by Susan Stoker
“Jesus, Wen, don’t look at me like that. It’ll be okay. Swear.” Aspen gathered her into his embrace and they stood like that in the middle of his dining room for almost a full minute, neither saying a word, just soaking in the moment.
Finally, he pulled back. “Come on. Let me show you a bathroom so amazing you’ll weep with joy…or so Case tells me.”
Wendy gave him a weak smile and let him pull her through his condo.
It was an amazing place. Four bedrooms, an extra multipurpose room—which currently held workout equipment—three full bathrooms, plus the half-bath on the first floor near the kitchen.
The master bedroom was on the third floor, and it took up the entire space. Hardwood covered the floor, but there was a huge gray rug softening up the space. There wasn’t a lot of color, as Casey had warned, but Wendy liked it just the way it was. The king-size bed drew her attention, and Wendy wanted to curl up in the middle of it and sleep for days. It was unmade, and seeing the mussed sheets and comforter made Wendy want to drag Aspen down onto it with her and muss them up some more. She could practically see him lying there sleeping. Maybe only wearing a pair of boxers, or maybe naked.
Wendy felt her nipples harden under her shirt at the erotic thought, and quickly glanced around the room trying to divert her attention to something safer than the thought of Aspen’s naked body.
There was a huge leather armchair in a corner next to a window, which looked just as comfortable as the bed. She could imagine herself sitting there reading a book as she watched Aspen sleep.
Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Wendy followed him into the en-suite bathroom.
Gasping, she looked around with eyes she knew were as big as saucers. Casey was right—this bathroom was to die for.
“Casey helped me design it. And by ‘helped,’ I mean she told me what to have done.”
“Holy crap, Aspen. It’s…” Wendy was at a loss for words.
Big. It was big. There was a walk-in shower off to the right. When she peeked inside, she saw there were two rain-shower heads attached to the ceiling across from one another, and another two coming from the sides of the walls. Three people could easily shower in there without touching, maybe even four or five people. The tile was done in various muted shades of gray, creating an intimate space of serenity.
The Jacuzzi tub was also large enough to hold a few people as well. Circular, with a window above it looking out over a small treed piece of land. Wendy knew without a doubt the stars would be amazing from the vantage point of that tub.
There were two sinks in the long granite counter, as well as a door that she figured led to a toilet.
“Come look at his,” Aspen urged, grabbing her hand and towing her out of the amazing bathroom back into the main bedroom. He pulled her over to another door. Gesturing to it, he bowed and said, “After you, my lady.”
Wendy smiled at him and turned the knob and pushed the door open. Another gasp left her mouth.
She stepped inside a closet…no, that was too tame a word for where she was standing. It was a room. As big as her bedroom in her crappy apartment on the other side of town. Aspen had obviously had someone professionally design the space because there were cubbies for shoes, shelves for shirts and pants, and room for hanging clothes as well. Aspen’s clothes only took up a third of the space. There were a couple pairs of shoes littering the floor, not in their designated spaces, but that didn’t detract from the amazingness of the room.
Wendy turned to face Aspen. “Holy crap,” she whispered.
“A little over the top, isn’t it?”
She immediately shook her head. “No, absolutely not. It’s beautiful. And wonderful. And overwhelming. Will you marry me so I can live inside this closet, only coming out to spend time in the equally amazing bathroom?”
Aspen laughed so hard he started snorting again. When he got himself under control, he said, “So I take it you like it.”
“No, Aspen,” Wendy told him. “I love it. You aren’t going to have any problems ever selling this place. All you have to do is get a woman to look at this place and she’ll be throwing money at you.”
“I’m glad you love it, sweetheart,” he said softly.
And just like that, the mood in the room went from teasing to intense.
His eyes bored into hers, and Wendy would swear he could see inside her heart. That he knew how badly she wanted to confide in him.
“Come on,” he said quietly. “You want to watch TV for a while before I need to take you home?”
“Yeah, I’d like that,” she said, squeezing his hand.
They walked back down the two flights of stairs to the living room with the big TV and comfortable-looking couch. “Why do you have a house this big if it’s just you?” she asked as she settled on the sofa while Aspen looked through the DVDs.
Without turning around, he said, “Because I’ve always wanted a big family. Because I loved this place when I first saw it. Because it gives my friends a place to crash if they want it.” He shrugged. “Everything about this condo appealed to me.”
Putting a DVD in the player, Aspen picked up a remote before coming over to where she was sitting. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, he sat right next to her and pulled her into his side.
Wendy settled deeper into Aspen’s side and looked at the screen. When the movie began, she chuckled. “Deadpool?”
“It’s a romance,” Aspen said, even as the actor on the screen shot someone in the face.
“Really?” Wendy asked skeptically.
“Yup. Now hush and watch.”
Wendy smiled and did as ordered. And by the time the end credits rolled, she had to admit that Aspen was right. It was a romance. It was bloody, gory, violent, and crude, but in the end, the hero and heroine got their happily ever after, so she supposed it was a romance after all.
Chapter Nine
Two weeks later, Wendy was sitting at the small table in her apartment when she heard the door open. She looked up, her mouth open to ask Jackson how his day had gone, but instead, she let out a horrified gasp.
Jackson’s shirt was torn, and he had the beginnings of a black eye forming.
Jumping up, ignoring the way the chair landed on the floor, she rushed to his side. “Oh my God, what happened?”
“Those assholes are what happened,” Jackson said grumpily, dropping his backpack on the floor just inside the door.
“I thought you hadn’t seen them in a while,” Wendy said, hovering around her brother as he walked into the kitchen. She wasn’t sure where to touch him to make sure he was all right.
“I hadn’t. But they obviously didn’t get tired of being bullies,” Jackson said as he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He lifted it to his mouth and drank.
Wendy tried not to be impatient, but it was tough. “Talk to me, Jackson,” she ordered. “We need to report this to the principal again. This has gone on long enough.”
Sighing as he recapped the bottle, he went over to the table and picked up the chair lying on the floor, then sagged into it. Resting an elbow on the table, he leaned on it and told her what happened.
“There’s nothing the principal can do. Besides, this didn’t happen on school property.”
“Quit stalling and tell me what happened,” Wendy said sternly.
Jackson smirked. “I recognize your ‘tough sister’ face. I’m not sure it works on me now like it did when I was ten.”
“Jackson,” Wendy warned.
He held up both hands in capitulation. “Okay, okay. They were across the street when Jenny and her friends left play practice again today. They were whistling and honking their horns at them and I yelled at them to knock it off, that they were immature little assholes who were obviously compensating for the minuscule size of their penises by harassing kids younger than they were.”
Wendy gasped. “You didn’t.”
Her brother sighed. “I did. I know you always say to ignore bullies, that they want
a reaction to validate themselves and to make themselves feel powerful, but, Wen, you should’ve seen Jenny. She was so scared of them, even with them being across the street, and it pissed me off so badly.”
“I know,” Wendy soothed. “How did they get to you?”
“Me and Rob made sure Jenny and her friends got their rides, and then we went over to where the guys were hanging out near their cars. They said some shit and we said some shit. They said if we were so tough, why didn’t we meet them at the ball fields in the city park.”
“You didn’t!” Wendy exclaimed.
“Of course not. It would’ve been like five against two. They would’ve beaten us to a pulp,” Jackson said.
Wendy breathed out a sigh of relief.
“We warned them to stay away from the school, that we had their license plate numbers and I was going to find out where they lived. Apparently, that freaked two of them out because they backed off immediately. I heard one guy say if his dad found out he wasn’t taking classes at Temple College like he was supposed to, he’d whoop his ass and kick him out of their house on post.”
“His dad is in the Army?” Wendy questioned.
Jackson shrugged. “I guess so. Anyway, so the leader, Lars, told them to shut the fuck up. He glared at me, and I swear to God I didn’t see one ounce of remorse or humanity in his eyes. The other guys probably would’ve given up harassing us a long time ago if it wasn’t for Lars running the show. He didn’t say anything, simply stared at me for the longest time. It was creepy as all get out. Then he snapped his fingers, and all his little cronies got back in their cars and they took off.”
“Wait, I thought Chuck was the leader?”
Jackson rolled his eyes at his sister. “No. He’s a dick, and he was the one touching Jenny that first time, but Lars is definitely the one who’s in charge of those douchebags.”
“So, how’d you get hurt?” Wendy asked impatiently.
“Me and Rob left and were on our way here. Lars had to have been waiting because as soon as we got off school property, he was on our ass. He even nudged Rob’s car at a stoplight, which freaked him out because he was in his dad’s car. We pulled off at the Walmart to let him by, but he followed us.
“We all got out, me and Rob, and Lars and his buddy, Tyrell. I was pissed but still knew better than to start something. Then Lars started talking shit about Jenny again. Telling me she looked like she’d be a good fuck and he couldn’t wait to get between her legs…whether she wanted him there or not.
“I saw red and went right up to him. Warned him if he ever touched her, I’d make sure he never touched another girl without her permission again. That’s when he hit me. I swear, Wen, I didn’t even see it coming. He knocked me on my ass, but I was immediately up and swinging. I caught him twice in the face before Tyrell grabbed my shirt and pulled me away. That’s how it ripped.
“The weird thing is that Lars wasn’t even trying to hit me back again. He just stood there smirking at me. He and Tyrell left after that, but I didn’t like the look in Lars’s eyes. There’s something seriously wrong with him, sis.”
“Damn, Jackson. I don’t like this,” Wendy said.
He chuckled, but the sound didn’t have any humor in it. “Me neither.”
“What are you going to tell Jenny?”
“That she can’t ever go anywhere by herself. Seriously. He might try to get to her at the mall or something. It sucks! No one should feel threatened like that. I can take care of myself, but Lars is strong. He’s an asshole, but he’s also biding his time, I can tell. He didn’t lose his shit when I hit him back, he just stood there and took it. I have a feeling he’s planning something…and it scares me.”
Jackson slumped into his chair at the table then and looked up at Wendy with an expression so scared, it reminded her of when he was seven years old all over again. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Jenny. I know he’s only picking on her because of me.”
Wendy kneeled in front of her brother and put her hand on his knee. “It’s not because of you. If it wasn’t her, it would be someone else. It sucks that it’s the girl you like, but I know you. You’ll do everything in your power to make sure she’s safe.”
“Do you think Aspen would teach me some self-defense moves? I mean, I know how to hit, but if Tyrell decides to join in or something, I need to know how to fight two people at once.”
Wendy inhaled and thought about her answer—she remembered a conversation she’d had with Aspen a while ago when he told her that he was on a specialized team and that he didn’t get moved from post to post. She also recalled that he and his friends were sent on a mission to rescue Casey in Costa Rica. She could only think of one reason that made sense…Aspen and his friends were Special Forces.
If Aspen was a Special Forces soldier, he would definitely be able to teach Jackson how to defend himself. She didn’t like it, not in the least. Not the fact that he wanted to defend himself, but that he had to in the first place. Didn’t like that he couldn’t have a normal first-time relationship and definitely didn’t like that Aspen was probably in a lot more danger than she’d ever know every time he and his friends were sent on a mission.
“I think that’s a great idea,” she told her brother after a while. “But…you can’t just go off on this guy. You need to do what you can to work within the parameters of the law. The last thing we want is some cop doing a background search on you and finding out about our past.”
“I know. And I don’t want to fight Lars or his friends. I just want them to go away. But maybe if I show him that I’m not a pushover, he’ll find someone else to pick on.”
Wendy couldn’t deny that most bullies chose vulnerable victims, that they didn’t like to pick on those who stood up to them. “Maybe you could give the license plates of the vehicles to Aspen. If their parents are military, then maybe something can be done on that end. I know you don’t like to tattle, but it might be the best thing in this case.”
Jackson didn’t look happy at the prospect. His brows were drawn down and he was frowning as he picked at his jeans. “I normally would say absolutely not. I’m not a snitch and going through their parents seems like such a fourth-grade thing to do.” He looked at his sister then. “But they’ve targeted Jenny now. And I can’t, and won’t, let anything happen to her. So yeah, I’ll give them to Aspen.”
“I’ll call him later and let you talk to him,” Wendy told her brother.
He shrugged. “I have his number. I’ll call him.”
“You do? Since when?”
Jackson smirked. “Since he gave it to me.”
Wendy frowned in confusion. “Oh.”
“Don’t look like that,” Jackson told her. “He gave it to me the last time we talked. I was telling him about Lars and how he was still hanging around. He said that if something happened, or if I needed a ride somewhere and I couldn’t get in touch with you, that he wanted me to have another option of someone to call. It’s cool.”
Wendy wasn’t sure what to think about it. She was happy that her brother was getting along with Aspen, but she sort of felt usurped.
“Don’t be mad at him,” Jackson said perceptively.
“I’m not mad,” Wendy denied immediately. “I’m just not sure why he didn’t tell me.”
“Because it’s not a big deal,” her brother retorted. “I swear, girls make everything so much more complicated than it is. He gave me his number as a backup, not because he wants to be my dad or because we’re going to start being best friends and text each other day and night or something. Sheesh.”
Wendy’s lips quirked upward. Yeah, it was safe to say her brother was something special. She stood and rolled her eyes at him. “Whatever. And now that you and Aspen have exchanged numbers…can he come to Jenny’s performance next week?”
“Of course.”
“You want to invite him, or should I?”
Jackson stood and stalked over to his sister. He grabbed her and ha
d her in a headlock before she could squirm away.
“Hey!” she complained. “Let me go.”
He gave her a noogie. Wendy did everything she could think of to get out of his hold or get him to stop, but she was no match for him.
“Say, ‘Jackson is the strongest and smartest Tucker living in this apartment’ and I’ll let you go.”
“No!” Wendy said between giggles.
“Say it,” her brother threatened, using his knuckle to press harder into the top of her head.
Wendy was laughing so hard she almost couldn’t talk. “Fine! Jackson is the smartest and strongest Tucker living in this apartment, but if he doesn’t stop messing up my hair, he’s also going to be the hungriest!”
He let go of her so quickly, Wendy almost fell to the floor. The second he withdrew his arm from around her, Wendy turned and did her best to tickle his sides. She knew Jackson was extremely ticklish, and he was always helpless when she managed to get to him.
He laughed and tried to fend her off, but Wendy ducked and tried again.
Finally, when they were both exhausted from laughing, they collapsed onto the couch.
Wendy glanced over at him and winced at the sight of his darkening eye. She wasn’t happy about the situation with Lars, but she was proud of Jackson for being the better man. “I love you, Jackson.”
“Love you too, sis. You’re working at that stupid telemarking job tonight, right?”
“Unfortunately, yeah.”
“Why don’t you quit?”
“Because you like to eat.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I,” Wendy countered. “It’s not a big deal. It’s not hard and it gives us an extra couple hundred dollars every month.”
“But everyone is so mean to you,” Jackson protested.
“I can deal with it. I’ve learned not to take it personally.”
“Maybe when I go to college you can quit. I’m going to apply for every scholarship under the sun so you don’t have to pay for any of it either. So…what’s for dinner?”
Wendy chuckled and was glad he’d changed the subject. She didn’t want to think about him leaving. “Hamburgers. That okay?”
