Not only would Aiden take out my knees, knowing I want her so much, but it wouldn’t be fair to Stella. That’s why I only wanted to have sex with her. Get my fill of that body and move on. More and more, though, talking to her and being on the receiving end of those grins has only made it harder for me not to want more from her. A life, if you will. She’s young, though. She’s beyond talented and so damn smart. Beautiful. Fuck, incredibly beautiful.
Yeah, Stella Brooks wouldn’t want me.
She’d run.
Which would be smart.
Chapter Seven
Wes
Since I’m a single male, my house is in downtown Nashville.
When I first came to the Assassins, I lived with some of the other players and then Boon once he split up from his fiancée, but then he fell in love with Posey and I knew my time with my bro was over. It was okay; I truly needed to live by myself. I’d been depending on the company of others to stop my thoughts for so long that living alone has been great for me. I almost offered to have one of the other guys on the team be my roommate, but after lots of discussion, Noelle thought it would be best for me to be by myself. It’s been almost a year in this place, and I truly love my alone time. I watch entirely too much Netflix, play too much Call of Duty, and eat a lot, but I’m alone, and that’s good. I can live by myself and be okay. Since that’s probably my future, I’m glad I fixed that now. Also, walking naked in my place with no worries is pretty fucking awesome.
After leaving Boon’s, I feel off, and I know I can’t be alone yet. My mind is still firing off about all that I admitted to my friends. Noelle will be super proud of my growth. Though, I did keep a lot locked down. I’m honestly overthinking the situation. Boon and Aiden don’t judge me; they support me—I know this, but still, I’m nervous and my mind won’t shut off. Add in the fact that I haven’t eaten, and I find myself walking to Brooks House instead of going up to my house. I’m craving some steak pasta and a heavy dose of Stella Brooks. I know Aiden would have some words of wisdom, he may even try to get me to come to his house instead, but I need to see her. Just to remind myself that she’d run from my demons.
When I enter, I wave at the hostess, who, honestly, would let me take her home now, but she isn’t the one I want. Not that she isn’t gorgeous, she is, but no one is Stella.
“Hey, Wes!”
“Hey, Natalie. How’s it going?”
“Good. Heading to the bar?”
“Yup. Is there seating?”
“There is. Have a good dinner.”
“Thanks,” I say with a nod before heading toward the bar. Brooks House is a super-classy joint. During the day, it’s more laid-back, but at night, it’s the ultimate night spot. It’s dimly lit, with only candlelight on the tables. The bar area is brighter, with the huge bar in the middle and seating around it. The whole place is popping with people, it’s loud, and there is a violinist playing on the stage. I reach my spot at the bar and look around for Stella. I don’t see her at first as I sit, but just as I put my feet on the rail, she pops up behind all the liquor, lifting a box of something before putting it on the bar. She must have felt my presence, because her eyes snap to mine. She smiles at first, but then her eyes widen as her brows draw in.
“Jesus, tell me the other guy looks worse!”
I chuckle as she comes over with a glass to fill with Dr. Pepper, placing it in front of me. “Nope. I got my ass handed to me.”
“Wuss,” she teases, filling my glass.
“I know,” I say shamefully. “But they did set my nose on the bench, so that makes me less of a wuss, right?”
Her eyes brighten so beautifully. I love her eyes. They’re my favorite thing about her. Such a contrast to her beautiful olive skin and dark hair. She’s wearing a pair of jeans with a black button-up, her hair up in a high, messy bun. She has a pencil behind each ear, and she looks damn good. “I’ll give you that. Where is your crew?”
“Lone wolf tonight.” I groan, stretching my shoulders. “My bros are domesticated now.”
She grins. “That’s unfortunate.”
“It is.”
“Yeah, especially with a mug like that. You really need a wingman, or you’ll be walking out alone,” she laughs, and I laugh along with her wholeheartedly.
“I don’t need wingmen. I’m a catch,” I call out to her, and her laughter runs down my spine.