Page 28 of Filthy Player
Beaux was there, standing in front of his giant black truck, arms crossed over his chest, hat bill pulled low, and jeans low on his hips. His T-shirt showed off the dips and ridges of his stomach so fiercely my girlie parts quivered. One of his feet was up on his grill, the other planted on the pavement.
It wasn’t just his body and the way he was standing that skewered through me like a hot summer night.
It was his smile. It was directed at me, and it told me all the things he wanted to do to me as soon as he got me alone.
CHAPTER TEN
BEAUX
Several times over the week I’d gotten the strange sensation that while Paige enjoyed being with me, she wasn’t really giving me all of her. It was too soon to push it, we could take our time, but I’d never exactly been a patient guy when it came to something I wanted.
I was trying with her though, because not only did she mean something to me, I could tell she needed it. She was probably the only person I knew whose life was busier than mine, and that meant whatever we were doing wasn’t a sprint, but a marathon.
But I still sensed her hesitancy in sharing her life with me. Even the small way she shut down when I overheard her talking about her ex earlier showed it.
Paige lived her life with a wall around her so high I couldn’t even see the top of it.
And sometimes, I didn’t know if I was fruitlessly pounding my head against that brick wall, or punching through, getting closer to shattering it.
As Paige stepped outside and her face lit up when she saw me standing against my truck waiting for her, I hoped like hell it was the second.
“You need more lights in this parking lot,” I said, dropping my foot from the grill of my truck as she came close. “It’s dark and unsafe out here.”
She scanned the parking lot and shrugged. “We’ve never had any problems.”
Her car was parked out back with the rest of the workers, but other than a light near the dumpster, most of the lights in the parking lot were out.
“You walk out here alone?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes one of the guys walks me out.”
Grabbing her hand, I pulled her to me until her chest collided with mine.
“If you’re with me, people will recognize you. I travel a lot. When I’m gone, I want to know you’re safe and that lot out back where you park is dark. I don’t want to be staring down a line of three hundred pound assholes, worried about you, or wondering if you’re getting shanked on your way to your car.”
“Wow.” She laughed and her hand slid to my chest. “That’s quite the imagination.”
“I just want you safe,” I repeated, threading my hand through her hair. My thumb brushed against the bangs that had escaped her clip like she usually wore it. “Talk to your manager about the lights or I will.”
“Bossy when it’s late, aren’t you?”
Her tone had a bite to it, slightly defensive, a bit breathy. I liked the combination. Strong and vulnerable, a little needy. Yeah. Hopefully I’d punch through that brick wall around her soon.
“I prefer concerned, but if bossy is what it takes, I’m okay with that.”
She twisted her neck and looked at the back lot. “I see your point, though. I’ll talk to Paulie.” Her nose scrunched. “Or, wait. He’s cranky. I’ll tell the bouncers or have Joey talk to him.”
“Thank you.” I pulled her flush against me, trapping her hand on my chest between us. Then I slanted my head, tilted her chin up, and pressed my lips to hers. “I just want to know you’re taken care of when I’m not here to do it, okay?”
“That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Her grin went soft. It was a look that made my heart swell and want to pummel someone at the same time.
She deserved someone being nice to her. The fact she hadn’t had it, pissed me off.
It also made me think of Spencer, but we had time to get into him.
“Can we go now?” Paige asked, “or is there anything else you’d like to go alpha-male bossy over.”
“We can go.” I held her hand while I opened her door and then shut it. Her grin was still in place when I climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the parking lot.
