Craving Lucy (4 page)

Just because Jenna had gone to rehab didn’t mean that she was going to be fine when she got home. Drake had once told me that rehab was the easy part. In there you didn’t have temptation glaring at you around every corner. There were people who understood what you were going through, people who shared your pain and your cravings. Out in the real world, unless you had a good support system around you, your chances of slipping up doubled. Of course, considering how many times Drake had been to rehab before he’d finally taken it seriously, the support system meant nothing unless you were ready to face your addiction head on.

“I told her she needed to tell her brothers and sister. She promised to consider it.” He leaned back in his chair and started rubbing my feet again, seeming distracted. “If she doesn’t break up with Tessa, then I’m going to find a new place to live.”

“Really?” I bit my lip when I realized how loud my voice had been. I wasn’t going to lie. The very thought of Harris under the same roof as Tessa had been eating at me. Countless times I’d imagined that the reason he hadn’t texted or called me was because he was tangled up in his sheets with that chick. “Really?” I repeated, my tone quieter this time. 

A small grin teased at Harris’s lips. “Yes, really. Would that make you happy?”

My brows lifted. I was ecstatic about the possibility of him having his own place, but this wasn’t about me. “It isn’t about if it will make me happy, Harris. It’s about whether or not
you
will be happy. You and Jenna have been roommates since you were eighteen. You both own that apartment. Will you be happy not living there if she does decide not to breakup with Tessa?”

Aquamarine eyes darkened and he moved so fast that I nearly yelped in surprise when two large hands grasped my waist and pulled me off the gurney and onto his lap. My uninjured hand gripped his shoulder while my thighs straddled his waist. This close I could practically taste his slightly minty breath as he exhaled. “Want to know what would really make me happy?” he muttered in a near growl.

Being so close to him, sitting on his lap where I could feel every hard ridge of his jeans as he pressed up against me, was making me more than a little dizzy. Unconsciously I licked my dry lips. His aquamarine eyes followed the movement and I felt more than heard the groan as it left him.

“Wh-what would make you happy?” I whispered.

“Getting to kiss my girlfriend again.” He brushed his nose against mine, teasing me with the skimming of his lips over my top one.

I jerked back a little, breaking contact with his lips even though my heart was yelling at me that I was an idiot. That kissing him was the only important thing at the moment. There it was again, that one crazy word that held so much power.
Girlfriend.
It messed with my brain, made me think all kinds of stupid things. “Am I?”

“Fuck, yes. You might not want your dad to know about us yet, but you are definitely my girlfriend.” One of his big hands left my waist and lifted to smooth over my hair. He grimaced. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before, though. I might be bad at this whole relationship thing.”

“Oh, you mean like going almost two weeks without contacting the chick that you claim is your girlfriend?” I demanded, but I was smirking when he gave me a sheepish grin.

How the hell did he do this to me? How could I go from pissed-off and hurt one minute to so damn happy in the next? Harris Cutter was going to be my destruction.

“Yeah, exactly like that. You scare me, Lucy.” He tugged me back toward him, his lashes lowering so that I couldn’t see his eyes. Blocking me out as he made a confession that melted all the remaining ice that had been around my heart, making me hurt, over the last eleven days. “Sometimes it feels like I have no control over what you do to me. You own me.”

My heart stopped, clenched hard, and started racing. I fell forward, so weak from what he’d just admitted that I couldn’t hold myself up. Pressing my face into his hard chest, I sucked in one deep breath after another, fighting the tears that had been threatening to fall all evening. “Y-you can’t say things like that.”

His hands tangled in my hair. “Yeah?” I felt his lips on top of my head as one errant tear spilled from my eyes and fell onto his shirt. “Why is that?”

“Because you make me fall in love with you even more and it scares the hell out of me,” I whispered. If he was admitting to being scared, then it was only fair that I told him what scared me. It was terrifying, though, putting myself out there like this, speaking aloud the words that had been suffocating me for so long.

I felt him freeze. With my head still against his chest I could hear his heartbeat, knew exactly when it stopped only for it to start racing just as fast as my own was. His hands in my hair tightened, tugging until my head was back enough that he could see my face. “You love me?”

There was no use in lying, not when it felt so good—and still so scary—to say the words out loud. “I’ve loved you since I was twelve years old. Maybe longer.”

Something twisted across his face and he shook his dark head. “You’re going to drive me to madness. You realize that, right?”

My lips twitched as I fought back a grin. I liked that I could do that do him; it was nice to know that he wasn’t the one with all the power after all. “It’s only fair, since you do the same to me.”

“I’m going to kiss you, Lucy.”

“Why are you telling me? Just do it.” I licked my lips. They were already aching for the pressure of his mouth on them.

“Because I’m hoping that I can control myself and keep it to just a kiss.” He leaned his forehead against my own, his breaths coming out in hard shudders, as if he were fighting for control. “Help me, Lucy. Make sure I don’t do something I shouldn’t.”

Leaning into him I rolled my eyes, making him laugh. “Okay, relax. No way am I going to let you get out of hand because a) we’re in a hospital with germs everywhere and my bodyguard on the other side of the door. So yeah, gross. And b) I’m not ready to have sex with you.” I brushed my lips over the corner of his mouth. “I love you, Harris, but I’m just not ready for that.”

Strong arms tightened around my waist. “Good. I’m glad. Just kick my ass if I try to disrespect that decision. Okay?”

“Yeah, I will. I promise. Now shut up and kiss me before that slutty nurse comes back.”

Dark brows lifted. “Jealous?”

An unattractive snort escaped me. “Please…” When he just continued to look at me with those damn brows lifted, I grimaced. “Yeah. A little.”

He flashed his dimples at me. “Was that so hard to admit?” I shrugged—he wasn’t ever going to get a verbal answer for that stupid question—and he chuckled. “You don’t have anything to ever be jealous about, Lu. I don’t see anyone but you.”

“I’m still waiting to be kissed,” I grumbled.

“Spoiled,” he said, teasing me, but I was the one with the last word when I covered his smiling mouth with my own and took the kiss I was aching for.

Lucy

My mouth was still swollen from that kiss when the nurse returned with my ibuprofen and the bag of ice. I ignored her as she found one reason after another to linger in my small triage room before the radiology tech showed up to take me to get x-rays for my hand.

Harris and Marcus followed behind the thirty-something man with a receding hairline and nice eyes who was transporting me in a wheelchair that I’d told him I didn’t need, but he’d insisted on. He took a handful of x-rays of my hand in different positions before wheeling me back to my room.

When the tech opened the door to my triage exam room, I was surprised to find my parents waiting for me. My mom wrapped me in her arms before I’d even had time to stand up. “Are you okay?” she demanded, tears shining in her chocolate-brown eyes.

“Mom, I’m fine.” I tried to assure her but she was grasping my hand with fingers that trembled to examine it for herself.

I bit my lip, realizing that she was so scared because this probably brought back bad memories for her of the night my biological father had taken me. She’d been in the hospital herself after having the twins when my dad and Nik had brought me in. My face had been swollen, bloody and I’d been in the most physical pain I’d ever felt in my life. That was the night I had started calling Layla ‘Mom’. That was the night I realized how lucky I was to have her and Jesse Thornton to love and protect me.

I glanced over her shoulder to take a look at my dad. He didn’t look like he’d just beaten some guy to death so I released a relieved sigh. When Harris had said he’d texted my dad and was letting him deal with the douchebag that had said those disgusting things to me, I was sure that the next time I saw Jesse he’d be behind bars wearing an ugly orange jumpsuit.

When he caught my gaze his ever-changing brown eyes were full of concern. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Honest, Daddy. I’m fine.” My mom stepped back and Dad moved forward, wrapping his arms around me in a hard hug.

When he finally released me after what felt like the longest hug in the history of hugs, he turned his eyes on Harris. “Thanks for taking care of my baby girl.” He held out his hand and Harris readily shook it. “And thanks for letting me handle the preppy.”

“Is he still breathing?” Harris asked with a smirk.

“Emmie wouldn’t let me touch him,” Jesse grumbled. “His nose was still bleeding and one of his eyes had swollen shut from the broken nose. But he pretty much pissed his pants when Nik and I walked in.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t take Drake and Shane with you, too, just to really scare the guy.” I sat on the small gurney and Layla took the chair Harris had been in all evening.

“Drake and Lana have the twins,” Layla told me. “And Shane is with Harper in Paris until the weekend. Trust me, baby. Drake wanted to go, but between Lana and the girls they wouldn’t let him leave the house. You need to text him and let him know you’re okay.”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip. I hated that Drake was upset over this. Damn, I never should have left the house tonight. “O-okay,” I murmured and pulled my phone from my back pocket. I’d turned the ringer off earlier because everyone was blowing it up, so when I saw all the missed texts and calls from everyone in my family my heart clenched. Five of the missed calls were from Lana and Drake’s home number.

Before I could even slide my finger over their number, the door opened and in walked Dr. Levin with the slutty Nurse Frost. With three people already in the small room, the doctor and nurse made me feel almost claustrophobic in there, but I wasn’t about to ask anyone of them to leave… Except for the nurse who was still eyeballing my boyfriend. That bitch had to go.

The doctor’s eyes went from me to my parents, lingering appreciatively on my mom for a few seconds longer than my dad liked, given the way he growled at the guy. Dr. Levin quickly shifted his gaze away. “The x-rays look good. No fractures. Your hand is just badly sprained, Miss Thornton. Sometimes that can feel just as bad if not worse than an actual break. Nurse Frost is going to put a soft cast on to keep the hand immobile, but I suggest following up with your regular doctor next week.”

The nurse stepped forward with the soft cast and some paperwork, which she handed to Layla to sign. When everything was taken care of, the nurse walked us out to the waiting room where Kin and Jace were still waiting with Aunt Emmie and Nik. Marcus went to get my SUV, but Jesse told him to just drive it on home. I guess I was riding with them.

“Everything okay?” Aunt Emmie asked as she wrapped her arms around me but her question was directed at my mom and dad.

“Nothing broken,” Jesse assured her. “Follow up with her regular doctor.” Nik handed him cup of coffee and he drained the small cup in one swallow. “Fuck, that’s weak.”

“Sorry, bro. Not everyone believes in making coffee so strong you could eat it with a spoon.” Nik took his turn hugging me before grasping Aunt Emmie’s hand. “Let’s go home.”

I looked up at Harris who was standing with Jace. They had both ridden with me and Kin in the Range Rover, but since my dad had sent Marcus on home I didn’t know how they were going to get home or back to the club. A glance at my phone’s screen showed me that it wasn’t all that late. They could still go back to First Bass if they wanted.

Catching my gaze on him, Harris gave me a small smile. “I’m going to catch a cab back to the club with Jace. I need to make sure they didn’t have any problems.”

Disappointment made my heart clench. I’d hoped he would come home with me or would have at least wanted to ride with us and we could have dropped him and Jace off. I wanted a goodbye kiss. Something. Anything. But he was keeping his distance.

Forcing a smile for everyone else who was watching, I nodded. “Okay.”

Aquamarine eyes darkened and he took a step toward me before pausing and glancing toward Jesse, who was too busy talking to Nik to notice. I grimaced. I was the one who didn’t want to tell my dad about us just yet. If I was feeling disappointed right now, it was my own fault.

I thought about just blurting it out right then and there, letting everyone that was standing in our group know that I was with Harris no
w—
that he was my boyfrien
d—
but my parents had had enough excitement and reasons to want to kill people tonight.

“I’ll call you,” Harris promised and hugged me against him. I felt his lips touching the top of my head. Because it was something he always did, no one questioned it. “I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow and we’ll have dinner. To make up for not getting to yesterday.”

He started to step back but my hands wrapped around him, holding on for a few extra seconds. He pressed another kiss to the top of my head and carefully untangled my arms. “Goodnight, Lu.”

Kin wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned her head against my shoulder as Harris and Jace said goodnight to everyone else and headed for the door. I laid my head against hers. “You okay?” I asked. She’d been left in the waiting room with Jace for over an hour.

A shuddery sigh left my friend. “Nope,” she told me honestly, “but I will be.”

Harris

Something tickling my cheek had me jerk awake with a suddenness that left my stomach protesting.

Opening my eyes, I frowned up at the culprit smiling down at me innocently. “Hey there, tall, dark, and yummy.”

I sat up fast, quickly taking in my surroundings. After a few seconds of frowning at the room I was in, I began to relax. I was at Jace’s apartment because I hadn’t wanted to go back to my own. Tessa was still there and I didn’t trust her not to try and start trouble. I had a feeling that Tessa suspected that Jenna might break up with her when she got home and, even though I didn’t know Tessa all that well, I wouldn’t put it past her to make life for me as hellish as possible until she got the boot.

Rubbing sleep from my eyes with the heel of my hands, I shook the last of the fog from my head before turning my attention back to the chick who had been tickling my face with her long hair. She was easy enough to look at, and from the look of her, easy, period.

Who the fuck was she?

Jace and I hadn’t gotten to his place until after four that morning, and I’d passed out on the couch before he’d even called it a night. Jet lag and stressing over Lucy had drained me to the point that I hadn’t even cared where I fell asleep.

I did know, however, that neither of us had brought a girl back with us. Which only left one other explanation. Grayson Knight, guitarist and all-around badass motherfucker, was Jace’s roommate as well as his band-brother. And the chick standing over me, eyeing me and obviously enjoying the fact that all I was wearing was my boxers, was definitely Grayson’s type.

Cheaply dyed blond hair, nice tits, voluptuous ass, and more importantly—easy. Grayson was one hell of a guitarist, but his hard work and talent sometimes didn’t go any further than the edge of a stage. He wanted the easy lay because it meant that it would be easy to get rid of her the next morning. The rocker didn’t do commitment, and he sure as hell didn’t do next-morning drama. I liked the guy, respected his skills, but in all honesty the dude was a total douchebag the majority of the time.

“What’s your name?” the blonde asked, dropping down onto the couch beside me.

“It’s ‘mind your own damn business’,” Jace grumbled as he walked into the living room with two mugs of coffee. Handing one over to me, my friend took his usual chair angled toward the flat screen on the wall. “Hooker, go get your fucking clothes on and leave me and my friend alone. We aren’t interested in sloppy seconds, especially when they come from Gray.”

The chick gasped, obviously offended, but Jace didn’t spare her so much as a look. I didn’t want to get into this shit. It was way too early to be dealing with hoes walking around my friend’s apartment. Taking a deep swallow of the hot coffee Jace had given me, I leaned my head back against the couch and closed my eyes.

As soon as the mug was empty I was going to have to go up two floors to my own apartment and get ready for work. I’d promised Lucy dinner, but I still had to go into the club tonight. With Tainted Knights performing, I couldn’t be spared. Things always went crazy with those five fuckers in house.

Thinking of Lucy, I couldn’t suppress the smile that lifted my lips. Taking another swallow of the strongly brewed coffee, I opened my eyes and leaned forward to snatch my phone off the beat-up coffee table in front of me. It was hard to believe that Jace and Grayson had bought all the furniture in this apartment when it was brand new. With all the parties they’d thrown over the last eight months or so, their new things looked like pure crap now.

Swiping my finger across the screen on my iPhone, I saw that it was three in the afternoon and I only had one text from Lucy. Pulling it up I was a little disappointed to see that it was just the reply to my ‘goodnight baby’ after I’d texted her on my way home with Jace in the early morning hours.

Night. Can’t wait for dinner. <3

PS-Don’t call me baby!!!

Chuckling, I hit connect on her name and waited for her to pick up. When it went straight to voicemail I blew out a disappointed sigh and waited for her message to end so I could speak. “If ‘baby’ is out, then what am I allowed to call you? Want me to go all Tennessee country boy on you and call you ‘darlin’? ‘Cause I can do that if you’d rather.” I’d only spent a few months a year in Tennessee when I was kid, but I could imitate a good country drawl if only to make my girl giggle.

Ending the call I turned my attention back to my coffee and the flat screen that was now tuned to ESPN.

With a huff, the chick who had been silently seething beside me got to her feet and walked in front of me on her way to the bathroom. I barely blinked as she paused for a second in front of me to block my view of the TV with her huge ass. Seriously, were those silicone implants? I tried not to laugh, but couldn’t hide it, earning me a frosty glare.

“Grayson left a few hours ago, hooker. Take the hint. Get the fuck out,” Jace called out seconds before the bathroom door slammed shut behind her.

“Doing dinner with Lucy?” Jace finally took his eyes of the sports talk show that was on and glanced at me.

Swallowing the last of my coffee, I set the mug on the coffee table and nodded. “Figured I would take her somewhere special. Any ideas where a guy can take a girl on their first date that offers some privacy, but not so much that I’m tempted to seduce her before the main course arrives?”

Jace snorted. “Fuck, dude. I haven’t been on a date since I left Bristol. All I know is how to order the perfect pizza from that place down the street and that tofu shit isn’t as bad as I first thought it would be as long as you add half a bottle of hot sauce to it.”

“Some help you are,” I grumbled and pulled my pants on as I stood. Tossing my shirt over my shoulders, I picked up my keys. “I’m outta here. See you tonight.”

“Yeah. You see Kin, tell her to answer her fucking phone.” His gaze was back on the TV, but I knew his mind was not on the predictions of who would be going to the Super Bowl in February.

“Or here’s an idea…” I stopped at the door with my hand on the knob. “You could go over to her dad’s place and see her. Just a thought.”

With Jace shooting me the finger, I was still laughing when I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for my floor. The laugh faded when I stood outside my apartment door, trying to determine if I really needed a shower and fresh clothes or not. Gritting my teeth, I opened the door and stepped into the quiet living room. Because there was no trashy chick sitting on my couch watching something on E! Network, I knew that Tessa wasn’t home.