Page 6 of Beautifully Used
“No, he didn’t. But it took him several minutes to say yes. Jackson asked him if something was wrong, but Brodie just shook his head.”
“So he never mentioned the slap?”
“No. You may have struck him, but I don’t think he hates you. Chances are, you managed to put him in his place and teach him a lesson, that’s all. And rightly so. I don’t mean to sound like I’m sticking up for him, but from the little Jackson has shared about Brodie’s past, he hasn’t always been …”
“A jerk?” I supplied for her when she paused.
She chuckled. “The way he is. I’m not denying that he’s never had to work at getting women to sleep with him. They just seem to fall into bed with him. He doesn’t even have to try. I’ve seen it happen many times. And none of them cares if he never calls them again. They just want him for his body and he doesn’t care. I’m not defending him, but when he tried to feel you up, he was simply going with what he knows most women want from him.”
“Well, I’m not most women, I guess.”
“No, you’re not.” Lena wrapped her arms around me. “And I’m glad.”
“Glad I didn’t sleep with Brodie?” I had to ask because the fantasy had haunted my dreams for the past year.
“No, silly. I’m just glad you’re you. If you had slept with Brodie, that would have been your business, and from what I’ve heard, I’m sure you would have enjoyed it. But I don’t think it would have made you feel good. In here.” She pointed to my heart. “He would have hurt you. Not intentionally, but that’s just the way he is. He would have hurt you because you’re not like all those other women who only want him for the sex.”
Chapter 5
Brodie
* * *
The bachelor party turned out perfectly. The bar was packed. I think every guy in Turtle Lake showed up for at least a little while to wish Jackson farewell from the single world. We’d closed the bar to the public, making it men only, except for the women I’d hired to dance. They’d done a decent job, too. After much coaxing from everyone and several shots of Jägermeister, Jackson accepted a lap dance from Jayda, a beauty I’d had my eye on for about two weeks. Just one of the reasons why I’d hired her.
Another one bites the dust, as the ‘holy grail’, aka our illustrious young mayor, Tom Grail, kept singing in and out of tune, messed up, slipshod way most of the night. He’d finally passed out on the sofa in the office. Jackson managed to get just as drunk and slurred about how much he loved Lena. Repeatedly. My brother had it bad. But even I had to admit, Lena was a special find and I was happy for them.
I only hoped their love never faded the way I knew it could, maybe even would. I didn’t know. It wasn’t something I enjoyed thinking about as Beth’s pretty face flashed before my mind’s eye. I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my finger and thumb over them to clear the image. Better to just live in the moment and lust the one you’re with, no chance of heartbreaks with that outlook. It wasn’t so much that I thought about Beth anymore. What she had done was unthinkable, and I would never forgive her or myself for letting it happen. But I had forgiven her for what she’d done before that unforgivable act. Only she couldn’t forgive herself. Beth and I had been together a long time. We went to high school together. I knew her better than I knew myself. At least I thought I had, until that day.
Now, I won’t allow myself to get that close to anyone ever again.
As I watched Jackson sit there, pretending to enjoy the hottie gyrating on his lap, I downed the shot of Jäger Doc handed me. I’d been holding back on drinking to make sure everything went smoothly, but my sour mood needed a serious ‘tude adjustment.
Jackson couldn’t have asked for a better bachelor party. Well, maybe a trip to Vegas would have been fun, but then not everyone had the funds to get there. Plus, Derrick, our other bartender would have had to stay home to tend to the bar, and I know Jackson wanted him to be included in the celebration, even if he was still behind the bar. Well, a few of us were tonight, actually. I think I even remember seeing Doc back there pouring for a while.
I’d hired three girls to come and dance, and I thought I might hook up with Jayda or one of them later, just to show my appreciation. They were all dressed in a lot of lace, garters, and form-fitting bustiers, building up their lovely breasts. The problem was, for some reason, I didn’t want to be with anyone tonight. Until my mind flipped to g-strings made of pearls; sexy, long dark hair; and pink, shimmery lips. Why did Gabrielle’s presence in my house bother me so much? She’d made herself very clear over a year ago that she didn’t want anything to do with me, so why would the fact that she was spending the next two weeks sleeping in the room right next to mine have any influence on my desire to be with one of these chicks? I didn’t need to bring them to my house. They all had homes of their own, and I was sure any one of them would be more than excited to show not only their homes, but a little piece of themselves off to me.
Except Gabrielle was staying at my house and, damn it, I wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight, in my own room. No, I wouldn’t be bringing one of these chicks home with me. So what if I was alone? I could handle it. I’d slept alone before. I wasn’t five years old and afraid of the dark for Christ’s sake. I didn’t need a companion every night. I shrugged my shoulders at my thoughts and gave Jackson a salute with my empty glass. The idea of Gabrielle being at my house was getting under my skin. She was going to be sleeping at my house for the next two weeks, helping Lena prepare for the wedding. God, how would I ever survive it?
Chapter 6
Gabrielle
* * *
I tiptoed into the kitchen, remembering to stay very quiet considering Jackson’s inebriated state last night. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t wake up with a huge headache. He must have had a blast though. Lena and I had stayed up doing a little drinking ourselves, sharing some memories and just being girls, talking about the wedding and decorations. It was fun, and reminded me of the times we’d spent before she’d met Troy. We were both still up when Brodie and Jackson had come home. Brodie and Lena’d had to carry Jackson to bed, which from everything Lena had told me about her fiancé took me completely by surprise. I had thought he’d stay somewhat sober, but then again, he had Brodie and Doc to influence him. Lena held him up with her shoulder under one of his arms, and Brodie under the other. I trailed behind just for moral support, listening to Jackson slur about how much he loved Lena and swearing that he hadn’t done anything bad at the party. Lena gave Brodie a questioning look as she giggled. I had to admit, I was surprised to see Brodie helping his very drunk brother to bed. The weirdest part of that middle-of-the-night encounter—Brodie had seemed perfectly sober, and I certainly hadn’t expected him to come home alone without a girl hanging from his arm. From what Lena had told me, I thought for sure he’d leave after helping Jackson to bed. I think Lena was just as shocked as I was when he said goodnight, went into his room and shut the door. I’d thought maybe he would come out a little while later and leave, but I didn’t hear his door open at all. Not that I was listening. Well, maybe a little.
As much as I didn’t like the way Brodie had treated me the last time I was here, there was still a part of me that wished he’d have tried to get to know me, even after I’d turned him down. I might have liked him if he’d taken his time and showed me some respect. Maybe learned a bit about me before groping my breasts. It wasn’t even a seduction. He’d acted more like a Neanderthal taking whatever woman he wanted, any time he wanted. Instead of trying again, he’d done the complete opposite and hadn’t spoken another word to me the entire time I was here. I suppose the slap was a bit harsh, but at the time, I’d thought he deserved it. I didn’t know him, and he didn’t know me. For him to just assume I wanted to have sex with him had really ticked me off. I guess I deserved the cold shoulder I got from him now. Maybe he thought I wasn’t worth the trouble if sex was all he wanted.
Once I got to bed, it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. By all rights, I should have been asleep by nine, considering that I hadn’t slept at all the night before. How I’d made it until three in the morning was baffling.
I’d never been able to sleep once the sun hit my eyes, and this morning was no exception. Not knowing the sun would be blasting in so early, I hadn’t thought to close the blinds last night. I peeked at the time on my phone to find it already ten-fifteen, not all that early. I turned over and tried pulling the pillow over my head, but it was too hot so I got up.
As I came into the kitchen, my stomach flipped at the sight of Brodie sitting at the large island in the center of the room, his very fine bare chest looming out in the open, showing off some very interesting tattoos on his chest and shoulder. One of the ones on his chest was a golden guitar, caressed by a bunch of red roses with music notes around it. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as the dragon etched in multiple shades of turquoise, red, and blue on the other side. There was another tattoo on his chest, a saying that I couldn’t make out because it was in a different language, but the one on his shoulder was a G clef with the words “Music is what feelings sound like” scrolled in a circle around it. His dark hair was damp, and he’d brushed it straight back, tucking the sides behind his ears. The wetness took away the auburn hue his hair usually had. He must have just gotten out of the shower. He sat hunched over a bowl of something that looked like mostly strawberries, but I realized, as I noticed the box of granola on the counter, that there must be some cereal and milk somewhere under all that delicious looking red. He glanced up at me, coffee cup halfway to his lips. He sort of smiled, I think.
“Good morning,” I managed, not sure if he would even return the greeting.
“Morning,” he said and sipped his coffee.
