Page 29

MERIT

I jump up from the couch the second I hear the knock on the door. I’m immediately rewarded with Crutch’s sexy smile. “You ready?” he asks.

“Yep.” Setting the house alarm, I follow him out to the driveway. He opens the door and offers his hand, helping me climb in his truck. “Thanks so much for coming to get me,” I say. “It just didn’t make sense for us to have two vehicles there.”

Holt’s been at the bar for the past few hours, watching football with the other guys—Ray, Will, Ridge, Cullen, Jeff, and Marcum. He had an autograph signing at a PeeWee Football Jamboree today. They all ended up going. Cullen and Jeff handed out homemade granola bars; Ridge’s firehouse brought a fire truck for the kids to see; and Marcum brought the old paddy-wagon the sheriff’s department uses for publicity pictures. Holt arranged for Crutch to pick me up and meet them at the bar.

“It’s no problem. I’m sorry I’m a couple of minutes late. My last call ran long.”

“You worked today?”

He chuckles. “Someone had to. My partner was out taking pictures and passing out plastic badges all day long.”

He can joke, but it doesn’t take a super-smart person to see that Marcum holds a special place in his heart. Holt told me he was a great mentor to Crutch.

“Ella’s not coming out tonight?”

“She and Laura told me not to come home. Apparently, they’ve kicked me out of the house to gorge on junk food and watch romance movies all night long.” He sighs contently, obviously thinking about his wife. “I think she’s just wanting to give Little Girl some special attention before the baby comes.”

“She’s with y’all a lot, huh?”

He nods. “Every weekend. Her mom, Brooke, is one of our department dispatchers. She got a big promotion earlier this year, and now she’s dispatch lead for the weekend shift. She works seven p.m. to seven a.m. every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. So, that means Laura is at our house.”

“And her father is your brother?” His face falls and his lips thin. I silently curse myself. One of these days, I’ll learn to keep my big fat mouth shut.

“My brother’s a lost cause. The only thing he ever did right in his life was make her.” He looks over at me. “I couldn’t love her more if she were my own.”

“She’s lucky to have you.”

We spend the rest of the ride pleasantly chatting. When we get to the bar, he leads me through the crowd of people on the outdoor patio with his hand on the small of my back. There’s a group of young twenty-somethings who immediately spot us. Well, they immediately spot Crutch, I mean.

He’s definitely hard to miss, with his pale green eyes and gigantic stature. And while Holt’s all lean, firm muscles, Crutch is built like a brick shithouse. Half the girls blush, and the other half stare, slack-jawed like babies waiting to be spoon-fed.

I snort on my giggle.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

I motion for him to bend down with my finger. “Those girls over there are having a come apart. They think you’re hot.”

He looks over my head. “Good thing Lulu’s not here.” He cocks an eyebrow. “Her pregnancy hormones have amplified her jealousy. She nearly threw a drink at our waitress the other night.”

Laughing, I pat his arm. “Well, it’s not too much longer. What is it? A month?”

“Three weeks and some change,” he answers, opening the door for me.

The indoor noise drowns my senses. Not only are the TVs blaring the football game, but there’s still background music pouring out of the speakers overhead. It’s completely packed tonight. Body after body bump into us. Sensing our presence, Cullen glances up, waving us over.

The closer we get to the bar, though, the angrier I get.

Apparently, there’s an open casting call for whores tonight, and I missed the memo. Trust me, if I received it, I would have done my best to keep the Hill Family Men at home—especially my Hill Family Man.

Ridge is flanked by a blonde and a brunette, both vying for his attention. The blonde reaches up and runs her fingers through his hair. One girl with pink underwear showing underneath her skirt is hanging over the bar, trying to flirt with Cullen. He’s doing his best to weave around her and keep up with the drink orders. Right then, a girl with massive boobs bumps into Crutch on purpose and tries to introduce herself. He flashes his wedding ring in her face and keeps pushing me toward the bar.

And then, there’s the famous Holt Hill.

My Holt Hill.

He’s sitting on a barstool, trying to ignore the woman whispering in his ear. She’s wearing five-inch heels and a black leather mini skirt. Her platinum hair is pulled back, showcasing the massive diamond earrings dangling from her ears. When we get closer, she leans back, arching her breasts in his face, and talks at a volume loud enough for me to hear. “Why don’t we go someplace quieter, and we can talk about it more.”

What the hell does she wanna talk about with my man?

“That’s it!” Cullen’s scream makes me jump. “That’s the face,” he says, pointing at me.

Pointing at my face.

Crutch bends down, looking.

I see Ray peek around from two barstools over. “What face?”

“Her jealous face,” Ridge says, laughing. He’s spun around on his own barstool, leaving the women staring at each other in question.

Marcum chuckles. “Like Ella rolling her eyes.”

“But this is better,” Cullen says, smiling.

I force myself to relax my face muscles, but I must do it wrong because everyone starts laughing even harder.

At this point, Holt still hasn’t turned around.

But his lady friend definitely seems interested in all the fuss surrounding me. She looks at my pink sweater and simple khaki shorts and frowns.

“Well,” Holt finally decides to join the conversation, “Avery, as enticing as that offer may be to most men, it’s not something I’m up for exploring.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really.”

“And just why not?” she asks, obviously not used to being turned down.

Holt picks up his beer bottle and takes the last swallow. Cullen replaces it with a fresh one, and Holt nods his appreciation. “First of all, that man right there,” he points at Ray, “is my father. And I don’t think he wants a future daughter-in-law of his to do what you just offered to do. Second of all, there may still be some counties in Alabama where that’s not even legal. And third—and arguably the most important—that woman right there,” he points behind his back, right at me, “says I belong to her. She might not look like much of a fighter, but trust me, she’s pretty damn scrappy.” He leans closer like he’s going to tell her a secret. “And she’s fucking dynamite in bed.”

Holy. Shit.

I can’t even see straight I’m so embarrassed. My vision tunnels and my heartbeat thunders in my eardrums. I’m vaguely aware of Holt spinning around and yanking me between his legs. I’m also vaguely aware of all the men in the extended Holt Hill family hollering and laughing like Holt just won another Super Bowl.

I blink, trying to clear the dizziness from my brain. After a second, I realize my mouth is open—like I’m waiting for a bug to fly in—so I snap it closed.

The stranger named Avery folds her arms across her chest and holds her head high, trying to save what little dignity she has left. “You don’t know what you’re missing if you think she’s dynamite in bed.” She smacks her lips together and eyes Holt like she can see right underneath his clothes. “Want my phone number? You know, for when you come to your senses and throw her out of your life?”

Oh, hell no. That fucking daughter of a shit-eater did not just say that.

And what a stupid question, by the way.

Holt looks at me, studying the anger and shock in my eyes, before turning back to her. “What a stupid question. And by the way, if you were a guy, I’d tell you to wash the lies out of your mouth with a dog turd.”

We watch as Avery stomps off in a huff. Right then, Will comes around the bar, carrying a fresh case of beer. He looks at our faces and furrows his brow. “What’d I miss?”

***

Ridge pulls my barstool closer to his. “That was so damn funny.”

He doesn’t have to expand; it’s pretty clear what he’s talking about. “Yeah, funny for you. But what about the dads—Ray, even your dad?” Luckily, all the married men left about an hour ago, saving me from dwelling on it too much.

He smiles. “Oh, they thought it was funny too. It’s not like they think Holt’s a virgin.”

I purse my lips together. “But what about me?”

He chokes on his beer. “You do realize you were married, right? I think Ray knows you’re not a virgin.”

Hmm. Good point.

Fortunately, I’m saved from discussing my sex life by my ringing phone. I quickly answer, asking the person on the other end to hold on. “It’s the alarm company; I have to take this,” I tell Ridge. I look over my shoulder and see Holt still playing pool with a couple of fans who struck up a conversation. “I’m gonna step outside.”

Ridge takes a swig of his beer. “I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll stay by the door.” I pat the barstool. “Save my seat.” Despite the late hour, the bar is still busy, and I don’t want to lose my spot.

The crowd outside has thinned down. There’s only room for a couple of tables, and they’re filled with people drinking beer in plastic cups from plastic pitchers. There’s a surprising chill in the air, and I’m glad I wore a sweater instead of a sleeveless shirt. When I’m on hold with the alarm company, a couple of guys wave, trying to get my attention. I politely smile and turn away. After a couple of minutes, the alarm company resets everything. It looks like someone pulled on the front door to see if was open, but that’s it. There was no other activity.

When I hang up the phone, one of the men catches me off guard, gently tapping on my shoulder. “Hey, everything okay? That looked like a serious phone call.” He’s got floppy brown hair and sunglasses hanging around his neck.

Apparently, he missed a memo too—that it’s almost midnight and the sun’s not out.

“It’s fine. Everything’s okay,” I offer, trying not to engage him too much. It’s pretty obvious by the little wobble in his step that he’s drunk, and talking to drunk people can be cumbersome. And irritating.

“Hey, why don’t you come join us for a drink?”

“Oh, no, thank you.” I nod at the door. “I should head back in.”

He sidesteps, somewhat blocking my way. “Oh, come on, we don’t bite,” he says, looking back at his friends.

I give a little snort. “Maybe next time.”

“Don’t be like that, sweetie. We’re just wanting to have a good time.” He reaches out, touching my arm.

I quickly pull away.

A calm, cool voice catches our attention. “I think the lady said no. I would listen if I were you.”

I follow the sound over to the far side of the sidewalk. I squint, trying to make out the face in the dim light. The guy’s wearing a white button down and navy slacks. “Colin?”

He walks up, placing himself between me and the stranger.

The stranger chuckles and holds his hands up. “No need to ruffle your feathers there, J Crew.” Laughing he walks back over to his friends, mumbling under his breath, “You can have her. Looks too uptight for my taste.”

Well, that’s almost comical. Edward had to spend a lot of valuable time and money to try and make me more uptight because he thought I was too uncouth.

Colin turns around and smiles. “Problems?”

His mega-watt smile and spray tan are a little overwhelming. He’s the CEO of his dad’s real estate company. They have major money and, of course, are friends with Edward and his family. We were never especially close, but I guess I should be thankful for his chivalry. I’m not sure if I should hug him or shake his hand, so I just stand there. He wraps an arm loosely around my back and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s good to see you, Colin.”

“Indeed. It’s definitely been a while. Since…” he pretends to be thinking about the timeframe, “before the divorce, if I remember correctly.”

I smack my lips together. “Probably so.”

“And you’re doing well?” His tone is dripping with superiority, like he knows there’s no way my life could be as good as his.

I fold my hands together and look down at the sidewalk. There’s a crack, and I trace it with my sandal. “I’m doing very well. Thank you for asking.”

His brow creases. “Let’s see…you work at a little store, don’t you?”

There’s no point in correcting him. He knows I own the store; he just refuses to acknowledge it. “Yes, business is going well.” I look at him, he’s obviously waiting on me to return the question. “For you, too, I presume?”

He fake laughs and fiddles with his cufflinks. “You know the real estate market. It’s on fire. Nothing stays on the market longer than a day.”

“Well, I should get back—”

He interrupts me. “We’ve all missed you on the social scene. Things just aren’t the same without you.”

Oh, I highly doubt that.

He takes a step closer. “You look really good, Merit.” His eyes trail down my body, making me feel dirty. He always did that. Right in front of Edward, too, and Edward would do nothing. Then, his voice lowers to a whisper. “Sexy. As always.” He rubs his chin. His five-thousand-dollar watch glistens in my face. “Some of the other guys and I always talked about how jealous we were that Edward was the lucky bastard who got to bed you every night.”

I take a couple of steps back, but I end up bumping into a table, basically trapping myself between it and him. He leans closer. His breath skirts across my face. “You know Edward was a fool for leaving you. I told him he should appreciate you more. Please you more. I told him you should hear from a man every single day just how beautiful you are.”

“She does.” I don’t have to turn around to know whose voice that is. Chills instantly run down my spine. “She hears it from me.”

Colin slides back on his heels, looking over my shoulder. “Well, if it isn’t the great Holt Hill.”

“That’s right, asshole. And I’d prefer it if you stepped away from my girlfriend. Now.”

Colin’s lip twitches. “We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting. I can only assume you wouldn’t be speaking to me like that if you knew who I was.”

“I don’t give two shits who you are. It doesn’t give you the right to talk to a woman like that. Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable? She doesn’t want you near her.”

He shrugs. “Merit and I have a longstanding friendship. Isn’t that right, Merit?”

I look up and clench my fists at my side. Finally finding my voice, I speak up. “No, that’s not right. You were Edward’s friend, not mine. I always thought you were weird. Especially that eye-fucking thing you try to do. It makes you go cross-eyed. And I don’t work at a store. I own it. But you already know that; you just refuse to acknowledge it.”

Holt’s chuckle is low and seductive. “There you have it.” Sighing, he growls a warning, a threat that makes ice water run in my veins. “Now step the fuck away from my woman.”

To the naked eye, Colin wouldn’t look scared. But I see the tremble of his hands and the nervous tic of his eye. “You two deserve each other. Damn heathens.”

Pushing the table out of the way, Holt floods my space. Taking my face in his hands, he looks me over. “He didn’t touch you, did he? Hurt you?” His worry is evident.

“No, I’m fine.”

Confident I’m telling the truth, a slow look of amusement settles across his face. “Cross-eyed, huh?”

I snort. “Yeah. He did it again tonight. It makes him look like he’s about to pass out.”

Tugging me behind him, I stop in front of the table of drunk guys. Floppy Hair is staring at me, jaw wide open. Another guy keeps fumbling for his cell phone, no doubt upset that he missed getting the altercation on video. “Gentlemen, I’m assuming you know Holt Hill,” I say with a sweeping hand, flourishing it over Holt’s body.

They mumble around, red-faced and embarrassed. “Uh…yeah. Hi, Coach.”

Holt lifts an eyebrow. “Something I should know about?” he asks me.

“Nope. Just making friends,” I say, waving at Floppy as we go back inside.

It’s interesting to see the unspoken language that the boys all share—Holt with Ridge, Cullen, and Will. The three of them immediately stand at attention when we come inside, like they sense a change in the air based on Holt’s mood. All Holt has to do is nod and make some sort of hand gesture, and it’s like they all know what’s going on. Breaking through the crowd, Ridge elbows his way to the front door, swinging it open and checking for danger. Satisfied the threat has gone away, he makes his way over to us. “Are you okay?”

I smile. “Of course, I’m fine.”

Growling, he chastises himself. “I knew I should’ve gone outside with you.”

I squeeze his arm. “Ridge, it’s fine. I had to take a call from the alarm company. It’s no big deal, nothing happened. It was just one of Edward’s friends being a douchebag.”

Holt slaps his best friend on the shoulder. “We’re all good, brother. I promise.” When Ridge doesn’t move, Holt laughs, lightheartedly pushing him away. “Now, leave us alone. I’m gonna dance with my girl.”

Pulling me into his arms, he sways back and forth to the music of a slow song blaring through the overhead speakers. Several other couples are dancing. Considering the late hour and the flowing booze, some of these couples may only be couples for tonight, if you catch my drift. Reaching up, he turns his ballcap around, giving him the freedom to bend closer to me. His lips graze the shell of my ear. “Hi.”

“Hi. Did you win your game of pool?”

“Won one. Lost one.”

I lift an eyebrow. “You mean you lost one on purpose, right? I’ve seen you play pool, and you kick butt. As with everything.”

His laugh is low and breathy. “Everybody likes to win. Why not let someone win against the professional athlete.” He shrugs. “It makes for a good story.”

His hands press against the small of my back, begging me to be closer to him. I close my eyes, relishing the movement of his body.

Holt’s larger than life. Not only physically but… dimensionally. He exists in a space all his own. It’s like no one can touch him.

He’s invincible.

The invincible Holt Hill.

As such, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. It doesn’t matter what crowd is around us, mankind doesn’t invade Holt Hill’s universe.

When I open my eyes, he’s staring at me. Watching me, absorbing me.

“Tell me again,” I whisper.

He doesn’t have to ask what I’m talking about. He knows. Whether he’s reading my face or reading my mind, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is he knows .

“I love you, Merit.”

My hands snake around to the blond waves curling from underneath his hat. Forcing his face to mine, I kiss him. Sliding my tongue against his, I focus on the instantaneous reaction of my body. I savor the way he makes me feel, the way my body willingly responds to his touch, to his taste, to his power. It’s like Holt’s my generator—my lifeline—pumping heat and electricity through the still and quiet night. Never failing. Never stopping. Never leaving me cold or dark or hungry.

We kiss until we’re both breathless and shaking.

“I really hope you’re ready to get out of here,” he says with a dramatic growl.

I snort halfway through my giggle. “Why?”

His devilish smile makes me weak in the knees. His fingers grip my hips—almost painfully—and he grinds his erection against me. “Because you’re about to get fucked in the middle of this dance floor.”

Taking a play from his book, I wink.

That’s the only answer he needs.

Grabbing my ass, he hauls me into his arms, carrying me. My ankles instantly lock around his waist. Waving to the boys, he carries me out of the bar and home.

To our home.