All Messed Up: Windy City Kink, Book 2 (12 page)

There was more to it than that, of course. Lots more. But at least she knew a little bit. And her imagination could fill in some of the rest. Like how much he was hurting. How much he’d been hurt as a little boy. How he’d come there to see his real dad, maybe thinking he’d find a dad who cared about him and instead, he’d been hurt again.

She squeezed her eyes against the tears that stung the corners. Sheesh. She didn’t need to get all weepy. It wasn’t her story. It wasn’t her pain. And yet…she felt it.

“Mallory.” He whispered her name against her hair. “Thank you for coming.”

She nodded, throat too thick to speak.

His hands gentled on her, moving over her body, up and down her back. Awareness filtered through her of his naked upper body pressed against her, the smooth hot skin of his shoulders beneath her hands. She petted over them, toyed with the short hair at the nape of his neck and breathed in his scent, warm and male.

“Stay with me,” he murmured. “Please.”

She nodded. “For a while.”

They sat like that for a long time, and then Joe turned her and lowered her to the bed, coming down beside her. He pulled her up against his chest and their legs twined together and again they stayed there, wrapped up in each other in the hushed room.

“Thank you for coming,” he whispered, kissing her temple.

Languor stole over her, relaxing her muscles, pushing her down into the soft mattress. Joe’s warmth surrounded her and the sleep that had eluded her earlier crept up on her.

She shouldn’t go to sleep. But just for a few minutes… Joe’s breathing had slowed and deepened. He was asleep. Or maybe passed out. She would lie there for a little while with him and then sneak out…

She awoke sharply and had no idea how much later it was until she managed to get her watch in front of her face. God! Four in the morning! She had to get out of there.

Joe still held her, hands firm on her body. They were both a little sweaty from being plastered against each other like that for hours. She wriggled herself free, watching a notch form between Joe’s eyebrows, hearing his mumbled protest. But he didn’t awaken.

She stood there for a moment, looking at him. He threw one arm up over his head, revealing the soft inside of his arm beneath the curve of his biceps and the dark tuft of hair there. Leaving him once again wrenched at her heart.

Hopefully he’d be okay. He probably wouldn’t feel so good in the morning. But at least he’d stopped drinking when she got there. She reached out a hand to touch his thick hair and trace her fingertips over his forehead. With a soft sigh, she found her purse and her flip-flops and let herself out of the hotel room, holding the door so it closed quietly.

Chapter Twelve

Mallory had the car in the driveway, the keys on the hook and was back in her bed before her parents woke that morning. Somehow she managed to get a few more hours sleep, but when she awoke, her pelvis felt full and achy and she was disappointed to realize she was alone in her bed. She’d been dreaming of Joe. Dreaming she was still in bed with Joe.

She exhaled heavily.

Joe. Worry assailed her and she rolled over and reached for her phone which she’d set on the table beside the bed. No calls or messages for him. Probably still sleeping. Or maybe he was fine and was busy. But doing what? His trip hadn’t gone exactly as he’d probably hoped.

She showered and dressed and found her mom in the kitchen drinking coffee and flipping through cookbooks.

“You’re up,” Mom said with a smile. “Feel better today?”

And then guilt smacked her in the back of the head at what she’d done last night. “I do,” she said. Even though her sleep had been interrupted, those few hours with Joe had been wonderfully restorative.

“Have some breakfast,” Mom continued. “And then we can go out.”

“Where are we going?”

“Wherever you want. It’s your vacation.”

Mallory nodded as she poured coffee into a mug. “I didn’t really have anything in mind.”

“We could go shopping. Or the beach.”

“Shopping sounds fun.” She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice.

So after she’d eaten some cereal and drank her coffee, they went shopping at a nearby mall then stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant that had an attractive outdoor patio. Sitting in the warm sun, drinking more coffee, Mallory let some of the tension ease out of her. Until her phone buzzed.

She picked it up and glanced at the text message. It was from Joe.
Hey gorgeous. Sorry about last night. But thanks.

She hesitated then thumbed in a response.
No problem. Feel okay today?

“I hope that’s not business,” Mom said, eyeing the phone.

Mallory smiled. “No. A friend.”

Her phone buzzed again. “Sorry, Mom.” She read Joe’s next message.
Feel like shit. Serves me right. What r u doing today?

She set the phone down and tapped her fingers on the table as the server listed off the day’s specials. She didn’t hear a word.

Why was he asking that? Did he want to see her? Did she want to see him?

Of course she did.

The question was, should she see him? And how would she explain him to her parents?

“I’ll give you a few minutes to decide,” the young waiter said with a smile.

“That salad sounds really good,” Mom said.

“Mmm. Yeah.” She had no idea what it was. She picked up her menu.

Joe was all alone here. After his crushing disappointment yesterday, what was he going to do all by himself in California for a week? She didn’t know if he knew anyone else here. He hadn’t mentioned it, so she didn’t think so. Why did this make her heart go all soft and warm and make her want to go to him? His confession last night had been at odds with the image he’d portrayed the rest of their time together—easygoing, not taking life too seriously, spontaneous and looking for fun. Instead she’d seen a man in pain. She still suspected most of his feelings had been hidden behind the facade of I-don’t-give-a-shit, but the alcohol he’d consumed had lowered some of those walls and given her a glimpse of the hurt he’d been feeling for a long time.

“I’m going to have that seafood salad,” Mom announced, closing her menu. “How about you?”

Mallory blinked. Lunch. Right. She focused on the menu. She didn’t really care what she ate. “I think I’ll have the bacon, tomato and avocado sandwich,” she said, zeroing in on something. “Avocado is always good in California.”

“True.”

Mallory’s gaze returned to her phone.

An image of Joe as a little boy slipped into her mind, and she pictured the disappointment on his face as his dad left him at home while he took his two older brothers out somewhere. The imagined hurt became a real ache behind her breastbone. God. He’d really gotten to her. This was crazy.

Now he was probably wondering why she wasn’t answering. Thinking she was ignoring him. “I need to quickly send a text,” she said apologetically to her mom, picking up her phone.

Having lunch with my mom right now.

And she waited while her mom chatted about the pots of flowers near them and what a pretty combination the pink and coral impatiens were with similar-colored petunia and blue lobelia. Mom had always been an avid gardener.

Her phone buzzed.
Nice. How about dinner later?

Why? Was it because he was lonely? Still upset about his biological father? Was it because she was the only person here he knew? This wasn’t supposed to go beyond that crazy interlude in the airport because of their flight being delayed. And yet…her heart reached out to him, and some kind of powerful tug of something pulled at her. Attraction? Yes. Lust? Definitely. Sympathy? That too. But it was more than those things, an indefinable feeling of liking him. Affection. Caring. Who knew?

She looked at her mom. “Would it be okay with you guys if I went out for dinner with a friend tonight?”

Mom’s eyes widened. “Oh. Well. Sure. I guess you do have friends here you’ve kept in touch with. Who is it?”

“It’s… I don’t think you know him. His name is Joe. Joe Mason.”

“Ah.” Mom’s eyebrows lifted. “A man.” Then her head tipped and she tapped a finger on her chin. “Is that why you’re here? Is there something else you were going to tell us?”

Ack! Mom had put two and two together and gotten five, or maybe ten, clearly leaping to some hugely erroneous conclusions. “No! No, it’s not like that. He’s more of an acquaintance, visiting here, and he doesn’t know anyone else, so…he asked if I’d have dinner with him. I…” She swallowed and stretched her lips into a smile. “I kind of feel sorry for him.”

“It’s fine, hon, go ahead.” But Mom didn’t look convinced. Jeez.

She didn’t want her parents thinking she’d come there to visit some guy. And she still hadn’t talked to them about the real reason she was there. Which she wouldn’t be able to do if she went out with Joe. “I probably should stay home with you guys,” she said, with a pinch of regret inside her.

“You have all week with us!” Mom said. “It’s fine, really.”

Mallory stared at her phone again.

She’d lived her adult life trying not to let people down, especially her parents. She’d tried to avoid doing things she’d regret. She had enough regrets. Already with Joe she’d thrown all that out the window, even last night, sneaking out of the house without telling her parents. She was a grown woman who certainly didn’t need to ask their permission to go out, and it shouldn’t matter where she was going. If she really wanted to act like a grown woman, she should have been honest with them instead of sneaking around. But there was no denying the rush of excitement that sneaking out had given her.

What did that say about her? God, she was acting just like she had when she’d been seventeen, sneaking out, staying out all night, dating and yes, having sex with boys, and then that most catastrophic relationship that had very nearly destroyed several people’s lives. The guilt and regret from that would be with her always, coloring her worldview and influencing her choices in life. And yet the thrill of doing something forbidden teased her, like an addict tempted by one more hit after being clean for years.

But…Joe. He meant something to her, more than just the rush from risky sex and naughty adventure. She’d been concerned about him, and his confession last night had opened something in her heart, something that made her want to be with him, a strange feeling of longing for something she wasn’t even sure she could name.

Her choice at that moment wasn’t really between Joe and her parents. Her choice was between honesty and deceit. They both carried a risk—the risk of letting people down, the risk of disappointing them, the risk that they might not love her anymore. She wasn’t sure if Joe was worth that risk, but she did know that she couldn’t lie to her parents and sneak around behind their backs. She took a deep breath.

“I met Joe on the plane,” she said to her mom. “He was the guy who was helping me with my suitcase at the airport yesterday. He just got some bad news and wants to see me again.”

Mom’s forehead creased. “You just met him on the plane? And he wants to have dinner with you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think that’s wise? To go out with a man you don’t even know?”

Mallory sipped her coffee. “I’ve been asking myself that question too. I don’t know if it’s wise or not, Mom. But I want to go.” She met her mother’s eyes and held her gaze. This was her, being an adult. Being honest.

Mom’s eyes widened a little, then she nodded. “Well. You know best. I know he’s not likely a serial killer, but you do need to be careful these days.”

Mallory nodded. “I know. I date guys all the time in Chicago, Mom. I’m not stupid about it.”

“I know you’re not stupid.” Mom made a face.

“He’s a police officer,” Mallory added. “A lieutenant in the SWAT team.”

“Oh.” Mom’s face relaxed a little.

“Will you be disappointed…if I go out tonight?” It was hard to even ask that question because if Mom said she would, Mallory wasn’t sure what she was going to do about that.

“No, no, of course not. I already said that. You have all week with us. And we have the rest of the afternoon together.”

Mallory nodded and picked up her phone. “Okay. I’ll let him know.” She texted Joe back one word.
Okay.

Despite several aspirin, Joe’s temples still throbbed. Thank God for sunglasses, or he would have spent the day in his room with the blinds drawn. Instead, after sleeping all morning, he was managing to get some fresh air into his lungs, venturing outside and finding the beach. He sat on a bench looking out at the ocean, blue and silver and cream, the breeze ruffling his hair and cooling his heated face. He closed his eyes. The cries of seagulls mingled with the whoosh of waves onto the shore.

He felt lost. Didn’t know what to do with himself. He debated calling the airline to see if he could change his flight and go back to Chicago sooner than the weekend. But he’d booked his vacation in California and he was going to stay and enjoy it. He’d go tour the Queen Mary, maybe later, maybe tomorrow. He’d go to Knott’s Berry Farm. He’d even go to effing Disneyland. Why the hell not.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about Mallory. About how she’d come to the hotel last night to see him and how he’d spilled his guts. Fuck! Embarrassing or what? The only other person who had any idea how rejected he’d felt by his dad—the man he’d grown up thinking of as his dad—was Kevin, and that was only because he was good at figuring things out.

That alone should be enough to make him head back to Chicago with his tail tucked firmly down the crack of his ass. He really didn’t ever have to see her again, if he was embarrassed by the fact that she knew such excruciating details of his personal life.

But he wanted to see her again. And he had to admit, part of the reason he didn’t want to leave California was because she was there.

So he texted her. They messaged back and forth and then he totally lost it and asked her to have dinner with him. Christ. He couldn’t take it back.

But she wasn’t answering.

He stared at the phone. His chest tightened. For fuck’s sake, it wasn’t that big a deal. She’d come to visit her parents, not hang out with him because he was a sad lonely fuck. Whatever. He gazed out at the ocean.

His phone pinged. He jerked and glanced at her response.
Okay.

She’d agreed to have dinner with him. A big smile crashed across his face and he slumped back on the bench. Okay. Good. He sent another quick text telling her he’d call her later, then energized, he surged to his feet and started to walk.

He’d seen a nice restaurant not far from the hotel. Italian. Or maybe if he went to pick her up they should eat somewhere in Anaheim. But if that was the case he had no idea where they’d go. He could ask Mallory, of course.

He passed the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the harbor, watching boats and doing the tour of the Queen Mary, trying not to think about his visit to his biological father last night. All that alcohol hadn’t been enough to blur the memory of it, so he tried to push it away and ignore it.

Back in his hotel room, he sat on the bed and called Mallory’s cell number. She answered right away.

“Hey,” he said. “How was your day?”

“Good. Went shopping and had lunch with my mom. It was nice.”

“What time should I pick you up?”

“You don’t have to come all the way here,” she protested. “My mom says I can use her car. I’ll meet you somewhere.”

He frowned. But it made sense. “Okay. But do you want me to come to Anaheim? I don’t know any restaurants there.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t mind driving there.”

“I saw a nice place today near here, and the travel magazine in the room says it’s really good. Emilio’s.”

“Oh, it is really good. I’ve heard of it. It’s expensive though.”

“Eh. What’s money for. Okay, we’ll go there. Why don’t you come meet me at the hotel then, and we can walk there from here?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll make a reservation for seven, if I can. Can you be here by then?”

“Sure. Sounds good.” She paused. “See you in a while.”

He ended the call and smiled. Awesome.

When the knock came on his door about fifteen minutes before seven, his heart bumped against his ribs. She was here.

He opened the door for her and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Her answering smile was wry. “How’re you feeling, lieutenant?”

He grinned. “Better now. Sorry about last night. Come on in.”

She walked in past him, a drift of sexy floral scent following in her wake and teasing his nose. He shut the door and followed her. “You look amazing,” he said.

She looked down at the short black skirt and sparkly tank top she wore. “Thanks. I didn’t have much to wear to a fancy restaurant.”

His gaze wandered down her bare legs. Holy shit, she had great legs. And…bare feet in flip-flops, narrow metallic black straps crossing the top of her elegant feet, those red toenails perfect and sexy. And…a silver toe ring. He swallowed.