by E. L. Todd
“That must have been hard for her.”
It was, but I would never share her darkest moments with anyone, not even my brother. That was between her and me. “But she’s the strongest person I know. There’s nothing she can’t overcome.”
8
Pepper
Jax and I had dinner together, going to another casual diner like Mega Shake, before we headed back to his place. His sister wasn’t home, so we had our privacy to go upstairs to his bedroom and do what we did best.
After a rendezvous that made my toes curl, I lay beside him in his large bed, the sheets so soft against my skin they felt like rose petals. I lay in my own sweat as Jax lay beside me, his chest glistening with exertion.
I stared at his ceiling and felt my eyes grow heavy. It would be so easy for me to fall asleep and worry about getting home in the morning, but I wasn’t looking for a sleepover. That would make the relationship more serious—and that was the last thing I needed right now. “You have a really nice place.”
“Thanks.” He turned on his side and looked down at me. “You have a really nice body.”
“Thanks, but it’s still not as nice as your house.”
He dragged the backs of his fingers down my arm, his eyes taking in my naked frame on his mattress. “I disagree.” His fingers moved down my belly and over my hip, tracing my hourglass figure.
Lying there as a beautiful man touched me was a small piece of heaven. My eyes could close and I could slip away, sexually fulfilled and physically comfortable. I loved the way he smelled and the way his callused fingertips gripped my tits when he fucked me. “I should get going…”
His hand clutched the inside of my thigh, grounding me in place so I couldn’t slip away. “Or you could stay here.”
“I have work in the morning.”
“Regardless of where you sleep, you still have work in the morning.”
“Why do you want me to stay?” Tomorrow wasn’t the weekend, so we wouldn’t have any time together anyway.
“Because I want to see a beautiful woman beside me the second I open my eyes.”
“Well, there is porn…”
He smiled as he moved on top of me, using his heavy frame to keep me in place. His thighs separated mine, and he brought our bodies close together. It was the same position he’d just screwed me in. “You’re much better than porn.”
“Why, thank you. I try.”
He pressed his lips to my neck and kissed me, blanketing my hot skin in delectable kisses everywhere. They started off soft and sweet, but slowly escalated into aggressive embraces. He moved to the hollow of my throat before he placed his face above mine. “Stay.”
It was tempting to say yes, but I already felt myself falling into a relationship I wasn’t ready for. “Jax, I’m really not looking for something serious.” Jax was a sweet guy and I didn’t want to offend him, but I had to be honest.
“Sleeping over makes it serious?”
“More serious than I want it to be.”
His hand slowly slid into my hair, and he brushed his lips past mine, teasing me. “And why don’t you want anything serious? I think I’m a pretty good catch. Most of the women I bed want more of me, not less.”
“You are a catch, Jax.” My hands slid up his back and into his hair. “You aren’t the problem. I’m just not…there.” I didn’t want to dump all my personal baggage on him, but the more he tried to keep me, the more I had to confide in him.
His brilliant green eyes looked into mine with concentration, like he was trying to read the truth before he pulled it out of me. “What aren’t you telling me, sweetheart?” He rubbed his nose against mine as his fingers touched my neck.
I held my silence, unsure if I wanted to come clean.
“What are you afraid to tell me?”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Then tell me. We’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks, but honestly, I like you. I want to keep seeing you. If there’s something I need to know, you should just tell me now. Might save me some heartache down the road.”
The guilt burned my throat because the idea of hurting him made me sick. Colton had hurt me so much, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt someone else. “Alright.” My palm glided up his chest and stopped over his slowly beating heart. “I got divorced six months ago. You’re the first man I’ve been with since…my ex-husband. It’s the first time I’ve put myself out there, and I’ve been taking it slow.”
Jax didn’t give me a judgmental look or ask a million questions. He didn’t even seem disappointed. Like I was talking to a friend, he seemed understanding. “Now I see…”
“So I’m really not looking for anything serious…at least right now. I’m in a good place, but having anything more than a fling is just too soon. You’re right, I should have been up front about that in the beginning.”
His fingers started to play with my hair again, and when he rubbed his nose against mine, it made my heart throb. “Thank you for telling me.”
I was relieved he didn’t ask any questions, like why I got divorced. No woman wanted to admit her husband was now gay and seeking other men. It didn’t make me look the least bit desirable.
“I can take it slow.”
“Thanks…”
His cock had hardened during the conversation, and now it was pulsing right against my clit. He started to rock into me, grinding right against my most erogenous zone. “I’ll let you leave,” he said in a husky voice. “Once I’m finished.”
I stopped by Colton’s apartment on the way back to mine. I’d ordered some toiletries from Amazon, and thanks to my Prime membership, getting the essentials shipped to my door was easier than stopping by the store on the way home—especially since I didn’t have a car.
I walked inside the apartment without knocking because that was how Colton and I were, stopping by randomly without giving any notice. But now there was a roommate living with him, and I didn’t have the manners to knock.
Finn was sitting on the couch watching the basketball game. He was in just his black sweatpants, his shirtless back covered with black ink. One image that caught me by surprise the most was an image of a black tank. The ink was so heavy that it covered the fair color of his skin, but it couldn’t mask the prominent muscles of his frame.
He was built like a brick house.
He didn’t have a single ounce of fat on his body. He was all muscle and masculinity.
I’d never seen a man like him in person.
When he heard me walk inside, he looked at me over his shoulder, that same stern expression on his face as last night.
His stare was so intense, I nearly forgot why I was there.
He held my gaze for several seconds before he set down his beer and rose to his feet. Six foot three of pure masculinity, he was the prime example of what testosterone looked like in physical form. I’d always considered Colton to be manly, but his brother put him to shame—as well as all other men.
He walked around the couch and came toward me, his sweatpants dangerously low on his hips. He had tattoos across his chest and stomach, but the details couldn’t hide his extreme eight-pack. A silver chain was around his neck, and at the end hung his dog tags. He slowly walked up to me as he slid his hands into his pockets.
I’d just been in bed with another man, but now I couldn’t even remember his name.
Finn stopped a few feet in front of me and stared at me with those blue eyes. His gaze was so hostile, it seemed like I was his enemy rather than his friend. He always seemed to look that way, but when he stared at me it was particularly potent.
Now would be a good time to say hello, but the words refused to form on my tongue. I couldn’t think of anything logical to say, so I let the tension escalate between us, the intimate eye contact and the rising heat.
What was happening?
Finn seemed to thrive on tension. It didn’t matter how awkward or uncomfortable he made me, it didn’t affect him at all. He appeared t
o be immune to human emotion, relishing heated discomfort.
Was he like this with everyone?
I finally broke the ice because I couldn’t take it anymore. “Who’s winning?”
He didn’t glance at the TV, keeping his gaze focused on me. “The Warriors. Basketball fan?”
“Basketball, football, and baseball.”
He gave a slight nod. “Ironic. Colton hates sports.”
“Yeah, it’s strange. I never should have married him.”
“Not because he was gay?” He didn’t smile, but it seemed like he was teasing me.
“No. I’m okay with the gay thing, not the sports thing.”
A slight smile crept onto his lips, but it was so faint, I wasn’t sure if it was real. But there was a gentle brightness to his eyes, as if he was responding to my humor. “How was work?”
“Long, but enjoyable.”
“What do you do?” He stood perfectly straight, his shoulders so broad, he looked like a billboard. It didn’t seem like he’d shaved that day because the shadow on his jaw looked darker than it had that morning. His biceps were so prominent, it seemed like he had a tennis ball sewed inside each arm.
“I own a boutique lingerie shop.”
His playful attitude died away immediately, his eyes darkening noticeably. His body tensed slightly, his powerful muscles flexing even more. The muscles of his eight-pack clenched, the images on his body shifting with his subtle movement. “Really?”
“I’m surprised Colton didn’t tell you that.”
“Yes…I’m surprised too.”
I’d stopped by here to see Colton and collect my package, but now that I had been cornered by Finn, I didn’t think about much else. It seemed like it was just the two of us in the apartment, like there was no Colton at all. “Where’s your brother?” Talking about my lingerie shop had only seemed to intensify the situation.
Finn pulled his left hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck, keeping his gaze on me without blinking. Any subtle move he made was sexy, practically pornographic. He moved to a new place and was starting a new job, but he would have no problem scoring tail left and right. All he’d have to do was take off his shirt, and he would get pussy. “In the shower. Your package is on the table.”
I would have noticed if I hadn’t been staring at him so hard. “Thanks…”
I grabbed the box off the table then moved back to the door. “Well, good night—”
“How was your date?” He joined me by the entryway, his large feet thumping against the hardwood floor. When he came close to me, I could smell his cologne. It was pine needles mixed with soap.
I forgot I’d mentioned it that morning. “We got Chinese then headed back to his place.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
My eyes shifted back and forth as I looked into his, my heart racing as he asked his questions so bluntly. “We had a good time. I told him I’m recently divorced… He seemed okay with it.”
“Why wouldn’t he be?”
“Most men don’t want a woman with baggage.”
He towered over me with his height, and even though there was some distance between us, it felt like he was infecting all of my space. “A real man doesn’t care. He’ll carry her baggage for her.”
Just when I thought this man couldn’t surprise me more, he did.
“I’ll tell Colton you stopped by.” And as if the conversation only ended when he decided to end it, he walked away. “Good night, Pepper.”
I watched his muscular frame shift and move as he headed back to the couch. It was such a nice view that I almost forgot to head back to my apartment. “Night, Finn.”
9
Colton
We slid into the booth at the bar, Finn taking the side that faced the TV because he cared about the game more than I did. Zach sat beside me, still in his work clothes because he’d headed here right after work. I was in my suit and tie. Finn was the only one dressed in street clothes. He wore a black t-shirt that fit his sculpted muscles perfectly, and his silver chain hung down his chest. Ever since he arrived on my doorstep, I’d never seen him remove that necklace. Even when he walked around the house shirtless, the tags rested against the center of his chest.
“What did you do in the military?” Zach asked Finn, making conversation since this was the first time they’d met each other.
“Trauma physician.” He rested one arm over the back of the booth and kept his gaze on the TV.
“Whoa, that’s sick.” Zach spat out his thoughts without thinking twice about them. People who didn’t know members of the military didn’t know how to behave, what kind of questions and comments were appropriate.
Finn turned his gaze to Zach, and the coldness of his stare suggested he didn’t appreciate the comment. “You think it’s sick?” He lowered his arm and slowly sat forward over the table.
I learned a long time ago to steer clear of this topic. Finn didn’t like to talk about it, and if anyone said something insensitive, he didn’t refrain from turning hostile.
“One of my boys stepped on a mine and lost his leg. Out in the middle of the desert with just two nurses, I had to give him a blood transfusion and stop the bleeding. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to give orders when a soldier is screaming at the top of his lungs?” He stared Zach down with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. “No. It wasn’t sick.” He sat back against the leather booth and looked at the TV again.
My brother and best friend weren’t off to a good start.
Zach sat quietly, unsure how to follow up that comment.
“Finn, Zach wasn’t trying to be insensitive,” I said gently.
“Then don’t say insensitive shit.” He returned his arm over the back of the booth and stared at the TV. “Men play Call of Duty in front of their TVs and think war is some glorified game. War is not a game. It’s real—and people die.”
Zach cleared his throat then apologized. “Sorry.”
Finn gave a slight shrug, like that was the most forgiveness Zach was going to get.
The waitress walked over to our table, finally ready to take our drink orders. She had a beer in one hand, and she placed it on the coaster in front of Finn. “A beautiful woman sent this over.”
Finn lowered his arm from the booth again and turned to her, his eyes changing from hostile to smoldering. He was used to being the center of female attention anytime he walked into a room, so he didn’t seem surprised by the free drink he was getting now. “Tell her thank you for me.”
With thick blond hair and green eyes, she was a pretty woman who probably got hit on all day at work. She had an hourglass frame, a busty chest, and long legs that were unmistakable in her jeans. “You just did.” Her hand moved to his wrist on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze before she turned around and walked off.
Finn stared at her ass as she walked before he turned back to me. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
Zach shook his head slightly, his eyes full of disbelief. “I’m a good-looking guy, but that shit doesn’t happen to me.”
Finn turned to my friend. “It’s much easier to let tail chase you than it is to chase tail.”
“Uh, easier said than done,” Zach said with a laugh.
“I’m telling you, it works.” He twisted off the cap of his beer and took a drink. “What’s the policy on bringing dates back to the apartment?”
“There’s no policy.” I didn’t care if Finn brought women back to the apartment. They probably wouldn’t hang around very long, so it wouldn’t affect my life too much. Besides, he was only staying for a few weeks. So far, he’d been meticulously clean, making his bed every morning, always doing the dishes, and picking up after himself so well it didn’t seem like he was there in the first place.
“Good to know.” He took another drink.
“Does that mean she’s coming to the apartment tonight?” I asked.
“That’s what the forecast predicts.” He turned his
gaze to the TV again. Even though a beautiful woman had just made a pass at him, not once did he look at her or show any real interest.
“Are you going to talk to her?” I asked, unsure what his game was.
“Eventually,” he said with indifference. “I’ll get to it.”
“What if she’s a weirdo?” Zach asked.
Finn shrugged. “It doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m not a picky guy.”
Zach stared at him with obvious envy. “I hate you, man.”
“Why?” Finn took a long drink of his beer then addressed him.
“A beautiful woman just brought you a free beer, asked to have sex with you, and then she didn’t even take our order,” Zach said. “And I suspect we aren’t going to get free drinks.”
“Women respond to confidence. You could go home with any woman in this bar tonight if you played your cards right. Give them a reason to say yes, and they will.” Maybe Finn didn’t realize that he was the best-looking guy in the room, so his experiences with women were much different from ours. Just his arms alone were distracting. Not only were they muscular, but so ripped it seemed like a slender layer of skin was the only thing keeping his muscles together.
“I think you’re oversimplifying it,” Zach said. “But thanks for the tip.”
I spotted Pepper walk inside with Tatum and Stella behind her. They were all dressed to impress. Stella was in dark jeans with heels and a top that cut so low her cleavage was noticeable. Tatum was in a long-sleeved dress with tights underneath. Pepper stood out from the rest because she was in black jeans that were so skintight, they showed every sculpted muscle of her legs. Heeled boots were on her feet, and she wore a black V-neck with a brown leather jacket on top. Her hair was in large curls and her makeup a little heavier than usual. There was no doubt in my mind that I liked men, but there was also no doubt in my mind that Pepper was the most beautiful woman in the room. “The girls are here.”
Zach followed my gaze. “And Stella looks damn hot.”