Brady Remington Landed Me in Jail(4)

I shoved him away. "Stop." I wasn't sure who I meant.

"I can't help it. You just…when you bite your lip like that…" Brady groaned and ran a hand over his head. As I watched, my hand lifted to touch his hair.

"Damn it!" I firmly tucked my hand underneath my leg.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, not you, my…" hand. I bit back that word. "Nevermind."

"Okay."

"Can we just…?" My question trailed off when I looked where we were. Charisteaus and Law Associates were written in white lettering on their glass window. A picture of a hammer that hung over a gavel looked back at me. I could almost see an evil face leering through the windowpane.

"What are we doing here?"

Brady grimaced in embarrassment. "I panicked. Deputy Dog said to find a lawyer so I did."

"No self-respecting lawyer is going to be open at four in the morning." I glanced at the clock. "At five in the morning."

"I know." Brady slid further down in the seat. "What am I going to do, Ray? I screwed up this time."

Brady had beaten up Kid Stephens. And Brady had no father to defend him. He had foster parents who were neither wealthy nor powerful. My grandparents were well known in the community. Neil played bingo at the nursing home and Viola was popular with the Ladies' Aid, especially on the days they put brandy in their coffee. However, I couldn't picture those little ladies going against Frank Stephens, prim and properly drunk or not.

"Why did you beat up Kid? Why is he back in town?"

Brady groaned and then growled. I caught sight of his perfect white teeth. "He's back in town for your graduation."

"Huh?"

"That's what I thought too!"

I straightened in the seat to face him. Brady shifted to meet me, but his eyes traveled over my face: over my rumpled hair, and all the way to where my top had ridden up over my stomach.

"Stop it!" I tried to pull down my shirt.

"Sorry, I just…" Brady gestured to me.

I chose my battle. "If Kid really came into town for my graduation, that doesn't explain why you put him in the hospital."

"It's got nothing to do with you."

"But—"

"Leave it, Rayna."

"But—"

"I mean it."

I tried one more time. "Why—"

"I'll kiss you if you say one more word."

I shut up and crossed my arms.

Brady waited and when I didn't ask again, he started the car. "Nellie's?"

It was our tradition post bail. As we drove through town, my stomach grumbled, but I knew I wasn't hungry and especially not for Nellie's food. Brady liked to go there because it was the only gas station open twenty four hours a day and he loved the owner, Ned. Not me. I couldn't stand the old drunk.

When Brady pulled into the parking lot, I closed my eyes against the glare from the lights. Eight other cars were there with people that lingered around them. I recognized some of them as students from school, but saw others that had graduated in Brady's class a year earlier. Then I saw Clarissa Cumberly break away from a group and saunter towards us.

Brady saw her too and glanced at me. "Are you okay?"

"Are you insane?" I shot him an incredulous look. I loved that his on-and-off-again ex was going to see us now. We probably reeked of sex.

Brady paused as he had started to unbuckle his seat belt.

"What are we doing here?" My lip trembled a bit.

"We always come here."

"Yeah, but…" Was he that dense?

"I get arrested. We come here." Brady said it like it was simple, two plus two always equaled four.

"I don't feel up to Nellie's."

Clarissa circled around to the driver's seat and knocked on the window.

Brady still watched me as I watched Clarissa bend forward to display her perfect size C br**sts in front of Brady. They were displayed in a denim halter top that rode high on her waist. Her matching denim miniskirt rode low on her hips. From the golden tendrils that hung loose over her shoulders, the dangling earrings, and the glossed lips—I knew that every single guy at that gas station was watching our car. Clarissa drew attention. She just breathed and it came to her.

Brady waited until I nodded my permission and then he rolled down his window to grin. "Yo, Claris—what's up?"

Her smart green eyes snapped from Brady's naked chest to my flushed face and then back again. A corner of her mouth curved upwards. She drawled out, "Apparently I'm not that up…heard you got taken to the joint tonight."

Brady stiffened. "I'm out."

Clarissa gave him a full grin. "I can sorta see that, Brady."

Brady flashed a grin and relaxed against his seat. I watched as the old charisma was switched on. "Yeah, well the dude ripped my shirt. I couldn't go around wearing half a shirt, you know? That'd be stupid."

"I'm sure the ladies will enjoy it tonight." Clarissa's amusement dripped like honey, but her eyes trailed past Brady and found me. "Hi, Rayna."

"Hi, Clarissa." In just those two words, I wanted to disappear. I was sure that I'd said more than I wanted. I was okay with most of Brady's conquests and even the ones, like Clarissa, who stuck around to form friendships with him. They all knew about me and about the weird relationship I had with him, but none of them ever took me seriously until they were on the outs with Brady Remington. Then they couldn't understand why someone like me was always on the 'in' with him. Clarissa had hated me in the beginning, but over the years she'd come to show me respect. However, I didn't talk to them unless I was forced to…like now.