His Old Lady - Debra Kayn Page 0,45

my purse."

He lit a cigarette while he waited. The times she showed how sensitive she was were the times he wanted her all to himself. Any of the men inside would jump at making her feel better.

That was his job. Tired of keeping her at a distance, he wanted nothing more than to show her how much he wanted her in his life.

Faye returned and slid into the driver's seat. He tossed his cigarette butt and shut her door, slapping the top of the vehicle to signal for her to take off, and he'd follow.

The hour-long trip, only interrupted by four cars going the opposite direction on the interstate, gave him time to clear his head. Faye would need to deal with him every day at the bar.

What turned out as something for her, he had to admit the decision to hire her had to do more with him, wanting to keep her in his life. But, he wanted more.

Yet, the closeness lately only beat in the fact that he needed to stay away.

There was a time the simple thought of taking her and treating her like his woman had sickened him.

Then, something had changed.

He wanted her more than anything, and he'd taken his frustration and anger out on her. He hadn't treated her right. He hadn't treated her the way she deserved.

And, she'd taken everything he'd given her as rejection.

Nothing was further from the truth.

Chapter 19

Faye

Faye shut off the car. Her hands shook, and until the engine stopped, she hadn't realized her whole body quivered as if exhausted. Highly aware of Curley standing beside his Harley in the driveway, she tried not to look at him.

Hating that he named the bar Promise, reminding her of all the times he'd promised to never leave her, she sat in the vehicle stripped of all her defenses and too tired to fight him or her damn attraction to him.

Unable to stop herself from glancing at him, she exited the car. His gaze never left her. Her lips pursed automatically, a mix of anxiety and resistance.

Her feet stopped working. For the longest moment, she connected with him. He connected with her. All her fear, her vulnerabilities, her heart was naked.

The past no longer threw caution signs at her. She wasn't swinging her arms left and right, fighting off her feelings toward him.

This was Curley.

This was her uncle.

This was the man who stubbornly and honorably stood in front of her when she lost her last family member, holding her and promising he'd never leave.

And, here he was, holding true to his word.

He was her sanity.

Her insanity.

No matter how many times he got in someone's face and declared she belonged to him, making sure no one else got close to her, he wasn't her man.

Not truly.

Not in the way she wanted to belong to him.

Granted, her opinion of relationships was skewed. She remembered Uncle Walker being with a lot of women. There were always girls/women who were around the house, babysitting her, sleeping in her uncle's bed. In her innocence, she'd enjoyed the extra company his wild life brought around the house.

Grandma June spoke highly of marriage and mourned for Grandpa Ed, who'd died before she was born, believing old-fashion traditions were the base of any relationship. Traditions Faye had never witnessed.

Even Tracy and Whip's parents, who were the perfect couple and seemed normal to her, came to a tragic end too soon—as if happily ever after was only a fairy tale.

Her breath came out in pants. Curley was the closest she'd been to having a relationship, and if this was how it felt to love someone, she rather be single for the rest of her life. Love hurt. It was the worst pain she'd ever experienced.

She moistened her lips. Her attraction to him was out of control, and she was only punishing herself.

Bolstering all her courage to walk into the house and away from him, she mentally patted herself on the back when she reached the front door and dug through her purse, only to remember she'd locked the house key inside that morning.

"Damnit," she muttered, closing her eyes in frustration.

Why tonight? Why with him here watching her screw up?

Warmth covered her back, and an arm circled her waist, holding her up. Warmth flooded her face as she opened her eyes and witnessed Curley using his key to unlock her door, knowing she was on the verge of falling apart.

The door opened, and he took her inside before letting her go. He took her