“Sure thing. Catch you later, Jessie.”
The line dies and I hold my phone out in front of me. That was so easy. I feel like I have a new superpower. I jog to my car, excited as hell at the new turn my night has taken.
* * * *
I parked fifteen minutes ago, and am still sitting here watching Devin in his element. I thought he’d be out front helping customers, but Rob’s got that covered. Instead, Devin’s in one of the bays, elbow-deep in a red sedan. His dark hair is slicked back and his strong jaw is locked in place. He looks angry—he has a resting grump-face. The muscles in his forearm flex, making his tattoos dance. He looks menacing. Devious. But he’s the opposite. He’s steadfast and loyal. Caring and gentle. And sexy as hell.
“Jessie!” Rob calls out to me with his booming voice as he comes around the counter to wrap me in his arms. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. Where you been keeping yourself?”
A deep grumble draws my eyes over to Devin, standing in the doorway between the shop and the service bays. “She’s got better places to be.”
He’s wiping his hands on a dark rag, not looking at me. Tension wraps the three of us in a tight grip.
Rob clears his throat. “I’m going to tell the guys to wrap it up so we can get to this inventory.”
I cock out a hip. “Where could be better than here?”
“You tell me.” Devin slips his rag into his back pocket and glares at me. “You’re the one staying away.”
“I’m just keeping my promise. Isn’t that what you want? Me out of your hair?” He shakes his head. My heart skitters to a stop. “You saying you like having me around now?”
He groans. It’s his exhausted, frustrated sound. “Wouldn’t be my girlfriend if I didn’t want you around.”
My heart explodes with joy and I smile so wide my face hurts. “Girlfriend?” I ask, taking a step toward him. I bite my lip, beyond excited. “Little old me?”
He nods once, a quick up and down affirmation that he’s in this with me. That we’re dating.
“Well, as your girlfriend, I have to say it wouldn’t kill you to call me. Ask me to come around more.” I step right up next to him, letting my chest brush against his.
“Told Rob to call you.” He drops his hands to my sides and leans down into me. I smell that delicious tangy citrus smell on his skin that makes my ovaries explode, but I’m not done being a brat yet.
“You had your boss call your girlfriend?” He hums a yes in my ear. I circle my arms around him. “And that doesn’t seem chickenshit to you?”
He pulls me against him hard and a deep growl rumbles in his chest. A storm brews in my stomach at his possessive touch. He grips my neck and pulls my lips to his, silencing me with the dominant claim. He slides his tongue into my mouth like it’s his personal playground. His kisses are demanding and attentive. They say I’m his prized possession. When Devin pulls back, I’m lightheaded and my knees are weak.
“That chickenshit?” he asks in that deep, sultry voice.
I shake my head, not yet regaining my ability to think, much less speak.
Devin stays within arm’s reach all night as we count all the different car parts on the back shelves of the shop. He’s quiet, but considerate. The hours tick by in an easy rhythm. Every few minutes, he’ll touch me, kiss me or hold me. The moments are fleeting, but persistent. I love having him at my side. My phone’s buzzing is constant in my pocket, no doubt reminders of the handful of other things I was supposed to be doing tonight. My sorority sisters. My study partners. My dodgeball team. I don’t care. For the first time, I’m in no hurry to rush off anywhere.
“You ready to eat your words?” I taunt Devin while he stands behind me at the counter. We’ve finished entering in all the tallies from our inventory and now it’s time to see what kept better track, his hand invoices or my new system.
“Ready to devour something,” he croons in my ear. With an arm on either side of me, he surrounds me with his strong body. I wiggle against him and let out a little laugh.
A few clicks later and I’m proven right beyond any arguments. I point at the screen and let out a triumphant, “Ha!”
I slide out of Devin’s arms and hop around in a graceful and understated victory dance. Devin sets his hands on his hips and leers at me. Rob pops out from the office with a soft chuckle. “I take it the system works?”
Devin nods and I shout, “Of course it works! Was there ever any doubt?”
Rob and I both glance at Devin. He doesn’t say a word, but he slides a giant pile of paper invoices into the trash. That’s as close to an acknowledgement of my victory as I am going to get.
“Looks like you’ll have a lot more time for that budding personal life, Dev,” Rob adds, heading for the door. “I’m gonna leave you kids alone. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Night, Rob.” I saunter back to the counter and hop up onto it. Grabbing Devin’s collar, I pull him between my thighs. “Well, Big Man, I was right.”
Devin brushes the hair off my shoulder and drags his lips across my neck.
“But don’t worry. I’ve got a way you can make it up to me for doubting my awesome business sense.”
Devin grips my thighs and pulls me to the edge of the counter. I snake my hands between us and push him away.
“Unh-uhh. You don’t get a reward for being a brat.” I wag a finger at him.
Devin lets out a deep sigh. If he’s annoyed now, he’s going to be livid in a few seconds when he finds out he’s got major boyfriend duties coming his way already.
“You. Me.” I point to his chest, then my own, and his eyes light up. “And my family.” His eyes go wide in something that looks a bit like panic. “Saturday night for the monthly Allen family dinner.”
“You sure?” he asks, his voice soft and hesitant.
“Positive. Momma Allen’s orders.”
Devin’s jaw drops. “You told your mom about me?” He sounds embarrassed and giddy.
I slap my hands on his shoulders. “Technically, I told my brother Jake. And that blabbermouth told Mom.”
Devin’s excitement slips away. He looks down at the floor and nods. He tries to pull away, but I grip his shirt.
“Hey, where you going?”
“Like you care,” is his terse response.
I pull him into me and wrap my legs around him to make damn sure he isn’t going anywhere. “Excuse me?” I ask, cupping his face and forcing him to look at me.
“I get it. You’re stuck bringing me because your brother can’t keep a secret. I’m nothing special.”
His expression is hard as a slab of marble, but those eyes… Those deep, dark eyes hold so much uncertainty. I push down the urge to tell this giant teddy bear in his grizzly bear disguise that I love his brooding ass.
I’m not ready to take that leap just yet, so I tell him what the pouty grump needs to hear instead. “Jake, my middle brother, is my best friend. I can tell him anything and he’ll give me the hard truth he knows I need to hear. But I’ve never talked to him about guys before. It was this unspoken rule. My love life was my business, but then I guess there’s never been anyone worth talking about.”
“But you told him about me? Us?” Devin slides his hands up from my knees to my thighs, gripping me firmly. Possessively.
I nod. “I asked him if I was coming on too strong. If I was going to get myself hurt.”
“And?” Devin asks, his coal-black eyes searching mine.
I take a deep breath and quirk up the corner of my mouth. “He said to stop being such a pussy.”
A thick chuckle rumbles out of Devin, making my heart dance. “I think I like Jake.”
“Did I mention he’s the one who told my mom and got us into this mess?” I groan. “I’ve never brought someone home before. She’s been waiting for me to have a serious boyfriend since I hit puberty. I swear, she’s registering for wedding china as we speak!”
A full-fledged laugh racks Devin’s body and a war
mth surges through my veins at the rich sound. He pulls me off the counter, pinning me in place against it. I’m waiting for him to balk at the idea of an Allen family dinner, or the mere mention of the dirty word ‘wedding’ three dates into our relationship, but he doesn’t. Instead, he wraps me in his strong, tattooed arms and kisses me, soft and sweet. Like he’s savoring me.
“I’m serious. I’ve got three brothers and a wedding-crazy mother. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Stop being such a pussy,” Devin quips. He claims me with his full lips again before I can smart off. For the first time, I think I’ve found something I like more than being a smart ass. Kissing Devin Bennett might be my favorite activity in the world.
Chapter Nineteen
Devin
“Jamie is the baby. He thinks he’s the most charming thing on two legs, but he’s harmless. Jake is like me only with a penis. You’ll adore him.” Jessie gives me that sassy look that has me falling more in love with her every damn day.
“No doubt,” I deadpan. She hits me on the shoulder and I chuckle.
“Jared is the one you have to worry about.”
I cock an eyebrow. I’m six-two and weigh two-twenty. I’m not worried about shit.
“I’m serious. He can be an overprotective jerk. He made my prom date break out into hives!”
“I’ll be fine.” I’ve met plenty of puffed-up pretty boys in my time and a handful of real shady people. Jessie’s three white-collar brothers aren’t going to chase me off.
A quick forty-five-minute ride and we’re deep in the suburbs. Green lawns, picket fences, waving flags and pert mailboxes as far as the eyes can see. Jessie points to the last house on the corner and I pull up to her parents’ place. It looks the same as the hundreds of other cookie-cutter places on this street, except this one’s got half a dozen cars crammed in the driveway.
Jessie unbuckles her seatbelt. “You ready for the third degree?”
I tuck a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. “Your brothers don’t scare me, JB.”
“I was talking about my mom.” The corners of her mouth tip up. “Hope you’re ready to talk about wedding colors, Big Man.”
I swallow hard, feeling like I’ve got shards of glass stuck in my throat. Jessie climbs out of the car with a laugh. She reaches for my hand as we walk up the long driveway. I tighten my hand around her slender fingers. Her bright purple nail polish puts a smile on my lips.
Jessie stops at the front door, spinning to face me. I step away, caught off guard by the action.
“Too late to turn back now.” She makes a cross over her chest. Her eyes are locked on mine when she reaches behind her and opens the door. “Once more unto the breach. Watch your six, Big Man.” Mischief dances across her beautiful face.
Stepping across the threshold, I’m assaulted by delicious smells and booming voices. Both get stronger as I follow Jessie farther into the house.
“They don’t have the run game. They’ll never win a championship without it,” a deep voice bellows down the long hallway.
“You don’t need a run game when you’ve got Davis’ arm. That guy’s a freakin’ cannon,” a second man’s voice chimes in.
“Nah, it’s the defense that’s gonna keep them out of the top spot,” a third voice calls out before all three begin talking over each other in indistinguishable squabbles.
Jessie and I round a corner at the same time, stepping into the large kitchen that seems to house the entire extended Allen family. Every single one of whom goes quiet at the sight of me standing next to Jessie. I swear, even the baby crying just a second ago is silent.
“Hi, everyone,” Jessie’s warm voice chirps, echoing among the human statues. She side-eyes me with a nervous laugh. “I think you might’ve broken my family.”
I place my hand on her lower back and take a look around the room. Huddled around a bowl of chips and dip are three clean-cut guys. They’re carbon copies, identical except for each being a few years younger than the next. Sandy-blond hair, broad shoulders and square jaws. They’re harmless enough—I don’t bother giving them a second glance. Behind them, leaning against the sink, is a woman with golden-brown skin and long black hair falling down her back in tight curls. She’d be pretty if those brown eyes weren’t puffy and red in a way that makes me think she hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in about a month. Still, she stares down at a little bundle in her arms like it carries all her hopes in this world.
The sound of an oven door closing draws my attention over to a short woman with brown hair muddled with gray. She takes in the room, alarmed by the sudden quiet—a rarity in the Allen clan, I’m guessing. Her gaze follows the path of everyone’s to land on me and Jessie frozen in the doorway. A bright smile lights up her face and her green eyes dance with joy. They’re identical to the ones that have been haunting my dreams these past few weeks.
“Everyone, this is Devin.” Jessie points at me over her shoulder with her thumb. “Devin, this is everyone.”
Jessie’s brothers all straighten and cross their arms in choreographed unison while her mom claps and squeals. As if on cue, the baby starts crying again. I’ve got one fan in this room. I cross the crowded kitchen and hold out a plate to Jessie’s mom.
“Thanks for inviting me, Mrs. Allen.” She blushes and giggles. It’s the same light sound as Jessie’s. I can tell we’re going to be fast friends. “My sister made these cookies as a thank you for taking me off her hands for the day.”
“Oh, how thoughtful,” she gushes. “And please, call me Jenny.”
“Jenny,” I say with a nod.
“She also made him promise to be on his best behavior,” Jessie calls from across the room. I glance at her over my shoulder and she’s taken the same stance as her brothers, arms crossed and feet wide. “Don’t let the gentleman act fool you. He’s insufferable.”
“You’ve met your match then, sis,” her middle brother calls out.
“Bite your tongue, Jake,” Jenny calls out with a snap of her dish towel. Jessie is less subtle as she charges after him, fists flying. She socks him in the arm, reaching past her other brother to do it. She wags a finger at all three of them.
“Best behavior from the three of you, too!” she demands.
The woman holding the baby snorts. “Not like that’s a high bar. Put a pig in a dress…”
“Hey!” The oldest brother objects. He stalks over to the sink and wraps his arms around her, kissing her then the baby on their foreheads. “I’m not a pig. Even if I do look damn good in a dress.”
She slaps him in the chest. “Take your son, Miss Piggy.” She hands him the little bundle. He snorts into the blankets and the baby stops crying, transfixed by the pig noises.
What the hell kind of crazy-ass family did I get myself mixed up with?
“Ignore them.” The woman holds out her hand. “I’m Mariana Allen. Miss Piggy over there is my husband, Jared. And that little booger is our son, Miguel.” Despite the bags under them, her eyes sparkle as she stares across the kitchen at her ridiculous husband making an assortment of barn noises to their son, who’s giggling in hysterics.
“Devin.” I give her hand a firm shake.
“Welcome to the crazy,” she adds under her breath.
“Thanks.”
Jenny grabs my hand and pulls me out of the kitchen, throwing a “Watch the pot roast,” over her shoulder. After a chorus of grumbling, she whips around. “You know the rules. You can help or you can starve.”
“What about him?” Jessie’s youngest brother pipes up, pointing at me.
“James Benjamin Allen, we do not point fingers in this house.” James’ finger wilts, his hand dropping to his side. “Devin is our guest. And to make up for being so rude, you just volunteered for dish duty.”
Jessie lets out a loud laugh and points at her youngest brother. Jenny’s unforgiving gaze falls on her daughter.
“Jessica Bridget Allen. Thank you for volunteering to help
your brother.”
Jenny grabs hold of my hand again, tugging me out of the kitchen. We’re not two steps away when Jessie’s soft voice squeaks, “Crap.”
Jenny turns to me, her lips in a tight line. “I swear, despite appearances, they weren’t raised in a barn.”
With flawless timing, Jared belts out an ear-piercing donkey’s hee-haw. Mariana and I bust out laughing.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Jenny sighs, throwing her arms up in defeat.
I follow her into the living room and sit down next to her, where she pats the couch.
“Tell me about yourself, darling.”
I clear my throat. I’m a tattooed auto mechanic who barely finished high school. The son of an abusive felon serving twenty years for aggravated assault, his third strike. I’m not the guy a mother picks out for her only daughter. “Not much to tell, ma’am.”
Jenny tilts her head. Her face is soft and her features inviting. It’s a warmer welcome than I was expecting. Than I deserve, considering I’ve been making a point of driving her daughter crazy for the last few weeks.
“I somehow doubt that,” she says. “Tell me about your family. Your parents still together?”
I swallow hard, my hands balling into fists at my sides. “No. My mom ran off a long time ago and my dad’s in prison. Will be for the rest of his life, I hope.”
Jenny hums with a simple nod. It’s acknowledgment without judgment. “Brothers and sisters?”
“A sister, Rebecca. Becs.”
“Older or younger?”
“Younger. She’s graduating high school this year. Got a bunch of different scholarship offers too. She’s smart as hell.” Warmth fills my chest, picturing the only decent member of my family.
Jenny leans back, glancing down the hallway. The ruckus continuing from the kitchen confirms we’re still alone. “My Jessie Bird sees something in you. And you know, she’s special.”
I nod and wait, expecting to be told off in the sweetest way.
“She’s just like her father. A hummingbird. Beautiful and quick. She thinks if she buzzes around fast enough, nothing can touch her. She doesn’t realize how fragile she is. But you and I know life’s little secret.” Jenny winks at me, despite the fact that I’m confused as hell. “Fast as she might fly, someday she’ll need someplace safe to land.”
This is So Happening (So Far, So Good Book 2) Page 12
