Undenied (Unspoken #3)(27)

Jeremy nodded and ducked out. Wes sat there a long time pondering Jeremy’s innocent statement about better company. The more he thought on it, the more bothered he was.

He hadn’t lied when he’d told Payton that he enjoyed a simple life. Beer, good times, a job he loved, a town he loved and good friends. His friends had found happy relationships, but things hadn’t changed. They were still hanging out together, living a few miles apart. Payton didn’t live here, wasn’t a part of his circle. A relationship with her beyond sex would entail change for at least one, if not both of them.

The thought of his life changing made him uneasy. He’d always imagined that when he got ready to settle down, he’d do so with a local girl. Just like Jake, Luke and Jeremy had done. Then life would go on as usual only he wouldn’t go home alone anymore.

Payton… Well, she didn’t seem like the kind of girl willing to give everything up to move to a Podunk town for a guy on a city cop’s salary.

Nor are you asking her to, dumbass. Way to get ahead of yourself.

But the fact remained. She had a successful business. One she’d built herself. She’d put a lot of time and sweat into her agency. There was absolutely nothing he could offer her that she didn’t already have. There wasn’t anything his town could offer her. As convinced as he was that he didn’t want his life to change, didn’t want to leave the niche he’d created, he knew she had to be equally determined not to give up her life either.

It shouldn’t bother him, them being at opposite ends. But it left a hollow ache in his chest. A morose feeling he couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that he should be looking at this as a temporary relationship. Sex. Good times. A little fun. Nothing more.

He had to get a grip. Being this tied up in knots over a girl… Well, it sucked. It was no way to live.

His cell phone rang, and he yanked it up to stare at the LCD. He was annoyed it wasn’t Payton, but even more pissed that he’d reacted like a lovesick moron.

Cool it, dude. Seriously.

“Hey, Gracie,” he said as he put the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Wes, how was the weekend? I thought you’d call today and let me know. Did she like it?”

Apparently he wasn’t the only one waiting around on a call then.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Been busy.”

“Uh huh. Jeremy told me just how busy you guys have been today.”

He sighed at her disbelieving tone. Busted. Hell. He couldn’t help the surge of annoyance. He felt hot and itchy, like anyone looking at him the wrong way would set him off.

“She liked it. Weekend was great. Look, can we hash this out later? I’m coming over to Jake’s. I assume you and Luke will be there.”

He cringed at his snotty tone, but he couldn’t call it back now.

Dead silence met his response. Finally she responded in a tight voice. “Uh, okay, sorry to bother you then. Yeah, I’ll talk to you later.”

The soft click in his ear told him she’d hung up. He closed his phone and dropped it on his desk. Fuck, f**k, f**k. When had he become such an ass? And to Gracie for God’s sake. Gracie who’d done nothing but be the best friend in the entire world to him, not to mention all the time she’d spent shopping for all the candles and shit he’d taken to Houston.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. He was losing it. Absolutely losing his freaking mind.

* * *

Payton let herself into her apartment, kicking off her shoes as soon as she was in the door. Her feet ached, her head ached, and she needed a long hot bath.

She tossed aside her briefcase and glanced over at her answering machine. Not that it would be blinking. Everyone called her cell phone if they couldn’t get her at home. She didn’t even think she’d ever given Wes her home number.

She trudged toward the bedroom, stripping as she went. Yeah, a hot bath sounded good. She could relax and call Wes while she soaked. Already, she missed him and they hadn’t been apart a whole day yet.

The weekend seemed an eternity away, and she was assuming that he’d want or be able to see her again so soon. The problem was, she had no clear idea of this thing between her and Wes. What had started out as simple sex had quickly become a whole lot more. What, she wasn’t sure of yet, but she knew she was in deep trouble where he was concerned.

You love him, idiot. That’s the whole lot more you’ve been yammering about. If it was just sex, you wouldn’t be thinking about him every second of the day.

God, she hated when she made sense. Hated it even more when she resorted to snarky internal monologue.

“At least say that shit out loud,” she muttered. “Then it has more validity, and maybe I can admit that I’m in way over my head.”

She started the bathwater and laid her cell phone on the side of the tub. Then she slipped out of her bra and panties and groped around on the counter for a scrunchie to pull her hair back with.

The sound of the phone startled her, and she whirled around. Her heart sped up, and a knot settled in her stomach. Was it him?

She yanked up the phone, not even bothering with the LCD screen. “Hello?”

“Payton, honey, I’m so glad I caught you.” Her mother’s shaky voice filled Payton’s ears, and her heart plummeted.

“Mom? Is everything okay?”