I grimaced and shook my head, taking a drink of coffee. As I swallowed, a thought hit me.
“Hey, maybe you’re onto something.”
Jake raised his brows, genuine surprise spattering his face. “I’m not sure I could get my dad to sign off on giving away that much store credit...”
“No, no. That’s not what I meant.” I sat forward, cogs whirring in my head. “I wonder if there’s anything Preston would accept instead of money to pay off the debt. Maybe I could work for him or...” I trailed off, trying to think of what I could offer Preston that would be as tempting as over a hundred grand in cash.
“If working for him was enough, Dallas would be out debt right now.”
“I know. That was just an idea,” I replied. “There’s got to be something though, don’t you think? Preston’s got a lot of money already.”
“But what have you got?”
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “I guess I’ll just have to ask.”
“You’re joking right?” Jake shook his head. “You wouldn’t get within five feet of Preston without having your head blown off.”
“I never said I was going to ask Preston.”
“Then who the hell are you going to ask?”
I scrubbed a hand through my hair, face pinched in thought. “I dunno. Someone close to Preston, but who maybe doesn’t idolize the jerk the way the rest of his goons do.”
Jake cocked a quizzical brow and then laughed. “Good luck with that. Can’t you just ask Dallas?”
“I don’t think she would know. It seems like Preston and Wes keep her in the dark about most things. Besides, I don’t want her to know what I’m up to until I have a solid plan. I’d like to keep her out of this as much as possible.”
I dug through the couch cushions to find my phone, intent on texting my mom to make sure everything was groovy down in Oregon. I was surprised to see a text from an unknown number. It was from Dallas and had come in after I fell asleep. She wanted to make sure I made it out of the club okay. I texted back and said that I had, and asked if things went okay with Wes, then went back to brainstorming.
“What about—“
Jake’s sentence was cut off by the abrupt beeping of my phone. It was Dallas’s reply.
“Who’s that?” Jake asked.
I scanned the message, frowning. She was fine, it said. Wes turned out to not be the problem. Preston and Sasha tried to make her do cocaine with them, and Wes had to intervene.
“Dallas. Apparently, Sasha’s turned into a real piece of work.”
“Right, I forgot that Sasha followed Preston around like a lost puppy.” Jake’s eyes lit up. “What about asking her? She would probably know.”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea except Sasha hates me, and if she’s that obsessed with him, I doubt she’d do anything to help us.”
He frowned. “It’s a better idea than any you’ve come up with.”
“True. But I think you’re on to something,” I said thoughtfully. “Everyone from Wes’s clique in high school seems to be involved in the Gromley empire somewhere. I’ve already seen Rob and Nelson...” The thought was at the tip of my tongue, and I grasped at it, finally victorious. “Paul! Is Paul still around?”
“Paul Chesterfield?” Jake questioned.
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “He’s still part of the crew, yeah. You think he’d talk to you?”
“I do,” I replied. “I always got along better with him than any of the other guys.”
Jake nodded thoughtfully and shrugged. “Sounds like your best shot.”
“Do you know where I can find him? I haven’t seen him yet.”
“Probably because he doesn’t hang out much at the Perch. I’ve seen him here and there at the Buck’s Head when football’s on.” Jake pulled out his phone and fiddled on the screen a little bit. “And it looks like there’s a game on tonight. You might be able to catch him there.”
I lounged back and drank some coffee, thoroughly satisfied. Meeting with Paul would be the first step on a road that I’d been told time and time again was unpassable. After that kiss the night before, there was nothing I couldn’t or wouldn’t do to help Dallas. That kiss had brought me back to life.
I remembered the hunger in Dallas’s voice as she begged me to fuck her, and the way I struggled against myself to do the right thing. All I wanted to do was rip that sexy outfit off and have her right there, but I meant it when I said her first time should be special. She had been denied so many things because of this debt, starting with her prom, but a romantic first time with a man who loved her was something I was uniquely qualified to provide. She wouldn’t have to miss out. Not this time.
“I need your help with something,” I said to Jake.
His expression flickered with worry. “If it’s to talk to Paul, I don’t think I can do that, man. I can’t get involved, not with the business and my parents...”
“God no,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “Not with Paul. Not with Preston. There’s something I want to do for Dallas.”
“Is it free her from unjust pseudo-slavery at the hands of a tyrant? If so, I think we may have touched on this already.”
I shot him a flat look. “Har har.”
“Hey, I doubt there’s anyone nearly as funny as me in the army.” He spread his arms. “Take it in while you can.”
“Are you going to help me or not?”
“Depends what you need,” he replied. “I’ll do my best.”
“Well, first of all...” I trailed off in thought. How could I make this day as special as possible for Dallas? Where could I take her that wouldn’t have a Gromley stamp ruining it?
The idea hit me.
“You said it was sunny out, right?”
Chapter 27
Dallas
I parked my bike around the back of Rowland’s Hardware, just like Shane told me to, and killed the engine. I looked for him along the side of the building but couldn’t see him, so I took off my helmet and waited, letting the sun warm my back through my leather jacket.
All his text said beyond when and where I should meet him was that he had a surprise for me, and I was dying to see what it was. I’d had plenty of surprises over the years, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a pleasant one. Surprise! You belong to a psychopath and his egomaniac son now! or Surprise! You’re coming to dinner with a bunch of old assholes who are going to ogle you while they talk about you like you’re not there.
I couldn’t think what kind of fun we could accomplish at a hardware store, but I trusted Shane. I’d always trusted him, I realized, it just took me a little longer to get back to it this time around.
Skepticism and cynicism had been my natural bodyguards for so long that I forgot what it was like to give someone the benefit of the doubt. I forgot what it felt like to be optimistic.
A metallic screech drew my attention to a door off to the right. It opened, and Shane stepped outside, scanning the parking lot until he turned and found me. He grinned.
“I thought you were too scared to ride one of those death traps?” he teased.
I smacked my ride, a nineties-era Suzuki sport bike that my dad fixed up and gave to me just after my eighteenth birthday. “She’s never let me down. Besides, I’ve come to enjoy the taste of danger on my tongue.” I flashed him a devious smile, hoping he remembered the moment I was referencing.
His responding grin told me he did.
Shane had two helmets in his hand but tossed one back inside before stepping out. He was deadly handsome in his black leather jacket, unzipped to reveal a tight black t-shirt underneath. The bright sunlight picked out the definition of his abs through the cotton, and I had to drag my gaze back up to his face before I became too obvious. Shane was clean shaven, accentuating the definition of his muscular jaw. He approached me with a sly tilt of his lips as if he could read my mind. I thought a few extra dirty things just for him.
“Ready for your surprise?
” he asked in a smooth, deep voice.
I hopped off my bike. “More than you know.”
He chuckled darkly. “Good to hear. Turn around.”
I cocked a brow, but all he did was twirl his finger in a circle. Sighing, I turned around and crossed my arms, waiting to see what came next.
Shane stepped up behind me. His jacket zipper scraped along my back, and a second later his arms encircled me. I leaned back into him, smiling. It took a second for me to notice what was in his hands.
“Is that a blindfold?” I asked.
Shane nuzzled his lips against my ear. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He kissed the side of my face and stretched the blindfold between his hands, wrapping the black material around my eyes and tying it behind my head.
I could still see a little light peaking out on either side of my nose, so I closed my eyes to get the full effect. Birds chittered in the trees at the back of the lot, but for me, it was the dead of night.
Shane moved away from me but I held my spot. I didn’t trust myself not to trip over a rock and ruin the fantasy. He returned a moment later and slid my helmet on, then grabbed my hand and led me to the side of his bike. I managed not to kick it over as I got on, and in no time we were riding off into the unknown, my arms securely wrapped around his waist and my heart vibrating with happiness.
It was exhilarating, not being able to see where we were going. I remembered the first time I’d ridden with him, how it felt like I was flying. I hadn’t been able to capture that exact feeling again until now. The world whipped past me, and each turn made my belly quiver. I never wanted to stop.
Of course, we had to stop eventually, particularly since I doubted the blindfolded ride was the main event. Shane pulled over on gravel a while later, and I breathed in the scent of pine and moss with a dreamy smile on my face.
He helped me off the bike and removed the helmet, careful not to disturb the blindfold.
“Are you ready?” Shane asked.
“For what?” I asked with a light laugh.
He stroked his thumb down my cheek, and my hand instantly went to the front of his shirt, desperate to connect with him in any way I could. The memory of our kiss had consumed my every waking thought since I left Preston’s office the night before, and the fact that he hadn’t kissed me yet was killing me.
“I’m going to take you back in time, before any of this mess ever happened,” he said.
“I’m ready.”
He pulled me close, and I buried my face in his chest as he untied my blindfold. It fell past my ears, and I stepped back, opening my eyes to a flood of light.
I knew exactly where we were. It could have been any stretch of wooded road around Sitka Valley, of which there was no shortage, but this place was one I’d never forget. We’d stopped here one unforgettable night years ago. It was Shane’s special spot.
“Come on.” Shane grabbed my hand and led me down the bank to the start of the path.
I trailed along beside him, turning my head to take it all in. The trees stretched high above us, vibrant and green where the light pierced their branches and dark and somber in the shadows. The sun was almost directly above us, scattered beams illuminating dust motes as they floated through the air. Nothing had changed here and, as the years of caked on misery began to flake off my heart, I started to feel like the same girl who’d first come to this place with a feeling of excitement and without fear. Maybe time travel was possible.
We talked as we clambered along the overgrown path. Not about Preston or Wes. Not about anything to do with those lost years. We debated the age-old question of Coke versus Pepsi, ruminated on which Guy Richie film we liked the best, and came to a consensus that Lionel Richie was under appreciated in modern society. It was like we were finding ourselves again, as individuals and as a pair.
I hadn’t felt like myself for so long that I forgot how much I loved to ponder, to dream, and to speculate. I could tell Shane was going through the same kind of self-rediscovery based on the way his face changed when we talked, lines and hard edges slowly easing away until he seemed perfectly content.
The meadow clearing was just as spectacular as I remembered, with one minor alteration. Namely, a red and white checked picnic blanket lay over some of the shorter grass, reflecting sunlight so that it almost glowed. Directly in the center of it was a wicker basket with the neck of a wine bottle sticking out.
“What is this?” I stared up at Shane, unable to hide the smile on my face. “We’re having a picnic?”
“You don’t miss anything, do you Sherlock?” He winked and I smacked his arm.
“Don’t be a jerk. I’ll go home.”
“We wouldn’t want that, would we?”
Next thing I knew Shane was lifting me into the air. I shrieked and threw my arms around his shoulders as he carried me bridal style to the blanket, where he lay me down with remarkable gentleness.
“Was that strictly necessary?” I jokingly complained.
“You bet.” He grinned and pulled the bottle of wine from the basket, then stuck his hand back in and emerged with two glasses. “A drink?”
“Yes, please.”
I watched Shane’s brow furrow in concentration as he balanced the two glasses on the blanket and began to pour. It reminded me of all the times I’d glimpsed him at work in my dad’s shop, completely involved in whatever piece of machinery he was fiddling with at the time. Shane put his heart into everything, and I realized then that I’d never really seen him do anything halfway.
A moment later, Shane handed me a glass of wine. I took it from him and smiled, holding it aloft.
“To time travel,” I declared.
He chuckled. “To time travel.”
We clinked glasses and drank, though we never broke eye contact. The wine tasted like heaven. Fruity notes danced playfully over my tongue, and it was almost like I was drinking in the sunshine that bathed my face.
Shane reached back into the basket and pulled out a cloth bundle, which he unfolded on the blanket between us to reveal a selection of wrapped meats and cheeses. He produced a knife and some napkins from the basket, then a box of crackers.
“You went all out, huh?” I asked.
Shane’s eyes glittered. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”
“Everything would still be perfect without the charcuterie.” I gestured around us. “I mean, look at this place. The closest I get to this kind of nature is looking out my window at Preston’s toward the woods in the back, and usually that view is tarnished by filthy hobos hanging out on the deck below.”
Shane shrugged. “Didn’t want to take any chances.”
He cut off a piece of cheddar and layered it on a cracker with some salami and passed it over to me. Our fingers brushed, and the hairs on my arms jolted upright.
“And what, exactly, did you need everything to be perfect for?” I asked with a sly grin, popping the cracker into my mouth.
This was a grand romantic gesture if I’d ever seen one, and considering our last rendezvous ended in a serious case of blue balls for both of us, I had hopeful suspicions about Shane’s intent. If we didn’t end up naked on this blanket, I was going to be grievously disappointed.
Shane’s lips tilted devilishly, and he took a long drink of his wine. Scattered sunlight bathed his lips in gold, and I quickly pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. It was all so beautiful. So wonderful. Before Shane’s return, I never would have conceived that such a dreamy day could be possible.
Shane placed his glass back down on the blanket and cut himself a piece of cheese, leaning back on his hand as he bit into it.
“First of all,” he said, “you deserve perfect on a daily basis. It shouldn’t have to be an event. But, since that isn’t the case right now, this is me doing what I can to make some positive memories. Hopefully, they’ll shine bright enough to chase away some of the darker ones.”
“I see.”
“Also...”
He placed the rest of the cheese in his mouth and chewed, watching me. My heart began to palpitate just from the anticipation and the look in his eyes.
Shane swallowed and continued. “I meant it when I told you your first time should be perfect. And after you finish that wine, I’m going to strip you naked, lay you down on this blanket, and worship your body with my mouth and cock until you’re gasping for breath.”
Heat shot through me, head to toe to deep in the pit of my belly. My core throbbed, desperate for him to fulfill that promise.
“After I finish this wine?” I asked.
Shane gave a short nod.
I tipped my head back and downed the whole glass in one go. Then I levelled my gaze with him and twirled the stem between my fingers.
“Hey, look at that,” I commented breezily. “Looks like I’m all done.”
Shane swept the food out of the way and crawled across the blanket, pressing me onto my back and capturing my mouth in a passionate kiss. He tasted of wine and lust. It was a tantalizing combination.
The fire within me burned hotter with every second his hard body pinned me to the blanket. I wrestled his shirt off and ran my hands down his back. His muscles flexed under my fingers, taut and powerful. I moved my exploration to his chest as he deepened the kiss, forcing my mouth open so he could explore my depths with his tongue.
God, he was ripped. His abs bunched as I dragged my fingers over them. It was at least a twelve pack, if not more. Yet more proof that none of this could be real, even though the sensations pooling inside of me felt more real than anything I’d ever experienced in my life.
Shane sat back and guided off my shirt. I wore my prettiest bra, black lace with white lining on the cups, and his reactionary sigh made me glad I did. He leaned down and kissed the tops of my breasts. I arched in bliss as he sucked the sensitive skin, moving down to my stomach, then to the waistband of my jeans.
It was mild out, but the air brushed over the wet trail of his kisses, and it was like his lips carved an icy map on my skin. I shivered.
Mister Diamond Page 100
