Romeo: A Payne Brothers Romance Page 6

  “This is not the sort of conversation a Barlow girl has,” Lady said. “You better behave.”

  “Tried behaving once. Didn’t take.” I shrugged. “Meet me in the middle. I flirt, you flirt, and we’ll both leave unsatisfied.”

  “It’d be more flattering if I knew you didn’t flirt with every girl like this.”

  And now, in the bright sunshine, cool water, and proximity to the sexiest girl I’d ever seen, I realized the error of my ways.

  “I’m thinking I wasted my talents flirting with the wrong women,” I said.

  Lady didn’t take the compliment. She laughed. “Is the pond granting you some sort of epiphany?”

  The water did feel nice. Not only for my raging, desperate cock, but also caressing over my every aching muscle. My body screamed for a good rest after working fifteen hours yesterday in the farm’s fields. But I didn’t need backbreaking labor or a lazy swim in an old watering hole more mud than memories to realize how bad my life had gotten.

  “Always known it.” I shrugged. “But I needed to see a woman like you to realize what I’m missing.”

  “And what sort of woman am I?”

  I didn’t hesitate. Something told me she rarely heard the truth.

  “Beautiful,” I said.

  Lady looked away with a bashful smirk. “Oh.”

  “And bootylicious.”

  “There it is.”

  I shrugged, waving my arms through the water as the sun did its damnedest to crisp my shoulders. “I’m surprised no one else has proven it to you yet.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve neither confirmed nor denied the status of my virginity.”

  I knew a virgin when I saw one—and normally, I’d run the fuck away. No sense corrupting someone innocent and sweet when I could find my share of equally fucked up women looking for the same mistake I was.

  Easier that way. The sun went down, the pants came off, and, by morning, the shame of it forced us back into our real lives.

  No numbers. No names. No worries.

  Quick, easy fun.

  That’s what happiness was, right?

  “Don’t worry, Ladybug,” I said. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  She hummed. “What a relief.”

  I reached for her again, tickling her feet to make her red-painted toes curl. Her soft skin beckoned me higher, but I didn’t dare touch above her ankles. I was a flirt, but I wasn’t an idiot. Last thing I needed was my dick to complicate the family feud.

  “You know,” I said. “I’m not like other guys.”

  “Yeah…” She nodded. “You’re naked. I can see the difference.”

  A guy always needed a reason to be proud, but I ignored the implications.

  “You’re a nice girl, Lady,” I said.

  “Glad you think so.”

  “I’m glad you’re back.”

  She tensed, but she didn’t pull her feet away. “Only for two weeks. I’ve got a lot of traveling to do.”

  “Right. London and Paris and all that.”

  “Got a list,” she said. “Lots of places to see, streets to wander. Might not visit Butterpond for a while.”

  “Then you better make the most of your time here.”

  She bit her lip. I envied the bite. “I have two whole weeks to absorb as much of Butterpond as I can. Gotta see if there’s anything that’ll make me stay.”

  Interesting. “You don’t wanna leave?”

  “Depends on what I find.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  Her smirk teased the corners of lips so plump and perfect I might have leapt out of the water for a taste.

  “Let me ask you the same question, Quint—what are you looking for?”

  Right now? A cold shower. The pond did jack shit to help the throbbing below my waist.

  “Lucky for me, I don’t gotta go far to look for trouble,” I said.

  She tilted her head, and long locks of thick, raven-black hair caressed her cheeks.

  “Do you think about the future at all?” she asked.

  “I’m lucky if I plan one insulin shot ahead.”

  Most days. Sometimes. I didn’t pay nearly as much attention to my sugar as the disease demanded.

  She poked at me like a needle—wanting more than I was willing to give. “Ever want something beyond…Butterpond?”

  “Ask not what you can do for your insanely quirky small town…” I said. “What are you getting it?”

  “Do you think it’s possible…after all this time and spending our entire childhood and adolescence here…that we could wake up one day and…” Her gaze focused beyond the pond. “Realize that maybe what we thought we wanted isn’t what we needed at all?”

  “Nope.”

  Her smile faded. “Really?”

  “I’m a simple man,” I said. “I see what I want, I go for it, and I damn the consequences. Maybe you should try it.”

  She kicked her feet, churning the water into a foam. “I guess I’m trying to figure out what’s best for me.”

  “If a girl like you doesn’t have her life figured out…is there any hope for the rest of us chumps?”

  “Don’t put me on a pedestal,” she said.

  “Rather put you on your back.”

  Another kick. I spat out a mouthful of water. Probably deserved that.

  “Sorry, sorry.” I surrendered with my arms up. “I’m used to a different sort of girl.”

  Lady pouted. “You make it impossible to have a serious conversation.”

  “I do my best.”

  “Why is that?”

  I regretted opening my mouth. “Everyone is always so serious.”

  “I can’t imagine a Payne boy being serious about anything…except Varius.”

  “He was somber enough for all of us…” I grabbed a piece of floating grass and gave her toes a tickle. She flinched away, creaking the dock’s rotten wood. “Now the good minister is serious about other things—the church, his girlfriend, her toddler, everyone’s eternal soul…”

  “All the Paynes are good men.” I winked at her. “We’re just better at being bad.”

  “Even you?”

  Men changed. Who knew if they could change back.

  “Everyone’s starting families,” I said. “Beginning new careers. Got good lives. We’ve got plants in the ground at the farm. Kids running around the fields again. Two years ago, no one could stand to be in the same room with each other. Now we’re closer than ever. And everyone’s taking that very seriously.”

  Everything about Lady was genuine. Her smile. Her words. Her excitement.

  “I’m glad you’re happy,” she said.

  And who would be stupid enough to contradict her? Of course, I was happy. I had everything I wanted. A family. The farm. Enough sex and alcohol to get me to sleep at night. A good night out in the bad parts of town cured all ails.

  At least until morning.

  “A guy could always be happier,” I said. “Easy way to fix that though.”

  Lady agreed. “Suppose it’s the same for a girl too.”

  “A girl like you should always be happy.”

  “That’s my plan.” She spoke with a quiet confidence. “I gotta see if there’s anything in this town that can offer me more than…”

  “Than what?”

  “…All the other fish in the sea?”

  I laughed. “It’s slim pickins’ in Butterpond.”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. “Maybe not.”

  “Hey, I’m the one who brought you to this romantic little pond,” I said.

  “You wanted to get your pants off in a puddle. And it’d be flattering if I didn’t know you acted this way with every girl.”

  Not every girl. Just most. “Does it help to know I’m moving fast, even for my own standards?”

  Lady feigned swooning. “Take me in this stagnant, duckweed infested water, you stud.”

  Well, when she put it that way, it made the whole experience sound worse than a ni
ght in a hotel that rented by the hour.

  “I’m sure we could make some waves,” I said.

  Lady pulled her feet from the water, making a face as she batted away bits of algae and weeds from her toes. She straightened her legs over the dock and bathed in the golden afternoon sunshine.

  “You wouldn’t know what to do with me if you got me, Quint Payne.”

  I drew closer, gripping the leg of the dock. The wood splintered in my hand. “Isn’t that the fun of it?”

  She shook her hair behind her head and soaked up the sun’s warmth. “I want a man who falls hopelessly in love with me. Someone who can’t stop thinking about me for days and days, nights and nights. Someone who will do everything they can to be with me only to realize he’ll never get enough.”

  Was she that naïve? “Lady, that’s every man who sees you. Take your pick.”

  “That’s encouraging.”

  “You got your eyes on someone?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  A man could dream. “Anyone I know?”

  “You have your secrets…” She adjusted her skirt to ensure all the best parts stayed hidden before standing. “I have mine.”

  Oh, I wasn’t letting her get away, not when she was the most fun I’d had since Butterpond confused a swarm of grasshoppers with killer bees at last year’s Mocha Polka, the state’s only caffeinated Oktoberfest.

  I leaned against the rickety dock, ready to pull myself up and give chase—with or without pants.

  “I’ll tell you any secret you want,” I said. “Last year I took out a Craig’s List ad asking people to leave a voice message with their dirtiest fantasy…and I gave them Mayor Desmond’s number. He got calls for a month. Had to change his number once he got too many furry fantasies.” I pointed at her. “Your turn. Go.”

  Lady shook her head. “Not a chance.”

  “Afraid I won’t keep it a secret?”

  “I’m afraid of admitting it out loud.”

  The dock creaked. I ignored it. “Don’t you love a good risk?”

  She did not. “Barlow girls don’t take risks.”

  “Payne boys never play it safe.”

  Her pout slayed me. “We’re thoroughly incompatible, aren’t we?”

  “The Paynes also love a challenge,” I said. “You’re killing me, woman. I’m gonna obsess over this all night.”

  “Then my work here is done.”

  “You like to see a man suffer, don’t you?” I shook my head. “And for what? A stupid crush?”

  “Nothing stupid about a crush—unless a girl acts on it.” She paused. “And even then, who knows what could happen. Something terrible. Something great. Maybe it’s better to just stay quiet and keep dreaming.”

  “Never took you for a hopeless romantic,” I said.

  She kicked a rotten plank. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”

  I wasn’t a patient man. “Just tell me. Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  The wood groaned as Lady stepped backwards.

  “How will I know if he’s right for you?” I asked.

  Her laugh sweetened the air. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  “You got it bad?”

  “You have no idea.”

  I curled a finger toward the water, beckoning her to the edge of the dock. “There’s a good cure for a bad crush. All you need is someone to help you forget about him.”

  “He’s unforgettable,” she said.

  “I bet he’s an ass.”

  “He’s mostly prick.”

  “Trouble-maker?”

  She played it diplomatic. “He has a certain reputation.”

  “Cute?”

  “Gorgeous.”

  “I don’t stand a chance, do I?”

  Her voice mellowed. “Quint Payne…are you jealous?”

  “Always gotta stay a step ahead of the competition.” I hauled myself onto the dock with a grin. “Especially with such a beautiful prize—”

  The pier trembled, rocked, and gave a crushing squeal.

  The rotten wood crumbled under my feet and plunked into the water below. Lady’s shocked shout echoed my own.

  The dock shook.

  Twisted.

  Cracked.

  And plunged us both into the pond.

  I grabbed Lady and hauled her away from the crumbling pier as it crashed into the water. The water bubbled over our head, and I wrapped an arm around her waist to drag her to the surface. My feet grazed the pebble-strewn bottom. Hers did not.

  Lady, soaked to the bone and trembling with cold, clutched my shoulders. Her white blouse, once neatly pressed and tidy, was now thoroughly saturated. The transparent material clung to her perfect curves.

  Lady was as beautiful as she was pissed off.

  Her fingers curled into my shoulder, and her nails pressed deep into my skin. She pushed away from me before realizing how little protection her shirt offered from roaming eyes. With a squeal, she crashed back into my chest.

  “I swear to God…” She groaned. “How do you manage to get in so much trouble in just ten minutes?”

  “You should see what I can do with twenty.”

  “This is all your fault!”

  It really wasn’t, but I wasn’t above taking credit for a twist of fate that landed a sexy woman squirming in my arms.

  “This is why you take your clothes off to skinny dip,” I said.

  Lady hissed through clenched teeth. “I am not skinny-dipping! I might be drowning…or I might drown you. I haven’t decided yet.”

  “At least I can die knowing I got a Barlow girl into Taylor’s pond.”

  “A badge of honor.” Lady crossed her arms over her chest and kept her eyes focused on the puffy white clouds in the sky. “Turn around.”

  I did as I was told.

  Reluctantly.

  “Go on,” I said. “You can say it. This is fun.”

  She disagreed. “Who knows what’s in this water.”

  “Well, in high school, it was fifty percent alcohol…”

  The water rippled as Lady attempted to escape the pond. I could’ve told her the south end was always a mud pit, but I doubted she’d stop to take directions. Instead, the water sloshed as she approached the shore. She shouted, and the sticky, suckling mud trapped her feet in deep.

  “Ugh!” Lady struggled against the bank, hauling herself out of the mud by grabbing the taller grasses. After three hard tugs, she finally hauled herself onto the shore and caught her breath. “You really are a menace, you know that?”

  I’d heard worse. “I got a beautiful woman to go skinny-dipping. I’d call myself lucky.”

  “You’re not that lucky.” Lady stormed to my pile of clothes and whipped the shirt into the air a few times, clearing it of any dust and pollen. “You got me into this mess, you can stay in it.”

  “And we were having such a good time.”

  “Good God. Look at me! I’m covered in mud. I can’t go back into town looking like this. Grandma will freak.” She clutched my shirt to her chest. “I’m borrowing this.”

  I laughed. “Not the first time someone stole my clothes from here.”

  “You probably deserved it then too.”

  “Nah. She wanted something to remember me by.”

  Lady bristled. “You’re pretty unforgettable by yourself, Quint Payne. And unbelievable.”

  “And that’s me during the day. Imagine what happens at night.”

  “Good thing I won’t ever find out.” Lady grumbled, shoving my shirt over her soaking wet curves. The shirt immediately dampened and stuck to her breasts, her hips. “No wonder girls kick you out in the morning. Probably can’t stand to stay around you for longer than a night.”

  “Well, you’ll find out tonight.”

  “Haven’t you inflicted enough disaster on me today?”

  I pointed to the shirt. “That’s a loaner, Ladybug. You take it, I’m gonna want it b
ack.”

  I stepped as close to the shore as I could get before Lady hollered for me to stop. The water lapped low at my hips. Though she did her best to look away, her gaze lingered over the droplets of water dripping from my muscles.

  “How about I stop by tonight?” I crossed my arms. “You and me got a lot to talk about, Lady Barlow.”

  She hesitated. “We do?”

  “Gotta get my shirt anyway.”

  “I…guess that’s okay.”

  “I’ll be at your house late. Midnight.”

  “But…I’m in Grandma’s guest house…if she hears…”

  “Promise I won’t wake up Grandma.”

  The girl was so naïve even a polite invitation to talk was a proposition. What sort of animal did she think I was?

  Well, she was probably right, but that made it even more ridiculous that I’d even consider such a crazy scheme with a Barlow.

  But a man had to try his luck every once in a while.

  And Lady was worth that roll of the dice.

  “Midnight?” Her voice almost trembled.

  “Our little secret,” I said.

  “I don’t like secrets.”

  “Everyone loves secrets—the juicer the better. Trust me, Lady. You’re gonna like what I have to offer you tonight.”

  “And why is that?”

  I offered her my sweetest smile and dirtiest wink.

  “Because sometimes it’s worth getting in a little trouble.”

  3

  Lady

  The easiest way to fall out of love with a man was to have sex with him.

  It sounded counterintuitive, but it was the best shot I had right now.

  Like Quint said. Take a risk. Reap the rewards.

  In this case, I risked my heart. And…a decent amount of blood from the razor nicking my knee.

  It was the third cut in ten minutes. If I wasn’t careful, the next swipe would sever an artery. My flat iron beeped right when the timer dinged for the whitening strips on my teeth. I’d only finished makeup on one eye, my bathwater turned cold, and chunks of seeds, pulp, and mud still stained my bathroom.

  This was a horrible night for my first midnight liaison with a man.

  After freezing my tush in a cold pond, taking a bath in mud, and spending the rest of the afternoon scouring every inch of the market to re-inventory the lost, damaged, and partially eaten fruit from the great Butterpond food fight of 2019, I had only a few minutes to get ready for what might have been the most momentous occasion in my life.