Chapter Eleven
The ride back to Lawson House was done in relative silence.
The radio played softly in the background, and he and Faith didn’t seem to need actual conversation to be at ease with each other — even if he was hyper-aware of the woman beside him.
Hell, he’d been like a dog after a bone since he’d tasted her mouth the night before.
She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but his interest was more than physical. Was it because she was holding back a big piece of her life? Was it the mystery? Did it matter?
He decided it didn’t.
As they drove back to town, some sad country song filled the air, and his thoughts darkened.
Being on the lake — sitting on a dock watching those fireworks — had taken him back to a place he generally tried his best to avoid.
The past. It was never a good thing for him to visit.
Especially now that he’d reacquainted himself with a father, sister, and brother, who A) had no clue who he was and B) were nothing like he’d expected.
He still thought his father was a bastard.
That would never change. How could it? Even though she tried her best to hide it, he’d seen the sadness and fear in his mother’s eyes.
Gus remembered his father’s raised, angry voice, the crying and slamming of doors.
There was abuse of some kind and to Gus, that was unforgivable.
He had questions about why Ford and Sunday had been left behind but wondered more about a man who hadn’t come for his mother after she’d taken off.
Or made any effort to contact him, Ollie, Harrison, or Iris.
But even with all that shit to unpack, it was hard to keep his feelings black when faced with a dying man who seemed to be choking on regret.
Walker had warned him things would get complicated because his mission in Fire Lake wasn’t cut and dry.
He had no end goal because he had no clear reason for being here.
Was he back to make his father pay for his treatment of his mother and siblings?
Was he curious to know his older brother and sister?
To find out if they missed the rest of their family and what they’d been told.
Or was it simpler than all of that? Was Gus bored with the life he’d built and needed something new to gnaw on?
He’d gone years without touching this connection, so why was it important now?
In the end, none of those reasons mattered.
He was here, and he’d told Walker he could handle complicated.
It was the unexpected things that demanded more bandwidth, like the woman who sat a few feet from him.
He’d been fine getting his itch scratched by a few locals when the need arose.
But none of them interested him anymore. Not since he’d met Faith.
And they were getting naked — no doubt about that. But he wasn’t the guy who did relationships, and before the naked part could happen, he needed to be very clear with the ground rules. Sex with no strings was the only option that could work for a man who wasn’t staying.
They pulled into the driveway, and he cut the engine.
The night sky was now covered in a sheen of twinkling diamonds, and the path to the house wasn’t as dark as usual.
Gus followed her onto the porch and into the house.
She walked toward Candy’s door, and for a moment, he didn’t know if he should wait or head upstairs on his own.
He felt like an idiot when she smiled over her shoulder. “I’ll be up in a minute.”
Gus nodded and took the stairs two at a time, where he stood on the landing and listened to the conversation below.
It consisted of Faith thanking their landlady for watching Taco and Candy enthusiastically telling Faith she’d watch the dog anytime because, apparently, the canine had become fast friends with her parakeet.
When he heard Taco’s nails on the hardwood, Gus moved to his door and grabbed his key from his front pocket.
“Thanks for the fireworks,” she said softly as she appeared on the top step.
Her hair fell in loose waves, trailing down her shoulders and back like ribbons of golden-amber silk.
Her eyes glistened. Her generous mouth shone, and her long, tanned legs were silky smooth as she walked toward her apartment door.
Taco followed happily, tail wagging a mile a minute and tongue lolling to the side.
“They were good this year.”
Better than I remembered.
She paused. Licked her lips. Then met his gaze.
Bingo. His blood ran hot, and he all but pounded his fists against his chest like an animal.
“It’s still early if you wanted to come in for a drink?” She smiled, and damn if two adorable dimples didn’t appear. “I feel we should have a chat.” She licked that bottom lip again. “Or something.”
Gus nodded. “Sounds good. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be over.”
She put the key in her door. “I’ll leave it unlocked.”
Gus’s apartment was a far cry from the ultra-modern condo he owned in DC.
It was small with dated furniture and threadbare rugs scattered across the wood floors.
The almond-colored appliances in the kitchenette and the one piece of artwork in the place — a painting that was too large for the wall and featured a matador and a bull — were throwbacks to the seventies.
And yet he felt comfortable here. He saw the potential and knew if he spent time upgrading the apartment it could be an amazing unit. He had two large windows in the living area as well as another one in his bedroom.
Gus headed for his room and changed his T-shirt before grabbing his toothbrush for a quick clean.
He checked his cell phone while brushing and frowned, noting three missed calls from his brother Harrison.
There were no voicemails, and once he rinsed, Gus called his brother, wondering what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into.
Harry didn’t answer, so Gus left a message and told him he’d call back in the morning and grabbed a bottle of Chianti and two wine glasses. He turned to leave, then pivoted back to his bedroom, where he grabbed a condom from the table beside his bed. A guy couldn’t be too prepared, now, could he?
His mouth curved into a smile laced with anticipation as he crossed the hall and gave one knock before opening Faith’s door. Taco greeted him, ears alert and forward, tail wagging. He gave a soft bark and sniffed Gus’s shoes.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she said, her voice carrying from the small bedroom.
“Sounds good.” He moved past the dog and rummaged through the drawers in Faith’s kitchen.
After a bit of looking Gus found a corkscrew.
It was old, and he had to work to get it in place, but he was able to uncork the wine.
He left the bottle to breathe on the counter and wandered back to the living room area.
This unit was more of an upgrade over his.
The furniture wasn’t quite as old, and the kitchen appliances were at least a decade newer than his.
Fresh paint would do wonders for the place, but the plants Faith had bought went a long way in, giving an overall sense of freshness.
He noted a small vase on the kitchen table filled with dark purple tulips.
They were his mother’s favorite.
“Sorry, I just wanted to change out of my work clothes.”
Faith had pulled on an oversized black T-shirt with Gaga in large white block letters. She wore equally large black boxers that, while pulled in tight at the waist, hung halfway down her thighs.
The outfit screamed boyfriend, and even though he wondered about her past, Gus let it go. He’d find out what he wanted to know . . . eventually.
“I brought wine.” He cracked a smile. “I hope you like red.”
“I do.” Her voice was soft and that beautiful mouth of hers curved into a smile. “I’ll pour us each a glass.”
He accepted the wine and leaned against the sofa, watching her over the top of the rim as she moved about the room. She moved like a—
“You used to dance,” he observed, taking a sip.
Faith froze in her tracks and turned to him with a nod. “Yes. A long time ago.”
“Ballet?” Images of Sunday in pink tulle tugged at his mind. He wondered if his sister still danced.
“And jazz.” Faith sat on the lone chair a few feet from him and tucked in her toes, before glancing his way. “You played football.”
He nodded. “High school.”
“Baseball too.”
He grinned and shook his head. “Nope. I was into hockey and played up until I had no time for it. School and a job took most of it away until I graduated and went into the Navy.”
“And girls?” Her eyes were shiny; a small smile lit up her face.
“Those I made time for.”
She laughed at that, a light feminine sound he could get used to.
“What about you?” he asked.
She set down her glass and rocked forward. “I wasn’t the girl that the guys went for in high school.” She winked. “Late bloomer.”
“You’re all grown up now.”
Her eyes dropped and she reached for her wine glass. “I thought that maybe we should be clear about a few things.” She was nervous. He could tell. It was in the way she licked at that delectable bottom lip, and her pulse leaped at the base of her neck, begging for his mouth.
“Transparency is good.”
“Last night you said that we could ease into this thing between us. If that’s what I wanted.” She licked that damn lip again, and his cock stirred.
“And do you?” he asked. “Want this?”
She nodded but didn’t say a word.
“We’re not a couple of kids circling each other too afraid to ask for what they want.
More importantly, too afraid to know what they want.
And what I want is you in my bed, Faith.
” Her eyes jumped to his and her cheeks flushed a pretty color.
He liked that look on her. “But you’re in the driver’s seat here.
You’re in charge of how fast we go.” He held her gaze. “Of how far we go.”