Home to Me (The Andrades, Book 2) by Ruth Cardello Read Free Book Online

work this out. You’re almost thirty, Nick. Look at you. Is this really all you want from your life?”
    “What gives you the goddamn right to come here and judge me? Just who the fuck do you think you are?”
    His words stung, but Rena didn’t let them stop her from saying what she’d come to say. She held out a hand. “Who am I? Nick, we’ve been friends for most of our lives. I love you”—Nick’s eyebrows shot up, then his head snapped back as she continued—“and your brothers. I hate to see any of you unhappy.”
    Nick let out a long audible breath. “Go home, Rena.”
    Rena hesitated. She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she couldn’t stay. “Nick . . .”
    “Do us both a favor and don’t come back.”
    There was a finality to his tone that shook Rena. A tear rolled down her cheeks as she inwardly cursed herself for believing she could convince him to do anything—and for how close she’d come to making a monumental mistake.
    Luke had warned her she’d get hurt, but she’d believed that beneath all of his bad-boy bravado there was a good man looking for a way to break free. Maybe there wasn’t.
    And I’m a fool who sees only what I want to see.
    “Rena—” Nick called out, but she continued down the stairs.
     
    ***
     
    Nick wasn’t a man who chased a woman, yet he found himself racing after her. There wasn’t a part of what had just happened that he didn’t regret. He’d been in a foul mood, plus Rena had walked in just when he’d revved himself up fantasizing about what they’d almost just done upstairs.
    Shit. Shit. Shit.
    He’d never meant to hurt her. He caught up with her in front of the bar near the dance floor. She was walking away with long purposeful strides. He grabbed one of her arms to stop her, and her momentum swung her around and crashed her into his chest. He steadied her with a hand on either arm. “I’m an ass,” he stated flatly, leaning in close to her ear to be heard above the music.
    She pushed against his chest, but he didn’t release her. “Yes, you are.”
    “I shouldn’t have taken my bad mood out on you.”
    Her lips pressed angrily together for a moment longer, then softened. “No, you shouldn’t have, but I shouldn’t have tried to talk to you about this while you were out drinking. I could have waited until tomorrow.”
    “I don’t,” he said, loving how she leaned in to hear his words. “I’ve been sober for three months. I didn’t come here to party. I needed somewhere I could think.”
    She cocked a skeptical eyebrow at him. “In your underwear?”
    He looked down. “Shit.” A quick look around confirmed his lack of clothing had not gone unnoticed. People all around them were taking photos with their phones. He put a hand up to shield her face from them, even though he knew it was already too late. When he looked down at her again he shook his head and gave a self-disgusted grunt. He didn’t know if he should drag her back upstairs or bolt with her to the door. Either way, there was no changing one fact. “This is going to be in the papers tomorrow.”
    Instead of looking mortified, as he’d thought she would, she cocked her head to one side and her forehead creased thoughtfully. “Did you really give up drinking?”
    He nodded. “It was time.”
    Her eyes were bright with emotion when she said, “I’m proud of you.” Then she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him boldly.
    He was staring down at her in bemusement when she ended the kiss.
    She winked at him. “I refuse to be the only woman you’ve been photographed with not kissing.”
    Then she turned and walked away, leaving him stunned and speechless before a crowd of snap-happy amateur photographers. He shook his head, smiled, and started back toward his VIP section. He didn’t care if they continued to photograph him.
    Hell, he’d been caught in much more compromising situations. All he cared about was how he’d felt when Rena had smiled up at him with pride.