Page 63 of No Apologies
Skylar held her breath as the door of the old truck creaked open and the driver pulled his tall, broad frame out. The door slammed shut and her stomach twisted when he started walking towards her. In the dark and shadows of the poorly lit parking lot she couldn’t get a good look at him until he was only a few feet away. When she did, all of the air rushed out of her lungs with relief.
He looked fine. Well, not fine. He looked tired and annoyed and seventeen different levels of pissed off but his face wasn’t marked. No black eyes. No busted lips. No broken nose. All the usual signs that he’d been in a fight were clear except… her gaze dropped to his hands and her heart lurched.
There it was. The proof she’d been looking for. Confirmation of what he had been doing. His knuckles were blue and slightly swollen. He’d hit something, or more likely someone, but they hadn’t been given the chance to hit him back and for that, she found herself sending up a silent thank you.
Jesus, when had she accepted that Colt coming home bruised was okay as long as he wasn’t hurt? She knew the answer. She’d accepted that this was a part of him right around the same time she’d fallen in love with him.
She loved him. All of him. Even this violent, aggressive part of him that he hated himself for having.
“Hey.” She swallowed hard when he stopped directly in front of her.
“What are you doing here?”
His gruff question made her roll her eyes. Not hello. Not thanks for waiting up for me. Just the same rude question he always asked.
“I would’ve thought that was obvious. I’m waiting on you.”
His jaw jumped, “Why?”
“Because we need to talk.”
Colt stared at her for a long moment and she tried to figure out what he was thinking. It was impossible. He was wearing his mask of indifference. The same mask he always put on when he was trying to push her away. When he was trying to convince her that he was some sort of badass Bomar boy that she shouldn’t be around because he was dangerous.
Well, too damn bad, she wasn’t the kind to scare easy.
“Not tonight, Sky.”
“Yes, tonight. Now.” She stood her ground.
“It’s been a long fuckin’ day and I’m not in the mood for whatever this is. Go home. I don’t want you here. I want to be alone.”
She watched as he stomped past her and didn’t miss that he was careful not to brush against her. Interesting. He didn’t want to talk to her, or touch her. He’d dismissed her with the same bullshit he’d used last time but they were past that now. He needed to catch up so she followed behind him and watched him scowl when she caught the door he attempted to close behind him and followed him inside.
She shut the door behind her and turned to face him, “No, you don’t. You hate being alone.”
“Get out, Sky.” He pointed at the door and raised his voice which only made her raise her eyebrows.
“No. Not until we talk.”
“I don’t want to fuckin’ talk!” He snarled and threw his keys on the table so hard they skidded right off the other side.
Not so indifferent then. Angry Colt. The question was whether he was angry at her or angry at the world.
“Fine. You can listen then. I didn’t call Trey today. He came with Ow…”
“I am not talking about your boyfriend.” He cut her off with a growl.
“Ex.”
“Goddamnit Skylar. I’m not doing this with you. Go home. I can’t have you here right now. It isn’t safe. I’m on edge and if you stay…” He snapped off as if the rest of his sentence was something he couldn’t put into words and she blinked at him.
“What? If I stay, what? You’ll say something you’ll regret?”
His eyes flashed a warning before his lips curled into a sneer, “No. I’m going to do something you’ll regret.”
She felt his eyes skate over her body and everything inside of her tensed. Low in her belly, heat unfurled at the leering way he eyed her. She couldn’t recall ever being eye-fucked quite so blatantly and she had to struggle to keep up.
Oh! She hadn’t seen this coming but maybe she should have. He was a Bomar and there was a long-standing legend that they were only good for two things. Fighting and fucking. Colt had already done one of those today. It only seemed natural he’d be interested in the second.
