Chris smiled apologetically and shrugged.
Jack leaned toward Chris and in a low voice said, “You fucking owe me.”
“First rounds on me. I’ll wave down the waitress,” Chris said, looking around.
“You better. I’m definitely going to need a drink. Probably a lot of them,” Jack said sarcastically.
He looked around the bar and his eyes stopped on a cute blonde in a very short, light blue dress that matched her eyes.
Jessie.
Damn she looked good in light blue.
She was talking to a guy at the bar, laughing and touching his arm as she chatted with him. He was giving her his full attention, obviously interested. Jack watched as she threw her head back, laughing and flipping her hair.
He had a flashback of unzipping her dress earlier in the week. Now he briefly imagined taking that little blue dress off of her and putting his hands… he shook off the thought and forced himself to look away. He started scanning the bar for the distraction he was definitely going to need tonight.
“Zoey and Jessie,” a voice came over the microphone. “You’re up.”
Jessie whirled around at the bar and rushed over to the table.
“Hi Jack!” She smiled and surprised him by hugging him briefly. He stiffly allowed the contact, noticing how good she smelled and how tiny she felt when his hand automatically rested on the small of her back.
“They’re already drunk,” Chris explained as they watched the two girls rush up to the stage. “Apparently they love karaoke. It’s like, their thing.”
Jack smiled. “Dude, Zoey’s definitely a sexy girl, with those long legs and that hot ass, but even still… you must really like her if you’re willing to sit through this bullshit.”
Chris nodded. “Yeah, man. I do. There’s something about her. So fucking hot.”
Jack laughed. “Yeah, but I think she’s going to make you work for it.”
Chris laughed with him. “Yeah, I got that feeling myself. That’s okay. I like a challenge.”
On the stage, Jessie and Zoey each held a microphone. The announcer introduced them and the song, Breathe (2 AM). Zoey started singing first. They sang the chorus together, and then Jessie sang the second verse. It was clear that they had done this song together before.
“Damn,” Chris said, unable to tear his eyes away from Zoey.
Jack was surprised at how well they could sing, especially Jessie. Their impressive voices put them in the spotlight and most people in the bar were now directing their attention toward the stage. Even Jack found their performance entertaining, although he usually hated karaoke.
He was certainly enjoying watching them move, his gaze fixed firmly on Jessie. She was obviously comfortable in front of a crowd as she moved slowly and provocatively with the music. She seemed different tonight… confident and sexy, all traces of the blushing, awkward girl he spent his workday with gone.
When they returned to the table, Chris couldn’t stop complimenting their performance.
“That was amazing! How often do you guys do this?” Chris asked.
“All the time. But I always sing better under pressure.” Zoey laughed.
“Pressure, what pressure?”
“Trying to impress you, of course,” Zoey replied, still laughing.
Jessie observed their flirty interactions for a couple of minutes. She took a sip of her drink and looked at Jack. He was quietly watching her across the table, his serious expression impossible to read.
She smiled at him but he didn’t smile back, their fun camaraderie strangely lacking. Instead, she felt something building between them.
His eyes lowered from her face to her cleavage, which her new dress was displaying nicely. She blushed under the heat of his gaze. He looked back up into her eyes.
“You okay?” Jessie asked.
He nodded and finally gave her a small smile. “Yeah, fine.”
“Not a fan of karaoke?” She smiled and moved to the other side of the table, next to him.
He shook his head. “Not really. But you sounded good.”
His restless eyes traveled up and down her body. Suddenly she was self-conscious of her super short dress. His eyes were all over her and he wasn’t even trying to hide it. She wondered what he was thinking behind that mask of indifference.
“Thanks.”
Jack couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. He was surprised by how appealing she was to him. He didn’t usually find himself so attracted to her type. The girl-next-door with the whole sweetheart vibe going on. Innocent, sweet, virgin-types had never really been his thing. Jessie was so pretty—blonde and fresh-faced, sparkly innocent baby blues. She fit that description to a tee.
He preferred his women a little edgier, experienced and broken in already. Women who were a little damaged, like him, who wanted their sex as dirty, depraved, and disconnected as he did.
Jessie was commanding his attention tonight, though. He wondered what it would be like to be with this girl. If he got her alone and out of that little dress, would she glance up at him shyly like she was doing now? What would she let him do to her? Would anything be off-limits or could he get an all-access pass?
His cock grew hard and pulsed with curiosity as he imagined touching her body, his hands and lips all over that pretty skin. Probably wouldn’t be too hard to hook up with her, either. Her crush on him was pretty obvious, as she blushed and swallowed nervously under his gaze.
What the fuck was wrong with him? He knew better than to mess around with a little sweetheart like Jessie. He was a fucking animal. There was a one hundred percent chance Jessie wouldn’t be down for his preferred rough and dirty casual encounters.
He tore his eyes away from her and looked around for the waitress so he could order another drink.
Jessie noticed Pete, the guy she had been talking to earlier at the bar, looking her way. He gave her a little wave. With that, she excused herself to go back to the bar to talk to him.
Jack cringed as the guy singing hit a terrible high note in his attempt at Whitney Houston. He watched Jessie walk back to the bar to resume her conversation with some wimpy looking dude. The guy slid an arm around her back and Jack watched his fingers curl around her waist as he pulled her a little closer.
His mood changed and he felt tense and irritated. He turned away and looked around the room, making eye contact with a super-hot girl at the bar. She smiled and began making her way toward him.
“Hi,” she said as she sidled up beside Jack.
She was tall and smoking hot—long, straight black hair, tight jeans, thigh high black leather boots and a black tank top. She had a tattoo of a flock of birds that ran down the length of her arm. Super sexy. Just about every guy in the place had an eye on her as she walked toward Jack.
“Hey.” Jack smiled slightly as he checked her out.
“Want to buy me a drink?” she purred.
He nodded and motioned for the waitress. The waitress came over and took their drink order.
The announcer called Jessie’s name again. This time she went on stage solo. She sang Faithfully, her voice so beautiful and mesmerizing that Jack found himself unable to look away.
“I’m Angie,” the girl said, in an attempt to pull Jack’s attention back to her.
He glanced at her.
“Jack,” he mumbled before turning back to the stage.
The waitress returned with their shots. Angie knocked hers back immediately, as did Jack.
“She’s pretty. She your girlfriend?” Angie asked, glancing toward the stage.
“No, fuck no,” he said quickly. “Just a girl from work.”
“Lucky me.” She put a hand on his arm and winked at him.
His eyes trailed down her tempting body. He figured they’d both be getting lucky tonight.
“Want to get out of here? I live close.”
“Yeah, let’s go.” Jack glanced at the stage before he nodded at Chris, who laughed and shook his head.
When Jessi
e finished her song she went back to talk with Pete at the bar. She gave him her number when he asked her for it, and then headed back to the table where Zoey and Chris were deep in conversation.
“Oh my God!” Zoey exclaimed. “You should have seen the super-hot biker chick that Jack just left with! She looked like she just stepped out of a movie or something. Who was that guy you were talking to at the bar? You just gave him your number, didn’t you?”
“His name is Pete. Really cute, and seems nice,” Jessie said honestly, though she felt a pang of disappointment at finding out that Jack had left with someone.
Of course, it was ridiculous. Why should she care who Jack left with?
Chapter Seven
THE NEXT AFTERNOON JESSIE RELAXED by the pool at her parents’ house. She was taking care of their cat, Lucy, while they were away for the weekend. She lay on a lounge chair in a pink bikini, eyes closed, listening to Adele through her earbuds, while the sun beat down on her golden skin.
Suddenly she shot up into a seated position, squealing at the feel of something cold dribbling on her stomach. She pulled her sunglasses up and ripped her earbuds out to find Zoey standing over her laughing, holding melting ice cubes from her iced tea over her.
“Surprise!” Zoey shouted, laughing.
Jessie laughed. “Oh my God Zoey! You scared the hell out of me!” She stood up and only then noticed that Chris and Jack were there, too.
“Oh hey,” Jessie greeted them, reaching for a sarong to wrap around her waist. “What are y’all doing?”
Jack was sorry to see her cover up that pretty little body. He was enjoying the view behind his sunglasses.
“Going to the Orioles game. Want to go with us? I would have called but I thought it would be fun to surprise you.”
“Yeah, I definitely want to go. Do I have time to get ready? I need to take a quick shower and get dressed.”
“Yeah, the game doesn’t start until seven. We have plenty of time. We were going to go somewhere and eat first,” Chris said.
“Okay, cool.” Jessie picked up her towel and glass of iced tea. “Y’all want a drink? Come on in.”
“Yeah, nice place, Jessie,” Chris said. “What did you say your folks did again?”
“My Dad is the CEO of Boatland.” Boatland was the biggest boating supplies company in the world. “My Mom’s a surgeon. They’re out of town at a medical conference. My Dad tagged along.”
“Jessie’s parents still act like newlyweds,” Zoey said. “It’s so cute. They can’t keep their hands off of each other.”
“Ugh,” Jessie grumbled. “It’s so embarrassing. No one else’s parents act like that.”
“Mine don’t, that’s for sure,” Zoey said. She laughed as they followed Jessie into the house through the French doors that opened to the pool.
Inside, Chris and Jack admired the house, which was impressive by anyone’s standards. Jessie had lived in this house since she was twelve, so she wasn’t impressed by it, of course. Zoey was used to it as well, and grew up in a home just as impressive as this one. Maybe even more so.
“I’m going to get ready.” Jessie disappeared from the room, leaving Zoey to get Jack and Chris drinks and show them around.
She took a quick shower and slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top. She put on some mascara and pink lip gloss, leaving her hair down and falling in waves around her shoulders. She checked herself in the mirror and, satisfied, skipped down the steps where the others were waiting for her.
THEY ATE DINNER AND STARTED drinking at a sports bar that was within walking distance of the stadium. Sitting at the small booth crowded in next to Jack, Jessie was overly aware of him, his hard, muscular body pressing against her much smaller frame. She was actually feeling a little dizzy from Jack trespassing so boldly into her personal space.
“You gonna finish that?” Jack asked, looking at the half of a pulled pork barbecue sandwich still sitting on her plate. She was full and had stopped eating ten minutes ago. Jack had already finished every bite of food on his own plate and now he was eyeing Jessie’s leftovers.
“No, I’m finished. You want the rest?” Jessie pushed her plate toward him. He picked up the sandwich and finished it.
Jack insisted on paying for her meal when the check came since he’d eaten half of it. Jessie tried to object but he brushed her off. She decided she would buy him a beer at the baseball game to pay him back.
At the game, Jessie noticed Jack checking out a hot brunette sitting a couple of rows in front of them. The girl kept turning around to check out Jack, also.
“Do you like her?” Jessie asked, trying to keep her tone light and casual.
Jack shrugged. “I like her ass. And that long, dark hair and those long legs.”
“She keeps looking back here at you. Are you going to talk to her?” Jessie swallowed the jealous feeling that came over her. It was totally ridiculous. Why should she care if Jack liked girls who were the complete opposite of her?
Jack shook his head. “Won’t need to. I let them come to me.”
Jessie laughed. “Oh really? You think you’ve got it like that?”
He smiled. “I do okay for myself.” She would probably be surprised if she knew how much pussy he got.
At that moment the girl Jack had been eyeing walked by. Jessie saw Jack’s eyes check her out from head to toe, lingering briefly on her breasts, swelling impressively in her tight t-shirt, her slim waist and long, tan legs that went on forever.
“Damn,” Jack commented after she had gone, shaking his head. “Time for a beer run.”
Chris laughed. “Down, boy.”
“Thought you let them come to you,” Jessie teased, although she was jealous as hell.
“I do. Just going to make it a little easier on her.” Jack laughed.
When he returned almost twenty minutes later, he handed Jessie a fresh beer.
“Thanks. Any luck?”
“Don’t need luck,” Jack answered her, his smirk firmly in place.
Jessie forced a small smile and rolled her eyes. “Of course you don’t.”
Chapter Eight
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, Jessie paid close attention to Jack as they worked on various cases, trying to learn as much as she could from him. Occasionally they worked independently, but Russell put them together most of the time, so Jessie could benefit from Jack’s experience. Jack was good. Very good. Jessie was impressed and excited to be learning so much from him.
Chris and Zoey’s relationship blossomed, so Jack and Jessie found themselves spending time together outside of work as a result of their mutual friends’ developing romance.
Drinks after work, a couple of baseball games, another few Friday nights at Whiskey Rocks for karaoke. Jack still cringed during most of the karaoke performances, but he looked forward to hearing Jessie and Zoey sing. Especially Jessie. Not that he would have admitted it, not even to Chris.
Jack knew that Jessie had a crush on him, but he figured it would pass fairly quickly. Girls like Jessie had attentive boyfriends who took them to nice restaurants and sent flowers. They didn’t suck dicks in parking lots after a night of drinking or answer booty-call text messages at two o’clock in the morning. Those were the only kinds of girls Jack had any interest in.
Jessie noticed that Jack hooked up frequently, and it was hard to miss that the women he went home with were almost always super-hot, bad girl types. And he clearly had a preference for long legs and dark hair, often with some exotic feature. Jessie quickly realized that she was frustratingly lacking in just about all of the things Jack seemed to like in a girl. The fact that it bothered her only reinforced what she already knew but didn’t want to admit. She had a serious thing for Jack Turner and that was not good.
She tried to keep her thoughts platonic, but it wasn’t always easy. Jack was so hot and had an amazing body. She was attracted to his personality as well. He was very smart and focused, with a serious and thoughtful disposition. He usually let her do
most of the talking, listening to her chatter with a slightly amused expression on his face.
Occasionally he was funny and even playful, although that side of him seemed to be more in response to Jessie’s fun and vivacious personality. She was always laughing and injecting a sense of fun into everything they did, and it seemed to stir Jack’s drier and more controlled sense of humor. Jessie found as she got to know him that she actually liked him very much. Too much.
The week before Fourth of July, Zoey came home from a date with Chris bursting with excitement.
“Chris invited me to go camping and river tubing this weekend. Apparently he and a bunch of his friends go every year for his birthday.”
Jessie looked up from her magazine. “Oh really? That’s cool. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun!”
“You mean, we’ll have a lot of fun. You’re coming, too! I need you there! I’m kind of nervous to meet his friends. You’ll come with us, won’t you?”
Jessie made a mental note to call her Dad and ask him to dig out a tent for her to take, since obviously she would be sleeping by herself on this weekend trip. Chris and Zoey had taken the leap last weekend and Jessie had been apprised of all of the sexy details. Zoey and Chris were even more into each other than before.
“Of course I’ll go. His friends will love you. Why wouldn’t they?”
“Great! Chris said he’ll pick us up Saturday morning at ten.” Zoey hesitated a moment and then added, “Jack’s going too.”
“Oh yeah?” Jessie responded absentmindedly, petting Libbie in her lap. Her heart started doing that annoying fluttery thing it did when she thought about Jack, but she forced her attention back to the article she was reading.
So what if the thought of spending two nights camping in close proximity to Jack Turner made her light-headed? It wasn’t as if she would ever make a move. Jack’s interests clearly lay elsewhere. If the girls she had seen him leaving bars with were his type, he wouldn’t be interested in someone like her, that much was for sure.
ON SATURDAY MORNING, JESSIE AND Zoey got up early and got their camping gear ready. Jessie’s Dad had dropped off a tent, sleeping bag, and other camping supplies she might need the day before.
Lit (Wrecked Hearts Series Book 1) Page 7
