Spin (Boosted Hearts Book 2) (14 page)

Humor is always the safest bet. Keep things light. She definitely didn’t want to be thinking about how she’d left him that morning, all sexy and hard. The way he made her laugh—the way he’d looked at her right before she walked out the door…

Joe:
Ew!

Darcey:
Did you just say ew? That’s not very manly, Colton.

Joe: You really doubting my manliness after last night?

No dammit, she wasn’t. Dude could more than hold his own in the bedroom. Hell, he put every other guy she’d slept with to shame, and then some. Her thigh muscles clenched. Nope. She didn’t want to think about that.

Darcey:
Does your ego have its own bedroom?

Joe:
Girl, please. I rocked your world.

He was arrogant as hell, but he had a right to be. She stared at the screen, not sure how to reply. She didn’t get a chance because her phone dinged with another message.

Joe:
You ran off pretty fast this morning.

Darcey:
Late for work.

His reply took longer this time, and she knew he wasn’t buying her excuse.

Joe:
Wanna get together tonight?

Darcey:
Are we picking up the Ferrari?

Joe:
No.

Darcey:
You wanna scope out some other cars on your list?

Joe:
No.

Her belly curled and warmed, the tingly,
really good
feeling dipping lower. She ignored it. Well, valiantly tried anyway.

Darcey:
What then?

Nerves fluttered and danced while she waited for his reply.

Joe:
Got a craving for peaches.

Shit, her knees went weak. Her fingers hovered over the screen, fighting with herself, over how she should answer—how she wanted to answer.

No. They’d had their night. A night that’d been coming from the first time she’d laid eyes on him. But there couldn’t be a repeat, not if she wanted to keep him at arm’s length. She’d help him get his cars for Al, but that’s all. That was risky enough. Anything more was just asking for trouble. And not just from Al.

Darcey:
Try the grocery store.

Joe:
Har har.
You wanna come to mine this time?

A heavy weight settled in her gut as she typed out her reply. Her fingers felt clumsy, stiff, and it took her three tries before she got her response down.

Darcey:
Last night was fun. But let’s keep this thing about the cars only from now on.

She hit send then turned off her phone and shoved it into her pocket. There. Done.

Over.

~ * ~

Joe stirred his drink with more force than was necessary, coffee spilling over the side and onto the break room table.

The chair across from him squeaked. “Yeah, I think it’s good to drink now.”

Lifting his head, he eyeballed Hugh, relaxed back, boots on the table, hands behind his head. Smug as fuck. “Don’t worry, Mary. I’ll wipe up after myself.”

His brother scowled. “Mary?”

“Poppins.” His phone rang, and he yanked it out of his pocket like it was on fire.
Caller ID blocked.
Not Darcey. He clicked end call and shoved it back into his pocket. He was not in the mood to deal with telemarketers right now.

Hugh scowled harder. “Shit, whatever.” He dropped his giant feet and leaned forward, forearms resting on the table. “What’s going on with you? You’re all over the place at the moment. And you just pulled that phone out of your pocket like you were expecting a call from Jennifer Lawrence.”

Joe scowled back. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He knew exactly what his big brother was saying. Didn’t mean he was willing to share. Not this, and especially not with Hugh.

“Your mood swings are giving me whiplash. One minute your surly as fuck, the next you’re giving a stellar impression of Bozo the Clown.” He motioned to the mess on the table. “Now you’re abusing your cup of coffee, and before that, you were throwing tools around the goddamn workshop. What gives?”

“Don’t know what to tell you.” He shrugged. “I’m fine.”

Hugh’s brows lowered. “You’ve been acting weird as fuck…well, weirder than usual. Don’t try and deny it. You need to get something off your chest? Spill, I’ll listen.”

That was Hugh, always looking out for his family, putting everyone before himself. He’d done it since he was old enough to work out their old man was useless piece of shit. He’d stepped up. Kept their heads above water and the sharks at bay when they’d been left with a mountain of their father’s gambling debts. Had almost lost Shay because of it. That was why Joe had done what he had. He owed Hugh so much more than he could ever repay. That’s why he couldn’t find out about their debt with Al not being wiped, but instead, transferred to him. Why he had to keep Darcey a secret.

He couldn’t tell his brother he’d fallen for the woman who had set them up. That that same woman had been driving him crazy ever since he’d laid eyes on her, but now that he’d finally had her, she was all he could think about. That two nights ago, she’d let him in, given him a taste of all that was her, coming apart for him so fucking sweet, so damn perfect, that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he heard her screaming his name again. Or that he knew,
fucking knew
, she was made for him.

And that despite all that, how sure he was about her, she’d made it clear those feelings were not mutual. Had hammered that home when she’d locked it down and shut him out. When she’d walked out on his sorry ass, still in her bed, dick waving in the wind, while he all but begged her to fuck him.

And the cherry on top—she’d given him the brush off via text.

So yeah, Hugh was right. He was all over the damn place, but there would be no sharing.

Joe also knew Hugh better than almost anyone, which meant if he didn’t give him something, he wouldn’t drop this.

Leaning back in his chair, Joe blew out a frustrated breath. “There’s a woman.”

A grin stretched Hugh’s lips, flashing his pearly whites. “So Adam was right. You got it bad, but she’s not gonna give you any?”

Jesus
. “Something like that.”

Joe jumped when Hugh slapped a hand on the table and bust out laughing.

“Your sympathy is heartwarming.”

Hugh wiped a nonexistent tear. “Just means you gotta work for it, baby brother. ‘Bout fucking time, too.”

Joe wished it was that easy. But he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do to get through to Darcey. Yeah, she wanted him, the other night proved that. Beyond that, though? The woman was locked up like Fort Knox, and getting past those barriers she’d built to protect herself would not be easy. Not if she didn’t want him there. The woman had secrets, he knew that much, things she didn’t want Joe in on. And he got the feeling that was the reason she’d pushed him away.

What that meant for him, he had no clue.

Instead of sharing this, though, he saluted Hugh with his middle finger. “You can stop laughing now. Anytime.”

Hugh chuckled for a bit longer then grew serious, a solemn expression transforming his face. “This girl’s worked her way under your skin. I can see that.”

 
Joe rubbed that back of his neck. “Yeah.” That, at least, he could be honest about.

 
“Put in the effort. I’m telling you, it’ll be worth it.”

Joe knew Darcey was worth it. He had no doubt on that front whatsoever. Whether she knew that was another story altogether.

Hugh scratched his beard. “So you think she’s into you?”

“What is this, high school?” Still, the question bounced around his skull. She may have tried to give him the short, sharp shift, but after the way they’d blown up together, the way she’d held on to him while she slept, wrapped around him like she never wanted to let go… Yeah, she was into him. She just didn’t want to admit it to herself or him.

He took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in his seat. “I believe the feeling’s mutual.” He shrugged. “Whether or not that matters remains to be seen.”

Hugh sat back, as well. “It may not seem like it now.” He grinned again, wide as fuck. “Yanno…with your nuts feeling like overinflated water balloons…but you won’t regret putting in the hard yards. I promise you that.”

As nice as Hugh’s fairytale sounded, Darcey wasn’t Shay. The two women couldn’t be more different, and right now, his brother was buried so deep in unicorn farts he couldn’t see which way was up.

“That sounds sweet and all. Unfortunately, not everyone gets their princess, asshole. But I thank you for your sage advice. You know, from all your relationship experience.”

Before Shay, Hugh had avoided relationships like ringworm. Now, all of a sudden, he was an expert.

“This is true. Not everyone does. But if you don’t work your ass off to get that happily ever after, you can bet it sure as fuck will never happen.”

“Who says I want that? You’re assuming I want to end up like you.”

Hugh jerked back like his words hadn’t made sense. “Why the hell wouldn’t you?”

His brother was genuinely confused, so damn loved up he wanted everyone else to have the same. And yeah, Joe was lying to himself and Hugh. He wanted that—of course he did—but no way was he owning up to it. He’d had enough humiliation the last few days,
fuck you very much
.

“I think my princess just sees the frog, and she’s right. I’m sure as hell not anyone’s prince.”

Hugh let out a long, rough breath, ready to jump into another monologue about the virtues of love. “Joe…”

Joe stood, cutting him off. “Give it a rest, Dr. Phil. Besides all this talking in fairytale metaphors is giving me a goddamn migraine.”

Hugh stood, as well, and lifted his hands in surrender. “Whatever, man. Just know I’m here if you need me.”

Yeah, he knew. He’d always known. That’s why he loved the big bastard so damn much. Why he’d do whatever he had to do to repay him for all he’d done. Ignoring the pang in his chest, he winked. “Thanks, sweetie. You’re the best.”

“Dick,” Hugh grumbled as they headed out to the workshop.

“More like the giant pork-sword of death.”

“Jesus.”

“The Italian sausage lance of love.”

“Quit it.”

“The frankfurter Claymore of fulfillment.”

“No more.”

“The honey-pot slayer of…” One of Hugh’s giant, meaty palms whacked him upside the head. “Ow! Shit.”

His brother scowled. “I get it, I’ll leave you to wallow in your own crap and stay the hell out of it.”

Joe smirked and headed to the car he’d been working on. And while he worked, he thought about what his brother said. Usually, the guy’s advice was pretty crap. But in this, he might actually be right about something.

Joe wanted Darcey, and he knew damn well she wanted him back. He just had to convince her to let him in. There were risks. It was more than likely the dumbest idea he’d ever had, going after her, putting in the “hard yards”, but he had to try. He couldn’t just let this go. Let her go.

It made no sense, there was a lot they didn’t know about each other. Still, he knew she was it for him. He just—did. And the only way to convince her she was his princess was to slay some of those dragons circling her. Kiss her awake from her nightmare.

Shit, now he was back to fucking fairytales.

His brother had a lot to goddamn answer for.

Chapter Eleven

D
arcey flicked through the channels then flung the remote down beside her. Nothing. Turning off the TV, she stood and paced her small apartment, the antsy, restless feeling swirling inside her not going away.

Oh, she knew why it was there, knew why she couldn’t sit still for longer than a few minutes. Why she obsessively checked her phone. She didn’t want to think about it or acknowledge it, but it was there, hovering like rotten freaking cabbage. It’s stench made her wince and cringe whenever she let it invade her senses.

Or more, when she thought about the cowardly text she’d sent Joe, ending their non-relationship before it had begun.

It had only been two days and she… God, she missed him. He hadn’t messaged or called after the brush-off. Which was good, right? Exactly what she’d wanted.

“Argh!” She flung herself back on the couch and hissed out a breath.
Stop it. Stop thinking about him.

She squeezed her eyes shut.
About his mouth, his hands, his…

There was a knock at the door.

She shot up into a sitting position.
Dammit
. She was not in the mood to deal with people. Especially if that person happened to be her landlord. The guy was a creepy, touchy-feely asshat who insisted on being paid in cash and collecting it himself every month.

Groaning, she dragged her ass off the couch and stomped to the door. Bracing, and throwing off the best don’t-fucking-touch-me body language she could muster, she yanked the door open. “Mr. Haaaa… Joe?”

The sexy bastard stood there, towering over her, filling her doorway.