Top Dog

“Your stupid truck can be fixed,” she snapped, and I almost smiled at the flash in her eyes. A heat started to build low in my gut.

“Oh, it will be, but I’m not going to l

et my friend pay for her little tantrum.”

“It’s not a problem, man,” Rick said, but I gave him a look that said he needed to let me handle it. He nodded as if he understood.

“No, she did this, and she will pay, but I think instead of getting the police involved, a call to my lawyer is due.”

“Please, I’m so sorry. I don’t have the money to fix it, but I’ll get it, I swear,” Kayla begged.

“You’re going to make her pay?” Bella asked incredulously. “Your friend already offered to take care of it. Kayla shouldn’t have attacked your truck, but she was also provoked and you know it. You’re only doing this to assert your authority, and it’s a total asshole move.”

“Wait, what? My truck just got scratched all to shit, and I saved her from jail, but I’m the asshole?” I was starting to get a pissed all over again.

“You know very well what you’re doing.” Bella crossed her arms and stepped forward, coming toe-to-toe with me.

“Are you challenging me? Perhaps you’d like to take care of things? As a matter of fact, I insist.”

“What? Bella shouldn’t be held responsible.” Kayla went up to Rick and looked up at him with her big round eyes, and he gave me a pleading look.

“How about you just worry about making this up to Rick, and I’ll make a deal with Bella.” The girl was standing too close to me, her eyes like daggers piercing my soul, and once my words registered, she lifted her shoulder.

“Why should I bargain with you?” She tilted her head to the side but kept her gaze on mine.

“Rick, why don’t you and Kayla give us a moment alone.” Rick took his cue, and the two got in my beat-up truck.

“I’m not exactly sure what it is you think you’re doing but—” she started, but I held up my hand and cut her off.

Now was the time to make my first move.

“You come stay with me at my house for the two weeks you’re in town, and I’ll let your friend off the hook for the damages. Or I call my friend Lonny back and have charges filed against her.”

“You’d do that? You’d let her go to jail?” Her lip curled in disgust.

“It’s only right. She broke the law and wrecked my property. I’m well within my rights. But, as it turns out, I’m also very attracted to you, and I’d like to get to know you.”

“So is this how you land yourself a girl? By blackmailing them?” She glanced back at the truck where Rick and Kayla were kissing like two horny teenagers in my back seat.

She rolled her eyes and balled her fists at her side. “Fine. I’ll stay, but only if Kayla comes. I promised her I wouldn’t leave her side, and I’m not going to abandon her. Besides, it’s clear she needs a chaperone.”

I narrowed my eyes to the scene in my back seat, where Rick had his face pressed hard into Kayla’s breasts, then I met Bella’s hazel eyes. “You’re a lousy chaperone.”

“The only reason I’m agreeing to this crazy idea is so that my best friend doesn’t go to jail. Personally, I think you’re an awful human being,” she mumbled as she stalked back to the truck. She turned around as she reached the door. “Are you coming or what? We have to go check out of the hotel.”

A slow smile spread across my face. She just might be the woman for me.

CHAPTER FIVE - BELLA

Reed was impossibly handsome and just knowing that he was attracted to me had come as a surprise. Though I was pretty sure he was nothing but a disgusting pig, the fact that he was willing to forgo thousands of dollars in damage to be close to me sort of turned me on. What did that say about me? Was I just leaping from one asshole to the next? As we pulled up to Reed’s house, I realized that we’d traded up from the hotel, and I tried not to let my impending bargain loom over me and cloud the beautiful scenery. Reed had driven us to his sprawling mansion, which looked like something from an old Civil War movie. The house seemed to glow in the distance as if it’s white paint was reflecting the full moon that hung directly over it.

“It’s gorgeous. Will we disturb your family coming here so late?” He’d no doubt come and gone many times alone at this hour, but to bring in company, I didn’t want to be an imposition.

Reed’s voice was but a growl beside me. “I live alone if you don’t count my staff.”

“You’re all alone?” I suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me. He’d wanted me alone with him in his big house. I wasn’t naive enough to think that he just wanted to talk over the next two weeks, but I figured if there were other people around, I’d be safe.

“My parents are both dead. I have my uncle, but he lives in the city closer to our family’s business.”