by Shandi Boyes
Fighting Jacob
Shandi Boyes
Edited by
Mountains Wanted Publishing
Illustrated by
SSB Designs
Contents
Play List
Also by Shandi Boyes
Dedicated to:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Shandi Boyes
Copyright
©Shandi Boyes 2019
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design: SSB Designs
Photo: Shutterstock Account
Edited by: Mountains Wanted Publishing
“I can’t fall in love without you.” — Zara Larsson.
“I hate u, I love u.” — Gnash & Olivia O’Brien.
“This Town.” — Niall Horan.
“Be Alright.” — Dean Lewis.
“I’m so tired.” — Lauv, Troye Sivan.
“I won’t Give Up.” — Jason Mraz.
Also by Shandi Boyes
Perception Series - New Adult Rock star Romance
Saving Noah
Fighting Jacob
Taming Nick
Redeeming Slater
Wrapped Up with Rise Up (Novella)
Enigma Series - Steamy Contemporary Romance
Enigma of Life - (Isaac)
Unraveling an Enigma - (Isaac)
Enigma: The Mystery Unmasked - (Isaac)
Enigma: The Final Chapter - (Isaac)
Beneath the Secrets - (Hugo - Part 1)
Beneath the Sheets - (Hugo Conclusion)
Spy Thy Neighbor (Hunter - standalone)
The Opposite Effect - (Brax & Clara)
I Married a Mob Boss - (Rico - Nikolai’s Brother)
Second Shot (Hawke’s Story)
The Way We Are (Ryan Pt 1)
The Way We Were (Ryan Pt 2)
Sugar and Spice (Cormack)
Bound Series - Steamy Romance & slight BDSM
Chains (Marcus and Cleo)
Links (Marcus and Cleo)
Bound (Marcus and Cleo)
Restrained (Marcus and Cleo)
Psycho (Dexter)
Russian Mob Chronicles
Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance
Nikolai: Taking Back What’s Mine
Nikolai: What’s Left of Me
Nikolai: Mine to Protect
Asher: My Russian Revenge
Infinite Time Trilogy
Lady In Waiting (Regan)
Man in Queue (Regan)
Couple on Hold (Regan)
Standalones
Just Playin’ (Presley and Willow)
COMING SOON:
Skitzo
Colby
Dedicated to:
My mum,
Thank you for your inspiration and assistance.
I love you!
Shandi xx
Chapter One
Jacob
I’m sitting in my Dodge Charger at a T intersection, waiting for the light to turn green when a pair of stunning legs catches my eye. I can’t see much of the hot mess cursing at the bus schedule tacked to a pole near the bus stop, but her scarcely concealed thighs are sparking enough interest out of me to offer a stranger a ride home. Her legs are intensely hot, and I’ve always been a legs man—especially when there’s a possibility of them being curled around my head.
“Do you need a lift?”
When she peers past the pole, a grin curls on my lips. She’s a fucking stunner. Curly caramel hair, a straight, although slightly curved-at-the-tip nose, and lips that have my cock notching up as high as my pulse. Add those features to the mischievous glint in her eyes, and I’m confident she isn’t standing at a bus stop this late at night for virtuous reasons.
After cocking her brow, the sassy blonde drags her teeth over her bottom lip. Her hot pink lipstick is the same color as her halter-neck top. It’s sparkly and glossy, as dazzling as the stars filling the almost midnight sky.
When she notices my perusal of her body, her hellion insides shine, freeing me to say, “I don’t bite... much.”
With a wink that exposes she heard my mumbled comment, her eyes stray back to the bus schedule. If she’s looking for a way out of a conversation, she’s shit out of luck. The last bus left nearly ten minutes ago. How do I know this? I’ve been a Ravenshoe local all my life. Before I got my license, I knew the bus schedule as intimately as the back of my hand.
I glance into my rearview mirror when a honk bellows through the somewhat quiet night. The old geezer sitting behind me is unimpressed I’ve ignored the traffic lights’ switch to green. I noticed its change, but I’m not going anywhere until the blonde bombshell answers my question. A wink isn't a yes, but it isn't a straight-up "no" either. Furthermore, there's plenty of space for him to go around; he just needs to stop sniffing my keister to figure it out.
When he honks again, my foot gets friendly with my accelerator. I smirk when my revs startle him enough to stop riding my ass. He reverses before skidding past me like he’s outrunning cooties.
Grinning in victory, my gaze floats back to the hot mess at my side. Her eyes are bouncing between me and the tire marks the car behind me left on the road surface. I assume my lack of respect will have her backing away with her hands held in the air, so you can imagine my surprise when she mumbles, “All right,” before rounding my hood and slipping into the passenger seat.
She mumbles an address in a town I’ve only heard of once before fixing her seat belt into place. I take a few moments to relish her floral scent before my foot becomes chummy with the gas pedal. As I weave between the traffic of my hometown, from the corner of my eye, I stalk my new companion. Her pupils are the size of dinner plates, but the seductive curl of her lips reveals she loves the adrenaline she’s getting from my speed.
&nb
sp; Her smile has me pushing my car to its absolute limit. I go way over the designated speed limit, making the cars surrounding us blur like her off-the-scales sexiness is blurring my mind. Most blonde bombshells have the standard blue-eyes combination. This girl throws those statistics out of the park. Her eyes are a light brown, as gleaming as the exposed skin high on her thighs. Her sexiness slams into you, meaning she won't just leave you breathless; you'll have drool pooling in the corner of your lips as well.
When an upcoming traffic light turns red, we grind to a halt. With a slanted head and my interest unconcealed , I introduce myself. "Jacob. Nice to meet you...?”
Her nose crinkles at my pathetic attempt to ignite a conversation, but she plays along. “Lola.”
Why am I not surprised her name is as seductive as her face? Probably because everything about this girl is dynamite. Her voice... if I wouldn’t have her looking at me like a creep, I’d tug on my dick, begging for it to calm down. I offered her a ride home, not a ride on my cock.
I’m known for getting a little friendly too quickly with the opposite sex, but this is different. For one, Lola isn’t fawning over me, begging for my attention. If I hadn’t caught the occasional glance my way beneath thick lashes, I’d be worried she didn’t like what she sees. Two, she gives off a vibe she isn’t to be messed with.
That makes me even more interested.
I love girls with sassy tongues and strong backbones. They usually have that whip-smart edginess that keeps things interesting. The thrill of the chase is always exciting, but once it fizzles, so does my interest. I don't see that being an issue with Lola.
When the light switches to green, I stop scanning Lola’s too-hot-to-handle body to return my eyes to her face. She shoots me a flirty look, making me aware she saw my scan of her body, but she’s not bothered by it.
One point for Jacob!
I plant my foot on the gas pedal but don't floor it like I did earlier. I need a few more minutes to ensure I'm picking up the right signals from Lola. I'm not a pro at understanding the signs women regularly throw out, but I've learned a few tricks in my almost twenty-two years on this planet. Such as, she isn't biting her lower lip because she is nervous—she's teasing me, knowing I'd give anything to replace her teeth with my own, and the faint press of her thighs isn’t solely due to the healthy rumble of my engine. She feels the chemistry brewing between us just like I do.
After taking a left down a familiar street, my eyes stray from the road to Lola. “What were you doing in Ravenshoe this late at night? You’re not here for the clubs because those aren’t dancing shoes.” I quickly drop my eyes to her sexy-ass shoes before returning them to the road. “And you’re not drunk because you don’t have the slightest gleam in your eyes.” Except for the one that exposes your hellion insides. “So why are you here so late on a Saturday night? You weren’t on a date, were ya?”
Please say no. Please say no.
“If I was, would your offer of a ride home become null and void?”
"Not at all." My eyes stray from the road to her. "I'd simply ask for his name, so I could tell him how much of an idiot he is. If you were my date, I'd never let you out of my sight, much less my car."
Lola laughs. “I love that you think he had a choice.” Her laughter dies down when she realizes I’m not following what she’s saying. “He didn’t let me out of his car, Jacob. I let myself out.”
“You let yourself out?”
She nods. “Yep. He wanted something I wasn’t willing to give him, so I left. Plain and simple.”
My grip on the steering wheel tightens when I hear something she didn't mean to express. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Her livid eyes slide my way, softening when she sees nothing but genuine concern reflecting in my wide gaze. “No, he didn’t.”
“Good. I’m glad.” I flex and unflex my fingers, fanning the sweat coating my palms. “You should still be careful, though. It isn’t safe out here this late at night.”
"Unsafe for whom? Me or you?" She tilts her torso my way, allowing the moon to dance in her eyes. "If anyone is in danger in this car, it isn't me. Don't you know I'm the Big Bad Wolf? I gobble up men like I'm a gym junkie, and they're my only source of protein."
“Gobble up men like you’re a gym junkie and they’re your only source of protein...wow.” My chuckles make her squirm in her seat. I can’t help but laugh. I fuckin’ love that saying. “Then why did you dive out of your date’s car? Was he vegan?”
Lola’s laugh doesn't make me squirm, but my god does it have my dick aching. "I would have preferred him to be vegan rather than a mommy's boy."
“Eww. One of them?”
Her nose twitches like a rabbit. "Yep. I hadn't even sliced through my steak, and he was already planning for me to meet his momma.”
“Maybe he was smitten?”
She gives me a look, one I don’t know how to decipher since we just met. “What about any of this says, take me home to visit Mommy?”
She flashes her eyes at me. They’re beautiful, mischievous, and reveal she’s untouchable. She doesn’t give a fuck what I think about her. She isn’t changing who she is for anyone. I’ve heard of women like her before, but I’ve never seen them, much less sat across from one. I thought they were a myth, a fucking legend; I had no clue I’d stumbled onto one while running from its opposite.
I'm not out late for no reason, either. I was on a date. A painful, wish it would have ended three hours earlier date. Daphne didn't just have daddy issues; she had a whole heap of fucked-up baggage I wasn't willing to dig through to see if she had more than a pretty face. Some people take years to show their true selves. Lola isn't one of those people—guaranteed. We just met, but I'm confident I'm on to something sweet.
“I’d take you home to visit my momma.” Her eyeroll stops halfway when I add on, “If I had one.”
“You don’t have a mom? Everyone has a mom.”
Some of her sass fizzles when I explain, “I had a mom. She passed when I was three.”
“Oh...sorry.”
Although her apology is genuine, it isn’t required.
“Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about.” I give her a frisky wink, lightening the mood before my eyes drift back to the road. It’s lucky traffic is light tonight, or we may have been in a wreck by now since I can’t take my eyes off her. “So, am I in with a chance now?”
Lola’s golden brow cocks high on her face. “I should let you into my panties because you have a dead momma?”
"What? No... unless that's a possibility?" She socks me in the arm, proving my earlier worries about her safety weren't necessary. "I was actually referring to a date." No matter how hard I try and iron out the hope in my voice, it doesn't happen. "You can devour your steak without worrying about me inviting my mom for dessert. So what do you say? Wanna grab a bite to eat with me?"
She smiles, making me hopeful my greatest wish is about to come true. If only the gleam in her eyes wasn't saying the opposite. "I appreciate your offer, but I'm not a dating type of girl."
“Weren’t you just on a date?” Confusion rings in my tone.
“No, I said I jumped out of my date’s car. That’s different.”
“How?” Anyone would swear she told me she gave someone a lobotomy with a spoon for how high my voice is.
While raking her teeth over her lower lip, she deliberates on whether to tell me the truth. I’m assuming she’s gone the honesty route when she murmurs, “Some people think a date is where the guy turns up with a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine before taking you out for a candlelit dinner. My ideal date...” — she expresses this “date” with a husky purr – “is when two consenting people come together for a night of raunchy sex with no strings attached. My date wanted to date. Since I didn’t, we parted ways.”
“Hold on, let me get this straight.” I pause to make sure I have the facts in my head right before articulating them out loud. “You told your date that you wa
nted to have raunchy, no-strings-attached sex with him, and he turned you down?” When she nods, I gasp. “Is he a fucking imbecile?”
Lola takes my questions as a compliment, believing I’m joking. I’m not. I’m dead fucking serious. She’s beautiful. Just one glance at her face has my dick turning to stone. She can hold a conversation and doesn’t appear to have any weird neuroses, so why the fuck didn’t he accept her offer?
When I ask her that, she shrugs. “Maybe he doesn’t like sex. I don’t have sexual guilt. I love sex, and I’m not ashamed to admit it, but not everyone is like me. More often than not, my big mouth gets me in trouble.”
I thank god for my baggy pants when the looseness in the crotch saves me from making a fool out of myself. Her straightforward attitude is refreshing, but my cock isn't getting the memo that just because she likes sex doesn't mean she'll have it with me. He could be responding to the crackling of energy teeming between us, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. As I said earlier, I often jump the gun when it comes to relationships, so anything I can do to avoid it this time around, I will—such as continuing with our conversation even if I'm swimming way out of my depth.
