Chapter Eight
“Tiffany came to you?” Cathy asked. She didn’t even know why she was surprised to hear her sister trying to ruin another relationship.
“Yep.”
“And she actually attempted to accuse your friends and club of raping her?”
“Yep.”
“And you have it all on camera?”
Brick laughed and went up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “Do you want me to keep repeating myself? The answer is yes to all questions.”
“I’m just … I don’t even know what I’m thinking right now.” She leaned back against him. “I knew they were going to show up at the festival tonight, but when we didn’t see them, I didn’t know if they’d gone early or intended to go later.”
He stroked her stomach and Cathy closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness of his touch.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve already got my guy to start drawing up the paperwork. All you’ve got to do is give him the figure as well as the receipts, and he’ll handle everything.”
“He will?” She wasn’t used to having anyone do anything for her.
“Yeah. I figured we could head out to the club tomorrow, depending on this snow. What do you think?”
“I think it sounds great. Can I really invoice them?” she asked.
“Yeah, you paid and they fucked you over.”
Brick let her go and quickly moved to the stove to turn off the kettle. They were about to settle in for a nice mug of hot chocolate. She’d made a batch of her special blend the other day, then put all the chocolatey ingredients into one container, and she took a measurement out of each. This is what she enjoyed doing.
“Thank you,” Cathy said, opening the fridge to grab some cream to add as a little bit of luxury to the drink.
“Huh?”
“For standing up for me out there.”
“It fucks with my head to hear that no one has your back.”
He brought her the kettle and she finished making their drinks. Brick handed her the cookie jar, picked up the two mugs, and together they walked through to her sitting room. The curtains were already closed.
“Trust me, I’ve spent a lifetime living it. It does get easier.”
He reached out and stroked some of her hair off her cheek. “It shouldn’t.”
She smiled at him and then pressed her face against his palm as he cupped her cheek. There was nothing more to say. This was so hard.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him, but she was afraid to break this thing between them. She didn’t want to put a label on their time together, nor did she want to push him away. They had barely known each other a week, and she felt things for him. She’d spent a lot more time with him in the past week than she had during a whole year of dating Eric.
“You’re not tempted by my sister?” she asked.
He wrinkled his nose and took a sip of his hot chocolate. “Fuck, no. She’s a nasty piece of work.”
She sighed. “Thank you.”
Brick snorted. “You know, I’m starting to think you need therapy. You shouldn’t be thanking me for stating the truth. This is just real. Your sister and her piece of shit fiancé are in the wrong. You’re not.”
“I know that, but I guess after so long of being told I’m the problem, I kind of feel like I am. This is nice. Refreshing.”
She leaned back and looked at him. Brick stared right back at her, and she didn’t want to look away. Cathy loved this man, and that revelation was kind of terrifying to her. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.
Brick took her hot chocolate and watched him as he put both mugs on the table. Then, he moved back toward her, placed a hand at her cheek, stroking his thumb across her bottom lip.
“You’re beautiful, you know that?”
She shook her head.
“Don’t. Not when you’re with me. You’re beautiful, and I won’t accept you believing anything less. You’re worth everything.” And with that, he leaned in close and kissed her. The scent of chocolate was still on his breath.
Cathy tried to keep her eyes open, but it was impossible to do so, and as she dropped them, he gripped the back of her neck, pulling her in close, deepening the kiss.
She couldn’t help but gasp and melt against him. An answering pulse began between her thighs, and she tried to keep control of her senses.
The sensible part of her brain demanded she tell him she wasn’t on the pill, and they could get pregnant. The non-sensible part of her brain was telling her to just kiss, to just feel, to stop overthinking.
She had no idea what to do, so she chose the safest option and kissed him back.
The hand at the neck slid down her body, stopping at her breasts as he cupped the mounds in his palm. She cried out, and he growled her name against her lips.
Down he went, going to her thigh, lifting it up and curling it over his hips. He pulled her in close and pressed his cock between her thighs. They still had all their clothes on, but this felt good to just feel him against her, to be making out.
Cathy couldn’t recall ever doing this, but she loved exploring him as well, kissing him back, and then running her hands beneath his leather cut, feeling his body. She didn’t want it to end. Not now. Not ever. This terrified her.
All her life, she felt that to get to know someone, you had to date them for a period of time. She had not believed in love at first sight, as she felt that was an emotion used to make people believe in hunting for Mr. or Miss. Right.
Brick made her previous thoughts and feelings go up in smoke. She didn’t know what to do, other than feel. Brick helped her feel everything, and that was scary, especially as she didn’t even know if she was the woman he was looking for.
She didn’t even want to think of him being with anyone else.
Cathy had never been jealous. Not even of her sister, and yet that was exactly what she was feeling now.
****
“I have no choice but to close the bar,” Willow said. “I’m surprised you’re even here.”
Brick glared at Willow as he took a seat beside her at the table. She had her baby girl, Isabella, in her lap. He’d known Rebel was out running the last few errands, and now would be the only time he got to talk to Willow alone, without his club president.
“Look, I need to talk to you.”
“Why?” Willow asked.
“I … it’s to do with Cathy.”
“You haven’t hurt her, have you?”
“No.”
Willow frowned. “What is going on with you two? I told Cathy you’re looking to settle down, and she went really pale, and I don’t know, looked like she wanted to throw up. Is that something I shouldn’t have mentioned?”
Brick frowned. “When did you do that?”
“The other night. I don’t know when. I still have my Mom brain on … but when you had to take care of some business and that stuff.”
He sat back. Since then, he’d noticed a difference in Cathy. “Did she say anything?”
Willow pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose. “Not that I can remember. Like I said, she went to the bathroom not long after. I think you followed her inside, then you came out and went back to her place. I think. I’m not sure.”
He pressed his fingers to his nose and tried to make sense. “She’s been a little off. Do you think she doesn’t like the thought of me settling down? That she and I are just a good thing?”
“How should I know?”
“You’re a woman.”
Willow burst out laughing. “I didn’t even know I wanted to settle down, get married, have a kid, and run this place, until I was put in the position of making it happen, but here I am.” She shrugged.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that sometimes we don’t know what we want until it has either been taken away from us, or we’re living it.”
“You think I should leave Cathy? Make her see what she is missing?”
“Wow, no, I mean, wow, how did you jump to that scenario?”
“You just said!”
She growled. “I didn’t say that. Well, I did, but it was in context of attempting to understand what people want. No two people are the same.”
“You know Cathy, though, right.”
“No, we’re not close. In case you didn’t know, I was barely close to anyone in town. I’m the last person on the planet you should be asking for advice.” She shook her head. “You hear that, Sweet Pea? People think Mommy is good at giving advice.”
Brick sighed. “You’ve got no choice but to help me. No one else is around, it’s just you and me, you’ve got to help me.”
She frowned. “No, I don’t.”
“Okay, if you don’t help me, then it is quite simple, I’m not leaving your side until you do. You’ve already told Rebel before that you’re tired of seeing me mope at the bar. Imagine my face by your side, even when you’re fucking Rebel,” Brick said. It would never happen. Rebel would kick his ass first, but he liked the threat of it.
Willow rolled her eyes. “Does that even work for anyone?”
“It used to.”
She blew out a breath.
“Trust me, I have a special way of irritating people.”
“I can see that.” Willow ran fingers through her hair. “Fine. Fine. I can’t give you much in the way of advice. All I know is that Cathy’s family is fucked up, and for a long time, she was always on her own. From time to time, she meets people but they either use her or treat her like shit. It’s not a good thing. I’ve seen the way Cathy looks at you. She’s not after just a good time. I don’t even know if she is aware she has feelings for you. Just so you’re aware, we can feel things for people and not be aware of it.”
“Is that what you felt for Rebel?”
“Rebel and I … we’re … it’s not the same, okay.”
“But I know he loves you. I know even when we were miles away, he thought about you. This is the one place he wanted to be, and that is because of you.”
Willow smiled and he knew he’d helped Rebel for tonight, so long as their little girl slept the whole night. He’d offer to babysit the little terror, but then he thought about Cathy and had a great idea.
“So, uh, are you and Rebel wanting some alone time?” Brick asked.
Willow frowned and looked at him. “I don’t know, do we?”
Brick smiled and he held his hands out. “I could take this little darling to Cathy’s and give you a night to enjoy with Rebel when he gets back.”
“What do you want?” Willow asked. “I know that look you have in your eye.”
He tried to be innocent, to smile at her, and pretend she was imagining it all.
“Okay, I see what you’re doing,” Willow said. “And you’re not going to use my daughter to do it.”
“What?” he asked. “What am I doing?”
“You’re not going to use my daughter to convince Cathy to have your kid. I see what you’re doing, and it’s not even funny.” She didn’t hold out the baby to him. “What you and Cathy need to do is talk. Trust me, it sounds difficult, but it’s not. The two of you, alone, talking, and once you have done that and realize you love one another and want to spend the rest of your lives together, then we will talk.” Willow got to her feet. “But you will owe me and Rebel a babysitting night. I will cash in when we’re ready.”