“Just that we’re seeing each other. He’s like a brother to me, and I’m not going to hide anything. He’s also not the type to get too far into my business.” Jacob replied as I pulled my head back to look at him. “He had a weird start with his girl, and a lot of people were involved. He gets it.” Our eyes locked, and I licked my lips.
“Did you tell him about Sienna?” I asked as he nodded.
“She’s not a secret that I want to hide. I like her.” His eyes darkened in the light of the TV as he looked me over slowly. He slipped a hand into my hair and pulled me close for a slow kiss that heated up quickly. “You’re so beautiful.”
“I am?” I asked as I slid into his lap. This was risky, but I needed to be close to him, and he slid his hands down to cup my ass.
“You caught my eye the moment I first saw you. This bright hair and those dark eyes captivated me.” Jacob assured me as I blushed. “This body is perfect.”
“I have a few baby pounds still,” I protested as he shook his head. He leaned in to kiss me, and I moaned softly.
“You’re perfect.” His mouth claimed mine, and I gave in, pressing closer as our tongues danced together. I writhed over him, finding friction against the edge of his jeans encasing his hard cock. I pushed harder, feeling the tingle as he stroked against my swollen clit. “Rory,” he murmured, holding my ass as he drove himself against me. “Fuck. You’re going to come, aren’t you?”
I moaned softly as my body exploded in an orgasm that rocked my world. He gripped me harder, driving himself up until he was whispering my name hard into my ear. Jacob attacked my neck with his mouth, pushing me down as I tried to listen for Sienna. He pushed my shirt up to take a nipple into his mouth, and I slid a hand down to cup him through his jeans. “Rory,” he protested as he pressed into my hand.
I came again on his mouth, biting my lip to stay quiet. We sat in the dim room, breathing heavily as we regained our composure. “You do something to me,” Jacob told me as I smiled weakly.
“You do a lot to me,” I murmured as he rested his head on my stomach. We dressed in a moment and sat up, rubbing our blurry eyes as he looked me over.
“What are your plans tomorrow?” He asked as I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder.
“My mom has treatment. I’m going to drop her off and take Sienna to Central Park for a while.” I felt him slip an arm around me.
“What time?” His voice was sleepy, and I closed my eyes.
“She’s going in at ten and stays for three hours.” I murmured, losing myself to the feeling of his hands wrapped around me.
“I can meet you guys there. It can be a crowded place.” Jacob offered, and I smiled. “Has she had a New York hot dog yet?”
“No. I’m not sure why,” I replied as he chuckled. We made plans to meet tomorrow before he kissed me hard again. I walked him to the door and locked it before drifting down the hall with a smile on my face. I felt sated and sleepy as I curled up under my covers and smiled to myself.
The alarm went off too soon, and I reached out to shut it off. I let my mind drift to the plans of the day, and my eyes shot open as I remembered that Jacob was meeting us at the entrance to the park later today. That got me up, and I made coffee before taking a shower. I pushed waking Sienna up off as long as I could, making sure she had toast once she was dressed in a pink dress and black leggings. I poured another cup of coffee and sipped it as I blinked, smiling dreamily. It had been years since I had felt the headiness of first attraction, and there was nothing like it.
It was bittersweet that this was happening with someone other than Sienna’s father, but he died. I knew that couldn’t be helped, but it felt as though I was betraying him by feeling this way about Jacob. That made the smile fade from my face, and I told Sienna it was time to leave. We walked out of the house and started to head down the street to Mom’s house when I heard my phone chime. I pulled my phone from my pocket and saw a text from Jacob, pausing to check as I held Sienna’s hand.
J: I have a car waiting in front of the building to take all of you to your mom’s doctor. It’s yours today, and anytime you need it. Perks of the company. ;)
My mouth dropped open before I swiveled my head around. There was a black town car parked at the curb, and I narrowed my eyes to look at it. A driver stood by the side of the vehicle facing the building, and he searched the sidewalk. “Rory McAdams?” He called out as I led Sienna to the car. “I’m yours for today.”
J: He knows your name. Tall dark-haired man that is thick as a tree trunk. His name is Bill.
I looked at the man again, and that was a perfect description. The man smiled at me and glanced down at Sienna. “There’s a seat for Sienna already in the back. Jacob wanted to have everything ready for you.”
“Is this real life?” I asked as the man chuckled.
“I know both of the boys well. I worked with Lachlan in LA, and I drove them all over town there. I have family here, so I made the move with them.” He kept talking, and I recognized the close relationship he shared with both guys. It was much like any that Kyle had with his buddies in the military, and the memory filled me with sadness all over again. He pulled out a phone and dialed, greeting someone before handing the phone to me.
“Hello?” I asked hesitantly and heard Jacob on the other end.
“Hi, Rory. I knew you’d want to make sure this is legit so I’m glad Bill called.” He told me as I closed my eyes for a moment. “I know you’re not big on driving, so I wanted to help you out.”
“It’s a town car, Jacob.” I pointed out as he laughed at the other end. Of course, he knew that.
“It will get you guys to the doctor, the park and home afterward. Bill drives like a pro in any city.” Jacob assured me, and I smiled weakly.
“You’re too much.” I reminded him as he told me he’d see me at the park in a little while. I handed the phone to Bill and looked down at Sienna. “It looks like we have a fancy ride today.”
Sienna stared at the perfect car and then at Bill. Her eyes turned to me, and she held up her hands. “How?”
“Jacob wanted to help out. He said there’s a seat for you in the back. Want to check it out?” She clapped her hands, and I opened the door, helping Sienna into what I recognized as one of the top car seats. It was pink with flowers, and she moved into it happily, buckling herself in. She was never this easy about it, and I watched in disbelief. I took the seat beside her for what would be a short ride and Jacob wasn’t kidding. Bill could maneuver the car around the city easily without the terror of a taxi ride. He pulled up to Mom’s building, and I laughed softly.
He opened the door for us, and I thanked him for the short trip. I told him I’d have my mom down here in roughly thirty minutes and he nodded confidently. I headed up to her apartment, and Sienna burst through the door, telling Mom how there was a car downstairs that Jacob gave us. I groaned and set my purse down on the counter before walking into the living room. “Who is Jacob? He gave you a car?” Mom looked thoroughly perplexed.
“He’s a friend and our neighbor, and he let us use his company car and driver for the doctor. He knows I’m not the biggest fan of driving.” I explained as confusion still flooded her eyes. “It’s just a favor, Mama. They weren’t using it today.” Even with her illness, I could see the wheels turning in Mom’s mind. She knew that I had focused solely on Sienna for the last few years and that a guy’s name being mentioned by my daughter meant something. “It’s nothing,” I assured her as Sienna walked over to her, asking if she could sit in Mom’s lap.
Mom shot me another look once we were settled in the car and headed across the city to her doctor. I leaned back and watched the buildings flash by, relieved that I wasn’t behind the wheel today. Jane offered to take a break from college and help with the appointments, but I didn’t want to see her drop everything when I was here. I was definitely white knuckling it when I drove, but I always made it. “This is nice,” Mom told me
, and I smiled.
“It is. I appreciate being the passenger a lot.” I replied as Sienna played with her doll beside me. Bill parked in front of the doctor’s office, and we walked in with Mom to get her settled. She always told me to get some fresh air when she was getting her treatments since she napped through some of them. I smiled at the nurse and kissed Mama’s cheek before taking Sienna’s hand and leading her outside.
“Where are we going?” She asked, and I looked across the street. The park was just a couple blocks down, and I pointed to the gate.
“That’s one of the biggest parks ever,” I told her as she tilted her head. “We’re going to walk around and check it out for a while. How does that sound?”
“Can we take the car?” Sienna asked as I laughed.
“It’s not that far,” I told her, shaking my head. “Don’t get too used to this, Si. It’s for my mom.”
“Jacob doesn’t know Gram. I think he did it for you.” Her voice was matter of fact, and I smiled down at her. If only life was so simple.
“Either way, it’s a nice gesture,” I told her as we headed down the sidewalk. It was nice out if not a bit cool, but I liked it. I remembered that he was going to be at the park as well and frowned, wondering what message that would send. Damn it if being a single mom wasn’t difficult at times. I slowed us down until we were steps away from the gate and Sienna tugged at my hand.
“Come on, Mommy.” She smiled back at me, and I gave in. It was going to happen whether I stalled, so I walked faster with her. There was a lot of people, but I searched ahead and saw Jacob sipping a coffee beside a cart. I sighed and strode forward as Sienna chatted my ear off about everything she was seeing. When he turned his head to look around, he saw me and smiled. I waved, and he started to walk over to us as Sienna asked about something she saw in the distance.
“Hey there,” Jacob greeted us as she turned to stare at him. “How do you like the car?” He winked at Sienna, and she shot me an accusatory look.
“It’s so nice. I love my seat.” She told him as she extended her arms to him for a hug. He smiled and picked her up as my heart melted together just a little more. “Why are you here?”
“I like coffee, and I had a break from work. It’s a good place to walk around.” He said easily as I breathed a sigh of relief. We walked together, and he pointed things out to us as I smiled, holding Sienna’s hand as we walked together. She was in awe of everything, and we made it far down the walkway before he chuckled. “Have you had a hot dog here, Sienna?” Jacob asked, and I grinned as she shook her head. “They’re so good. Let’s get one.”
I followed them to the cart, and he ordered three, paying the man before he handed out the food. We found a spot on the grass and munched on our lunch as I appreciated the breeze. I tried to take every moment in its simplicity when I could given everything that was going on. Sienna seemed to have it down, and she laughed with Jacob at something as he balled up his wrapper.
I thought about our nights together and blushed as the memories flooded me. Jacob looked up and caught my eye as he grinned wickedly above Sienna’s head. We both finished up and headed back to the gate to make it to Mom before she was done, and I glanced at Jacob as he walked along with us. “Don’t you have to be back at work?” I asked as he shrugged.
“Do you think she’d mind meeting me?” He asked shyly, and I stared at him.
“She’s wiped out after her treatments sometimes. We just go home, and she rests. Maybe another time?” I offered as he looked in my eyes as if he was searching them. I wasn’t lying, but I was embellishing it a little bit.
“Yeah. Sure.” He paused on the sidewalk and offered Sienna his fist. She bumped it with her hand enthusiastically, and I knew instantly that was their thing. Sienna made something with everyone she got close to. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” She smiled, and I gazed at him, longing to kiss him. Where did that come from? I watched as he blew me a kiss when she turned away and smiled before I let her pull me to the building. God, he was sweet.
Chapter 9
Jacob
I watched as the girls walked away. I was already smitten with Rory, but her daughter was getting under my skin as well. I glanced at the car where Bill was reading in the front seat and smiled as I turned to head back to the office. Luckily, Lachlan was with Peyton today so he wouldn’t be giving me any shit.
I walked through the building and into the small office before getting some coffee. The space was crowded, and I ignored the laughter around me as I dumped some sugar into my cup. I turned to get back to work and nearly bumped into a blonde girl as her blue eyes widened. “Hi there,” she greeted me as I held my cup securely in my hands.
“Morning,” I said evenly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“I’m Megan. I work here.” She offered me her hand with a bright smile, and I held back the sigh in my throat.
“Jacob. I work here with my partner, Lachlan.” I offered as she nodded with a glint in her eyes. I wondering why I hadn’t noticed her. I kept to myself a lot here and avoided the networking that always seemed to be going on. Our business was doing just fine. “I should get back to it. It was… nice meeting you.” I walked away, rolling my eyes as a few other girls glanced my way.
They didn’t hold a candle to Rory.
I spent a few hours working, but my mind drifted back to Rory a lot. I saw her smile in my head and tasted her sweet juices on my tongue as I shivered. I hoped that Bill got them home safe and wondered if her mom was private about her illness. I understood if she was, but I was curious about the woman that raised Rory.
I left the building at three and headed home to change for a run. I slept in this morning and missed it then, but I wanted to make up for it. I hated skipping a day of exercise, and since I was seeing Rory now, I had a lot of pent up adrenaline to release. We were getting more intimate every time, and while I was coming, it wasn’t the way that I wanted to. I’d be patient, but I couldn’t wait until the day I’d bury myself inside of her and hear her screaming my name.
I threw on running clothes and my earbuds before tucking my phone into my pocket. I planned to run several miles to kill time until I was with Rory again tonight. If I was with her since that wasn’t a guarantee. I lost myself in the steady drum of my legs on the pavement as I ran smoothly, dodging people along the way. I took a path in a back neighborhood to avoid most of the crowds
I made it for ten miles before heading home to heat some chicken and veggies for dinner. I wondered what it would be like to be with Rory and cook dinner together at night, sharing it with Sienna at the table the way I used to when I was a kid with my family. I never wanted that with anyone before, but Rory was changing me. I went to take a shower after eating.
I was watching a game when I heard voices in the hallway. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was close to nine. I also realized I was acting like a stalker and dropped my head back on the couch.
She called about an hour later, sounding breathy and tired. I went over for a while, and we fell asleep on the couch, watching a late-night show. Luckily, I woke up before the morning and walked across the hall to my bed reluctantly.
That became a regular thing after Sienna went to sleep. We’d hang out kissing and moving closer to sleeping together before she stopped us. We’d often fall asleep, and when I left her curled up in her bed one night, I vowed to get another date with her. I pressed her about it the following weekend, and Rory smiled as she told me she’d talk to Jane before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
My life had come down to work and waiting for precious time with Rory. I was sleeping less but felt energized by the kisses and touches that I got from her. Lachlan noticed and looked at me in the office one day as I ran a hand through my hair. “You look a little tired.” He observed as I sipped my coffee.
“I’m fine,” I replied as I sent an email. The business was running perfectly between the coasts, and I w
as thrilled. I knew that I’d be staying here if that continued or at least, I’d be staying with a job that I loved. “It looks like we might be taking a trip home soon. There’s that big meeting coming up.”
“I think Peyton might be able to join us. She’s got a few days off.” He said as I wished for a moment that Rory could come along with me. I’d love to take her with me to some of the beaches and maybe to the Santa Monica Pier. Hell, it would be fun to take Sienna along.
Fuck me. I was thinking crazy, and I rolled my head around for a moment. Is this what Lachlan felt like when he met Peyton and turned his entire life around? I wondered about our other friends as well and glanced over to see Megan walking by. “She approached me last week.” He said as I looked back at him. “Friendly one.”
“She got me too,” I admitted, and we chuckled.
“I guess we’re both taken now. She can just stop while she’s ahead.” He grinned, and I frowned at him.
“I’m taken?” I asked, and he shot me a look of disbelief.
“When is the last time you had drinks after work or went on a date?” He asked as I opened my mouth to speak. “I mean, aside from the one with Rory?” I realized that he was right. “Exactly. It’s a good look on you, Jacob. Don’t let her go.”
“Says the whipped man across the room from me,” I joked as he threw a pencil at me.
We went to lunch after one and talked about planning the trip to LA. It would be for about four days so we could tie up some loose ends. We had a place to stay since one of the guys had a couple of extra rooms at his house, and it happened to be on the beach. I should be happy to go home, but when Rory told me that she had a free night on the first night, I’d be gone. We were in her bed, and I looked at her in the light shining through the window.
“I’ll be on a business trip that week,” I told her as disappointment crossed her face.
“I’m sorry. It must be hard to try and get any real time with me.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t even bother. You deserve more than stolen moments after my daughter goes to bed.”
The Guy Next Door Amazon Final Page 5
