by Hadley Quinn
“No, I stayed here with you. I wouldn’t have left you here alone.”
Okay, now this was getting really weird. Well, maybe not, since she actually believed that was true. But he just seemed so…happy. It’s not that he was always so somber all the time—no, she and Jay actually laughed quite a bit when they were together—but lately he seemed to have been in such a slump because of the situation with Beck.
“What’s up, buttercup?” he asked, tapping her chin with his finger. She realized she was just staring at his chest. Even when he had a shirt on.
“Nothing,” she blinked with a smile. “Just still a little groggy I guess.”
“So you won’t be too wide awake to hit the sack at bedtime?”
“Nah, I doubt it. By the time I drive home I’ll be ready for a full eight hours.”
Jay looked at her for several seconds but then turned for the fridge again. “Uh, what do you want for your salad? I think we’re out of that watery tasteless shit.” He glanced back and gave her a classic smartass Jay McCallan smile.
“Oh, I’m okay with nothing,” she waved it off.
“Come on, how ‘bout something white and creamy,” he told her with a playful smile. “I know you like it.” She laughed at his perverted sense of humor and watched him pull out the bottle of ranch dressing. “In case you want it,” he added, setting next to her plate.
Well now that it was right there in front of her, and Jay had made the effort to get it for her, it was really tempting. She opened the bottle and poured a tablespoon on her greens. “It actually does look good. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He leaned onto the counter with his forearms across from her and basically just stared at her.
“What?” she smiled, putting the fork down without taking a bite. “Don’t watch me eat.”
“Why not?”
“Um…because it makes me self-conscious.”
“But you take tiny little bites, all prim and proper-like,” he laughed. “It’s cute. And I don’t watch you eat. I watch your mouth.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What is the difference?”
“I don’t give a shit about the food. I just like your lips.”
That made her smile, and then she considered the day at the pool when she thought she had something on her face. Is that what he’d been doing?
He pushed himself upright and came around the counter. His hand slid under her hair to caress her neck and it gave her goosebumps instantly. Kissing the top of her head he said, “I’ll let you eat then. Come join me on the couch when you’re done.”
Melanie didn’t respond and only watched him disappear for the front room. He seemed way more relaxed than he had been for a long time and she wondered what the difference was. Well for one, he’d just gotten laid for the second time in twenty-four hours. According to Jay, that could chill a guy out in no time. But for all Melanie knew, he could be stoked he had a television in the house. Jay was easily amused and she wouldn’t be surprised if that’s all it took.
When she made it to the couch, he simply took her hand and pulled her next to him. With her back against his chest and his arms around her, there was no way in hell she was going to waste time trying to analyze his behavior. Tyse didn’t even bat an eye at Jay’s blatant affection for her, which meant that they must have discussed it at some point. It made her wonder what exactly they talked about, but again…she feared overanalyzing what she was most definitely going to enjoy while she could.
Tyse headed for bed around ten-thirty. Melanie thought that was kind of early, especially when the guys had a new TV to make use of, but the thought disappeared the second Jay stretched out on the couch and pulled her down with him. He tucked her back up against him and held her close, like she didn’t have a choice in the matter. The side of her face was resting on his bicep and it flexed involuntarily. She smiled and pushed against it as a reply. He flexed even harder, obviously this time on purpose, and popped her head upward. Then he did it again, and again, until her head was bouncing up and down.
Finally she gave in and laughed. “Stop,” she lightly swatted his arm.
“You’re head-bobbing to the music in the movie.”
She hadn’t even realized that, but answered, “I’m getting whiplash.”
“Then turn over this way and it will counter it.”
Melanie bit back a smile because she loved that sound in his voice—it was either a tease or a dare, but it was sexy and she couldn’t resist.
“If I face you my head will stop spinning?”
“Well…it might still spin, but in a good way.”
She laughed but turned over so they were front to front. Looking into Jay’s eyes was like kryptonite, but at the same time he weakened her, he also caused a myriad of other feelings—like excitement, confusion, compassion, and an elated thrill that shot through her body every time.
Love. That was all love, and she knew it with every fiber of her being.
“Hey there pretty girl,” he kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m thinking this can’t really be beat right now. It’s kinda perfect.”
His voice was low and deep, just loud enough to be heard. He melted her that way. But she had to agree that the warmth and familiarity of everything that was Jay really was pretty perfect. All she could reply was, “Mmhmm.”
“You know I mean the TV in the room, right?” he added with a smirk.
She would have retorted something sassy, which is most likely why he pressed his lips against hers to kiss her. It was definitely a silencer, except for the quiet moans she made as she enjoyed every second of his mouth on her, and the way he pressed her lower half closer to him with his hand on her thigh under her dress. She wanted to crawl up on him with every inch of her body that she could. Being this affectionate with him—like they were an actual couple—was a dream come true.
“If having a TV in your house makes you this happy, then I love it just as much,” she finally replied.
He’d stopped kissing her, and now he was just staring at her like she’d said something stupid. Oh God, what did I say wrong, she sighed to herself. Do I kiss him again? Say something rude? Should I go down on him to keep him in this mode with me???
“You know I was kidding, right?” he finally asked. “About the TV being perfect?”
She propped herself up on his chest and nodded. “Yeah, I assume you were teasing me, which is why I joked back.” She was waiting for him to continue a little further, like actually admit out loud that he liked having her there.
But he barely nodded and pulled her down to kiss him again. Within seconds his hands were up her dress and they were fully making out on the couch.
“Maybe we should go to your room,” she smiled at him, sitting upright where she was now straddling his waist. His shirt was up, her skirt was up, and pretty soon their clothes would be down on the floor.
Without a word he removed himself from the couch and pulled her along with him to his room. Three times in the past twenty-four hours with Jay was going to make Melanie a very happy girl. It wasn’t just her hormones perking up her libido, but combined with Jay McCallan, she wasn’t sure how often they’d be having three-a-days in the future.
But she sure as hell was looking forward to it.
***
Jay heard the knock at the front door but felt no inclination to answer it. It was after nine a.m. and he’d been lying in bed awake for almost an hour, thinking about the past day-and-a-half.
Last night Melanie left before midnight, but it was somewhat awkward. She had already mentioned going home, so it wasn’t like he was expecting her to stay the night. He’d wanted her to stay, but he’d already avoided Teague’s text asking if he’d seen Melanie. Finally he just told Mel that Teague and Camryn were asking about her. She had told them she’d be back from Jack’s late that night, but hadn’t answered her sister’s text either. She obviously hadn’t told them she was hooking up with him. But that was a good thing right now.
Teag
ue would fucking kill him.
A knock sounded on his bedroom door. “Jay, a guy named Kyle is here to see you,” Tyse said.
Jay groaned to himself. “Okay, I’ll be out in a minute.” He wasn’t in the mood for whatever Beck’s brother was here for. But he climbed out of bed, threw some clothes on, and headed down the hall.
Kyle was standing by the front door, seeming uncomfortable, but he held up a white envelope and said, “Beck sold the Chevelle, so I brought your cut. He already took what you owed him so…”
Jay reached forward and took the envelope. As he leafed through the bills, he could already tell it was less than it should have been. “There’s nine hundred here. After Beck’s cut it should have been thirteen.”
“He took a lower offer on the car,” Kyle shrugged.
Jay growled to himself. Stupid fucker had no right to do that. That car would have sold easily for what they wanted out of it.
“I know what you’re thinking, but he wanted it out of his garage,” Kyle told him.
“Then I would have brought it here,” Jay replied evenly.
“Look,” Kyle shrugged, “I don’t want to be in the middle of this—”
“You didn’t have to be. I would have come for the money myself. Obviously this was Beck’s way of fucking me over just a little bit more.”
“Hey, I have no idea what went down between you two because he won’t talk about it. He’s been a growly piece of shit boss ever since you left and it’s pissing me off. Whatever the hell happened, I wish you could fix it so things could go back to normal.”
“Back to normal? Oh I’m sorry your job is slightly uncomfortable because your brother is an asshole. At least you have a fucking job, Kyle. I got fired for something I didn’t do, so if I were you I’d watch my back and just be grateful for a paycheck.”
“Understood, but just tell me one thing, okay? Is this about Jess?”
Jay took a deep breath just to keep himself composed. He couldn’t ream the kid for being curious, but he was not going to let Beck and his brother side against him. There was no trust there anymore.
“I didn’t do something he accused me of, and that’s the bottom line,” Jay answered. “It doesn’t matter what it’s about.”
“Well I think that it does because I don’t care for Jess in the least bit. I think she manipulates him to the full extent, and I’m fucking sick of it. So to me—if it has to do with her—I can see why this is so messed up. Beck is so damn blind when it comes to her that I want to beat him senseless.”
Jay studied Kyle for a few seconds, believing what he said to be true. But there was nothing he could do to change things right now. Even if he did go talk to Beck, what would he even say? He didn’t have time to baby friendships with people that screwed him over.
“Thanks for bringing this by,” Jay finally said, holding up the envelope. “I’ll see you around.”
“Will you?” Kyle answered. “Don’t treat me like shit because you had a falling out with my brother, okay? I’m still around if you want to hang out.”
Jay barely nodded. “Sure. Okay.”
He watched for a few seconds as Kyle left, and shut the door behind him. Tyse had been in the kitchen but popped his head out and leaned against the wall.
“You gonna be okay for now?” he nodded to the envelope in Jay’s hand.
Jay shoved it in his back pocket and joined Tyse in the kitchen. “Yeah, for the next week, I guess.”
“You got what I left you on your dresser, right?” Tyse asked.
“I told you, you don’t have to pay to stay here.”
“I have to pay to stay somewhere, so why not here? Good God, you are the most stubborn son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met.”
“What’s your point?” Jay smiled as he poured a bowl of cereal.
“What’d you do with the money?”
“Stuck it in my drawer for now.”
“Hm. Well that’s a start.”
“Hey, I may be headstrong but I’m not stupid. Well, at least not all the time.”
“Ha,” Tyse replied. “Well just know that I’ll be splitting the rent with you for as long as I’m here. No arguments. And if you want me out, I can do that too. But if it helps to have someone pay the rent, I think you’d rather me stay. It’s up to you, but I’m getting kind of cozy here.”
Jay laughed as he sat at the counter with his breakfast. “Fine with me, I guess. You sure you’re not set on staying at the mansion? Free room and board and people to wait on you.”
“Not my style.”
“Mine either.”
“And even though you’re an asshole, I like it better here.”
Jay held back a smile even though Tyse’s smugness was apparent.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jay walked right into Teague’s house without a thought and then paused to think twice. It was always such a habit to walk right in and he needed to break himself of it. He listened for a few seconds and then knocked on the door behind him.
He hadn’t seen Teague’s truck, but Melanie’s car was parked on the street and Camryn’s car could be in the garage. He knew he was early for dinner but didn’t expect an empty house. The dog didn’t even come to greet him.
“Anyone home?” he called.
“Hey there, fucker,” a familiar voice squawked at him.
“Hey, cocksucker,” Jay grinned at Melanie’s bird. She didn’t seem to be at home, so he walked up to the cage and said, “Come on, pal. Just say it one time. Cock. Sucker. I know you can do it, Fucktard.”
“Fucktard,” the bird replied.
“Yes, I know you know your name. Come on, say cocksucker.”
“Rawk, fuck!”
“Cock. Say cock.”
“Fuck!”
“Just say it once and I will… I don’t know, I will fucking adopt you myself. I’m not even kidding. You know Teague and Camryn hate you. And you won’t have to deal with a fucking dog sticking his face up to your cage. It scares the shit out of you. Literally. I mean you shit all over the place when he does that. Just say cocksucker for me, just one time.”
The bird only paced back-and-forth on his perch a few times, bobbing his head up and down.
“What if I bribe you. Wanna apple?”
“A-a-a-ah-hole?”
Jay’s jaw dropped open. “Oh holy fuck, did you just try to say apple, or are you calling me an asshole? I mean I’m fine either way because that is so fucking awesome, but seriously… Say it again? Apple?”
“A-a-a-ah-hole?”
“Oh my god!” he laughed, bending over to put his hands on his knees. “I am… I am blown away, green brother. Eventually you will say cocksucker, but trying to say apple or asshole or whatever you just fucking said…will do for now.”
He headed for the kitchen to find the bird a treat, but something else caught his attention. The closer he got to the other end of the house, the more he could hear music playing out back.
Approaching the sliding glass door, he could already see Melanie sitting cross-legged on a lounge chair in the sun. She was wearing shorts and a tank top and was furiously writing in one of her notebooks.
Jay cracked the slider open just a few inches and could hear her singing along to P!nk. She had a beautiful voice, and although he’d heard her sing before—in her bedroom or while she was in the shower—hearing her again was a bit nostalgic. He actually missed it, even though they had entirely different tastes in music.
As he made his way across the deck, she still hadn’t noticed him until he sat down in a chair next to her. She jumped a damn mile and flipped the notebook out of her lap.
“Jesus, you scared me!” she shouted. Jay only laughed while Melanie turned down the speakers that were hooked up to her phone. “It’s not funny!”
“I’ve never been mistaken for Jesus before,” he said, scooping up her notebook from the deck and handing it to her.
“Funny, smartass. Now find my pencil.”
“I think you chu
cked it across the yard,” he pointed. “Javelin style.”
“No I didn’t,” she scoffed, trying to hide a smile. She got off the lounge chair to look around for it, but didn’t seem to have any luck. “I’ll get a new one, I guess,” she said, heading for the sliding glass door.
Jay followed her inside, just in time to hear the bird say, “A-a-a-ah-hole?”
“Oh, you want an apple?” Melanie asked, peeking around the corner.
“So it’s true,” Jay laughed. “The bird is trying to say ‘apple’?”
“Yes, and don’t deter him by telling him ‘asshole’.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it?” he raised an eyebrow at her.
“Right,” she returned the look.
She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and Jay watched her slice it into pieces like he’d seen her do a dozen times. She took the core to the bird because he liked to pick the seeds out of it, and when she returned, Jay had already eaten two slices of the apple.
“How are you today?” Melanie asked, taking a piece and biting into it.
He watched her lips for a few seconds, and even though she knew that’s what he was doing, she didn’t say anything about it.
“Fine,” he replied. “Two of the shops I stopped by are decent. The third is a hell no. No way I would work for that douchebag.”
“Watch out, that’s the one that will offer you a job,” Melanie smiled.
“Most likely,” he agreed, taking another slice of the apple. He was here for dinner, but didn’t think he could wait that long.
“Did you have lunch?” she asked, opening the fridge.
“Uh, no, didn’t have time.”
Melanie pulled out a dish from the refrigerator and set it on the counter. “Want some of this? Teague is doing steaks on the grill, and that won’t be for at least another hour or so.”
“Oh, it’s my baked spaghetti,” he sighed dramatically.
Melanie smiled and handed him a fork. She nodded for him to eat right out of the dish, knowing he liked it cold.
“Just don’t tattle that I spoiled your appetite.”
“I’ll manage.”
