Brothers Black: Wyatt the Heartbreaker (3 page)

Chapter Four

Wyatt

Last night was torture. It seemed like as soon as Nellie got out of my truck she started avoiding me. All I wanted was to get close to her and learn more about her. I may not have been able to get close to her, but I got to know a lot about her through listening and observing her with everyone else.

It was weird to see someone have such a close bond with my family and for me not to know that person. I realized how much Nellie had actually become like family to everyone around me, and I still don’t really know her. I went from wanting to fuck her on the nearest flat surface to really wanting to get to know her.

If I thought I was jealous of her relationship with Noah, I became pure envious of how she was with Toby. They remind me of Noah and Bean without the underlying sexual tension. I haven’t seen Toby like that in a long time. His guard was down, and he looked truly happy. We have all noticed that Toby has gone out of his way to be difficult lately.

He mostly listens to me at times, but he has been known to avoid me when he knows I am going to set him straight. I don’t know what is going on with him. Seeing Nellie bring out that side of him that we all know and love did something to me. I have to know this girl.

She even had Braxton acting as if he wasn’t raised by wolves. I can tell you now we sometimes wonder where that kid came from. The things that come out of his mouth unfiltered can be baffling. He has no off switch whatsoever.

Watching Nellie also got me to watching the rest of our friends and family. Faith, Rob’s second wife, happens to be African American as well. Steve’s ex-wife left him during his tour of service.

As soon as she got wind that he was back home to stay, she dropped Heather at his doorstep and never turned back. Faith became the only mother Heather has known since she was ten. The seven of us Black boys are like big brothers to Heather. It looks like my brothers have become something of the same to Nellie as well.

I’d say of all the brothers Heather is closest to me. I am the one Heather has confided the truth in. What everyone else doesn’t know is that they are assuming Heather is gay when she actually isn’t. I would never tell her past or her story, but girls are her comfort zone. When people started to assume, she decided not to clarify the truth.

I have seen her at her most vulnerable and I think that when the right person comes along, she’ll make who she really is known. It just has to be someone she trusts. I have seen her talk about her future, and I know what she really wants is safety and security. I support and love her either way.

That brings me to the fact that I have never seen Heather act as girlie as she did last night around both Nellie and Bean. Heather isn’t butch, but she is tomboyish. She has been wearing her light brown hair in low cut waves for the last few years, which from a distance with her back turned would make you think she was a man. Up close when you look her in the face, she just looks like a gorgeous androgynous supermodel.

She gets her light brown skin from her mother. Debbie was half African American, half Filipino. When it comes to dressing, Heather usually has on jeans, biker chains, and her biker boots, with some random t-shirt.

“She’s awesome isn’t she,” Ryan nodded at Nellie as he walked to my side and into my thoughts.

“She’s okay,” I shrugged.

Ryan chuckled, as the baby of us seven he is the observer. He doesn’t miss a thing. To prove my point he says. “You haven’t taken your eyes off her all night. So we both know you think she is more than okay.”

“Hey, you ever noticed that the Lockharts all married either Black or mixed women?” I change the subject.

“Yeah,” Ryan shrugged. “I noticed, but never thought too much about it. Why?”

“Just a thought, it never occurred to me before,” I shrugged.

When I took a look at Bean, I found myself amused. The Lockhart men definitely have an M.O. Jennifer, Bean’s mom, is half Black, half Hispanic. I found myself wondering what a baby between Nellie and I would look like. That’s when I decided to call it a night.

I am still lost in my thoughts about Nellie and last night as I enter the office to a chorus of laughter. Now this I am used to. What I don’t expect is for everyone to be standing around the computer at the reception desk.

“Bro, that’s his truck,” I hear Felix scoff.

“No way, he would never get caught out there like that,” Braxton says shaking his head.

“Dude, that is definitely his truck,” Jonathan rumbles. “I can’t believe this shit. Where’d it come from?”

I already know what they are looking at. I pinch my eyes closed as the other night comes back to haunt me. I hate that crazy bitch Coral, but I hate her, even more, the moment I hear the next voice explain where the video came from.

“It was in the inbox. Heather asked me to set up some filters. The video was set to play when the email opens,” I hear Nellie’s sweet voice explain. “The tag said Heartbreaker; I thought one of you guys were sending in footage for a client.”

“Can you please turn that shit off,” I growl causing everyone to turn toward me.

“What, it is some of your best work,” Heather teases as she peeks around my brothers.

“Only staff should be opening or working on company emails. If you needed something Heather, you should have told me,” I growl.

Surprising me, Nellie pops up from her seat in front of the computer, pushing her glasses up her nose and placing her hands on her hips. “If you made it into work on time you would have been here for the meeting that was held to announce my joining the team. So that makes me staff. As far as company emails, you should sure as hell be more mindful of what is sent to the company’s inbox and keep your personal shit to yourself,” Nellie growls back at me.

I can see her shaking with her own rage before she stomps off away from me. Damn, she is hot as hell when she is pissed. It almost pulls a smile from my lips. I start after her, but Toby steps in front of me.

“Nice,” he scowls at me.

“Not now, Toby,” I say as I start to push past him.

“Not happening,” Ryan says as he steps in my way next. I look between my brothers in disbelief.

“Seriously,” I scowl at the two.

“Seriously,” Noah grumbles from behind me. I turn to see him, Johnathan, and Felix standing with their arms folded across their chests. Braxton, that little shit, is too busy watching the video again.

I shake my head at my brothers and make my way to my office slamming the door. I am more pissed at myself. I never meant for anyone to see that video, especially not Nellie. I really feel like a jerk for making it seem like she did something wrong. I didn’t mean for my anger to be directed at her.

Then her words sink in.
Fuck
, she works here? This is just getting better and better. I flop down at my desk and try to do a better job of locating that video and destroying all links and copies to it, even if I have to give every damn device Coral and her minions own a virus.

~B~

Nellie

I don’t know why I got so angry. I stormed off out of embarrassment. When I opened that email, Heather had noticed Wyatt’s truck right away. We were curious as to what we were looking at. Like I said, we thought one of the guys had sent in footage or something. Heather had just asked around the office when Wyatt and the girl appeared on the screen. He was walking to his car alone at first.

The girl cornered him and next thing she was all over him. Moments later he opened the back door to his truck and bent her over in it with her ass hanging out. He was hanging out not too long after that as he plowed into her from behind.

Truth, I am jealous. While all I have are fantasies of him doing something like that to me, this skank obliviously set him up, but still received the pleasure. I would think he would be so much smarter than to get into a situation like that.
What was he thinking?

“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. It is none of my business. I have got to calm down. This is so not like me. I can’t even believe I lost it on him like that. All of this stress has me acting like a crazy person.

I get a grip and return to the receptionist desk so that I can continue to work. For the next few hours, I push both Wyatt and the video from my mind. I am nose deep in firewalls and security coding when I feel someone standing over me.

I turn and lift my head to see Wyatt standing over what has become my desk for now. I press my lips and wrinkle my nose. He gives me that ridiculously sexy smile of his.

“You haven’t eaten. Let’s go,” he says holding out his hand.

I look at his hand and then back at him. I lift a brow and push my glasses up my nose. His smile just grows.

“I’m sorry Nellie. I shouldn’t have taken that situation out on you. I want to make it up to you,” he says, pouring the charm on.

“I’m not bending over in your truck,” I say with a straight face.

He blushes bright red. I mean deep crimson. I can’t hold onto my straight face any longer. I burst into laughter and double over. When I collect myself, he is standing with a crooked grin on his gorgeous face. I turn to save my work and shut down for lunch.

I grab my purse and stand. Wyatt places his hand on my lower back before leaning into my ear. “You are too special to be bent over in a parking lot. I’ll give you candles and music our first time,” he whispers in a husky voice.

I whip my head up to look at him as my mouth drops open. This time, he is the one fighting to keep a straight face. I punch him in his arm and stomp off toward the elevator.

“You have got to stop stomping away from me,” he calls with a rumbling laugh.

Chapter five

Wyatt

I wanted to have lunch with Nellie for a few reasons. First on the list was to apologize, second to get to know her, and third to get her to forget that video. I love her sense of humor. I really thought she was serious back in the office.

I know I was when I told her what our first time will be like. I know one thing for sure, and that is that I want Nellie Bryant. I could spend hours on why my new obsession is Nellie Bryant. From her unruly curls to her lush curves, there isn’t one thing about her that I don’t crave. The fact that she is shy and doesn’t even realize how beautiful she is is just an added turn on.

I love that over lunch her shyness has faded away slowly. She is becoming more comfortable around me, and that is exactly what I want. We have probably been sitting here longer than we should, but I’m not ready to go back yet.

“So, what is the real reason you are moving back here,” that must be the wrong question to ask. I see her whole face shutdown. Her body tenses and she turns away from me, folding into herself. I ask because the P.I. in me doesn’t buy that she is just moving back here because she is homesick.

“I needed a change,” she murmurs.

“Bullshit,” I say and sit back in my chair throwing my arm over the back. She turns to look at me narrowing her eyes.

“Tell me the reason that email was sent, and I’ll tell you why I am moving back,” she challenges.

I press my lips and narrow my eyes back at her. I hate that fucking video. She smirks at me smugly when she thinks I’m not going to answer. Heck, what do I have to lose?

“I was messing around with this girl, Coral,” I start and shrug. “She made up in her head that we were more than what we were. I made it plain in the beginning what we were and what we were doing. She has turned into a stalking nightmare now.”

Nellie just stares at me for a little while then she bursts into laughter. She bites her lip and looks at me over her glasses, and I swear I want to jump over the table and devour her. She removed the little blazer she was wearing earlier, and now she is just wearing a silky tank top and jeans. I love that she wears the sexiest heels. The pink ones on her feet have had me shifting in my seat a few times.

“So she recorded you having sex with another girl,” Nellie chuckles.

“Yup, the girl was actually a friend of hers. She set the whole thing up,” I shrug.

Nellie laughs again. God is she beautiful when she laughs. “What were you thinking? Come on, you should have seen that one coming,” she chortles.

“Yeah, I should have. I wasn’t thinking. She was becoming clingy and pushy all night. I thought I would get her off and be on my way,” I sigh and draw a hand down my face, not sure why I am telling her all of this.

Nellie picks up her drink and takes a long sip. When she puts the glass back down, she looks into her lap. “I have wanted to come back for a long time now. Mom got sick not too long after we moved. I stuck around to help out and make sure she got better. Then two years ago I started dating this guy.

“He seemed so great at first. Steve never liked him. He kept warning me to watch him. Well, after the first year he started to change. He became verbally abusive. He would call me names and tell me to lose weight.

“That’s when the phone calls from random girls started. He would deny it all and convince me that he loved me, and nothing was going on with any of the girls. I wanted to believe him I guess.

“Steve had insisted on brushing up on my self-defense. I thought it was silly at first, but one night I became grateful to both Steve and Noah. They saved my life. I showed up at Barry’s to surprise him for our anniversary. He was home with another girl. She answered the door half naked.

“Barry lost it on me, he had been drinking and decided his words weren’t enough, this time,” she pauses to wipe a tear away from the corner of her eye. I am boiling at this point and barely remaining in my seat instead of booking a flight to Seattle. “The girl, s-she tried to help me, and he knocked her out. I knew then that I was going to have to fight for my life, so I did. He was much bigger than me, but so was Noah.

“I had to dig deep and remember everything Noah taught me about taking a guy his size. I made it to Mom and Steve’s with only a few scratches and bruises. Mom was sleeping, but Steve found me in the powder room falling apart. I had already been talking to Uncle Rob about the move. Steve booked the ticket that night.”

“What happened to Barry,” I ask in a deceptively calm voice.

“He was arrested, but he has connections, and his father has money. He bailed him out. I had just enough time to get the important stuff from my apartment before he was released and headed straight there. My roommate had to call the cops,” she whispers. “Steve wanted to get involved, but I begged him not to. Things would have just been worse.”

For the first time since she started talking, she looks up at me. She laughs humorlessly. “I don’t know why I told you all of that,” she murmurs.

“I hope because you trust me,” I say and reach across the table to wrap her hand in mine. I need to touch her. I wish I were there to protect her, but I’m glad Noah’s help saved her. “Looks like we both could get better at picking who we hook up with.”

She snorts, “I am never dating again,” she frowns.

“Well, I promised myself a vow of celibacy,” I chuckle.

“Oh yeah, how is that working out for you,” she smiles.

“I think I am doing pretty good, it is only day two, though,” I smile back, and she gives me a genuine laugh and smile.

“Mr. Black, I think we have taken more than a lunch break. Do you mind taking me back to work?” she says while digging for her wallet.

I pull a face. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Paying for my lunch,” she says with all seriousness.

“Yeah, whatever, that asshole must have had more than a hand and mouth problem. No woman of mine will ever pay for any lunch I take her to,” I grumble.

Nellie snorts. “I’m not your woman, Wyatt,” she says, pulling out her wallet.

I stand and lean over the table until my face is inches from hers. “Yet,” I say and kiss her on the cheek. “Let’s go Badass. I have a few cases I could use your expertise on.”

I toss enough cash to cover the bill and a tip on the table and start for the door chuckling as a stunned Nellie slowly follows me out. My mind is more than made up. Nellie is as good as mine and I will be going to Seattle this weekend.