The Next Play: Part Two

by Rhyannon Byrd

  When it’d happened, he’d said it was the best he’d ever had. But now… Now he knew that was only because he hadn’t met Jocelyn Brenna yet.

  Denny had been a treat for his bruised soul, but the pleasure he’d found with her didn’t come anywhere close to how he felt just sitting in the same room with Jocelyn. He didn’t know how to explain it; it just was. The woman fucking did it for him in a way that was incomparable, as if she’d literally been made just for him. Every goddamn thing about her was his ideal, and he knew he could happily spend the rest of his life with his dick buried inside her hot little body and never grow bored. Never even think about wanting something else.

  For him, there was nothing else. He hadn’t even fucked her yet, but he was still ruined in a way that he wouldn’t have changed even if he could. In the best of ways.

  And now he finally got it—why Gabe had been so goddamn scared of following his heart and going after Denny. Because this was some scary shit.

  When you wanted something this badly, the thought of losing it was like carrying a burning hot coal in your gut. One that just kept firing hotter and hotter, until the blaze was always raging at the back of your mind, threatening to consume you.

  Forcing himself to lean back into the comfortable sofa, he let his gaze wander around the beautiful room that was actually a home—a place filled with warmth and love—and it suddenly occurred to him that despite that gut-wrenching fear, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this good, like something sweet had been injected into his veins, and he wanted to savor the hell out of it.

  He’d even enjoy spending a day at the zoo, if it meant he got more of this feeling.

  “Jonah!” Davey suddenly yelled, running into the living room and throwing his little body onto the sofa beside him, while Jocelyn came in behind him carrying two steaming mugs of coffee.

  “Hey dude,” he said with a smile. “You ready to go have some fun today?”

  “Doing what?” the little boy asked with an excited, dimpled grin.

  “Davey,” Jocelyn said, setting the mugs down on two coasters on the coffee table, before sitting down on the floor on the opposite side, so that she faced them on the sofa, “you took Mommy’s question right out of her mouth.”

  At his mom’s words, Davey’s eyes went wide with surprise. “I did? I took them right out?”

  The smile she gave the kid was so warm and full of love, Jonah felt his heart literally skip a beat, just like they always did in cheesy pop songs. “It’s just a saying, honey. It means you said the same thing that I was getting ready to say.”

  “Silly, Mommy!” Davey laughed.

  “Silly, beautiful Mommy,” Jonah husked under his breath.

  He knew the darker flush of pink on her cheeks meant that she’d heard him, and there was another kind of smile on her lips as she brought that smoky green gaze back to his. “So, what are we doing?”

  Hoping he wasn’t about to make a stupid offer, he cleared his throat a little and said, “Uh, how do you two feel about a day at the zoo?”

  Jocelyn’s eyes went as wide as her son’s had just been. “Are you seriously offering to take us to the zoo?”

  Stifling a wince, he asked, “Is it lame?”

  “Not at all.” Another beautiful smile curled her lips, and he could tell just how powerfully he’d stunned her. “It’s one of our favorite places, but we haven’t been able to go in a while. We’d love to spend the day there.”

  “Great.” He smiled back at her, relieved as hell that he’d finally gotten something right. “And I know this awesome place where we can grab breakfast along the way.”

  Later that afternoon, Jonah was a little surprised by how the day was turning out. He’d never done anything like this—spent time with a woman and her child before—but he was enjoying the hell out of being with Jocelyn and Davey. That wasn’t the surprising part though. No, the shocker was that he was actually good at it. There’d been lots of laughter and smiles, and despite the fact that he wanted to get this woman into his bed and keep her gorgeous little ass there for as long as she’d let him, there was a kind of heady satisfaction in just spending the day with her. Something that he’d honestly never felt before.

  And Davey was a freaking riot. The kid already had some mad charm skills going on, brightening the day of everyone he came into contact with, from the overworked waitress at the pancake house where they’d grabbed breakfast, to the snarky teenager in charge of selling the giraffe food.

  “Mommy! Jonah! Did you see that? Did you?” Davey yelled over his shoulder, his eyes as round as saucers. He was pressed up against the glass at the penguin exhibit as close as he could get, fascinated by the way he could watch them dive under the water to catch their food as the keepers tossed in bucket loads of fish.

  “We did, baby,” Jocelyn replied, grinning as she watched Davey turn back to the glass. “It was awesome.”

  She was sitting beside Jonah on the bench they’d found just behind where Davey was standing to watch the penguins, slowly finishing her ice cream cone. He and Davey had devoured theirs in a couple of minutes, but Jocelyn was apparently the “savor it until it’s nearly melting all over me” type, and Jonah knew that if he didn’t stop watching her pink little tongue licking around the rim of her sugar cone, he was going to be in some serious trouble.

  Turning his attention back to Davey, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud when the kid started waddling back and forth in front of the glass like a penguin, his little arms held down tight at his sides.

  “What?” Jocelyn asked, nudging him with her shoulder.

  Jerking his chin at Davey, he said, “He’s a great kid, Jace. I’ve never spent much time around any kids, but I know pure happiness when I see it. You’re an awesome mom.”

  She gave him one of those shy smiles of hers, blushing so prettily he couldn’t help but stare, thinking she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “He’s the one who’s awesome,” she said. “I’m just lucky to have him.”

  “You are,” he rasped, sounding like he’d been choking down some gravel. She finally finished up her ice cream, and he reached over and took hold of her hand, giving it a little shake to get the silver charms on her bracelet jangling. Recalling how she’d told him it’d been a gift from “someone special,” he said, “Davey gave this to you, didn’t he?”

  Running the index finger on her other hand over the sparkling, heart-shaped charms, she said, “It was my Mother’s Day gift this year. He helped my mom pick it out for me.”

  Lifting their entwined hands, he pressed a tender kiss to the soft skin on the back of hers and grinned. “I’ve got fond memories of this bracelet. Kid’s got great taste.”

  “I thought so too,” she said with a dramatic sigh, “but then it turns out that he likes you, so now I’m not so sure.”

  His chest shook as a low, gritty laugh slipped past his lips. “Wow, look at you trying to be all funny.”

  “What do you mean trying?” she asked with an arched brow, pulling him along with her as she moved back to her feet. And then, with a definite note of wryness in her soft voice, she said, “I seem to be able to crack you up all the time.”

  “Jocelyn, no one else ever even makes an effort to make me laugh.” She turned her lovely face up to his, the tender look of compassion in her beautiful green eyes hitting him right in the gut, his voice a bit gruffer as he went on. “And, uh, just in case you haven’t noticed, I’m enjoying the hell out of it.”

  Before she could say anything, Davey ran up and grabbed her other hand, ready to move on from the penguins. They spent the rest of the afternoon taking in some of the animal shows, and grabbed dinner at one of the family restaurants, since Davey wanted to try the chicken tenders that were shaped like lions. After getting a full belly of food, the little guy could barely keep his eyes open, so they called it a day and started making their way back to the car park.

  When they’d left her apartment that morning, they’d had to ta
ke Jocelyn’s car, since the Audi wasn’t exactly built to comfortably hold a car seat. And while Jonah wasn’t one of those macho assholes who had a problem letting a woman drive him around, he’d been happy to slide behind the wheel when she offered—and then mentally catalogued all the reasons why she needed a new ride the entire way to the zoo. Her little sedan was safe enough, but not nearly up to a standard he was comfortable with for her and Davey—and if he thought there was a chance in hell that she’d let him, he’d have gone and bought them an SUV right then and there.

  But while Jocelyn Brenna might look as tough as a marshmallow, there was a backbone of steel beneath all those lush curves and bashful smiles, and he knew damn well that she’d never go for it.

  They got lucky with traffic on the way home, making good time through the city, and as he glanced at Davey in the rearview mirror, he saw that the boy was fast asleep. “You know,” he said in a low voice, not wanting to wake him up, “I spent a lot of time last night, after I got home, thinking about why you didn’t tell me about him, and I get it, Jace. I made a lot of assumptions about your private life, but I was too focused on beating back how I feel about you to take the time to ask the right questions. The important ones.” He flicked the turn signal on, then reached over to take her hand, threading their fingers together. “You should know that’s going to be different now.”

  “It is?”

  “Yeah,” he rasped, rubbing his thumb over her delicate knuckles. “I want to learn everything there is to know about you, Miss Brenna.”

  “And am I going to have the same chance to learn about you?”

  He shook his head as he laughed. “Sweetheart, I’m not much more than what you’re looking at.”

  “Jonah, that’s—”

  “Completely true,” he cut in. “But I plan on doing something about it.”

  He wasn’t quite sure what that would entail, but he’d figure it out. If it meant getting to be a part of Jocelyn’s life, then he’d do whatever the hell he had to. Yesterday morning, he’d experienced exactly what it felt like to watch her walk away—and he never wanted to feel that way again. Just the slick, sickening memory of it started to scrape at him, cutting at him like something wild trying to claw its way out from inside him, until her husky voice reached out to him through the darkness.

  “All of us can use a little self-improvement,” she murmured. “Especially me. But you, Jonah Cartwright, are a hell of a lot more than a pretty face.”

  “You’re wrong,” he husked, “but I’m happy as hell that you think so.” He wanted to pull her hand to his lips so he could kiss it, but had to let go so he could turn the wheel into her building’s underground parking garage. Reversing her little car into her numbered parking space, he added, “I had fun today.”

  “Me too. Thank you for taking us.”

  “Thank you for letting me. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much.”

  She laughed like she didn’t believe a word he’d just said.

  “I’m serious,” he said, cutting the engine and pulling out her key fob. “I’ve never had a day like today.”

  “Yeah, I imagine you usually go at a much different speed,” she drawled, grabbing the bag of souvenirs by her feet and opening her door.

  “The speed might have been different,” he conceded, looking at her over the top of the car after they’d both climbed out, “but that doesn’t mean better.”

  She smiled a little, but didn’t say anything more as she came around the front of the car, since Davey’s car seat was behind the driver’s seat. “Do you want me to carry him up for you?” he asked, opening the rear door.

  She was clearly surprised by the offer. “You don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” He leaned into the backseat, and all the damn straps threw him for a second, but he finally got the buckles undone and lifted Davey’s sleeping body into his arms. The boy snuggled against him, his cheek resting on Jonah’s shoulder, little arms thrown around his neck, and he’d never felt anything like it. Christ, no wonder parents were so protective of their children. Davey’s little body felt so fragile and small, and Jonah didn’t think he’d ever walked so carefully in his entire life as he did while he was carrying Jocelyn’s son.

  When they reached her apartment, he followed her down the dim hallway, into the back part of the apartment that he still hadn’t seen. She went through the last doorway on the right, flicking on a muted nightlight before pulling back the covers on the bed that was shaped like a race car. As carefully as he could, he laid Davey down on the colorful sheets, and Jocelyn leaned over the tiny bed, pulling off her son’s shoes.

  “I’ll go put on some coffee,” he whispered, leaving her to get the little guy into his pajamas. It was easy to find everything he needed in her kitchen, and by the time she was coming back down the hallway, pushing up the sleeves on the fluffy gray cardigan she’d thrown on that morning over the tank top that so perfectly showcased her mouthwatering breasts, Jonah was carrying two steaming mugs of coffee into the living room.

  “Where should I put them?” he asked, unable to spot any of the coasters that had been on the table that morning.

  “You can just set them on the magazine. Davey was using the coasters as spaceships before we left for the zoo, so they’re probably all in his room.”

  Choking back a laugh when he noticed he was about to set the mugs down on a smiling cover shot of Hollywood’s newest romcom leading lady, he said, “Katie Smith’s not quite that wholesome looking when she’s out on the town.”

  Jocelyn’s eyes went wide. “She’s one of my favorite actresses. Do you know her?”

  Wishing he’d just kept his stupid mouth shut, he muttered, “Not personally. But she’s a member at Vane.”

  Her face went pale with shock. “Ohmygod, you’ve slept with her?”

  “What? No!”

  It was clear from the way she was looking at him that she didn’t believe his denial.

  “Christ, Jocelyn, I’m telling you the truth. Just trust me when I say that I’m, uh, not her type.”

  Skepticism was written all over her freckled little face as clearly as a headline. “You honestly expect me to believe that? What? Is she blind? Doesn’t like redheads?”

  “Yeah,” he grunted, torn between thinking this was funny as hell and frustrating as fuck, “I sure as hell do expect you to believe me, because I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s also good for my ego that you find the idea of someone not finding me attractive so unbelievable.” He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Then he lowered his head and whispered his next words in her ear. “And the color of my hair isn’t the problem, sweetheart. It’s the fact that I have a big cock instead of a pretty little pussy.”

  “Ohh…” she murmured, clueing in. “Um, is this a bad time to mention that I have a total girl crush on her?”

  “Oh yeah?” His mouth brushed across hers as he smiled. “I feel like I should be jealous, because Katie would fucking love you. She’s got a definite sweet spot for beautiful blondes who have great tits and sweet little cunts.”

  She shivered the way she always did when he talked dirty to her, blushing so brightly he could feel the warmth of her skin as he kissed the corner of her mouth.

  “And speaking of your sweet little cunt,” he murmured, all the blood in his body rushing into his cock so hard and fast he almost went lightheaded, “don’t you think it’s about time you let me have some one-on-one time with it? I’ve only touched it once, and I haven’t even gotten my mouth on it yet.”

  She gave a feminine snort. “You make it sound like a hardship.”

  “It is,” he growled, fisting his hands in her hair as he tilted her head back, his open mouth trailing down the trembling column of her throat. “I want to eat you out so goddamn badly, Jace, waiting for it has been one of the biggest hardships of my life.”

  “Hard, um, being the operative word there, right?”

  Completely charmed by her,
he laughed low as he kept his grip on her hair, holding her trapped for the deep, hungry kiss that he gave her. No matter how raw or ravenous he took that succulent mouth, he couldn’t get enough of it. She tasted like peaches, hot and sweet, and he wanted to devour her. Swallow her up like a wolf and fucking consume her.

  Pulling his head back, Jonah studied her through his lashes, making sure she was still with him. Her lips were wet and full from how hard he’d kissed her, her cheeks flushed, eyes bright and burning with need, so he shoved the cardigan off her shoulders, ripped the tank top up over her head, and pulled down the cups of her lacy white bra.

  Bending her back over his arm, he lowered his head and touched the very tip of his tongue to one of her small, pink nipples, making her moan, the guttural growl ripping up from his throat impossible to control. Then he turned her sexy moan into a breathless cry as he took that little nipple between his lips and started sucking on her, her gorgeous breasts the softest, sweetest goddamn things he’d ever gotten his mouth on. He wanted to suck on her for hours. Lick her until the smooth perfection of her was burned into his brain.

  But he hadn’t been lying when he’d told her he needed his mouth between her legs, so without a word he picked her up, her arms instantly wrapping around his shoulders, her legs circling his waist, as he carried her into the back hallway.

  “Which door is it?” he whispered, damn near stumbling when she ground herself against his heavy erection, his cock so hard he was surprised he hadn’t busted through the button-fly on his chinos.

  “Last one on the left,” she whispered back, kissing her way down the side of his throat.

  The door to Davey’s room was shut, but Jonah was careful to be quiet, not wanting to disturb him. And, yeah, he really wanted some uninterrupted time with the kid’s mommy.

  Christ, he wanted it so bad he was shaking like a virgin, and God only knew he hadn’t been one of those in years.

  He was only dimly aware of the details of her bedroom as he carried her in, quietly shutting the door behind them, the soft spill of light from a small lamp on a table in the corner casting everything in a warm, burnished glow. But the walls could have been painted bright neon green, and he probably wouldn’t have even noticed, his attention was so thoroughly focused on the vibrant, breathtaking woman in his arms.