Jessie was cracking up with Emmy and I couldn’t help checking out her nice ass in those tight jeans every time it was her turn in the lane. She was a terrible bowler and after a couple of beers, I finally got the courage to walk over to give her some tips.
“Watch me,” I said, grabbing the lightweight pink ball from her hands. “Aim, pump your arm back, and then let it sail in an arc—like this.”
When I released the ball, it cruised down the lane headed toward the center. I knocked down a strike and she whooped for me. As we waited for the machine to return her ball, I said softly, so no one could hear, “I’m going to follow you home to make sure you get there safely and then I’m going to do the same in the morning to the garage so you can get a new tire.”
I saw her fingers tighten into fists when I mentioned the idea of spending money on a new tire. “I know it sucks, but it’s got to be done.”
She nodded and then grabbed her ball as it rolled onto the machine. A determined look on her face, she turned toward the pins, but then looked back at me as if trying to remember what I’d just taught her. “Let it go before my arm swings back?”
The bowling alley was dark, the neon spheres emitting the only soft lights, which were reflected into a million more pieces by the huge disco ball spinning from the ceiling.
I stepped up behind Jessie, which was probably not a great idea in hindsight, but I felt compelled to be nearer. She startled from my closeness and then sucked in a hard breath and I couldn’t help feeling relieved that she was still affected by me as well.
My hand slid down her arm to her fingers and they stilled. I considered grasping her stomach and pulling her against me, but instead I helped her arm make the back and forth motion.
“Got it?” I said against her hair and then stepped away. I was too nervous to look behind me to see if anyone had noticed our closeness. Besides, my pants were getting tight from the contact alone.
She looked momentarily unsteady on her feet but then her ball went sailing in an arc and miraculously did not result in a gutter ball. It went down the center of the lane and knocked over a few pins.
She was so proud of herself that she released this cute squeal I’d never heard before and then turned and threw her arms around me. I wasn’t not expecting that, but her excitement was contagious, so I lifted her easily and swung her around.
When I set her down we high-fived and turned toward our friends. Nobody was paying us any attention except for Bennett, Avery, and Emmy.
Bennett arched his eyebrow in a questioning look and then the moment passed and he took a long pull of his beer.
We bowled another game and then headed toward the bar to play some pool. Dex and Cory were already acting stupid and making bets on their game.
Emmy left early along with Kai and Rachel, which didn’t surprise me.
After a few games of pool, I paid my tab and then followed behind everyone else as they spilled into the parking lot to their cars. I tried to stay away from Jessie after our display in the bowling lane but I still planned on following her home. She and Dex were now arguing by her truck and everyone had stopped a few feet away to listen.
As I approached, I saw that her tire was now completely flat. Fucking hell. Again, I cursed myself for not insisted she get it replaced.
“I’m driving you home,” Dex was saying, or should I say slurring, as he swayed toward her, his body leaning, closing in on her.
Jessie’s fists were balled. “You can barely drive yourself home.”
I couldn’t stop myself, all I saw was I red. I stepped up and grabbed Dex, practically throwing him to the ground. “Get the fuck off of her. You stupid drunk-ass fool.”
“What the fuck?” Dex shouted, straightening himself and then taking a lame swing in my direction. Cory came up and grabbed him from behind.
I had a clear shot but I didn’t take it. “Leave her the hell alone already. Can’t you get it through your thick skull that she isn’t into you?”
“Nate,” Bennett said, stepping up. “He’s drunk.”
“He’s always drunk,” I said and took a step away, trying to get ahold of my anger. “Fuck. You guys make excuses for him but that shit doesn’t look pretty. Not when he’s always harassing her, just because she agreed to go out with him a couple times last year.”
God, what the hell was I saying?
The group was silent, almost shell-shocked, until Cory turned to Dex and said, “Dude, he’s right. I’m going to drive your butt home.”
Bennett nodded. “Sorry, Jessie. We’ll give you a lift.”
Jessie was staring at the ground, probably embarrassed by my display.
“I’ll be the one driving her home,” I said in a calmer voice, taking in breath after deep breath.
Her head snapped up to glare at me.
“I already told her inside that I was going to follow her home when I saw her tire was low, again . . .” I gave her a pointed look.
“Again?” Quinn said, stepping up. “Jessie, you need a new tire. This’ll keep happening.”
“Okay, don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Jessie said, gritting her teeth. “It’s only a goddamn tire. And fine, I accept your offer, Square.”
She didn’t meet my gaze but I couldn’t help my lip from lifting into a smirk and my stomach tightening in victory. Like some goddamn gorilla. I’d pound my chest next. Damn, I don’t even know what the hell had come over me.
“It’s settled then,” Bennett said, walking backward and pulling Avery along with him. “Nate, let me know if you want help with her car in the morning.”
Just like that. Like he knew I would follow through. He’d been giving me strange looks all night. Probably because I hadn’t paid attention to a girl this much before. Even if she was just a friend.
“Will do,” I said, nodding.
“What year is this truck?” Quinn asked running his hand along the paint job on the hood. Everyone knew he was a car aficionado and had a couple of sweet rides he’d restored himself.
“I don’t really know,” Jessie said. “It’s probably twelve or fifteen years old. It was my dad’s.”
“Well, this model was definitely built to last,” he said. “If you ever want me to make some adjustments and check her out to be sure she’s safe, just say the word.”
“Thank you, Quinn,” she said, appreciatively. “I might take you up on that.”
“No problem,” he said. “And if you don’t already have a mechanic, the guys at Salem Brothers are great. It’s a family owned business.”
Everyone retreated after that. Even Dex left willingly—he must’ve finally realized he needed to take his drunk ass home.
“So,” I said, turning toward Jessie.
“You do caveman well,” she said, before a corner of her mouth lifted. “Looks like you saved the day again.”
“Yeah,” I muttered and headed toward my car. “Guess I’m awesome like that.”
“Oh, here we go,” she said, pretending to grumble but instead it came out like a short little laugh.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Jessie
I was still reeling from the way Nate had acted on my behalf. I was grateful, confused, embarrassed, and more than a little turned on.
As soon as I got into Nate’s truck he tipped his chin toward me, a serious look in his eyes, his leg jiggling at a steady rate. Something had gotten under his skin.
“Did Dex ever put his hands on you?” His jaw ticked. “When you were . . . dating?”
I could only guess that his question had come from thoughts of his own mother and how far she had let things go.
“No,” I said. “He was just . . . intense. That’s the only way I can describe it.”
He looked a little green, along with a lot of what might’ve been jealousy.
“For the record, it was only one time. One kiss,” I said, almost shivering because I still wished to God it hadn’t happened with someone I’d worked with. “Right away I knew I wasn’
t into him like he was into me. That’s why I ended it.”
He gave a curt nod and quietly fumed as he pulled out of the lot and continued driving me home in silence.
“My place is right here, on the left,” I said after he turned down my street.
My forearm rested so close to his on the seat and when I looked down, I saw how his fingers were shaking, as if he was restraining himself from reaching over and closing his hand over mine. My heart crashed against my ribcage.
“Thanks,” I said, as he pulled into the driveway. “Jillian isn’t home tonight. So if I had gotten a flat, she wouldn’t have been able to give me a lift.”
“How do you know she isn’t home?”
My landlord, Jillian, was a nurse in the emergency room. She worked a lot of hours and I usually saw her coming or going in her scrubs. “I ran into her on my way out and she told me that she was on second shift at the hospital tonight.”
The tension in the car became tangible after that little revelation, hot and thick and suffocating. I wanted to ask Nate to come inside but what would that solve? He’d been the one trying so damn hard to show restraint, to manage his own feelings. And I sure as hell didn’t want to get turned down again.
I could feel his gaze on me all night, pressing in like fingers on my throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
I knew he liked me, was highly attracted to me. So why couldn’t we act on it again?
I wished he would let me help him explore all of it—the light and dark. How just a couple of weeks ago, he could hold me so gently despite his body being hard and tight and throbbing in other ways.
“So,” I said slowly, gripping the door handle. “I’ll see you around, Nate.”
“Wait,” he reached out and placed his warm fingers on my hand. I turned to him and met his gaze. His eyes were on fire, heat rolling off of him in waves. I sucked in a harsh breath.
“If you need . . .” His hand slipped up my arm as if of its own volition and I watched it glide to my shoulder, my body trembling from the contact. ”. . . a ride tomorrow or something . . .”
He didn’t finish his sentence before he had me pinned to the door and his hot mouth came down on me. I shifted in order to feel his hard chest flush with mine and moaned against his lips. His finger gripped the back of my hair and tugged my head down so that his mouth could gain better access. He outlined my lips with the tip of his tongue before fully entering my mouth.
He groaned into the slow and deep and wet kiss that was so intense, I instantly became wet. His hands remained burrowed in my hair but I would’ve welcomed them all over my body.
His mouth stayed fixed on mine, his tongue exploring while my hands worked their way through his hair, over his throat and around his back, pressing hard. Then I glided my fingertips to his waist, my legs coming round and encircling his hips as I felt his arousal biting into my stomach.
He ripped his mouth away from mine, panting hard. “Fuck, Jessie . . . you . . .”
He didn’t finish his sentence, just stared at me, as if trying to read something inside my eyes.
“You can . . . come inside . . . if you want . . .” I said, between breaths.
He closed his eyes and groaned, as if I had said the one thing he was dying to hear, but also the one thing he was fighting hardest against.
When he opened his eyes he looked at me as with a torturous glance. “No . . . I shouldn’t.”
I shook my head, pretty certain I wasn’t interested in fighting him on this again—it felt exhausting. If he didn’t want me, that was one thing. I could accept that and move on.
But I knew with every fiber of my being that he did want me, desperately. Just like I wanted him. But he wasn’t allowing himself to embrace it, feel it, see where this could lead us. I was a big girl and I needed to keep a clear head. I also needed to keep my self-respect.
“Okay, Nate.” I extracted myself from him, opened the door and climbed out. “It’s really hard to watch you fight yourself. So let’s just take a pass on this. On us. For good. Thanks again for the ride.”
I walked up the sidewalk to my separate basement entrance without looking behind me. But I knew that he was watching me because I didn’t hear him drive away. Unless he was just being a gentleman and waiting for me to get inside.
Which I did, swiftly, and shut the door behind me. I leaned against the frame, gulping in air and trying not to feel too bummed.
I couldn’t help but to touch my swollen lips where Nate had kissed me like his life depended on it. I could probably get off on the way his mouth touched me alone. Nate had admitted that he didn’t use his tongue, but he continued to use it on me, which only confused the hell out of me.
He was passionate and all consuming. Not sloppy like some other guys, or misguided in order to get in my pants.
Nate knew just how much tongue to use, how much pressure to give my lips to leave me wanting more. And right now, I still wanted more. Fuck.
There was a tap on the wood and when I heard Nate’s voice, my stomach rose to my throat. “Jessie?”
I cracked open the door open to peek at him. His elbow was against the frame and his one ankle crossed over the other. He looked so damn hot but something else was glistening in his eyes. Something that looked a lot like determination.
“Is there still an open invitation?”
“Promise you won’t change your mind?” I said opening the door wider for him to step through.
“I know I’m fucking this all up. But I can’t let you walk away.” He shook his head, maybe to deflect the honesty. “Just being this close to you makes me so damn hard.”
Tension seemed to radiate through his stiff shoulders as he continued speaking. “I can’t seem to stay away and I don’t know if I can explain this or face this or figure out what I’m supposed—”
“Just fucking kiss me, Nate,” I growled, effectively cutting him off.
In one swift move he had me backed against the wall, my hands braced above my head. He flattened his body against mine and I felt the full weight of his erection bearing into my abdomen. “All I could think about for days is tying you up and having my way with you.”
Oh. My skin tingled pitifully, that’s how badly I wanted it.
When I didn’t say anything because I was too lost in my own desire, he said, “Does . . . does that scare you . . . do I scare you?”
“I’m not afraid of you, Nate. I think you’re afraid of yourself,” I whispered. “I want you to do those things to me. I want you so bad.”
He let out a long groan before his mouth overtook mine. His hands gripped my ass and he lifted me, my legs winding easily around his waist. Our hot centers ground together and I became almost liquid in his arms.
“Bedroom,” he panted out.
“Behind you.”
He walked me backward toward my bed, which was behind the far wall. The basement was an open concept, like an efficiency suite, with a tiny sink and bathroom, and then a bed at the end.
Instead of rounding the corner to lie down, he forced my back against the wall, and pushed his arousal into me. “I’m going to taste you and then bury myself deep inside you.”
“Oh damn,” I said, his words sending pings of electric energy over my skin.
He ripped my shirt away from my body all while holding me suspended in his arms and then grunted, “Take your bra off, now.”
I reached behind me and did as he said, flinging the material to the floor. His gaze roamed all over me before his hot mouth captured one of my nipples. “You have the most amazing tits I’ve even seen.”
I gasped at his words and at the things his tongue was doing to my breasts. I would allow him to take the lead because I needed a release so badly and I liked when he was in control. In fact, I loved it. Every now and then he’d pause in his assault on my chest and lick my camera tattoo, almost reverently.
He spent time with each of my breasts while I clung onto his shoulders and tugged hard at his hair. My ch
est was swollen from his mouth as he bit and sucked and I was sure he had left marks that I’d notice in the morning.
I was able to get his shirt off in between licks so that I could play with his nipples as well.
In fact, I think I shocked him by seeking them out and pinching them. I was going to guess no women had ever done that to him before. He paused, his nipples hardening at my touch and his gaze blazed into mine before he attacked my mouth again.
He finally lifted me away from the wall, walked a few steps forward, and then tossed me on the bed. I sat up on my elbows to watch him strip his jeans and boxers down. It was quite a sight. His erection was engorged and all I could think was that I had done that to him.
My hands moved to my jeans to tug them down and he growled, “Don’t. That’s my job. In fact you’ve used your hands enough tonight.”
I gulped and looked up at him. He knelt down at the foot of the bed and pulled my ankles toward him. “You’re going to keep your hands on the mattress and if you decide to use them, I’m going to stop what I’m doing immediately. Understand?”
I nodded, in awe of his authoritarian voice that had replaced the tortured one just moments before.
“I don’t think you’ll like it if I stop, so you better heed my warning.”
Again I shook my head, my legs now quivering with need.
He unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, sliding them down my legs. His gaze travelled over my skin as if in awe. He looked over each tattoo as if memorizing them and then nudged open my legs.
“Fuck, your pussy is pretty,” he said, dragging his fingers up my thighs. “It’s perfect for me. For my monster.”
He tried for humor but it fell flat because neither one of us grinned, we were that worked up. And besides, his statement was true. We seemed to fit together too easily, too right the other day.
Promise Me This Page 17
