Elusive: Princess Presley Duet Book 1 (Full Circle Series) Page 2

  “Damn, I love you.” JT pulls her closer and thanks her with a kiss for schooling me.

  “Very nice,” I give her deserved praise and a nod. “You’re absolutely right. So is he. I did start to say Sutton.”

  “I know,” Bellamy steals back her mouth and speaks kindly, reining in any pity. “Mind if I ask why? I assumed, probably bad of me to do, that you and Sutton were… uh…” her eyes flit around anxiously before finally returning to mine, “no longer a thing?”

  “Why would you assume that?” I keep my tone even and my brows still, in hopes of luring her into spilling the intel.

  “Another trap,” JT coughs his warning, keen to my plan, but she continues anyway.

  “Well, it’s just, we’ve seen you, and we’ve seen him, several times over the last few months… but never together. Or even in the same place, at the same time. And… um… Sutton…”

  “Baby,” JT stops her. “You’ve said enough.”

  “Sutton what?” I seethe. “I’m your family, JT. Your loyalty is to me! Talk!”

  “P,” he heaves my “name” as if a burden, shoving a hand through his hair. “I love you, and my loyalty’s always with you, but damn, leave the poor dude be. He’s my friend, and a really good guy. He finally accepted the, you know, the way you are, and moved on. Even settled down some, one chick, sort of… girlfriend… ish, you might say. So just, don’t start fucking with him again, okay?”

  “I’m not fucking with him, geez! I went by to see him is all. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend, ish. Whatever the hell that means. Now I do. Got a look at her, said I was sorry I didn’t call first, and left. That’s not fucking with him, that’s an innocent, awkward mishap, because I didn’t know.” I stand up, ready to bolt, but JT’s quicker, already blocking the front door.

  “Spare bedroom or I’ll drive you home, your choice,” he growls in an octave that eliminates any room for argument…

  So, I argue. “Only had two beers.”

  “I can count.” He broadens his stance, and scowl.

  “Fine,” I huff and turn to Bellamy. “I don’t want the hassle of getting back to my car tomorrow anyway. You mind if I crash here?”

  “Not at all.” She smiles and jumps up. “I’ll go get the room ready for you.”

  Chapter 2

  Sutton

  Never in a million years had I seen that coming. I’d finally resigned myself to the fact that Presley Beckett was a feisty, gorgeous, independent phenomenon destined to float out of my life even faster than she floated in, months ago. Took me a while, but once I remembered I wasn’t a fucking high school girl, I’d stopped acting like one and moved on... taking with me very fond memories of the one who got away… and out of nowhere, she reappeared.

  Seeing her again, on my doorstep, having come to me, missing what only I can give her and wanting more... the fire I thought I’d doused for good is rekindled inside me, about to blaze. Images of her long, tan legs wrapped around me, heels digging into my ass as she begs for ‘more, harder, deeper,’ won’t stop reeling through my mind, my dick half-hard from the memories alone. Her huge tits bouncing as I drive inside her snug pussy, feeding off her moans and delirious, dirty words — girl has the filthiest mouth on her, almost better at begging, demanding, than it was at sucking my cock dry. Burying my face in her long, thick brown hair, that always smelt of coconut, while I took her from behind.

  Yeah… I remember every fucking second. Every fucking detail.

  Her dad, oddly enough now my boss and seemingly not plotting my death, would fire me seconds before ending me if he knew the mind-blowing things I’d done to, and with, his only daughter. But I’d stopped watching over my shoulder for his attack long ago — about the time she vanished and took to ignoring all my attempts at contact.

  Now she’s back.

  Or is she?

  “Sutton, are you coming to bed?” Hailey’s voice rips me from the fog of the past.

  “Sorry, I’ll be right there. Just grabbing a drink. You need anything?”

  “I’m fine. Thank you though. So thoughtful.”

  That’s me, all right — full of thoughts — just not of Hailey.

  Fuck! I’ve got a good job, I’ve re-enrolled to finish my degree, and things are going okay with a kind, beautiful girl who deserves nothing short of a man who treats her like a queen... and along comes Presley, blasting her way back in my life, my thoughts… on a whim of her timing, messing it all up.

  Wrong, Sutton. Pull your shit together and think like a fucking man. She can’t mess up anything if you don’t let her. That’s more like it. Presley Beckett may be a goddamn eleven on her worst day, but so is Hailey… just on a different scale.

  Whereas P’s tall, with legs that go on forever, Hailey’s a sawed-off lil’ thing who fits under my arm, chin, and body perfectly.

  Presley’s hair is long and dark, whereas Hailey’s short, shiny blonde hair compliments her big blue eyes.

  Presley’s body is... no, I’m not doing this. Hailey’s not a comparison, she’s the beauty in my bed. Waiting. While I play a dickish, useless game of “This or That?”

  “Hey.” She sits up when I walk in the room.

  “Hey, yourself.” I grin, trying to mean it, and climb in bed. “Sleepy?” I dodge, knowing too well what’s coming.

  “Sutton.” She slinks up beside me, reaching under the covers and my shorts to wrap a hand around my dick. “Who was that girl?”

  I wonder if Presley has any clue just how far the extent of her powers go — cockblocking me from… wherever the hell she is right now — ‘cause I remove Hailey’s hand.

  “Hailey, if you really wanna talk about this, which I know you do, then we can. Like adults. You don’t have to coerce me. Feels kinds tacky to discuss her with your hand on my cock. Anyway, no games. Ask me what you want to know.”

  A tinge of embarrassment to her cheeks, she maneuvers herself to sit beside, and facing me. “I saw the way you looked at her. And,” her eyes drift down to where she fiddles with the covers, “there was something about your voice when you talked to her. Something I’ve never heard. Who is she? Did you,” she gulps, peeking up at me through moist lashes, blue eyes glossed with building tears, “do you… love her?”

  I prop myself up against the headboard, letting out an already exhausted groan. “No, I don’t love her.”

  “Did you?” She repeats.

  “No,” my immediate honesty is clipped. “Didn’t have her long enough to love her.”

  “But you could’ve?” Her words wobble.

  “Shit, Hailey, I don’t know. Maybe, anything’s possible. I could love you some day. I could meet someone tomorrow and fall in love with them. I can’t answer if I don’t know the answer. Why are you even asking? Repeatedly. Don’t create drama for fun. It’s not fun.”

  She cowers, no doubt from my harsh tone, but it doesn’t deter her for long. “I have a right to know what I’m dealing with, Sutton,” she snips, standing up to gather her things. “There’s something about that girl that’s different, special for you, I’m not stupid. Just be honest with me, please.”

  “I was. You asked if I loved her, I said no, and I don’t. That’s being honest. So why are you getting dressed? Can’t we just go to bed?” I scrub both hands over my face, unsure whether to yell or laugh. This is a prime example why I don’t usually do anything remotely close to resembling “a girlfriend.” Which she’s not. Everything’s “worth talking about,” nothing outside the realm of a huge ordeal.

  And now that I’m thinking about it… need to check my entertainment center, no idea what Presley was hinting to ‘ask my girlfriend’ earlier.

  “You’re not going to touch me while you’re thinking about her.”

  “Didn’t ask to touch you, asked you to get some sleep. Stopped you from touching me if memory serves.”

  She sits back down on the edge of the bed and speaks calmly, as though unaware she’s recently lost a few marbles… and really should start
looking for them ASAP. “Don’t get mad, I’m not. I just don’t want to be the fool left in the dark. What’s her name?”

  “Presley,” I mumble, ready to pierce my own eardrums — with a painfully sharp object — and she’s only just begun her second round of “research.”

  “How long did you guys date?” Knew it. Let the fun commence.

  “Three times,” I laugh. “If you wanna call it dating. She’s JT’s cousin, so I know her from around. Went to the same concert as her once, went home with her, but nothing happened. We’d both been drinking. Another time I took her home from JT’s girl’s place, but again, nothing happened… because again, she’d been drinking. The third, and final, date, saw her at a party at JT’s parent’s house. That’s it, the whole relationship, wrapped up in what, thirty seconds? Short and sweet. You’re making it a much bigger deal than it was.”

  “You didn’t say ‘nothing happened’ the last time,” she hedges.

  “No, I didn’t.” And I won’t — lie or elaborate — not a “Kiss and Tell” type of guy. Or the type that’d ever disrespect Presley.

  “She’s very pretty,” Hailey baits me, fooling no one. I know damn well those are far from the words she wants to say.

  But, she opened the door, so I nod and walk through it. “Yes, she is. So are you. Come here.” I smile warmly and hold out my arms, hoping, as she catapults herself across the bed to fall into them, that maybe the storm’s passed. Resting my chin on her head, I place a quick kiss on her hair. “We all have people in our past, Hailey. Presley and I haven’t spoken in months. She didn’t know about you. Now she does, she won’t be back. Not her style. She just,” I chuckle, “stopped by on the off-chance I’d be down for a booty call. I’m not, she’s gone, and you’re still here. Let it go, I already have.”

  She tilts her head to look up at me, eyes now brimming with pleased vindication. “So you’re not hung-up on the Amazonian beauty with endless legs and floatation devices for boobs?”

  Oh, Hailey… you forgot full, ripe melon of an ass that doesn’t quit and a magnetic personality to lure the saints... but I think it best not to “help” her with the list.

  “Actually, I’m ready to go to sleep with this adorable little blonde in my arms. Maybe you know her? She’s got a cute button nose, beautiful blue eyes, perfect, perky tits, and a tiny ass I can fit in my hand. Know anyone like that?”

  “Maybe,” she giggles. “But I’m not ready for bed, I’m hungry. You said we were going out to eat.”

  “That was before all the… commotion. Can ya cut me a break? Raincheck? Plans obviously got a lil’ rearranged and I have to be at work in a few hours, could really use some sleep if I’m gonna toss drunk dudes around all night. You’re more than welcome to anything in the kitchen, or order something in, my wallet’s on the dresser.”

  “It’s fine,” she huffs, climbing off the bed as disruptively as possible. “I’ll just get something on the way home. Call ya tomorrow.”

  Guess I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead.

  “You know I’m not about to let you walk to your car alone.” Just like Presley; stayed far enough back to give her space, close enough to ensure she made it safely inside her car. I drag my ass up and throw on some clothes. “Let’s go grab ya something to eat, then you can just drop me off at work.” Few hours early, that I could be spending sleeping.

  “Okay!” She squeals, doing some bounce/clap thing, too happy she got her way to notice how — what I consider selfish — she’s being.

  For tonight though… I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt… and amnesty. She did get knocked off her game by Presley’s surprise visit; gotta be why she’s acting so annoying. If I was a woman, I wouldn’t want to go up against Presley Beckett either. And Hailey’s not totally off base — there is something special about Presley that outshines any and everyone else in the room.

  But she’s not in the room, Hailey is, so, I force on a smile, wrap my arm around her shoulders and speak kindly. “Let’s get you fed.”

  And it damn near works, the whole “reset” in both our moods… until I turn to close and lock the front door behind us. As if standing right beside me, I hear Presley’s voice ring in my ears and my eyes steer themselves to the entertainment center.

  What. The. Fuck?

  Amnesty, “grace period,” or benefit of the doubt over. Non-existent.

  Sure enough, front and center on the middle shelf, sits a framed picture — that I’d never noticed — of Hailey. And a dog. In my apartment. This shit was done before Presley showed up. Meaning… I’ve got to cut the crazy strings.

  Chapter 3

  Presley

  “Morning, Daddy!” I turn on the charm as I barge into his office.

  “Hey, Princess. You lost?” He rises from the chair behind his desk to come hug me.

  “Nope, you’re exactly the big, strong, smart, wonderful protector and provider I was looking for, so, not lost.” I pat his chest and look up at him with patented “your baby girl” eyes.

  “Oh, Lord,” he laughs, “let me sit back down for this. Your mom made me wear my nice shoes today, can’t be stepping in the load of shit you’re about to drop. What do you want?” He rests his elbows on the desk, fingers steepled under his chin while he gives me his patented, one brow raised “I’m onto you” look.

  “You know how you’re always saying it’s a waste of my degree that you ‘paid through the shit shoot for’ that I only work for you, doing the payroll and books for one club?”

  “Uh huh,” he hums skeptically.

  “Well, you have two clubs now. I want to make you proud, and give you a return on your generous investment in me, so, how about I start handling payroll, inventory, and whatever else you need done for Lit too?” I finish with perfect tone, posture, and an adamant lift of my chin, as if in a real interview.

  “You wound me, Princess.” He tries to pout instead of laugh, while clutching his chest. “Have you ever, once, been able to bullshit your old man?”

  I mull it over, coming up empty. “No,” I utter, posture and chin drooping in defeat.

  “Then why even try?”

  “I… I don’t know what you mean.” I cast my eyes to the far side of the room since I’ve never been able, or had the need to, outright lie to my father’s face.

  “The hell you don’t. Have a seat. Let’s shoot each other straight. Sound like fun? That veneer you’re hiding behind is pathetic at best. Oh, side note, your mother’s trying to incorporate new words other than ‘fuck’ into my vocabulary every day. Today’s word is ‘veneer,’ so make sure you mention to her, casually of course, that I used it.”

  “I’ll get right on that, Hemingway.”

  “Good. Now, enough BS. Let me take a crack at whatcha got cookin’, and you correct me where, and if, I go wrong.” He leans back in his chair, sporting a shit eating grin. “You thought I’d forbid you from Sutton, like I do every other guy, and it ate your ass when I didn’t. I was trying reverse psychology, and it worked, ‘cause you quit him before I could blink. Boy’s a hard worker, hasn’t ever called in or been late, can bartend as well as he bounces, got back in school to finish his degree and finally stopped moping over you. My guess is you gave him the time of day again and he gave you your walking papers. And as your father’s mini-me, you can’t stand being the dumpee instead of the dumper, so you wanna work at Lit to fuck with him. Not gonna happen.” He shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “It’s been months, P. You don’t get to decide to just pop back in and screw with someone’s life, again, because you’re bored, or got a wild hair up your ass. I raised you to be strong, secure and independent. Not cold, callous and without any regard for other people’s feelings, young lady. Big fucking difference. The answer is no.”

  “Please, tell me how you really feel,” I puff out a load of angry, offended air. “Don’t hold back just because I’m your only child!”

  “I’d die for you. You know that. I’d kill for you. You
know that too. But you’re not a child anymore. Time to quit playing childish games, especially when other people could end up collateral damage. There’ll be other guys. Learn from this obvious regret and take some time to give the poor schmucks in the future a real chance before tossing them aside.”

  “You’re encouraging me to date?”

  “Not per se.” His brows fold at the thought. “But I am encouraging, no, insisting, that you adjust a few things about your approach and retreat. Also, need ya to tell your mom about all those fancy words I used.”

  “Noted, to perhaps be taken into consideration. The part about me, not your vocabulary. And just for my own curiosity, how do you know so much about me and Sutton?”

  His head falls back with his robust laugh, and it takes more than a minute for him to recoup. “Are you new? I heard bits and pieces from your mom, who, I’d say, heard it from Whitley, her informant Sky, as told to her by JT. But I’m only guessing at the order of “the chain,” mind you.”

  Swear to God... this family.

  “So, you’re really not gonna give me the job at Lit? The bar I scouted the location for, named, did major promo for, and helped decorate?”

  “Nope, I’m really not.”

  “You just chose Sutton, whom I did nothing mean or wrong to, over me.” My thought slips out… and sounds just as bratty in the air as it did in my head.

  “Maybe not on purpose. I don’t think you’d ever set out to hurt someone, but baby girl, the trail of broken hearts you’ve left behind you is pretty fucking long. And you know damn good and well that I always choose you, so save your little tantrum. It’s because you, and your good character are my main concern, and job, that I’m helping you, by enforcing a wake-up call. Don’t worry, you’ll live.”

  I don’t… can’t... even. What the hell is happening? The last twenty-four hours have got to be some sort of bad dream. Since when did being particular, and not jumping into bed, or a commitment, with every guy who took an interest become a crime? And on what alternate fucking universe did I suddenly land where my dad lectures me on giving humans with dicks a chance?