second and sighed. When he met her gaze again, he smiled and shrugged. “Is that so bad?”

“No. I like spending time with you. But I’m not an exciting person. You might get bored of me.”

He gathered her in his arms again—she loved the way he kept her close. “No chance, sweetheart. You’re not a plaything. You’re someone I admire.” He kissed her
softly. “You’re someone I enjoy talking to and spending time with.” He kissed her again, then patted her butt. “Go do something else or we’ll end up in your bed again, and I need to prove to you that our relationship is deeper than oral and orgasms.”

She laughed. “But you have to admit, the sex
is
amazing.”

“More than amazing,” he agreed.

Ally put the movie in the DVD player, chuckling
about
oral and orgasms
, then sat down with a medical journal and thumbed through it while Heath finished washing the dishes. Then they snuggled on the couch to watch the movie. They laughed a lot, though Ally cried when one of the characters was killed. Heath was quiet, sitting with his feet up on the coffee table, with Ally tucked beneath his arm. She felt so comfortable with him she wasn’t embarrassed
by her tears. It was as if they’d been cooking dinners and watching movies together forever. Fifi crashed in her bed beside the couch, and as Ally wiped her tears, she noticed Heath’s eyes were suspiciously damp, too. When the movie ended, Heath was uncharacteristically quiet.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yes. I was just thinking of my father. I forgot about the part of the movie where his
friend was killed.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but my father was killed a few years ago during a home invasion, while trying to protect my mother.”

Ally’s heart squeezed. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.” She pulled her legs up beneath her on the couch and moved closer to him. “Did they catch the person who did it?”

“The police didn’t, but my younger brother
Logan did. He’s a private investigator. He’d been tracking the guy when the guy broke into another house, where a woman and her young child were sleeping.” He paused and seemed to be weighing what he was going to say next. When he spoke, his tone was grave, his eyes sad. “The police didn’t act fast enough, but Logan did. He saved them.”

This was what nightmares were made of. She imagined his
brother following some crazy man into a house, knowing he had killed his father and blinded his mother, and the rage he must have felt. She could tell that Heath was holding something back, and she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “And the guy?”

“Logan took care of him. Logan’s not a cold-blooded killer, but the guy had a knife to the woman’s throat. He didn’t have a choice but to kill him
or the guy might have killed that woman and her child.” He drew in a deep breath, and his brows knitted together. “I haven’t shared that with anyone. I didn’t mean to lay it on you like that.” He scrubbed his hand down his solemn face and pulled her into his arms.

“Heath, that’s awful. And poor Logan, but at least he saved that woman and her child, and now your family knows that guy isn’t
lurking around somewhere.”

He pressed her closer to him and nodded against her cheek. “My job is to help people, but if I had been Logan, I would have probably done the same thing.”

She gazed into his eyes and saw a well of sadness. “Your father would be proud of him, and I’m sure he would have been proud of each of you, too, for taking such good care of your mother.”

“Some people
go their whole lives trying to gain their parents’ approval. We had it since the day we were born.”

The longing in his voice nearly did her in.

“You all must miss him terribly.”

“We do. Enough time has passed that losing my father has become part of who I am, rather than all-consuming. The first few weeks after he was killed were rough. I was so angry and so worried about my mother.
Not only about her safety, but for her emotional state as well. She’s a strong woman, and she tried to put up a good front, refusing to move from our childhood home after our father was killed and assuring us she was okay. How can anyone be okay after losing the person they love most?”

Ally swallowed against the thickening in her throat.

“As time passed, things got easier. My mother really
is a remarkable woman. I don’t know how she’s gone through losing the only man she ever loved to a random act of violence and losing her vision, and still she gives more than she’ll ever ask for.” His lips curved in a tentative smile. “She still sees the good all around her, even without sight.” His brows knitted together. “I don’t mean to be so maudlin.”

“Heath, please. I’ve learned more
about you in the last ten minutes than in the last two days. Well, not really, but almost.” She pressed her lips to his. “I like that you’re sharing this part of yourself with me. Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful man, and I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet him.”

“He would have liked you a lot.” Heath moved to the edge of the couch. “I should get going and let you get some rest.”

Ally felt closer to Heath than ever, and she wanted him to stay with her, even if just to sleep, though she’d like to do more. But she knew she was falling for him much harder than she thought possible after only a few days, and she didn’t trust herself not to tip over the edge and drown in a pool of emotions she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

They kissed good night, and after he closed
the door, she leaned her back against it, wishing he hadn’t left. She peered out the peephole and saw him standing, arms crossed, eyes serious. He took a step back toward the door, then ran his hand through his hair and turned to leave.

She looked at the couch where he’d opened up to her, the kitchen where they’d cooked dinner, to the bed just beyond, where they’d made love. She should be
filled to the hilt with those warm memories, but as she bent to pick up Fifi and smelled Heath’s cologne on her fur, she missed Heath too much to feel anything other than lonely.

THURSDAY EVENING HEATH pushed open the doors of NightCaps and took a quick visual sweep of the crowd, searching for his brothers. His eyes landed on his buddy Dylan Bad, the owner of NightCaps, standing behind the bar. Dylan waved, and Heath made his way toward him.

Dylan’s dark eyes widened with his friendly smile. “Haven’t seen you around much, Heath. How’s it going?”

“Great, thanks. How’re things with you? How’re your brothers?” Like Heath, Dylan had three brothers. The Bads and the Wilds had grown up together, and they’d lived up to their names, spending their youths getting into mischief, although Heath had always been a little more careful than the rest of them. As the eldest, Heath had felt a responsibility toward keeping his younger siblings safe,
and he’d taken that responsibility very seriously.

He nodded toward a table in the corner, where Mick Bad, Dylan’s eldest brother, sat with Logan, Jackson, and Cooper.

“The Bads and the Wilds, at it again.” Dylan laughed. He slid a bottle of beer across the bar to Heath. “Logan said you’ve got a girlfriend now.”

Leave it to Logan to apply a little indirect pressure. Ever since he’d
fallen in love with Stormy, who used to work at Dylan’s bar, he’d been singing the praises of love and monogamy.

“Logan’s right, although I’m not sure why he’s talking about my personal life.” Heath sipped his beer to hide the grin spreading across his lips from thinking about Ally.

“Cut him a break. He just said that you might blow them off to spend time with her.” Dylan took the towel
that had been hanging over his shoulder and wiped down the bar. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I wouldn’t blame you. Spend time with a babe, or spend time with that crew? Easy choice in my eyes.”

Heath laughed. “Thanks for the brew. Good to catch up.” He crossed the crowded floor, weaving around tables and clusters of people and heading toward the sound of his brothers’ laughter.

Logan turned just as Heath noticed Amanda, Ally’s sister, sitting at a nearby booth with a guy who was wearing a suit and sitting pin straight, like he was on a job interview. Heath stopped midstride and looked around for Ally.

“Hey, bro. What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Logan pushed a chair out from the table with his foot. “Have a seat.”

Heath shook off his surprise
and sucked back his beer as he lowered himself onto the chair. Questions ricocheted through his mind, the most prominent being,
Where is Ally?
She’d said she was going out with her sister. Heath pulled out his cell to check the last few texts from her.

“Jackson and Coop were just telling us about that upcoming photo shoot for Sage Remington, that sculptor you like. Stormy wants to go, so I’m
sure we’ll rearrange our schedules to go. Why don’t you and your
girlfriend
join us?”

Sage Remington was Heath’s favorite sculptor. Normally he’d be all over this opportunity, but he was too sidetracked over Ally to respond.

“I guess the zoo worked out for you, then?” Jackson asked.

“Zoo? What have I missed this week?” Cooper, their youngest brother, leaned across the table and eyed
Heath. The top few buttons of his dress shirt were open. Cooper’s tie hung loosely around his neck, and the new beard he’d been sporting lately gave him a swarthy look.

Heath let his brothers bounce their questions around for a while and quickly scanned his texts from Ally. None of them mentioned her plans for tonight. Of course they didn’t. That would have been difficult to fit in between
I can’t wait to get my hands on you again
and
Wear your favorite tie next time I see you.
He hadn’t even thought to ask her about her plans again. He was tempted to call her, but he didn’t want to look like a jealous asshole. Nor did he want to feel like one. But much to his dismay, he had the jealous part down pat.

“Cut him some slack. You guys are worse than my brothers.” Mick lifted his
beer and winked at Heath.

“Heath going out on a real date is newsworthy. I want to hear the zoo story.” Cooper narrowed his midnight-blue eyes and leaned back in his chair. “Spill your guts, bro, or I for one will hassle you
all night long
.” He said
all night long
really slowly, a sly smile spreading across his face.

Heath wanted to call Ally, or at least text her, without the pressure
of his brothers hanging over his shoulder. He knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for her not being out with her sister tonight, but that didn’t stop his gut from churning. He shoved his phone in his pocket rather than try to iron things out right this second. He eyed Amanda and then turned his attention back to his brothers.

“You want the scoop?” he asked Cooper.

“Heck, yeah,”
Cooper said. “Jackson and I shot a lingerie commercial at the zoo once. Remember that, Jackson? That was some freaky shit. We hooked up with the models afterward.”

“
That
was some freaky shit,” Jackson said with a smirk.

“Well, there wasn’t any freaky shit to speak of on our date. We walked around the zoo at night. End of story.” He sucked back his beer, unable to resist texting Ally. He
was about to pull out his phone when Logan drew his brows together and leaned closer.

“Something wrong?” Logan asked.

Heath shook his head. “Nope.”

“I told you,” Logan said. “Give me a little background info and I can have everything you want to know in ten minutes.”