Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo

Chapter Nineteen

Wes

I have to say,I’ve done a good job surrounding myself with people who support me. Boon and Aiden have no clue about my past, and they didn’t even ask, just reassured me. Elli and Noelle fired someone for me. Then there is Stella, who, without knowing anything, put her heart out there for me to know she has my back. It’s insane to think that I went from having no support whatsoever from people who knew what happened, to now having people who don’t care what happened, only care about me. I haven’t felt like this since I lost my mom, but I have to say, it’s the best feeling in the world.

I glance over at Stella. Her hand is in mine as she texts with her other one. Dinner was fantastic, really good, but the company was better. Stella is exquisite, and I know she’s completely out of my league. She looks like a million bucks, belonging on the cover of Vogue rather than sitting in my truck. I love how her hair is full and long along her shoulders, and the dress she has on is unbelievable. Tight along her hips, short at her thighs, showing her gorgeous legs. She may not have big breasts, but I have to say, I love the valley they make on her chest. Just fucking stunning.

“Okay. Audrey knows we’ll be going to the shop.”

“Cool,” I say, holding her hand tightly. I almost feel like if I let go, she’ll disappear. I’ve never felt like this about someone. My past girlfriends—or hell, lovers—never made me feel safe the way Stella does. Like she said, this may be new, but fuck if it doesn’t feel right. I follow the directions she gives me, and when we arrive at Audrey Jane’s, I’m impressed by the look of the place. I was expecting a normal-looking building, but this place looks like an upscale restaurant.

“Go ahead and park in the back,” she suggests as she looks through her purse. I do as she asks, and when I park, I shut off the truck and get out to help her out. Once I open her door, she takes my hand, and I steady her since her heels are so high. She smiles a thanks, not letting go of my hand as she leads me toward the building. “I helped design this place. It’s amazing.”

“It is. Really cool.”

“I think so,” she says, unlocking the back door and then going straight to the alarm panel. I wait for her, locking the door behind me. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” I say as she unsets the alarm and then waves for me to come with her.

“Come on. The cupcakes are this way,” she says with a wide grin. I follow, of course leaving some space between us so I can check out her ass. She has such wide hips, and that ass of hers is nice and thick, the fabric of her dress stretching to the max. She gives me a tour of the shop, and I’m fascinated by the look of it. I really did think it would be plain, though it’s anything but. It’s whimsical, cheerful, and I can see why she likes making cupcakes. It seems like a damn good time. We go through a door, entering a huge industrial kitchen, and I look around as she walks over to a fridge-looking thing, bringing out a tray of cupcakes. My stomach rumbles at the sight of them. I’ve never been a fan of sweets, but then I never had sweets made by this gorgeous angel.

“Here we go!” she says happily, setting down the tray. She jumps up on the counter beside them, crossing her legs and grabbing a cake, holding it out to me as I approach her. I almost sit beside her, but I want to be closer. I push her legs apart, standing between them, enjoying the grin that covers her face as I position myself in front of her. I’m not close enough for her to feel the thickness in my pants, but I feel the heat coming off her. And boy is it hard not to press myself into her.

To distract myself, I take the cupcake, peeling away the wrapper before taking a huge bite. The flavors explode in my mouth, and I moan loudly. “Damn it, this is good.”

“Isn’t the fresh strawberry so good inside?”

I nod, basically drooling. “So good.”

She beams before taking a bite of her own. I’m breathless at the smile on her face. She’s so proud of herself, and I love it. I swallow my bite and ask, “Tell me five things I don’t know about you.”

She giggles. “What?”

“Come on, humor me.”

She thinks for a second and then says, “My first concert was One Direction, and I passed out because Harry Styles winked at me.”

I bring in my brows. “You’re a dork.”

“Oh, totally,” she laughs, and God, her laughter is infectious. “I hate spiders. I’m a daddy’s girl. I hate going to the movies because I have to wear real clothes and I’d rather be in my PJs, and I’m addicted to coffee.”

I laugh. “I didn’t expect the coffee part.”

“Oh yeah. Every morning. It’s an issue.”

“I knew the daddy’s girl part.”

“Really? I thought I hid that well.”

“Nope, not at all.”

“Okay, then…” She thinks for a second, tapping her chin as I devour my cupcake. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live somewhere else. I’m not saying I want to leave Nashville, but sometimes, I imagine how it would be.”

I nod. “Where would you want to go?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I love New York and Paris, but I don’t think I’d want to live there. I enjoy California, but again, not somewhere I would want to settle. Sometimes I wonder if there is more for me out there, but then I have it so good here. Especially with me switching my career to cupcakes. I want to help Audrey and be there for her when she wants to go out of town with her family.”

“That’s interesting. Maybe you need to travel a bit?”

She shrugs. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s just something I think about every once in a while.”

“It’s a legit thought.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she agrees, taking a bite as I reach for another cupcake. “What about you. Five things.”

I scoff. “I should have expected this, huh?”

“Totally.”

I think for a second, taking a bite and moaning once more at the overwhelming flavor of the Nutella. There are hazelnuts throughout the cupcake, and man, it’s good. “You’re really talented, Stella.”

“Aw, thanks,” she gushes, grinning widely at me. “But I’m still waiting for my five things.”

“Man, I thought I could distract you. Maybe I need to kiss ya a bit?”

She presses her hand into my chest. “Five things, Wesley.”

I exhale hard, but I’m smiling. It’s weird. “Okay,” I draw out, thinking about what I’m comfortable sharing. “Um, well, I’ve broken seven bones throughout my life. My leg twice, my ankle, my wrist, shoulder, and both elbows.”

She grimaces. “Don’t forget your nose.”

“You’re right, eight. Thanks.” She laughs as I think some more, taking another bite. “I listen to the same playlist before every game and eat the same meal.”

“Well, duh. All hockey players do something weird like that.”

“Rude,” I accuse, and she snorts. “I’ve never been to a concert.”

“Really?”

“Really. Never.”

“We’ll need to go! What kind of music do you like?”

“All kinds. I’m not picky.”

“Send me your playlist. I’ll find us a good one.”

I would love that, but then I hear Melody bitching at me, and it pisses me off. I push her out of my head because I’m not who she thinks. I’m me. Wesley McMillan. I swallow hard and say, “Sounds good to me.”

“Awesome,” she says, taking a bite of her cupcake, grinning at me, waiting patiently for me to give her what she wants to know.

“I never lived by myself before, until I got my place.”

“No way.”

“Yeah, I went from living with my parents, to foster care, to my adopted mom, to with my teammates. This is my first place.”

“Do you like it?”

“I do now. At first, it was hard.”

“I bet. I’ve only lived with my parents.”

“You never wanted to move out?”

“No. I love my parents and my siblings. Plus, remember, I’m the good kid, so my parents trust me completely. I basically do what I want.”

“That’s good.”

“I think so,” she laughs. “You didn’t live with past girlfriends?”

“Nope. I tried with Jessica, she was the one I was with a year, but my career was so up in the air. We weren’t sure if I would get traded or what, so we were waiting. But then she cheated.”

“Asshole.”

“This is true,” I agree with a grin. “With Cora, I wouldn’t allow myself to even think of it because I didn’t know what would happen.”

“That makes sense. So, you’ve never lived with a significant other?”

“I haven’t.”

“Me either.”

We share a smile, neither of us saying what we want to say. That maybe, down the road, that could be a first for both of us. Her eyes hold mine as she says, “One more.”

I pause, and without thinking, I say, “I’ve only cried twice in my life.”

Her brows shoot up. “No way.”

“Yeah.”

“When? Why?”

I should have known better than to admit that. I lick my lips, thankful for the frosting that was left behind. “When my mom was diagnosed with cancer and they told us she didn’t have much time, I cried myself to sleep.”

Her lips pucker. “I can’t imagine.”

“Yeah, it sucked.”

“The second time?”

“When she died,” I say softly, my stomach twisting in pain. Some would think, given everything that happened after, that would have caused me to be a sobbing mess, but I was numb. I was confused, and it all seemed so unreal to me. Even through therapy, I never cried. I got mad. Sometimes I wonder if crying about it would have helped, but I wouldn’t allow that to happen. I didn’t want to give them any more power than they already had over me. I watch as she sets down her cupcake, wrapping her arms around me to pull me closer. When her legs encircle me, I put my cupcake down, enveloping her in my arms.

“I’m so sorry, Wes.”

I move my nose along hers. “Thanks. I miss her.”

She pulls back a bit, her eyes urging mine. “Tell me about her.”

I smile. “She was amazing. So damn supportive and so pretty. She had really long blond hair that she always wore in two braided ponytails.”

“Aw, I love doing my hair like that.” My stomach clenches as I let out a sigh. “What was her name?”

“Gabby,” I say proudly. “I love her so much. She was always at all my games, even when she was on oxygen and dying.”

Her eyes soften. “That’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, she was the best and so funny. She was always dancing and singing, but she couldn’t carry a tune to save her life.” She laughs, and I smile. “You remind me of her. She always carried herself with such poise. She commanded a room, and you couldn’t help but stare at her. Everyone loved her.”

“She sounds incredible.”

“She is—was,” I say, and it hurts.

“She is,” she corrects before reaching up to hold my jaw. “If you talk about her like she’s here, it keeps her memory alive.”

Fuck, heart, I’m letting you know now—we’re so fucked.

I swallow, holding her gaze. “You blow me away, Stella.”

Her lips curve, her eyes hooded as she rubs her thumb along my bottom lip. “That’s my goal.”

Heat blazes through us, and our lips meet almost instantly. I swear I’m burning everywhere for her. Her tongue slides along my lips, and I open for her. Our tongues tangle as I gather her dress in my hand, pressing into her, feeling her heat and exploding everywhere for her. I tear my mouth from hers, kissing her bottom lip, her jaw, trailing my lips and teeth along her neck as her fingers thread through my hair. She arches her neck for me, and I suck, tasting her skin as my hands shake against her back. I’ve never wanted someone so much in my life. She wraps her legs tighter around me, pressing herself into me, and I groan against her neck, chills running down my spine as I cup her breast, squeezing it before my lips meet hers once more.

Our kisses are demanding, hot, and I feel them everywhere. She tastes sweet, like strawberries, and I want more and more of her. I want everything. She reaches for my shirt, tugging at it, but I stop her, unfortunately pulling back, much to our dismay.

She meets my eyes. I could come at the sight of how hot and dark they are, but I can see the disappointment in her eyes. “Why are you stopping me?”

I smile, growling against her lips. “I don’t want to. Believe me.”

“But?”

I chuckle lightly against her lips, kissing her top one, nipping it a bit as I gaze into her eyes. “But…” I draw out, my heart beating in my chest. “I promised Aiden I would tell him something was going on before I slept with you.”

“Why would you promise that?”

I scoff. “Honestly, I didn’t think I would get this chance again. You’re way out of my league.”

She rolls her eyes. “Shut up, Wes.”

I grin, kissing her once more. “I don’t feel right doing this without Aiden knowing.”

“I’d rather my brother not know about my sex life,” she says dryly, and I can tell she’s all hot and bothered.

Same, Stella. Same.

“I couldn’t agree more, but I want to respect his wishes. And while I know I’ve asked you to be mine, I want to do right by him.”

She exhales heavily, eyeing me. “You’re lucky you are worth the wait.”

I grin. “That’s my line, my spectacular Stella.”

She leans into me. “I can’t get enough of you.”

I hold her close, sliding my nose along hers, our lips grazing each other’s. “Again, my stellar Stella, that’s my line.”

Her lips capture mine, and as I get lost in our kisses, I think I may need to call Aiden once I drop Stella off.

Because I don’t think I can resist her much longer.