by K. Langston
“Sure.”
I made my way towards the break room, Britany was always a flake. I don’t know why Archer hadn’t fired her ass yet. The girl socialized more than she worked and she constantly flirted with the customers. I halted next to the stock room when I caught a loud groan come from the other side. When I opened the door, a gasp fled from my lips. But I had no idea why I was so surprised. In the few months Cannon Jacobs had been living here, he’d gained one hell of a reputation.
He fucked any girl with a cute face and a willing vagina. It was disgusting. And a shame, because he was so good-looking, and when he wasn’t being a complete asshole, he seemed like a decent guy.
Britany scrambled to her feet, her face stricken with humiliation and…oh my God is that…
“Come on in, we were just gettin’ ready to start round two.” A cocky smile curled his full lips. If he wasn’t being so disrespectful, I might want to kiss them.
What the hell am I saying?
I ignored his crude comment and that stupid urge. “Jesse wants you back out front.”
Britany wiped her red face and practically ran past me as fast as she could.
“Guess she’s not into sharin’.” Cannon shrugged, zipping up his low slung jeans.
My stomach clenched and rolled. “Ugh…you’re disgusting.”
“You wouldn’t feel that way once we got to know each other better, Cora.”
A black ball cap was pulled down low on his brow, but his striking blue eyes were clear and visible, slicing through me with unnamed determination. With his arms crossed over his chest, he was a concrete wall-a mountain of a man. Brusque and extremely tall, well over 6 feet of nothing but pure muscle and steel. His biceps were huge, straining against the short sleeves of this black Archer’s staff t-shirt, promising destruction and pain should he stumble upon the need to inflict it. His chest was like a shield, strong and formidable.
Damn, he’s fine.
I’d seen him take down men. Huge men. It didn’t take much for Cannon to detain someone. He was a former Navy SEAL. A war hero. And while I could ignore his supreme confidence, I could not deny the fact that his fascinating body always left mine a little needy any time I was near him.
“Like what you see, sweet face?” he said in a low, husky voice.
My face and body were on fire but I played it cool. “Meh.”
When I moved to leave, he didn’t let me get too far.
“Hold up,” he said, reaching for my arm. He leaned in close, his face hovering just inches above mine. The smell of spring and his raw male presence flooded my senses. “Where ya goin’?”
With my mouth gaping, I blinked. More than once. Thoughts of him above me, moving in and out, taking me. Those thoughts invaded every crevice of my mind as I tried my best to mask the fierce desire stirring in my body, but damn it was tough. “Back to work. Where you should be.”
“Only place I wanna be is between those sexy legs of yours.” he said to the back of my head and I had to suppress the urge to spin around and slap him.
Was he for real?
Surely he did not talk to other women like this. I collected two hasty steps, my small frame lined with his.
What was I trying to do?
Intimidate him?
You couldn’t intimidate a man like this. Anyone who knew Cannon Jacobs knew he lived by his own rules. I can respect that. But you can do your thing without being a rude fucking prick.
There was a dark hunger in his eyes. One I’d seen directed at me quite a few times since we began working together, but I ignored it and laid into his ass. “The only men in this room that will ever have the pleasure of being between these legs are Jameson and Jack.” I said firmly, my voice was strong with conviction, but inside I was a hot ass mess.
His incredible blue eyes held mine, paralyzing me. Like he could see right through me. Like he could read my thoughts. He remained silent for an eternity before his face broke into a knowing smile. A smile that turned my insides into some kind of hot, compliant goo. “Oh come on, Cora. You know you want it.”
“You’re an asshole!” I shouted in a weak attempt to ward off my desire.
Because God knows I wanted it.
Why the hell was I so turned on right now? His words should piss me off. I definitely wasn’t that girl. I may be from the trailer park, but I was no fucking Britany. “I’ll never be that girl.”
“What girl?”
“One who gets on her knees in a stock room just to please a man.”
Cannon stepped closer, a flash of desire heating his gaze. “I think you’re dying to get on your knees for me.”
Truthfully, I was.
But I’ll be damned if I ever tell him that.
I lifted my chin before crossing my arms in defiance. “I don’t get on my knees for anybody.”
He studied me for a moment as if I were some kind of puzzle he didn’t quite know how to put together. Then resignation slipped over his face, his eyes turning a softer shade of blue. “Tell ya what, let’s be friends instead. I think I would prefer that anyway.”
“Being friends will not get you between my legs either, Jacobs. Give it up.”
He smiled and it was then I remembered he never smiled at anyone. At least not enough to reveal this breath-taking beauty I was witnessing right now.
Gah…
He should definitely do that more often. My panties were proof a smile could melt cotton.
Oh sweet Lord, then he laughed, amusement dancing in his haunted eyes. The sound was contagious, triggering a reluctant smile of my own.
Wasn’t I just pissed at him?
“Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you that way.” My heart beat loudly in my chest. I was certain he could hear it. He extended his large hand. “Friends?”
Friends.
What on earth could come from being friends with this guy? But with him looking at me like that, how could I say no? Unable to resist him, I placed my hand in his and the connection was instant.
A feeling.
A charge.
It was strong and strangely something I never wanted to let go of. His long fingers wrapped gently around mine, gifting me with a promising squeeze and a wave of heat before releasing me. He left me with a promise of friendship and something else. Something I would grow to trust and cherish immensely.
Something really, really good.
“What cha grinnin’ at?” Cannon asked, bringing me back to his kitchen table where we sat before our empty plates. The early morning sun inched its way across the bright delta sky, casting rays of light through the bay window. His sparkling blue eyes were like a mirror, reflecting the golden rays.
I liked looking into those eyes.
A little too much, maybe.
“The day we became friends,” I told him, earning myself a smile.
We’d grown extremely close since then. Cannon knew pretty much everything there was to know about me. Some people didn’t like to talk about their problems. I didn’t share my shit all over the place like others I knew, but I wasn’t afraid to go to my friends for help either. Cannon knew my mother was a junky, who wasn’t really a mother at all. He knew about my older brother Winston, who was on death row. And of course, he knew everything that had happened between me and Dent.
Well, most of it anyway.
“Best decision I ever made.” he said. “Except now, I’m startin’ to regret it.”
My heart took a nose dive. “What? Why?”
“Because maybe if I would have been more persistent, you wouldn’t be with that asshole, who clearly treats you like shit.”
“Oh, and you think you can treat me so much better?”
“Well for starters, you wouldn’t be cryin’ when you left my bed,” he stated firmly. “Because I would never let you leave,” I grimaced as my stomach fluttered and my chest grew tight.
What was he trying to say? He wanted me to be his? Or he just wanted to fuck me?
Confu
sed by his words, I rose to my feet to collect our dirty plates. “We both know that’s never gonna happen,” I said depositing the dishes in the sink.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he countered and heat invaded body.
I ignored his statement, knowing full well I didn’t have the voice to tell him it would absolutely never happen. Because the truth was, I wanted it to happen. I’d fantasized about it, dreamed about it. Wondered what it would be like to be the one he desired, the one he needed. But I didn’t want him to use me like he used other women. I didn’t want to be his escape.
I wanted to be his solace.
The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.
~Elbert Hubbard
Cora wasn’t like other girls. Of course she was beautiful, but she also had this quiet confidence about her along with something else I’ve never been able to name. Whatever it was held my heart hostage. The feelings I had for her grew more and more every day. Almost possessive. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight. I damn sure didn’t want her near him.
Why am I so afraid to lose her when she’s not even mine?
I kept asking myself the same question over and over again, but the answer never came. Probably because I was terrified to acknowledge what I’d always felt for her. Because deep down I knew, it was bigger than either one of us could handle.
It had been a week since her ex had texted her and the voice in my head continued to grow louder day by day. The one that had been screaming since the first time I laid eyes on her. I tried not to think about how bad I wanted her. How her lips would feel on mine. How good those smooth legs would feel wrapped around my bare waist. But it was damn hard to do with her sitting right next to me.
The summer wind poured through our rolled down windows while Dixieland Delight was turned down low. Cora rode shotgun, feet propped up on the dash, long blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. A few thousand strands had escaped, dancing and whipping across her beautiful face.
Fucking beautiful.
She gazed out of the window, a faraway look in her eyes. “You ever think about runnin’ away, Cannon?”
All the damn time.
“Yeah,” I answered, taking a sip from my beer, keeping my eyes on the dirt grooves of the road. “But I know it won’t solve anything.”
Her eyes swung to mine. “You didn’t feel better when you left Alabama?”
My fist tightened around the wheel. “No, hell is not a place you can escape. You carry it around with you.” I told her calmly, trying to keep my voice even but failing miserably.
“Wow…I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say something so deep and profound.” She teased, and it eased the tightness in my chest. She knew she struck a nerve. We’d met at this bridge before. The one where I tell her to jump off because I’m not talking about Alabama or anything else from my past.
Cora shifted in her seat, tucking one bare foot beneath her. “No, you’re right. It won’t solve anything.”
“What are you runnin’ from, babe?”
She scoffed. “My mother, for one.”
Shit, who could blame her, that woman was such a bitch. I’d only met her once and that was enough. Besides the creepy way she eye-fucked me the whole five minutes I was in her presence, she also treated Cora like shit. And I didn’t like that one bit. They were constantly fighting.
“Why don’t you move out?” I asked.
Cora’s sad eyes fell to her lap. “You know I can’t afford that. Every dime I make goes to Winston’s appeal, and to make matters worse, I haven’t seen him in almost three months since my car is a piece of shit. We write, but it’s not the same.”
“I can take you to see him if you want.”
“It’s almost two hours away.” she informed me.
“So?”
“You would do that for me?”
Why was she so surprised? I would do anything for her.
Well, most anything.
“Of course.”
She threw herself over the console, wrapping her slender arms around my neck. “Thank you,” I was gifted with a warm kiss on my cheek, leaving my skin on fire.
“When do you think you could take me?” she asked.
Hmm…when can I take her?
I can take her right here. All she would have to do is climb over here and slide her fine ass down on my cock.
I struggled to recall her next day off. “Wednesday? I think we’re both off.”
She smiled and it was brighter than the sun shining through the windows.
The road wandered on. We spent the next few hours listening to music and riding. Just two friends, sharing a beer, dirt road and time.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.
~Jane Austen
“So then what happened?”
“We got drunk and I ended up crashing on his couch again. He dropped me off this morning.” My friend Alyssa gasped.
Sweet Lyssa.
She seriously needed to live a little. We’d been friends since high school. Her name was Alyssa Wylde, but her last name was the only thing wild about her. She had innocent blue eyes. The kind of eyes that trusted easily and obeyed immediately. She wore perfectly pressed blouses and knee length skirts. Even her black flats were boring. I tried to bedazzle them once, but she nearly took my head off. OCD didn’t have shit on Lyssa. Now her photography, that’s where she really let loose.
“You slept at his house?” she asked still in shock.
Lyssa wasn’t naïve, but she could be a prude sometimes. I think it was because she was sheltered so much growing up. Her parents were very religious and very…strange. Sex was a sin in their home. So was makeup…tight clothing…books that weren’t written about God. I’d tried desperately over the years to open her up, but she was a good girl through and through.
“Yeah…I’ve slept at his house before you know.” Lyssa had never even had sex with a man before, much less slept over. A twenty-three year old virgin who was afraid of men.
My poor friend.
“Relax, we’re just friends,” I told her.
She let go of a chuckle. “That’s not what you said the night you drunk dialed me.”
My face flushed with heat. “I thought we agreed never to speak of that night ever again.”
God, I wish I could erase the stupid phone call from my memory forever.
Beer before liquor…never sicker.
Or is it liquor before beer?
Either way…don’t mix the shit. It’s like truth serum on steroids. The aftermath was not pretty.
“Ok…movin’ on. Let’s talk about you. How are you liking the new job?”
I could hear the smile in her voice. “Garrett and Eric are great. I love being with them. But living in someone’s backyard is…kinda weird.”
Lyssa originally worked for Tabitha and Barrett Shaw, helping them with little Ava when Tabitha decided to go back to work. But now she was a live-in nanny for Maddie and Holden Brooks. They even built her a guest house behind their new home. Lord knows, they needed her. The twins were just beginning to walk and boy they were a handful. But Lyssa was good with them. Being a nurturer came natural to her.
Too bad it didn’t come so easily for others.
“I should come over soon. I haven’t seen the boys in a while. We can have a sleepover.”
I could hear her smile when she replied. “I’d like that.”
My phone beeped, signaling another call. When I pulled the phone from my ear, my heart sank.
“Lyssa, I gotta go. I’ll call you later ok?”
“Ok, bye.”
I clicked over. “Hey,”
“Hey, beautiful,”
Silence hung on the line, screaming so loud it broke my heart all over again.
“Driving up in a bit. You on tonight?”
“Yeah…’til midnight.”
�
��I’ll stop by.”
“Ok.”
“I miss you.”
Tears burned my eyes as I dug my pink painted toe into the blue stained carpet. “I miss you too, Dent. Text me when you get there and I’ll take my break.”
“You got it.”
I ended the call, tossing my phone on the bed. What am I doing? Why on earth am I even getting my hopes up? He’s only going to hurt me again. My mind knew this, but I just couldn’t get my heart to understand that even though we loved each other very much, Dent was bad for me. I was bad for him. And no matter how bad each of us wanted it, we weren’t meant to be. I’d come to this conclusion last month. It’s why I finally found the nerve to break up with him, but I still haven’t found the strength to let go.
“Cora Gail, get your fucking ass in here right now.”
I’d just pulled on a pair of shorts over my hips when my mother flung open the door. The knob made an even bigger indention into the wood paneling, caused by her obvious anger with me.
Her bloodshot eyes raked up and down with a hefty amount of disgust and jealousy. The only two emotions she was capable of anymore. “You didn’t take the garbage out again and the sink is full of dishes.” she said, taking a long drag from her Virginia Slim.
“I’ll do it before I leave for work.”
“I want it done now.” Smoke curled around her worn face. “Or you can start paying rent.”
I hated living here, but I didn’t have a choice right now. Every penny I made went towards the appeal and she knew it. She didn’t care if he ever made it out of there. She didn’t care about either of us. If it hadn’t been for my brother taking care of me, who knows where I would be.
I owed him everything.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” I needed to put on a bra first, especially if one of her many overnight guests were here.
“Hurry up,” she ordered, slamming the door behind her.
After collecting a few calming breaths, I put on a bra and did as I was told. Because honestly, what choice did I have?
I’m sorry, if you were right, I’d agree with you.
