by Marie York
“Paperwork. I got a little behind this month, and I was just trying to get everything in order.”
“Did you finish?” I asked, wondering if I wouldn’t see him again tomorrow.
“I did. You heading out?”
“I am.” And with my eyes, I silently said, unless you decide to pin me down on your desk and fuck me.
He pulled at the collar of his shirt, and I knew my silent plea was heard.
“Everyone was leaving.” I took another step closer, glancing down at his crotch, and wanting so bad to drop to my knees, and show him what he’d been missing.
Instead, he jumped up, and flipped the light off on his desk. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
Disappointed, and feeling rejected again, I held my hand up. “I’m a big girl. I can walk myself out. I just wanted to say goodnight.”
He pushed the door all the way open and waited for me. “I know, but I’m going to walk you out anyway because I like telling you what to do, remember?”
I rolled my eyes and walked out, leaving his desk, and any hope of ever lying naked on it, behind.
Chapter 24
Brownie Monday became a tradition for me and Dee. As did Wednesday dinner before I went to work, and Sunday wine after I got home from my shift. We had fallen into a routine, and with the money I was making at Baile, I could finally pay my bills. Things were going well.
I sat down in the kitchen and handed Dee the spatula so she could get the pancakes off the griddle. She flipped them off and onto a plate.
Cole walked in, and wrapped his arm around Dee. “Hey there, beautiful wife of mine.” He kissed Dee, and she gave him a playful shove.
“Not in front of Lyla,” she said, and poor Cole’s shoulders slumped.
“Cole, pull up a chair. We’re having breakfast for dinner,” I said, trying to break the tension in the room that I didn’t think Dee even realized was there.
“No, I’m good. I’m going to go for a run.”
Dee didn’t turn from the stove as Cole walked out of the kitchen, and into the living room.
“Do you want syrup?” Dee asked, and I ignored what I just witnessed. I wasn’t about to get myself involved with Dee’s marriage.
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “Do you really have to ask?”
“Silly me.” She drowned my pancakes in syrup and handed me the plate. We sat at the table, eating and talking about Baile, and her own job.
It was getting late, so I helped Dee clean up, then headed out for Baile. When I got to Bertha, I heard Cole call my name.
I turned around and saw him jogging across the lawn. Sweat coated his forehead and his grey t-shirt, but he wasn’t the slightest bit out of breath.
“What’s up?” I asked.
His lip parted but just as quickly he snapped them shut. He scraped a hand over his face and shook his head. “You know what. Forget it.”
He went to walk away, but I grabbed his elbow. I knew him well enough to know there was something weighing on his mind. “Cole, what is it?”
“I don’t know how to say this without sounding like an asshole.”
“Just say it. We’re family. You’re allowed to sound like an asshole.”
He took a deep breath “It’s just… ever since you moved in, Dee has been spending so much time with you, and it’s our first year of marriage.”
The pieces quickly fell into place. “And she should spend that time with you.” They should still be in their honeymoon stage, but with me constantly in the picture, it was nearly impossible.
He sighed then gave a half-hearted smile. “Yeah.” He ran his hands through his blond hair and then threw his arms out. “See, I sound like an asshole. A selfish one.”
“You don’t. I get it.”
“You do?”
“You want me to move out,” I said, knowing what he wanted to say, but didn’t have the heart to.
“I hate to even say it. I do. Like you said, you’re family. Don’t ever think for a second you’re not. It’s just…”
“You don’t have to explain it to me.” It stung a little, but at the same time, I totally understood. They were newlyweds, and this was supposed to be their time together before having kids. They should’ve been having morning sex on the kitchen counter and walking around naked, and here I was totally throwing a monkey wrench into their lives.
Just when I thought everything was figured out, and things were starting to look up. Maybe I could find somewhere cheap. I paid my bills off and even had a little money in my checking account. If Baile’s continued to be busy, I’d be able to be on my own in a few months.
But, looking at Cole, I realized I couldn’t wait a few months. I needed to move out now. Not that he’d ever say that. And if I couldn’t make it work, he would let me stay, because he was a good guy. I’d taken advantage of his hospitality long enough.
I had no idea where I would go, but I’d figure it out. I always did. Besides, this was always temporary. I just got too comfortable.
“I’ll move out,” I said.
“Lyla, you don’t have to move out right this second. You can stay as long as you need to.”
“Cole, we both know that’s an open invitation with no end. If I don’t move out now, I’m never leaving. I’ll look for places this week.”
“If you need help.” He looked at me, and I could tell he wasn’t referring to carrying furniture or scouring the paper for places; he was talking about money.
“Thanks, Cole.” I gave him a hug because, although he was kicking me out in not so many words, he was truly a good friend. I pulled back, my hands out wide at my sides. “Oh my God. Eww, you’re all sweaty.”
He laughed. “That happens when you run.”
I shoved him away. “Go shower, and force that wife of yours to join you.”
I went to get into Bertha when Cole called my name. I glanced up.
“Thanks.”
I nodded before getting into the car and driving to work.
***
“Do you have a newspaper?” I asked Gary when the dinner crowd died down, and there were only a few people at the bar.
“Why would I when I have the news in my pocket at all times?” He slipped his phone out of his pocket and held it up.”
I’d already scrolled through a million sites with no luck, and hoped the local paper would give me better options.
“I was hoping for something a little more localized,” I said.
“You’re in luck then. Jax still lives in the stone age and usually has one delivered. He probably has it upstairs in his office.”
Jaxon hadn’t been downstairs again. I liked to think that he was busy, or he finally trusted Gary enough to handle things. But a small part whole-heartedly believed he was avoiding me. Our encounters were fewer and farther between, and my plan to have him begging at my feet was becoming impossible.
Even that night when he walked me out to the car. I gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek, but he didn’t give any indication that he was turned on or wanted more. I had drove home disappointed.
“Can you just watch my tables for a second?” I asked Gary since Tara wasn’t in.
“Uh…”
“You’ll be fine,” I said before he could object, and hurried up the stairs.
The light from Jaxon’s office spilled out from the crack of the door. I knocked before letting myself in. He looked up, those gorgeous eyes pinning me in place. It felt like forever since I last saw them, and I took a moment to enjoy the view.
“Hey,” I said. “Do you have a newspaper?”
“Yeah, sure.” He swiveled in his chair and reached behind him to a small filing cabinet. He grabbed the paper on top and turned back to me. “What do you need it for?” he asked as I took it from him, being careful not to graze his hand.
“Need to find a place to stay.”
His eyebrows turned in. “What’s wrong with Cole’s and Dee’s place?”
I shrugged, a little embarrassed that I
wore out my welcome so quickly. “They’re newlyweds. They don’t need me hanging around all the time.”
“Let me guess. Dee isn’t giving it up, and Cole’s getting frustrated?”
I laughed. Men. “It’s possible. Sistas over mistas you know.”
Jaxon scratched the stubble on his chin and smiled. “Why don’t you move in with me?”
My heart stopped, and I almost dropped the paper on the floor. I stared at him in complete and utter confusion. Did he just ask what I thought he did? No. I must’ve misunderstood him.
“What?” I asked pretty sure the sexual fantasy in my mind was starting to distort reality.
“I have two bedrooms, one isn’t being occupied, and I was thinking of getting a roommate anyway. Now, I don’t have to go through the hassle of looking. Besides, I’d rather it be someone I know and trust.”
“You trust me?” The words were out before I could stop them. I didn’t know much about Jaxon, other than the feel of his naked body on mine, the taste of his skin, the way his eyes darkened when he was aroused and, but there was one thing I did know for a fact. The mysterious Jaxon Reed didn’t trust easily.
Jaxon stood up, and leaned against his desk, folding his arms over his chest. “I trust you to clean up after yourself and not to rob me blind, yes.”
I let his words sink in and had myself get a grasp on the situation. “You’re really offering me a place to live? You’re serious?”
He raised an eyebrow at my question.
“Right. You’re always serious. How much?”
“I was thinking four hundred a month. It would include all utilities. You’d have full use of the kitchen, washer and dryer and—”
“Yes!” I cut him off.
“Don’t you want to see it first?”
“Nope.” I’d never be able to find a place that cheap, and with a washer and dryer. It was like I hit a gold mine. And the fact that I’d get to see Jaxon every single day, well, that was just an added bonus. “Can I move in tomorrow?”
He smiled. “I just have to move a few boxes out, but that’ll take me all of five minutes. Sure.”
I thrilled I didn’t have to go through the torture of finding a place, I tossed my arms around his neck. “Thank you. Thank you.”
His hand reached up and pressed into my lower back, reminding me of how much I loved being in his arms. I squeezed a little tighter, bringing my hips to his. My nose grazed his neck, and his fingers tightened on my shirt. I inhaled, losing myself in his amazing scent, desperately wanting a taste.
I was just about to lean in and kiss his neck, when his hands gripped my waist, and pushed me away. The loss was immediate. It was an empty feeling that I was becoming used to.
“I should get back to work. I’ll come by tomorrow and help you get your stuff.”
Unable to speak, too broken from being rejected again, I nodded, and ran out the door. As soon as I was far enough away, I rested my back against the wall, and wondered if living with Jaxon was a good idea. Or, was I just setting myself up for more disappointment?
Chapter 25
“Are you sure about this?” Dee asked, dropping my duffle bag into the backseat of Bertha.
I looked over her shoulder to Cole who was carrying out my suitcase. “I’m sure.”
She pouted. “I’m going to miss you.”
Cole tossed my suitcase into the trunk, then came over to us. He draped his arm around Dee. “She’s only ten minutes away, which is a lot closer than the past two years.”
“He has a point.” I smiled, trying to hide the sadness of once again separating from my best friend. I didn’t realize how much I missed our college dorm until I came here. Having Dee so close had been a blessing, but Cole was right. This time we wouldn’t have states between us. I would only be ten minutes away.
Jaxon pulled up in his sleek black car, and hopped out, looking as sinfully hot as ever in his jeans and black t-shirt. Cole went to greet him, and butterflies took flight in my stomach, dipping and swirling in a rhythmic chaos.
I needed to get used to being near Jaxon because we were about to get a heck of a lot closer. In only a shot amount of time, I would officially be his roommate and he’d only be a few doors away from me at all times.
“I already miss you,” Dee said.
“I’m going to miss you so much.” I pulled Dee into a hug. “We can do Tequila Tuesday at Baile’s.”
Jaxon laughed as he and Cole approached. “The way you handle your liquor? I’d suggest sticking with water Wednesday.”
Being the mature adult that I was, I stuck my tongue out at him. He raised his sunglasses to glare at me, and then broke out his knee quivering, panty-dropping smile that had me slowly retracting my tongue back in my mouth. I bit my lip in an attempt to quell my desire.
I cleared my throat, and pushed all naughty thoughts aside. “Nice of you to show up after everything is already in the car,” I joked.
“What can I say? I’ve never been good with timing.”
Cole squeezed Jaxon’s shoulders. “We’ll let you carry everything into your place, then.”
“Our place,” I stated, and Dee high-fived me.
Cole laughed, and smacked Jaxon on the back. “And it begins.”
I let the idea settle in my head. Since last night, all I could think about was giving Dee and Cole their lives back, and now realizing that Jaxon’s place would also be my place, it was absolutely thrilling.
I wondered if he slept in his boxer briefs and a t-shirt, or completely naked. Would I bump into him in the hallway in the middle of the night? Was he a morning person? I had no idea since we never seemed to make it to morning.
“You ready?” Jaxon asked.
It was now or never. I nodded. “Let’s go.”
I hugged Dee again, and reminded her that I only lived ten minutes away, then got in my car, and followed Jaxon to our new home.
We pulled up a few minutes later, and Jaxon came right over to my car to grab the bags. I took my duffle, and let him carry the rest, loving the way his muscles bulged at the extra weight in his hands.
“You can park back here. I have cameras all over, so you and your car are safe. Just park away from the dumpster. That seems to be the favorite spot for people to throw up.”
My nose scrunched. “That’s disgusting.”
“Disgusting, but true. And you’ll be thanking me when your car doesn’t have an extra coating on it come morning.”
“Yeah, old Bertha wouldn’t like that very much.”
An amused smile tugged at his lips. “You named your car?”
“Of course I did. Bertha and I go way back. She’s my oldest friend.”
“Don’t tell me she was your first car.”
“She was, and she hasn’t let me down yet.” Bertha was faithful, reliable and resilient. More than I could say for most people in my life before college. “What was your first car?” I asked, as we took the back stairs to our place.
He stood a little taller. “A 1988 Firebird.”
“Let me guess. It was black?” I mocked.
“Actually, it was red.”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Red? I do not pin you as the red type. Kind of doesn’t go with the whole dark and mysterious persona you got going on.”
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Dark and mysterious, huh?”
“How else would you describe it? You’re definitely not a forthcoming ray of sunshine.”
He shrugged. “True. But I used to be into the flashy stuff.” We got to the door, and he put a bag down to get his keys.
I couldn’t picture Jaxon in a bright red car. Nor could I picture him being into anything flashy. It wasn’t the Jaxon I knew, which only made me wonder. “Why not anymore?”
He pushed the door open, and I expected him to let my question linger in the air unanswered, but he turned back to me with his dark, intense stare. “Realized it was stupid. Life’s more than a show.”
A storm raged in his eyes, and
I wanted to know more. What happened in his past that he refused to talk about? What made him change his outlook on life? The questions all sat on the tip of my tongue, begging to be asked, but as little as I knew about Jaxon, I also knew a great deal about him, and if I asked him any one of those questions, he’d shut down and walk away.
If I was going to find out anything about Jaxon Reed, and the past he kept so tightly locked away, I would need to do it layer by layer. By the time we got down to the center, he’d finally let me in. Or so I hoped.
So, I swallowed the questions down, and saved them for another day.
***
The first night in my new place, I was restless. I picked up a book, but, after rereading the same sentence six times, I gave up, and tossed it back onto the nightstand. I unpacked my duffle bag, but even after the last article of clothing was in the dresser, I still wasn’t tired.
Maybe a glass of milk would help. I thought about grabbing a robe to cover my silk cami and matching shorts, but it was two in the morning, and I doubted Jaxon was up. Even if he was, he had seen me in far less.
I eased the door open and tiptoed down the hall. Jaxon’s room was diagonal from mine, and I stopped for a moment outside, listening for any movement. There was complete silence, and I continued on my way.
I remembered the cups being in the far-left cabinet and retrieved one before grabbing the milk and pouring a glass. I leaned against the counter and took a cool refreshing sip. When I lowered the glass, I damn near choked on the milk. Jaxon stood in front of me in boxer briefs and a t-shirt.
My breath caught in my throat at how sexy he looked with the slightest ruffle of bed head.
He nodded to my hand. “You’re a middle of the night snacker, too?” he asked as he pinned me against the counter, and grabbed a box of cookies from the cabinet above me.
Heat radiated off of him in delicious waves, and I wanted so desperately to be wrapped in his warmth. Instead, he stepped back and leaned against the other counter.
“No, I just couldn’t sleep.” I held up my glass and smiled. “When I was a kid, my nanny used to give me a glass of milk when I couldn’t sleep, and it’s kind of stuck with me.”
