"Seriously though," I said. "I could use some rest. I'm really tired. How long are you guys planning on staying?"
"No one's stopping you from resting, dear," Mom said politely, but in the most snappy tone that she could muster. "Go up to your room and get some sleep. We're lonely today, too. I think it would be nice for us three to be together today. Maybe we can even FaceTime with Freya in a little bit."
I groaned and marched upstairs.
Fifteen minutes, I thought.
But did I really want to go?
I hadn't even agreed to meeting him in a private place, and yet he was so sure that I would come.
That annoyed me and excited me, all at the same time.
It was turning me on -- the way he would just take this kind of liberty with me. It was almost as though he knew I belonged to him.
It was a scary thought, especially with my parents in my living room.
I fell on top of my mattress and clutched a pillow to my chest.
I could just ignore his message. It's not like I had asked him to book a hotel room for us, so I didn't have to feel guilty about standing him up.
Plus, what about how I’d just told myself I needed to end this, for Freya's sake? I needed to make a decision, and fast.
At the same time, though, mental images of me laying in bed with Blake Henderson were torturing me, making that pit in my stomach that much deeper.
I rolled over and pulled out my phone.
Unfortunately, even if I actually did want to meet him privately, I couldn't have. Not with my parents sitting in my house.
Unless...
"Mom!" I yelled all the way from upstairs. "I'm going to go see Eva. Just letting you know. I'm leaving in five minutes." I needed to at least see him, talk to him, to see how things would go.
"So you're just going to kick us out then?" Dad joked.
"You guys can stay, you know that!"
I wasn't a good liar, which was becoming a serious disadvantage at this point because all I'd been doing since last night was deceiving people.
I wasn't lying per se, but I was still being a sneaky little piece of shit.
I hated that realization, but it was the truth.
I didn't have the time to feel guilty, not when every cell in my body was begging me to listen to my heart. Or my body, I wasn't sure which was in charge right now, and I didn't particularly care.
I used those five minutes to quickly change into the shortest skirt that I could find. It was a denim skirt, one that Freya always told me was too old-fashioned and made me look like I was a time traveler from the eighties.
I didn't care. It made me look hot.
I paired a silk top to go along with it and then wrapped a cotton scarf around my neck. I was going to take off the scarf, of course, so I could show off the cleavage that I was so proud of.
But I couldn't exactly say goodbye to my parents in those clothes.
I shook my head, feeling the frustration when I thought about what I had to go through as a twenty-two year old who lived so close to her parents.
It was a painful experience.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to move to the city, away from them.
Though, that would also take me away from Blake.
The man who had managed to knock all the sense out of me.
I took one last look at myself in the full-length mirror, tilted to the side so I could make sure my butt cheeks weren't visible from underneath the skirt.
That would be a bit much... especially for a town like Hinsdale.
People took notice in this town. Those who lacked a meaningful life would comment on how out of character I looked when they saw me looking like this, even on a Saturday.
That would lead to them making up stories, which they’d share in their boredom, and which would then turn into rumors.
Rumors that would, in fact, be true.
"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, sliding the scarf off and then my skirt. I needed to change into something more conservative. The cleavage was more than enough to appear a little adventurous in front of Blake.
Even though it was becoming increasingly clear to me that he would be interested in sleeping with me regardless of how I presented myself. After all, he invited me on this little escapade while I was wearing my damn work uniform.
It was absolutely bizarre to think that one man could date Freya and then be into me. Two sisters, but also two completely opposite women.
Once I was done changing into my usual pair of blue jeans, I tossed my hair to the side and pouted in the mirror.
I never did that.
Now I was not only stealing my sister's boyfriend, but also her demeanor.
"Ex-boyfriend," I reminded myself. "Ex...ex... ex... Sex."
Yeah, ex started sounding a lot like sex when I was repeating it over and over again.
I instantly buried my eyes into my palms. My heartbeat could really be heard from across the house.
"Thought you said five minutes!" I heard Mom.
"Yes!" I responded. "I'm leaving soon."
I guess it was a good thing that she was the pestering kind. At least, that spared me the time I would have spent overthinking.
It had already been about twenty minutes since Blake's text and now was the time to get the hell out of my house. Now or never, and I was choosing now.
"Hey!" Eva said, waving her hand at the door.
"What the...?"
Mom stood by the couch, munching on an apple.
"She doesn't remember having any plans with you, Jaz."
"She must have forgotten. What...," I said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out the door, "are you doing here?"
Eva looked confused, for good reason.
"Your sister left so I thought I would come hang out with you. Jesus. What the fuck is wrong with you? I'll just leave if you..."
I shook my head and my carefully wrapped scarf fell to the floor.
Eva's eyes were glued to my cleavage.
"Um," she chuckled, drawing a circle at it. "I like this... but why am I just seeing this top of yours?"
I pushed her finger down and pulled her to the side.
"I just needed some alone time. I was going for a walk and thought I would use you as an excuse."
She smirked, and flipped her red hair over her shoulder.
I hated it when she did that. It made her look so dumb.
"That lipstick, this scarf, and that top? Yeah, but no. I'm not buying that story."
A strange sound escaped my throat and I looked away, contemplating the pros and cons of telling her about Blake.
Eva was my sister from another mother.
I was closer to Freya than anyone else in my life, but at the end of the day, Freya was ten years older than I was.
So, Eva had been my girl every time I needed someone my age to talk to, and of course, about things that I'd rather not let family know about.
Like the one time I was bullied in school. As much as I wanted to tell my sister, I couldn't because I knew she would pounce on my tormentor and bring the whole school down.
I pursed my lips and exhaled loudly.
"I've got something to tell you," I swallowed, looking at Eva with puppy eyes. "But you have to promise to not tell anyone. Not even Spice."
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed when I referred to her dog.
"Okay, I won't tell Spice. He's not that good at keeping secrets anyway. Especially, if they are boy related."
"How do you know that this is boy related?"
She arched a brow, the smile disappearing from her face.
"Okay, okay," I tossed my arms in the air. "You caught me."
"By the way," she said, looping her arm through mine as we walked. "When have I ever disclosed any of your secrets to anyone before?"
"I've never really had one before," I chuckled, then looked in the distance, realizing that we were going in the opposite direction as the hotel.
"
Can we go the other way?" I asked.
Eva raised her shoulders. "S-s-s-ure."
I cleared my throat multiple times before I could get the first word to escape my throat.
"You know Blake? Freya's..."
"Freya's ex-boyfriend?" She whisper-yelled, stepping away and covering her mouth with her hands.
"Is it him? Are you fucking crazy?"
Eva was repeatedly smacking the side of my arm at this point and it was only making me laugh.
"I'm serious. Tell me! Why the bloody hell are you laughing?"
"Because...," I shrugged. "Well, I don't know why, honestly. I guess it's a little funny."
"Funny?" She spread her arms, emphasizing on the letter F like it was a curse word.
"Tell me everything."
Her finger was firmly pointed at me, and then she poked it into my shoulder. "And I mean everything. Don't leave a single detail out. Jesus. You're messing with your sister's ex? Now I know why you didn't want Spice to know."
"Oh, come on. You don't think it's even a little funny?" I asked, my smile fading. I wanted her to think it was funny, because if she did, then that meant I was off the hook, at least a little bit. I just wanted someone to tell me that what I was doing was okay, and it looked like I wasn't going to get the response I was after.
"You need to tell me what the hell is going on, right now, so I can determine whether or not to have you committed as fast as I can," Eva said seriously.
"Fine," I said. "Walk with me. It will likely do me some good to say all of this out loud to someone, anyway." I looked around us, making sure nobody was in earshot.
Eva gave me another look that she would likely give to a crazy person. "Actually, I'm not even sure I need to know the details at this point. Whatever is going on has you dressing like a hooker and walking around like there are spies everywhere. I don't like where this is going, Jaz."
I shook my head violently. "No, just listen. I mean, I know it's crazy, but Freya and Blake have broken up, like, a million times, and this time it's for good. And Blake really likes me, and I like him too."
"When did this all start?" Eva asked.
"When he came to a dinner with my family a little while ago. It was a going-away type of thing for Freya, and you know how close he is with my family, right?"
"Apparently, a little too close," she answered, with skepticism in her voice.
I sighed. "Anyway, as you know, my family is crazy, and so of course, the dinner ended in an argument, and I walked him out. That was when we just started opening up to each other, and for the first time, I allowed myself to see him for who he really is, rather than just viewing him as my sister's boyfriend. He isn't that anymore, but he is a real man, and he is a sweet man, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s fucking gorgeous too."
"So you walked him out and he like, pounded on you, or what?" Eva wanted to know everything.
"No, it wasn't like that at all. Instead of just walking next door, we ended up going down to the park, just for some fresh air, and we were both just opening up about our lives, and something happened between us out there. I don't know if it was cupid's arrow or what, but it was strong, it was wonderful, and we both felt it."
"Are you talking about his cock?" Eva joked.
I laughed. "No, Eva, I am not. If you must know, I’m yet to see his…"
"His cock?" Eva said again, enjoying the opportunity to make me uncomfortable. "Well, judging by the way you are dressed tonight, I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing, and feeling that thing very soon."
"Oh, shut up," I said, even though I knew she was right. I wanted her to be right.
"When we each got home that night, we were texting, and then he called, and um…" I lowered my voice. "We pleased ourselves together over the phone."
"Jasmine Ashman!" Eva exclaimed. "I didn't think you had it in you to be so naughty!"
I giggled. "Neither did I, but Blake just opens me up, you know?"
"Yeah," Eva said, giving me a look. "He's gonna have you opened up wide, I'm sure."
I slapped her arm.
"Freya doesn't know anything about this, does she?"
At the mention of Freya's name, my heart clenched. Why did something so wonderful that was finally happening for me have to be tainted? Why couldn't I just enjoy being smitten for once, like everybody else got to do, and not have it be a total shit show?
I shook my head. "No, she doesn't. But, they're broken up. It's not like I am stealing her man or something. I had no role in their breakup, I swear."
"I know you didn’t," Eva said. "I'm not accusing you of that at all. I'm just saying that this has the potential for things to go badly. Very badly. I hope you realize that."
I did. I didn't want to think about that part, but I knew I was treading in very dangerous territory. But something about Blake made it feel like it was worth it.
"How do you think she is going to take it when she finds out?" Eva asked.
"I honestly don't know."
"You know that if you let this go on, you have to tell her. Jaz, you can't tell me all this stuff and then expect me to sit by and watch two of my favorite girls ruin their sisterly relationship over a man. It's not right."
"I know, I know. Look, I've told you everything that has happened between us, and I am not sure that anything more is even going to happen. This might be it. I just don't know. It's confusing."
Eva gave me a hug. "Well, I'm here for you. Just please be careful. This is not a clean cut situation you've gotten yourself into and I don't want to see you get hurt."
Neither did I. And I didn't want to be the one to hurt anyone else, either. But the feeling in my heart for Blake wasn't going anywhere.
8
Blake
I'd never been one to make hasty decisions, or to do things without thinking them through from every angle. After my older brother Brian passed away, I found myself growing up almost overnight. I felt responsible for everyone around me. My friends, my family, everyone. Brian had left behind countless people who cared about him, and they were all completely soul-shattered when he died.
Saving lives was what I did for a living. Being the strong protector was in my DNA and my brother's death had only amplified that in my personality.
It had been four years and I still hadn't been able to stop cautiously counting my steps as I walked the ground.
That was, until today.
Or, rather, until the moment when I had asked Jaz to meet me.
My steps were no longer calculative and my heart was running wild.
When I texted her, asking her to meet me in a hotel room, I didn't even know what I wanted to accomplish by getting her here.
Jaz was not the kind to just sleep with a man ten years older than her.
She was a virgin, for fuck's sake.
And with my scars, both the visible and invisible ones, I was most likely the last person in the world that she'd want to be with.
I sat on the coach in the stupid hotel room that I'd been lounging in. I was waiting for her, not knowing if she was even going to show up.
I was slightly tipsy since I'd downed two glasses of whiskey both before and after I texted her. I hadn't really been planning to meet her here. This was all happening as if I were running on some kind of autopilot that was being operated by my cock.
A part of the reason why I ended up in the hotel room was that I wanted to get out of my house for a while. It was lovely to have my parents around, but not when they would bring up the fact that I was doing them such a huge favor by letting them stay in my house. I was tired of hearing about it. They weren't happy that I had accepted Matthew's offer to be his store manager, thus accepting his loan for a down payment on the house.
When the whole thing turned from an annoying conversation to a snappy one, I slid my feet into my boots and got out of there. They just didn't know how to accept help, but without it, they would be destitute. I didn't know why they wouldn't just accept the help and be quiet about it.
>
The hotel room wasn't bad. It was quiet, which is all I was looking for.
Hinsdale wasn't known for the best hotels and so M.K. was my best option. I wasn't sure how Jaz would feel about being here, though, if she was going to come at all.
It had been an hour since I asked her to come here, and I hadn't heard back from her once since then.
I had almost given up hope when a new text came in.
Jasmine: I'm outside the hotel.
Me: Room 1108
I drained the remaining liquor and slammed the empty glass on the coffee table in front of me.
Tapping my fingers over the armrest, I waited for her. Those minutes felt like hours and every fiber in my being was restless like never before.
Then, I heard the knock on the door and pushed it open within seconds.
There she was.
"Hey," she smiled, tossing her hand in the air for a brief second.
I rushed her in. We couldn't risk the townies seeing her coming into my room.
She removed her patterned scarf and threw it over the bed, her eyes wandering to the empty bottle of whiskey from the mini-fridge.
"You were drinking?" She asked.
"I had to do something to calm myself. Your hotness makes me nervous."
I wasn't a man of too many words. I knew what I wanted.
I wanted her.
Those lips.
That skin.
I wanted it all.
She flipped her hair and laughed. "I make you nervous. That's funny."
I curled my fingers around her wrist and pulled her closer, my hand sliding around her waist. I was hard and I knew she could feel me between her legs.
Her brown eyes fluttered and she looked away, her hands firmly wrapped around my forearms.
My fingers dug into the skin underneath her silky blouse that was giving away too much for a beast like me who wanted her enough to want to punch a hole in a wall.
Her thin lips quivered when she looked back at me and I pressed mine against them.
She tasted like raspberries, until she pulled away.
Her eyes were glued to mine when she did. I saw a glimpse of fear in them, but also a whole lot of lust.
Forbidden Neighbor: A Contemporary Romance Boxset (Forbidden Saga Book 2) Page 5
