Crave Me (The Good Ol' Boys #4)(58)

I wasn’t expecting to pull her into my arms and kiss her.

It just happened.

I kissed her because I couldn’t not kiss her.

It was only one kiss and I already knew it wasn’t nearly enough. I had kissed hundreds of girls by that point and it was the first time I actually felt like I was kissing someone.

The connection was live and thriving all around us. The force, the pull, so f*cking strong that there was no way to ever push away.

I headed to the motel room. The last thing I wanted was to get charged for another night in that piece of shit room. Mike was already gone by the time I went to go grab all my shit. He left a note on the table with an address and a phone number. I packed up all my belongings, which wasn’t much and got the hell out of there. I wasn’t sure if the next morning I would be at Briggs’ or Mike’s friends couch but one thing was for sure.

I was staying in New York.

It took me a minute to find a place to buy some breakfast for us, and I got lost trying to find my way back to her apartment. After walking around aimlessly for over an hour, I managed to find my way back. I had grabbed her key fob in case she was still sleeping when I returned since I left before the sun came up. It was already almost noon by the time I was at her door again.

I knocked instead of just walking in. I figured she was already awake maybe wondering where I went.

At least I hoped she was.

When she answered the door, I couldn’t tell if she was surprised to see me again or surprised that someone had knocked on her door.

With a big grin, I raised her coffee and a bag filled with every kind of doughnut known to f*cking man out in front of me.

“I got us some breakfast.”

She smiled and it lit up her entire face. I caught her expression in the air and placed it on my heart, causing her to smile wider. She moved aside gesturing for me to come in. I was worried about what she would think when she saw I held all of my possessions over my shoulder, my entire world in a tattered duffle bag. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was moving in.

I set my bag down by the sofa and made my way over to the kitchen island, where I placed her coffee and food. I was about to tell her why I had all my shit with me, but the suitcase on her bed distracted me.

Instead I turned around to face her and immediately blurted, “Where we going?”

She eyed me cautiously for several seconds, her gaze falling to my bag against the sofa.

“I can’t take you with me,” she replied like she didn’t want to say it. “I’m leaving, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I go where I’m told. I don’t have any choice in the matter. And right now I’m being told to go to Colombia.”

I jerked back, shocked as shit. “You’re trafficking drugs?”

“I’m an exporter/importer, Austin. I’m the middle man.”

“The f*ck,” I breathed out, instant anger taking over. “Jesus Christ. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Who the hell would put you in the line of fire like that?”

She reassuringly shook her head and it did nothing but piss me off further. Not at her but at the f*cker that was making her do this.

“I’m fine. No ones going to f*ck with me. Trust me.”

“Briggs…” I coaxed, trying to calm down. The anger was overtaking me.

She wasn’t to blame for this and I needed to remember that.

“There’s always someone with me when I meet a new client. But it doesn’t f*cking matter, Austin, I’ve been taking care of myself for as long as I can remember.”

“Then it’s about f*cking time that someone took care of you. Looked after you.” I stepped toward her, grazing the side of her cheek. “Let me be that man, let me take care of you.”

“What does that even mean?” She pulled away from my touch. “You don’t even know me, Austin. We met once at a party, we talked and shared a joint, that’s it. What are we doing here? What do you want from me?”

I was taken aback, knowing that deep down she felt what I did. “Don’t pretend like we don’t have something. I know you can feel it too, Briggs. I can see it in your damn eyes every time you look at me. I can feel it on your skin every time I touch you.” I grazed her cheek again to prove my point. “Who knows where this will lead, but I sure as hell want to find out.”

I stepped closer to her again, holding her face between my hands. To my surprise she let me.

“I can’t stop you from doing this. It’s your life but I can be apart of it. I can protect you.”

She scoffed out a laugh. “You want to be my bodyguard? Austin, I haven’t had one of those since I was fourteen,” she revealed with pain in her eyes.

Just adding to her mysterious allure that I couldn’t figure out for the life of me.

“I’ll be whatever you want me to be. As long as I can keep you safe, I don’t give a f*ck.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” She leaned into my touch, looking deep into my eyes and whispered, “Where’s your family, Austin? Where are your parents? I can’t do that to you. I can’t do that to them.”

I nodded in understanding. “I don’t have anything to go home to.”

“You should stay away from me, Austin. I’m no good for you. This will only end badly… It always does.” Her eyes glazed over, immediately filling with tears.