Love Hurts (17 page)

“
Audrey.” She smiled back. “And a word of advice, don’t let life get you down, because it’s short. And just when you think it sucks, something is right around the corner to make it all worth it.”

Dylan entered the
Lone Bar
with her friends. Immediately she noticed Frankie sitting in the booth chatting it up with the blonde waitress. Her friends without delay went up to get drinks.

Sam, her old pal from high school turned around. “Dylan come on. What are you waiting for? I know that test was just as brutal on you as it was the rest of us.”

Dylan smiled but didn’t join. She kept her eyes glued on Frankie, who hadn’t even noticed her. He was too busy romancing the blonde she thought. “I’m going to say hello to someone real quick. Save me a seat.”

She carefully wound herself around tables and passing people, hurrying over to Frankie. The waitress giggled playfully, her eyes landed on Dylan the moment she was closing in on Frankie.

“
Oh, look who it is,” Frankie said, his words a bit garbled.

Dylan put a hand on her hip. “Look who it is,” she said back sarcastically. “You haven’t called.”

Frankie took a drink of his gin, dropping it back down on the table, the remaining contents sloshing out and wetting the napkin. “I didn’t realize I had to call you. I’m sorry if you got your hopes up.”

“
Are you?” Dylan asked, crossing her arms. The blonde looked between the two of them but refused give them privacy. Frankie hadn’t told her he was taken. As far as she was concerned he was fair game.

“
No, actually I’m not. But that’s what girls like you want to hear right?” He sighed. “I don’t think Audrey cares if I call her back. She just likes my company.”

Dylan swallowed down her anger. “Because Audrey doesn’t know you, if she knew you she would be upset too. She only knows the sloppy drunk sitting at the table trying to get in her pants.”

“
Hey. Why don’t you back off? Clearly he doesn’t want to talk to you.” Audrey piped in. Frankie smirked. He loved a good cat fight. He waited for Dylan to say something equally hateful and then he was sure there would be fist flying in a matter of seconds.

“
Don’t test me. I will rip your pretty little hair out,” Dylan snapped, leaning forward and dropping her hands on the table top to warn the blonde to back off. She stared Audrey down. Frankie sized them up, and realized the passion Dylan had was way more extreme than anything the waitress was bringing to the table. She wouldn’t have a fighting chance.

He took hold of Dylan’s wrist. “Just cool it. It was nice chit chatting with you. But my
stalker
is here so I must go. Call me sometime.” This was enough to get the blonde moving. She deliberately stepped down on Dylan’s foot and pushed into her with enough force to knock her sideways. Dylan went to attack but was soothed by the feel of Frankie’s hand clamping down on her shoulder and the other against her neck. “Easy crazy,” he whispered in her ear.

Dylan didn’t pull away. Instead she stared into his eyes, breathing in the gin and cologne.

“
You should have called me,” she told him, she knew it sounded desperate, but she felt a little desperate. She wanted to see him.

“
I’m not worth your time. And maybe instead of getting pissed off and telling all your friends I’m an asshole, you just accept that, and quit following me into bars,” Frankie told her, trying to pull away.

Dylan moved closer, placing a soft kiss on his lips. She stayed there, her lips pinned to his, impatiently waiting for a reaction from Frankie. She could feel his fingers tangling with her hair, and the intensity that filled his body as he moved closer to hers, his body pressed tightly against hers, his eyes closing in agony. Her scent, her lips, her annoying ways, those pale hazel eyes making him think twice about what he should do.

“
Just go hang out with your friends,” he said in response, instead of kissing her.

“
How are you going to get home?” she asked, ignoring his demand. “I saw your car outside. You can’t drive, you’re wasted.” She licked her lips staring him down, hoping he would kiss her, her insides aching for more from him.

Frankie pulled back, dragging his hand through his hair, his eyes evading hers. “That’s what cabs are for, and legs. You have a nice night.”

Frankie quickly moved around her, heading out of the bar. Not giving in.

The Confession

Rose quickly wiped down the diner tables, in a hurry for her shift to come to an end. She was ready to go home, to take a nice long bubble bath and wrap herself in her fleece throw, the one with the roses that her mother got her for Christmas.

One more hour she told herself tossing the rag on the counter, taking the cherry pie from Lyle, her boss. “The man in section two ordered this. He asked for you.” Rose scanned section two, the booths near the door. She felt her heart pumping, her hands trembling. She wished she could just tell Lyle to do it himself, that she had a secret fear of strange men. But this was much too complicated.

Rose inhaled, shaking the fear away, tiny wisp of her blonde hair falling in front of her eyes. She wound her way through the tables and chairs. Staring at the back of the guy’s head, he had a thick head of dark brown almost black hair. Her feet stopped moving just as she set the pie down, her eyes without hindrance taking in the unfamiliar set of cool blue eyes with dark lashes draped delicately across them. If anything it only made the blue lighter and almost electrifying to look at. She would have remembered him before if she ever saw him.

“
Cherry pie. Can I get you anything else?” she asked softly, dropping her gaze as soon as he seemed to be looking at her a little too intimately. More than any ordinary man should.

“
You’re Rose, right?” Frankie asked, giving his best unadulterated smirk. He could feel the battered and scarred vibes from a mile away. This girl was traumatized.

Rose nodded. The kitchen crashing plates in the oversized sinks drowning out any attempt she would have to speak, she knew by now her voice would come out shaky and frightened. Even if she wasn’t sure who he was she needed to be. Maybe he was friends with Tad. “Are you friends with Tad?”

Frankie debated on agreeing. Not quite sure if he was being set up or if this was just a question. He lifted his fork, stabbing a round cherry and then pinned his eyes back on her. “No, can’t say that I know him. I’m familiar with someone else you know. Well, two to be exact.”

Rose watched him touch the cherry to his lips before he very carefully pricked the fruit from his fork with a sensual flick and dip of his tongue. She swallowed, a bit turned on and a bit startled that he was being so mysterious. She knew she should probably go to the kitchen and tell all the cooks to assign this guy to someone else, but it was as if something was drawing her to him. “Like who?”

Frankie looked to the register and back to Rose. “Sam, and Delaney.” He raised an eyebrow, watching Rose’s expression go from horrified to shock.

“
Why are you here?” Rose whispered, the heat in her face rising, she gripped her tablet in fright. “I don’t want any problems.”

Frankie patted the cracked vinyl seat. “Sit down. Don’t go getting all freaked out. I’m here for a variety of reasons. Some might say a favor. Others might disagree with that very statement.”

Rose untied her apron, shouted to Lyle that she was going on break and scooted in the booth across from Frankie. He took another bite of his pie before shoving it away and gesturing her to follow him from the diner. Before she could say no he was halfway out the door.

“
If you know Sam then I’m sure you know I don’t like hanging around with people that I don’t know.” She told him, crossing her arms tightly across her chest in great apprehension.

“
Well, it’s a good thing I’m not asking you to hang out then.” Frankie leaned against the brick wall on the side of the diner, where nobody but a passing car could catch sight of them.

“
Who are you?” Rose asked apprehensively.

“
I’m Frankie. And I am here because Sam asked me to help him out.” He grabbed Rose the second she tried to take off. “Easy now.”

Rose went to scream, Frankie covered her mouth with his hand, his eyes watchful and quite angry. “Don’t scream. Don’t kick me, don’t do anything and this will be easy for you.” He pushed her head into the brick harder. “I try to be a nice guy. I don’t like to make things messier then they have to be. So just relax and listen to me and then I’ll leave.” He arched an eyebrow, waiting for a response that she was willing to do that, he groaned, she wasn’t giving in. Frankie’s expression grew serious, his demeanor taking on one similar to a sedative as he stared into her eyes, Rose’s body relaxed.

“
Ok,” she said once Frankie removed his hand. He no longer had to keep her there, she was under his control.

“
My brother tried to kill you because he is a sadistic, warped, predator. And you have every right to fear for Delaney’s safety. I know this is going to come off as… I don’t know… bizarre.” He shook his hands for dramatic effect. “He’s part demon, incubus actually. And he feeds off of woman. And right now he is being quite the asshole, so you got lucky, instead of me killing you like he asked, and like he couldn’t do the first time. I am going to set you free with this new information.” Frankie stepped back. “Now run off and do what you want with that. If I were you I’d tell Delaney. But that’s just me.”

Rose hesitated. Her head full of skepticism. She wouldn’t have believed him if it wasn’t for the cold dead stare and his sick sadistic ways. She nodded her head, taking off into a sprint away from the strange guy, the bell of the diner dinging noisily as she made it inside away from danger.

Frankie tossed his keys in the air, catching them over and over as he headed to his car. A trained smirk plastered on his face.

***

Sam studied the posh office. The potted plants lining the walls, dark carpet beneath his feet, the nonexistent walls that were just giant windows perched high above the downtown concrete. The glow of the streetlights and night time security lighting sparkled against the darkness outside.

“
This is nice,” he said to the raven haired secretary. The office was empty besides the two of them.

She carefully collected all her manila files, bending down and sitting them on the floor next to the reception desk. “High priced lawyers have nice things,” she said.

Sam gave a nod of agreement, allowing her take his shirt off. She kissed the exposed skin of his chest. “Tell me your story,” she said, undoing his belt.

Sam slid his fingers through her smooth bob. “I don’t have a story, just a guy looking for a good time.” They met back up. Sam kissed her lips, trying her on for size. If his mother’s words were accurate then he could go all the way through with the act and not kill this girl. And before he could do this with Delaney he had to try it out.

He moved quicker, his hand holding tight to the back of her skull, his kisses deeper and more personal than ever before. He was waiting for any indication he was going overboard. But the only sign was the moans of delight she let escape as he kissed her jaw line, and then started down her neck, tearing at her blouse to get it off quicker.