Nail Me Down (Lit Creek Blue Collar Boys #1)

Chapter 1

Holly

"What are you do—are you ok?" His black eyes lock in on me. Black. Hard. Like they always are. Except there’s something different in them right now. Something burning. And they’re pinning me down, but I don’t feel trapped. It feels…good.

Time has stopped.

I’m no longer thinking about the fight my boyfriend and I just had.

"Holly, are you ok?" His feet inch forward and stop at the threshold of my open front door. His hand reaches up, not to touch me, that would be crazy for Ford to do. Instead, it lands on the doorframe and he leans in like he genuinely cares.

Which…throws me off. Because this is Ford, my boyfriend’s best friend, and he’s never been anything but cold and distant toward me.

"I’m fine." I answer the question he asked but know he was originally going to ask something totally different. I could hear his tone on the word you, almost accusatory. "What were you going to ask me?"

"Did he…" He stops and closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath like he needs to collect himself.

"What were you originally going to ask me, Ford?” Hands are on my hips, blocking his entry. Not that he is trying to move past me. “When I first opened the door?" I’m feeling more myself, braver now, the earlier fight not deflating me so much. And I’m feeling the sassiness in me rise up.

But he’s just as bold. “What are you doing here?”

“Excuse me?” I cock my head at him and his eyes drop. There. That’s our usual back and forth. “This is my house, you know?”

“Ya, well…Damon invited me over to hang out.”

“He’s not here.”

His eyes fly to mine and I swear I see a look of panic flash through his eyes, but then it’s gone. His voice trails off as he grabs his phone to text him, “What a dumbass…”

I couldn’t agree more considering the stupid argument we just had over my bathing suit—of all things.

“He’s on his way back. He…um…just went to pick up a few things.” I don’t tell him that Damon’s actually driving around because he needs space after the stupid argument we had. Which, in all truthfulness, was just him yelling at me saying I shouldn’t be wearing this bathing suit.

“Speaking of which…” I grab Ford’s hand and pull him inside.

“Speaking of what?”

“Nothing—” I snatch his phone and he recoils in horror at the physical contact. Yup. That’s more our norm.

“Give that back.” He just sticks his hand out waiting for me to return it.

“Sure. Just take one—no, two—photos of me. I need to send them to Dakota.

“What?” His voice cracks and he clears his throat, which just makes me grin.

“Take two—”

“I heard you. But I’m not taking—” he stumbles and points to me, now standing in my kitchen “—photos of you like that.”

“Like what?” I narrow my eyes and glare at him. “In a bathing suit? I’m not asking you to keep them on your phone—”

“Good. Because I wouldn’t,” he cuts me off so fast my tongue feels sliced in half.

Damn. His words sting. But I don’t care. Maybe Damon was right about the bikini top I’m wearing—No.

“Just take the pictures, send them to Dakota for me, and then delete them. I need to know what she thinks of this for our day at Lake Bliss this week.”

“Why don’t you just do it?” Already he’s stepping away from me, pocketing his phone.

“My phone is broken. I’m trying to dry it out in some rice and—”

“Fine,” he grumbles. “Three, two—”

“Wait. I need to pose. We need to get the lighting—”

“One.” He snaps the shot. “There.”

“Ok. One more.” I turn around because I have to show Dakota both sides if I want her full opinion. But when I peek over my shoulder, Ford’s just staring dumbly at me. Phone in hand. His eyes trained on my jean shorts. I think. “Ford?”

“Huh?”

“Did you take the second one?”

His eyes dart up to mine. “What?” He clicks the phone without looking down at the screen. “Yup. Got it.”

“Okay great. Can you send them to Dakota? Her number’s—”

“Ya. I got her number.”

“Oh, you do?” I have no idea why that sends a weird pang through my chest. Like a wasp is taking a stroll around in there.

“Ya. It’s Lit Creek, Holly. Small town. Smaller high school. You know?” His hand is resting on the kitchen island, palm up, cradling the phone. My recent picture is taking up the whole screen.

“Yup. Makes sense.” I swallow past that weird ball of yarn in my throat. Then, for reasons unknown, I sneak under his arm to view the photo. Or that’s what I tell myself.

“What are you doing?” His gruff voice tickles the back of my neck.

And honestly, I don’t know how to answer that. I should definitely not be between his arms right now, with his chest at my back. But maybe I just really need that hug Damon wouldn’t give me during our fight. “Just checking the photo to make sure it’s a good one.”

“It’s good.” His voice is unnaturally hoarse, and a weird tingle shoots up my spine, paralyzing me.

A beat passes and I swear something electric passes from his body to mine even though we’re not even touching.

Damn it. I shouldn’t be here. Acting as casually as I can, I sneak back under his arm.

And I think I catch a half smirk curling his lips as he sends the photos. “Done. You happy?” With that half smirk now facing me dead on, my heart flutters. But it’s just because he’s being nice to me.

“Ya. I am.” And I actually feel it for the first time in…

damn…I want to say hours in reference to the fight, but if I’m being honest with myself it’s been way longer than a few hours.

I’m thinking months. Probably about as long as it’s been since I’ve had sex.

And that last time wasn’t even that great.

My smile wavers at the thought.

“You sure?”

“Ya. Totally.” Totally unsure actually.