Keep It Sexy (KIS Series Book 3) Read online

  “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my boss, Dad.” Billie’s cheeks were a little pink. Both Don and I grinned at the sight.

  “Sure, wee girl.” Don backed away slowly before speaking. “Bring him over for dinner Tuesday night.” He directed his attention to me. “I’d like it very much if you came.” I swallowed thickly. Setting aside that he was Don McAllister, this was a huge step for me. I wasn’t the type to go to family dinners, but if I wanted Billie I guess I would have to get used to it.

  “Of course. I’ll be there.”

  With a curt nod, he headed for the door. “Bring some beer,” Don called as the door closed behind him. I felt Billie’s eyes burning a hole into the side of my face.

  “What?” I laughed.

  “You’re not going.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Christian, this isn’t a joke. Don is no one to play around with.” I lifted the bar door and stepped to her so that our toes were touching. She sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “Say kiss,” I whispered.

  On her tiptoes, she replied, “Kiss.” Her lips were warm and soft. I wondered if they would always feel this way against mine. Cupping Billie’s ass, I lifted her and set her on the bar. I looked at her and chuckled. We were finally at perfect eye level.

  “No bullshit?” I asked.

  “No bullshit.”

  “I know you think your brothers and that Irishman will do something to me, but you don’t need to worry. I can handle myself.” Pulling back her hair behind her ears, I kissed her nose. “Don’t worry about your dad, either. It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”

  She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, loads of fun.”

  ***

  We finished closing the bar and I drove us back to my apartment. We walked into the building without speaking and went inside just as quiet. After locking the door, I offered Billie a glass of water or something to drink. She declined and said she’d get ready for bed in the bathroom. Getting out of my work clothes, I changed into a pair of navy blue pajama pants then plugged my phone in to charge. I waited for Billie on the corner of my bed.

  Soon, I heard the bathroom door open and Billie’s light footsteps. She walked down the small hallway and stopped in front of my bedroom door. She was dressed in the same pale pink shirt and gray sweatpants from earlier. She held her folded uniform against her chest.

  “Where am I sleeping?”

  I glanced over my shoulder to my bed.

  She laughed nervously. “Ah, no, that’s not happening.”

  I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her anymore. Slowly, I lifted off the bed and stalked toward her. I watched as a slow swallow rolled down her throat before I lifted her off the floor and threw her over my shoulder.

  “Christian!”

  I ignored her slap on my back before I placed her on the bed and pulled her uniform from her grip. Placing the articles of clothing on top of my dresser, I turned off the lights and moved back to Billie, pulling the covers away from the mattress. I stretched out next to her then pulled her to me. She made a little growl that made me laugh but didn’t argue with me anymore. I was content to have her in my arms and in my bed. Then she snuggled closer and I nearly lost it. This felt right. For a while, we laid in the darkness of my room in a comfortable silence. But soon the clawing need to hear her voice gripped me.

  “Sing for me,” I whispered, moving my fingers through her silky hair. Billie lifted her head and rested her chin on my chest. I could feel her smile when she kissed my skin.

  “All right.” She moved to turn on the lamp on the side of my bed, then straddled me. Without the music behind the words I had no idea what genre the song was. She sang about changes in life and seasons and mountains and a landslide. I’d never heard the song, but to have her sing it was something beautiful. When she finished, she stared at me, leaning her head like she was surprised at the wonder in my eyes. She truly didn’t know how striking her voice was, how striking she was. Swallowing slowly, I asked the name of the song.

  “That particular version,” she said, walking her fingers up and down my abs, “was “Landslide,” by the Dixie Chicks.”

  “I like it.”

  “It’s a country song,” she replied, one eyebrow lifted.

  “A white girl who likes country music…let me get my surprised face.”

  She playfully scowled and aimed her fingers toward my nipples, but I was faster this time. I grabbed her wrists and flipped her on her back. Billie squealed, giggling.

  “Be nice,” I said.

  “I’m always nice.” Billie moved her nose against mine, kissing me gently.

  “I want to make you sing some other way,” I said, kissing down her jaw then her neck. She inhaled sharply when I bit down on her skin.

  “Do you now?” Her breathing was labored and I knew she could feel my erection against her thigh.

  “Yeah, so fucking bad.”

  “But,” we both answered. Billie sounded more agitated than anything.

  “But…I want to go to your family dinner first and take you out on a date.”

  She stilled underneath me, pulling her hands out of my grasp and held them to her chest. “I thought we agreed we were just friends?”

  I snorted. “Does this feel like just friends to you?” Something passed in her eyes, but as soon as it did it vanished just as fast.

  “Yeah, actually it does. Friends who kiss, but we’re still friends. That’s all.” She pushed me off her, then climbed off the bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the bathroom. Problem?” She threw her arms in the air as she left my room. I exhaled turning to bury my face in the pillow. This was going to be harder than I thought.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Billie

  I slept like a baby. I was warm and toasty and I knew it had to do with being in Christian’s arms. I didn’t want to feel like this with him, but it was hard not to. He was sweet in the small gestures he did, like sweeping my hair behind my ears or kissing the tip of my nose. I loved how he cradled my face in his hands when he wanted to say something meaningful. But somehow, even though I pushed reasoning to the side, I was always reminded of my past and my family.

  They’d already shown interest in him and I wasn’t quite sure what they were planning on doing. I knew Don wanted me back in the family business and God only knew to what extent he’d go to bring me back. This morning, the warmth beside me all night was gone.

  I stared at his empty side of the bed for a few minutes, trying to listen into the silence of his apartment. It wasn’t until fifteen minutes later I heard the front door open and close. When his footsteps got closer to the bedroom, I sat up, well aware my hair looked like a rat’s nest and my eyeliner and mascara were smeared all over my eyes. Christian appeared in a pair of jogging pants and nothing else. His skin glistened with sweat, giving his tattoos an extra pop in color.

  “Morning.” His tone wasn’t the cheerful one I was so used to hearing.

  “When did you go jogging? I didn’t feel you wake up.”

  Christian’s dimples appeared and I felt a little better.

  “Your snoring woke me up.”

  “What! I don’t snore.” I could feel my cheeks burning. He laughed.

  “Yes, you do. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I went for a jog instead.” I plopped back down on the bed, pulling his pillow to my face, and I groaned into it. I probably did snore last night. I hadn’t been sleeping very well lately. I was always waking up in the middle of the night with an anxious feeling in my stomach.

  “I’m going to take a shower then I’ll drop you off at Jade’s. Okay?” There it was again, that tone.

  “Sure.” I hadn’t bothered to move. I heard him open and close some drawers before the sound of the bathroom door shutting. There was something up with him. I was getting the feeling he was distancing himself from me and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  ***

  He drove withou
t a word. I was beginning to learn Christian only spoke when he had something meaningful to say. That, or he spoke to make a fool of himself in front of me. The entire way, I felt nervous and somewhat scared he was going to end our friendship. Christian parked outside of Jade’s house. Pete’s truck was parked in the driveway. I waited for him to say something but when he did speak I felt my stomach dip.

  “I’ll see you later tonight, ’kay?”

  I smiled tightly and nodded. He stared at me like he wanted to say something, but didn’t. Opening the door, I hopped out of the SUV and grabbed my backpack.

  “See ya.” I closed the door and hurried to the front door. I wanted to turn to see him one more time, but scolded myself for the thought. Jade and Pete were snuggled on the couch. They jumped up when I came through. I really needed to get my own place.

  “Hey,” Jade said sweetly. I could tell by the look on her face she had a ton of questions for me, but she knew me better than to ask right now.

  “Hey, guys. Can I use your laptop?” I asked.

  “Yes, of course. It’s in the kitchen.”

  Bowing my head, I went directly to the kitchen. With the money I earned from working at Blush this past week, and the money I still had from Vegas, I had enough for a deposit, but because I had to buy new tires for the Frog, I had less in savings than desired. Still, I had to leave; Pete and Jade needed their privacy back.

  I searched for an apartment close to Blush. I wasn’t sure if I would work there for a long time, but that area had caught my attention. I loved how busy it was and the diversity of the people. Which also meant higher rent. Luckily there were several people looking for a roommate, it being so close to the university and all. I found an ad with a girl needing a roommate right away. Her name was Abby, and she was a student at the university. I emailed her to let her know I was interested. While I searched for more ads, Abby wrote back asking if we could meet. I let her know she could stop by Blush later today and we could chat there. She agreed, telling me she would be the one with pink hair. I smiled at her email, already knowing we would get along quite well.

  “So?” Jade asked, pulling out a chair to sit. I closed the laptop and told her how yesterday went. “You spent the night with Christian without sleeping with him?” She leaned in and flicked my head. “Are you stupid?” I smacked her hand away.

  “We’re just friends, Jade, and how do you care more about that than my bike? Someone slashed my tires.”

  Jade rested her cheek against her closed fist. “Because we both know who did it, the question is why?” I told her I didn’t know, and I explained how Don came into the bar and seemed pleased to meet Christian, which didn’t make sense, and how he invited him to dinner. “That’s really strange.”

  “I know.” I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Just as I opened my mouth to tell Jade about meeting with a potential roommate, my phone buzzed in my hand alerting me of a text. The number was from out of the country; I wasn’t sure what zip code it was. I swiped it open and only had a few seconds to see Christian’s car windows broken before I called him. From my grief stricken face, Jade frantically asked if I was all right, but I couldn’t answer because I was too busy calling Christian. The phone didn’t even ring twice before he answered. I jumped off the chair at the sound of his voice.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, adrenaline pumping through my veins. “Were you in the car when it happened?”

  “How…how do you know?”

  “I got a text with a picture of your windows all busted.”

  Christian mumbled some curse words. I could hear the sounds of cars passing by through the phone. He was outside, possibly inspecting the damage.

  “I’m sorry, Chris, see I told you—”

  “Hold on,” he interrupted. I heard him pull his phone away from his face then he swore, again. “Billie, where’s your bike?”

  “In the garage, why?”

  “Check to make sure.”

  “Why, what’s going on?”

  “Just check the fucking garage!” he yelled, startling Jade and I. We ran to the garage door in the kitchen. I flicked on the light. It was empty. My Frog was gone.

  “What the fuck.” I was frozen from the inside, walking aimlessly to where I had parked it.

  Jade snatched the phone from my hand and spoke to Christian, but I was blocking them out. Why would they do this? Why was Don acting one way and doing something else entirely? What did he have to gain by punishing me this way? He knew how much I loved my bike; it was like another piece of me. Like an extra pair of lungs I needed to breathe.

  Tears began to pool in my eyes, then instantly rage took over. I was kicking their fucking asses. I stormed out of the garage through the kitchen. Pete stood right outside the kitchen archway with keys in his hands. He handed them to me with a wicked smile. I nodded, and then ran out of the house, knowing Jade would try to stop me. I heard her yelling at Pete, and then her thundering footsteps coming after me. But she was too late. I was already pulling out of the driveway when she threw open the front door. I saw her get back on the phone through the rearview mirror, waving her hands dramatically at whoever she was speaking to. That person was probably deaf by now.

  Chapter Twenty

  Billie

  Harden was fifteen minutes from Jade’s house, but the way I was driving it felt like I arrived in five. As I passed the green sign that welcomed me to the small city, I felt a sense of belonging, although torn at the same time. Since developing a mind of my own, there was a constant battle within myself. I felt like I had to be this, Billie McAllister, daughter of the Grifter, con man extraordinaire, but then another part of me wanted something more, a different life, a different path. I was endlessly torn between proving myself and being myself.

  And when I was hanging by a thread, Don always swooped in and reminded me who I was. But this time I wasn’t desperate yet. He’d made small attempts to try to bring me back. One time even flat out asking me if I wanted in on a score. When I declined, he wasn’t upset. Come to think of it, the whole Joey thing might not have been about Don forcing me back home to work, but for me to leave Joey’s cheating, stealing ass. Then why steal my bike and bust Christian’s windows?

  I knew LCD never made a move without Don’s orders, they were loyal soldiers. I slowed down as I entered the street I grew up on. Instantly a wave of nostalgia hit my chest. Nothing had really changed in the past year. Truthfully, nothing had changed…period. That’s why Don was so successful here. Nobody in Harden liked change. And everyone followed the rules. There was no dealing in these streets, no outside gangs permitted, and no calling the cops if something went down. If there was a problem, people went to Don.

  After years of conning, he’d made a lot of enemies, but a lot more friends. Don detested violence, and he felt things could always be handled in a civilized manner. Growing up, he’d tap my temples and say, “This rules the world, wee girl, not this.” He’d grab my fisted hands. With the McAllisters staying out of the violent part of this world, he had people like Big John to get their hands dirty.

  I always thought their arrangement was a little shady, but B.J. always made sure nothing could come back to him. These streets were always eerily quiet; the sun never seemed to beam directly into Harden and the dark bricked homes made it even duller. It was clean enough; if an outsider came here without knowing the history of the city, they’d think it was a normal lower income family neighborhood. No one could imagine how deep Harden’s criminal veins ran or for how long.

  The brightest part of Harden was the one and only church, Saint Mary Magdalene’s, where criminals went to confess their sins. Strange how Mary Magdalene was chosen for this particular church, in a neighborhood that was scary enough even the police stayed away. Where the devil seemed to thrive. I passed the white stone church, gazing at the beautiful and intricate designs of the stained glass. There was one in particular that always caught my attention.

  Mary Magdalene was on her knees in a red dress with a
blue cloak resting on her shoulders, her hands clenched against her chest. She read a book that lay at her knees. The backdrop was a bright blue sky with green pastures. She seemed mournful, almost disappointed, and that look always made it hard to swallow. Growing up I always evaded that side of the church. I tried my best to avoid her disappointed face. As I neared my childhood home, the rage I felt earlier reignited. Slamming on the breaks, I rammed the truck in park and threw the door open.

  I didn’t see Don’s Impala or Lincoln’s Cutlass, but the front door was open. I could hear sounds from the television through the screen door. In the sunlight, the house looked the same except the windows were covered with a coat of dust and grime and the once green grass was now the color of hay, dry and brittle. I wondered how long it had been since it was watered. I opened the filthy screen door, finding Don napping on the couch, a soccer game playing loudly on the TV. The house smelled of men and stale cigar smoke. When the flimsy door banged behind me, he startled, waking up. His lips turned up into a loving smile, and then the expression disappeared as he drew in the furious look on my face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “That’s a stupid fucking question.”

  Don’s face flinched slightly at my words before standing slowly. He moved like a predator, stealthy and catlike.

  “I’ve never had to slap you around for disrespecting me, Sybil, so don’t start now,” he said in a menacing whisper. His words alone almost knocked me over; he spoke to me like I was one of his cronies.

  I felt a slice through my heart, but I had to remember why I was here and why he had done what he did. I grounded my feet and held my head high as screeching breaks and car doors slamming shut blasted through the screen door from the street outside. I skipped to the front door as LCD marched toward Christian and his friend Angel. Oh, fuck. Pushing the screen door open, I felt Don’s presence behind me.