I barely blink and Lucy is out the door without another word, leaving the apartment so much quieter with nothing but the remnants of her fruity floral scent in the air.
After I finish about half the pizza, I flop down on the sofa and flip through shows on Netflix for half an hour, trying to find something to watch before finally giving up because there are just too many choices and none that appeal to me.
Instead of going back to bed this early, I grab a beer from the fridge and then head out on my balcony that overlooks the parking lot and swimming pool. It doesn’t take long to spot Lucy in her black bikini swimming laps in the water while a few other people float around in donuts. A couple of women are stretched out in lounge chairs, soaking up the afternoon sun in tiny swimsuits. I barely give them a once-over before my eyes are back on Lucy, doing breast strokes like she’s being chased by a shark. I eventually lose track of how many laps she does before she finally comes to a stop, holding on to the edge of the pool before treading water over to the stairs. She climbs out dripping wet and heads straight for her towel that’s on a lounge chair away from everyone else. Before she even sits down, two big guys come from out of nowhere over to her, shirtless in their boardshorts, carrying a cooler.
They’re unfamiliar and look like trouble; young and stupid with matching tribal tats on their upper chests and down their arms, preying on Lucy rather than the other women outside because she’s alone. Taking a seat on either of the loungers next to hers, one reaches into the cooler and offers a can of beer to Lucy. I tell myself that, surely, she’s not dumb enough to take it from them. But she does, making me curse and shake my head from two stories up.
When she points back toward the building, I conclude that she’s stupidly telling them which apartment is hers. Doesn’t the girl possess any sense of self-preservation? At her size, a prepubescent boy could easily overpower her. These two meatheads? Well, they could break her in half before she knew what hit her!
I want to yell at her from my balcony to get her ass back inside.
Instead, I decide a face-to-face confrontation is a better idea.
And for the first time in weeks, I’m actually looking forward to putting on my Dirty Aces cut and all the violence it represents.
Chapter Eight
Lucy
* * *
“So, you’re pretty new in town?” Billy, one of my new pool acquaintances sitting on the lounge chair beside me, asks.
“Yeah, I haven’t been here long,” I answer.
“Where did you move from?” Gary questions from my other side. It’s been a little intimidating having two big men sandwich me in and bombard me with questions about myself while all I’ve gotten out of them are their names and that they live on the fourth floor even though I’ve never seen them around.
“I’m originally from around Concord.”
“That’s all the way over in the western part of the state right, near Charlotte? Long way from home,” Gary says.
“Just a few hours really.”
“You must be lonely out here on your own,” Billy remarks.
“I’ve already made a few new friends,” I assure them, so I don’t come off as a weak victim no one would check on if they decide to kidnap and murder me.
Speaking of the devil, who I don’t yet consider a friend since he only tolerates my presence, Nash strolls through the gate surrounding the pool wearing his leather cut for the first time since I moved in. Sure, I’ve seen him going in and out of the building on beer runs, but he’s right, I haven’t seen him in the cut before now. That’s why I panicked earlier in his apartment and left since I couldn’t explain how I knew about his involvement with the Dirty Aces.
I’m not surprised when he comes over and stops right at the foot of my lounger. I am taken aback, though, when instead of speaking to me, he first says, “You two boys lost?”
“Nope, we’re good,” Gary quickly answers, although he does share a quick glance at Billy. Both of these guys are the same size if not broader than Nash, but they do seem a little nervous after that single question. I’m not an idiot; I know they don’t live in our apartments but are probably crashing to use the pool and try to pick up girls. I don’t want to think too hard about why they would want me instead of the three other women nearby in skimpy bikinis.
“What’s up, Nash?” I ask since he hasn’t moved. He’s just staring down both guys. Although, a few times, like right now, I’ve caught his eyes doing a quick sweep up and down my barely clothed body before glancing away like he doesn’t want to look at me but can’t help himself. And not for the first time, I go back to thinking about what exactly led to the bulge in his sweatpants yesterday morning. I’m so far out of this sexy man’s league it’s not even funny, this I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t fantasize a little about him wanting a scrawny girl like me.
“You said you’re good at finding shit online,” Nash grumbles, snapping me out of the thoughts in my head about him throwing me over his shoulder and fucking my brains out on the closest hard surface.
“Yeah?” I ask, fidgeting nervously with the cups of my bikini when my nipples harden, giving away my dirty daydreams.
“I need your help with something.”
“Okay, sure,” I agree, surprised by his request.
“Tonight,” he adds sternly like he won’t take no for an answer.
“Tonight?” I repeat, turned on even more by that small show of dominance. It’s so unfair that he not only looks like a male model turned bad boy in his leather, but that he could make a command sound so hot that I could never deny him anything. Still, I have to pretend like I won’t bend over backwards to his every whim. “It can’t wait until tomorrow?” I ask.
“No.” His amber gaze holds mine hostage, jaw clenched so tight he may chip a tooth if he doesn’t get his way.
“Fine,” I agree with a sigh, pretending I’m caving in reluctantly when inside I’m thrilled to spend more time with Nash tonight.
Swiveling my legs around to the side of the lounger, I get to my feet and grab my towel and cover up. “Guess I’ll see you around,” I tell the boys.
“Yeah, see you around,” Billy agrees.
“Not if you’re smart,” Nash mutters under his breath before he starts to the gate with me following behind him like a lovesick puppy.
I tell myself that my infatuation with him is just a distraction to try and forget about the man who recently broke my heart. And it feels safe to drool a little over Nash since I’m sure he would never sleep with me or even flirt with me. Actually, I’m surprised he even wants to talk to me.
Nash
* * *
Fuck me.
My plan to lure Lucy away from the two meatheads worked, but now what am I going to do? I told her I needed her help, so I have about two minutes until we’re inside her apartment when I have to tell her what exactly it is that I need.
To buy a little more time when she goes to unlock her door, I think fast and ask her, “You got any beer?”