Wanting More (11 page)

If I didn’t feel like a whore from cheating, I really felt like one now. I wasn’t torn, I knew exactly where I wanted to be, even if I knew I could never really have him.

Since Rick was on the road for a few days, I thought I would have time to sort out what I needed to do, but something happened that I just couldn’t ignore. Conner showed up on the second night right before I closed the salon. The last customer had left and he locked the door behind him.

“Amy, we need to talk.”

Chapter 13

Conner

Throughout my whole life there was one person that I would have laid down and died for. I swore to my father’s grave that I would do everything I could to protect my sister and make sure she was always happy.

Even though I thought Ty’s plan to alter the paternity test was convoluted, it still would have given Bella the future that she deserved. Behind my sister’s back, Ty had to enlist the help of one of his crazy ex’s, who took it upon herself to allegedly drug him. I said allegedly, because I wanted to give my brother-in-law the benefit of the doubt before I pulverized him.

When he called me freaking out and not knowing what had happened, I told him to keep his mouth shut and live with the lie. I don’t know what made me really set the plan into motion, but I got it in my head that I could somehow hook up with the chick and get her to tell me the truth without even Ty knowing.

I’d hooked up with my fair share of women, primarily on bets with my buddies, but this one was going to matter more than a twenty dollar bill. I needed to save my sister’s marriage and her family.

She’d hate me for it, considering she couldn’t stand the bitch in the first place and also, somehow I was on the track to sleep with someone that Ty had been with before. The thought kind of made me sick, but I kept it in the back of my head and refused to think of it that way.

The only problem I saw in my plan was getting to know the girl and there was only one person that could help me do it. I was about to really piss off someone that I may or may not have been developing real feelings for. I had to choose, my family or myself.

“Amy, we need to talk.”

We were in her salon with the doors locked and the lights dimmed. I reached over and took her hand, pulling her into my arms. I just wanted to feel her soft skin once more before she slapped the shit out of me and never talked to me again. I regretted this decision from the moment I saw her beautiful smile light up when she saw me walk through that door.

With her hands around my neck, I stole one more kiss before I shattered her smile into a million pieces. “So, what did you want to talk about? The dickhead is on the road for the next two days. Do you want to go somewhere?”

God damn it! I’m such an asshole.

“Blaze, Amy…I uh need to tell you somethin’ and you’re not goin’ to like it.”

She reached her hand up and played with my lips. “Unless you are planning on going back to being a pompous jerk, I think I can handle anything.”

I pushed her away and made her sit down on one of the chairs in the waiting room as I began pacing in front of her, finally squatting down to look her in the eyes. I grabbed her hands and played with them while I thought about exactly what I wanted to say. “Ah, hell, there is no easy way to put this, darlin’. Before I tell you, I just want you to know that I enjoy bein’ with you more than you  know. You’re different and now that I’ve had a taste of you, I don’t want to let you go,” I paused and stole a kiss. My lips stayed against hers as I gave her the news she didn’t want to hear. “But I have to stop seein’ you.”

I felt her body tighten up even before I pulled away to see her shocked face. She let go of my hands and just sat there. “So, you just thought you could come here and tell me something like this and I’d be cool with it? I should have known it was just about getting in my pants. Conner, please just leave. I can’t deal with your shit right now. I have enough on my plate and if you cared at all about keeping me safe you wouldn’t have tried to be with me so hard, only to walk away once you had it.” She pushed me down on the floor and started walking away from me.

“Let me explain, before you go all crazy on me.” I jumped up and grabbed her from behind, wrapping my arms around her waist and not letting her go. I could hear her sniffling already and I felt awful, because I wanted nothing more than to pursue what was happening between us. I brushed my lips over her ear, and held her tight against my body.

“Let me go, Conner. You should just leave.”

“I ain’t leavin’ till you hear me out.” I turned her around and backed her up against a wall. She had no place to go and had to listen to my explanation. “This ain’t about you and me, I swear it. Look, somethin’ happened and Randa could lose everything if I don’t help them.”

Her tear filled eyes got wide. “What are you saying? I don’t understand what they have to do with us.”

I pulled away from her and paced around the room, taking my hat off, then running my fingers through my hair to think. “Ty got himself into trouble trying to do the right thing. As of right now, he may or may not have cheated on my sister.”

“What the hell does that mean? He either did or he didn’t. It isn’t that hard to determine.”

I shook my head. “Long story short, he thinks when he went to that Heather girl for help, she drugged him and made it look like they messed around.”

“Is that what he told you? I heard the rumors about Ty. Maybe he really cheated and is just trying to cover his tracks.”

I chuckled. “As much as that sounds like the old Ty. I’ve known him my whole life and I know that he’s different with my sister and Bella. They are his whole life. You should have seen him last night. He was a damn wreck.”

“Okay, so even if he didn’t cheat, I don’t really get your part in all of this.”

I got close to her again and looked her right in the eyes. I knew she was going to be pissed. “I have to protect my family.”

“You lost me.”

“I’m goin’ to try to hook up with the girl and find out what really happened.”

She pushed me out of the way. “You offered to sleep with the same girl for information? Are you fucking insane? That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard.”

I held up my hands. “It’s my sister, Amy. I can’t sit back and watch her lose her family, especially if it’s all bullshit. Not even Ty deserves that. He loves them so much and with the twins coming, it would be terrible. I know you don’t want Miranda raisin’ them three kids without a daddy. Hell, he wanted to confess last night and I wouldn’t let him. I don’t care what I have to do, or who I have to sleep with, I am goin’ to find out what really happened and protect my sister. Now, this life is full of choices and right now I am choosin’ my family. Nobody can know I am doin’ this, especially Ty.”

Amy shocked me by placing her hand over my mouth. “Just stop talking. I appreciate that you came here to tell me all this, but we spent one night together, Conner. You don’t owe me anything and frankly, I have too much of my own shit to deal with than to have something going on with you. I think it’s best if we both just forget that we were ever together and do what we have to do.”

Her words were like a knife stabbing me in the gut. “It’s just that easy to forget?”

“Are you done, because I have things to do.” She shoved me out of the way and started gathering her things up.

“Answer me. You can really forget how I make you feel?”

She turned around and looked me dead in the eye. “You’re just a man, Conner. We had a good time and I needed it. I just hope we can still be cordial since you are the only person that knows about my problems. I wish I didn’t have to count on you for that, but I don’t have a choice if I want it to stay a secret.”

“I’ll be there. You don’t even have to ask me that. I will always be there if you need me. I gotta tell you though, I need a favor and you’re goin’ to get angry about it.”

She rolled her eyes and seemed genuinely annoyed with me. “What now?”

“I need you to set me up with that girl Heather.” I knew she was going to be pissed, but when her hand made contact with my face, I was in shock.

“You’re an asshole. How can you ask me that? Jesus, how could I ever think that sleeping with you was a good idea?”

I wiped away the sting on my cheek. “You’re actin’ like I want to do this. I don’t have a damn choice, if I did, I’d be in a bed with you, instead of standin’ here arguin’.”

She started to slap me again and I caught her hand. I held it tight, so she couldn’t pull away. “I hate you right now!”

I used my hold on her to pull her against my body. “You keep sayin’ that, but I don’t believe you.”

She tried again to get free of me. “Please let me go. I’ll set you up with whoever you want, just leave me alone!”

“I want you, darlin’. I thought you understood that.” I put my forehead against hers and felt her breathing, she was so close to me. “Don’t ask me to choose, because I have to help my sister. I know you love her too. This ain’t about me and you.”

Finally she stopped trying to free herself. Her body relaxed and she kept her head against mine. “I know. I do love her and what’s happening sucks, but why would you even want to do something so insane? The whole town knows Heather is a skank bitch. You’re really going to put yourself in that situation for your family?”

“Yeah, I am, because at the end of the day, all you have is family.”

“I don’t know what that’s like. I haven’t been part of a family for a long time.”

I cupped my hands around her pretty face. “Darlin’, I can’t expect you to ever forgive me, but know that I will be here whenever you need me. If you need to cry, if you need to hide, I am your guy. I promise you can count on me. You don’t have to be strong by yourself. My phone is always on.”

She pulled away and sat down again. “I’ll help you, Conner. Hell, I will even set up a double date for you, but you need to wait until she comes in for a haircut next week to get the ball going. We only talk when she comes in. Also, Miranda is never to know that I helped you do this. She isn’t going to be okay with you seeing someone she hates. Shit, she doesn’t even want you with me, I can’t even imagine what it would be like for her to find out about me helping you date Heather.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Did you just say double date? I can’t be in the same room as your son of a bitch husband, Amy. There ain’t no way and darlin’ you don’t have to worry about me telling Miranda. If I do include you, which I probably have to at some point, I will just say that you helped me hook up with her at the bar or somethin’.”

She pointed at me and started walking toward where I stood. “You listen here, if you want my help, you’re going to do it my way. She isn’t going to agree to date a stranger without some kind of persuasion.”

I grabbed her waist and pulled her into me, even though she wasn’t happy about it. “I think I’m pretty darn good at persuadin’.” I brushed my lips over hers slowly. With my eyes still open, I saw her closing hers. I went in a second time, brushing my tongue over her bottom lip. “I can’t sit at a table with you and not think about being between your legs. I can’t pretend to want another woman, when the one I desire is sittin’ across from me with someone else.”

Her lips moved in sync with mine. “You can’t want me, Conner. We have to stop this.” The words came out of her mouth, but our kissing intensified. Her arms wrapped around me and I picked her up and sat her on the counter.

I reached my hand up her shirt and she leaned back and let me. “Just one last time then.”

She grabbed my shirt and ripped it over my head. “One last time.”

Chapter 14

Amy

My own messed up life was put on the back burner when my closest friend was being viciously sabotaged by one of Ty’s jealous ex’s. That bitch Heather was known around town for being a total whore, but for her to stoop so low as to try and ruin a marriage, well it just really rubbed me the wrong way.

When Conner came to me for help, I couldn’t turn him down. I wanted to kill him at first. It shouldn’t have, but it really hurt me when he said we had to stop. He was taking away the one thing that had brought a smile to my face.

Him.

I wanted to hate him, especially when he first told me. I felt rejected and used.

Right away, Conner made it clear what his intentions were, and as much as I wanted to be angry at him, I also felt so much respect that he would put his own life aside for someone he loved. I had to believe that people didn’t always know this side of him.

His determination formed into a doable plan and reluctantly we were on the same page. It also came after two hours of the hottest goodbye sex ever. Conner took me against every station in the salon, before ending up on the floor in the storage room. We had a big ass mess to clean up too when we finally finished.

Still, instead of saying goodbye, I found myself wanting him more than ever.

Rick returned two days later and I told him a lie that Miranda’s brother was coming into town and she wanted me to set him up with one of our clients. Rick had been in such a good mood from it being the end of the job he hated, that he agreed to a double date immediately. Of course, he knew wherever we went, it would involve alcohol.

Maybe Rick and Conner being in the same room wasn’t such a good idea, but I knew he wouldn’t have let me out of the house otherwise, plus, Heather was going to be swooning over Conner and I needed someone there to keep me from going all psycho bitch on her. I wasn’t normally a jealous person, but Conner was another story for me. All gloves were off when it came to the way that man made me feel.

Just as I suspected, when she came in the next week, she was all about meeting a hottie from out of town. I left out the part of where he was from and who his sister was. Conner was so hot that I hardly thought she would even care where he came from.

For an entire week, I managed to keep the peace at home. Work was busy with Miranda not working as much and I was exhausted when I got home at night. I had also saved up a few hundred dollars and hid it at the salon instead of at home.