Fenna is lying face down onto the tiled floor. When I squat down next to her, I can see a cut on her forehead and the corner of the wall has a spot of red at the same height as she is.
“What the fuck happened?” Dinand asks, standing in the middle of the doorway.
“Blood over there.” I point at the wall. “The emergency exit is open too; whoever has done this fled the scene already.”
Fenna groans and starts to move around.
“Careful,” I tell her and guide her into a sitting position. “Do you know what happened?”
She groans again and lets her eyes focus on her surroundings. “Someone attacked me from behind, I think. Pushed me head first against the corner of that wall.” She tries to touch her forehead and skims over the wound, her fingers pull back with blood on them. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, ouch. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” I tell her and swoop her into my arms.
“Head home, brother,” Dinand says. “We’ll lock up here and we’ll find out later who attacked your old lady. I’ll make sure to text Prez, okay?”
I give him a tight nod and carry her out the door.
CHAPTER TWO
– FENNA –
The sun hits my face and I slowly awake. I rub my eyes and hiss at the pain flaring in my head. The turn of events of last night slowly come back to me. Shit. Someone grabbed my hair and knocked me into a wall.
“Ouch,” I groan and a low chuckle catches my attention.
My heart slams against my rib cage and I scoot back against the headboard with a hand against my chest, taking in the large frame of a man sitting in the loveseat in the corner. I quickly recognize Redding, the bartender from last night who was kind enough to bring me home.
I take a deep breath and shove the fear away. Dammit. For a moment I thought my ex was crazy enough to sneak into this place. Maybe he was the one who knocked me into the wall, though for both things he doesn’t have a solid reason. If anything, he would be on his knees begging.
Well, he might be getting more than a bit desperate because I have been ignoring him, but he was never violent. I was the one who broke up with him a few weeks ago. Well, not so much a break up other than catching him in our bedroom with another man while he was on his knees getting whipped. He was choking on the ball gag in his mouth when he saw me standing in the doorway.
I thought it was pretty obvious our relationship was over right then and there. Though, all the missed calls and texts shows he thinks otherwise. I moved in with my parents and a few days later my grandmother had a bad fall and died.
I just want to start over and focus on myself for once. Not to mention the pressure of my parents telling me I can’t move into my grandmother’s place by myself, making the turmoil of my life complete.
“How’s the head?” Another raspy chuckle flows through the air and he adds, “When you’re not touching it that is.”
“When I’m not touching it,” I echo and swing my legs off the mattress.
Last night I changed into yoga pants and a large t-shirt to get comfortable. I always sleep naked but with Redding’s unrelenting demand to watch over me–to make sure I didn’t have a concussion–I opted to wear clothes.
It’s the safe option when you have a sexy, handsome man with you in your bedroom.
“Okay, coffee and then you have to leave,” I tell him on half a yawn.
Redding rises from the seat and stretches his hands over his head and I can’t help but watch as his shirt rides up and the V those sculpted men have appears from right above his low riding jeans.
His shirt is unbuttoned and showing part of a tattoo on his chest, add the short trimmed beard, penetrating eyes filled with the same desire that’s flowing through me as he licks his bottom lip as if he wants to devour me. Damn. Sexy. Just…wow.
Yes, he definitely has to leave. I’m at a point in my life where I need space to be me for a change and not have anyone else in my life; I have too much baggage and pressure from outside influences as it is.
Oh, but that kiss last night. I couldn’t help myself when he mentioned the chick wanting him and how he needed my help to rescue him from her advances. I simply indulged and took what I wanted. I mean, what sane woman would turn down to kiss a handsome as hell guy? It’s a “once in a lifetime” thing.
“Rethinking me leaving or giving a real relationship a go instead of the fake one we invented yesterday?” Redding says with laughter overtaking his voice. “Because I’m all for getting real and committed. The way you’re eating me up with your eyes, I’d say we share the same mindset.”
I drag my gaze away from the impressive bulge in his jeans. Yes. I was checking out where the V led to. Ugh. This is why I swore off everything; too distracting. Not to mention, the first and last boyfriend I had cheated on me, the weird image of catching him is still vividly branded on my brain.
It doesn’t make a difference if he cheated on me with a man. Weirdly enough catching him in the act didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. It made me realize I didn’t exactly love the guy. I mean, I didn’t cry my heart out after I caught him but maybe I was too distracted to be sad and brokenhearted. Mainly because I was pissed as hell because the next day I discovered he also cleared out my bank account.
Need I mention we just moved in together and I gave up my apartment? Yes. Life sucked big time a week ago and then it sucked even more when I received the call about my grandmother taking a bad fall and her passing right after.
Last night was the kick-off to my new start with me moving into my grandmother’s house and saying goodbye to my friends who were driving back to the city after helping me. And then the flow of male attention started at the bar until this fine specimen standing in front of me helped me out with becoming my fake boyfriend.
Either this town has a lack of women or some men are just desperate for a hookup. Maybe there was something in the air last night at the bar. Hell, it might have been “Let’s pull Fenna’s leg” day to welcome me into the insanity that’s this town. It’s basically the reason why I told the guy flirting with me I was knocked-up by Redding and not available.
Maybe that’s just the thing I need. “I should keep you around so no one bugs me,” I blurt.
He takes a step forward, a sexy grin sliding over his face and I quickly shoot my hand forward.
“Not for sex,” I squeak, and I can practically hear my pussy cry her slutty heart out.
One of his eyebrows slowly raises. “As a friend?”
“The one from last night,” I confirm. “I think it will make things easier. If you don’t mind. We could do a fake, friendly breakup in a few weeks and stay friends. I could really use a friend right now, being new in town and all. But the load of hookup advances I received at the bar last night was ridiculous. I just like to catch my breath and be left alone. Plus, if my ex does show up or was the one who knocked me into a wall, it would make him back off to know I have a new boyfriend and have moved on.”
“Well, you kinda already sealed the deal when you told my brothers you were carrying my baby in your belly and I in return mentioned you were my old lady.” He’s grinning way too self-assured if you ask me. “But you do need to explain about your ex, because if the fucker was the one who hurt you he’d do best to disappear or I’ll gladly help him along.”