Brayden (Wild Men Book 6) Page 6

  I hustle her out the door as she’s still whispering her apologies.

  “You know my mouth—it’s like she won’t shut up even when I’m begging her to,” she says, her face contrite.

  “Well, go somewhere my sister won’t kill you.”

  “Tell her I’m sorry,” she says as I close the door on her and wave goodbye.

  Worried that Phillip’s already upstairs, I hustle toward the back of the store and take the steps two at a time until I reach the open studio-style room June uses for local classes and storage.

  Looks like I’m right on time. A roomful of people turn toward me as I step into the space.

  I smile as I glance around for Phillip.

  Crap. He’s not here.

  When my phone beeps, I pull it out of my purse.

  Lei, don’t kill me. Dr. Lucas asked Mindy and me to stay late to go over my latest findings with him. Mindy has experience with this kind of data, and Dr. Lucas had to meet with us tonight because he leaves tomorrow for a conference, and I couldn’t wait that long to show him everything in case he has concerns. I promise I’ll make it up to—

  I turn my phone off in frustration and toss it into my purse. Then, it occurs to me—who’s Mindy?

  Before I can make a quick exit, a bald man with thick glasses approaches. “You here for the beginner’s ultimate dance class?”

  “Yes, my name is Leleila. Unfortunately, my…”

  “Why do you want to dance, Leleila?” The man peers at me.

  “I’m getting married next month.”

  “Ah, wedding. Romance, love, beautiful.” He sways in front of me. He’s wearing bright red pants and a tight black silk shirt. “I’m Elroy, your teacher. Head over for our warm-up stretches. Is your fiancé on his way?”

  “See, that’s the thing. I just found out he can’t make it.”

  Elroy frowns. “That’s not good.”

  “Yes, I’m aware. So I’ll just leave now and…”

  Bang!

  Elroy and I both turn around at the loud sound.

  Brayden is standing next to a cardboard box over by the storage shelving. “Sorry,” he says. “This box fell off the shelf.”

  I smile at him. “That storage area’s a mess. I’ll clean it up this week.”

  “I can help you,” he offers.

  Our eyes hold.

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Elroy steps forward abruptly and grabs Brayden by the arm.

  “Is this your fiancé?” he says as he looks to me.

  Brayden jerks backward like he’s been burned.

  “Fiancé?” he mutters so quietly I barely hear him.

  “No,” I say quickly. “He’s not. He’s my…Brayden.” Shit.

  Brayden raises an eyebrow at me.

  “I mean, he’s my…cowboy.” Double shit.

  Now Brayden smirks.

  I take a deep breath, forcing myself to sound calm when I say, “Brayden works here. And my fiancé is…not coming, like I told you.”

  Elroy grips tightly onto Brayden’s muscled bicep. “So dance with him instead. He’ll do just fine!”

  Chapter Seven

  “I’m actually working. I just came up to grab a box,” Brayden says immediately.

  “Nonsense.” Elroy frowns. “Poor Leleila has been stood up. Be her man for the night.”

  If only there were a way for me to magically disappear in a cloud of smoke…instead, I stand silently while Brayden freezes. I mean he freezes.

  So Elroy takes charge. “Okay, so that’s settled. Let’s get stretching, shall we?”

  I tell Elroy no three times. All three times, he overrides my excuses.

  “I’ll go talk to June and make sure she knows,” he says in response to my first concern. “I’ve known her for years. It will be fine.”

  “But Phillip won’t know the steps…”

  “You can teach your fiancé the steps later,” Elroy insists. “This way, you won’t fall behind the class. This nice young man here—” He winks at Brayden, “I’m sure he’d be happy to dance with such a beautiful lady. Wouldn’t you, sir?”

  Brayden stuffs his hands into his jeans pockets, his gaze anywhere but on me. For someone who normally doesn’t take his eyes off me, his awkwardness is palpable.

  “You really don’t have to do this,” I tell Brayden hurriedly. “I’ll just head home and come back next week with Phillip.”

  But Elroy has paged June, who comes up the stairs, takes one look at the scene in front of her and, with a smile on her face, immediately tells Brayden he’s off the clock.

  “What?” I say to her. “That’s ridiculous. He doesn’t want to dance!”

  “I do,” Brayden says instantly.

  I jerk my head to meet his deep blue gaze.

  He steps closer to me. “I’ll dance with you as long as it’s okay with you and your fiancé that I fill in.”

  I stare at him, but he meets my shaking gaze steadily and without hesitation.

  “Um…” I take a few steps toward the stairs. “I’ll just call Phillip to let him know.”

  When Phillip answers my call, he says in a short tone, “Hi Lei, I’m really sorry about tonight, but is this urgent? I’m in the middle of my meeting.”

  “Not urgent,” I say. “I just…one of the guys who works at June’s store has offered to fill in for you as my dance partner tonight. I wanted to see if you’re okay with that.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” His voice is thin and impatient. “This isn’t a big deal, honey. Learn the dance with him, and then you can catch me up later. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Was that all?”

  I clench the phone in my hand. “Yep. That’s all.”

  “See you at home later. Bye, hon.”

  The line goes dead before I can say goodbye.

  What feels like moments later, I find myself standing face to face with a man I crushed on twelve years ago, a man who, to my innocent teenage soul, was my hero.

  But now, I’m an adult.

  And God, so is Brayden. The way his worn jeans ride low on his hips is driving me nuts. I swallow, willing myself to look at the teacher instead.

  “All right!” Elroy claps his hands and then blows a whistle so loudly I jump.

  My unplanned hop into the air brings me closer to Brayden, and he reaches over and puts his hand on my lower back.

  “Ladies and lads!” Elroy shouts.

  I grimace at Brayden, who pretends to kick the air.

  I laugh as Elroy says, “I like to mix styles together. So if you like diversity, you’ve come to the right class. Tonight, we’ll run through a sample of several dance styles. Next week, we’ll get into specifics and start to develop a choreo combination. So get together now, and come toward the center of the room!”

  He goes through a lengthy demonstration of the waltz with his assistant, Amy.

  “Got it?” he asks.

  Not really.

  “Good!” he yells. “Let’s try it on my count.”

  Now we need to do the thing I actually came here for —dance.

  Brayden holds out his hand to me, and I stare at it dumbly.

  “Leleila.” His tone is gentle. “You’re going to have to take my hand if we’re going to follow the steps.”

  “Right.” I smile at him. “I’m sorry.”

  I reach up and put my hand in his. When he puts his other hand on my waist, I feel my nipples wake up. I place my hand on his arm, enjoying the soft, warm flannel of his plaid shirt against my palm.

  “You two over there!” Elroy shouts. “I know you aren’t actually engaged, but for tonight, act like you are. Brayden, hold the lady close to you.”

  Brayden steps further into my space and tightens his hold around my back.

  “Is this okay?” he asks me softly.

  I nod. “Four times now,” I mumble into his shoulder.

  “Four times what?” he says into my ear.

  “Four times I’ve met you, and ever
y time, I end up in your arms.” I flush because I can’t hold back the vulnerable way the words come out of my mouth.

  Brayden clears his throat, and my gaze roams down his chest and then keeps going. When I observe the bulge of his impressive-looking equipment behind the buttons on the fly of his jeans—no zipper, all buttons—I get so distracted I miss Elroy’s cue to begin.

  And of course, Elroy notices. “You!” he shouts in my direction. “Put those beautiful eyes on your partner’s face and leave them there! Let’s start again.”

  This time, out of fear of being publicly called out again, I begin when Elroy gives the go-ahead.

  And we do okay. Mainly because Brayden’s actually a good dancer.

  “Have you done this before?” I ask at a quick break.

  “My parents dance,” he says. “So I’ve seen them do the waltz a lot, but I’ve never done something like this before, no.”

  Elroy sends us around and around the room, over and over again. Then we do a round of fox trot, followed by the salsa, which I really enjoy despite it being out of my comfort zone. All that hip movement? Not something I’m used to doing under bright lights. But Brayden and I laugh through the awkwardness, and we’re getting the hang of it by the time Elroy stops the music. At the end of the hour, he claps his hands.

  “All right! We’ve got one couple here who knows how to dance together!” Elroy shouts as he comes up behind Brayden and me and puts a hand on each of our shoulders. “Did you hear that—together! I don’t care how good you all may look in the club on your own—you’re here to learn how to dance with your partner. These classes are about synchrony, about chemistry with your partner!” He turns to me. “If your fiancé can’t make this class, I hope you’ll still come back next week.”

  It’s not until we get downstairs that I realize I don’t have a car, and Phillip isn’t here to drive me.

  “I’m sorry I can’t take you,” June says, her cheerful expression looking anything but. “Unfortunately, I have to stay here to oversee my staff. Why don’t you have Brayden drive you home? He’s all done for the night.”

  Brayden’s cowboy hat is already on his head, and his face is in shadow. “I’d be happy to drop you at your house,” he says.

  “You live directly behind here,” I point out. “I’m obviously out of your way.”

  “It’s no problem,” he says.

  June beams, and I have the urge to throw the orange on her desk at her head.

  “So it’s settled then,” she says in a bright tone. “See you later, guys.”

  I give her a look as I turn and follow Brayden out of her office and through the store.

  Brayden

  Leleila and I walk across the parking lot in silence. Her sister wasn’t exactly subtle in her efforts to force us together, but I’m not complaining.

  The sexual tension that’s always simmering between us jacked up a thousand fold when we danced together. When we were learning the steps for the salsa, my dick felt like it was honest to God going to break through the buttons on my fly. Any denials I’d been using that Leleila was just a flash from my teenage past disappeared. I’m more attracted to her than ever.

  And she’s more taken than June had let on.

  Engaged? Fuck. Because that means…

  “So when’s the wedding?” I say casually as we reach my truck, and I open the passenger door for her.

  Beneath the parking lot lights, I watch as Leleila’s eyes flare.

  “June never mentioned I was engaged, did she?” she asks me.

  “She said there was someone else in the picture, but she wasn’t sure if it would last.” I take a deep breath. “She said we should hang out.”

  “Crap,” she says in an irritated tone. “She’s meddling in my personal life. I’m sorry.”

  I wait until she’s safely inside before I shut the door and then walk around to the driver’s side.

  We pull out of the parking lot with Leleila directing me on how to get to her house. When we pull up to a red light, I return to the unfinished subject.

  “I don’t think June meant to be disrespectful to anybody.” My gaze travels to Leleila’s left hand on her lap, a hand that seems to be missing the universal sign for someone who’s betrothed. “Is your engagement ring being sized or something?”

  She immediately hides her left hand underneath her right one. “Phillip doesn’t believe in ostentation.”

  “What’s that have to do with anything?” I ask her.

  She meets my gaze as she hesitates and then holds up her left hand. That’s when I notice the thin, frayed red string tied around her ring finger.

  “No fancy diamond ring,” she explains. “No ostentation. And I agree with him. We’ll exchange simple wedding bands when we marry, and that’s enough for me.”

  The light turns green, and I return my gaze to the road. We drive in silence until she directs me to a blue house at the end of a quiet street.

  “This is me here.” She leans forward on her seat like she’s going to charge out of the truck the second I stop moving.

  Sensing her discomfort, I live park on the curb rather than pulling into her driveway. I stop just short of the front window, and before she can make a quick getaway, I shift to face her.

  “Leleila.”

  She startles. “Hmmm?”

  What comes out of my mouth next stuns even me.

  “What do you say we be friends?” I ask her, my eyes searching her face. “You seem like maybe you could use a friend.”

  Her cheeks heat. “I have plenty of friends, like Sophia. Just because I enjoy granola and like to patronage my sister’s place of business doesn’t mean that I am lonely.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Her shoulders relax. “No, I’m sorry I snapped. I don’t have a large circle, but I never have. I’m a bit of a loner.”

  “I am too. My cousins are my best friends. Everyone else—it’s pretty casual really.” My voice dips. “I guess I just…I’d like to be friends with you. Which is unusual for me. Being just friends with a woman.” Pretty much has never happened in my entire life.

  Our eyes lock.

  After several beats, when I’m certain she isn’t going to answer me at all, she gives a tiny shake of her head, and her green eyes lose their brightness. “I’m not sure. My life is…very up in the air right now. I’ll…get back to you on that,” she adds stiffly.

  Christ, I need to cut this tension.

  Remembering something I do need to talk to her about, I say, “Hey, how much do you know about burying hazardous waste?”

  Her hand drops off the door handle, and she turns to face me fully. Her brilliant green eyes brighten with interest. “What exactly are you talking about?”

  I briefly fill her in on the container I saw at the Eastons’ ranch.

  “I’d have to get a soil sample,” she says. “I know it’s private property. And the soil can’t be wet, or too dry, for that matter. Sometime soon would probably be best since it rained a few days ago. I have to tell you, though, that we’ll probably have to send out to a different lab for testing. We can only do so much at our small nonprofit. Is getting a sample possible?”

  “Definitely possible,” I assure her. “I’ve got a game in Billings Friday night, but I can take you there this weekend when I know the coast is clear.”

  We exchange cell numbers, and I tell her I’ll text her with a time.

  She opens the door and slips out before I can think how to respond. “Good night, Brayden. Thanks so much for tonight.”

  And just like every time I’m with Leleila, she disappears so fast I barely know what hit me.

  She hurries out of the truck and up the walk to her house. A house she shares with her fiancé.

  I run my hand down my face. This situation is trouble. Leleila Wills makes me dance and do all sorts of things I never do. I should stay away.

  And yet, I just scheduled another reason to see her. Alone. My bra
in tells me I’m stupid. My heart says this can’t end well. And my dick? Well, he’s always up for anything. Especially when it comes to a quirky introvert who makes me feel things I haven’t felt in twelve years.

  Leleila

  I glance back, and Brayden’s already pulled away from the curb. I can’t help but smile at the adorable way he asked if I wanted to be friends. But the way he makes me feel like I’m crushing on him? I can’t have a crush on another man. What does that say about me? I’m engaged. Phillip and I have our entire futures planned out, and I can’t change course. You have to stay the course. That’s what Dad always says.

  I definitely need to take a break from Brayden Wild. I’ll help him with the soil issue if he calls, but other than that? I need some time.

  I send June a quick text that I won’t be in to work until next week and head inside the house.

  Chapter Eight

  I spend the next two days alone at home. Phillip’s at the university all day and a good portion of the evenings, and by day three of my “time away from Big Sky Grocer, AKA Brayden Wild,” I’m bored and irritable.

  June was right. The one day I spent working at her store was the only day in the past month I didn’t obsess over my data and my thesis.

  Plus, I’m out of granola, my only staple, and I’ve hardly seen Phillip at all. When he has been home, all we’ve done is talk about his research and stare into the microscope. No cuddling, no intimacy.

  I really need my granola fix.

  I reach for the phone and ask June to bring me by four spoonfuls of granola after she closes.

  “Why?” she asks. “Can’t you just come get it?”

  “I want to show you the newsletter,” I lie. “It’s easier if I can do it here on the desktop rather than transfer everything to the laptop. That way I can bring you the final edits, and you won’t need a new version.”

  She sighs. “Fine. I’ll come by when I close, after ten.”

  “Make sure it’s the nine-grain, please!” I call into the phone. “No flavors!”