by Ali Parker
"Get off." I pushed again as he gripped my face tighter and lifted my chin before leaning down to kiss me roughly.
A sob ripped from my lips as disgust raced through me. What had I thought would happen when I broke up with him? He was overly aggressive and an asshole on a good day of the week.
"Hey! Get the fuck off of her." Jacob's voice surprised me.
"Not you again." Brody let me go, and I crumbled to the ground, not realizing that the fucker had pulled me up the side of the building to where my feet weren't touching the ground.
Jacob picked him up and tossed him toward the opening of the alleyway. "Let me see you around her again, and I swear to God, I'm gonna break your fucking right hand, rich boy."
"I'm not sure who I feel more sorry for between the two of you. Her with a daddy that didn't stick around and a drunk slut for a mother, or you with a mother who didn't want you and a father that squirted and ran. So pathetic." He flipped us off and walked around the building.
"I'm so sorry." I pushed up from the dirty alleyway and brushed my tears away with the back of my arm. "I'm so fucking done with him."
"Did he hurt you?" Jacob moved closer, but didn't touch me. The concern on his handsome face had me reaching for him.
"No. I'm sorry about kneeing you." I touched the side of his face and lifted to my toes, pressing my lips to his before I lost my nerve. It was the worst possible time to let anything slip out of me where he was concerned, and yet I needed his warmth.
He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me in tightly, leaning into the kiss and making love to my mouth softly, slowly.
I pulled back a little and took a shaky breath. "I didn't mean to-"
"Don't apologize for anything with me, all right?" He kissed me again and released me before opening the door to the pizza place. "What the hell are you doing back here anyway?"
"I got a job here yesterday." I walked past him. "What are you doing here? I thought you had summer league."
"I did, but we just ran drills at the ass crack of dawn this morning." He closed the door behind us and put the sign back where it belonged. "You know my dad is the one that owns this place, right?"
"Yeah. Did you come up to see him?" I tried not to lick my lips to taste him again, but I couldn't help it. My heart was trying to break free from my chest by the incessant beating below my breast, and I couldn't catch my breath.
"No. I work here now too. Funny coincidence." He chuckled and walked to the time clock as Clayton walked out of the office with a clipboard full of forms.
"Hey, Jacob." He extended his hand to Jacob and handed me the clipboard. "Um... you okay? You look a little flushed."
"Yeah, I'm fine." I took it and turned to walk into the belly of the restaurant. I hadn't been seated for more than three minutes when Jacob put a Coke down beside me and took the seat across the booth from me.
"How is your sister? Everything turn out all right?"
"Yeah. I think so. Lucas got her home safely, but she's not returning my calls now that she's there. Not that I blame her." I shrugged. "We don't have much of a relationship as it is."
"That's because she reminds you of your mom?" His voice was soft, and for the first time since our long night together three years back, I saw a side of Jacob that tugged at my heart.
"Yeah, she does." I glanced back down at the paper. "I'm sorry about Brody talking about your family the way he did. He has everything in life and feels the need to remind anyone who will listen that they don't."
"He's a prick, and word on the street is that his parents are rich bastards that don't pay him a bit of attention either. His little brother is the star of their house, and he drives himself crazy trying to outdo the kid." Jacob smiled and leaned back.
"Why didn't you throw that back in his face?" I dropped my hands in my lap as surprise raced through me.
"Because I'm not always the asshole you guys expect me to be."
"You're not an asshole at all." I picked up my pen and started to work on the form a little more. "A whore maybe, but not an asshole."
"I like women." He shrugged. "Sue me?"
"I wish you had a big pot of cash I could sue you for. I just lost my sugar daddy." I breathed in deeply and tried not to panic at the truth in my words.
"If I had the money, you wouldn't have to sue me, Emily. I'd help you out without question." He tapped the table and stood up. "You'll enjoy it here for as long as we're open."
"What?" I glanced up. "Are you guys going to be closing soon?"
"I don't know. I need to come up with some good advertising for the old man. We're not getting the crowds we used to get thanks to that football prick attacking that girl in the alley back there. It's like there's a taint on this place now."
"How do we change that?" Concern washed through me. I didn't know much about Jacob's dad, but the way all of my friends talked about him left me thinking he was a top-of-the-line kinda guy.
"I'm not sure. How about you and I get together for a burger soon and figure it out? We can come up with a few strategies and present them to the old man. That might help." His eyes moved down to my lips and lingered. "I'm sorry about your sister getting into the house. It would seem I'm losing my touch as a leader at Omega. It's a trend with me lately."
I reached out and ran my hand over the thick swell of his shoulder, trying hard not to pay attention to the tendril of pleasure that shot out from my center at the idea of pressing my lips to his flesh once more.
"It'll get better. We just need to come up with some better house rules than the ones you guys probably use."
"And what do you know about house rules, pretty girl?" His lip lifted in a smirk.
"I'm in charge of the cheerleaders here at Providence. I'm very familiar with rules." I released him and turned back to my application.
"I like this we thing." He tugged at my pencil.
"Don't get too used to it." I hid my smile and waited until he walked off to glance up and stare at his ass. Fuck if he didn't glance over his shoulder and laugh.
"Caught ya."
Chapter 16
Jacob
I knew it was the damsel in distress kiss and nothing else, but I would take attention from Emily any way I could get it. I was going to fucking kill Brody Jackson for manhandling her again after I whooped his ass the night before for hurting her. A call in to Micah, Jayce and Lucas and we would be paying the quarterback pretty boy a visit.
Where Emily wasn't mine just yet, she sure as hell wasn't his anymore. I was going to make damn sure of that, even to the point of having an intervention or fundraising event for her. The poor girl had her signals mixed up on what was important and what wasn't. Not that I had much room to talk.
After giving her grief over staring at my ass, I walked back to the walk-in to get the stuff out for our shift that day and got busy. I needed a shower like nobody’s business, but I was hoping that the extra deodorant and cologne I sprayed would get me through the day.
As much as Clayton teased me for smelling like a gentleman's club, I was pretty sure I was going to make it. The day went by quickly, and I didn't get the chance to see Emily nearly as much as I wanted to, but the small glimpses I caught were enough to set my heart on fire each time.
I was in trouble where the pretty cheerleader was concerned.
"I like her. A lot." My father stopped beside me as I finished putting a large pizza in the oven and dusted my hands on my apron.
"Me too. She's beautiful, isn't she?" I leaned down a little to watch her through the kitchen window as she smiled at some new customers.
"Very. I think we could get every male on campus to start coming in if we just advertised that she worked here." My father laughed and patted me on the back as I turned to glare at him. "No? You don't like that idea?"
"No. I don't. She's a good woman. We're not going to let anyone come in here just to ogle her." I pulled down the next ticket as he patted my back.
"Good answer, now, make s
ure you ask her out before someone else does. She's not going to be free too long."
"How do you know she's free now?"
"Because of you being so protective over her." He crossed his arms over his thick chest. "You have feelings for her, no?"
"Yeah. I do, but I wish I didn't. She’s far too good of a woman for a guy like me." I shrugged and worked on the pizza, ignoring my father’s chuckles as he walked back toward his office. It was true, and she and I both knew it. As much as I wanted to take advantage of her hurting over the shit with Brody and her sister, there was no way I could.
Fuck, she might be the only woman on campus that I couldn't take advantage of, and sadly enough, she was the only one I wanted.
*
"Oh no," Emily whispered softly as she stood at the front counter in the restaurant.
I was watching her quickly from behind, and didn't mind so much the idea of her turning around and catching me. She was stunning and left my body aching in ways I didn't know were possible. What I wouldn't give to have the right to move up behind her and wrap her in a tight hug, pulling her close and loving on her like I wanted someone to love on me.
"What's up?" I walked up beside her as she jumped.
"Oh, sorry. My sister just texted finally."
"She okay?"
"Yeah, but she can't find my mother. I guess she didn't come home from work last night, and my sister called up there and they haven't seen her either." She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest. "Why can't anyone just get their shit together long enough for me to have a day of peace?"
"Because we live in a crazy world. Let's clock out and I'll go with you to look for her." I touched her back softly, praying like hell that she would take me up on the offer. A movie would have been better, but there was no way we were moving from the tension we had the day before to being lovers without me trying to weasel my way into her heart as a friend.
"What? No way. That's not happening." She turned and walked to the back. "I can't deal with my shit on my own most of the time. I'm not bringing you into the middle of it too. No way."
"Yes way. I don't wanna deal with the shit out at the Omega House right now. Give me an out and let me just come tag along. Besides, I have my truck with me and you might need me."
She clocked out and turned to face me as tears filled her eyes. "Why are you being nice to me, Jacob?"
"Because Micah thinks you're something special, and I do too, honestly." I reached out and brushed a tear from her cheek. "Stop pushing me away."
"I'm not sleeping with you again. I can't."
"I get that. I'm not trying to get into your panties. Stop making me out to be a monster. I beat up your piece of shit boyfriend twice in the last two days and now I want to help with your mom. It's that simple, all right? Maybe I'm looking for a friendship. You know, like me and Layla have." I was lying through my fucking teeth, but it was all I could offer in my desperation to have her see the real me.
"And what do you expect in return?" She glanced around and let out a soft sigh. "Nothing is free around here. Everything has a cost."
I moved around her and put my arm over her shoulders. "I just want to get to know you, Em. With your clothes on, all right?"
"Fine, but if you hurt me."
"What?" I jerked back. "I would never hurt a woman."
"I'm not talking about physically." She moved past me and hit the back door a little harder than was needed.
"Oh," I mumbled under my breath. She had feelings for me too, obviously. I just needed to tread lightly if I wanted to figure out what exactly they were.
"I'll give you some money for gas when we get paid next week." She turned to face me as she pulled her hair down from the ponytail she had it in.
"No. I'm good. Honestly. I have plenty of scholarship money left." I moved over to open her door for her.
"Then why are you working for your dad?" She hopped up in the truck and pulled at her seatbelt.
"Because I care about him." I moved closer and reached up to work my magic on the stubborn thing. "Let me help you. The truck is old and this thing gets stuck all the time."
"Is this a ploy to touch me?" She sounded like she wanted to tease me, but she couldn't muster the playfulness needed for it.
"I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I'm always looking for a way to touch-"
"Girls?" She gave me a cheeky smile and I leaned across her and buckled the seatbelt, almost pressing my chest to hers to do it. The tight buds of her nipples scrapped across my stomach, and I stifled a groan before turning my gaze onto her.
"No. You." I kissed the tip of her nose and got out of the truck, shutting the door and walking around the back so I could adjust myself. My body was as hard as a rock, my stomach tight and aching with the need to do much more than dote on her for the rest of the night.
"Please don't come on to me right now. I'm so tired and fucked up that I'll give in, and neither of us need that." She glanced over at me before pulling out her phone.
"I beg to differ, but I'll take a step back."
"Thank you."
*
The scene at her mother's place was almost surreal. The cops were in the front yard, and her little sister was standing to the side of the rundown trailer in an older woman's arms, crying as we approached.
"What the hell is going on?" Emily moved toward the women as I walked toward the cop.
"Hey there. Can you tell us why you guys are here?" I extended my hand toward the cop.
"This your family?" He nodded back toward the house as his eyes filled with sadness.
"No, but it's my girlfriend’s." I slipped my hands into my pockets. "Is her mother okay?"
"She's all right, but has been taken downtown because of a DWI. The little girl here was home by herself, freaking out, which isn't the first time she's done this. We're waiting for CPS to show up."
"Oh. Shit." I glanced back toward Emily as my stomach turned. How could things keep going from bad to worse for the pretty girl? Life had to let up eventually and give her room to breathe.
"Yeah. We're going to make sure the child is taken care of and then we'll head out."
"Thanks," I mumbled and walked over toward the girls as the older woman holding Cally shook her head.
"I don't know why she can't get her shit together. This is the last straw though. They're going to put Cally in with CPS, and I'll just step up and adopt her. I should have done it when your momma started drinking. I just kept hoping she would get better."
"Me too," Emily whispered and glanced over at me with a helplessness in her eyes. "This is my Aunt Dara and you saw Cally last night. This is Jacob Wright. He's a friend of mine from Providence."
"Nice to meet you." I shook her aunt’s hand and wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. She might not want my affection, but she needed someone to remind her that things would get better.
Dara turned her attention back to Emily and gave her a sad smile. "Go ahead and get out of here. We don't need you in the middle of this CPS shit. I'm here with Cally and I'm not leaving her alone. I promise."
"Okay." Emily reached out to touch the side of her sister's face, but the girl jerked away and made an angry sound.
"It's all right, Em. She'll come around." Dara leaned in and kissed the side of Emily's cheek before nodding to me. "Take care of my girl for me?"
"Of course." I pulled Emily back toward the truck and opened the door for her as she stood in stony silence. "Hey, it's gonna work out. I promise."
"Tasha's out of town tonight, and I don't wanna be alone." Her face held so much hurt that I automatically stepped closer.
"Then come home with me tonight. I'll sleep on the floor and no one will mess with us."
"Are you sure?" Her eyes moved down toward the ground, and I slipped my hands around her face, forcing her to look up at me.
"Yeah, and if you need strong arms to hold you, use mine. A warm body to bring pleasure to yours, have mine. A person to remind you that
tomorrow will be better, that's me."
She pressed her forehead to my chest and let out a long, painful sob as I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. I prayed that she wouldn't ask me why I was willing to give myself up for her because I couldn't have lied about my feelings in the place she was in.
I'd have told her that three years ago, I'd started to fall in love.
Scarily enough, I realized standing there that the feeling never died or stopped.
It grew.
Chapter 17
Emily
I needed to right the wrong of leaning on him. It wasn't fair to either of us. I had a million messes to clean up in my life and Jacob Wright wasn't the kind of man to want long-term. I'd been watching Jacob since we met three years before and never once in all that time had I seen him in a steady relationship. I wasn't ready for anything like that even if he were capable of pulling it off.
"Don't change your mind on me." He reached over and took my hand as we pulled up to the Omega House.
"I'm not, but don't expect anything from me. I don't want to lead you on in any way at all."
He nodded and released my hand before getting out of the truck and waiting at the front of it for me.
"I don't expect anything, Em. I'm just here as a friend." He walked up the stairs and reached for my hand. I didn't deny him, but pressed against his back as we moved through the horde of people drinking and dancing in the living room.
"How in the world do you live with all of this noise all of the time?" I moved in as close as I could while he worked on the lock to his bedroom door. I didn't have to ask why he had a lock. There were too many shady characters living in the house. All of us with any sense knew that.
"I've gotten used to it over the years." He opened the door and moved back as I walked in. The room hadn't changed at all, and the hint of his cologne was almost too much for me in my exhausted state. The large king sized bed that sat in the middle of the room was made up as if he knew he would have company.
