Page 13 of Tru Blue
She laughed. Crystal was the leather to Gemma’s lace. She was brash where Gemma was pushy. Gemma had rebellion in her, but while her favorite rebellious outfit was a pink and black schoolgirl type miniskirt, lace-up black high heels, a frilly white shirt, and distressed leather jacket, Crystal was full-on biker dark—leather pants, boots, and bustier showing as much cleavage as possible. Still, they clicked like a seat belt and always had each other’s backs.
“I don’t interrogate.”
Crystal set her hand on her hip and glared at her.
“Okay, maybe I do, but I didn’t with him. There’s something about him that stopped me. I could kick myself right now because I almost did what you said this morning, but something about him made me become this…” She plucked out a pretty pink princess dress from another box.
“Aw, Gem. That’s because you might usually be Princess Confidence, but something about this guy has unearthed the fatherless girl who worries that everyone has hidden emotions, hidden agendas, or that they’ll just plain let you down. And from what you told me about how protective he was, I think that’s scaring you, too, because it’s what you always wished you’d had.”
Chills feathered over Gemma’s skin. Her parents had lavished her with all the things they wanted for her, protected her with a gated community, nannies twenty-four seven, and a smothering, rigid schedule. As she got older she realized that her parents were incapable of giving her the only thing she’d ever wanted—the type of love that couldn’t be bought, security and comfort that was born from that love, and the freedom that went along with loving someone so much you wanted to see their dreams fulfilled.
“Which explains, Gemma girl,” Crystal teased, bringing her back to their conversation, “why you’re still here at almost seven o’clock on a Friday night when we closed an hour ago and Mr. Hotter than Hell is waiting for you to drop off your car, which we all know is code for Bring That Sexy Bod Over.”
Gemma rolled her eyes, although the thought had entered her mind.
Crystal’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. Could it be? After all this time of going out with guys you have zero interest in, you’ve finally met a guy who makes your heart go pitter-patter? Or even better, makes your coochie tingle and throb, and—”
Gemma threw the pink dress at her and she dodged it with a laugh.
“That’s it! You like this tattoo-covered badass. The ‘you’re just asking for trouble’ type of guy you’re always warning me about. You like that über-alpha growl and testosterone-laden cold shoulder.” She sauntered out of the stockroom blowing on her fingernails, then swiping them up and down the center of her chest. “My work here is done.”
Gemma groaned and followed her out. “God, you’re annoying. Why did I hire you again?” They’d met in a coffee shop in Peaceful Harbor when Gemma was scouting areas to move to after college. Crystal was a straight shooter like her, which was why they’d clicked from the moment they’d met. Crystal might be brasher and darker in looks and dress, but they both held strong to the no-bullshit attitude that made the business—and their friendship—a success.
“Because you love me.” Crystal fluttered her lashes. “And because I’ll give it to you straight.” She set her hands on Gemma’s shoulders and said, “Go forth, sweet maiden, and conquer your Neanderthal.”
Gemma couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s just it. I do like him. He intrigues me in a way I can’t ignore. But you know me. I never like guys this fast. And despite the tattoos and grunts, he’s not a Neanderthal. Neanderthals don’t have hearts that practically climb out of their chests.” She warmed just thinking about the way he’d held the children, the way he’d spoken to them and looked at them. And when she thought of the way he’d looked at her, her body went white-hot. She grabbed her purse from behind the counter and a bag of goodies she’d packed earlier and headed for the front door. “Wish me luck.”
“I wish you long-hard-cocks-and-balls-of-steel luck. Promise me you will stop overthinking and rebury the unearthed worries, because otherwise you’ll never give him a chance.”
