A Light in the Dark_Survival of the Fittest Read online

  Leo hit the table hard enough to make the plates rattle and whistled. “What is someone as smart as you doing with Bailey?”

  “On the contrary,” Bailey leaned in, “it’s only through her brilliance she can see what a great guy I am.”

  She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “No, that’s not what it is.”

  “No?” Bailey cocked his head to the side. “What else can it be then?”

  “I’m only into you for your body.”

  Bailey’s face broke into a grin and a second later he leaned in and kissed her in front of everyone at the table. Under other circumstances she might’ve been embarrassed, but not with him even though Leo was whistling.

  “Why don’t we go into the living room for a while? Maybe catch a Christmas movie or something?”

  “Do you need me to help clear the table?” Brie picked up her blue salad plate and stacked it with her pasta dish.

  “Oh, no. You don’t have to do that. The caterer is coming back later to take care of all of that.”

  Brie set her things back down, awkward with nothing to do. She wasn’t used to living where people did things for her or catered to her whims.

  Lexie, seeming to sense her unease, came around the table and looped an arm through hers. “We’re not always like this,” she gestured down the table, “but it seemed easier today since we only got here this morning.” She nudged her shoulder with her own, “And, when Bailey decided he wanted us to meet you, he set everything up. He’s a lot of things, but I’m not sure cooking is in his wheelhouse.”

  Brie glanced back at Bailey who was laughing at something his brother was saying. He’d set everything up? And, when had he decided he wanted her to meet his family? Surely, something like this would’ve taken a little while to plan. Her heart soared that he’d cared enough to go to the trouble.

  “We could’ve gone to a restaurant. He didn’t have to do all of this.”

  They took a seat on the sofa beside each other. “Renting a house can make it easier to fit all of us and it also ensures they get the privacy they need.” Lexie smiled. “Don’t worry, it took me awhile to get used to it, too.”

  Brie followed Lexie’s gaze to where Bailey was standing at the window with the other guys. “He’s crazy about you, you know.” Lexie smiled, but her eyes filled.

  Brie looked down, unsure how to handle the display of affection from someone she’d only known for a couple of hours. Lexie clearly loved her brother-in-law which made Brie like her all the more, but she didn’t quite understand the depth of her comment. Was it rare for him to introduce a woman to his family?

  “I’m sorry.” Lexie rubbed her fingers under her eyes and blinked back the tears. “I know I’m being ridiculous, but it’s nice to see him so happy.” She squeezed her hand and then stood. “I’m really happy he found you.”

  Brie stayed where she was on the sofa, but kept her eyes on Bailey, a man she could only describe as unexpected. A man who was almost as unexpected as the feelings she was developing for him. She crossed her arms over her chest and observed the reunion taking place before her.

  Leo pretended to hit Bailey in the stomach and then Bailey tilted his head back and laughed. The sound was full and loud and like music to her ears. His usual cautionary wall was gone. With these people in this place she was getting to see him the way she liked him best, unguarded and full of life. He laughed again, and she smiled, and when he met her eyes a moment later, another little piece of her heart gave in to him.

  ~ ~ ~

  Bailey hit his brother’s shoulder and made his way over to where Brie was sitting on the couch. His eyes roamed up her legs and over her chest where her cleavage called to him. Damn he wanted to get her out of that dress. He’d thought of little other than her body since the previous night in the art studio. As happy as he was to have the guys in town, he would kill for a little alone time with Brie.

  “What are you doing sitting over here all alone?” He dropped down beside her and put his arm around her when she snuggled against his side.

  “I was simply admiring the view.”

  “Were you now?” He leaned in and touched his lips to hers, but pulled back before he let himself get carried away. It wouldn’t take much to make him forget about everyone else in the room. “So, what do you think of the guys?”

  “They all seem great and Lexie is adorable.”

  “Yeah, she’s the best.” He intertwined his fingers with Brie’s, warming up her hand with his. “Are you pissed I sprung this on you?”

  “I’ll admit I was taken aback at first, but I like seeing you this way. You’re freer here.” She glanced down at her dress and then met his eyes. “Although, I’m not sure I dressed for the whole meet my family date.”

  “You look perfect.”

  He glanced toward where his brother was joking around with Leo and then at the kitchen where Lexie was brewing coffee. David and Simone were arguing over the television the way they tended to do, and when he swung his gaze back around to the woman beside him and even though they were an ocean away from home, somehow everything felt right. His heart squeezed. Never had another woman so completely belonged.

  He kissed her again.

  “What was that look?” She grinned at him, a familiar blush in her cheeks.

  “Nothing.” He touched his forehead to hers, content. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “Okay you two, knock it off.” Oliver dropped into the over-sized chair and then Lexie appeared with a tray of coffee, set it on the table for all to enjoy, and then joined him. “Brie, what’re your folks up to for Christmas? Are you going home?”

  Brie crossed her legs and blew across the top of her coffee, her lips distracting him from her answer. He caught something about a mother and brother and Christmas Eve, but the details were hazy. She caught his eye and grinned seeming to read his thoughts.

  “So, was our guy able to help you with that little legal matter?”

  Bailey’s arm stiffened as his head whipped around in his brother’s direction. No. No. No.

  “What legal matter?” Brie leaned forward and placed her mug on the table, her eyes squinting in confusion.

  Lexie closed her eyes for a half second and then looked at Bailey with an uh-oh expression.

  Oliver glanced between Bailey and Brie and shifted in his seat as he caught sight of the panic on Bailey’s face. “Oh, um, I thought there’d been something you needed help with, but I must’ve been mistaken.”

  “Maybe not.” Brie shifted so she wasn’t touching Bailey’s side anymore. The cold air rushed in to fill the void much like it had in his lungs. “Do you happen to remember what sort of legal issue it was? Maybe that will help jar my memory.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I thought there was some unwanted publicity Bailey wanted to put a stop to.”

  Brie’s gaze angled in his direction. “I see.”

  Those two syllables held more weight than a punch to his gut. Bailey touched her arm. “It was nothing.”

  “Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s one of those things we have to deal with regularly.” Oliver smiled trying to ease some of the tension that was now thick enough to taste. “Bailey wanted to get in front of it.”

  “Totally. I mean we’ve had to deal with more than one dick pic of Leo getting out.”

  “Hey,” Leo grinned, “it could happen to anyone.”

  Brie got to her feet and with shoulders tight enough to cause a migraine, smiled a tight smile toward Lexie, and put as much distance between herself and him as possible. He didn’t have to see her face to feel her anger. It was rolling off her in waves.

  “Thank you so much for having me round to dinner, but I really should be off.”

  Lexie stood too, her hands jerky as she tried to salvage the evenin
g. “Oh, you don’t have to go. We were thinking about watching a movie—”

  “I appreciate that, but I’m afraid I must.” She glanced around at Simone, David, and Leo, mumbled a quick, “It was lovely meeting you all and made for the door.”

  “Bailey, I’m sorry,” Oliver said as Bailey moved to follow Brie.

  “It’s not your fault.” And, Bailey meant it. He’d brought this on himself by not being completely honest with Brie.

  Chapter 20

  Bailey paused long enough to grab Brie’s coat from the closet though he was pretty sure her fury was enough to keep her warm. It wasn’t her temper that scared him though, it was the white in her cheeks, the slight tremble he’d seen in her hands as she’d made her way from the room. This was more than a flare of temper. She was hurt and he’d done it.

  Christ. He should’ve come clean earlier or at least before they’d slept together, but he’d put Theo out of his mind. As far was he was concerned, Theo was a piece of trash and he’d been taken out.

  Bailey followed the old stone walkway to the gate and then stepped out onto the narrow lane in search of her. With a quick glance, he found her, shoulders rigid, feet grinding into the ground. He bit back another curse. This was going to take more than a mere apology.

  “Brie, wait.” At the sound of his voice her shoulders ratcheted up another notch, but he jogged to catch up with her, ready to deal with the fallout.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” she shot back, venom in her tone. She didn’t slow down.

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s true. I think you have plenty you want to say to me. Here,” he came alongside her and held out her coat, “at least put this on.”

  She yanked it out of his hands so hard that a sleeve slapped him in the face. She kept moving. “I can’t believe you embarrassed me like that. And, you went behind my back. Argh.”

  “Listen, Brie, I’m sorry. Let me at least explain what happened.”

  “There is nothing you have to say that I want to hear.” She quickened her pace.

  “Brie, if you want to leave, I understand, but let me call you a cab. It’s a five-mile trek back into town.”

  “I’m well aware, but I don’t want anything from you.”

  “Would you at least like to turn around and head in the right direction?” He repressed the urge to smirk when she came to a grinding halt.

  “You’re an asshole.” She turned and stormed in the opposite direction. “How much did you have to pay, Bailey? How much did it cost to fix my mistake?”

  “Brie.”

  “Tell me damnit.”

  Bailey sighed, but matched her long strides. If she wanted honesty, he’d give it to her. “Half a million dollars.”

  Brie’s steps faulted and her face blanched.

  “I paid him half a million dollars for the photos, which were then destroyed, and then had my lawyers draw up a restraining order. Theo was also warned that if he tried to blackmail you again, he’d be dragged to court and sued for everything he has and there was the threat of jail time thrown in for good measure.”

  “Jesus, what must your family think of me? I’ll tell you what they think, they think I’m some whore who sunk her claws into you to get the money to solve her problems.”

  “Hey,” he grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. She was a lot of things, headstrong, smart, ambitious, beautiful, but she was not a gold digger.

  Her murderous gaze lowered to where his hand was on her arm and he let go.

  “My family thinks no such thing and more importantly, neither do I. In fact, they don’t know anything about what happened with Theo.”

  “No? They don’t know about the pictures or the money” her eyes filled and the sight tore at his insides—“and the threats and the—”

  “No.”

  “But, your brother said something about Leo and some pictures so—”

  “My brother was trying to put you at ease the only way he knows how, humor. And, even if they did know, they wouldn’t care because they love me. They would love you simply because I do, and believe me, they don’t care about your past.”

  Her breath caught. “What did you say?”

  “I said . . . I said I love you.” He hadn’t planned to say it to her now, especially in the middle of a heated argument, but she needed to understand. She needed to know. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.

  Brie’s eyes filled again, and she shook her head. “How can you say that to me?” She turned her back to him. “How can you stand there and say you love me when you lied to me?”

  “I know you’re right. I should’ve told you about what happened with Theo, but I was afraid you’d think I overstepped.”

  She spun around and pointed a finger in his face. “That’s because you did.”

  He stepped toward her, their bodies almost touching. “And, I’d do it again if I thought it would help you.”

  A horn sounded, and they jumped to the side of the road near a huge tree as it passed. They stood, their breaths rushing out in little puffs as the wind stirred, blowing what was left of the dead leaves down the sides of the road. In another time, he might be able to appreciate the beauty around them, but all he could think about was regaining Brie’s trust.

  “Bailey, I can’t be with another man who lies to me.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. You have to know that hurting you was never my intention.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him, eyes ablaze with determination. “It’s more than that, Bailey. When you stepped in like you did, it came at a price.”

  “Brie.”

  “No, listen. You paid to make my problems go away.”

  “A problem made worse because of your relationship with me.”

  “My problems were my problems before you showed up and, Bailey, while a huge part of me appreciates what you did another little part of me resents it, because I want what we have to be pure. I want to be free to love you and be loved by you without having this huge thing with Theo hanging over our heads. I don’t want to feel like I owe you.”

  “It was nothing.”

  “Maybe to you it was nothing, but Bailey . . . you have to let me fight my own battles.”

  “And, you have to let people help you every once in a while.”

  She turned her face away from his and, as she did, the wind pulled a stand of her hair across her face. He longed to reach out and tuck it behind her ear, any excuse to touch her, but he held back. The anger which had been radiating from her was still under the surface. He could see her emotions playing out over her face, first frustration, then sadness, and accompanying both was the hurt he’d caused.

  “Brie, can’t we forget him and all of it and start fresh? No more secrets.” Oh, the hell with it. He reached up and touched a hand to Brie’s face, rubbing a thumb over her cold cheek. “You don’t owe me anything. What I did? I would’ve done it for anyone I care about.”

  “But, we weren’t even together then.”

  “We were friends at least.”

  She nodded, “Sure, but Bailey it’s one thing for you to say I don’t owe you anything. It’s another for me to accept it.”

  “Don’t throw away what we could have because of your pride, Brie.”

  Her head snapped back in his direction, anger sparking back to life. She stepped closer, her breasts pressed against his chest. “How can I trust that you won’t hurt me again? That you won’t lie? I won’t survive it, Bailey. Not from you.” Her voice was a whisper, but the full meaning of her words was loud and clear. She needed to be able to trust him above all else. “You see, I think I’m falling for you, too. That’s why you lying to me is so much worse than if it were someone else.”

  Bailey’s heart soared, and he crushed his
mouth to hers. She was falling in love with him and that was all he needed to know. He pulled away, breathless. “I won’t hurt you again and I’ll spend forever proving it to you if that’s what it takes.” He kissed her cheeks, one and then the other, tasting her salty tears as he went.

  “Bailey.” She said against his mouth as their kisses turned urgent. “Don’t ever lie to me again.”

  “Never.”

  He took her hand and hauled her against the closest tree and out of eye-shot of anyone who might happen by. With the huge oak to one side and the open field behind them to ensure their privacy, he put his hands inside her coat and ran them up her sides, while hers were in his hair tugging his mouth closer. He was rock hard, desperate for her warmth as the relief of hearing her say she could love him pulsed through him with every beat of his heart.

  He ran a hand up her thigh and felt the lace of her panties against his hand. “Jesus,” he breathed against her neck, “I’ve been dying to get inside you since I first saw you in that dress.”

  “Then, do it.”

  He met her eyes and then with one swift yank tore the thin fabric away from her body. He pressed a hand against her mound and felt her writhe against it. She tugged at his jeans and forced them down and he brought her knee up and hooked it around his hip. With one hard thrust he was inside her, the explosion of pleasure expressed by them both with a sigh.

  She held onto his shoulder as he drove into her again and again with a fierce need no other could conjure, but Brie. Her leg shook and his own body quivered as release called to them both, but he kept going, proving to her as much as himself, he wouldn’t lose her.

  “Bailey,” she gasped, her mouth open just enough for him to taste her one last time as they tumbled over the edge.

  ~ ~ ~

  Bailey slid onto the stool in the kitchen of the manor house and rubbed a hand over his face. When he thought about how close he’d come to losing Brie earlier that afternoon, his chest constricted. He hadn’t fully understood how attached he’d become until the moment she’d walked out the door.