by Jodi Vaughn
“There’s not enough time.” Haley whispered against his neck, while her hand continued to stroke him.
“That feels good, baby.”
Forking his fingers in her silky blond tresses, he pulled her back in for another kiss. Nothing had ever felt this good, this right to him. He’d been with hundreds of girls over the years, and not one had touched him and driven him out of his mind like she was doing right now.
He bent his leg, and he felt her body quiver. She ground her pussy against his thigh. She was wet, her sweet essence soaking the thin cotton booty shorts she had worn to bed.
“Like that?” He whispered against her lips and he tried to focus on her pleasure while holding back his own that was threatening to wash over him any minute.
“Yes. That feels good.” She breathed out the word and the sound went straight to his dick. She went wild, rubbing against him like an animal, lost in the sensation of her impending pleasure.
“Jayden!” She cried out and gripped his cock in a death clench as she came against his leg. It sent him over the edge with her.
Jayden thrust his cock in her hand, growling as he came hard.
She melted against his chest, her hand still on his cock. He nuzzled his nose against her soft golden hair, soaking in her scent, wanting to remember this perfect moment with her.
She looked up at him with bedroom eyes and gave him a satisfied smile.
“That’s a nice way to start the day.” She raised up and kissed him
Jayden swiped her hair away from her eyes and smiled, his heart tugging in his chest. “Yes. I can say I’ve never ever started the day off like that.”
“Really?” She arched her brow, looking as if she didn’t believe him.
“Yes.” He nodded.
Her face broke into a beautiful smile. “Me either.”
“Good.” Jayden kissed her, thirsty for another taste of her.
Haley pulled away and sighed. “I need to get in the shower.”
Jayden let her slide out of the bed, watching as she sauntered out of the room. He glanced under the sheet and shook his head. He was already hard again.
#
Haley breezed through the day with a lingering smile on her lips.
Funny how an orgasm could do that to a girl. Even Dana commented on her appearance, asking if she had changed her hair or gotten a facial.
It wasn’t just the orgasm that had her smiling all day—it was Jayden. If he could make her body do that with her clothes on, she wondered how much more intense it would be with her clothes off.
She exited her last class of the day and her gaze immediately landed on Jayden.
Their eyes met. It didn’t go unnoticed that he let his gaze travel the length of her body in male appreciation. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest at the unveiled lust in his eyes.
He closed the distance between them, striding purposefully toward her. He stole her breath as he closed his mouth over hers in another scorching kiss that she felt all the way to her toes.
He pulled back and smiled. “Since it’s Friday night I made reservations at this fancy restaurant downtown.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“I did. How long will it take you to get ready?”
“Can you give me an hour?”
“Sure. But we need to make sure you don’t get distracted or we’ll lose our reservations.” He chuckled. “They were very hard to come by.”
“You’re the one that needs to make sure you don’t get distracted, not me.” She teased as they walked along the sidewalk. The brilliant spring day carried the sting of a cool breeze, but she didn’t feel a thing. Her body was warmed by Jayden’s nearness.
“You’re probably right. It’s not safe for us to spend too much alone time together.” Jayden laughed and tucked her hand inside his much larger one, coaxing her into a walk.
“Why should you be scared of little old me?” She gave him an innocent look.
“Said the spider to the fly.” He cut his eyes at her.
She let a laugh slip out. It was freeing to be so relaxed and feel safe in public. “So since you won’t let me have my way with you, you’re going to at least wear your new clothes we picked out for you.”
He didn’t hide his grimace.
“Deal’s a deal.”
“Okay, but don’t put that pink shirt on me.”
She grinned. “It’s not pink, it’s coral.”
#
It required some concentrated effort for Jayden to keep his eyes on the road instead of stealing glances at Haley as they drove to the restaurant.
He hadn’t stopped looking at her since she walked into the living room wearing a fitted black and blue dress that stopped just above her knees. She wore black heels that accentuated those long legs of hers.
Her blond hair fell in waves like silk across her shoulders and she was wearing that damn cherry lip gloss that drove him crazy. She’d put on more makeup than she normally wore. She looked like a model straight from the pages of a magazine.
“Go ahead admit it.” Haley looked at him and grinned.
“Admit what?” He jerked his gaze back to the road. Had she caught him staring?
“That you like your new clothes.” She waved her hand at him as the smirk lingered on her pretty lips.
“You were right.” He smoothed his hand down the button-up shirt in the light brown pattern. It was not something he would have ever picked out for himself, but once he put it on, he liked it. “You really have an eye for putting clothes together. I can see why you chose fashion design as your major.”
“Thanks.” She glanced out the window. “I didn’t realize Fayetteville had so much to do at night.”
“College towns usually do.” He glanced at her. “It’s probably not much different from LSU.”
A shadow of sadness passed across her eyes.
“Tell me something you and your friends did at LSU that you miss.”
A smiled played at the corner of her lips and her eyes grew dreamy. “We used to go to this one bar in town on Thursday nights. It was just a hole in the wall, but we would play pool and dance.” She looked at him. “I guess that’s what I miss the most. The dancing.”
Jayden swallowed. Dancing. The one thing he hated was the one thing she loved.
“Do you dance?” she asked.
“No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’?” Haley frowned.
“I mean I don’t. I don’t know how.”
She laughed softly. “Everybody knows how to dance, Jayden.”
He shook his head. “No, not everybody.”
She stared at him for a minute before looking back out the window. The street was illuminated by streetlights, as people huddled together in groups near the bars and restaurants and shops. Jayden admitted that it looked quite cozy and quaint.
He hoped their restaurant turned out just as special.
#
Haley glanced around the swanky restaurant with candlelit linen-covered tables. Anthony had never taken her someplace like this. He always wanted to go to the sports bar during the football season and go fishing with his buddies in the summer.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
Haley grinned and took a sip of wine. She had been surprised when Jayden had ordered a bottle for them. She suspected he was more a beer guy than wine.
“You told me at home. But it’s always nice to hear it again.” She thought she was going to go up in flames when she saw Jayden standing there in his button-up shirt and jeans. He’d even worn the dress shoes she’d picked out versus those biker boots he always wore.
“You look stunning.” His deep voice had her heart racing.
She held his gaze. “You look pretty hot yourself.”
He gave her a sexy grin. “Must be the new clothes.”
“I’ve seen you wear much less.” She shook her head. “Trust me, it’s not the clothes.”
“Careful, my dear, don’t taunt the
wolf. He bites.” He shot her a devilish grin across the table.
“I’m not scared. I’ve survived worst.”
Jayden’s smile faded.
The mood was gone.
He didn’t like to be reminded of that night he’d rescued her.
“Look, here we go.” Jayden’s voice had her looking up as their server set their plates before them.
“This looks really good.” Haley cut off a sliver of her filet. She moaned as the flavor exploded on her tongue. “Oh, my God. That’s really good.”
Jayden grinned. “Go ahead, admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That I have really good ideas.” Jayden took a bite of her steak and grinned.
Haley sighed. “Okay fine. This was a good idea.” She took a sip of her wine. “All that means is you’re going to have a hard time of coming up with something that tops this.”
“I can always top this, don’t you worry. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
#
“You okay walking in those shoes? They look painful.” Jayden scowled at Haley’s sky- high heels. He wasn’t sure how she could take a step without breaking her ankle.
“Are you kidding? They’re the most comfortable heels I have.” Haley laughed.
The street was bustling with groups of college kids heading for the bars and couples dining at tables outside under the stars.
“Jayden!”
Jayden’s head snapped up at the sound of his name. His gaze drifted to a couple dining at one of the outside tables. His lips spread into a slow smile as he met the gray eyes of the tattooed guy who was sitting next to a pretty blonde. The two definitely didn’t seem to match.
Jayden guided Haley towards the couple.
“Braxton, what are you and Kate doing in Fayetteville?” Jayden kissed Kate’s cheek and shook Braxton’s hand as he gave him a shoulder hug.
“Kate has her annual bed and breakfast meetings with the other Arkansas owners. We’ve been here all week.” Braxton’s gaze slid over to Haley and his brows shot up in surprise.
“Oh, sorry; this is Haley Guthrie. Haley, these are some friends of mine, Braxton Devereaux and Kate Wolph”
“Nice to meet you, Haley.” Kate skirted the café table and gave her a friendly hug. Jayden saw the surprise flicker in Haley’s eyes at Kate’s warm reception. At that moment his respect for Kate grew immensely.
“Hi, Haley.” Braxton shook her hand gently.
“Nice to meet you both.” Haley smiled at Kate. “Wow, you own a bed and breakfast. Where is it located?”
“Eureka Springs. It’s called the Bella Luna.” Kate beamed.
From the look of excitement on Kate’s face, business seemed to be going well for the owner.
“I’ve never been to Eureka Springs, but I’ve heard it’s lovely,” Haley said.“And very romantic,” Braxton added, giving Jayden a knowing look. “You two should check it out.”
Jayden glared at his friend before looking at Kate. “Haley’s not from Arkansas so I’m trying to show her around. She transferred here from LSU.”
“Go Tigers.” Braxton grinned broadly. He received a lot of dirty looks from people sitting around them.
“Easy, dude.” Jayden laughed. “You better watch what you say around here. The Hogs rule here.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him.” Kate arched her brow. “I told him he’s in enemy territory. I thought he was going to get us kicked out of the B&B get-together last night. The talk soon turned to football and Braxton, being the diehard LSU fan, practically told everyone that the Hogs didn’t have a chance this year.”
“This is why we are not invited to dinner with them tonight.” Braxton brightened.
Haley’s mouth dropped open. “They really didn’t invite you to dinner?”
“Yep.”
“Thanks for the heads up. Guess I’ll keep my favorite team to myself.” Haley reached in her purse and pulled out her key ring with the LSU emblem and dangled it in front of him.
“Hell, yeah.” Braxton gave her a fist pump before turning his attention back to Jayden.
“I heard you joined the Guardians,” Braxton asked while the two women chatted between themselves. “You like it?”
“Yeah.” It surprised him how much he liked his job. “It’s steady work and it pays damn good.” Though he hadn’t really thought much about the pay. He didn’t have any bills since he lived at the Guardian compound. The only major purchase he’d made was the Harley that was required for all the Guardians.
“You thinking about joining?” Jayden cocked his head and studied the Were. There was a peace about him since the last time he’d seen his friend.
Braxton had been accused of murder and had been on the run from the Louisiana Assassins whose only job was to seek out and kill him. Braxton had been lucky enough to end up on Kate’s doorstep after he’d been shot with a silver bullet. She had saved his life. It all ended with Braxton being declared innocent of all charges by Barrett and the real murderer arrested.
Braxton shrugged. “Maybe. I know Barrett is looking for more Guardians in my area. I feel indebted to the guy for saving my ass.”
“Barrett isn’t the kind of guy who calls in his debts. He would be more concerned that you were committed to staying in that area and being loyal to the pack.”
Braxton glanced at Kate, a softness floating into his expression. “I’m committed. That I know for sure. I’m not going anywhere.”
Jayden saw the way Braxton gazed at Kate and his heart ached for something he knew he wasn’t going to have, not now, not ever.
“So what’s the deal with Haley?” Braxton elbowed him in the side while keeping his voice low. “She’s not your usual type.”
“And just what is my type?”
“I don’t know. Loose, fast, those bikini model types that moon over you like you’re the latest thing out of Hollywood.”
Jayden opened his mouth, ready with some smart ass comeback, but stopped. Braxton was right. Those were the types he usually attracted. Grabbing Braxton by the arm, he pulled him a few feet away from the girls and the crowd of people.
“I’m here protecting Haley.” He kept his voice low. “Barrett sent me over here. Some asshole has been stalking her.”
Braxton straightened, his expression hardened. “How long has this been going on?”
“Since she transferred from LSU.” Jayden propped his hands on his hips. “You remember that second girl that was kidnapped after Ava?”
“Yeah.” Braxton nodded.
“That was Haley.”
“Fuck.” Braxton ran his hand through his black hair with dyed blue tips. He met Jayden’s gaze. “What can I do to help?”
Jayden shook his head. “Nothing right now. I had to move her from her dorm to the house where I’m staying. He’s been leaving notes on her dorm door that have been getting more aggressive. Hell, he even managed to leave a note on my car while we were in the mall.” Jayden told Braxton what the note said and about the DNA that was left on it.
“That’s some fucked up shit.” Braxton shook his head, anger etched in his face. The ex-bartender had a protective streak when it came to women. It stemmed from years of abuse his father had inflicted upon his mother.
“Look we are here for another few days. Let me know if you need backup.”
“Thanks man. I appreciate the help.”
“It’s the least I can do after all you guys did for me when I was in trouble.”
Jayden looked over at Haley, who laughed as she talked to Kate. “I’m going to find that asshole. And when I do, there’s not going to be anything left of him when I’m finished.
“I feel ya, man. Hell, I’ll even help you bury the pieces.”
“What are you guys talking about? Jayden’s new clothes?” Kate walked over and wrapped her arm around Braxton’s waist. He pulled her close, keeping a possessive hand on her hip.
“Yeah, man. What’s up with the new clothes?” Brax
ton arched his brow.
“That’s my doing.” Haley grimaced. “I told him he needed a clothes intervention.”
“You did well. Jayden you look like you stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.” Kate nodded.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with T-shirts.” Braxton protested and glanced down at his own black T-shirt.
“I have nothing against T-shirts, as long as they’re not the same shirt in different colors.” Haley shrugged.
Braxton cut his eyes at Jayden and barked out a laugh. “She totally busted you.”
“Leave Jayden alone.” Kate elbowed Braxton in the side. “I might get Haley give you a makeover. We still have that dinner tomorrow night with the Arkansas Historical Society. All you brought was black tees and jeans.”
“Hey now, let’s not get crazy.” Braxton held up his hands, looking a little uncomfortable.Jayden snorted.
Haley cocked her head and studied Braxton. Braxton squirmed under her gaze.
“You could wear an unbuttoned vest over a black T-shirt and black jeans. Or you could wear a gray cardigan over your tee shirt. Either way, just make sure you wear dressy shoes.”
Braxton lifted his brows, as if considering her suggestions.
“Wait a minute. You wouldn’t let me wear any of my T-shirts.” He jerked his thumb in Braxton’s direction. “Why are you letting him get away with it?”
“You didn’t have one black T-shirt. All you had were colored shirts from—”
“The mall.” Braxton, Kate and Haley spoke in unison.
Jayden rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Braxton laughed and slung an arm over Haley’s shoulder. “I like you, Haley. Not only are you a fellow LSU fan, but you’ve got an excellent taste.”
Jayden growled and unwrapped the Were’s arm from Haley. Braxton might be his friend, but that still didn’t mean it was okay for him to touch her.
“What are you guys doing tomorrow besides the whole dinner thing?” Jayden looked from Kate to Braxton effectively changing the subject.
“No plans,” Kate answered. “What did you have in mind?”
“We were thinking about checking out some of the local bars.”
“We were?” Haley jerked her gaze up to him.
“Haley is quite the pool shark.” Jayden winked at her.
