us. But I don’t do relationships. I don’t have a clue how to make one work, as you saw with my previous screwup.”
Seeing War uncertain, vulnerable even, made my jaw drop. This wasn’t a side of him I’d seen before.
Bryan’s words floated through my mind. “He made a mistake. He feels terrible. He’s a good guy.”
“I’m not sure I do either,” I whispered. What examples of good relationships had I ever had?
“I think you do. Actually, I’m counting on it.” War smoothed his hands over my shoulders. “You’re smart, determined, strong.”
“Thank you.” I liked that he saw me that way. I liked that a hell of a lot. “I think you’re all those things too.” He certainly was when it came to his vision for the band.
I placed my hand on his face and studied him. “Who are you, Warren Jinkins?”
Handsome, he wore a determined crease—a permanent one—between his dark brows. A strong, almost sharp nose split the center of his lean face. A thick layer of evening stubble gave a hint of a mustache and beard. His defined jaw lent him a dangerous look, a more dangerous one.
There was a darkness hanging over War, a cloud that never seemed to dissipate, a potential threat of danger, a real chance that he could harm rather than help you, as I now knew. The choice, the power, it was ultimately his.
“I’m just a Southside guy.” His lips lifted into a slow, sexy grin. “Trying to claim a girl.”
“Is that what you really want? To claim me?”
I sensed that if I won a place in his guarded heart, if he truly claimed me like he had Bryan as a friend, that War would go to any length to protect me. But only if our goals were the same.
What would happen if my interests didn’t align with his?
“I do want that. I want you, Lacey.” He glided his hands down my arms. Curling his long fingers around my upper arms, he pulled me closer, his hard body cushioning my softer one.
“I believe you,” I whispered. The truth shone in his brown gaze, the coppery filaments within it glowing bright. Plus, I could feel the physical evidence of that truth. Between us, he was thick and hard.
“And you?” he asked as his eyes searched mine, making my heart race. “What do you want?”
I was attracted to him. Majorly intrigued. I got the dangerous part of him, understood it, and experienced the thrill that went along with it. I also got that the sharp edge of him could slice both ways.
“I want you too, War. It’s just—”
“No,” he said quickly, cutting me off. “I can work with that. We can work with that. Isn’t wanting each other and us being honest about how we feel the right place to start?”
War
“Here we are,” I said to Lace, stopping in front of the Fast Mart and opening the door for her. She stepped inside, and I followed. A bell jingled overhead, announcing our arrival.
“Welcome to the Fast Mart,” my old lady said without looking up from scanning a stack of scratch cards for her customer.
“Thanks,” Lace said to her, not knowing who she was. Glancing around the store, she turned to me. “Who are we meeting here, and why?”
“Excuse me,” said the guy who had just bought the lottery cards. He was so skinny, he looked like he would have been better off buying food rather than a one-in-a-zillion chance at a jackpot of cash.
“Of course.” I pulled Lace out of his way. “Our bad.” I was just about to spell everything out for her when my old lady spoke.
“What the hell, Warren? I told you to stay out of here when I’m on my shift.”
“Hey, Mom.” I turned toward her, raking a hand through my hair.
“No free booze. You’re underage. I’ll get fired, and then where will we be? A single mother with no job, and her boy who’s more trouble than he’s worth.”
Lace’s entire body jerked.
“Not looking for alcohol,” I mumbled, noticing Lace watching me closely.
“No free condoms either.” My mother swept her gaze over Lace and narrowed it. “You wanna fuck around with a piece of ass who looks like a goodie-goodie schoolteacher, that’s your business. Your responsibility. Don’t make the mistake I made and get shackled with a kid for life. Buy condoms.”
“Yeah. I get it.” Her words were familiar but sliced deeply. They always did.
“Why don’t I believe you?” She frowned, and I hated that she had zero faith in me.
“Don’t fucking