I shake my head and let out a sigh. Then I knock back that second beer. Conleigh Meyers will be the death of me.
Chapter 21
Holden
Back at the apartment, my brother is laying on my couch and eating my food while drinking my beer. “How long you plan on being here, man?” I ask, kicking his foot off my coffee table. He’s nothing but fucking trouble. I don’t need his brand of bullshit, but he’s all I got. I won’t turn him away. I forgave him a long time ago for this shit with Reese. If she truly loved me she wouldn’t have done the things she did.
He makes a face and sits up. “I’m looking for a place. Rent here isn’t as cheap as it used to be. Hell, you could clean out that office and offer me the room.”
“I could, but I don’t want you here.” I slap a newspaper at his chest. “There’s a few advertisements. If you get off your ass, maybe you can go view them.”
He blows out a frustrated breath.
“Why are you here?”
“I told you. I need to get back to my roots, Hold. I lost my way.” He rubs a tired hand over his face and starts flipping through the paper.
I make my way to the kitchen and find Conleigh and Ezra sitting at the table together looking at cars on a laptop.
“Hey, man.” Ezra nods.
“Sup?”
“I am trying to gain my independence and buy a car.” Conleigh smiles at me and Ezra squeezes her hand.
My jaw ticks as I notice how close their chairs are pulled together.
“Good for you.” I grab a bottle of Heineken from the fridge and knock it back eagerly.
“I have to work early. Do you think you could drive her to that buy here pay here place off the interstate in the morning?” Ezra looks to me.
I swallow hard unsure of how to proceed here. “No problem.” In the end, I agree because we need to talk. Her and me, no outside influences. Glancing down at her crossed ankles as her cheeks blush, I see her socks rolling down her calves at their own accord and it takes everything in me not to drop to my knees and run my rough, splintered, calloused fingers over her smooth skin. Fuck. She’s so beautiful without even trying.
She licks her lips, drawing my attention to that tempting and so damn kissable mouth. “Thank you,” she whispers, and her hair lops to the side as her bun comes undone as she tilts her head up at me. Her eyes holding waves of emotion all crashing against me. Beating me down, daring me to say fuck it all and stake my claim. Pump my fist against my chest and roar like the king of the jungle or some shit.
I want to get in Conleigh’s face and scream at her and demand she tell Ezra to get lost, that she belongs to me. But I don’t. I grit my teeth.
Wren comes strutting into the kitchen. “No one invited me to the kitchen pow wow. Are you whispering about me?” He pulls out a chair and sits next to Conleigh. Scooting his chair as close to her as physically possible without sitting in her lap.
“Hello, Wren.”
“Hello, love.” He smirks and takes a drink from her wine glass.
“Excuse you,” she scoffs, scooting back her chair.
“I gotta get busy,” Ezra announces. “Hey, Con?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you put me a pot of coffee on, I have to work on the proposal for the Miller account, it’s going to be a late night. I just have to run down to the car and grab my suitcase.” He loosens his tie as he stands up. His cell phone rings and he answers it telling whoever is on the line to hold on.
She shrugs. “Sure.”
It pisses me off. Why is she doing anything for him? My jaw ticks as they smile at each other. If I hadn’t sunk so much time and money into my workshop below us, I’d say screw it and give my place to them to rent and move the hell away from here.
Wren looks at me and shakes his head.
“Don’t,” I growl at him.