Bad Boy for Hire

Excerpt

He climbed the steps two at a time and stopped on the landing when he spotted her. May was leaning, one shoulder against his bedroom’s doorframe. The sight of her that close to his bed sent his mind spiraling for the gutter…until he heard a sniffle. She hadn’t noticed him yet, and he figured she would appreciate privacy. But everything within him recoiled from that idea. He couldn’t leave her crying outside his bedroom door, no matter how much he didn’t want to embarrass her.

He knocked on the wall next to him to get her attention.

She spun, eyes wide as if she was surprised to see him. “Hey.”

She offered a quick smile as she swiped her face with one hand. In her other hand, she held a white paper and envelope—the invitation Elliott had mentioned, he assumed.

“Hey.” He gestured to the invitation as he approached. “Invited to a ball? Afraid of being the most beautiful woman there…again? I get it. It’s hard to be as attractive as we are. The spotlight can be tiring.”

“Close.” She handed him the cardstock. He skimmed it—a fairly standard wedding invitation—and came to a reasonable conclusion that would explain her tears.

“Your ex’s wedding?” he guessed.

“Worse. My ex’s sister’s wedding.” She accepted the invitation back, refolded it, and tucked it into her dress pocket. “If it was my ex’s wedding, I could throw it away and pretend I was never invited.”

“You can’t do that now?”

May shook her head.

“You’re close with her.”

“I used to be. I was close with his other sister too. And his mom. Lately I’ve been keeping my distance, but it’s hard to say no when the youngest is getting married. I don’t belong there. Not really.” Her smile softened. When she blinked, she snapped out of her melancholy. “Speaking of distance, you have stayed far away from Lou and me this evening. Avoiding us?”

“I was working my way down there, honest. I was stopped multiple times to do shots. I dumped the last two into the bushes when no one was looking.” Outside, a few whoops lifted the air. May glanced out his bedroom windows in the direction of the sound, but he kept his gaze glued to her face. Soft, serene, and delicate. Her cheekbones gave way to a smooth jaw and long neck. And if he looked at her mouth again, he might give in to his desire and kiss her. Rules be damned.

“You have a nice bedroom. Good taste. I wouldn’t expect less.” She gestured at his outfit. Like her, he had always possessed a solid sense of style.

“Is that why you’re up here? To see if I can decorate my house as well as my person?”

“Just needed a minute.”

“You seemed really fixated on my bed a moment ago.” He leaned on the doorjamb opposite her. “Were you considering my offer to sleep over?”

Her eyes flared dark as her pupils widened. God, he loved that reaction on her the most. He hadn’t been shy about flirting with her over the years, and May hadn’t been fully successful at hiding her reaction to him. That they hadn’t slept together—or at least made out—was a miracle of biblical proportions.

“I was planning on standing here until I made a decision once and for all.”

“About the sleepover?” He leaned close to ask.

She gave him a light shove, which meant she was touching his chest, which was A-okay with him. “About the wedding. To go or not to go, that is the question.”

“What do you want to do?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?” When she blew out a breath of frustration, he added, “I’m sincerely asking.”

“I know you are. You seem like someone who only does what he wants to do.”

He allowed his eyes to wander over her high cheekbones, to long lashes capping sparkling brown eyes, and finally back down to the mouth he wanted to kiss more than he wanted to take his next breath. His voice was husky when he admitted, “Not always.”

“Lisa abandoned me to go to work.” She smoothly changed the subject.

“On a Saturday night?”

“I know, right? Ant and Lou offered to take me home. I’m sure that’s just what they want to do—drive to the other side of the Cove when they’d rather go home and roll around naked on the floor.”

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

“You are not leaving the party you’re hosting, sir. Plus, you’ve been doing shots. You shouldn’t drive.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off to say what he would have said anyway. “Even though you tossed the last two into the bushes.”

“First off, this party is practically running itself. I have a catering team and bartenders to ensure that our friends have everything they need. Secondly, no one would notice if I left. They’re all—”

“Xavierrrrr!” came a booming voice from the bottom of the stairs.

“That sounds like Brady,” May offered.

“Xav! Fireworks! Get your ass down here!” Yep, that was Brady. Unknowingly cockblocking him.

“Listen,” he said to May. “Don’t worry about how you’re getting home. Or about what to do about the wedding invitation. Watch some fireworks, have another drink. Enjoy the night.” He sent a sideways glance to his bed before pegging her with a meaningful look. “Wherever it may lead.”

He offered his hand. She regarded it for a prolonged beat before weaving her fingers with his. It was sappy as fuck, but that move went straight to his chest and squeezed.

May was strong and sure of herself, always. She knew what she wanted. She took what she needed. Except when it came to men. He thought of that douchecanoe who came into his bar last summer and fought a sneer. She chose guys who were of a lower caliber than she deserved. He knew because she’d brought a few first dates into his bar. He didn’t think she was parading them in front of him, more bringing them there because she felt safe. Which made him feel good—except for the douchecanoe part.

“Xavier!”

“Coming, Hutch! Keep it in your pants!”

Brady’s laughter drifted up the stairs, growing fainter as he walked outside. Once the door slid shut, May blinked over at Xavier, her hand still warming his.

“I’ll call a car to take me home.”

“May—”

“It’s decided. Don’t argue with me.”

“I thought you came up here to decide about the wedding.”

“Well, I’ve decided to take your suggestion and decide later.”

He was fortunate to have her fingers wrapped in his, so he chose not to argue with her. But this discussion wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.