Cold Hearted Bachelor by Logan Chance
Nine
Paisley
The red dressI’m wearing isn’t overly sexy, but it hugs and flows in a seductive way. Kind of wish I could have worn this today with Vaughn. Just so he could for once see me as the woman I’ve become, and not the lovestruck teenager he remembers me as.
When I picture his hands running all over me like they did my cabinets, I shut it down. Maybe I’ll be able to forget about him tonight. I glance at the time and see I’m running a bit behind.
I rush down the stairs, grab my purse, and wave to my parents as I leave the house. It’s so weird living back at home. Even if it’s just for a few months. It brings me back to my high school days. The days I’d lie awake at night, wishing Vaughn James would just notice me. I’d have done anything back then to get him to look at me the way he looked at other girls he dated.
And for one quick second I feel like I’ve traveled back in time. Because here I am once again, wishing and hoping Vaughn would look at me the way I wanted him to back then.
His loss, I tell myself, as I hop in my Jetta and head downtown to the club. Once I park, I spot Gwen’s dark curls and green sundress by the door, waiting for me. She still looks the same from high school, long dark curls and green eyes. Her skin is flawless. She hasn’t aged a bit.
“Sorry I’m late,” I say. “You been here long?”
“Wow, you look great.” She touches the fabric of my dress and smiles. “I just got here.”
“Colby just texted. He’ll be here in a few.”
“Great, let’s go inside and get a drink.”
We enter the building and head toward the bar. This isn’t one of those clubs that people only venture to on the weekends. It’s actually not really a club at all, but more of a local hangout with drinks, dancing, and tables filled with happy people excited to be out for a night on the town.
The bartender takes our order and when we have our drinks in hand, Gwen says, “I’m dying for alcohol.” She takes a large gulp of her martini.
“Rough day at work?”
“I just hate my job. Maybe one day I’ll get a new one.”
“You should see if Spencer would hire you. They could probably use the help with marketing.”
Gwen shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I love the work I do, but the people sometimes are hard to handle.”
I nod. “Tell me about it.”
She takes another gulp of her drink and laughs.
There’s a tap on my shoulder, and I spin around to see Colby smiling at me. His brown hair is perfectly coiffed to one side. His blue eyes sparkle against the lights of the club. He wraps me into a tight hug, and I let him.
“Hey, what’s up?” I say.
As I introduce him to Gwen, I notice a flash of dark hair out of the corner of my eye. “Is that Vaughn?” I ask Gwen.
Her eyes shoot to where I’m looking and yep, there he stands, in all his good-looking glory. Damn, he puts every other man in this club to shame.
“Yeah,” she says. “Wonder why he’s here?”
He’s dressed in all black, and his black-button down sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showcasing all those sinewy muscles on his forearm I love so much.
It’s not fair how anyone can look so sexy. His eyes sear into me from across the room, and he moves toward us.
Gwen steps up. “Hey, long time no see.”
He smiles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Hey, ladies, wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
He’s lying, and I don’t know why. He said he had plans but now I can’t help to wonder if he cancelled them or lied about that too. I glance up at him, noticing a smirk he tosses my way. What’s his game? “Liar,” I call him on it. “You knew we’d be here.”
He acts shocked. “Not me. I’m meeting a friend.” His lips curve up into a smile.
My mood instantly deflates at the thought of some lucky woman who gets to go home with him tonight.
His eyes move from me and land on Colby who’s just ordered a beer from the bar.
“Vaughn, this is Colby,” I introduce them.
Colby shakes his hand, smiling as he says it’s nice to meet him.
Vaughn isn’t as nice back. “Sure,” he grunts out. Then he turns his attention to me. “Really? This guy?”
I scrunch up my nose at him. “What do you mean?”
Vaughn leans in closer to me. “This guy isn’t good enough for you.” The disgust Vaughn has for Colby is written all over his face.
This is so embarrassing.
“Ok then,” Gwen says, grabbing Vaughn’s hand. “Let’s walk over here for a minute.”
“Colby, I’m so sorry.” I turn my attention to Colby as Gwen and Vaughn walk away. It’s almost funny because Gwen hasn’t seen Vaughn since his graduation, but that’s the type of person she is. A take charge type of woman.
“Who is that guy?” Colby asks.
“He’s my older brother’s best friend. I’ve known him for years.” I stare off in the direction Gwen and Vaughn walked off to.
“Ah, does he have a thing for you?” Colby sets his hands on my shoulder to get my attention.
I laugh, more than I mean to. “No, believe me, no. He’s just like an older brother.” I don’t know why I feel the need to get Colby to believe me, or maybe it’s me who needs to hear the truth once more. So, I don’t keep thinking something may be blossoming between Vaughn and me.
“I think it’s more than that.”
I don’t have time to react before Vaughn and Gwen are back over, joining us.
“Listen, I’m sorry for what I said.” Vaughn holds out his hand for Colby to shake.
Colby smiles. “I get it,” then he swings an arm around my shoulders, “I’m pretty protective over her too.”
Vaughn’s lips are paper thin as he tries to smile. “Sure.” He turns away from us and heads toward the bar to get a drink.
I slip out of Colby’s arm, and smile. “Let me just talk to him for a second.”
I feel odd that here Vaughn is getting mad at Colby and I’m not even going to address it. Maybe he does view me as a little sister, and he wants to be certain Colby is on the up and up.
“Hey there,” I say, sliding up onto a stool next to where Vaughn stands at the bar waiting for his drink. “What’s wrong with you?”
Vaughn’s eyes meet mine, zapping a current of electricity between us. “Nothing.” He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“You know I’m not a child anymore that you need to protect, or whatever it is you think you’re doing.”
“Sure.”
“Will you stop being a jerk?” I scrunch my nose at him.
He turns his back to the bar, resting his elbows along the wood with a smile. “You think I’m being a jerk? What about you? Look at your dress for fuck’s sake.”
I run my hand down my dress in defense. “What’s wrong with my dress?” I nearly screech out. My mind blazes with fury as Vaughn smiles that smile I’m beginning to hate.
He leans closer. “It’s not the kind of dress you wear around friends.”
“Is that so?” I should stomp away, maybe yell at him for being so insensitive.
“Yep.” He lets the ‘p’ pop as the bartender slides him a beer.
“You make me so angry, Vaughn James.”
He laughs. “You wear that dress for him?” He makes no excuses as his eyes roam over my body, up and down, and then back over it again, lingering on my chest which heaves heavily as his eyes assess me.
“Get a good enough look?” I park a hand on my hip.
He takes a swig of his beer and then sets the bottle down. “Turn around,” he breathes out.
I almost turn around and march off, but something about the neediness in his eyes keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground. I do as he says, turning slowly in a circle, my anger building as I try to prove a point.
He hisses under his breath as he tries to grab for his beer bottle but fails miserably. But he can’t peel his eyes away from me to be bothered with the menial task of grabbing his beer.
It makes my heart beat an unsteady rhythm, fighting this pull he has over me. My nipples pebble so hard, they ache. And at this moment, I’m well on my way to once again crushing on the man who would never want me. Sure, he may want me as a woman, because he has an passion for hunting women and then letting them go the moment he gets his fill. Or so my brother says. But this is different. This is us.
I’m not some chick he picks up in a bar.
I’m Spencer’s little sister. I’m the girl he welcomed into his treehouse when he was merely a boy.
I’m not the kind of girl who can get involved with someone I know will break my heart if given the chance.
So, I raise my chin and stare at him down my nose. “Enjoy your beer. I’m going back to my friends.” But before I can spin and stalk away a woman stands beside us, stopping my grand exit.
“Vaughn?” the leggy brunette says with a seductive smile that makes me want to vomit.
Who the heck is she?
I think I’m going to be sick. Vaughn’s eyes never leave mine as the brunette doesn’t back down. Vaughn chugs his beer in one big swallow, and slams the bottle on the bar, and then faces the woman. “Miriam, about time you got here.”
And then he walks away from me, leaving me all alone at the bar, and I want to punch something. Mainly his handsome face.
I march over to Colby, wrap an arm around his neck and lean in close to his ear. I know this is bad, and I shouldn't be using him this way, but I can’t help myself. It’s a moment of weakness, shrouded by jealousy.
Colby leans out of the hug, and smiles. “What are you doing?”
I drop my arms. “Uh, nothing.”
My eyes find Vaughn's from across the dance floor. They’re on fire as they stare at me. He doesn’t look happy, and I know it has everything to do with being a protective authority figure over me. Like an older brother, and that thought slays me.
But, it still is enough to send shivers racing up my spine.
I step away from Colby and Gwen, muttering something about having to use the restroom. Truth is, I just need to get away so I can breathe. So I can get away from Vaughn’s hot stare.
I don’t know what it is about him, but he’s always been able to turn me on with just a look.
“Just a friend, huh?” Vaughn’s voice greets me in the back hallway near the restrooms.
I spin around to poke him in the chest. His rock hard chest. I think it hurts my finger more than him. “Not that it matters to you, but yes. We are friends.”
“That hug didn’t look very friendly to me.”
“Don’t you have some skank to get back to?” The hallway is empty except for the two of us. My heart’s beating so frantically it’s most likely matching the rhythm of the bass in the club.
Vaughn steps closer. “I don’t like his hands all over you.”
“Ha. You’re one to talk.” I look down to where his hand grips my bicep.
He steps me back to where I’m up against the wall. “I didn’t like seeing his hands all over you.”
“He was barely touching me.” I mean it was only a hug, if that.
“He touched you all wrong.” He fists his hands at his sides.
Something snaps inside of me, my bravery coming from somewhere I don’t even know. “Well, what’s the right way to touch me then?”
“It should be needy. Desperate.” He leans in closer, his hot breath fanning across my skin. “That’s how I’d touch you. Like my fucking life depends on it.
My brain has completely fogged over, my heart beating uncontrollably in my throat. “Vaughn...I…” Before I can say anything else, Vaughn crashes his lips to mine.
Everything I’ve ever wished for is happening right now and it’s so much better than anything I could have ever imagined. My insides turn tumultuous like they’re caught in a raging storm, unable to find the shore. I cling onto him, not even knowing if I’ll be able to stay upright. Because every cell in my body is begging for relief.
Relief from the heat he’s creating with his touch.
His hands move into my hair, gripping each strand, pulling me closer.
A moan escapes me as he pries my mouth open with his tongue. I let him in, his tongue tracing along mine.
I can’t believe this is happening.
I squeeze my thighs together, needing desperately to calm the throbbing between my legs. I gently press my core to him, seeking relief.
He groans and pushes back, his hard length rigid in his jeans. I want to rub against it, it wouldn’t even take long to get myself off with how turned on I am.
I come alive wanting to seek that feeling with him.
Before I can go any further, he breaks the kiss abruptly, his hands still in my hair, and he leans his forehead against mine. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why did you?” I hear myself ask. I don’t even know how I’m still standing, the bones in my legs feel as though they’ve turned to overcooked noodles.
His eyes meet mine, and he searches them for an answer to my question. “I’m sorry, Pea.”
He drops his hands, and my body misses his warmth.
He walks away, and I’m left breathing and trying to comprehend everything that just happened between us.
