Book Boyfriends Wanted 11: His Curvy Fantasy

Hudson

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I didn’t think anything of it, but then it buzzed again. And again.

I pulled it out and smiled when I saw I had six messages from Book Boyfriends Wanted. All from one person. And all introducing herself and clearly not intending to all be sent to me.

I snort-laughed at her message. Between all the typos and the fact that she sent it to me six times, the exact same message, my guess was she might not be fully sober at the moment.

I looked around the bar, but half the women there had their noses in their phones. I shook my head and thumbed out a quick response to her.

I snickered as I imagined her reading my response and waited for the guilt to come in. After Hillary died, I spent years feeling guilty whenever I would even think about another woman. Eventually, I slept with someone, and I nearly drank myself to death afterward because of the guilt. It took a while for me to stop feeling like I was cheating on my dead wife. There were still times I felt that way, but it had been fading more and more lately. Tonight? Not even a twinge.

A new message popped up from MyFriendsMadeMeDoThis.

I laughed and sent back a quick response.

I didn’t expect a reply from her, so I stuck my phone back into my pocket and turned my attention to the bar again. I filled drinks and talked to people and ignored the pull to go check on Finley and the rest of the ladies.

Things started to quiet down about an hour later, and I finally gave in to my weakness and looked over at Finley’s table. My gaze immediately landed on Anna, a dopey, drunk smile on her face as she laughed at something someone said.

I’d never seen her look like that. Like she wasn’t mad at the world. For just a minute, she looked happy and at peace. It was stunning. Which was how I knew I needed to look away.

Jonathan was behind the bar with me and said he could handle things for a few minutes. I needed to take care of some things in the office, so I left him alone and went to clear my head.

Anna Charlotte was not someone I needed to be thinking about. Ever. Hell, I’d already kissed her, and she pushed me away. How many reminders did I need that she wasn’t interested?

And neither was I. I didn’t like her all that much. She made me crazy. Love wasn’t supposed to be like that. Relationships should be easy. The right ones. With Hillary, it was always easy. Not that I made it that way, but she did. I was angry and nasty when we met because my future was being threatened. I was failing two classes and my baseball coach said I needed a tutor or I’d lose my scholarship and get kicked off the team and out of school.

I was pissed. I spent my entire life feeling stupid because I was dyslexic. I couldn’t make sense of things, and I was slow. In high school, they pushed me through and gave me extra time because I brought in money for the school. People came to see me play ball.

But in college, I wasn’t special. There were guys with twice my talent. I was just another player. Which meant I had to figure out how to pass or leave.

Hillary was the unlucky one assigned to be my tutor. I flat out told her on day one that I didn’t need her and that I wasn’t going to sit there and have her treat me like I was stupid. She never flinched or pushed back. Just told me she would be there ready to help whenever I was ready to listen.

And she was. She never judged me or made me feel like something was wrong with me. She was the first person who ever accepted me for who I was, learning disability and all.

Once I got over myself, she became my world. She was everything to me. When I blew out my knee and couldn’t pay for school, she was still there. Even though I tried again to push her away.

Easy. That’s what a relationship was supposed to be.

But Anna? No. Nothing with her was easy. Nothing made sense. Nothing had me feeling like I was whole.

Kissing her was a mistake. It didn’t matter that it was a mistake I wanted to make again. It was a mistake. I was only attracted to her because she wasn’t someone I’d known forever. Like Finley or Elise or Karissa. Anna was different, but Anna was not my future.

I pulled my mind from Anna and did what I could to focus on the payroll for the week. It needed to be done, and since I didn’t have an office manager, I needed to do it myself.

A part of me thought about asking Melody if she could come back to work for me again, but I knew that wasn’t the right move. I’d never considered hiring someone to deal with the paperwork before she forced her way into a job at O’Kelley’s, but since she left, I thought about it every time I sat down to get things like payroll done.

I checked all the reports against the schedules and time cards for everyone. Everything lined up, thankfully. It was an easy week to deal with, but it was only going to get more complicated the closer I got to the holidays.

I triple checked all the information and was about to submit it when someone knocked on the office door. I looked up and found Finley with Anna hanging off her shoulder.

“What happened?” I blurted, jumping up from my seat and hurrying to them. I helped Finley set Anna on the couch. Anna immediately slumped over.

“She had way too many of your drinks.”

“Dammit. I warned Elise the drink had a lot of alcohol in it.”

Finley nodded. “Elise told us. Anna said she couldn’t taste the alcohol. I don’t think she meant to get so wasted.”

Anna snorted in her sleep and turned her nose toward the couch. “Yummy.”

“I can’t get her home by myself. I was thinking about bringing her back to the estate, but—”

“Joey and Matty are home,” I finished.

Finley nodded. “I don’t know what to do here. I wanted tonight to be a fun night out for her.”

“Did something happen?”

“No, not anything bad. But for her to get this drunk tells me she either doesn’t let go often or is a lightweight. Maybe both.”

“Probably both.” I looked at Anna as she smiled in her sleep. Her light brown hair was more red against the dark brown of my couch. She had a few streaks of gray through it. Even with that, she looked younger in sleep. Peaceful. Like she wasn’t carrying the weight of the world she usually had on her back.

“By the time I realized how bad she was, everyone else had left. And I can’t really call Trent to come help since George is already asleep.”

“I’ll help you get her home.”

Finley cupped her boobs. “Soon. I need to pump.”

“Jesus, I don’t need to know that. Or see it.”

“Then we either need to leave right now or you need to handle this yourself because I’m about to pop.”

“Good God, Finley. Just go. I’ll get her home. I’ll get in touch with Joey so he knows I’m coming into the apartment.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you really giving me a choice?”

She gave me one of her regretful smiles and shrugged. “It really wasn’t my intention to get her this drunk. I just wanted her to have fun. She doesn’t relax often. She’s worked for me for six months and I’ve never once heard about her going out or dating or doing anything that’s just fun.”

“Maybe her version of fun is just different than yours.”

“Maybe. But I think she’s forgotten how to have fun.” Finley winced and grabbed her boobs again. “Ooh, I really need to go. Are you sure you’re okay getting her home?”

“Yes, I got it. Just please don’t get breastmilk all over the bar.”

Finley laughed and rushed forward. She hugged me, not too close, and said, “I won’t. Thank you.”

“Hey, are you okay to drive?”

She nodded when she got to the door. “No drinks for me. It goes to the breastmilk so I just had water tonight. And food.”

“Okay, good. Be careful driving home.”

“I will. Thanks, Hud.”

Finley was gone, and Anna was sleeping on my couch. What the hell did I agree to?

I drew a breath and knew the only option was to get it over with. I grabbed my phone and pulled up Joey’s number to send him a text. He was likely asleep, but I didn’t want him to worry when I let myself into his home.

Before I could tuck my phone away, it buzzed with a thumb’s up reply.

“Guess he’s not worried,” I said aloud.

I looked at the woman who’d been in too many of my fantasies lately. She wasn’t smiling anymore. Her mouth had fallen open, and she was drooling on my couch.

“Glad it’s leather.”

I crouched in front of her and brushed the hair from her face. She was beautiful, and so much easier to be attracted to when she wasn’t pissed off and yelling at me about something.

“Anna? Can you wake up for me? I’m going to take you home.”

She groaned but didn’t wake up.

“If you won’t get up, I’m going to have to carry you.”

Another groan.

I blew out a breath and did what I told myself I’d never do again. I put my hands on Anna Charlotte.

Her hair was soft when it brushed across my wrist. I pushed down the desire to run my fingers through it and looped my arm under her neck. Halfway there.

She was wearing pants, thank God. I lifted her head slightly, laughing when she snored loudly at the change of position. It was clear she was not going to wake up and walk to my truck, so I slid my other hand under her knees.

She sighed and turned toward me, resting her hand on my chest. It had been a long time since I’d had a woman in my arms like that. The few I’d slept with since Hillary were not women I spent extra time holding. We fucked and fled.

With Anna, I wanted to sit on the couch and hold her for a while. Smell her hair and watch her sleep. The realization punched me in the gut and sliced through me, almost bringing me to my knees.

I gave myself a moment, just one, to indulge in the feel of her pressed against me. I didn’t know what it was about her that drew me in, but it was there. Begging me to take more than I was going to take. Not just now, but ever.

I exhaled slowly, then lifted her weight from the couch. She wasn’t tiny or light. She was full of plush curves and a sassy mouth. But only one of the two was out tonight.

I stood, adjusting my grip on her so I knew she would be safe while I walked to my truck. Of course, that was when I realized I should have asked Jonathan or Charlie to help clear a path for me to get out of the bar.

The walk through the back hallway was tight since I had to turn sideways so I didn’t knock Anna’s head against the wall. Charlie came out of the bathroom before I made it into the bar and saw Anna passed out in my arms and jumped into action.

“You sure you want to go out the front, boss? Everyone will see.”

“I couldn’t make it through the backdoor. Not holding her and pushing it open. This was my only choice.”

“I’ll help you. Let’s go out the back.”

“Thanks.”

He led the way, holding the door for me to get out onto the River Walk. He knew where I parked my truck and led the way there, opening the passenger door and helping me get Anna situated with a seatbelt on before closing the door.

“Can you get her home okay?” Charlie asked.

I nodded. “All good. I already let Joey know I’d be bringing her home.”

“What happened to her friends?”

“They didn’t realize how much she had to drink. Finley asked me to help, but she had to go so I said I’d get Anna home.”

“You’re a good man, boss.”

I snorted. “We’ll see if she agrees.”

Charlie laughed. “Well, I think you are.”

“Thanks. And thanks for your help.”

He nodded and turned to go back to O’Kelley’s. The kitchen was closing soon, but I knew he’d talk to Jonathan and they’d make sure everything was taken care of until I got back.

I’d been to Anna’s neighborhood before but not to her apartment. I knew which one it was from Joey’s employment paperwork, but it still took me a few minutes to find the right building.

There was a parking space not far from the door, but it was tight, so I passed it for one a little farther away with an open spot next to it. I pocketed my keys and opened Anna’s door. She was sleeping soundly, not moving except to breathe.

Thankfully, I realized I needed her keys to get into her apartment. I didn’t like going through her things, but it was the only option. Her keys were attached to a keyring that said Romance readers do it between the covers. I snorted a laugh. She must have gotten it from Finley.

I unbuckled Anna’s seatbelt and lifted her into my arms again. I marched up to the door of the building, relieved and annoyed when I was able to nudge it open with my foot. I took the steps up to her unit and carefully adjusted her so I could unlock the door without having to set her down.

The lights were on inside. I walked into a living room with a couch that was threadbare and lumpy. There was a small TV on a tiny stand across the room. To the left was a kitchen that had definitely seen better days.

“Hey,” Joey said, walking out from the hallway that must have led to the bedrooms.

“Hey. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He shook his head. “I was up. Is she okay?” His gaze was locked on his mom and full of worry.

I nodded. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. She had too much to drink, so she’ll have a killer headache, of course.”

“Is that all? Is she going to be sick or anything? Is she going to die?”

“No. Nothing like that. She’s fine. I take it she doesn’t drink much?”

He shook his head again. He looked younger than the kid who worked for me. Even though he was only sixteen, I saw him as much older and wiser. Stronger. More mature. But tonight he was just a boy worried about his mom.

“She’ll be okay. It happens to everyone. If she was awake, I’d have her drink some water and take a few aspirins or something. It’ll be harder on her tomorrow without them, but she’ll be fine.”

“Does she need a trashcan or something?”

“You can get her something and put it next to her bed. Where does she sleep?”

He pointed to the lumpy couch, and my heart skipped a beat.

Jesus. When Joey started working for me, he said he needed the money, but this was a whole new level. Anna slept on a couch that was probably older than her sons. In the living room. Fucking hell.

“Okay,” I said, knowing it wasn’t Joey’s fault that they were in the situation they were in. It wasn’t Anna’s either. It was shitty luck and a douchebag ex who left her with a mountain of debt. According to James and Finley, at least.

I set Anna down on the couch, and she moaned softly. Not the good kind of moan, but the kind that said she wasn’t okay.

“Are you going to be okay with her?” I asked Joey.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. What should I do?”

I sighed and accepted that I was going to be sleeping there, too. “Go grab a trashcan for her. Do you have any water bottles?”

He shook his head.

“Okay, get the trashcan. I’ll grab some water. If that’s okay.”

Joey nodded and went back down the hall.

I filled a plastic cup with water from the sink and set it on the table near the couch. I pulled Anna’s shoes off and turned when I heard Joey coming back.

He set the trashcan next to the couch, then looked up at me. “Now what?”

“Now, you go to bed. I’m going to sleep in that chair over there and keep an eye on your mom.”

“You are?”

I nodded. “Yep. Get some sleep. You have school tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a test.”

“Then you need to rest. Do you set an alarm, or do you need me to wake you up in the morning?”

“Nah, I set an alarm. And I’ll get Matty up before I leave.”

“Okay. I’ll fix breakfast when I hear you up.”

He nodded sharply. “Thanks. For, um, staying.”

“You’re welcome. Go sleep, kid.”

He nodded and went back into the room he’d come out of earlier.

I locked the front door and checked on Anna once more, then covered her with a blanket and found one for myself. I sat in the chair across the room and accepted I wasn’t going to get any sleep. And not because it was the most uncomfortable chair on the planet but because I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful woman sleeping across the room from me.

And I didn’t want to.