Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (15 page)

Oh, good fucking lord.

Those damn butterflies in the pit of my stomach were alive and wild, dancing inside and it was only a matter of seconds before I felt that familiar tingle hit me right between my legs. Lukas’ lips brushed across my ear, his hot breath rolling over my skin. “You smell as good as you taste Lex.”

“Lukas,” I softly moaned.

He pulled back, his eyes dropping to my lips then back to my eyes before he leaned forward, his lips brushing against mine in a sweet soft motion before he squeezed my waist then pulled away letting me go.

“I’ll see you later on, okay; you have my number if you need anything,” he said then turned on his heels and walked out of the bar, leaving me standing there, watching him go.

What the hell was
that?

The night was going by slow. Danny was still feeling guilty about what happened, I saw it every time he looked at me and Bobby riding his ass about it didn’t help matters. I finally had to tell him to drop it.

Bobby grumbled then started telling me about all three of his marriages and how he was done looking for a woman, “Darlin’, all I need is my beer and my garage and I’m happy, ‘cause those things can’t tell me what to do,” he said with a wink.

Not long after a group of four men walked in, drawing attention to all of them. “Yo! Old man you buyin’ tonight or what?” A round, bald guy shouted across the bar in Bobby’s direction, then barked out a laugh that was followed by the rest of them.

“Christ almighty,” Bobby said looking over at the guys who walked in. “Lexie darlin’, another beer plus four of the same at that table over there,” he said gruffly, and motioned behind him before getting up and making his way to the table.

I laughed to myself as I turned to Danny. “Five bud’s for Bobby and his boys over there.” I jerked my thumb in their direction.

“Sure thing Lexie.” Danny pulled five bottles out of the cooler then started popping off the caps. “So, what’s the story between you and Lukas?” he asked grinning.

“What? Nothing, there’s nothing going on with us,” I said quickly.

Maybe too quickly.

Danny placed the open beers on my tray while giving me the raised eyebrow look. “Oh I don’t know about that. I saw that... umm… moment you two had before he left. That’s not nothing to me, am I right Teri?” She came up next to me, placed her tray on the bar and turned to face me, leaning against the bar.

“Two scotch on the rocks and a beer. And Lexie and I already had this talk earlier. I can see it, you can see it, hell, even the old man saw it but little Miss Thang here, she doesn’t want to see it,” she teased. “She’ll figure it out eventually, they always do.” Teri winked at Danny, grabbed her tray and walked away.

I rolled my eyes at a smirking Danny as I slid my tray off the bar and walked to Bobby’s table. “Here you guys go,” I said placing a bottle of Budweiser down in front of each guy who were all squished in next to one another.

“Thanks darlin’. Boy’s this is my girl Lexie, be nice to her or I break your legs or knee caps, whichever my bat chooses.” He eyed each guy around the table before settling on me. “Darlin’ this is Dick, Ken, Tony and Dean, our new guy who just started a couple days ago. "He pointed to each guy as he introduced them to me. I looked around at each of them smiling and gave them a hello. All of them were in their late thirties to early forties, balding with beer guts and a ring on their left ring finger. As well as black grease stains that matched the ones on their ratted old jeans.

After a few minutes of small talk with Bobby and his buddies I went back to the bar, taking a seat next Teri. “I hate Thursday nights,” I groaned, resting my elbow on the counter, chin in my palm.

“So, Lexie,
you have a son?” Danny asked out of the blue.

I turned my head to him, “How’d you know that?” I asked.

“Lukas told us while you were in the back.” He leaned against the counter crossing his arms.

Lukas mentioned Finn. That’s...hmm…I’m not too sure.

“Oh. Yeah, he’s four, well almost five.” I smiled.

“Wait– how old are you?” he asked surprised his eyes widening.

“Boy, didn’t your mama teach you any manners? You don’t ask a woman her age, it’s rude.” Teri smacked him on the arm.

I laughed at the dumbstruck expression Danny had on his face as he looked from Teri to me. “It's fine Danny, I turned twenty six back in April.”

“Damn, you started early,” Danny blurted out. “So, Lukas his dad?”

He couldn’t be serious.

Both Teri and I cocked our heads and looked at him like he had a third eye. “Boy do you even think before you speak?”

He looked back and forth between us, “What?” he asked seriously confused.

He
was
serious.

“Lexie only moved here, what three weeks ago. How in the hell can Lukas be the boy’s father?” She shook her head at him trying not to laugh.

“Oh,” he said, laughing to himself as he picked up a glass and started polishing it, forgetting we were even talking.

I looked at Teri shaking my head stifling a laugh. Danny may have had the good looks and a killer smile but I was pretty sure he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

“So if Lukas isn’t his father, then where is he? What’s your story Lexie?” Danny called over his shoulder as he continued putting clean glasses away.

Oh no.

I didn’t want to go there.

Panic rose as I wasn’t sure what to tell them, the truth wasn’t an option that was for damn sure. I felt Teri’s gaze on me, watching me and I knew I wasn’t doing a good job at concealing my thoughts from showing through and she was seeing it all.

I kept my eyes on Danny while I answered. “Not much too tell really, his father... isn’t in the picture, didn’t really... work out. It’s just me, Finn and my best friend Mollie, who moved here with us,” I said telling them enough.

“What made you choose Camden?” Teri asked looking at me intently, like she was studying me.

“I didn’t, Mollie did. I just followed the directions and drove here,” I said truthfully.

“From where?”

Bobby’s voice bellowed throughout the bar interrupting our conversation. “Hey darlin’, you have a table waiting. Stop yapping and get to work.” He and his table erupted in laughter.

I looked at Danny who was grinning at me, “You’d think he owned the fucking place,” I mumbled, chuckling out loud.

“I wish,” both Danny and Teri said at the same time.

Leaving my stool I made my way to the table occupied by a single person. He was facing me, watching me walk towards him with a smile spread across his face. He looked familiar but as I got closer I couldn’t place him.

“Hi, can I get ya something to drink?” I asked with a smile.

He was cute, decent looking in his own way. Dull blue eyes, shorter blonde hair and about a weeks worth of scruff. He didn’t look like a big guy sitting down, a nice build but nothing compared to Lukas.

Actually nothing about him compared to Lukas.

Not one single thing.

Everything about him was gorgeous, even the parts of him I found completely irritating and persistent.

“A Budweiser,” he said interrupting my thoughts. His voice was flat and low, nothing close to the sound of Lukas’ rough growly voice.

I nodded and turned to head back to the bar when he called out to me. “Lexie?” I turned around slowly, unsure.

How the hell did he know my name?

Grinning, like he read my mind, his eyes traveled down to my breasts and motioned with his head. I looked down to what he was looking at and felt incredibly stupid.

Name tag.

I shook my head smiling. “What did you need?” I asked.

He rested his elbow on the table and rested his head on his palm. “Just wanted to know if you knew of a hotel that was close by, I’m new to town, haven’t found a place to live yet.”

“I actually don’t really know,” I laughed softly. “I’m new in town also, just moved here a couple weeks ago.”

“Ah, a fellow newbie, perfect, I don’t feel so out of place now.” He smiled, it just reaching his eyes.

Holding my tray in front of me, I crossed my arms. “Oh no need to feel out of place here, we don’t bite. Plus it’s Thursday, not usually busy hence why the place is so empty,” I said looking around then back at him with a smile.

He nodded. “Good to know.” He looked over at the stage. “Strippers?” he asked looking back at me.

“They prefer to be called professional dancers, but only on Friday and Saturday nights; they bring in a full house.”

“That I believe,” He chuckled, sitting back in his chair.

I smiled. “I’ll be back with your beer.” I turned and walked back to the bar where Teri and Danny were both watching me.

“Budweiser,” I told Danny who lingered in front of me before going to the cooler.

“Who’s the dude? You know him?” he asked suspiciously, handing me the bottle, his eyes shifting from me to the guy.

“No, no idea. Said he’s new to town, he’s wondering where a hotel is, he hasn’t found a place to live yet,” I told them looking back and forth between them. “What?” I asked

What’s with these two, jeez.

“Nothing,” They both said. Then Teri looked over at him, taking him in. “Tell him there’s a hotel on Main Street, go back down the street take the third left and follow it, he’ll end up across the street from it.”

“Okay,” I said grabbing the beer then heading back over to his table.

After taking him his beer, I went to check on Bobby’s table. They all needed refills. “Who’s the guy?” Bobby asked as I arrived back, dropping off their beers.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, he’s new in town.”

“Yeah he looks it. He’s also flirting with you, can’t keep his eyes off you,” Dean, Bobby’s friend said as he took a pull from his beer.

I looked at him like he was crazy. “He is not, he’s just being friendly.”

“Yeah, plus she’s Gunn’s girl,” Bobby said firmly.

I’m sorry, Gunn’s girl?

“I’m not anyone’s girl,” I said sharply, my eyes cutting to Bobby.

He took a pull from his beer before he proclaiming, “That’s why you guys were all over each other before he left?” he teased..

My eyes narrowed. “That... that was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened,” I said, my voice tight trying to control my anger. “Why am I even talking to you about this?” I said mostly to myself than anyone else.

Bobby chuckled. “Darlin’,” he looked at me, his eyes soft and smile fading away. “Never mind, we’re good here.” I didn’t hesitate and walked towards the bar, stopping when I saw Teri and Danny whispering about something.

“Mind if I sit?” I asked as I approached his table. His head was down looking at his cell phone.

His head snapped up, his mouth tight and jaw clenched but quickly faded into a smile as he slid his phone into his jacket pocket. “Yeah, of course.”

“Sorry, don’t mean to intrude on your alone time.” I said nervously, laughing as I sat down.

Sitting across from him I instantly felt eyes on me and I had no doubt I was being watched by everyone in the bar.

Super.

“You’re not, I was just taking care of a few loose ends,” he said taking a pull of his beer.

I nodded. “I’m sorry, I never did get your name.”

“Erik,” he grinned. “Erik Phillips.”

“So what brings you to Camden, Erik?” I asked settling back in my seat.

“Needed to get away, change of scenery, looking for something,” he said vaguely.

“What are you looking for?” I asked, intrigued.

One side of his mouth curled into a half grin. “I’ll let you know when I find it.”

I nodded my head, “Hopefully you find what you’re looking for,” I said meaning it. “Starting over with a clean slate, I get that.”

Boy did I get that.

He looked at me closely, eyes on mine. “Me too,” he said taking another pull from his beer, finishing it. “Think I could get another one Lexie?” he asked waving his bottle before placing it back on the table.

I got him another, ignoring all looks I was getting, not just from Teri and Danny but from Bobby and his entire posse.

Damn, you’d think I was having drinks with Charles Manson for Christ sake.

Taking the bottle from Danny I headed back to Erik’s table. “Here ya go,” I said taking my seat across from him.

“This may be forward, since we just met but I figure what the hell,” he started.

Oh shit, please don’t ask what I think you’re going to ask.

“I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me sometime.”

Fuck.

I fidgeted in my seat as my stomach dropped; I knew he was going to ask me something like that. There were many reasons why I wasn’t going to go out with Erik, the main one being I wasn’t interested.

Friendship sure, dating no.

I wasn’t attracted to him by any means and I just wasn’t in a place to be dating and then Lukas’ name flashed in my head and I shook it away as fast as it appeared.