Dirty (Dive Bar #1)(50)

He laughed and went to heed the call of nature. I needed to do some of that and teeth brushing too. Also, my hair felt remarkably similar to hell. I should probably fix it sometime. Funny, with Chris I’d been all over my presentation. Constantly checking my hair and makeup to the point of OCD. Not just at work, as per the usual, but all the time. Yet here I sat a thoroughly rumpled mess and quite relaxed about the whole thing. Strange how easily the woman I’d been with Chris had dropped away. I could kiss Paul for sending the video and stopping me from making the biggest mistake of my life. Kiss him and hit him too. The rage hadn’t completely abated.

“Hey.” Vaughan sat at the end of the bed, gently pulling at the sheet.

I held it to my chest, keeping things covered. “Hey.”

“You’re frowning.”

“I was just thinking about Chris. How badly I let him mess with my head.”

He nodded, giving the sheet another surreptitious tug.

I held on tighter. “You know, it wasn’t just him. It was their whole world. Everything was image, all the time. The right hair, the right clothes, the right labels. And I let myself get sucked into that. I bought into it.”

“You were looking for happiness, Lydia. How do you know whether something works unless you give it a try?”

“Maybe.”

“I’m looking for happiness.” He pulled at the sheet.

I clutched it against my chest. “Are you?”

“Oh, yeah.” The sexy bastard gave me a slow smile. “No work today. We’re free to do what we want.”

Instantly, my sex fired up, knowing exactly how and what it wanted. But Practical Lydia got to my mouth first, the cow. Some habits are hard to break. “I thought you said you were going to fix the kitchen door and do some more work on the Mustang, start on the back garden. And I should really go over the paperwork from Ray and look for a car.”

Brows drawn down, he gave me a disappointed look.

“Maybe?”

“Babe.” Vaughan shook his head, pulling a little harder on the sheet. “Those things are work. They won’t make us happy.”

“No?”

“No. But f*cking will.”

“True. Okay then.” I grinned.

The crazy man launched himself at me. My back hit the mattress and I was covered, the long length of his body suspended over mine. Luckily, he’d caught himself before impact. We both had enough bruises. Skin is our largest organ and he played with mine like a maestro. While I laughed like a lunatic, squirming beneath him, he nuzzled my neck, stubble tickling every damn sensitive spot. The heat of his body, the feel of his hair brushing against me, all of it fed the fire building between us. Slowly, he worked his way down to my breasts. All of my girl parts still sore from the night before were wide awake and wanting more. Squadrons of butterflies took flight in my stomach. The man was a whole-body experience, awesome and addictive. I couldn’t see how I’d ever get enough of him.

A day in bed with Vaughan sounded like heaven. His cell phone buzzing away on the bedside table, not so much.

“Shit,” he muttered, reaching over and lifting it to take a look at the screen. “It’s Nell. I better answer or she’ll keep calling.”

I cried on the inside, my craving for the man making me weak.

“Yeah?” he answered, lying on his side next to me. The corners of his mouth turned down. “We’re still in bed. What do you want to talk to her for?”

Nell’s voice sounded small and far away. As much as I liked the woman, I did not want to talk to her right now.

“Fuck’s sake.” He held the cell out.

I took it. “Hi, Nell.”

“You need to get your own phone,” she said.

“I know.”

“And what are you doing in my brother’s bed?”

The brother in question pushed aside the exceptionally fine top sheet and started kissing his way down my torso once more. Licking here, nibbling there. What a nice man. My heart beat double time, flooding me with even more happy hormones. I caressed his hair, then pushed him in the direction of my *. In a friendly manner. You know. He laughed and shook off my hold, sharp teeth snapping at my fingers. Christ, he was cute. And hot.

“You don’t really want me to answer that question,” I told her.

Nell groaned. “Well, whatever you’re doing, cut it out. I need you at the bar.”

“What? No,” I said, voice panicky. “I can’t. I have the black plague.”

“Good one,” murmured Vaughan, moving ever closer to where I wanted him. Needed him.

“Take an Advil,” said Nell. “Rosie’s caught the puking bug off her kid and Joe’s helping his dad with a building job. We’re booked out for lunch. Masa can’t handle it on his own.”

“Who’s Masa?” I asked.

“One of my waiters, he just got back from holidays. Goes to the local tech college. You’ll like him.”

“Great. But what about Eric, can’t he help?”

“Eric’s behind the bar,” she said, obviously growing impatient. “Come on, I’ll cook something delicious just for you.”

“Nell…”

“Look, I know you’d rather do stuff in bed with my brother, but I need you. Please, Lydia?”