I Know Better (By Your Side Series Book 1)

by A. P. Watson

“Seriously?” he questioned, uncertainty filling his voice.

  “Yes. I’m being completely serious. You are incredible.”

  He chuckled, bending to press a light kiss to my lips. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

  “Believe me, it was worth the wait.”

  “I agree.” He pushed off the bed, setting his feet on the floor. I wanted to join him, but the view was much better from where I was lying. Every inch of him looked as if it had been carved from stone. “Like what you see?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” I answered honestly.

  “Do you remember what you said to me on our first date?”

  “Did I say it before or after the car bombs?” I asked.

  “After.”

  “Then no.”

  He laughed, rounding the bed to the side I was still lying on. “You told me you would lick butter off my chest.”

  “I said that to you on our first date?”

  “Yeah.”

  I nodded, biting my lip to keep myself from smiling. “Sounds about right.”

  “In your defense, you were wasted,” he added.

  “Don’t remind me. Looking back at it now, I can’t believe I got wasted.”

  “I didn’t mind.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  “I could tell you were nervous,” he said sweetly.

  “Of course, I was nervous! Our date was a setup for a one-night stand!” I slid my legs underneath me, propping myself up on my knees. “Not only had I gone eleven months without having sex, but I also have never had a one-night stand before.”

  “I figured you probably hadn’t.”

  “When I asked for your help at Audege, what were you thinking?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “Whatever you dish out, I can take,” I boasted.

  “After hearing the way Terayn and Ryan described you and all their stories of the three of you from college, I honestly thought you were too good to be true.” He picked up a strand of my hair, lightly wrapping it around his finger. “Then, you came up to me in the store, and the moment you opened your mouth, I knew I was a goner.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Believe what you want, but it’s the truth.”

  “It’s funny though. Because we had the exact same thought.”

  “And to think, you said we didn’t have anything in common,” he whispered.

  “Well, I have been known to be wrong every now and then.”

  “Have you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Ass.” I slid off the side of his bed, making my way to the hall. He trailed behind me as I headed to the kitchen. I removed a glass from the cabinet beside his refrigerator, filling it with ice and water. The liquid was cool against my tongue, and I downed half of it before passing it to Jacks. He yawned before taking a slip. “Are you tired?”

  “Yeah, I haven’t slept well this week,” he answered.

  “You never sleep good.”

  “I do when I’m in the same bed as you.”

  I grabbed his hand, leading him back to the bedroom. “Then let’s lie down. I could use some rest too.” Once we were both in bed and the lights were turned out, I pulled him toward me, resting his head on top of my chest. My fingertips combed through his hair, softly massaging his scalp.

  “That feels nice.” He yawned again, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until he was asleep.

  “Jacks, before you fall asleep, I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Being so good to me.” My hands continued tracing small circles on his skin. “You’ve been so kind and thoughtful. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I said softly.

  “It’s my pleasure, chipmunk.”

  “Always the perfect gentleman.”

  He shifted his head, planting a soft kiss on the skin between my breasts. “Didn’t think I was being a gentleman when you were dancing earlier tonight,” he noted, his voice teeming with mischief.

  “Baby, it’s impossible to be a gentleman when I’m dancing,” I teased.

  “I swear every time you accentuate your accent like that, my dick twitches.”

  I giggled, unable to stop myself. “I believe I can help you with that tomorrow, but for now, get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  Within a few minutes, his breathing slowed. I stayed awake for a little while to make sure he didn’t wake. Only then did I close my eyes and rest.

  I awoke the following morning in the exact position I fell asleep in, with Jacks still sleeping peacefully on my chest. Being careful not to wake him, I slid out from underneath him and placed his head on a pillow. My feet barely made any sound as I stepped across the wooden floor to the bathroom. After washing off my smeared makeup, I used Jacks’s brush to tame my hair. My fingers twisted the long locks into a loose braid. When I was finished, I snuck out of the bathroom, snagging Jacks’s button up shirt off the floor. Then, I tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind me as I made my way to the kitchen.

  My first order of business was to make a pot of coffee. While it brewed, I opened the double doors to the massive refrigerator. For a guy, Jacks kept his fridge well stocked. He had all the fixings for French toast and bacon. I removed eggs, milk, butter, and bacon, and then I searched through his cabinets and added bread, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to the pile.

  I turned on the television, quickly setting the volume to low, and made the batter to dip the bread in. Once I had bread frying in a skillet, I pulled out another one for the bacon. The clock on the stove showed it was just before noon. It wouldn’t be long until everything was ready. My brain noted all the ingredients spread over the counter before I realized what was missing. I’d forgotten to take out the syrup. The palm of my hand barely had time to grab the bottle before my phone started to ring. Snagging the syrup in a hurry, I raced over to my clutch and removed my phone. Terayn’s name popped up on my caller ID.

  “Hey.”

  “Are you okay? How did it go? Did y’all talk?” she asked in rapid succession.

  “Here are my answers in the order you asked your questions. Yes. Great! We talked, but sometimes it’s hard to talk and kiss at the same time.”

  Her responding scream was so loud, I held the phone away from my ear until she was done. “I’m so happy for you I could die!”

  I carried the syrup back to the counter, keeping an eye on the bacon while it continued to fry. Placing the phone between my ear and shoulder, I flipped the piece of bread I was cooking to brown the other side. “And that’s not all we did.”

  “So, how was he?”

  “He’s a god among men because I have never been so satisfied in my life. The man knows how to treat a lady. And he is very . . . ”

  “Well endowed?”

  “That’s one way to put it,” I added.

  Terayn whistled loudly, “Damn.”

  “It was so intense the first time.”

  “First time?”

  “We’ve been busy.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  I laughed, moving over to the coffee pot. I waited until I filled my mug before lifting the phone from my shoulder. “The second time was different though.”

  “How so?”

  “Just the way he looked at me and touched me. I felt like a goddess. I’ve had my fair share of sex, but this was different. I mean, Jacks made love to me.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “Yeah. I’ve never had a guy do that with me before.”

  “It’s because he loves you.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Damn, Wren! David told you Jacks was in love with you. Jacks made love to you. What other proof do you need?” she asked, clearly exasperated.

  “I want to see it written on a billboard.”

  “Lord alive.”

  “I’m kidding!”

  “Better be,” she muttered.

  “Just so you know, I have the next three nights off and I’m going t
o be staying here.”

  “Perfectly understandable. You need some more sexual healing.”

  I laughed, flipping the bacon, and removing the slice of bread to add another. “Do you and Ryan want to come over here tomorrow night for dinner at six? I’ll cook, but I thought it might be fun for the four of us to hang out.”

  “Yeah, sounds like fun!”

  “Awesome. Well, I’m in the middle of making French toast, so I’m going to let you go.”

  “Okay. I’m so glad everything worked out for you, babe! Love ya!”

  “Me too! Love you!”

  As soon as I set my phone on the counter, it started ringing again. I checked the caller ID, assuming Terayn forgot to tell me something, but I was shocked to see my mother was calling me.

  “Hey, Momma.”

  “Hey, baby. How are you?”

  “Good! Thank you for the birthday card you and Daddy sent. I meant to call you this past week, but I got busy with work. I ended up working an extra overtime shift.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome. I figured you were busy working, so that’s why I decided to call today. How was your birthday party?”

  “Fantastic. Terayn, Ryan, and Jacks went all out.”

  “That was so sweet of them!”

  “I know, I’m a lucky girl.” I turned down the heat on both burners while the food continued to cook. “Is Daddy nearby?”

  “He’s out mowing the yard right now. Do you want me to get him, so you can say hi?” she asked.

  “No, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  “Good.”

  The bacon was close to being done, and I still had three slices of bread to fry. “Hold on, Mom. I’m switching you to speaker since I’m over a hot stove right now.”

  “Okay, baby. Have you talked to Sean lately?”

  “Not since last week. Why?”

  “He aced his last test. He was so excited about it, he called his mom, me, and Aunt Nell.”

  I shook my head, smiling. “That sounds about right. I’ll send him a text later. I can’t believe he didn’t call me!”

  “Well, he knows how busy you are.”

  “True.”

  “Your father and I are thinking about coming up there for Thanksgiving. Would that be okay?”

  “Yes, of course. I’d love to have y’all up here for the holiday.”

  “Hey, Wren, I was about to hop in the shower, do you want to join me?” Jacks’s voice sounded down the hallway. His question was perfectly timed, filling in a quick second of silence in the conversation with my mother. My eyes widened. I wanted to speak, but no sound spilled from my mouth. My neck snapped to the right as Jacks rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen.

  “Wren, honey, who was that?”

  I cringed inwardly, contemplating whether or not hanging up on my own mother was an acceptable reaction. Jacks’s eyes were as round as mine. I pointed to the phone and silently mouthed the words my mom.

  “Hi, Mrs. Williams. It’s Jackson,” he answered quickly.

  “How are you doing, sweetie?” she asked, trying her best not to burst into a fit of laughter.

  “I’m very well. Thank you for asking. And how are you?” He posed his question as if this were the most mundane conversation in history.

  “Just fit as a fiddle. You know, Wren talks about you all the time, and I have heard nothing but good things.”

  “That’s very kind of you. I can honestly say your daughter is a remarkable woman, something I’m certain she learned from you.”

  “Oh, listen to you. You are just the sweetest thing.” My mother laughed slightly. “Well, I won’t keep the two of you any longer. Wren, be sure to call your daddy tomorrow. Jackson, it was a pleasure to talk to you.”

  “Believe me, Mrs. Williams, the pleasure is all mine,” Jackson replied politely.

  “Bye, baby. I love you. Y’all have fun today!” my mother exclaimed.

  “Bye, Momma,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Jacks leaned on the counter, taking a sip of the coffee I poured. “That was interesting.”

  “Are you kidding me? That woman is probably two heartbeats away from throwing a damn parade.”

  “What?”

  “Did you hear how happy she was? That wasn’t her being polite. It was genuine happiness.”

  “Happiness?”

  I set all the French toast on a plate and removed the bacon from the stove. “My mother wants exactly three things from my life. She wants me to get engaged, married, and have a baby. And not necessarily in that order.”

  “Come again?” Jacks asked, stunned by my revelation.

  “Jacks, I’m from the South. By their standards, I should have been married with a baby four years ago.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yep. Good job laying on the charm though. She likes you.”

  “What can I say? The Williams women can’t resist my charms.”

  I inched closer to him, leaning forward, so our mouths were mere breaths apart. “Apparently.” I lessened the distance even more, softly rubbing my lips against his. “Are you hungry?”

  “Famished,” he breathed.

  “Well, I hope you like French toast,” I stated in the thickest accent I could manage.

  At the sound of my voice, Jacks inhaled sharply. “If I pulled out a dictionary, would you be willing to sit here and read it to me?”

  “Sit down and eat your breakfast before I beat your ass.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” We relocated all the food to the dining table, quickly diving into the spread I made. “Fuck, that reminds me,” he muttered.

  “What does?”

  “All the baby stuff.”

  “I have a birth control implant in my arm, so don’t even worry about it,” I replied confidently.

  “Okay, good. Usually, I have condoms, but I was so damn eager last night, I forgot to grab one.”

  “It’s fine. My uterus is a no-fly zone for babies, much to my mother’s disappointment.” I took a bite of French toast, the bread practically dissolving in my mouth. “How does everything taste?”

  “It’s really good,” Jacks mumbled with a full mouth.

  “Good! Oh, I talked to Terayn earlier. She called right when I woke up. I was thinking we could eat dinner with Ter and Ryan tomorrow since it’s my turn to cook again. Is that okay with you?”

  “Of course, it is. They’re my friends too.”

  “True. I’ll probably head over to my place after we eat.”

  “Nope, not happening,” he declared with an air of finality.

  “What if I need clothes?”

  Jacks licked his lips, flashing me his usual devious smile. “Trust me, you don’t.”

  “Alright, fine. I don’t go back to work until Tuesday. I guess I’ll go back to my place then.” I bit off the end of a piece of bacon.

  “Good,” he smirked triumphantly.

  chapter nineteen

  constellations

  BREAKFAST MAY HAVE STARTED with the two of us eating the meal I prepared, but it ended with Jacks licking syrup off my thighs, navel, and breasts. As it turned out, we did need that shower he so subtly suggested during my phone conversation with my mother.

  I stood beneath the steady stream of water, rinsing conditioner from my hair. Jacks was behind me, his fingers running along the length of my back.

  “Jacks?”

  “Yeah, chipmunk?”

  “When did you start working at the body shop?”

  “I started working there when I was seventeen and kept at it through college.”

  “What made you start wanting to work there, other than your love of cars?”

  “I started working there to make extra cash, and as you said, I love cars. I paid my way through college working there.”

  “College sure as hell isn’t cheap.”

  “No, it’s not,” he agreed. Despite the running water, I heard him sigh. “When my parents died, they left me a bunch of money. They wanted to make su
re I would be taken care of if anything happened to them. But it felt wrong to use their money. To this day, it’s still in the bank. I never could bring myself to touch it.”

  I turned to face him, hearing the change in his voice as he continued. “At first, I felt like if I used the money, there was no way they would ever come back. It’s a foolish notion, but it helped me cope after the accident first happened.” He gripped my waist, easing me forward. “I understand the struggles you went through with money, and it’s something I never want to experience again. Trying to decide whether you should buy a textbook or food isn’t a choice anyone should be forced to make.”

  “Most people can’t comprehend how hard a decision like that is to make. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is just try and keep your head above water,” I said softly. My heart ached for him. He’d experienced so much loss at such a young age. “And when David offered to help you. You told him you wanted to make your own way?”

  “Being stubborn is yet another thing we have in common.”

  “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through so much in your life.”

  “I could say the same thing to you,” he whispered.

  I stepped closer, hugging his body to mine with every ounce of strength I possessed. “I had a shitty boyfriend. That pales in comparison to the loss you’ve suffered.”

  “And after Elise, I don’t have a great track record of being able to keep people in my life.”

  “You have a kind heart. Good things tend to follow good people.” I pecked his cheek and shut off the water in the shower. “Come on, let’s lie down and watch some X-Files.”

  “Sounds good.” He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my shoulders before picking one up for himself. “I’ve been waiting for the two of them to hook up the entire time we’ve been watching.”

  “Yeah, I thought for sure they were going to beat us,” I stated.

  He laughed. “Oh, so you knew we were going to sleep together?”

  “Have you met you?” I dried the water off my body before starting on my hair. “I’m a woman, Jacks. There is only so much I can take.”

  “That makes two of us then. You have no idea how many cold showers I’ve taken in the past few weeks.”

  “Poor baby.” I pouted dramatically to antagonize him. “Try eleven months.”

  “I would die. Literally, my body would combust.”