Show Me the Way (Fight for Me 1)

“I don’t like her. I don’t even know her.”

“But you want to.” The jackass had the audacity to sing it as he twirled his finger in a circle in front of my face.

I smacked it away.

He was worse than a thirteen-year-old girl.

“Come on, man. Admit it. You want to.” He flashed me one of those ridiculous smiles that had every girl in town dying to lock that shit down. All fucking dimples and bright white teeth. “Tell me about that pie.” He waggled his brows, keeping right on with the ribbing, having no idea the knives he was driving into raw flesh. “Tell me how badly you want her to eat yours.”

My throat bobbed, that guilt rising around me like jagged cliffs. Guilt for giving in. I had already made more mistakes with her than I could make excuses for. Had already gotten deep enough that I wasn’t sure I was ever going to climb out.

“Oh shit,” Kale muttered under his breath. “You lucky bastard, you already did. And you’re over there pouting about it.”

I shifted away, not needing to pretend I was keeping a close eye on Frankie. “Not like that . . . we just . . .”

Visions assaulted me. The ecstasy on her face when she’d come with the sun shining on her gorgeous face. How good she’d tasted. How right she’d felt in my arms.

“Just what?” he pressed.

I blew out a frustrated breath, voice barely a gritted whisper. “It was just a kiss.”

Kale laughed. “Just a kiss, huh? Considering you haven’t touched a girl in years, I’d bet the pink slip to my car, which you know is my baby, that it meant a whole lot more to you than it just being a kiss. You have some kind of superhuman strength or balls of steal or some shit, because those fuckers should be so blue they’d have fallen off by now.” The guy knew me better than anyone, and he didn’t hesitate to pull punches.

“You think you regret whatever you’re feeling now? Just wait to see how much regret you feel when you don’t do anything about it.” He sighed. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing, Rex. Test it out. Hang out with her as a friend. See how it goes. It’s not like you’re asking her to marry you.”

I flinched with that, and he snorted, shaking his head before he spun all the way around and waltzed over to the reception desk. Two nurses behind it immediately tuned in to whatever the flirty bastard had to say as he rested his forearms on the counter and leaned toward them.

And I wondered how he’d done it.

Managed it.

Overcome it.

Or maybe I was the one who’d really been at fault all along.

15

Rex

Hand rubbing over the tense muscles at the back of my neck, I paced, boots crunching on the gravel in front of her house.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Get it together, man.

Friends.

That was what Kale had said.

I could do that.

I forced my feet to carry me up the steps and across her porch, and I gave a good pound to her front door. It took all of thirty seconds and what felt like an eternity for the door to crack open. I almost backed the fuck out because all I saw was hesitation in her movements before something like relief took to her features.

“Rex,” she whispered, opening the door wider.

“Hey.”

A small smile graced that gorgeous mouth. “How is Frankie?”

Something about that calmed the erratic racing of my heart, and I felt myself smiling in return. “As good as new. It might have had something to do with a pot pie that mysteriously showed up at our door.”

A flush touched her cheeks, and she bit her bottom lip, everything about her completely genuine. “I hope she liked it.”

“Oh, there’s no question of that.”

That redness deepened. “I’m so glad she’s feeling better.”

“Me, too. Can’t thank you enough for helping me out that night.”

“I meant it, Rex. I’m here.”

I nodded, rushed my fingers through my hair, the air growing thick around us. A swirl of that potency.

“So . . .” I trailed off like the pathetic fucker I was.

“So . . .” she prodded, those dark eyes going warm and soft.

I sucked in a breath, fingers going back to nervously thread through my hair. “There’s this thing Broderick Wolfe invited me to tomorrow night at Olive’s. Just a small party to celebrate the progress that’s been made on the Fairmont Hotel. I know Lillith and Nikki will be there. Thought it’d be cool if you came. You know, as friends,” I added way too quickly.

Smooth.

So goddamned smooth.

I had to stop from rolling my eyes at myself.

“Friends?” she asked, a brow lifting, the word nothing but a doubtful tease. Couldn’t blame her, especially considering the last time I’d seen her, she was coming against my truck.