Waiting (17 page)

I normally would’ve shunned his touch, but with the hurt still
coursing
through my body, I actually welcomed it, hoping Parker was secretly just watching me and being jealous as hell. The bastard deserved far worse.

W
e had a quick lunch and drink
then he walked me back to my office where we made plans to meet up
tomorrow
after work. He kissed my cheek before he left, guaranteeing Julie came in right after him, shutting my door to finally confront me ab
out what's been going on
.

"Where's Parker? And I thought you weren't interested in Brian?"

"Good question. And I'm not. I already told him how I feel and he says he'll just keep trying. I told him not to, but he says he still wants to hang out with me."

She looked impressed.

"Nice. He's probably going to try until he dies though. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, but at least I told him upfront. Guys do it all the time to girls, it kind of
makes me feel powerful. T
hough I do wish he could just be happy with being friends. He's actually really fun to hang out with."

I knew I was set
ting myself up to lose a friend
but I just didn't care at this moment. I needed an escape and he was offering me one. Sure I could go out with Julie, but she couldn't drink and I didn't want her to have to sit and watch me, then peel me off my seat when it was time to go home. Nope. I wanted to get drunk
with
someone.

**********

By the time four o'clock rolled around on Friday, I'd lost all my will power to go over Ted's newest proposal and found myself playing FreeCell on my computer when the main receptionist knocked on my door carrying a vase of beautiful bloomed tulips.

She placed them on the corner of my desk while I pretended to be wrapping up an assignment, then quickly grabbed the card out of the bouquet and sat down to read it, still secretly hoping for a miracle to happen and Parker to jump out of the shadows.

Looking forward to getting our drunk on! See you soon.

-Brian

I couldn't help but smile. I'd told him
yesterday
that I needed to get my drunk on and if he wanted to join then that would be fun. Of course that was after he'd asked me out on a date and I politely turned him down, laying out my true feelings. He didn't act any differently. Unable to deter him, I decided to just have fun. He can't get mad at me for not putting out when I told him it was never going to happen.

After playing two or three more games, I finally shut down the office and made my way to the bar we'd agreed on, after sprucing myself up in the bathroom.

Brian was there, outside my building waiting for me, making me roll my eyes and smile. We took a cab the twelve blocks, I
paid
, then we got out and he opened the door for me, but didn't try to take my hand like he'd done before. I'm glad he was at least obeying the rules for now.

We grabbed a booth near the back, staking our claim for the night. He watched my purse while I grabbed u
s some drinks, then ordered
appetizers
when a waitress made her way to our table.

On our third drink we started playing sugar football with the packets at our disposal. I'd scored twice, but he flicked it too hard, landing it on the table behind us. I laughed and apologized to the big burly men to ensure a fight never broke out, then suggested we switch sides. His hand grazed my hip when we switched, making it awkward for a moment before I put it behind me, not wanting to ruin a good night.

I started slowing down on my fifth
drink
, not wanting to be plastered while in public, not to mention incredibly emotional. We finished off a plate of onion rings and a basket of
mozzarella
sticks, laughing about some story Bruce had told him, when I d
ecided the next drink he bought
would be my last.

Almost every thought drifted back to Parker, there was just no getting around it. I wanted to hate him, but only ended up hating myself.
 
Though I had no idea where Parker lived, I'm sure I could find my way to Francis' and see if they were there. Yelling at either one of them would make me feel better. I think.

"One more and then I'll get you a cab home." His smile always made me smile.

"Sounds good."

We cheers’d
then dropped the shot into the cup and started chugging when it began bubbling. He finished well before me, but I did it without stopping to take a breath, making me proud of myself. I slammed the glass down on the sticky table and took a big gasp before I hiccupped, making him laugh.

"We sure know how to waste time, don't we?"

I glanced down at my phone and saw it was past ten already. Holy cow.

"Good thing we don't have to work
tomorrow
."

I stood and grabbed my purse, telling him we could leave once I was done in the bathroom.

There wasn't a huge line
but it still took me about five minutes before I was making my way back out toward him, smiling once he
looked up and grabbed his coat.  T
hrowin
g a few bills on the table, he
escorted me out, this time keeping his hand on my lower back through the crowd of people.

"Thanks
for putting up with me tonight.
I had fun." He hailed a cab and opened the door for me before I changed my mind. "You take it. I'll walk. It's only a few blocks from here."

He rolled his eyes and shut the door, tel
ling the cab driver to go ahead
before turning back to me and putting his arm over my shoulder.

"Like I'd let you walk home alone in the dark. Who knows
what’s
out there?" He laughed but it just made my breath hitch, knowing perfectly well what was out there.

"Well, thanks."

We walked for a bit in silence before he spoke up.

"So what is it exactly that I'm lacking? I know you told me you weren't interested..." He removed his hand and crossed his arms over his chest
. "I'm just curious if it's
me, or if you really aren't interested in a relationship with anybody."

Ughh. I don't like these kinds of conversations. My buzz was making me lean against him, probably giving him mixed
signals
.

"You're great, Brian. Honestly. I'm having personal issues and I just can't get close to anyone right now."

I peered up at him to catch the end of his reaction, but he remained straight faced, then winked at me when he found me watching, wrapping his arm around me again.

We passed an alley and I felt myself release a breath of relief when nothing jumped out at us.

"I don't want to pressure you, so for now I'll settle for being your drinking buddy."

I laughed and pressed a kiss to his clothed shoulder, then stopped walking when I saw something move in the shadows ahead of us. He stopped next to me, looking from me to the shadows in confusion.

"What is it?" He stepped forward as if to throw himself in front of whatever danger lurke
d near
by.

Seconds passed and nothing jumped out at us so he turned back to me while placing both hands over my shoulders.

"What is it? Is someone following you?"

Why that was his first thought was beyond me, but it sparked an idea in my
head. In case it was some Pulpa
s I whispered,
"Francis has first rights",
then pressed Brian up against the building and leaned up to kiss him, no doubt freaking him out at my abrupt mood changes.

If Parker was
watching me
then he could watch this, see me acting happy with someone else, since apparently he was done with me. If it wasn't Parker, then we didn't have to worry about being bitten or taken since I'd let my fair hearing friends know that we were already taken. But what if that was a lie too?

Brian instantly got into it, wrapping his arms around my waist and slipping his tongue into my mouth with an urgency that told me he'd
wanted
to do this for
a while
.

The kiss was good, but wasn't right. I kissed him back, playing a part for anyone watching, then instantly backed off when I real
ized how unfair it was to Brian
after I'd told him so many times I wasn't interested. He l
ooked down at me with confusion
before pressing his lips to mine once more.

This time when the kiss ended it was because someone grabbed my jacket collar and was holding me up, my feet dangling a foot in the air and Brian was pressed up against the hard brick wall with a hand enclosed over his throat.
 

TWELVE

"What in blazes do you think you're doing?"
 
Francis continued dangling me above the ground until I turned a glare on him that made him chuckle. "Now what could I have possibly done to deserve such a nasty look?"

"Let him go! You're hurting him." He let
go of Brian's neck immediately
after remembering he was even there. "Why are you here?"

Brian gasped in air before tryi
ng to move me behind him.
I just pushed him aside again.

I had such mixed feelings about seeing him. Both happy to know they were still alive and I wasn't being a bitch, and pissed to know they were alive and he really did just use me.

"Get away from her!" Brian pushed his way in front of me again before a man appeared next to Francis, entrancing him into being quiet while taking a seat on the brick
window
ledge next to us.

"That's better. Thank you
,
Gunner."
 
Gunner? There were really vampires watching me this whole time? "Now, before I explain what I'm doing here, why don't you start by telling me what exactly you were doing messing around behind my brother's back."

All my feelings of abandonment came rushing back at his accusing tone.

"Your
brother
? I want nothing to do with him!
" I was sneering but felt rather entitled considering what had gone down. "I never want to see him again. The nerve of you even showing up for him is
mind-blowing and
useless. Leave."

He waited for my huffing and puffing to be done, looking at me with sad eyes before responding.

"He told you, didn't he? I told him not to." He shook his head in disbelief. "I assure you it was an accident. He never harms people. Never. Not on purpose." His serious tone and the severe change in subject had me cocking my head to the side in confusion.

"What did he do?"

Francis swallowed then looked around before
ending
back at me.

"Nothing. I was messing with you." He chuckled nervously. "So, now why are you swearing off Parker for this Wanker?" He gestured to Brian who sat motionless with his eyes straight ahead. Poor guy.

"Why do you think? You played a good wing man so he could get into my pants, then he took off. When he didn't show up I text
him and asked where he was.  H
e pretty much told me to get lost." I started ranting again. "Of course I'm still naive and thought maybe I'd gotten his number wrong, then called him and sure enough got his voicemail, then called yours and got the same. I'm surprised you even showed back up in my life. Did he not get everything he wanted yet?"

"Whoa!
Calm down." He was smirking and trying not to laugh at me, what
with me
being half his size and not even a quarter of his strength, yet I had the balls to yell in his face. "Parker's phone was stolen at a club we went to where Sam worked while we were forced to stay in a cage until Sam appeared, freeing us, where I took off in this direction and Parker took Sam in the oppo
site, hoping to lo
se their tail
since she's injured." He looked at me with sincere eyes when he spoke the next part. "My brother in no way abandoned or used you. Whoever sent you texts wasn't him, unless it was before Sunday night."

My mouth dropped open in surprise at both hearing those words and hoping to God that they were true.

"Haven't you noticed the bond that's started, after you were intimate?" I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for an explanation at what he meant. "Did he bite you? That would start it."

"Yes, he bit me.  B
ut start what? What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes again.

"Where did he bite you? Did he tell you
nothing
?"