“I think you underestimate yourself.” She eased away from him and he immediately missed her presence. “Thanks again, and I promise I’ll tell Jay what happened before Nate gets around to it.”
Aware that he was being dismissed, and still not quite happy about it, Billy gathered up his belongings and left the bar. As he walked back toward his truck, he rubbed his finger against his lips where Bella’s kiss lingered. He couldn’t remember the last time a simple kiss had given him such pleasure or made him feel so special.
He’d loved Annie and had never looked at another woman while she’d been with him. After her disappearance, when the guilt and the drink had drowned him, he’d had the odd hookup, but nothing measured up to the sweetness of that first kiss. Billy fished out his truck keys and stared blindly at the parking lot. Until now. He’d wanted to slip his arm around Bella’s waist and kiss her back....
With a snort, Billy got into his truck. The sweetness and nostalgia of Christmas were obviously getting to him. Bella was his friend. She’d meant nothing more than a thank-you, and he was a fool to think anything else.
Chapter Two
“I’m not happy about this,” Jay muttered as he stared at Bella, arms crossed over his muscled chest.
The evening rush had ended and Bella finally had time to tell him what had happened with Axel. To no one’s surprise, Jay wasn’t happy.
“What would you have done if Billy Morgan hadn’t turned up?” Jay asked.
Bella raised an eyebrow. “I’m not a fool, or a damsel in distress, young man. I can take care of myself.”
“I know that.” Jay leaned over to pat her shoulder. “I’ve seen you knock out a drunk with one of your cast iron pans. But this guy was threatening you in broad daylight. That sucks.”
“Nate knows all about it, and he’ll swing by every so often to make sure I’m okay,” Bella reminded him.
“And that’s another thing. Why didn’t Nate find this bastard and lock him up already?” Jay demanded.
“Because Axel wasn’t at his apartment,” Bella explained again. “Nate will keep checking there as well.”
“I don’t like it,” Jay said stubbornly. “This is even more reason why you should move down the street to our new house. Erin wouldn’t mind at all.”
“Erin is a saint to put up with you. The last thing she needs is your mother moving in as well.”
“Hey, she loves you,” Jay protested.
“I know she does, and I love her right back, but you two need some privacy right now. You just got married.” She mock frowned at him. “In Vegas, without your mother.”
Jay groaned. “Don’t bring that up right now. I know, we suck, okay? I only agreed to it because Erin’s parents were behaving like giant assholes about having this massive society wedding, and neither of us wanted that.”
“It’s okay, I know why you did it.” Bella had a plan of her own to execute over Christmas to make sure the family got to celebrate the wedding, but she wasn’t giving away anything yet. “I still don’t want to live in your new house.”
“Mom . . .”
“Look, I’ll make sure I lock the doors when I’m alone here—which doesn’t happen very often anyway, and I’ll keep my phone with me. If I see Axel or his Harley anywhere near here, I’ll call Nate.”
“Call me,” Jay stated.
“No, because I don’t want you arrested for murder,” Bella countered.
Jay gave a reluctant grin. “You know me too well.”
Bella rose and kissed his forehead. “Now, how about you go on home? Erin will be wondering what’s happened to you.”
“Erin’s fast asleep.” Jay winked. “She’s still dealing with jet lag, but I might think of a few ways to wake her up.”
Bella stuck her fingers in her ears. “I can’t hear you. La la la!”
Jay was still laughing as she practically pushed him out the door and locked it securely behind him. The fact that her son was enjoying his sex life was great, but not something she really needed to hear about.
Bella walked through the silent bar checking and setting the alarms, and then went up the stairs to the large apartment above the bar. What would it be like to have sex with someone again? As she brushed her teeth, she paused to consider the unexpected question that had popped into her head.