Burn (L.A. Untamed #2) (26 page)

“Well, next time a little less drama to get my attention, okay? I care about you, Mikey. I always will. Don’t forget that.”

His gaze is intense, a mix of gratitude and tenderness. “I won’t,” he says.

Chapter 20:
The Open Door

We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. ~Marie Curie

A while later, Mikey falls asleep in bed while watching a movie on his smartphone. I’m not ready for bed. Instead, I have a strong urge to sit outside with a glass of wine, and unwind from all that happened today.

When I step into the back patio I realize that the top of Betty is where I want to be most of all. After transferring my drink into something more portable, I grab my jacket and head back outside.

Once I’ve scaled the ladder and settled into the lawn chair, I take a deep breath. The sky is black velvet, scattered with pinpoints of starlight. I open up my wine and take a long sip. Damn, I wish Joe were here.

After enough stargazing and wine to inspire me to stir up trouble, I pick up my phone and turn it in my hand. I’m so tempted to call him but considering how things are going, maybe texting would be safer. I quickly tap out my message before I lose my courage.

Hi Joe . . . you’ll never guess where I am

Several minutes pass before my phone pings.

Where?

On top of Betty.

You scaled my rig without me there?

I did. Are you mad at me?

Are you alone?

Of course.

Then I’m not mad.

I wish you were here with me. I have wine.

Don’t fall off the roof.

Not that much wine.

Good.

I miss your kisses.

I bet.

Do you miss my kisses?

Maybe, from what I can remember of them.

You’re so mean.

I warned you that I was.

If you were here I’d remind you about my kisses . . . over and over.

Hmmm. Maybe I do miss them.

When are you coming back to me?

When you can’t take another moment without me.

Oh good. So you’re on your way?

I’m in my bunk, just back from a call

Are you naked in your bunk?

No.

Can you just lie and say yes?

I’m naked. Buck-naked.

Sigh. See now you’re getting me worked up.

Is that so?

It is, and I’m getting cold. I wish you were here to warm me up.

Don’t you have a jacket? What are you wearing?

Just the moonlight falling over my shoulders, and my memory of you.

Slow down with the wine, Trisha.

Make me.

You aren’t really up on my rig buck-naked putting on a show for the neighborhood, are you?

Maybe you should come by to see for yourself. It’s worth the trip, I promise.

You’re making me crazy, woman.

Good.

No, not good.

Hey, I want to break into your tiny house.

Oh, good God. Why?

Because tonight I want to sleep in your bed.

Is that so?

When did you wash the sheets last?

Seriously? I had no idea you were that prissy.

No. Not that.

Then what?

I want your scent on the sheets so I can wrap the sensation of you around me.

How much wine did you bring up there with you?

I lick the last bit of Pinot Noir off my lips. I’m a little buzzed. Gotta say though, this recklessness makes me feel like I’m letting my hair down in gale force winds, and damn, I like it.

I look back down at my phone.

I brought enough wine for the two of us, but you weren’t here.

I’m worried about you getting back down on solid ground.

Don’t worry. I’ll land on my feet.

I’m sure you will, T. Rex.

So how do I break into your house?

You turn the doorknob and push.

The door isn’t locked?

No, it never was. The door was always open.

Damn you. All the tears . . . I miss you.

Don’t cry. You’ll fall off the ladder.

I’m going down. Since your door is open guess where you’ll find me?

In my bed?

Yes. Buck-naked.

Damn, Trisha.

Waiting . . .

Patiently?

Impatiently waiting for you

I take it slow heading back down the ladder, and get all the way down to the ground before I realize my jacket is still on the roof, next to my chair. I wobble a little as I approach the ladder to go back up, and then it occurs to me that I don’t give a flying fuck where my jacket is.

Instead I do what Joe said—I turn Betty’s knob and push, then step inside.

There’s just enough moonlight for me to feel my way through his tiny house after I pass through the tiny door. It never occurs to me to turn on the lights Pulling off my clothes, I dramatically throw each piece aside as it parts from my body. Every step takes me closer to his bed.

I get a warm feeling just pulling his bedding open. Knowing Joe’s been in this bed with his skin against the sheets, his scent lingering, makes me wild. I climb inside his man-nest of a bed and roll around like a joyful puppy, pressing my face into his pillow to take deep breaths. I’m the happiest I’ve been since that day he joked with me about breeding and kissed me silly in the station office.

As the minutes pass, the sheer rightness of being in his bed, combined with the emotional exhaustion of the day, makes me drowsy and I doze off.

Some time later I wake up to a tall figure at the end of his bed.

“Joe?” I whisper.

He’s silent as he pulls off his clothes.

Is this a dream?
I hope so because this has the potential to be a really good one.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” I ask.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Joe says as he joins me under the covers. When he rolls me to my side so he can spoon me, I revel in the warmth of his body pressed against me.

I let out a happy sigh.

“Sorry I woke you.”

“Never apologize for that. I’m just glad you’re here.”

His hand runs along my hip, and slides over to my midriff so he can pull me closer.

“Glad to see you got off the roof in one piece. What else has been going on? Anything I should know about?”

“Mikey and I had a serious talk tonight. I hope you don’t mind, but I told him that I love you and I’m having sex with you. He knows we’re involved now.”

I can feel his smile break against the back of my head. “I don’t mind.”

“Good.”

“I think he’s ready to move things along with the divorce. We talked about selling the house and he didn’t say no.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“So you’re going to have to find a place to put me.”

He chuckles. “I will, but I don’t want to talk about the future now. I just want to be.”

“Be? Like, with me?” I ask, wanting clarification even though the answer is pretty obvious.

“Yes, with you.”

I feel him getting hard against my backside and I figure it’s a good sign. I wiggle my butt against him so he knows that I’m extra glad he’s here.

His hand moves up to cup my breast and I feel his lips on my neck.

“God I’ve missed this,” I whisper, my body humming for him.

“Me too,” he says, his breath hot on my skin.

His fingers slide up my inner thighs. He’s really handsy tonight and I like it. I lean into his touch.

“So were you really up on my roof?”

I nod and swallow hard, as he slides his fingers between my legs.

“On your roof, inside your bed, in your arms. I’m all over you, Joe. It’s the only place I want to be.”

“Hmmm.” He tugs on my earlobe with his teeth.

I suggestively part my thighs and tilt my hips back. “You know what I need.”

“I do,” he says as he takes his cock in his hand and rubs it against me.

I almost cry it feels so good. “More,” I whisper.

“So demanding,” he moans, and then excruciatingly slowly, he pushes inside of me.

Every feeling is intense, and there’s something about my back pressed to his chest, and being held so close against him as he moves inside of me, that’s perfection.

In this late hour, I push away my fear that my life is too complicated, my personality too much for this man who’s looking to find peace in his life. Instead I bind myself to him with threads of hope as he makes love to me with not just his body, but his heart too.

In turn, I love him back with everything I have and keep faith that we will find our footing again in the light of day.

I’m sad that the next time I wake up he’s out of bed and putting his clothes back on. It’s still dark out but he’s turned on a low light somewhere past the bed in his rig.

“Stay,” I murmur.

He shakes his head. “I’ve gotta get back to the station. Go back to sleep.”

I watch him with sleepy eyes as he pulls his jacket on. In the faint amber glow my heart skips as I look at his messy hair and shadow along his jaw where a beard is beckoning. Even half asleep and rumpled, this man has become the sole focus of my desire. I’m so powerfully drawn to him and grateful that apparently he feels the same about me.

“Today I’m going to work on getting things finished here so it’s just you and I and Betty.”

He nods, and leans over to kiss me good-bye.

“I love you,” I say.

He pushes my hair out of my eyes and the intensity in his gaze startles me. “I love you too.”

Even when he’s out of my sight, I resemble a burrowing woodland creature as I listen with pricked up ears for the click of the door shutting, his engine firing up, and the fading roar of his motorcycle as he rides away.

What’s that saying about ‘if you love someone set them free, and if it’s meant to be, they’ll come back to you,’ or some shit like that?

Yeah, I never liked that lame-ass saying, and especially not now.

The next morning at breakfast Mikey seems nervous. He keeps stirring his oatmeal over and over without taking a bite. I’m pretty sure it’s going to turn into cement if he doesn’t leave it alone.

“You all right?” I ask as I refill my mug with coffee.

He nods, and keeps stirring.

“Hey, what did that oatmeal do to deserve such a beating? Maybe you should just calm down and eat it.”

He smiles and lets go of the spoon.

“So I was wondering . . .” He pauses, his eyebrows knitted together.

“About?” I wave my hand in small circles to encourage him on. Otherwise, knowing Mikey, this could take all day.

“Well, I was wondering if Stanley can come over this evening when you’re at your parents, so he and I can talk? He thought it would be better somewhere neutral like a restaurant, but I’m not comfortable with that idea and his mom is staying with him through tomorrow.”

Wow
. . . It seems like our talk last night inspired Mikey.

I pause to think about it and realize at least this should move things along, one way or another. “Okay. I’ll be heading over to their place at six-thirty.”

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asks.

Like how much weirder can my life get?

“It’s not a problem. You know I’ll be at their place at least a couple of hours.”

A thought occurs to me, and I crinkle up my nose. “But no sex in my bed.”

His eyes grow wide with horror. “Oh no! Of course not.”

I nod. “Speaking of Stanley, did he ever get another job after he quit the shop?”

“No.”

“So he could come back to work for you if you wanted him to.”

Now I’m encouraging a multi-faceted hook-up for my husband and his gay lover.

“Would it upset you if he did?”

I purse my lips as I consider the question. “Actually, I’d be relieved. You always talked about him like he kept the place running like a well-oiled machine. It only makes sense to bring him back. The last thing you need right now is added stress at work.”

“True.”

Could this mean we have figured things out so we can clearly head down our separate paths? The feeling makes me melancholy for a moment as I remember our good times but then I give myself a swift virtual kick in the ass.
This is
now
, Trisha.

I clap my hand. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road. Your appointment is in forty-five. And if she clears you for driving we can go pick up your car. Right?”

He nods with a hopeful smile.

I raise my fist in the air. “Onward!”