Pure Wicked: A Wicked Lovers Novella (1001 Dark Nights) (8 page)

Clearly, he knew his way around a woman’s body.

As she secured the cookies in the little white bag, Bristol sighed.

The Barton kids whooped and cheered as she handed the confections to their mom. “Thanks. Enjoy!”

After a cheerful wave, the family tumbled out into the sunshine. Once they were gone, Bristol’s thoughts drifted back to the previous night. She should wipe what was probably a stupid, sappy grin from her face. But her body still hummed with a well-loved satisfaction she’d never imagined.

And when Jamie hadn’t been touching her last night—which seemed constantly—he’d talked to her. About her family, her coffeehouse, her favorite movies, fondest memories…everything. He didn’t talk much about himself. In fact, he’d artfully dodged most of her attempts to learn more about him. She knew some about his childhood and that, as an adult, he was a wanderer. She knew he considered his number of true friends very small. The man obviously preferred privacy. And Bristol didn’t pry. As much as she enjoyed being with him, as much as he intrigued her, Jamie wouldn’t be in her life past Tuesday night, provided she could even get him to stay long enough for her mother’s dinner. She didn’t want to find out everything about him and like him even more. She had to think fling. Temporary. Not getting attached. Romance really was nothing more than a fairy tale. Hayden and every guy she’d dated before him had proven that.

The door chime resounded overhead. And speak of the devil…

Hayden entered her shop, looking flushed. From the heat? She glanced at the clock over his head. Twenty minutes until she closed, and he knew it. When they’d been dating, he’d come by about this time when he had something on his mind. He knew it was her slowest time of day and that she couldn’t end the confrontation by walking away until she locked her doors at quitting time.

Bristol tensed. “What’s up?”

Hayden didn’t pretend this was a friendly chat. “Is he still here?”

“Jamie?” she asked as if she had more than one man in her life. No way did she want Hayden to think she sat around pining for him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Yeah. I didn’t appreciate you bringing him to our engagement party.”

“He was my ‘plus one,’” she fibbed. “I RSVPd.”

“No, Jayla was your plus one,” he reminded her, holding up a stern finger.

Okay, that was true but… “Why does it matter? It’s not as if you ran out of food or chairs. The party wasn’t negatively impacted because Jamie came.”

“I didn’t like it. I don’t like him for you.” Hayden crossed his arms over his chest.

Now that Bristol had seen Jamie do nearly the same thing—while naked—her ex seemed on the scrawny side, not deeply masculine or shiver-worthy. Seeing Hayden in the buff had never incited her to tear off her clothes and plead for his touch. But Jamie…

As she crossed the room with careful steps to straighten the bistro tables and chairs—mostly to avoid looking at Hayden—she felt that sappy smile creep across her face again. “Too bad. I do.”

“That expression is making me sick. He’s obviously a player. And why are you walking so funny?” He scowled, then he gaped. “Are you sore because he—”

“I won’t discuss my relationship with Jamie, especially not with you, Hayden. You’re engaged to my sister now, so what I do is absolutely none of your business. Did you have a reason to come here, other than to harass me?”

He pulled down on his Sunday-best navy sport coat. “To check on you.”

“I’m fine. Don’t you have someplace else to be? Isn’t there a church potluck this afternoon?”

“I skipped it.”

Hayden never missed an opportunity to play the role of “big man in town.” Bristol stared at him suspiciously. Why was he sweating? “So you could come here and bug me?”

“No.” He sent her an annoyed scowl. “I stopped by Corey’s house and… That doesn’t matter. Watching you leave with that guy last night worried me. He won’t stay, you know.”

Bristol shrugged as if it didn’t matter. Jamie wouldn’t stay, and she was okay with that…mostly. Not seeing him after Tuesday night’s dinner at her mother’s house sounded horrible right now, but she was in a sex-induced infatuation bubble, right? By the time she was done with him, it was possible they both would have found a hundred ways to crawl on one another’s nerves. By then, they’d realize how wrong they were together. Then she’d be ready for her next fling. No muss, no fuss. No problem.

It just didn’t feel that way now.

Get it together, girl. You are
not
getting your heart involved again
.

“You didn’t stay either, and I survived,” she pointed out.

“He’s only using you for sex,” Hayden added.

“I’m okay with that. At least he’s putting a smile on my face. I finally understand what the big deal about sex is.” She gave him a tight smile. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on your sex life? After all, you and Presleigh are getting married next month.”

“You know she’s a virgin. We’re waiting for our wedding night.”

Seriously? Hayden hadn’t wanted to wait ten minutes with her, and he was willing to wait over a year for her sister?
Wow.
That still didn’t explain why he’d come—and why he sounded more than slightly jealous, unless…

She shoved her hands on her hips and faced him. “So you don’t like Jamie here because—”

“I’m in the bed he wants to occupy until he marries his sweet little bride,” Jamie called from behind her, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

When he stepped into her restaurant, Bristol breathed a sigh of relief. She knew he couldn’t leave the building without first passing through her kitchen, and she figured he’d been sleeping after their vigorous night. But seeing him now, clearly intending to get Hayden off her back, thrilled her all over again.

Jamie skirted the display cases and headed toward her. “He’s got a case of blue balls and hoped that you were pining for him enough to help him cheat on your sister so that he could dump you again when they got married. Or did you plan to just continue the bump and grind behind Presleigh’s back after the wedding?”

“That is not true!” Hayden insisted. “I still care for Bristol deeply. And I’m going to make sure you don’t use her and break her heart.”

“You mean like you did?” Jamie prompted.

Hayden gaped like a fish out of water, the shock on his face overdone and ridiculous. “I did not. We were simply not suited—”

“We weren’t, but I think you felt that way long before you bothered to share that fact with me,” Bristol pointed out. “You blindsided me by telling me that you were in love with my sister. Two days later, you were dating her. Until then, you made me believe that you cared and”—she held up her hands—“You know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t care if you don’t like Jamie for me because
I
like him for me right now. Tomorrow may be another story, but I’m an adult. It’s my life and my business. But don’t for one second think you’re going to waltz in here and whisper a few pickup lines, seduce me out of my clothes, and use me to pass the time until your wedding. In fact, I’d better not see or hear from you again until you say ‘I do’ or I’ll be having a long talk with Presleigh about the likelihood of you not staying faithful.”

Hayden lunged at her, his hand balled in a fist. “I wasn’t hitting on you.”

“Bullshit.” Bristol tensed, ready to fend him off if necessary.

“And technically, I never cheated,” he insisted, edging closer.

Jamie put himself squarely between them, towering over Hayden, his shoulders a formidable barrier. “I’ll bet that’s bullshit, too. And she
will
talk to Presleigh if you don’t get the fuck out. I’ll back her up.”

Hayden leaned around Jamie and scowled, his expression asking her to be reasonable. She didn’t see why she had to defend her decision, especially since he was acting like a jealous bully. He was the one who’d betrayed her trust. No, she couldn’t prove that he’d come here today to crawl between her sheets again. But his reason certainly didn’t have anything to do with concern. Was he bored? Did he need to feed his ego by wooing her into bed again? Whatever. It wasn’t happening.

“Bris…” He huffed at her. “You two have known one another for…what? Ten minutes? We’ve known each other most of our lives. Of course I’m worried about you.”

She scoffed. “I know you too well to believe that. Now go away. You know I take goodies up to the kids at the county hospital on Sundays. You’re in my way.”

He refused to budge.

Jamie grabbed Hayden by the shirt. “She told you how she feels. You need to respect that. Turn your ass around and leave.”

“You’re really going to let your boy toy talk to me that way?” Hayden demanded, shoving Jamie away. “We’re practically family.”

Yeah, thirty days from becoming his sister-in-law, and he wanted to nail her. No thanks. “Just go.”

“I’m not leaving you here with this thug.” Hayden shoved his fists on his hips and stood his ground, despite the fact that Jamie stood a good six inches above him and outweighed him by fifty pounds of muscle.

“You know, you sound tired, honey.” Jamie glanced at her over his shoulder, his concern evident.

He totally ignored Hayden to check on her. Bristol tried not to let that make her a little giddy. He was merely a decent guy doing the right thing. It wasn’t a romantic gesture. He might have done the same for any woman with her ex breathing down her neck.

“Three thirty this morning came early.” Especially after last night. Even the thought of it made her face flush hot.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and rest?” Jamie suggested.

She shook her head. “I need to lock up.”

“Is it more complicated than turning the latch on the door over there.” Jamie thumbed in the direction of the glass entrance.

“No. It’s just…”

“Something you always do. I’ll turn off the lights, too. I can handle it. Honestly.”

“I have to clean up the kitchen.” She glanced back at the messy space. Usually she cleaned up after herself as she cooked. This morning, she’d been too flipping tired. A night with Jamie was enough to wear out any girl, but especially one who rose at the ass crack of dawn for work.

“Go shower and eat something. It’ll sit until you’ve rested.” Jamie assured, then turned his attention back to Hayden.

Suddenly, she got it. He wanted to put her ex in his place, man to man. Bristol bit at her lip. She should tell Jamie that she could fight her own battles because she could. But the idea of a shower, a meal, and a way to avoid her ex were too much to pass up. Besides, she had the feeling he would only keep insisting.

“Sure.” She smiled. “Thanks.”

“Don’t do this,” Hayden protested. “ You’re making a big mistake. Talk to me.”

“You let me go, so it’s my mistake to make. Bye.”

After a sarcastic smile and a wave, Bristol turned toward the back of the shop and headed for the stairs, feeling as if Jamie had lifted an enormous weight from her shoulders—at least for now. Come Wednesday, she’d be alone again, and Jamie would have moved on. But today, he could chase Hayden off, lock her door against the little insect, and hold her tight.

It wasn’t romance, she assured herself. But it felt pretty damn good.

* * * *

Jesse heard Bristol’s footfalls fade as she headed upstairs. When the door closed, he turned to Hayden with a blistering glare. “Leave her the fuck alone.”

“Or what? You’re not going to stay. And I’ll still be around.”

Hayden had him there. Jesse knew he couldn’t remain indefinitely, even if sharing a bed—hell, a kiss—with Bristol was one of the most singular pleasures he’d ever experienced. For a well-seasoned hedonist, that was saying something. Still, her ex was trouble, and Jesse was determined to make sure that the asshole gave Bristol a wide berth even after he was gone.

“Are you nothing but an entitled tool who thinks you should have everything you want, and fuck everyone else?”

The scrawny guy reared back as if the question shocked him—or slapped him across the face. “What does that mean?”

“I used to be one, so I know all the earmarks,” Jesse assured. “Why else would you pursue Bristol if it’s only going to hurt her? You
left
her. Now she doesn’t want you anymore. Obviously, that makes you feel lousy, but no one gives a shit about your pride. And young, naive Presleigh would be crushed if she had any idea you were here, sniffing around her older sister. You either care about your fiancée enough to be faithful or you’re not ready for marriage.”

Listen to me being all wise and shit
…

“It’s none of your business,” Hayden shot back. “You might have spent last night with Bristol, but you don’t care about her.”

“And you do?” he challenged. “If you could dump her for her sister, then come back looking to get laid, I don’t think you care at all.”

Hayden managed to look indignant. “I came to check on her, not for sex.”

“But you wouldn’t turn it down, would you?”

“I-I wasn’t thinking that. I…”

Hayden’s seemingly perplexed expression was bullshit and told Jesse that sex with Bristol might not have been bobbing on the top of her ex’s frontal lobe, but it had been swimming somewhere in his brainpan.

“The hell you weren’t.”

“You don’t know me,” Hayden finally snarled. “Fuck you.”

With that, he turned and pushed out the door. The bell rang with shrill violence. The heavy glass slammed behind him.

“Good riddance,” Jesse murmured, locking up and killing the lights before flipping the sign on the door to read CLOSED.

But the asshole brought up some really good points, namely that in a few days, Jesse would be gone. Right now, he didn’t dig the thought of leaving Bristol behind. Kimber was the only woman he’d felt any actual emotion for in the past, and at the time he hadn’t cared enough about her—or himself—to fly right. The punk he’d been years ago would probably have related to Hayden’s dilemma, still being hot for one girl while engaged to another. In fact, Jesse vividly remembered the night he’d been in that position. He’d chosen wrong, siding with booze and easy ass, rather than love or respect. The decision had haunted him ever since because he knew he’d fucked up and hurt someone special. He refused to let Hayden do the same to Bristol.